The Speedo 20/2/07 - 27/2/07

Thanks for all the students, teachers, and SPEED Callan staff who came to the Valentynki party last Friday! Without question, the party was a success, with much thanks for Eric for organizing the event and planning all the games. We gave away many prizes that night, including:

• beer-chugging contest
• student wearing the most red
• limbo
• teacher trivia - eye color
• guessing the number of candies in the jar

Prizes included hour-conversations with teachers, free breakfasts, California wine, 5 free beers, and, last but not least, a beautiful piece of Eric's artwork!

(last but not least means: it was stated last, but is as good, if not better, than everything previously stated)

Check out some pictures from the party:

The teachers had a GREAT time at the Valentynki party - we hope you did, too! If you missed the party, don't worry - we are planning another one for March... St. Patrick's Day!

Upcoming Clubs and Lectures:

Lee's Lecture: Magic Card Tricks
Lee will teach you 10 AMAZING card tricks!!!

• Tuesday, February 27th at 19:30 (7:30) at SPEED
• Sign up by Monday, February 26th
• 
  

Dean's Club: Ski Club!

• Czarna Gora for a day of fun
• Saturday, March 3rd
• Meet at Dworca PKP at 6:20am
• $$$ - 30zl train ticket (round trip), 10zl minibus, 70zl ski pass
• Talk to Dean or the secretaries with questions!!!
• Sign up by Wednesday, February 28th

"Round trip" means a ticket both there AND back.

IDIOMS OF THE WEEK: Driving.

Idiom 1: To be in the driver's seat

To be in the driver's seat means to be in charge, to have power.

Lee: What movie do you think we should see tonight?

Eric: You decide, you are in the driver's seat.

Idiom 2: Driving a person crazy

Driving a person crazy means making them crazy.

Jamie: Let's go to Salvador's again tonight!

Terri: No way, Salvadors is driving me crazy :)

Idiom 3: What someone is driving at

What someone is driving at is the meaning of what someone is saying.

Boyfriend: We have been together for a long time, and you know we have a future together.

Girlfriend: What are you driving at?

Boyfriend: I love you! Will you marry me?

JOKE OF THE WEEK:

Question: Why couldn't the pony talk?

Answer: He was a little horse.

(a pony is a baby horse)

(horse means the large animal, whereas hoarse means your low voice when you are sick)

The Speedo 13-20 February

Valentine Special

It's Valentine's day today and you can send cards to your fellow students (or teachers!) by putting them in the red box near reception... it's like a Valentines post box!

Also, don't forget our Extra Special Valentine's Pub Club on FRIDAY 16th at FUZON (9.30pm)

We have fun, games and competitions and I'm sure someone may read a love poem or two... as an extra special prize Eric has donated some of his own pictures which he has painted - in a few years it could be worth millions!! Come and join the fun!!

Idiom of Love

'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'

So the word 'absent' means not to be somewhere i.e 'the student was absent from the lesson. Absence is the noun of the adjective absent. To be fond of something or someone means to like them a lot.

So this idiom means that if someone we like, love or care for is away from us, then we like them or love them even more.

Heavy alcohol drinkers have changed this idiom slightly with the idiom

'Absinth makes the heart grow fonder'

:)

Word of the Week - Anonymous

The word of the week is 'anonymous' which means that we do not know who wrote or said something, normally because they don't want us to know their name.

If you send Valentine's cards to people you can put 'anonymous' or a question mark at the bottom and then they have to guess who it's from!

A 'Valentines' look at Chuck

In the picture to the right we see Chuck with a girl kissing him. Clearly, she is one of the luckiest women ever to have been born. She will probably never wash her mouth ever again, nor eat or drink to keep the taste of Chuck alive on her lips!

'Chuck Norris can drown a fish'

TOP 10 ROMANTIC MOVIES OF ALL TIME

10: Love Story
9: The English Patient

8: Lovers of the Arctic Circle

7: William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
6: Lady and the Tramp
5: Brief Encounter
4: L'Appartement
3: Casablanca
2: Intersection
1: Titanic

THE WONDERFUL TITANIC WINS!

The Speedo 7/2/07 - 13/2/07

Have you been waiting for a chance to get to know the Wroclaw SPEED teachers a little better? This is your chance! Stop by the lobby outside the secretaries' office for pictures, information, quizzes, and fun facts about all of the teachers. Make sure to check back for new information :)

Karaoke Club - Don't forget! Come next Tuesday, February 13th at 9pm at the Guinness Pub for a great time. Sing your heart out (that means sing loudly and proudly) with Terri, Lynsey, and many other students and teachers. Last month, this was a huge hit (that means, many people came and had a lot of fun).

This week on the blog.....Idioms involving APPLES

IDIOM 1 - "Apple of my eye" - this is an affectionate, nice name to call someone. It means that you think they are wonderful and they are the person you love the most. This is usually used for a boyfriend/girlfriend, or for a parent/child.

Lynsey: "Greg, you are so wonderful. You are the only one for me, the apple of my eye"

IDIOM 2 - "Big Apple" - this is the nickname we use for New York City. Supposedly, the name refers to when New York was a popular place for racehorses, with BIG meaning the courses themselves and APPLE meaning the prize money involved. Over time, this became a name for the whole city.

IDIOM 3 - "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree" - this means that children are often just like their parents.

Peter: "My baby girl Madison is extremely smart - she is already speaking and she is still just a baby!"

Eric: "Well, the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree."

AN APPLE PROVERB (a proverb is a saying, or a phrase) - "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" - We learn this phrase in our SPEED Callan lessons! It is advice we use when we tell someone to stay healthy. This proverb actually comes from the ancient Romans, who believed the apple had magical powers to cure illness. In fact, apples are filled with vitamin C, protein, pectin, natural sugars, copper, and iron. They do promote health.

DON'T FORGET - FEBRUARY 14th IS VALENTINE'S DAY! Remember to shower them with love (this means tell them how much you love them). Buy your loved ones flowers, candy, chocolate, or just make sure to write them a card and say "I LOVE YOU".