Bite it!

I had to bite one to prove that they were real chocolates. I had them this cold October afternoon at Chocolatte on Bourke Road. Ric and I went on our own, Anton had a bbq with friends Luke and Nick. It was weird going without him, it made me think of one day, possibly not too far down the road when Anton will not live with us anymore. Everything will be so different, we will have to make so many adjustments and quite frankly I prefer if that day is not near...anyway the chocolates were really cute and nice and we looked at books at Borders for longer than usual, because we didn't have a bored teenager that hurried us along. By the way, I am reading an interesting book called "Mobius Dick" by Andrew Crumey. Ricardo bought it in a used book store and I started reading after finishing Dexter and uni. It is really an interesting idea and it is written in a gripping way. I will tell more as the story unfolds.

Saturday indulgence

Saturday has been declared the "Indulgence Day" in our family. Whatever we feel like eating, we eat.It usually involves quite a bit of preparation and hard core cooking. We start thinking and organising on Friday, we discuss what the menu will be, complete with appetizers, dessert and movie selection. Then we do the shopping and usually Saturday morning is when the cooking starts. Dessert is cooked first to allow for its refrigeration time. The house is filled with the aroma of baking, sugar and butter melting in the oven, sometimes a hint of vanilla essence can be inhaled, other times is lemon or chocolate. It's quite a sensory experience and one that I will always remember...time spent with my son rummaging through the cupboards, handing each other ingredients and taking turns to stir. It is the little things that make life special and life is full of little moments if one can stop and savor them. Sometimes the savoring comes much later, after the moment is gone, but the important thing is recognising it and re-living it. Tomorrow will be a simple menu of chicken schnitzel and chips and lemon pie for dessert. A recipe that I found on the internet a couple of weeks ago and it turned out delicious! This week will lack caramel slice because it has been a favourite for a long time and we need to take a break from it, we decided.

Every meal must be accompanied by a delicious bread. My personal favourite: Ciabbata bread from The Pines bakery (the one opposite Coles) the best ciabatta in Melbourne.

Los sabados han sido declarados dia de indulgencia en nuestra familia. Todos los viernes decidimos en el menu y lo que se nos ocurre, comemos. Generalmente eso significa mucha organisacion y trabajo de cocina, pero vale la pena. Hacemos las compras y el sabado tempranito comienza la preparacion. Generalmente empezamos cocinando el postre para darle tiempo a que se enfrie. La casa huele a panaderia: manteca y azucar uniendose en el horno, a veces uno puede inahalar un aroma a vainilla, o a limon, o a chocolate, pero la sensacion es muy sensorial y una que no voy a olvidar nunca...momentos compartidos con mi hijo buscando cacharros en la alacena, pasandonos ingredientes o tomando turnos para revolver. Son estas pequenas cosas que hacen la vida especial y la vida esta llena de momentos asi si uno puedo parar y saborearlos. A veces el sabor viene mucho mas tarde cuando el momento ya paso, pero lo importante es reconocerlo y revivirlo. Manana el menu es simple milanesas con papas fritas y lemon pie de postre. El caramel slice necesita un descanso...fue favorito por mucho tiempo y nos canso.

Lo que si, todas las comidas deben ser acompanadas por un delicioso pan. Mi favorito el ciabatta de la panaderia de The Pines, en frente al Coles. La mejor ciabatta de Melbourne vive ahi.

Friday Dinner

Parece mentira que algo tan simple como una bruschetta sea tan apetitosa. Todo lo que se necesita es pan viejo (preferentemente ciabatta), tomate, cebolla, ajo, oregano, aceite de oliva y vinagre balsmico. Es super facil de hacer y es el plato perfecto para un viernes primaveral despues de haber limpiado la casa, lavado la ropa y hacer las compras.

How delicious and how simple it is to make this restaurant looking dish for Friday's dinner. All you need is bread (preferably ciabatta bread), tomato, onion, garlic, oregano, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. So easy and ideal for a Spring Friday night, especially after having done all the shopping, the housework and the washing. Easy!

Inglourious Basterds

Photo retrieved from: http://a5.vox.com/6a00d4143331346a470110182d6b7d860f-500pi

I know you may think I misspelled those words, but I didn't. Quentin Tarantino did. I heard on the radio that when he showed his notes for the movie on a piece of paper he had misspelled the words because he is apparently a really bad speller. So someone must have told him that the words were misspelled and he decided to leave them like that. And really...he can do what he wants, can't he? It is really another little detail that can add promotion to the movie. By far I think one of the best movies of the year. Loved it. It is a very Tarantino movie as far as the way the story is told. From the opening titles you can tell is him, the music, the titles. The movie is told in chapters, the script is original and is full of dialogue- tense situations where the characters tried to look relaxed but you know they are about to explode and something very small said out of place can trigger a lot of violence. He has a gift for these dialogues, you find yourself tightening your hands to the seat or clenching your teeth. The main characters are so fantastically played and the camera angles just add to the tension. I was a little apprehensive to see this film because it is about Nazis and I don't particularly like Nazi films, however this one is a must see. It is glorious and worth every minute of it.

Anja Garbarek

Tried to embed the video but is disabled, so click on this link and enjoy the music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uthuSB3-ado&feature=related

Waiting for a table

Today we went to Camberwell (again) and wanted to have a coffee at our usual place but it was packed. We waited for a while to see if someone decided to leave, but then we changed our minds and went somewhere else. I had a cafe latte. I like cafe-lattes. I like drinking coffee out of a glass instead of a cup. I think I like seeing the light brownie colour of the liquid inside. Sometimes at home when I have left over condensed milk I make myself a spanish latte. All you do is pour coffee in a glass and add a tablespoon of condensed milk. It is delicious!

Hoy queriamos tomar un cafe en el lugar de siempre (Chocolatte) y estaba llenisimo. Esperamos un ratito pero no se desocupo ninguna mesa y decidimos ir a otro lado. Tome un cafe latte. Me gusta el cafe latte, creo que lo que me gusta es tomar de un vaso en vez de una taza y me gusta ver el color marron claro del liquido. En casa a veces cuando me sobra leche condensada me preparo un "Latte Espanol". Consiste en llenar un vaso de cafe negro y agregarle una cucharada sopera de leche condensada. Es tan pero tan rico.

Termino el semestre por fin!

No puedo creer que finalmente llego el tan esperando fin de semestre. Mi pobre cerebrito necesita un descanso para regenerar algunas de las dendritas desgastadas. Hoy es el primer fin de semana de liberacion asique me siento como si estuviera flotando, liviana y libre. Contaba en mi blog anterior que tengo tantas ganas de llegar del trabajo y no tener NADA que hacer...ay que lindo! Ayer sabado cocine una pasta flora y hable con mi hermana Bettina por telefono, me conto muchas cosas del cumpleanos de 15 de Sofi. Hoy tuve que madrugar porque Anton tenia ensayo para el examen de violin (que cosa Australiana organisar un ensayo un domingo a las 10 am). Despues de ir a buscarlo nos fuimos a Camberwell, el vidi se compro un par de camisas re lindas en Kathmandu y tomamos un cafe latte. Miramos libros en Borders y volvimos a eso de las 6. Miramos un episodio de Dollhouse (not bad) y ahora es hora de cocinar y prepararse para el lunes.

Wordle what is it good for?

Termine Uni! At last, I finished uni for the year. It feels so good to finally have some free time. I must admit that I was so tired of it that I just couldn't think anymore. I am drained, stressed and tired. All I want to do now when I finish work for the day is NOTHING. I know that I will probably be bored after a while but I need the time to recharge, I swear that the last assignments were so hard to finish because I think I used up all the grey matter in my brain, therefore there was nothing left. Anyway I leave you with this stupid word cloud that sums up my feelings. Finished.

Final Blog ICT

Throughout the course of this unit and close examination of the curriculum documents (Victorian Essential Learning Standards [VELS]) it became clear that the use of Information and Communication Technology in the classroom must be integrated. That is, it must support learning and be used as an interdisciplinary tool rather than a discipline itself. It must assist students to develop their thinking, create innovative solutions and communicate or collaborate with others. Utilising ICT must help students focus on the task and not the technology (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2009). The technology itself should be invisible so that it facilitates time consuming processes allowing students to concentrate on higher order thinking (Le & Le, 2007). It is however, undeniable that to teach with ICT tools, teachers and students must know how to effectively use them. For that, ICT lessons devoted to learning operating skills must be delivered. For the technology to become invisible, it must first be assimilated. Herein lies the challenge of a creative teacher, how to deliver ICT skills lessons with content that is integrated? We live in an exciting time, where the amount of tools that are available for teachers and students can truly enrich our lessons and help deliver integrated units where teaching ICT becomes embedded. Content will be more powerful and significant because it will relate to real life and have more meaning for young people (Beane, 1995). Lessons can be as varied and as engaging as our students need them to be and there is no denying that our students need to be engaged. As digital learners (Prensky, 2001) they are the first generation to be born with this technology and as such they are able to use it with ease, they identify and connect with it, and most importantly it meets their needs. This brings some challenges for teachers as they must struggle to develop their own knowledge in an area that is constantly changing and improving. I believe that the only way to achieve this is to immerse oneself in the technology. Teachers must really use it, they need to familiarise with it until they can truly understand its benefits and enjoy it. They must do so until technology becomes invisible to them. Bringing Web 2.0 technologies and other ICT resources into the classroom means that teachers will facilitate student development into contemporary, productive and globally apt individuals. Students that learn in an ICT rich classroom can express themselves in socially relevant ways (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2009). A a teacher I want to prepare my students for life-long learning. I believe that students of today have the opportunity to seek knowledge in non linar ways and if as a teacher I can prepare them to find such knowledge, to network and to connect I will be facilitating this continuous learning (Siemens, 2005).

REFERENCES

Beane, J. (1995). Curriculum Integration and The Disciplines of Knowledge. Kappan , 76 (8), 616-622.

Le, T. & Le, Q. (2007). Using computers to promote literacy development. In J. &. Sigafoos, Technology and Teaching (pp. 41-50). New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon , 9 (5).

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the Digital Age. International Journal of Instructional Technolgy and Distance Learning , 2 (10).

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2009, September 11). Information and Communication Technologies. Retrieved October 9, 2009, from Victorian Essential Learning Standards: http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/ict/intro.html

Wordle, (2009). Retrieved October 10, 2009, from Wordle: http://www.wordle.net