(C+++) - From My English Country Garden - A letter from Builder Michael - The pleasure of giving!

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From My English Country Garden

A letter from Builder Michael

Once again, it was Christmas! And, this Christmas, just like last Christmas, and all the other Christmases before, was spent going mad trying to decide what to buy for everyone else – and everyone else was going crazy trying to decide what to buy for me! It's a funny life. But, let's just stop for a moment and think.

Christmas is the time of year for giving, and, only two weeks ago, whilst enjoying my third generous whisky of the evening, the telephone rang. It was a friend of mine's wife, and she was calling from their home in the middle of Scotland. And, she desperately needed my help and advice.

Her problem was her husband's Christmas present! What could she possibly purchase for someone who had everything and more?

And, this was the point. What is the point of buying something for someone who has all that he wants and all that he needs? My friend's wife was not in need of a shopping list, but in need of a reminder of the meaning of giving.

Giving, I explained, is a two way street. And, the pleasure, as I believe it, is more in the giving than in the receiving.

And, therefore, in order to create the maximum of pleasure for one's partner, it is better to allow them to give – rather than receive. And, this rule, by-the-way, can be applied to everyone else as well.

My friend's wife was listening carefully, and her question, being a sensible one, came as quite a

surprise. If she were to allow her husband to have all the fun – what fun would she have if all the fun was in the giving – and not in the receiving?

Receiving, I then told her, is just as much fun as giving, because, whilst receiving, one is giving the person who has just given just as much pleasure as receiving, if not even more!

My friend's wife, I believe, was convinced. But, there was still one very small problem. She still didn't know what to buy for her husband.

If giving is twice as much fun as receiving, then, in order for her to have a nice Christmas, she, too, would have to give. And, then, if she didn't like the idea of receiving, then her husband (my old friend) would be robbed of the pleasure of giving, and, if by receiving, one would be giving great pleasure to the person who had just given, then she, too, would want that as well!

And, so it was. My friend's wife decided to continue the ritual of giving her husband (my old friend) a pair of red socks and a shirt – and – of course – and in advance – a list of all the very nice things that would make her a very happy woman. After all, as she reminded me, the fun is the giving – and, all she was doing was giving her husband great happiness and the chance for lots and lots of great Christmas fun!

See you next time – Yours, Builder Michael!

.

(- B ) The Austrian Raunächte - listening to what the animals are saying - A special few days!

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The Austrian Raunächte

The nights between the 24^th of December and the 6^th of January are known in Austria as the Raunächte, or, in English, the nights that spirits walk.

Many people believe that many unusual things happen during these nights, but, only one thing is definitely true, and that is, that animals can speak!

And, why not? These nights (the Raunächte) are the longest and coldest of the year, and animals, too, want to have fun. And, so it is that the cows and the pigs and the dogs and the cats and the mice and the rats, and all the other animals, too, can speak to each other.

But, the animals can also speak to people as well. Every night many farmers enjoy speaking to their chickens, sheep, goats and cows. They speak about many interesting things.

And, if you don't believe me, just ask the next animal that you meet. But, you will have to wait until midnight. And, only between the 24^th of December and the 6^th of January!

Vocabulary

as well – auch

believe – glauben

between – zwischen

cats – Katzen

chicken - Händel

cows – Kühe

definitely – bestimmt

dogs – Hunde

during – während

enjoy – genießen

goats – Ziegen

interesting things – interessante Sachen

mice – Mäuse (1 mouse/2 mice)

nights – Nächte

pigs – Schweine

rats – Ratten

sheep – Scharfe

spirits – Geiste

strange – seltsam

these – diese

too – auch

why not – warum nicht

Questions

When are the Raunächte?

Are they the shortest days of the year?

What do the cows tell the horses?

What do the farmers tell the pigs?

What language do cows speak?

Can you understand goats?

Do you believe that animals can speak?

And, why?

..

OLD MOON EYES - ( No 5) - Little Polly Kettlefish - Very simple test - Great for kids and beginners!

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Little Polly Kettlefish

Little Polly Kettlefish has three very good friends. A black cat, a white cat and a wolf. And, they all live together in Cairo.

Last summer, they all went to Spain on the train. And, there they had dinner.

Little Polly Kettlefish had Goulash, the black cat a Schnitzel, the white cat a rat, and the wolf had a little cheese sandwich.

And then, after dancing a waltz, they went home to Cairo to bed!

Vocabulary

after – nach

cheese – Käse

dinner – Abendessen

live – (live/lived/lived) – leben

together - zusammen

Questions

How many friends has Little Polly Kettlefish?

Where do they live?

Where is Cairo?

Where did they go to last summer?

What did the white cat have for dinner?

What did the wolf have for dinner?

What did they do before going home to Cairo?

And, now the text once again.

..

(-C) - Keeping Their Heads - A true Advent story about an earring and a bow and the music that stopped!

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Keeping Their Heads!

It had been a beautiful Advent evening. The youngsters of my son's former school in Vienna had played incredibly well. In fact, much better than school concerts usually are. And, the playing of the three groups involved had become better and sweeter as the evening continued.

The jazz band was pure southern Dixie. The rock group was 50s and 60s, and the classics which concluded the evening were played on the harp, violin and piano by three wonderful girls. But, the finale did not go as planned. The conclusion of this wonderful evening was classical drama and its star was the young violinist.

The final notes were about to be played and it was almost time for applause. But, there was one very small problem. The violinist's bow had become entangled in her left earring and the music suddenly stopped. The violinist could no longer play. There was silence.

And, then came the action to free the young girl from her bow. And, it was not easy and many joined in with their help and advice. There were two or three teachers, members of the audience, the girl's mother, and the other musicians as well. And, and it goes without saying, it took no time at all to release the young girl from her bow. And, once again the three young musicians were alone on the stage. And, they were calm. And, the audience silent. And, then, as these three young girls brought the concert to a majestic conclusion the audience erupted. No one had ever experienced such a concert as this.

And, this is the power of the young. They had all kept their heads and concluded their concert as if nothing had happened. And, the audience applauded as if nothing had happened. But, something had happened. Because of a bow and an earring, the musicians and audience had become temporarily one.

And, that was the magic of the evening, and that's why no one will ever forget it!

Vocabulary

bow – Bogen

concluded - (conclude/ concluded/concluded) – abschließt

conclusion – Schluss

earring – Ohrringe

entangled – entwickelte

erupted – bebte mit Freude

harp – Harfe

hint – Spur

incredibly – erstaunlich

it goes without saying – selbst verständlich

kept their heads – Rühe bewähren

piano - Klavier

release - befreien

temporarily - vorübergehend

violin - Geiger

violinist - Geigenspieler

youngsters – Jugendlicher

Questions

How many groups played in the concert?

Was there a jazz band?

What was the very small problem?

Whose earring was entangled in her bow?

Who helped to release the young girl?

How did the audience react at the end of the performance?

 Why was the evening so magical?

(B+) - Hatsie Hughes and Her 5 Lucky Cousins - An earthquake that brought people together!

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Hatsie Hughes and Her 5 Lucky Cousins

When disasters come calling they often bring damage and pain. But, not always. They can also bring out the best in the people involved. And, the earthquake that struck Sukouka in Japan in 2006 brought out the very, very best of a young English woman!

Hatsie Hughes remembers the day well. She was working there at the time and was looking forward to lunch. But, lunch never came.

Instead, the earth quaked! 5.5 on the Richter scale. The worse the city could remember! And, Hatsie Hughes kept her head as she made her way home through the wreckage and rubble. And then, not far from home she heard it. A call for help and in English.

Standing and shivering together with nowhere to go was Rodney Franz and five of his friends. They had lost all. Their hostel was in ruins and they were hungry and cold. But, Hatsie was there. And, inviting them back to her place was able to make them feel happy with hot noodle soup and tuna fish salad.

But, Hatsie's new friends had to be more than just friends. There were rules. And, Japanese rules were the strictest of all. The only visitors allowed were relatives. That's all. And, so it was that Hatsie Hughes found 5 cousins more!

And cousins they’ve stayed. And, since then have remained unbelievably close. What happened by chance in 2006 has become something that’s still going on. And, the cousins still meet at least five times a year. It's all meant to be.

Sometimes, the wrong place is the right place - and the wrong time the right time. It's all a question of how things work out. And, sometimes, even disasters have lights in their shadows! And, that day in Japan will never be forgotten by 5 lucky people who luckily became 5 lucky cousins.

Vocabulary

earthquake - Erdbeben

exceptions - Ausnahmen

kept her head – Ruhig bleiben

quaked – bebte

relatives - Verwandten

rubble - Schrott

strictest – (strict/stricter/strictest) - streng

struck - heimsuchte

Questions

Where was Hatsie Hughes in 2006?

What was Hatsie Hughes doing in 2006?

How strong was the earthquake?

Who did Hatsie Hughes help?

How did Hatsie Hughes help them?

Why did the cousins become cousins?

Do the cousins still meet?

.

(C) - Lights Out at Ten - Mrs. Michael's childhood in the east - and - it was magic!

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Lights Out at Ten!

Childhood in the East

Childhood is the best time of our lives, and, this truth was even more so where Maria Michael grew up. She grew up in Czechoslovakia.

Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia) was a communist country in those days, and it was a paradise for children. And summers even more so.

Summer time was camp time. And these camps for young people, as Maria Michael explained, were the perfect place for a wonderful holiday. They were places of welcome, and provided a wonderful change from everyday life. Every child was treated like a king or a queen and they wanted for nothing! They got 5 very good meals every day and a programme they loved.

And, because the camps were all set in the depths of the country, the day time activities centred around sport and exercise. There was hiking, gymnastics and athletics. And, everything that was done was done together. This was not only good for physical fitness, but, for the fun of team work as well. But, life was not only movement.

The end of each day was for music, literature and discussion. And, it was during these evenings that deep and lasting friendships were forged. Points of view and opinions were always much stronger than sport. But, of course, no camp is a camp without rules.

It was up with the sun everyday. And, at the end of each day it was lights out at ten! No one minded. Going to bed was for dreaming; and, days were for action. It was the same great fun every day. But, then the holidays came to an end.

No problem! Next summer was coming, and with it the camps, the fun and the friends! And, so it went on, year after year. Winter for learning and summer for fun.

Vocabulary

change – Abwechseln

depths of the country – tief am Land

despite – trotzdem

exercise – Bewegung

forged (to forge/forged/forged) – schmieden

grew up (to grow up/grew up/grown up) – aufwachsen

gymnastics – Turnen

hiking – Wandern

led (to lead/led/led) – führen

provided (to provide/provided/provided) – beschaffen/liefern

treated (to treat/treated/treated) – behandelt

wanted for nothing (to want for nothing/wanted for nothing) – es hat nichts gefehlt

Very Simple Text - (No 4 ) - Old Moon Eyes - Little Penny Bischof - Just right for kids!

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Penny Bischof

Little Penny Bischof lives on a farm in the mountains of Austria. She is 9 years old. Her best friend is Sandra.

One day, Penny and Sandra saw something strange. In the middle of a field was a very big hole. And, it was deep. And, at the bottom of the hole was a big red balloon.

Then suddenly, the big red balloon began to take off. And, in it was a cow and a pig! “Where are you going?” Shouted Penny and Sandra.

“Back home to Africa” Said the cow and the pig. And, the balloon flew away. And, Penny and Sandra went home for their tea.

Vocabulary

Austria - Österreich

bottom - Boden

deep - tief

farm - Bauernhof

field - Feld

flew – (fly/flew/flown) - flog

hole - Loch

mountains - Bergen

saw – (see/saw/seen) - sah

strange - seltsam

suddenly - plötzlich

take off - abheben

tea – Nachmittagsjause

Questions

Where does Penny Bischof live?

How old is Penny?

Who is Penny's best friend?

What did Penny and Sandra see in a field?

What was at the bottom of the hole?

What colour was the Balloon?

Who was in the balloon?

Where was the balloon going?

And, now the text once again.

(A) - Samuel Pepys - He kept a diary and wrote about life and great historical events!

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Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys lived more than 300 years ago and was famous for his diary. In it, Samuel Pepys wrote about London, his home, his friends, himself, and about very important events.

The great plague and the fire of London were two of the things he recorded in his diary.

Samuel Pepys was born in 1633, and as a young man he experienced the civil war in England.

Samuel Pepys died in 1703.

Vocabulary

civil war – Bürgerkrieg

diary - Tagebuch

events – Ereignisse

experienced – (experience/experienced/experience) - erleben

famous - berühmt

important - wichtig

plague - Pest

recorded – (record/recorded/recorded) aufgezeichnet

Questions

When did Samuel Pepys live?

What was Samuel Pepys famous for?

What did Samuel Pepys write about in his diary?

Can you name 2 important events that Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary?

When was Samuel Pepys born?

What did Samuel Pepys experience as a young man?

When did Samuel Pepys die?

And, now the text once again!

(B) - Manuella Trestl - Visual beat - cooking - and the old kitchen sink!

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Visual Beat and the Kitchen Sink

Good kitchens are important for very good food. And, when kitchens are gloomy the cooking is sad. And, Manuela Trestl's kitchen used to be grey and unhappy, but now, thanks to music, it is smiling again. And, it's all thanks to Manuela Trestl's husband Zeppelin and the magazines which he reads. And, being a musician, the magazines that he likes are all about music.

And, these magazines with their beautiful musical pictures proved very inspirational. And soon, Manuela Trestl was cutting out pictures of drums, guitars, trumpets, violins and everything else that she liked. And, her idea was clearly exciting. A live daily show for her pictures on the best stage of all.

And, so it was that Manuela Trestl created a brilliant collage to cover her colourless grey kitchen tiles. And the effect was amazing. Everyone who entered her kitchen started singing a song! Such was the power and the beat of rhythm that's visual!

And Manuela Trestle's cooking? It has now become better than ever. Her family can now taste the rhythm and blues of carrots being cut, the twisting and shaking of onions frying, and the sad hurting soul of cabbage that is cooking! There's magic in musical pictures, and Manuela Trestl has been inspired for the better. Her kitchen is back and so is its smile!

..

Vocabulary

daily - täglich

enjoying – genießen

gloomy - düster

In common – gemeinsames

power – Macht

whilst – während

(B++) - Paris Maderna - An inventor with a passion for risk!

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Paris Maderna

In those days, Paris Maderna was a colourful character. He was young, and not so much an inventor but a reinventor of things that had already been invented. And, when I got to know him he was busy reinventing the bike. And, his idea was not only brilliant, but rather unusual as well.

Paris Maderna's new bike looked more like a bed with three wheels than a bike. And, to ride it, one had to lie in it, not sit in it, and the pedals were up at the front and coupled to the front single wheel. And, riding it, Paris Maderna promised, was not only simple, but comfortable, too. And, I will never forget the day that I saw it in action.

To begin with, Paris Maderna explained how it worked. To steer to the right, one had to lean to the right, and vice-versa for left. There was no other way. The bike had neither a steering wheel nor handlebars and to stop, one had to stop pedalling. It was all very simple. And, then with a smile and a grin he lowered himself into his bike and got ready for action.

And soon he was moving at speed. And then, at just the right distance from the fast approaching concrete wall, Paris Maderna leaned to the right. Nothing. The bike kept on going. Paris Maderna then leaned to the left. Again nothing. And then, with one last desperate effort, Paris Maderna leaned again to the right. And, the bike started turning. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But, too late. The wall had been quicker than Paris Maderna, and the sound of the crash told it all. All we had to do was help Paris Maderna out of the wreckage.

But, of course Paris Maderna didn't give up. And, very soon he was back on the road with another idea. And, it was good so. Thanks to inventors and reinventors like Paris Maderna, we have the colours of choice that provide for the shades of our comforts. The new age of cycling will surely arrive, and the peddling will all have been done by Paris Maderna!

Long live inventors!

Vocabulary

age - Zeitalter

approaching - annähend

comforts – Bequemlichkeiten

concrete wall – Betonmauer

desperate - verzweifelt

distance - Entfernung

handlebars - Lenkstange

inventor – Erfinder

leaned – (lean/leaned/leaned) - lehnen

neither nor – weder noch

pedalling – treten

relief - Erleichterung

shades - Schattierungen

sigh - Seufzen

steering - lenken

vice-versa – Gegenteil

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(C++) - From My English Country Garden - A letter from Builder Michael

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From my English Country Garden – by Builder M. Michael

Some time ago, I visited two very good friends in Hungary, Jenö and Marika. Jenö is a carpenter and makes doors, window frames and other wooden things for a living, and he spends his spare time re-building their house, which, by the way, is also built out of wood. And, in the evenings he likes looking at pictures of Scandinavian wooden houses.

Marika, on the other hand, is completely different. She’s a brilliant cook; she works at the local school and her interests include travelling, art, history and many other cultural things, too.

But, Jenö and Marika both have one thing in common. They both love doors.

Yes doors. And, it is this very unusual passion that has turned their house from being what it once was into what it is now. It used to be a very nice little home. It had a back door, a front door, a garden in the front and one at the back. All very normal. Now, it is different. It has many new doors.

The first new front door came just three months after they had moved in. They put it in the side of the house – which then became the new front of the house - because it was nearer to where they parked their car; quite sensible when you think about it. So, they now had one back of the house, and old front of the house, a new front of the house and one side instead of two! And the dog, which used to be tied up at the back of the house, was now, without being moved, chained up at the front!

Now, It wasn't until the following summer that the next door appeared. Jenö and Marika, now not being able to park in front of the new front door because of timber deliveries, were now having to park in front of the last remaining side of the house which was neither the front nor the back. And so, just to make life easier, this last remaining side without a door became the new front of the house. Three fronts and one back! But, that wasn't all.

Again, to make life easier, they put a door in the first floor – directly above the original front door (which is now the new back door), so, that in the morning, when everyone’s in a hurry, they haven’t got so far to go to get to the kitchen and can save one or two seconds by using the new flight of steps which takes them down the outside of the house to where the new back door is. This, of course, works perfectly well - providing that the back door isn’t looked - which it usually is, so nobody uses it!

But, the biggest challenge of all is the bell! The doors are connected to the same front door bell, so, when people come calling, Marika has no idea at all as to where her guests actually are. And so, she has to run around the house until she finds them. And, because people are, on the whole, generally impatient, they start going around and ringing on all the other doors, too, and so the confusion continues.

And, so it still is, and, I’m sure that the new front door won’t be too long in coming.

Yours Very Truly – Builder M. Michael

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(A) - An Advent Story - A true story of Advently singing that didn't finish on note!

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An Advent Story

It was 10 years ago and I was enjoying an Adventmarkt in Vienna. There was an exciting feeling of cold in the air, and the taste and smell of hot spicy wine made everything advently perfect. But, it was the choir that provided the spirit of the evening.

And, because it was the thing to do at the time, the choir sang mainly in English. And, as the evening went on the singing became better and better. And, everyone was having a wonderful time. But, then, sadly, came the very last song.

The conductor turned to the audience, thanked them and wished them a very happy Christmas and merry new year. And, then turning back to the choir, closed his eyes, and started conducting the very last song.

And, being a very well known American song, the audience joined in. And, then with the very last verse came the fun.

As if imitating a half dying swan, the conductor, with still tightly closed eyes, raised his arms in an arch above his head, and then flutteringly and dramatically brought them down and crossed them for a well practised majestic conclusion. But, nothing happened! The choir simply carried on singing!

The last verse was not the last verse at all. And, the choir, because they had all been too busily concentrating on their English texts, had given the conductor no attention at all.

And, the conductor, because of his tightly closed eyes, had had no idea that he was being ignored.

But, all's well that ends well, and with an embarrassing smile, the conductor conducted hard to catch up, and, of course, brought the concert to a triumphant conclusion.

And, after such a brilliant performance, the choir was invited back to do exactly the same the following year. And, I, too, promised myself another great evening of wonderful Advent good fun.

And, what could be better? Hot spicy wine, delicious Advent cakes, the first colds of winter, the warmth of good company, and, of course, and it goes without saying, the best of all singing!

Advent is a wonderful time!

..

Vocabulary

attention - Aufmerksamkeit

conclusion - Schluss

embarrassing – peinlich

expectantly - erwartungsvoll

goes without saying – (go/went/has gone...) selbstverständlich

imitating - nachahmen

spirit - Geist