We all go through challenges — some you can see, most you can't, says Michele L. Sullivan.
In a talk about perspective, Sullivan shares stories full of wit and wisdom and reminds us that we're all part of each other's support systems. "The only shoes you can walk in are your own," she says. "With compassion, courage and understanding, we can walk together, side by side."
Michele L. Sullivan is known for her sustainable and collaborative approach to philanthropic investing.
Sullivan strongly believes monumental and sustainable change in our largest global challenges can only happen through partnerships and collaboration between public, private and non-profit entities. This strategy resulted in the Caterpillar Foundation's transformation into one of the most influential corporate foundations and, ultimately, the launch of the Foundation's collaborative impact platform, Together.Stronger.
You can read a full transcript for the talk here.
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Challenges. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Challenges. Mostrar todas las entradas
domingo, 2 de abril de 2017
sábado, 21 de noviembre de 2015
Reading test: How to pull yourself back from the brink
This week's reading test is based on the BBC article How to pull yourself back from the brink, by Matt Chittock, which we are going to use to practise the multiple choice kind of task.
Read the article and choose the option a, b or c which best completes each sentence. 0 is an example.
Imagine trying to bounce back after losing your marriage and potentially the highly successful business you built from scratch, overnight. That’s exactly what happened to lingerie impresario, Michelle Mone, when her husband, co-owner of £50m ($78m) multinational company, Ultimo, walked out and left her fighting for the business she’d started after he tried to wrest away control following his affair with the company’s chief designer.
But, after a very public divorce and court battle, after which Mone had to find new backers to buy out her husband, Mone lived to fight another day. Appointed by the British government in August to carry out a wide-ranging review into how best to encourage start-ups in areas of high unemployment she’s faced her own set of struggles to get to the top.
“I’ve faced some big dramas in my life where I really could have lost everything,” she said, calling her experience the epitome of resilience in business. “I just had to work harder and find a way through. If you never give up you’ll find a way — it’s a feeling I’ve had my whole career.”
Learning from experience builds resilience, but it’s possible to develop the characteristic without, say, facing bankruptcy or failure, according to Derek Mowbray, chairman of leadership consultancy the WellBeing and Performance Group. Merely developing the right attitude is a big part of becoming resilient, he said. “Resilience is an attitude towards challenging events — it’s basically a choice you make,” Mowbray said. For instance, you probably already have the presence of mind needed to run a client presentation without crumbling if your favourite meeting room isn’t available, or the skills to wing it if you’ve left some notes at home. The true test of resilience comes when something outside of the norm happens: the meeting room is invaded by angry placard-waving shareholders or the vice president of the firm falls seriously ill during the presentation. That self-belief is at the core of a resilient approach, Mowbray said.
Much of the time, there are some subtle, but crucial, differences in self-reflection that separate resilient people from others. “[Non-resilient] people see the story of their life stopping when they reach a certain point; maybe their business failed or they became ill,” said Belgium-based executive coach Olivier Schobbens. Such people might spend a lot of time thinking about or discussing that setback. “Resilient people tend to think ‘OK — that’s a hiccup, but now the story continues’.”
The ability to stay positive and in control under periods of high stress are the hallmarks of resilience. They are also the mark of some of the most successful entrepreneurs. Take dual Jamaican-American citizen Andrea Johnson, founder of Serra Trading Company — a family-run business that sells single estate Jamaican coffee turning over around $300,000 of coffee a year.
Johnson took the plunge into entrepreneurship when her New York-based job at fashion house Giorgio Armani disappeared during the 2008 recession. “In retrospect it was the kick in the pants I needed,” Johnson said. Changing industries was a challenge, and Johnson had to become an expert in the global coffee industry quite rapidly. Johnson believes she has a resilient nature overall and attributes that partly to the way she approaches obstacles. “I’ve got a very logical mind and break down any problems into smaller parts,” she said.
Resilient people also tend to have a strong sense of purpose. “People find it easier to rebound from challenges when they have a clear idea of what difference they want to make in their professional life,” Schobbens said. That passion both builds resistance and can carry you through a variety of obstacles.
Australia-based entrepreneur Stephan Ibos knew he had a great business idea, but he ran into numerous roadblocks when he looked for investors for his cloud computing start-up. “We spent a year approaching people who told us ‘what you want to do is technically impossible, you’ll never succeed — and what on earth are you doing a start-up in Australia for?’,” Ibos said. It took eight months of pitching meetings before Ibos found someone who believed in the idea and helped secure the funding that allowed him to create Maestrano, which provides cloud computing services to small- and medium-sized businesses. The company, which is almost two years old, now has two offices in the US and one planned for London. “Our team all went from big corporate jobs making big bucks to do this,” Ibos said. “It was a risk. Let's be honest: every day is about facing a new challenge that you didn't even imagine you would have the day before.”
Resilience is — above all — about accepting and embracing risk, rather than trying to avoid it, according to Mowbray. Exposing yourself to new challenges and unfamiliar experience helps build the resilience muscle. “That way you’re extending the portfolio of experiences that you know you can deal with,” Mowbray said. What’s more, finding the bright side of failure is at the heart of developing resilience in business. “If people see a failure as a success waiting to happen, that’s generally what happens,” said Mowbray.
0 Example:
Michelle Mone…
a) had an affair with the company’s chief designer.
b) is a high-tech businessperson.
c) started her business from nothing.
1 After her divorce, Michelle Mone…
a) didn’t keep her business.
b) she was unemployed for a while.
c) started working with new businesses.
2 According to Derek Mowbray…
a) experience is the best way to gain resilience.
b) resilience is when something outside of the norm happens.
c) unexpected situations help us find out how solid we are.
3 Resilient people are…
a) inclined to analyse carefully why things went wrong.
b) likely to look forward.
c) reflexive.
4 Andrea Johnson…
a) has always been a businesswoman.
b) runs a company that sells property.
c) tries to solve problems little by little.
5 Having a clear idea in mind will…
a) help you recover from difficulties.
b) help you start new projects.
c) make you more resistant.
6 Stephan Ibos…
a) faced technical difficulties in his project at first.
b) found it difficult to fund his project.
c) is Australian.
7 To succeed in the business world...
a) being familiar with a variety of experiences will be of help.
b) you have to deal with failure at some stage.
c) you must be a risk-loving person.
KEY:
1C 2C 3B 4C 5A 6B 7A
Read the article and choose the option a, b or c which best completes each sentence. 0 is an example.
How to pull yourself back from the brink
Imagine trying to bounce back after losing your marriage and potentially the highly successful business you built from scratch, overnight. That’s exactly what happened to lingerie impresario, Michelle Mone, when her husband, co-owner of £50m ($78m) multinational company, Ultimo, walked out and left her fighting for the business she’d started after he tried to wrest away control following his affair with the company’s chief designer.
But, after a very public divorce and court battle, after which Mone had to find new backers to buy out her husband, Mone lived to fight another day. Appointed by the British government in August to carry out a wide-ranging review into how best to encourage start-ups in areas of high unemployment she’s faced her own set of struggles to get to the top.
“I’ve faced some big dramas in my life where I really could have lost everything,” she said, calling her experience the epitome of resilience in business. “I just had to work harder and find a way through. If you never give up you’ll find a way — it’s a feeling I’ve had my whole career.”
Learning from experience builds resilience, but it’s possible to develop the characteristic without, say, facing bankruptcy or failure, according to Derek Mowbray, chairman of leadership consultancy the WellBeing and Performance Group. Merely developing the right attitude is a big part of becoming resilient, he said. “Resilience is an attitude towards challenging events — it’s basically a choice you make,” Mowbray said. For instance, you probably already have the presence of mind needed to run a client presentation without crumbling if your favourite meeting room isn’t available, or the skills to wing it if you’ve left some notes at home. The true test of resilience comes when something outside of the norm happens: the meeting room is invaded by angry placard-waving shareholders or the vice president of the firm falls seriously ill during the presentation. That self-belief is at the core of a resilient approach, Mowbray said.
Much of the time, there are some subtle, but crucial, differences in self-reflection that separate resilient people from others. “[Non-resilient] people see the story of their life stopping when they reach a certain point; maybe their business failed or they became ill,” said Belgium-based executive coach Olivier Schobbens. Such people might spend a lot of time thinking about or discussing that setback. “Resilient people tend to think ‘OK — that’s a hiccup, but now the story continues’.”
The ability to stay positive and in control under periods of high stress are the hallmarks of resilience. They are also the mark of some of the most successful entrepreneurs. Take dual Jamaican-American citizen Andrea Johnson, founder of Serra Trading Company — a family-run business that sells single estate Jamaican coffee turning over around $300,000 of coffee a year.
Johnson took the plunge into entrepreneurship when her New York-based job at fashion house Giorgio Armani disappeared during the 2008 recession. “In retrospect it was the kick in the pants I needed,” Johnson said. Changing industries was a challenge, and Johnson had to become an expert in the global coffee industry quite rapidly. Johnson believes she has a resilient nature overall and attributes that partly to the way she approaches obstacles. “I’ve got a very logical mind and break down any problems into smaller parts,” she said.
Resilient people also tend to have a strong sense of purpose. “People find it easier to rebound from challenges when they have a clear idea of what difference they want to make in their professional life,” Schobbens said. That passion both builds resistance and can carry you through a variety of obstacles.
Australia-based entrepreneur Stephan Ibos knew he had a great business idea, but he ran into numerous roadblocks when he looked for investors for his cloud computing start-up. “We spent a year approaching people who told us ‘what you want to do is technically impossible, you’ll never succeed — and what on earth are you doing a start-up in Australia for?’,” Ibos said. It took eight months of pitching meetings before Ibos found someone who believed in the idea and helped secure the funding that allowed him to create Maestrano, which provides cloud computing services to small- and medium-sized businesses. The company, which is almost two years old, now has two offices in the US and one planned for London. “Our team all went from big corporate jobs making big bucks to do this,” Ibos said. “It was a risk. Let's be honest: every day is about facing a new challenge that you didn't even imagine you would have the day before.”
Resilience is — above all — about accepting and embracing risk, rather than trying to avoid it, according to Mowbray. Exposing yourself to new challenges and unfamiliar experience helps build the resilience muscle. “That way you’re extending the portfolio of experiences that you know you can deal with,” Mowbray said. What’s more, finding the bright side of failure is at the heart of developing resilience in business. “If people see a failure as a success waiting to happen, that’s generally what happens,” said Mowbray.
0 Example:
Michelle Mone…
a) had an affair with the company’s chief designer.
b) is a high-tech businessperson.
c) started her business from nothing.
1 After her divorce, Michelle Mone…
a) didn’t keep her business.
b) she was unemployed for a while.
c) started working with new businesses.
2 According to Derek Mowbray…
a) experience is the best way to gain resilience.
b) resilience is when something outside of the norm happens.
c) unexpected situations help us find out how solid we are.
3 Resilient people are…
a) inclined to analyse carefully why things went wrong.
b) likely to look forward.
c) reflexive.
4 Andrea Johnson…
a) has always been a businesswoman.
b) runs a company that sells property.
c) tries to solve problems little by little.
5 Having a clear idea in mind will…
a) help you recover from difficulties.
b) help you start new projects.
c) make you more resistant.
6 Stephan Ibos…
a) faced technical difficulties in his project at first.
b) found it difficult to fund his project.
c) is Australian.
7 To succeed in the business world...
a) being familiar with a variety of experiences will be of help.
b) you have to deal with failure at some stage.
c) you must be a risk-loving person.
Stephan Ibos
KEY:
1C 2C 3B 4C 5A 6B 7A
domingo, 18 de octubre de 2015
Extensive listening: Before I kick the bucket
What would you do if you were told you only had months to live? In BBC's Before I kick the bucket, Rowena Kincaid, a terminally ill young woman with a wicked sense of humour, tries to figure out what best to do with the time that remains.
sábado, 1 de diciembre de 2012
127 hours: Extreme situations
127 hours is a film by Daniel Boyle which depicts the real-life experience of a mountaineer who got trapped while canyoneering. Starred by James Franco, the film shows the climber's efforts to save himself.
Self-study activity:
Watch this The New York Times interview with Aron Ralston, the protagonist of the event in real life, and answer the questions below about it. The video is part of a British Red Cross lesson.
When did the events take place?
How dangerous was the trip?
What mistake did Aron Ralston make?
A boulder (=large rock) trapped Aron’s arm, how much of his arm got trapped?
What did Aron use his digital camera for?
How long was Aron trapped?
How did Aron manage to free himself?
To check the answers, you can read the transcript below.
You can also watch film maker Daniel Boyle discussing Aron's ordeal on this other British Red Cross video. The full transcript, courtesy of the British Red Cross, is also below.
A solo hike begun in Blue John Canyon in Utah of April 2003 presented minimal risks, save for one nearly fatal decision.
As I went out there I made a choice, not only to be by myself – but I didn't tell anyone where I was going.
Alone in a remote part of the canyon, the boulder he was climbing became loose.
The boulder ricocheted between the walls and it ensnared my right hand and then settled between the walls again so that I became trapped. My arm was crushed flat for about the last eight to nine inches.
We always make choices of what we want in our life. So for some reason I wanted that experience. What would I do if I were in a situation where my life was on the line? Oh? You really wanted to know? Well here, you're going to find out, Aron.
Remarkably he documented the hours and days that followed using his digital camera.
I spent six days there trapped until finally I had an epiphany of how I could get myself free by first breaking the bones in my arm and then using the knife that I had to cut through the soft tissues and extract myself.
Weirdly enough this guy took a camera with him. He had a video camera with him. And he left a series of video messages every day – he was trapped there for six days. He's never shown them to anyone. His mum's seen them, a couple of friends, they're in a bank vault. He did show them to us and Franco and it's weird watching them. Because he makes them every day at the same time and leaves this message. And he thinks he's going to die, you can see.
And the really weird thing, and we couldn't do this because we didn't want to do CG [computer graphics], it's the only way you could do it, is when he runs out of water which he does after about three days. There's a gap then to him leaving the next message but there's no gap in the tape because it just jumps you know it's just like because he turns it on and off. But the difference in him it's like "wawwh" [gestures]. When you've been without water it's not like weight loss, you know like taking out the calories or carbohydrates or anything like that. It's actually like a weird shrinking of the human spirit. He just vanishes in a way.
Self-study activity:
Watch this The New York Times interview with Aron Ralston, the protagonist of the event in real life, and answer the questions below about it. The video is part of a British Red Cross lesson.
When did the events take place?
How dangerous was the trip?
What mistake did Aron Ralston make?
A boulder (=large rock) trapped Aron’s arm, how much of his arm got trapped?
What did Aron use his digital camera for?
How long was Aron trapped?
How did Aron manage to free himself?
To check the answers, you can read the transcript below.
You can also watch film maker Daniel Boyle discussing Aron's ordeal on this other British Red Cross video. The full transcript, courtesy of the British Red Cross, is also below.
As I went out there I made a choice, not only to be by myself – but I didn't tell anyone where I was going.
Alone in a remote part of the canyon, the boulder he was climbing became loose.
The boulder ricocheted between the walls and it ensnared my right hand and then settled between the walls again so that I became trapped. My arm was crushed flat for about the last eight to nine inches.
We always make choices of what we want in our life. So for some reason I wanted that experience. What would I do if I were in a situation where my life was on the line? Oh? You really wanted to know? Well here, you're going to find out, Aron.
Remarkably he documented the hours and days that followed using his digital camera.
I spent six days there trapped until finally I had an epiphany of how I could get myself free by first breaking the bones in my arm and then using the knife that I had to cut through the soft tissues and extract myself.
Weirdly enough this guy took a camera with him. He had a video camera with him. And he left a series of video messages every day – he was trapped there for six days. He's never shown them to anyone. His mum's seen them, a couple of friends, they're in a bank vault. He did show them to us and Franco and it's weird watching them. Because he makes them every day at the same time and leaves this message. And he thinks he's going to die, you can see.
And the really weird thing, and we couldn't do this because we didn't want to do CG [computer graphics], it's the only way you could do it, is when he runs out of water which he does after about three days. There's a gap then to him leaving the next message but there's no gap in the tape because it just jumps you know it's just like because he turns it on and off. But the difference in him it's like "wawwh" [gestures]. When you've been without water it's not like weight loss, you know like taking out the calories or carbohydrates or anything like that. It's actually like a weird shrinking of the human spirit. He just vanishes in a way.
lunes, 5 de noviembre de 2012
At Niagara Falls
Nik Wallenda has become the first man to walk over the Niagara Falls on a tightrope.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video clip and say what the following refers to. The activity is suitable for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1 students.
25
550
5
33
Grand Canyon
To correct the activity, you can read the transcript below.
25 minutes and 550 metres which made stunt history. Daredevil Nik Wallenda has become the first man to cross the high winds and mist of Niagara Falls, on a 5-centimetre-wide tightrope, even running and praying along the way.
Arriving on the Canadian side, he hugged his family and greeted border officials, who jokingly asked for the 33-year-old American’s passport and asked the purpose of his visit. Nick’s clearly delighted at his success:
Thank all of you for being here. I feel like I’m on Cloud Nine right now. As everyone knows, this is something that I’ve dreamt of for a long, long time, and it just became a reality. The impossible is not quite impossible, if you set your mind to it.
And his next trick? A little hole in the ground called the Grand Canyon. Watch this very large space.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video clip and say what the following refers to. The activity is suitable for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1 students.
25
550
5
33
Grand Canyon
To correct the activity, you can read the transcript below.
25 minutes and 550 metres which made stunt history. Daredevil Nik Wallenda has become the first man to cross the high winds and mist of Niagara Falls, on a 5-centimetre-wide tightrope, even running and praying along the way.
Arriving on the Canadian side, he hugged his family and greeted border officials, who jokingly asked for the 33-year-old American’s passport and asked the purpose of his visit. Nick’s clearly delighted at his success:
Thank all of you for being here. I feel like I’m on Cloud Nine right now. As everyone knows, this is something that I’ve dreamt of for a long, long time, and it just became a reality. The impossible is not quite impossible, if you set your mind to it.
And his next trick? A little hole in the ground called the Grand Canyon. Watch this very large space.
jueves, 9 de agosto de 2012
Oscar Pistorius video activity
In the last few days Larry Ferlazzo has been publishing a number of posts on South-African athlete Oscar Pistorius. As a matter of fact, Larry has compiled a list where you can find photos, videos, articles, interactives from several media about this astounding sportsman.
The two videos here are taken from Larry's list.
Self-study activity:
Watch this short ABC video on Oscar Pistorius and answer the questions below about it.
1 What's Oscar Pistorius' nickname?
2 In what sense is Oscar a pioneer?
3 What has been Oscar's life-long ambition?
4 How long has Oscar lived without legs?
5 Why didn't he run in the 2008 Olympics?
6 Why do some people feel Oscar will be at an advantage in the race?
7 What did Oscar tweet today?
To check your answers, you can read the transcript below.
To complete the information on Oscar Pistorius you can watch this Nike ad on him.
They told me that I'd never walk. That I'd never compete with other kids. It wasn't in me to play water polo. They told me I'd never make the team. They told me the choir was trying out next Tuesday, that motocross wasn't for people like me. And the man with no legs, can't run. Anything else you want to tell me?
Now to history in the sports world tonight. The South African sprinter known as the blade runner has shattered another barrier. He’s the double amputee who’s been proving doubters wrong his entire life running and winning races using blades for feet. Today he learnt he will be the first amputee to race in the Olympics.
Today Oscar Pistorius moved one carbon-fibre step closer to his Olympic dream. The twenty-five-year-old South-African known as the fastest man with no legs has spent years struggling to be accepted as a runner without a handicap. That’s despite being a double amputee who rockets round the track on cheetah-flex speed.
The legs are not giving me an unfair advantage. If they can prove they give me an advantage, I won't run anymore.
Pistorius was born without cap bone. Before he was one both legs were amputated below the knee. He was told he would never walk. But he’s done that and so much more, shattering expectations and records. In 2008 he wasn’t allowed to run in the Beijing Olympics. When that decision was reversed, he failed to qualify. This summer here in London he will finally get two shots at gold, running in the individual 400 metre race and the 4x400 metre relay.
It’s certain that the argument is there that this is unfair because he’s the bionic man. If this were that unfair, he would be winning gold medals in world record time. This is about inclusion for an athlete who deserves it, who has been shunned in the past because of his disability.
Pistorius tweeted today saying this is one of the happiest days of my life. He will face ferocious competition on the track here, he may not win, but he will have the entire world watching in awe as he tries.
The two videos here are taken from Larry's list.
Self-study activity:
Watch this short ABC video on Oscar Pistorius and answer the questions below about it.
2 In what sense is Oscar a pioneer?
3 What has been Oscar's life-long ambition?
4 How long has Oscar lived without legs?
5 Why didn't he run in the 2008 Olympics?
6 Why do some people feel Oscar will be at an advantage in the race?
7 What did Oscar tweet today?
To check your answers, you can read the transcript below.
To complete the information on Oscar Pistorius you can watch this Nike ad on him.
They told me that I'd never walk. That I'd never compete with other kids. It wasn't in me to play water polo. They told me I'd never make the team. They told me the choir was trying out next Tuesday, that motocross wasn't for people like me. And the man with no legs, can't run. Anything else you want to tell me?
Now to history in the sports world tonight. The South African sprinter known as the blade runner has shattered another barrier. He’s the double amputee who’s been proving doubters wrong his entire life running and winning races using blades for feet. Today he learnt he will be the first amputee to race in the Olympics.
Today Oscar Pistorius moved one carbon-fibre step closer to his Olympic dream. The twenty-five-year-old South-African known as the fastest man with no legs has spent years struggling to be accepted as a runner without a handicap. That’s despite being a double amputee who rockets round the track on cheetah-flex speed.
The legs are not giving me an unfair advantage. If they can prove they give me an advantage, I won't run anymore.
Pistorius was born without cap bone. Before he was one both legs were amputated below the knee. He was told he would never walk. But he’s done that and so much more, shattering expectations and records. In 2008 he wasn’t allowed to run in the Beijing Olympics. When that decision was reversed, he failed to qualify. This summer here in London he will finally get two shots at gold, running in the individual 400 metre race and the 4x400 metre relay.
It’s certain that the argument is there that this is unfair because he’s the bionic man. If this were that unfair, he would be winning gold medals in world record time. This is about inclusion for an athlete who deserves it, who has been shunned in the past because of his disability.
Pistorius tweeted today saying this is one of the happiest days of my life. He will face ferocious competition on the track here, he may not win, but he will have the entire world watching in awe as he tries.
jueves, 7 de junio de 2012
The plan
The plan is an award-winning film about a man who gives up his job, leaves his girlfriend and drives to Vegas to bet all his money.
Self-study activity:
Watch the film and enjoy it. What do you think of it? Did the ending surprise you?
You can read the transcript below for a full understanding.
You can use the film as a springboard for conversation:
"The idea was simple. Quit my job. Pack the essentials needed to sustain life. Whatever happens, go through with it. Leave Claudia. For good this time. Take all of the money out of my bank account. Drive to Vegas. Walk up to a Roulette table, and put it all on red.
It's about going back to a time when life was unexpected, taking a change that would allow me to start over. Finding a new purpose, a new adventure, a new love. I will go through with it. No matter what the outcome is, at least it won’t be the life that I live now.
That’s a really good casino.
How do you know?
Because I just won 50 bucks on the nickel sludge.
Is it good?
Yeah!
You from around here?
Nope.
Thanks.
Did you just take a picture of me?
No. Yeah!
Well can I see it?
It’s not digital. It’s 35mm.
OK, then I think you should give me the film.
Why?
Because you just can’t go around stealing pictures of people. It’s rude.
How about after I get it developed I’ll send you a copy?
You know what, just forget it. Just keep it, asshole.
Hey, I just thought you are pretty!
I’d thought you’d take it as a compliment?
Hey, man, have you ever been to this place before?
Red light casino you see, you go down the 50…
Shit, you give me that back!
You should come out and play.
You gonna mess the film.
Fuck, fuck.
I will go through with it.
Ok, how much do you want on chips?
No more bets.
Black 35 no winners.
Mitch, come home. Just come home, Mitch. You there?
I guess it's about it's about going back to a time when life was unexpected. Finding a new purpose, a new adventure, a new love. And no matter what happens, at least it won’t be the life that I live now."
Self-study activity:
Watch the film and enjoy it. What do you think of it? Did the ending surprise you?
You can read the transcript below for a full understanding.
You can use the film as a springboard for conversation:
- Retell the story in your own words.
- Tell your friends or classmates about personal stories you know of people who decided to leave everything behind to make a new start in life.
- Discuss the reasons that make people take these drastic decisions.
"The idea was simple. Quit my job. Pack the essentials needed to sustain life. Whatever happens, go through with it. Leave Claudia. For good this time. Take all of the money out of my bank account. Drive to Vegas. Walk up to a Roulette table, and put it all on red.
It's about going back to a time when life was unexpected, taking a change that would allow me to start over. Finding a new purpose, a new adventure, a new love. I will go through with it. No matter what the outcome is, at least it won’t be the life that I live now.
That’s a really good casino.
How do you know?
Because I just won 50 bucks on the nickel sludge.
Is it good?
Yeah!
You from around here?
Nope.
Thanks.
Did you just take a picture of me?
No. Yeah!
Well can I see it?
It’s not digital. It’s 35mm.
OK, then I think you should give me the film.
Why?
Because you just can’t go around stealing pictures of people. It’s rude.
How about after I get it developed I’ll send you a copy?
You know what, just forget it. Just keep it, asshole.
Hey, I just thought you are pretty!
I’d thought you’d take it as a compliment?
Hey, man, have you ever been to this place before?
Red light casino you see, you go down the 50…
Shit, you give me that back!
You should come out and play.
You gonna mess the film.
Fuck, fuck.
I will go through with it.
Ok, how much do you want on chips?
No more bets.
Black 35 no winners.
Mitch, come home. Just come home, Mitch. You there?
I guess it's about it's about going back to a time when life was unexpected. Finding a new purpose, a new adventure, a new love. And no matter what happens, at least it won’t be the life that I live now."
martes, 15 de mayo de 2012
Speakout Intermediate: Challenges in today's world
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the world today?
If you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be?
These are the questions people in the street answer in a new installment of Speakout Intermediate, Longman. Watch the video clip and try to understand as much as possible of what the speakers say.
Now it's over to you. Get together with an English-speaking friend or relative and answer the same questions about yourself.
You can read the transcript here.
If you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be?
These are the questions people in the street answer in a new installment of Speakout Intermediate, Longman. Watch the video clip and try to understand as much as possible of what the speakers say.
Now it's over to you. Get together with an English-speaking friend or relative and answer the same questions about yourself.
You can read the transcript here.
lunes, 23 de enero de 2012
Less stuff, more happiness
Writer and designer Graham Hill asks: Can having less stuff, in less room, lead to more happiness? He makes the case for taking up less space, and lays out three rules for editing your life.
Watch this six-minute TED talk and listen to what Mr Hill has to tell us. Also remember that the TED player allows us to activate the subtitles in the language we wish.
Watch this six-minute TED talk and listen to what Mr Hill has to tell us. Also remember that the TED player allows us to activate the subtitles in the language we wish.
viernes, 19 de agosto de 2011
The fear to change
Carly Fiorina, former CEO of HP talks about the dynamics of change and fear in this lecture to Stanford University students offered in May, 2007.
Self-study activity:
Before you watch an extract of Carly's talk, try to decide if, in your opinion, the following statements are true or false.
Everybody is afraid of something.
Some people are blocked by their fears.
Courageous people manage to defeat their fears.
The business world is about risk-taking.
Change is always difficult.
Most people are afraid of venturing into the unknown, which stops change.
People who have positions of power and influence what to keep them.
Wanting to keep one’s power and influence is human, but it also stops change.
Now watch the video and check which of the statements above are true or false.
You can read a transcript of the talk here.
Key:
All the statements are true.
Self-study activity:
Before you watch an extract of Carly's talk, try to decide if, in your opinion, the following statements are true or false.
Everybody is afraid of something.
Some people are blocked by their fears.
Courageous people manage to defeat their fears.
The business world is about risk-taking.
Change is always difficult.
Most people are afraid of venturing into the unknown, which stops change.
People who have positions of power and influence what to keep them.
Wanting to keep one’s power and influence is human, but it also stops change.
Now watch the video and check which of the statements above are true or false.
You can read a transcript of the talk here.
Key:
All the statements are true.
domingo, 3 de julio de 2011
60 Challanges at the age of 60
Find out about Lesley Evans by reading this The Telegraph article. Lesley is a retired librarian who at 60 has decided to find something to live for to alleviate the pain of getting on in age.
Her challenges range from renting a house for New Year to setting up a blog or having a fish pedicure.
Read the full list of 60 challenges by clicking on the picture below. You can also read the related article which develops Lesley's story and ideas here.
Her challenges range from renting a house for New Year to setting up a blog or having a fish pedicure.
Read the full list of 60 challenges by clicking on the picture below. You can also read the related article which develops Lesley's story and ideas here.
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