Tag Archives: ENGLISH SCHOOL DUBLIN

DUBLIN is rhyming with WIN(e)

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Never I could  have imagined that Dublin could have been linked with the Wine. Although,  Guinness&Co. are still being famous, till 8th September the attention or better the glasses, will be focus on the vine. Why? Because Meeting Square in the heart of Temple Bar is hosting a real vineyard! The Australian wine producers McGuian have organized the City Vineyard Dublin 2012.

A real sociable place dedicated to the wine. By City Vineyard Dublin 2012  you could taste the better selection of Australian wines such as Shiraz, Chardonnay …  (but remind that the admission is strictly reserved only if you’re over 18!)

I am thinking to go there with my classmates to enjoy the event or pretending to be in Italy where we are used to do Aperitivo!!!

THE OLIMPIC WALL

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Trampoline, Table Tennis, Weight-lifting, Archery … these are some of sport activities that we have learnt in School during last week lessons. The topic was focused on “Sport”.

An appropriate topic if we consider that in our neighborg island it is going on with  The Olympic Games London 2012. Here we are feeling so much that event because we are geographically so closer

I find a side of Icon Wall right for that topic. As I wrote in some post ago in Temple Bar (Price’s Lane) there is an art performance dedicated to the most important Republic of Ireland’s people and events. Among those there is a wall dedicated to the “Irish Sport Successes”

 

I wish to Ireland ( and obviously also to Italy) to win lots of medals in the way that on the Icon Wall will be hang more posters up.

SHALL I (IRISH) DANCE?

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During English classes we talked often about the most important Irish customs. Among those, we could find as the most famous Irish folk music and Irish Dance. Insomuch famous that they have been become one of the important tourist attractions.

If  you’re interested in those kind of shows , you should go in Temple Bar area. Where every night you can find lots of pubs that offer live music played by Irish bands.

But if you’d like to attend an Irish Dance show, I could suggest you Arlington Hotels’ entertainment  shows. This advice offers you the possibility to watch a show for free or just for a drink cost, but if you’d like also have a dinner don’t worry as there’s a special menu inclusive.

The first hour had been made up of a selection of  Irish songs  played by traditional band.  Among those were Molly Malone and Galway Girl (that was soundtrack of the movie Ps. I love you).

After an hour four Irish dancers ( 3 women and 1 man)  had been went  up on the stage. They danced a particular kind of Irish dance, the Step Dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_OmxaThPRI&feature=context-cha

In which the footwork is the most important part of the dance, instead body and arm movements and styling are either restricted or considered irrelevant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pqAMn0FT5o&feature=plcp

If  you’re really keen on Irish Dance and you’re planning to come or stay in Dublin till 2nd September, you don’t have to miss Riverdance at Gaieti Theater , this is the most important show on irish Dance. Since 1994 Riverdance has been getting a worldwide success.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgGAzBDE454

Maybe I could attend, here in Dublin, not only at an English School but also a Step Irish Dance school…I might be a future Irish dancer…

THE COOLEST BIKE SELLER

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My Irish experience isn’t made up only by English school or lessons but also from new daily activities, that in Italy I didn’t use to do… such as  ciclying. Thanks that new “passion” I got acquainted with Milan.

Who’s Milan? He is a likeable bicycle seller. After several years as assistant seller, since September 2011 he opened his own shop Angel Cruiser . It is located  just  southside Liffey’s onshore (near Italian quarter) .

At Noon (Mon -  Sun)  Milan, in company with his dog Princess,  his assistants and sometimes also with his girlfriend… opens his shop.  Milan sells particular cycles: Popal, an  English style bike with patterns up to dated.

The most famous is  Popal with leopard pattern.

By  Angel Cruise you can find also second or third hand bikes which  are more affordable for the students like me. Actually, you can buy a bike at a lower price  than monthly pass Dublin Bus.

The atmosphere inside Angel Cruiser it’s very familiar and it’s fun for me, when I pass by the shop,  stopping and talking some minutes with Milan. This is happened also in late evening, because he holds open till late, sometimes around 11 p.m. . Now I call him “Doctor Bike” because among his services, you can find a sort of BIKE A&E. He has  a mobile number,  that it works also when the shop is closed, dedicated to people that  have problems with their bikes (e.g.  when bike’s chain is broken  just after a Saturday party or whatever other kinds of problems…).

So none has excuse now … for living  Dublin on the 2 wheels!

 

10 IS MAGIC NUMBER IN DUBLIN!

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Hello Guys! would you learn English in a complementary way than weekly English classes and at the meantime time living several artistic experiences in your staying here in Dublin? Well… I could suggest you a good advice: 10 Days in Dublin!

 

10 Days in Dublin … “is a multidisciplinary, open-format, arts festival. This means that the festival includes all types of art or performance: music, comedy, theatre, film, painting, sculpture, you name it. We want to provide a platform for all sorts of artists to show their work in Dublin, and we want you to be a part of it. This year we’ve over 95 acts across more than 25 venues. The festival runs from July 5th to 14th this year”. This is the event’s explanation by festival’s producers Dan&Rob.

There are lots of shows that are divided into six categories: Theatre, Film, Music, Comedy, Spoken Word and Visual Arts. So all kinds of your artistic interests could be satisfied!

So come on and check on the website  www.10daysindublin.ie the event (s) that you’d like more and enjoy the shows!

WESTLIFE …FAREWELL

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Meanwhile that Summer 2012 was coming … Westlife have said Goodbay to their fans. The most important ‘90s Irish boyband, which was born in 1998, in the last week end has greeted definitely its fans. So on 22nd&23rd of June thousands of fans have gathered themselves in the Croke Park

for attending Bryan MacFadden’s & Co. Farewell Concert.



During their career Westlife  have sold about 40 millions of albums between Europe, Asia and Australia. In the last years their market was particularly enclosed in the UK and obviously in their home country: Ireland.

At the moment my  English School hasn’t inserted in the class’ program  any songs of them, from my point of view that’s sounds really good! Surely thousands of fans can’t be agreed with me.

Here in Ireland I’ve understood that any occasion is good to make business. For example during the two days of concerts several pubs have used that event for increasing their profits. (As you can see below the advs set outside of the pub in O’Connol Street): they  have created special offers or they have even changed the traditional Irish music to make room  on the  Westlife’s hits.

But after these concerts, we are so sure that Westlife SWEAR (IT) not to return AGAIN?

 

 

 

DUBLIN..WOOD My Casting Movie!

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Yesterday and today  at Filmbase, in the heart of Temple Bar, a casting for a TV series, Vikings,  is taking place. The production is looking for 1000 extras who will be called to act in the set in July.

On Monday in The Porter House’s window  I read this advertisement:

Epic TV Series “VIKINGS” now casting for 1000′s of film extras to take part… We are mostly targeting adults. All kids must be accompanied by their parents. We want to see males & females from all ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS, ALL SHAPES AND ALL SIZES. We are waiting for you at Filmbase from 11 am till 7 pm on Tue and Wed.

So I thought…”why not? It’s here under my home”.

In an underhand way (I entered the side door), I skipped the long queue (there were about 150 people) and I went directly into the room where the casting was taking place. I had to fill in a form with my data and after a short queue … it was my moment. I stood on a stage with a piece of paper with my number on it my  hands, while a photographer took a picture.

This scene reminded me the movie poster of The Usual Suspects.

In July we will see  if I am ok to be an extra in  Vikings. However I don’t think to leave my English School for a movie’s career.

Nevertheless, I would still keep my goatee.. just in case…

TAXY-CLE

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TAXY-CLE is not a word that I’ve learnt during my English class. Rather is a mix between TAXI and BICYCLE. What is that? I’ve coined this word when I tried to think how I would have described this kind of transport/profession. If you walked once late at night through Grafton Street, you would find this kind of bicycle used like a taxi.

Yesterday night I was been cycling into Grafton Str. and I have spoken with Andrè and Marcus. They’re Brazilian and they are find this eco-system to carry people from Grafton St to wherever they want (in the City center) as job opportunity.

Since April they have started to be  TAXY-CLE DRIVERS.  Andrè has told me that this job allows him to cover his living costs there in Dublin and for him “could be funny because it is an occasion for meeting people”.  When I asked him about the weather, that often is so “unfriendly”, because I supposed that it could be an obstacle for this kind of business, he has answered me that: “ No, for us is better when it is raining because the people would reach in faster way their destination…so they stop us”.  Even  Marcus thinks that the bad weather could increase their business.

I am reckoning on this service that it could be useful for girls that are using to wear ultra-high heeled and uncomfortable shoes, that here are so fashionable!

Maybe tomorrow I could get the English school with a TAXY-CLE

 

Domenica a Dublino con gli amici dell’Ostello

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Le mie domeniche a Dublino sono sempre giornate per recuperare le energie dopo venerdi e sabati da leoni (per maggiori informazioni guardare la foto a sinistra dell’ultimo party) ed essere pronto per una nuova settimana di Scuola Inglese Dublino. E quale modo migliore del trascorrere il tempo con gli amici?! Da buoni “squattrinati” (io, Andrea, Mayte e Rafa) abbiamo deciso di pranzare in un ristorante al centro del quartiere Temple Bar, dove con 5 euro puoi mangiare un ottimo piatto di cucina mongola ( dai un occhio al sito per avere un’idea: http://www.mongolianbbq.ie/ ). Data la gran bella giornata di sole, dopo il pranzo si optato per bere un bel caffè e fumare una sigaretta in un altro coffe bar. Pranzo fatto, caffè (espresso italiano) preso, sigaretta fumata, chiacchiere e risate…ed ora che si fa?Proprio vicino al bar in cui stavamo parlando ci sta un negozio, l’HMW, di CD musicali ma anche di rivendita films in dvd. Era Domenica…cercavamo relax…cosa di meglio di un bel film in Ostello, dove vivono un paio di amici miei?!Così abbiamo affitato “Walk the line“, in Italia uscito col titolo di “Quando l’amore brucia”, è la storia del giovane cantante Johnny Cash, mito americano, e della sua turbolenta storia d’amore con June Carter Cash. Film un pò lento ma dalle intense emozioni per cui, sicuramente, da vedere. Dopo il film serata light a base di insalata per cui tutti al supermercato Tesco a fare la spesa. Posso dire pienamente: obiettivo raggiunto!Stacco e vado a dormire domani inizia una nuova settimana di lezioni inglese Dublin.

Body worlds in Dublin!!!

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Human body is just amazing. I have been fascinated by how it works since I was a child. I remember that at that time I used to watch a really famous cartoon, called “Siamo fatti così” (videotapes De Agostini). Basically it was a cartoon that explained how we  are done. Unfortunately grewing up I gave up that interest. That’s such a pity because now I’d like to know more about “us” :) . A good way to learn about our body could be going to visit the Body Worlds. It’s the museum of the human body and it moves from a city to another. After having visited more than 60 cities in the world it is arrived in Dublin the second of February and it will stay in the city for a couple of months. I have already visited it when I was living in Rotterdam ( do u remember?I was there because I was writing my Master’s thesis at the Erasmus University). For that reason I have been able to explein to my mates of English classes Ireland in what this gallery consists: as its website said BODY WORLDS is the original anatomical exhibition series displaying authentic human bodies, willed by donors through the Institute for Plastination’s Body Donor Program, and preserved using a process called plastination. Invented by Dr. von Hagens, plastination is a groundbreaking process in which real human specimens are preserved through the science of plastination. The specimens resulting from the revolutionary process are called plastinates. Plastinates show the inner workings of the body and the striking whole-body specimens show the human body in real-life poses, like never seen before. well..after said that,at the English Language School the guys seemed a bit terrified but no worries: people you have to go and making your own opinion about that…for sure it’s something that you can’t see every day in life :) ! Cheers!