Teacher - Colegiul National Grigore Moisil Onesti
Transcription
Teacher - Colegiul National Grigore Moisil Onesti
Teens’ Dreams “ Grigore Moisil ” English Language Magazine Anul I / Nr. 1 Aprilie, 2011 “Karta.ro” Printing Press Onești 1 EDITORIAL STAFF: Editor-in-Chief: Teacher: Magdalena Maria Velicu Design and page makeup: Teacher: Elena - Carmen Ianoș Text: “Grigore Moisil” students Members: Teacher: Mariana Bereczki Teacher: Oana Catina Guțu Teacher: Mioara Jipa Teacher: Carmen Elen Paizan Center: Tineretului Street no. 14, Onești, Bacău Phone no: 0234/321943 Fax: 0234/315310 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://moisilonesti.licee.edu.ro Printed and bound at “Karta.ro” Printing Press, Onești ISSN 2247 – 126X ISSN-L = 2247 – 126X 2 Contents Map Coordinator’s Preface ………………..…………………………………………………………………… 5 Motto……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Argument – Why “Teens’ Dreams?”……………………………………………………………….. 7 The English language - paradoxes………………………………………………………………….. 8 Teenagers’ world……………………………………………………………………………………………. 10 Learning comes the hard way ………………………………………………………………………. 11 The awkward age………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12 My inner world …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14 Why do people nowadays build walls instead of bridges?.................................. 16 Future-coming pupils from secondary schools write for our magazine 18 Teen jokes …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20 Personality psycho-tests ………………………………………………………………………………… 25 LOVE – Teenagers in love …………………………………………………………………………….. 33 Love quotations ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 34 What does LOVE mean to you? …………………………………………………………………….. 35 Diary entry (head over heels in love) ………………………………………………………………… 38 Funny things about love …………………………………………………………………………………… 42 Love test .………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 45 How you look at love: psycho-test ……………………………………………………………………. 46 Natural disasters: earthquake hits Japan …………………………………………………………… 48 Former “Grigore Moisil” students write for our magazine………………………………… 50 The way to stardom – famous people ………………………………………………………………… 51 Personality quotes …………………………………………………………………………………………… 52 Film review of the edition ……………………………………………………………………………….. 53 A glamorous wedding ……………………………………………………………………………………… 54 The fame monster ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 56 Funny personality interviews: “In heaven with Willie”………………………………………. 58 Witty celebrity thoughts …………………………………………………………………………………… 60 Let’s laugh our head off!…………………………………………………………………………………… 61 Psycho-tests ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 65 Horoscopes ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 71 3 The magazine editor-in-chief would like to address special thanks to our sponsors: LAURENȚIU NEGHINĂ S.C. IO-ROXI IMPEX S.R.L. CĂIUȚI PAUL ANTOHI S.C. POLARIS IMPEX S.R.L. ONEȘTI 4 Coordinator’s Preface Teaching Journey over Generations “I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. My personal approach creates a climate. My daily mood makes the weather. As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be the tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.” (Haim Ginott, child psychologist) Paraphrasing the beginning of this suggestive quotation which is self-explanatory, I can say that I have come to the wonderful conclusion that being a teacher is neither a job, nor a profession like all the rest. Teaching is a calling and few are those blessed by God with such personal qualities as empathy, understanding, patience, sensitivity, love for the fellow-beings, all of which will enable a teacher to be looked up to and even loved by his pupils. Dr. Hosur Narasimhaiah (an Indian physicist and educator) stated that: “A poor teacher complains, an average teacher explains, a good teacher teaches, a great teacher inspires". I do not know which category I belong to (I leave it to my students to pass their judgement upon), but what I do know is that I really enjoy my work, as for me teaching is a labour of love. What I also know for sure is that I love my pupils and every day I try to do my utmost to make them like this tuneful language which is so important for everybody to speak nowadays. As the quotation states, GREAT TEACHERS have always been instruments of inspiration for their students, because their job is not to always cram pupils’ heads with all sorts of information sometimes beyond their depth; no, their fate is far greater than this – teachers have a huge responsibility, as they shape souls, light fires and even influence destinies, just the way my former English teachers influenced mine. It is common knowledge that a pupil may like or dislike a subject matter in school depending on the way a teacher gets his/her message across. I was a lucky student because, in my case, it was thanks to my wonderful English teachers (to whom I am more than grateful), that I grew to love English more and more, until I finally became a teacher of English myself. Somebody once said that: “ A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” My journey into the English language fairy-land began almost 30 years ago with my teacher’s first step into the classroom and I truly hope it will never end. The same as I hope that this magazine will be an instrument of inspiration and motivation, as well as the beginning of a wonderful and long-lasting love relationship between us, English teachers of this college and our dear students. Magdalena Maria Velicu Magazine Editor-in-Chief Head of the English department “Grigore Moisil” High school 5 Motto If By Rudyard Kipling IF you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise; IF you can dream – and not make dreams your master; If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build’em up with wornout tools; IF you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”; IF you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance runYours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son! 6 Argument Are you prepared to dive into an ocean of inspiration and fantasy? Are you prepared for something new and interesting? Well, if the answer is “yes”, then your best bet is reading this magazine from cover to cover, as you will find in it everything your heart desires . We hope that this magazine can become a real point of interest for the English literature and culture lovers because here you’ll find many interesting informative articles and also many personal compositions inspired by art, culture or even everyday life. This magazine aims at presenting many interesting aspects concerning the English culture and civilization in a very attractive form, that is why our articles will be catchy and will arouse the reader’s interest. We, teenagers, live in our own world where Love, Happiness and Curiosity are reigning and it is so big that everyone can join in. We dream every day because we live every day, we learn every day, we become part of reality, and love life with all its good and bad parts. The aim of this magazine is to bring teenagers’ universe closer to the hectic world in which we live every day, so that people might understand us better. All we need during this period of time is a little understanding, love and some guidance in order to do something special, something that will show the others that we believe in ourselves. We can change these dreams into something good, which will remind everybody that teens can do interesting things with just a little dedication and even passion, thus becoming the force of the future. All in all, we love life and we will always remember teenage years as grass blades turned up on the cold lava. If you have the courage to step into this Magic Universe, we guarantee you won’t regret it! The Editorial Staff 7 THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE Have you ever wondered why foreigners have trouble with the English language? We must face the fact that, while English reflects the creativity of the human race, it is a TERRIBLE language. There is no egg in the eggplant No ham in the hamburger And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple. English muffins were not invented in England French fries were not invented in France. We sometimes take English for granted, But if we examine its paradoxes we find that Quicksand takes you down slowly, Boxing rings are square And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea, nor is it a pig. If writers write, how come fingers don‟t fing? If the plural of tooth is teeth Shouldn‟t the plural of phone booth be phone beeth? If the teacher taught, Why didn‟t the preacher praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables What the heck does a humanitarian eat!? Why do people recite at a play Yet play at a recital? Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery? Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker? Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist, 8 But a person who drives a racing car is not called a racist? Why are wise men and wise guys opposites? If horrific means to make horrible, why doesn‟t terrific mean to make terrible? We have to marvel at the unique lunacy Of a language where a house can burn up While it burns down, And in which you fill in a form by filling it out! Where we park on driveways And drive on parkways. English was invented by people, not computers, And it reflects the creativity of the human race Which, of course, is not a race at all! That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible But when the lights are out they are invisible! If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked Can electricians be delighted, musicians denoted, Cowboys deranged, models deposed, Tree surgeons debarked and dry cleaners depressed? And why is that when I wind up my watch, it starts But when I wind up this poem, it ends? If people from Poland are Poles, Why aren’t people from Holland called Holes???? 9 Celina Ferenț 10 ‘One’s own experience is the best school, even if its fees are extremely high: as a rule they are paid through suffering.’ Throughout our entire life every single day teaches us something new, something we might just find useful in the future, something which might just save us from making a big mistake and ruining our lives or that of our beloved ones‟. Life is, without a doubt, the most precious gift people have received from God, the only miracle that has not yet lost its intensity because, thanks to it, each of us is capable of saying: „I am alive, therefore I exist‟. Life does not have any instructions to follow, so, everybody has to learn by themselves how to survive. Life teaches us how to be capable of becoming a part of the society we live in, a puzzle piece which is going to find its place under the sun. From the beginning, life teaches us the most important lessons: how to make the difference between good and bad, between truth and lie; but, to make these differences, we need a little bit of help, a little moral support from our family or our friends. It is in our human nature to make mistakes, but what really matters is the lesson we should learn. It is important that we should have the power to admit our mistakes and rise from our own ashes like the Phoenix bird. Not once have I asked myself if my destiny is already written somewhere out there, and if it is, what am I supposed to do with my future? I am sure that everybody has asked this question at least once in their life and I also know that they found the answer within their souls: „life is how you live it and how you make good use of the little luck you receive from God‟. We have all asked ourselves, some only once or twice, others constantly, why is life so hard? Why must we suffer, why must we deal with problems? It is hard for us to understand because this is what life has been like ever since Eve ate the forbidden apple. God offered us a place in His Paradise and He gave us the possibility to choose: why do some people choose evil over good? Nowadays, there seem to be two types of teenagers: teens who, overprotected by parents, live a comfortable but boring life, sheltered from all kinds of problems until they “get out of leash”: then, immature and irresponsible, they make mistakes after mistakes; and there are also those who are left to see the real face of the world and learn the lesson of life by suffering. Thus, even though they shed a lot of tears, they will eventually become mature and reliable persons in the end. It seems that in the modern world we live now teenagers seem to think a lot more different than their parents when it comes to making decisions. When you are somewhere between 16 and 19, you feel on top of the world and you want to be independent by all means, you want your parents to trust you, no matter how many mistakes you might make because you are under the impression that you are doing exactly what they used to do when they were your age. It is important for teenagers to try to do what they think is correct and not let themselves influenced by what the others say, in other words we should all be the judges of our own lives. How can a teenager develop his personality if he has never been allowed to make a single choice? When you are young, life is an ocean and you stand on the shore. Every wave that hits you is a problem you have to deal with. What really matters is whether you have the power to keep on standing in front of the waves and not drown. Ioana Roșcan/ Mădălina Stratone IX F English bilingual 11 Have you ever heard the expression “teenagers are like pizzas“ ? I’m sure you haven’t, because we invented it . You may ask why ? Well , it’s because they aren’t round and they don’t live in carton boxes either ( at least the majority of them ) but , they, hm …let’s say that they are found in a lot of flavours ; yes, they are so different and unique . Some are rebellious , misunderstood and have weird friends and clothes. There are some (especially girls ) who have gossiping as their hobby ; I’d call those ones the “gossip-ella” . A very similar teenage stereotype would be the “quatro-facella” who have extra spicy knowledge about everyone around . I don’t think you have heard about the latter type because it is very rare: almost all the time wise and engrossed in books – a really clever choice. There is also another reason why we can compare teenagers with pizzas: they are always where the pizzas are - at parties . Anyway, this is a funny approach about teenagers’ behaviour . Teenagers also have a very important thing in common: the desire to be different . I know that this is weird , but, let’s face it ! We all want to be different , don’t we? “ Look at that girl , ah, my…..let me do this bike trick , maybe she’ll notice me … “ , “ Oh, no , look at this uniform , it is not that bad, but we are all like sheep dressed in this way , no way to wear it ! “ and so on…. Teenage years…a garden with just a rose; a garden which becomes beautiful if the rose survives in winter and devastated and forgotten if the rose doesn’t survive. Teenage years…the period of time between childhood and maturity, being like a bridge between the jokes’ period, a bridge which can’t miss because it makes the most important connection in our life: kid – adult. These years are very important in a person’ s life because, at this age, teenagers must make a lot of choices and they have to decide what they want and what they expect from their life. They must choose between good and evil, or whether they want to be conservative or “in trend”. There are so many teens nowadays who choose the latter option, trying everything that is new and tempting, without even realizing the consequences that their actions might have on their future: some take to bad habits such as drinking, smoking or becoming addicted to drugs. Therefore, their future depends on the “awkward age”, the way specialists called it. 12 During this period, a teenager starts to feel and to have all sorts of mixed feelings, because it is the age of the first love, when a person starts having butterflies in his stomach. It is the age of discovery, when everything is possible, when the world is your oyster. Now, a teenager is in search of an identity, which very often turns into a dramatic struggle within oneself. In this process, a teen feels the need to have an idol, a model, usually a star or a V.I.P. who are not always the best models in life. Teenagers may be different, but at the same time they have a lot of things in common, that’s why we can speak about the concept of “the global teenager”: they share the same hobbies, an international language which is English, the same tastes in music, fashion or in ways of spending their spare time. That’s why, tall or short , Chinese or Greek ,strange-haired or smartly- dressed , we can all define ourselves like this : T - Take E - everything E – easy ! N - Never A – abandon hope! G – Grant yourself a proper E - education! R – Rainbow your days! S – Smile! Life is beautiful! Ferenț Celina/Petcu Bogdan IX F – English Bilingual 13 My Inner World What do you think a teenager is? ...What problems do you think we face? ...Why is life so hard? ...Why do the bad things always happen to good people? ... and why am I affected emotionally more than I should be? …These are the questions that the majority of teenagers ask themselves almost every day of their daily existence. Do you know what the answer is? ...It is because you do not stop for a moment to open your eyes and see what is happening around you…what is happening with you and most of all, what is happening inside of you. Do you have a difficult life? …That is because you made it that way… why don‟t you just take a look in a mirror and see your true power, your true potential, your true face. Most of us experience things that we should only see in our worst nightmares for a few seconds, most of us are facing them and while some people learn how to defeat all these thoughts, the others cannot or they just do not want to, that is why a lot of young persons find refuge in the world of drugs, running away from their families. I could tell you more about these facts, but what is the point in focusing on these problems when the real secret is to concentrate on how to solve them? You see, the world is blind because they think they are limited. Only a few see that we have no limit…We were created in the image and likeness of God…That means we have the potential of God running into our veins, our body, our mind and into our soul. A few years ago I faced one of my worst nightmares, my parents had just split up, all of my friends betrayed me, my mother was sick , my girlfriend left for London and I was just alone, desperate, confused, I had so many questions and no answers yet. Why were those things happening to me? …What had I done to deserve this pain and this sorrow.? I always used to repeat these wise words “What don‟t kills you, makes you stronger”. Consequently, I was becoming stronger and more powerful than I had ever been, but I could not realize it. One night I was walking with my head set into my ears and thinking and thinking…I went to a bridge and just watched how the water was flowing so easily, so simply, and yet so complicated… Bruce Lee once said: “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup it becomes the cup, 14 if you put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle, now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” Then, I realized what I was… What he was talking about… I started documenting myself about martial arts and all other kind of physical activities that I could do. I saw that a lot of people who were practising martial arts were a lot more patient, so I decided to attend a course and it changed my life…It helped me see things differently, clearly and simply, because when you do martial arts, your are not learning to harm people, or to fight, you are learning to discover who you really are, there you will discover your true potential, you are learning how spirit, mind and body combine in perfect harmony. After a few months after I started practising martial arts, I discovered a new sport, a new art of movement, which is called freestyle running, where you use your city as your playground, by running from one point to another, trying all types of different movements and flips and tricks. Think beyond the walls, beyond boundaries… push your mind to accept that there are none, it is only impossible because you have been told it is…You need to be a master of your environment, not a servant to it…When I realized this, everything changed, I started feeling free again, I could smile and I could laugh, no longer worrying about tomorrow. I even made new friends who had the same passions and the same desires like me and we began to run together, like a team. A wise man once said: “The whole secret of existence is to have no fear, never fear what will become of you, depend on no one, only when you reject all help are you truly free, share inspiration with the world and keep your fears to yourself”.Everyone must experience every part in life…positive or negative. Everyone can find happiness, you just need to stop concentrating on the bad things in life and start doing what you really want and what you really need. The question is…Do you know what you want? ...Try figuring it out and when you do… never lose hope and never deny what you truly are.The whole concept of time is flashing before your eyes…what have you done to be proud of? ... Live your life!!!....God bless! Adam Leustean Marius – XI E Social Sciences 15 Why do people nowadays build walls instead of bridges? Since always, people have felt the urging need to communicate, to relate to one another, to socialize and to exchange feelings and ideas. Indeed, it is a fact that no one can live isolated, because people are not islands, are they? That is why, establishing relationships is perhaps the most important condition of life. Unfortunately, the society we live in nowadays deals with a lot of problems, most of which caused by the lack of communication which seems to be growing more and more, despite the advancement of technology which should bring people closer to one another and not alienate them. To put it another way, it could be argued that “things go wrong because people build walls instead of bridges”. If establishing relationships is vital to our well-being, then why is everybody isolating themselves? Firstly, it is generally believed that family relationships are the strongest of all, that is why people often claim that “blood is thicker than water”. It has also been argued that “friendships come and go, but families are forever”. Everybody needs a parent who should be their model in life, somebody to be next to them, for better and for worse, to give them a word in season, to protect and to love them unconditionally. A parent is a trustworthy person, a confidant to whom one can confess one‟s worries. The question is: is this really happening nowadays? Family relationships may be the strongest, but it seems that in this day and age big walls stand between parents and their children, preventing them from having a real dialogue. Of course the generation gap has always existed, but now it seems to have deepened because of the technological development and of the new mentalities: children and their parents do not see eye to eye any more, their outlooks on life are different in many respects and consequently, they fight like cat and dog. Because of stress and of the fact that parents are always too busy to listen to their kids‟ problems, relationships often turn sour, children alienate themselves and turn to wrong ways such as smoking, drinking or becoming addicted to drugs. It goes without saying that a good parent should be sympathetic and easy-going, a shoulder to cry on whenever the child is in need, without of course pampering him/her, as it very often happens with those over-spoilt kids born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Furthermore, nowadays technology and all the other negative phenomena seem to affect not only family relationships, but many other types of relationships within the society itself. People now spend hours on end in front of the computer and no longer socialize, their mind is almost “infantilized” by this modern invention. They are always on the run, jobs seem to take up most of their time, consequently, life becomes more and more stressful. Apart from that, social differences among people can also have as a result a lack of communication. Because of religion, poverty or racial differences, many people are completely cut off by huge walls, being persecuted and badly treated by others. So, what 16 should people do to pull down these walls? The answer is simple: they should stop judging others by appearances, they should stop being so shallow and narrow-minded and start listening to others, interacting more, learning from their fellow beings, as “everything and everyone around you is your teacher”. A strong relationship of any type – be it family, friends or love – should always be based on feelings like loyalty, respect, trust, compassion, commitment and, most important, on love. We all have our ups and downs in life, we all make mistakes, but forgiveness is what makes us human, as treating others with the kindness and respect they deserve is vital if we want to have the respect we desire. Needless to say that it never feels good to be judged or used and it does not feel good either to be talked down to or treated rudely or inappropriately. People should radically change their way of being, showing more compassion and understanding for the others because, as Cathe Mathew stated: “A smile is the shortest distance between two people”. Building bridges towards others not only makes them feel valued and appreciated, but they feel that they are not alone, having someone they can rely on. As a matter of fact, not being judgemental and practising emotional maturity is the key to solid and healthy relationships within the society. Bernard Cooke stated that: “Involvement with people is always a very delicate thing – it requires real maturity to become involved and not get all messed up”. All things considered, people should be more emphatic and more communicative, they should socialize more, expressing their own feelings and being more sensitive and careful to other people‟s feelings and emotions. They should also be truthful to one another, trustworthy, loyal and generous, showing compassion, respect and even love for the disadvantaged people and not only, because love gives us wings. Every relationship can go through difficult moments in life but the differences among people and between generations can be patched up or even done away with, if we are willing to make a minimum of effort. Thus, the hatchet can be ultimately buried, as relating and socializing represent the very heart of human nature, having love and friendship protect them with their “tentacles” from which we never want to escape. People must try to find that burning and guiding flame within their souls which can help them to pull down the walls and build solid bridges instead, so that the world we live in might become a better place for everybody. We are the architects of our own future, so let us pick up our books and study again the art of building bridges. Abaza Maria/ Pădurariu Tudor XII A Mathematics- Information technology 17 Future-coming pupils from secondary schools write for our magazine Paradise Lost in the Time Hourglass I’ve made a story for you only by letting my thoughts fly away. Free. Unchained. Like the Phoenix bird rising from her ashes, longing to meet the Sun high in the broken blue sky, from whose china pieces I’m gathering, with my little painting brush, the magnificent beads of light. It’s just a little story written without letters on a fish scale, which needs to be carefully read using the spyglass. In order to do this, we must carry it high up, next to the Moon, and place it right on Cassiopeia’s shelf. Tonight we will silently step on the village church spire, up to the spark of the cross, and there, caught in the whirlpool of our feet, we will stretch ourselves to embrace the constellations. This is how the story of my life begins, with a shy “ Once upon a time…..” But it was long ago, there is no more, as my childhood came to an end a long time ago, when I was still at the age of innocence. I don’t know what happened exactly and now I am at a loss for words, because I simply can’t understand, it’s beyond me why such a terrible thing as growing up must happen to us, kids. We consider it some sort of death, because the loss is painful and unbearable in both situations. I remember my first day of kindergarten when I was so shy and scared, as I knew neither the place, nor the people there. But then a miracle occurred: an older child took me slowly by the hand, accompanying me into a world of fairytale. I remember as if it was yesterday: a pretty large classroom crowded with little children, the same as I was, telling me that, beginning from that day, I was going to spend most of my time there. When mum came to pick me up in the afternoon, I went to her, I took her into my arms and I whispered to her that I was over the moon, as I had already discovered a world of fantasy. Mother smiled and brought me home. And so, being a part of this fairy land, time went by slowly, 18 hour after hour, day after day, year after year, until one day I suddenly realized I was already in the first grade, leaving behind my beloved Paradise. I was lost. Completely lost, as I simply couldn’t figure out how such a terrible, but at the same time wonderful thing, could have happened. Time is merciless with us, mortals, so it went by again, and again. And for a while now I have stepped into the Teenage Universe. It was some sort of death for me, after which reincarnation followed, with my entire being taking the shape of a completely new body which I no longer knew, bringing another life along with it, completely different from the one I happily lived in my childhood. It is only now I fully realize that, when I was little, I desperately wanted to be a grown-up, independent and on my own; but now, when I am a teenager already, shyly stepping into an unknown universe, I already look forward to coming back to my beloved Childhood, which I thought to be my best friend ever. But, as nothing in this world lasts forever, it came the time when my dear childhood had to say her farewell, leaving me forlorn, deserted, lost and found, living dead moments of deep nostalgia. Where are you, my dear childhood, with your magic universe? Andreotti Iulia Gabriela – VI D – Secondary school nr.1 19 Teen jokes A letter from a college student The parents of a Northwestern student who just headed back from holiday received this letter: Dear Mom and Dad: Univer$ity life i$ $o wonderful! Cla$$e$ this $e$$ion are intere$ting, my cla$$mate$ are the be$t! But after $pending all my ca$h on Chri$tma$ pre$ent$, I am in a little need for $ome $pending money for book$ and $uch. But don't want to $end the wrong $ignal$ home. Love Your $on After deliberating a while, this was the draft of their appropriate response: Dear Son: NOt much to NOtice here on the NOrth side of town since you left for NOrthwestern. NObody doing NOthing Noble. Enjoyed having you home for Thanksgiving in NOvember and Christmas. NOthing is the same since you left. Loved your NOte; write aNOther one when you have time. Have to go NOw. Mom & Dad Blind Date "How was your blind date?" a college student asked her 21 -year old roommate. "Terrible!" the roommate answered. "He showed up in his 1932 Rolls Royce." "Wow! That's a very expensive classic car. What's so bad about that?" "He was the original owner." College Cure Two men sank into adjacent train seats after a long day in the city. One asked the other, "Your son go back to college yet?" "Two days ago." "Mine's a senior this year, so it's almost over. In May, he'll be an engineer. What's your boy going to be when he gets out of college?" "At the rate he's going, I'd say he'll be about thirty." "No, I mean what's he taking in college?" "He's taking every penny I make." "Doesn't he burn the midnight oil enough?" "He doesn't get in early enough to burn the midnight oil." "Well, has sending him to college done anything at all?" "Sure has! It's totally cured his mother of bragging about him." 20 Long Hair A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss his use of the car. His father said to him, "I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your Bible a little, and get your hair cut, then we will talk about it." A month later the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss his use of the car. His father said, "Son, I'm real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you've studied your Bible diligently, but you didn't get hair cut!" The young man waited a moment and replied, "You know Dad, I've been thinking about that. You know Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair." His father replied, "Yes son, and they walked everywhere they went!" Who is this calling? The local high school has a policy that the parents must call the school if a student is to be absent for the day. Kelly (name changed to protect the guilty), deciding to skip school and go to the mall with her friends waited until her parents had left for work and called the school herself. This is the actual conversation of the telephone call. Kelly: "Hi, I'm calling to report that Kelly so-and-so is unable to make it to school today because she is ill. Secretary at high school: "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I'll note her absence. Who is this calling?" Kelly: "This is my mother." Driver Training My teenage niece was nervous as she took the wheel for her first driving lesson. As she was pulling out of the parking lot, the instructor said, "Turn left here, and don't forget to let the people behind you know what you're doing." She turned to the students sitting in the back seat and announced, "I'm going left." Where is your homework? Teacher: Where is your homework? Pupil: I lost it fighting this kid who said you weren't the best teacher in the school! Hopeless Pupil "It's no good, sir," said the hopeless pupil to his English "I try to learn, but everything you say goes in both ears and out the other." "Goes in both ears and out the other?" asked the puzzled "But you only have two ears." "You see, sir? I'm no good at math, either." teacher. teacher. 21 School Excuses The following are excuse notes from parents (including original spellings) collected by the University of Texas: They were collected from Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Mississippi. My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him. Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot. Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,and also 33. Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face. Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral. Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover. And the best one... Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was not his fault. Proverbs As Told By Children A first grade teacher collected old, well-known proverbs. She gave each kid in her class the first half of a proverb, and had them come up with the rest: As you shall make your bed so shall you... mess it up. Better to be safe than... punch a 5th grader. You can lead a horse to water but... how? Don't bite the hand that... looks dirty. No news is... impossible. A miss is as good as a... Mr. You can't teach an old dog new... Math. If you lie down with the dogs, you'll... stink in the morning. Love all, trust... me. An idle mind is... the best way to relax. Where there's smoke, there's... pollution. Happy the bride who... gets all the presents! A penny saved is... not much. Two's company, three's... the Musketeers. Don't put off tomorrow what... you put on to go to bed. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and... you have to blow your nose. Children should be seen and not... spanked or grounded. If at first you don't succeed... get new batteries. 22 Missing school Teacher: “What kept you out of class yesterday, miss, acute indigestion? Student:” No, Sir, a cute engineer!” Teacher: “Miss, you should have been here at 8 o‟clock sharp!” Young lady: “ Why, what happened, Sir??” Teacher: “why are you so late?” Student: “There was a man who lost a hundred dollar bill. Teacher: “That‟s nice! Were you helping him look for it?” Student: “No! I was standing on it!” Inattentive students Teacher: “Now, John, what are you doing- learning something?” Student: “No, Sir, I‟m listening to you!” Teacher: “I wish you‟d pay a little more attention, young man!” Student: “ But I‟m paying as little as I can, Sir!” The teacher speaking suddenly pointed to a student and said:” Billy, name two pronouns!” Billy suddenly woke up and said: “Who, me?” A good dancer Girl: “ You would be a good dancer except for two things.” Boy: “What are the two things?” Girl: “Your feet”. Different points of view An English teacher wrote these words on the blackboard: “ woman without her man is nothing” The teacher then asked the students to punctuate the words correctly. The boys wrote: “Woman, without her man, is nothing.” The girls wrote: “Woman! Without her, man is nothing!” Long conversation A teenage girl had been talking on the phone for about an hour, and the she hung up. “Wow!”, said her father, “that was short! You usually talk for two hours. What happened?” “Wrong number!” replied the girl. 23 Math is easy A teacher asked a student to write 55 on the blackboard. Teacher: “Write 5 and beside it another 5!” The student wrote 5 and then stopped. Teacher: “What are you waiting for? Write the whole number!” Student: “I don‟t know which side to write the other five!” English Grammar The teacher to a student: “Conjugate the verb „ to walk‟ in the simple present, please! The student: “I walk, you walk…” The teacher interrupts him: “Quicker, please!” The student: “I run, you run…” Teacher: “Today, we are going to talk about tenses. Now, if I say „ I‟m beautiful‟, which tense is it?” Students: Obviously it is the past tense. Smart student Student: “When I stand on my head, the blood rushes to my head, but when I stand on my feet, the blood doesn‟t rush to my feet. Why is that, I wonder? Teacher: “It‟s because your feet aren‟t empty”. Pretty ugly This joke can be used to explain that insulting someone is considered funny especially when the person is fishing for a compliment. Mary: “John says I‟m pretty. Andy says I‟m ugly. What do you think, Peter?” Peter: “I think you are pretty ugly”. Visiting God A teenager visits God and says: “God, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” God says: “No, ask me anything you want.” So the teenager says:” God, you‟ve been around for a very long time, so for you, how long is a thousand years?” God replies: “For me, a thousand years is only 5 minutes, son!” The teenager then says: “That‟s interesting, God. And for you, how much is a million dollars?” God replies: “For me, a million dollars is only five cents”. Hearing this, the teenager happily replies: “Really? Well, then, God, could you lend me five cents, please?” God looks at the teenager, smiles and says: “Of course, my son. Just wait five minutes!” 24 Personality psycho-tests Emotions test - Do you have a healthy attitude towards your emotions? Here's a quiz by which you can know about your emotions. For your every 'no' answer, add 1 to your score. 1. Do you feel guilty if you cry in public? 2. Do you think crying is a sign of weakness? 3. Do you think men and boys should be encouraged to hide their tears? 4. Do you feel embarrassed if you find yourself crying while watching a film or reading a book? 5. Would you try to hold back your tears if you were attending a funeral? 6. Would you distrust a politician who shed tears in public? 7. Do you think that tears are an unnecessary expression of emotion? 8. Do you always try to hide your disappointment? 9. Do you get embarrassed if you see grown men crying? 10. Would you pretend that you had something in your eyes if you were unexpectedly discovered crying? 11. Do you always try to hide your anger? For your every 'yes' answer, add 1 to your score 12. Do you tend to brood about things which make you angry? 13. Does your temper ever get out of control? 14. Has your temper ever got you in trouble? 15. Do you believe that it does you good to get rid of your anger? 16. Would you allow someone to comfort you if you were crying? 17. Do you get cross quite easily? 18. Do you touch someone you love at least once a day? 19. Do you enjoy physical signs of affection? 20. Do you ever get broody when you see small babies? 21. Would you happily hold hands in public with someone you cared for? 22. Do you enjoy being massaged? 23. Do you regularly tell those whom you love how you feel? 24. Have you ever had a pet of which you were very fond? 25. Do you enjoy being kissed and hugged by people you love? 26. Do you ever laugh out loud when you are watching funny films? 27. Do you ever tap your feet while listening to Music? 28. Do you often have the last clap at concerts, sports events and the like? 29. Do you ever shout encouragement to sports or TV heroes? 30. Can you remember when you last really laughed and enjoyed yourself? 25 Analysis Score 17 to 30 Your attitude towards your emotions is a healthy one. You aren't ashamed to let your emotions show occasionally, and you will undoubtedly be much healthier because of this attitude. You are likely to be a good social advisor. Score 8 to 16 You know how to let your emotions show but you still find it difficult to do so as often as you should. You should be prepared to let your emotions out more often. When you feel sad let yourself cry, when you feel angry, let your anger show, when you feel happy allow a smile to cross your face. Allowing your emotions out in this way will do wonders to your physical and mental health. Score 7 or less You are definitely very uptight. You really do need to allow your emotions flow out a little. There isn't anything really wrong in allowing people to know how you feel. Personality colours Colours - What is your favorite colour? The colour you choose is what you could identify yourself with. Choose your favorite colour to see what psychologists can know about you from your colour preference. Black Blue Green Orange Pink Purple Red Yellow White Analysis Black is one of the most beautiful colours and yet it is the absence of colour. Black want everything done in detail. If a job needs finishing, these are the people to finish it. These personalities need leaders, though, to tell them what needs to be done. Under guidance, they are able to get to the crux of the matter and solve very large problems. When put in a position to find the mistakes of others, they are right at home. They like puzzles, and finding others' mistakes brings out their tenacious spirits. Black will sometimes intentionally find mistakes just so that they can repair them. Sometimes, when one wears black, they do not want to be touched. Putting a barrier between themselves and others is the purpose of this colour. Black is a relief colour for most people, like "Mom's apple pie". It makes them feel comfortable and even, in some cases, smaller, allowing them to hide from the world. Blue is an emotional colour. Blue stay inside themselves and do not trust people very much. They watch every move others make. Pale shades of blue show someone who wants everything 26 in order. Their closet is immaculate. As blue moves to the deeper end of color, it becomes more moody and shows it. People who prefer this color frequently use their emotions to make decisions. They are also easily affected by the moods of those around them. They sometimes expect you to feel down whenever they are. Showing signs of co-dependency, they need you to be by their side experiencing their feelings. Green is the color of healing. Green want to help everyone. These people can usually be found in the medical profession or some occupation which helps people. Preferring to watch rather than to become involved in others’ business, they usually keep their thoughts secret. Others see them as good listeners because of this quality. This characteristic makes them wonderful counselors. Greens make others feel at home in their house by putting them at ease immediately. They try to take care of others and they want harmony in everyone's life. Greens make the best of friends because they are jovial, caring and can keep a secret. In order for Greens to feel good about themselves, they feel the need to help someone or something. Nurturers by choice, they are the ones who take care of other people, animals and plants. Orange are nature lovers. Being sports minded, they love anything to do with the outdoors. Taking long walks in the woods revives them. Trees and animals mean a lot to them and they want to be a part of nature. Good professions for orange include farmers, ranchers, football players, and guides. People always say good things about these down- to- earth people. Although they may sometimes invoke anger from others, it usually doesn't last very long. Who can remain mad at someone so helpful? Tending to support the underdog, they will try to help someone who they feel needs assistance. Always aware of their surroundings, they tend to be more adventurous than most. Even though they are impulsive and thoughtful, they generally are very much aware of what they are doing. Learning and remembering through experience is a strong suit of theirs. Orange believe they are meant to have all the good things in life. Pink want to draw the little smiley faces on everything. Pink are usually either in a blissful state or looking for one. Pink try to see the best in others. If they don't find something good in a person, then there has to be a very good explanation in the pink's mind as to why not. Pink quietly study the best way to approach problems and then take action. Pink see the world through rose-colored glasses. The truth of the matter is that it might be nice if we could all put those glasses on now and then. They are shy, very intelligent, hard-working people who wish they were more part of the mainstream but are frightened of moving too quickly. Pink watch what they do or say because they are afraid that others may see them in a harsh light. They try to make everyone happy. Purple is the colour of spirituality. Purple are always striving to be better than they consider themselves to be, both on a spiritual, emotional and mental plane. Needing more knowledge, they become avid readers. Trying to become what they think they should be, they search their own lives and the lives of others to find the answers. The study of 27 religions makes them feel as if they were accomplishing something bigger than themselves in life. A good theological discussion is right up their alley. Wanting to help as many people as they can, they are more than willing to give you the benefit of their education. Trying to achieve perfection, they seem to struggle with themselves more than most because they tend to be so critical of themselves. Red is the colour for passion, energy, and money making. Red with orange overtones are dynamic and love the outdoors and anything to do with people. Red with blue overtones can be energetic people with high emotions. Reds in their true red mode are sexy and seductive. Men prefer to watch a woman wearing red, even though she may not be the most beautiful woman in the room. It is also the colour for someone who wants to have power and be in control. Business people who want to win wear this powerful colour at meetings, when they want to stand out. Red makes one feel more energetic or activated. Stop signs are red. Red gets your attention. This energetic personality craves attention and what's more they get it. Being quick with their emotions, they may erupt into a temperamental volcano right in front of you, then simmer down just as quickly. Yellow are business-minded and want others to know they are well-educated. They strive to attain success through anything that requires mental abilities. Making good leaders, they generally make up their mind in a methodical way. Every detail needs to be analyzed before they make a move. Any strategic game peaks their interest. Chess is the game for them. Yellow may be a little stubborn. When the colour moves toward a mustard shade, yellow feel that they are the only ones making the right decisions. This tends to make others a little suspicious of their motives. The true yellow make wise decisions after considering all points of view. Women would rather be in business, than mothers, but can do both and be quite adept at doing so. When these people are under stress, they feel that they need to hide their emotions. If they show stress, it is a sign of weakness and vulnerability. They try not to let you see them sweat. Keeping to themselves without inviting many others into their lives, they generally only have one or two good friends. These friends are usually people who are also business-minded, although the true yellow depends on no one but themselves. Adoring tailored clothing, they usually dress quite professionally. Although the women may add larger accessories, they dress with a simple flair. White is the colour of purity. The colour of new snow or light from above. What we fail to see is that snow and light have impurities in them but seem to be the purest of all sights. Shyness comes with this colour but it is not a true shyness. Waiting patiently for others to notice them before they make their thoughts known, they tend to appear shy but in truth, they are very outspoken. Virginal attitudes abound with these people. They feel pure no matter what they do. The virtue of purity is attributed to them by others as well, whether they deserve this characteristic or not. White feel they are right in their belief structures although they are not sure they want to discuss those beliefs with others. The fact that they know they are right is enough for them. 28 Surname profile What's in a surname? An attempt to examine your love life based on the letters in your name. A You are not particularly romantic, you have no patience for flirting and can't be bothered with someone who is trying to be coy, cute, demure, and subtly enticing. You are an up-front person. Your mate's physical attractiveness is important to you. You find the chase and challenge to be invigorating. You are passionate as well as being much more adventurous than you appear; however, you do not go around advertising these qualities. Your physical needs are your primary concern. B You give off vibes of lazy sensuality. You enjoy being romanced, wined, and dined. You are very happy to receive gifts as an expression of the affection of your partner. You want to be pampered and know how to pamper your mate. You are private in your expression of endearments, particularly when it comes to lovemaking. You will hold off until everything meets with your approval. You can control your appetite and abstain from sex if need be. You require new sensations and experiences. You are willing to experiment. C You are a very social individual, and it is important for you to have a relationship. You require closeness and togetherness. You must be able to talk to your partner at all times. You want the object of your affection to be socially acceptable and good-looking. You see your lover as a friend and companion. You need someone to appreciate and almost worship you. When this cannot be achieved, you have the ability to go for long periods without having a partner in your life. You are an expert at controlling your desires and doing without. D Once you decide that you want someone, you move full steam ahead in pursuit. You do not give up your quest easily. You are nurturing and caring. If someone has a problem, this turns you on. You are highly passionate, loyal, and intense in your involvements, sometimes possessive and jealous. Sex to you is a pleasure to be enjoyed. The eccentric and unusual, having a free and open attitude stimulates you. E Your greatest need is to talk. If your date is not a good listener, you have trouble relating. A person must be intellectually stimulating or you are not interested in them. You need a friend for a lover and a companion for a bedmate. You hate disharmony and disruption, but you do enjoy a good argument once in a while - it seems to stir things up. You flirt a lot, for the challenge is more important than the sexual act for you. But once you give your heart away, you are uncompromisingly loyal. When you don't have a good lover to fall asleep with, you will fall asleep with a good book. Sometimes, in fact, you prefer a good book. 29 F You are idealistic and romantic, putting your partner on a pedestal. You look for the very best mate you can find. You are a flirt, yet once committed, you are very loyal. You are sensuous and privately passionate. Publicly, you can be showy, extravagant, and gallant. You are born romantic. Dramatic love scenes are a favorite fantasy pastime. G You are fastidious, seeking perfection within yourself and your partner. You respond to a partner who is your intellectual equal or superior, and one who can enhance your status. You enjoy playing love games - that is, when you find the time. Your duties and responsibilities take precedence over everything else. You are sensuous and passionate however you may have difficulty getting emotionally close with your partner. H You seek a mate who can enhance your reputation and earning ability. You will be very generous to your partner once you have attained a commitment. Your gifts are actually an investment in your partner. Before the commitment, though, you tend to be frugal in your spending and dating. You are sensual and patient. I You have a great need to be loved, appreciated... even worshipped. You enjoy luxury, sensuality, and love games. You look for partners who know what they are doing. You are not interested in an amateur, unless that amateur wants a tutor. You are fussy and exacting about having your desires satisfied. You are willing to experiment and try new modes of expression. You get bored easily and thus require adventure and change. You are sensual and sometimes downright lustful J You are blessed with a great deal of physical energy. There is nothing to stop you, except maybe the stamina of your partner (you could have danced all night.) You respond to the thrill of the chase and the challenge of the mating game. You can carry on great romances in your head. At heart you are a roamer and need to set out on your own every so often. You will carry on long-distance relationships with ease. You are idealistic and need to believe in love. Intimacy seems to satisfy a need to be nurtured deep within. K You are secretive, self-contained, and shy. You are very sexy, sensual, and passionate, but you do not let on to this. Only in intimate privacy will this part of your nature reveal itself. When it gets down to the nitty-gritty, you are an expert. You know all the little tricks of the trade, can play any role or any game, and take your love life very seriously. You don't fool around. You have the patience to wait for the right person to come along. L You can be very romantic, attached to the glamour of love. Having a partner is of paramount importance to you. You are free in your expression of love and are willing to take chances, try new sexual experiences and partners, provided it's all in good taste. You must feel that your partner is intellectually stimulating, otherwise you will find it difficult to sustain the relationship. You require loving, cuddling, wining, and dining to know that you're being appreciated. 30 M You are emotional and intense. When involved in a relationship, you throw your entire being into it. Nothing stops you; there are no holds barred. You are all consuming and crave someone who is equally passionate and intense. You are willing to try anything and everything. Your supply of energy is inexhaustible. You also enjoy mothering your mate. N You may appear innocent, unassuming, and shy; but we know that appearances can lie. In the bedroom you are no novice but something of a skilled technician. You can easily go to extremes, though, running the gamut from insatiability to boredom. You can be highly critical of you mate, seeking perfection in both of you. It is not easy to find someone who can meet your standards. You have difficulty expressing emotions and drawing close to partners. O You are very interested in sexual activities yet secretive and shy about your desires. You can re-channel much of your energy into making money and/or seeking power. You can easily have extended periods of celibacy. You are passionate and compassionate requiring the same qualities from your mate. Having a partner is serious business; thus you demand intensity, diversity, and are willing to try anything or anyone. Sometimes your passions turn to possessiveness, which must be kept in check. P You are very conscious of social proprieties. You wouldn't think of doing anything that might harm your image or reputation. Appearances count. Therefore, you require a good-looking partner. You also require an intelligent partner. Oddly enough, you may view your partner as your enemy...a good fight stimulates those vibes. You are willing to experiment and try new ways of doing things. You are very social and sensual; you enjoy flirting and need a good deal of physical gratification. Q You require constant activity and stimulation. You have tremendous physical energy. It is not easy for a partner to keep up with you. You are enthusiastic and tend to be attracted to people of other ethnic groups. You need romance, hearts and flowers, and lots of conversation. R You need someone who can keep pace with you and who is your intellectual equal - the smarter the better. You prefer a great mind to a great body. However, physical attractiveness is also very important to you. You have to be proud of your partner. You are a very passionate person although this is not apparent to others. If your new partner is not all that great in bed, you are willing to serve as teacher. You can be a very demanding playmate. S For you, it is business before pleasure. If you are in any way bothered by career, business, or money concerns, you find it very hard to relax and get into the mood. You can be romantically idealistic to a fault and are capable of much sensuality. But you never lose control of your emotions. You are very careful and cautious before you give your heart away - and your body, for that matter. Once you make the commitment, though, you stick like glue. 31 T You are very sensitive, private, and passive; you like a partner who takes the lead. Music, soft lights, and romantic thoughts excite you. You fantasize and tend to fall in and out of love. When in love, you are romantic, idealistic, mushy, and extremely changeable. You enjoy having your senses and your feelings stimulated, titillated, and teased. You are a great flirt. You can make your relationships fit your dreams, all in your own head. U You are enthusiastic and idealistic when in love. When not in love, you are in love with love, always looking for someone to adore. You see romance as a challenge. You are a roamer and need adventure, excitement, and freedom. You enjoy giving gifts and you are willing to put your partner's pleasures above your own. V You are individualistic, and you need freedom, space, and excitement. You wait until you know someone well before committing yourself. Knowing someone means psyching them out. You feel a need to see what makes them tick. You are attracted to eccentric types. There is often an age difference between you and your partner. You respond to danger, thrills, and suspense. W You are very proud, determined, and you refuse to take no for an answer when pursuing love. Your ego is at stake. You are romantic, idealistic, and often in love with love itself, not seeing your partner as he or she really is. You feel deeply and throw all of yourself into your relationships. Nothing is too good for your partner. X You need constant stimulation because get bored bore quickly. You can handle more than one relationship at a time with ease. You talk while you make love. You can have the greatest love affairs, all by yourself, in your own head. Y You are sexual, sensual, and very independent. If you can't have it your way, you will forgo the whole thing. You want to control your relationships, which doesn't always work out too well. You respond to physical stimulation, enjoy necking and spending hours just touching, feeling, and exploring. However, if you can spend your time making money, you will give up romantic pleasures for the moment. You need to prove to yourself and your partner what a great lover you are. You want feedback on your performance. You are an open, stimulating, romantic bedmate. Z You are very romantic, idealistic, and somehow you believe that to love means to suffer. You wind up serving your mate or attracting people who have unusual troubles. You see yourself as your partner's savior. You are sincere, passionate, lustful, and dreamy. You can't help falling in love and like to fantasize. 32 33 “Love can be magic, but magic can sometimes be an illusion”. “Love me and the world is mine”. “Love the heart that hurts you, but never hurt the heart that loves you”. “Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love”. “We are, each of us, angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another”. “To the world you may be someone, but to someone you way be the world”. “Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning”. “Love is the shortest distance between hearts.” “The one thing we can never get enough of is love. And the one thing we can never give enough of is love”. “I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you”. 34 What Does LOVE Mean to You? LOVE… For me, love is like a flower which never stops growing and a lot of moments of happiness next to the most important persons in my life. When I utter “love”, it is just a simple noun, a common word in the dictionary like many others, but LOVE is much more complex, as it can‟t be explained even in a million words. For me, love means a bird that flies all over the world and falls in love with the blue sky, the green mountains and the red roses, a little girl with a forget-me-not flower in her hand, a reason for life, a hope for waking up every morning, a wish to leave and discover new people and new places that can make me happy. Love makes us live in our own universe where Beauty, Wisdom and Hope reign, protecting us from mean and evil people and letting us build our world where we can live in peace and harmony with all the people we care for. Love is the most beautiful feeling, but also the most complex one. God created us with Love, which is the true King of the World. It can be the fire of feelings but, at the same time the cooling of the break-up, that‟s why it can be considered the flame of life. Why do I love? Because love means confidence, care, because it is a dream from which we never really awake and which gives meaning to our lives. That‟s why I love. I love my family, I love God, I love my friends, I love nature and I love Life. Love can‟t be seen and can‟t be touched, it‟s like the wind; still, it is the best thing which can happen in our lives. Love is a gift and we should be thankful to God for giving it to us, mortals. Gănguţ Mălina X F Philology English intensive 35 For me love means a bit more than any other feeling. It comes, it goes, but when I say “love” I don‟t just think of the passionate feeling between two lovers . Love is more than that, “love is inspiration” as Plato said, it is the fuel of our imagination. How many beautiful things have been created in the name of love? Buildings, structures of all kinds, stories, music, art, all beautiful things that stand for creation had a pinch of love in it. Everything there is, is alive, and is also done with love. “Love your brother as you love thyself”, love who you are and what you are doing and you will shine above all. As Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Love is the feeling of peace that surpasses hate and opens the door for reason and cooperation.” I do not know what else I should add . I only remember that a friend once told me that love is so beautiful that it is practically impossible for us ,mortals, to express it in words , because they are not enough to fully comprehend its complexity and depth. Purice Florin X F Philology – English Intensive I truly believe that love comes in many different forms. The word “love” can have a variety of related but, at the same time, distinct meanings, depending on the context. It is very important in our life because it ultimately defines us. We first have to love ourselves in order to be able to love anyone or anything. For me, love is the emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. It first starts with a beautiful friendship which leads to all sorts of mixed feelings, butterflies in the stomach, kissing, hugging and ultimately to dozens of children. You are most of the time happy, fulfilled, safe, exalted, but sometimes love can turn into obsession and leads to serious things like suicide or murder. Overall, love is not always easy, with rainbows and unicorns and, as a 5 year-old child said, “Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on cologne and they go out and smell each other. Palaghe Anca-Raluca X F Philology – English Intensive 36 For me love is a book that never ends, Love is a road with no dead ends. Love is a fairytale and a nightmare, A warm embrace and a harsh stare. For me love is a rose with many thorns, Love is understanding, love is scorn. Love is a fullhouse, love is a royal flush, Love is a scream, love is a hush. For me love is a bird, beautiful and free, Love is the chains binding you and me. For me love is painful and downright annoying, Love is the reason that keeps me going. Love is a victory, a celebration, Love is a very strange creation. For me love is a hug, a sigh, a yell, For me love is heaven and love is hell. Ceangău Ștefana X F Philology English Intensive 37 38 Dear diary, I never used to believe in love, especially in love at first sight because I thought it was so difficult and hard to manage the way you want. I was running and running on the streets back home in the pouring rain, imagining I would find him in front of my house, soaking wet, cold and tired. We would have cried for our love and would have hugged for all the time we hadn`t been together. I went into the house, I poured myself a cup of tea and I sat down at my desk. I started wondering if I should talk to him, but how could I do this better than writing him a letter? It sounded like this: "How many souls have followed you and got lost? Here's the deal, let's remember the past for one minute: Let's lock ourselves in the room and put the key somewhere we won't remember, let's talk about you, about me, about us; what do you want to do, where to go? Let's pretend we are not ourselves when all the people around us are still themselves, and change the world into a rainbow. Everybody has the right to have their own rainbow. Let's hide from the world, somewhere far away, and imagine we are on the moon and over the moon. Let's disguise and go to a fancy dress ball were you will search and find me. Let's meet our parents and tell them we are going to spend the rest of our lives together. Let's lie to them, as we lie to ourselves. Let's move into our house. House that we wanted so much. Let’s paint it, and frighten each time we switch on the light. Let's wait for the holidays and give each other gifts, let's feel their spirit, the way we haven't felt so far: together. Let me take care of you as always, and tell you "I love you" before you fall asleep. Come, fall asleep into my arms and in the morning tell me you love me, too. Let's get a dog. Or a cat. Or a dog and a cat and love them both. Let's clean the house one day, let's see how much it takes and then we’ll spend the whole evening making mess. Let's call all our friends and have a party and be appreciated for the love we share. Let's fly by plane and break the rules while you are take a picture of me, and I’m taking a picture of you. Let's go out on a shopping spree and buy the most unuseful things, from the smallest to the largest and waste money, and then regret . Let's choose our song and listen to it whenever we are alone. Do you remember the song that once brought us together? Let me remember that I`m still beside you, even when you shout at me, when you blame me, when you forget about me. Let me remember that I will still be with you when you destroy me, when you want me to leave. Let me cry in front of you and ask you for your help, and thus you could see how weak I am inside. Wipe my tear and let me remember that you are my first and only love. “ I couldn't give that letter to him .Everybody told me that would be wrong. But wait, in the end, what`s right? I think it's time for us to make mistakes and then regret, and make them all again, it’s time to fall in love and not to be loved back, time to change my mind again and again because nothing is forever. It's my time to dream, thinking that dreams really come true, my time to be disappointed by everybody and to think I am going crazy, desperately wanting to scream and feel heard, to fight for what I want and win. However, I`m writing this because I had a bad day, and you, dear diary, are the only one who knows better than anybody how much I like to smudge your pages with my worries. I have always imagined that one of these days we will meet in our place, the same bench we first met and I’m sure that day will come. It will be wonderful to see him again , unchanged, he will be dressed in my favourite brown anorak like always and he will have the same wonderful smile which gave me butterflies in my stomach . He will come to me, hug me and apologize for the long time he needed to realise how much he loves me, we will talk a lot about what has happened to us, we will crack jokes and we will take pity on each other. It will be just perfect, my dear diary! Aron Amalia – X F Philology English Intensive 39 Dear Diary, I‟ve been thinking lately… How is it possible to have something in mind that is so powerful at first, that stands like a goal in one‟s life, and all of a sudden, something to come blazing by and burn everything to ashes? And more importantly, how can it be that the leftovers, as I like to call them, aren‟t particles of ash, but seeds? Yes… seeds. Heh, I know, I know. You‟re starting to get used to me talking like that lately for no apparent reason. As you know, I‟ve always been frank to you, as I will today. But, still, today is the day when you‟ll finally understand the reason behind all these character fluctuations that I‟ve been going through. It‟s simple, really! I‟ve met a girl. Did I ever think it would change me in such a drastic way? No, I didn‟t. Did I ever consider that everything I know would be turned around, but still… facing the same way? It‟s complicated, but I‟d like you to remember that I stated a few months back that I had to wait until I could met someone who is pretty, kind, smart, loving and sincere. We both concluded that it was very hard to find such a girl, but it was worth waiting for. I was having plans to love her as much as it was earthly possible and to cherish every day I would have spent with her. Well… that happened… in a way. She was the top of her class, gorgeous- looking, pure-hearted and with a fantastic crush on me. I couldn‟t want more. I dedicated every minute of my life to her from that point on. I didn‟t want to “cheat” the relationship in any way, I just wanted to be myself, as I imagined myself being… But starting with that moment, I realized that… I had no idea of the sheer emotions and feelings I would come across. I talked to my friends, but none of them had anything to say about that. I talked to you, and again, the compendium of research, information and memories stored in your thin pages was unable to explain what had struck me. I looked on the web, as I thought that, obviously, that‟s the place for all answers. I didn‟t manage to get any palpable information out of it either, but on a forum, a young woman had the same „symptoms‟ as me. She was also dumbstruck by the sheer intensity of the feeling she had after the first date with her boyfriend (to whom she is married now, the post being relatively old). After nobody could answer the post, she herself was the one who closed the thread after posting a last sentence. And I quote: „ladies and gentlemen, I am getting married to Tom (her boyfriend at the time). I can safely assume that everything, from the start till now, was true love. Thank you everyone for the concern and the dedication! xoxo”. So can that be the answer? I started searching deeper, but this time not somewhere on the web or in books, but into my own head and heart. I started realizing that my definition for „love‟ which was placed in my head like an inception in the last few dates I‟ve had with numerous other girls, was seriously outdated and incorrect! No standard that I‟ve placed for myself prior to meeting her have remained untouched. I feel the same things I thought I would, only… much stronger. I wake up every day thinking about her, I‟m making plans about marrying her and having children. I like fooling around like a child whenever I am in her presence and that doesn‟t make me feel stupid. I enjoy spending time with her more than I enjoy watching my favorite football teams clashing in a derby. And you, diary, should know the scale of the proportions after I‟ve just said that! If you had asked me how I was feeling a year ago, I would have told that I was happy. Now I‟m telling you that I was wrong. Only now can I tell you that I‟m happy, with every single piece of heart and soul that I have. That, my dear diary, is love. And I believe in it. Talk to you tomorrow. Phone is ringing. Stefan Balcanu XI F Philology English Intensive 40 Dear diary, Today is one of those days when all I want to do is lie on the couch, watch love movies and smile, thinking of what is happening to me. You know, we all have moments in life when we are sad, and troubles keep coming, but we always need to remember that God has something good in store for everybody. I didn‟t use to believe in this, until recently, when something unexpected happened. Even though there are billions of people out there, sometimes nobody but one of them can entirely change you and your perception of life. And this person usually shows up when you least expect it. I‟ve heard this before, but I thought it was nothing but empty words, until HE came into my life. But who is he? Maybe he is all I have ever wanted, for me he is special, he made me feel something, he helped me forget, he helped me forgive. At first I only had a crush on him, but then he made me think about a serious relationship, he made me suffer, he made me happy, he made me cry. We met two months ago, but since then we have been inseparable, because we get on like a house on fire. We‟ve done so many things together in such a short period of time that everything reminds me of him. I‟m aware of the fact that I won‟t be that happy for a long time from now on, because whenever it occurs, first love never lasts. But I also know that it is unique and never forgotten, and who said this was absolutely right. Who doesn‟t remember the first person one used to be in love with? The first kiss or the first “I love you” shyly told? And that‟s why I live every moment to its fullest and I do my best to do this right, because in a few years I would like to have beautiful memories. I would like to say “Hey, he is my old flame!” and smile. Now, it is a bit weird. It‟s more like a childish game, necessary for what will happen in our future lives. I‟ve got hundreds of ideas crossing my mind; ideas about how to express what I feel for him.. but I can‟t decide on one of them. This might sound strange, but when I saw him first I didn‟t feel what I usually feel when I meet ordinary people. Something was telling me that I should talk to him, that something was going to happen. I followed my instincts because nothing wrong could happen. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn‟t done this. Thinking of this makes me sometimes follow my instincts more often. It also makes me believe in luck...and especially in love at first sight. Maybe it was destiny. Maybe we were meant to be together . I don‟t know, and nor do I want to know. All the magic will be gone if I try to explain those things. So I choose taking it as a fact, and enjoying it every moment of my life. Well, dear diary, I think that`s all for now. All the things put down to paper made me kind of miss him, so forget what I said at the beginning, about how I‟d like to spend this day. I`m going to call him up and see if he would like to go out. Hleva Andra – X E Social Sciences 41 LOVE is all around I recently read that love is entirely a matter of chemistry. That must be why my wife treats me like toxic waste. David Bissonette When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her. Sacha Guitry After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin; they just can‟t face each other, but still they stay together. Hemant Joshi By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you‟ll be happy. If you get a bad one, you‟ll become a philosopher. Socrates Woman inspires us to great things, and prevents us from achieving them. Dumas The great question… which I have not been able to answer … is: ”What does a woman want ?” Sigmund Freud I had some words with my wife , and she had some paragraphs with me. Anonymous “I don‟t worry about terrorism. I was married for two years.” Sam Kinison “There‟s a way of transferring funds that is even faster than electronic banking. It‟s called marriage.” James Holt McGavran “I‟ve had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me, and the second one didn‟t.” Patrick Murray Two secrets to keep your marriage brimming: 1.Whenever you‟re wrong, admit it 2.Whenever you‟re right, shut up. Nash The most effective way to remember your wife‟s birthday is to forget it once… Anonymous 42 You know what I did before I married? Anything I wanted to. Henny Youngman My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met. Rodney Dangerfield A good wife always forgives her husband when she‟s wrong. Milton Berle Marriage is the only war where one sleeps with the enemy. Anonymous A man inserted an ‟ad‟ in the classifieds: ”Wife wanted”. Next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: You can have mine.” Anonymous First Guy (proudly):”My wife‟s an angel!” Second Guy : “You‟re lucky, mine‟s still alive.” A: “Aren‟t you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?” B: Yes, I am, I married the wrong man.” Man: “Am I the first man you have ever loved?” Woman: “Of course! Why do men always ask the same question?” When I was young, I didn‟t like going to weddings. My grandmother used to tell me: “You are next!” However, she stopped doing that after I started telling the same thing to her at funerals”. One day, a young man asked his friend Bob who is 32 and still single: “Why aren‟t you married? Can‟t you find a woman who will be a good wife?” Bob replied: “Actually, I have found many women I wanted to marry, but when I bring them home to meet my parents, mu mother doesn‟t like them.” His friend thinks for a moment and says: “I‟ve got the perfect solution, just find a girl who‟s just like your mother.” A few months later they meet again and his friend says: “Did you find the perfect girl? Did your mother like her?” With a frown on his face, Bob answers: “Yes, I found the perfect girl. She was just like my mother. You were right, my mother liked her very much.” The friend says: “Then, what‟s the problem?” Bob replies: “My father doesn‟t like her!” 43 Man: “I could go to the end of the world for you, darling!” Woman: “ Yes, but would you stay there?” Man: “I want to share everything with you!” Woman: “Let‟s start from your bank account.” The first 3 years of marriage: In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. In the third year, they both speak and the neighbours listen. “Love is one long sweet dream, and marriage is the alarm clock.” My wife and I have the secret to making a marriage last: two times a week we go to a nice restaurant, have a little wine, some good food and companionship. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays. I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back. I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. “ Somewhere I haven‟t been for a long time!” she said. So I suggested the kitchen. We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops. She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric bread maker, that‟s why she said: “ There are too many gadgets and no place to sit down!”, so I bought her an electric chair. Remember…..Marriage is the number one cause of divorce. Statistically, 100% of all divorces started with marriage. I married Miss Right. I just didn‟t know her first name was Always. I haven‟t spoken to my wife for 18 months. I just don‟t like to interrupt her. The last fight was my fault. My wife asked: “ What‟s on TV?”…I said, “Dust!” At the beginning, God created Earth and rested. Then God created man and rested. Then God created woman. Since then, neither God nor man has rested. Why do men die before their wifes? „ Cause they want to.‟ Henny Youngman 44 Love test – Imagine that you are walking to your boyfriend/girlfriend's house... Get answers to your questions on love with this short quiz! 1. You are walking to your boyfriend/girlfriend's house. There are two roads to get there. One is a straight path which takes you there quickly, but is very plain and boring. The other is curvy and full of wonderful sights on the way, but takes quite a while to reach your loved one's house. Which path do you choose? Short or long? 2. On the way, you see two rose bushes. One is full of white roses. One is full of red roses. You decide to pick 20 roses for your boyfriend/girlfriend. What color combination do you choose? (Any combination is fine.) 3. You finally get to your boyfriend/girlfriend's house. You ring the bell and the maid answers. You can ask the maid to please get your loved one, or you may go get them yourself. Which action do you take? Ask the maid or do it yourself? 4. Now, you go up to your girlfriend/boyfriend’s room. No one is there. You can leave the roses by the window sill, or on the bed. Where do you put the roses? Bed or window? 5. Later, its time for bed. You and your loved one go to sleep, in separate rooms. You wake up in the morning, and go to your boyfriend/girlfriend's room to check up on him/her. You enter the room: Is he/she awake or sleeping? 6. It's time to go home now, and you start to head back. You can take either road home now: The plain, boring one that gets you home fast; or the curvy, sight-filled road that you can just casually take your time with. Which road do you choose? Short or long? Analysis 1. Which road do you choose to take to your love's house? The roads represent your attitude towards falling in love. If you chose the short one, you fall in love quickly and easily. If you chose the long one, you take your time and do not fall in love easily. 2. What combination of roses do you choose to give your love? The number of red roses represent how much you expect to give in a relationship. The number of white roses represent how much you expect in a relationship. Therefore, if a person chose all red with one white, he/she gives 90% in the relationship but expects to receive only 10% back. 3. Do you ask the maid to get your love, or do you do it yourself? This question shows your attitude in handling relationship problems. If you asked the maid to get your loved one, then you may beat around the bush, maybe asking a third party to intervene. Avoidance of problems runs high. If you went and got your loved one yourself, then you are pretty direct. If there is a problem, you confront it and deal with it. You want to work it out right away. 4. Where do you put the roses? On the window sill or on the bed? 45 The placement of the roses indicates how often you'd like to see your boyfriend/girlfriend. Placing the roses on the bed means you need lots of reassurance in the relationship, and you'd want to see your loved one every day, if possible. Placing the roses by the window show that you don't expect or need to see your loved one too often. 5. Do you find your love asleep or awake? Finding your boyfriend/ girlfriend asleep: You accept your loved one the way they are. Finding them awake: You expect him/her to change for you. 6. Which road do you choose to go home? The short and long roads now represent how long you stay in love. If you chose the short one, you fall out of love easily. If you chose the long one, you tend to stay in love for a long time. How do you look at love? Scenarios that attempt to explain your outlook on love. 1. The end of the world is coming, if you can save only one kind of animal, which one will you pick? a. Rabbit b. Sheep c. Deer d. Horse 2. If you had to be an animal which one would you choose? a. Dog b. Cat c. Horse d. Snake 3. If you have the power to make one species disappear forever, which one will that be? a. Lion b. Snake c. Crocodile d. Shark which one would you choose? a. Human b. Pig c. Cow d. Bird 6. If you had the ability to tame all animals, which would you prefer as a pet? a. Dinosaur b. White tiger c. Polar bear d. Leopard 7. If you could be an animal for five minutes which of the following would you prefer to be? a. Lion b. Cat c. Horse d. Pigeon 4. If one of the following animals could speak which would you prefer it to be? a. Sheep b. Horse c. Rabbit d. Bird 5. On an isolated island you can only have one of the following as your companion, 46 Analysis 1. Your choice represents the personality of the person you would be attracted to in real life situation. a. Rabbit - Cold as ice on the outside, but warm inside. b. Sheep - Obedient and warm. c. Deer - Elegant and well-mannered. d. Horse - Unbridled, free-spirited and free 2. Your choice represents the impression that you would like to give to your partner. a. Dog - Loyal and faithful. b. Cat - Stylish c. Horse - Optimistic d. Snake - Flexible 3. Your choice represents the behavior that would cause you to break up with your partner. a. Lion - Your partner's arrogance and authoritative behavior. b. Snake - Your partner is too emotional and moody and you don't know how to please him/her. c. Crocodile - Your partner's ruthlessness. d. Shark - Your partner's insecurity. 4. Your choice represents the kind of relationship that you would like to build with your partner. a. Sheep - You both know what the other person is thinking without saying a word. b. Horse - Both of you should be able to talk about everything and anything with no secrets kept. c. Rabbit - A relationship that makes you feel warm and always in love. d. Bird - A long-lasting relationship. 5. Your choice shows whether you are capable of cheating on your partner. a. Human - Probably not. b. Pig - You can't resist desire and lust so you are likely to cheat. c. Cow - You are tolerant and you will try very hard not to do it. d. Bird - You don't like to make commitments and are likely to cheat. 6. Your choice represents your views about marriage. a. Dinosaur - You are quite pessimistic and you don't think happy marriages exist anymore nowadays. b. White tiger - You think marriage is something precious, once you get married, you'll treasure it and your partner very much. c. Polar bear - You are afraid of marriage, you think it would take away your freedom. d. Leopard - You always wanted to get married, but in fact, you don't know what it's all about. 7. Your choice represents your views about love at this present moment. a. Lion - You always thirst for love, you can do anything for it, but you won't fall for it easily. b. Cat - You are quite self-centered; you think of love as something you can get and trash anytime you want. c. Horse - You don't want to be tied by a steady relationship, you just want to flirt. d. Pigeon - You think of love as a commitment for both parties. 47 Natural disasters: Earthquake Hits Japan Japan is where the tsunami, in the earthquake aftermath, made the most devastating damage, striking those who didn’t have enough time to escape or those who simply had no knowledge as to what was going to happen. I had never seen anything like it before. Even though I had no direct or even slight connection to those affected, I still felt for them as though I had known them all my life. As I was staring back at the faces stricken with grief and fear I felt compassion like no other. ”Tsunami!” the poor souls screamed to me from the television screen. Their shrill voices will forever echo and ring in my ears. Their faces were a haze in the images that flashed and vanished before my eyes. The eyes of the victims stood out of the haze with such a force that it was almost as if they were looking into my soul. The smell of food coming from the kitchen was a painful reminder of the things I took for granted. There was no possible way that a human being could witness what I did and think that everything was alright because it didn’t happen to them. The tsunami from Japan sent a wave of shock through my emotional barrier, causing me to realize that there were people enduring psychological and physical tornment. This time my TV screen showed me a picture of a girl. The photograph was clear enough to show me the amount of pain eating away at her youthful features. She was beautiful, but her skin was speckled with spots of dirt and her hair was in a messy ponytail. The words beside her picture read: ”Dead in the tsunami, will be forever in our thoughts” but they did her no justice. Her name was Hikari, meaning ”light” and she was sixteen, same age as me. She had lost her father in the mess of the tsunami and I read that she had been searching for him before this photograph was taken. Her 48 eyes engulfed me, telling me a more accurate story of what had happened than the words the reporter attempted. It was as if I could see her running through the rubble and dirty water, water which ultimately became a pool of death. Its depths became the graveyard of innocence and unwelcomed death. I could picture the girl pushing bodies aside in a disregarding manner, a loss of all sense of respect for the corpses as she attempted to get to the one that meant something to her - her father’s. I could no longer stand it. I switched off the television and forced myself to get up from the couch. Tears were streaming down my face and my throat felt as dry as sandpaper. Did those people expect to die? Of course not; they had no idea of what was coming to ruin their lives. You never know what might happen and I know this isn’t the end, and this place we once called home will be a home no more. Every minute brought a new disaster, whole towns decimated, thousands missing or dead…this sounds like something from a horror movie that should have never happened in our lifetime. But it did. All I could do was stand there and wish that the suffering could come to an end, that it was only a bad dream. But wishing is worthless, this is the harsh reality. Isn’t is too late to do something to save ourselves? No, it isn’t too late, but we need to make a change by all means because we never know when or where the next disaster might strike. Ceangău Ştefana X F Philology English Intensive 49 The Coming Hope Songs of the early birds on the branches, Purple clouds in the grey, distant sky, Rivers flowing and dancing in eddies, Insecurity and tears, cry and cry…. Nobody can say what will happen. Girls and boys, they just hopefully try… Inconsistency is the main rule in this life – Sudden change, many words, but no truth. Colours fading and mud on the pavements, Organized crime, guns, drugs over borders, Miles between dearest children and parents, Insult, hate, no respect for the orders… No more love, no more peace, broken strings… Grey and black, painting the saddest spring… Still I hope in a coming Redeemer, Overwhelmed by an infinite joy. On His promises I always rely, Nothing can my heart and mind destroy! Anamaria Paizan Former ”Grigore Moisil” student 50 51 Personality quotes “Personality is to a man what perfume is to a flower.” Charles M. Schwab “ It is better to be hated for who you are, than to be loved for someone you are not.” Andre Gide “ Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” Margaret Mead “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those people who matter won‟t mind and those people who mind don‟t matter.” Larossa “ A person is like the moon, there‟s always the part of the moon that he won‟t let the others see.” “ Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he should be, and he will become what he could be.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Watch your thoughts, for they become words. o Watch your words, for they become actions. o Watch your actions, for they become habits. o Watch your habits, for they become character. o Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. “We continue to shape our own personality all our life. If we knew ourselves perfectly, we would die.” Albert Camus Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one. “Most great men and women are not perfectly rounded in their personalities, but instead, there are people whose one driving enthusiasm is so great that it makes their faults seem insignificant.” Charles A. Cerami 52 Film Review “P.S. I Love You” Based on the novel with the same title written by Cecilia Ahern, ‘P.S. I Love You’ is a romantic drama, but at the same time a comedy with unexpected moments of both fury and warmth. Directed by Richard LaGrovense, the film stars Hillary Swank (Holly), Richard Buttler (Gerry), Lisa Kudrow (Denise), Gina Gershon (Sharon) and it is a story about a woman who tries to recover after her husband’s death. The action takes place in New York in the former half of 2007 and in Ireland in the latter half of the same year. Holly Kennedy (Hillary Swank), a smart and beautiful woman is married to Gerry (Richard Buttler), a passionate and funny Irishman who loves her deeply. But when Gerry dies unexpectedly because of an illness, Holly’s luck runs out. She tries to renew her life with the help of the letters Gerry had arranged to be mailed to her after his death, letters always ending with ‘P.S. I Love You’. Each letter pushes Holly into a journey of rediscovery and shows her how a love so strong can turn the fatality of death into a new beginning for life. ‘P.S. I Love You’ absorbs you from the very beginning with its exceptionally convincing characters, unveiling an incredibly moving story. The plot is absolutely riveting, owing to the fact that one of the characters dies in the very first scene of the movie. The photographers are really professionists, taking realistic pictures of the absolutely breath-taking Irish landscape. The really compelling script and the absolutely absorbing plot will keep the moviegoers on the edge of their seats. Far from being just another romantic comedy, it is one of the movies which shows that death can be a new beginning. It is an enjoyable movie, with extremely moving scenes, especially the ones where Holly receives the letters. Gerard Buttler plays a remarkable role as Gerry, Lisa Kudrow as Denise and Gina Gershon as Sharon, but this is Hillary Swank’s movie. She embodies strength and weakness, happiness and sadness at the same time, being an incredibly attractive character. All in all, if you enjoy seeing romantic movies, then ‘P.S. I Love You’ is your best bet, being particularly suited to your needs. If you only see a film this year, this should be it, as it is a definite must-see. Vrînceanu Mădălina-Elena XII A Mathematics-Information Technology 53 The Royal Engagement-The Royal Wedding -Prince William & Kate Middleton- The wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton is probably one of the most expected events in the world and definitely the most important thing happening in Britain in 2011. Prince William is the elder son of Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. As such, he is second behind his father in succession to the throne, in sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms. William was educated at Ludgrove School, Eton College and at the University of St. Andrews, after which he was commissioned from Sandhurst in the Blues and Royal regiment of the Household Cavalry. He was later transferred to the Air Force and went on to become a full time pilot with the Search and Rescue Force. Catherine Middleton or “Kate” is the first of the three children born to Carole and Michael Middleton. She was educated at St. Andrew’s School in Pangbourne, Marlbrough College and at the University of St. Andrews. After graduating, she worked in retail and then as an accessories buyer/ catalogue photographer at her parents’ business. The two met while undergraduates at the University of St. Andrews, where both lived at St. Salvador’s Hall during their first year, after which they shared accommodation in the town for two years. William and Kate have been officially dating for six years, but unofficially it is about nine years since the two have been dating. On the 16th of November, Clarence House announced that William, Prince of Wales, will marry Kate Middleton, his long-time girlfriend, “in the spring or summer of 2011”, in London. They got engaged in October 2010, while a private holiday in Kenya and William gave his future bride the same engagement ring that his father had given to Diana, Princess of Wales - an 18-karat white gold ring with a 12-karat oval sapphire and 14 round diamonds. Queen Elizabeth II said she was “absolutely delighted” for the couple, giving her formal consent to the marriage, as required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772, in the morning of the engagement. In November 2010, Clarence House announced the date of the wedding as 29 April 2011, taking place at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and Kate will arrive at the abbey by car, rather than by carriage, the traditional transport for royal brides. The route will be along The Mall, through the Horse Guards Parade, and down Whitehall to the abbey. After the ceremony, the bridal couple will return along the same route by carriage to a reception hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The Prince of Wales will host a private dinner that evening, too. In a break with the royal tradition, William is to have a best man - his 54 brother, Prince Harry - rather than a supporter, while Kate has chosen her sister, Pippa, as maid of honour. The couple will also have four bridesmaids - Lady Louise Windsor, the seven-year-old daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex; Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the eight-year-old daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley; Grace van Cutsem, the three-year-old daughter of the couple's friend Hugh van Cutsem; and Eliza Lopes, the three-year-old granddaughter of the Duchess of Cornwall. There will be two page boys: William Lowther-Pinkerton, the ten-year-old son of William's private secretary, and Tom Pettifer, the eight-year-old son of William and Harry's former nanny, 'Tiggy' Pettifer. The Dean of Westminster will conduct the service, Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will perform the marriage ceremony, and Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, will give the address. It has long been traditional for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of England's most senior cleric, to preside over weddings of England's monarchs and future monarchs, but as Chartres is a close friend of the Prince of Wales, he was invited to participate in the ceremony. More than half of the guests will be family and friends of the couple, though there will be a significant number of Commonwealth leaders (including the governors-general who represent the Queen in Commonwealth realms, prime ministers of the Commonwealth realms and heads of government of other Commonwealth countries), members of governments and of religious organisations, the diplomatic corps, several military officials, members of the British Royal Household, members of foreign royal families, and representatives of William's charities and others with whom William has worked on official business. Although St James's Palace declined to publish the names of those invited, a breakdown of guests was published by category - the list made no mention of foreign heads of state, though it was announced that about 40 members of foreign royal families had been invited. The first list, about 1.900 people, is to attend the ceremony in the abbey. The second list, about 600 people, is to attend the lunch-time reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen, while the final list, about 300 people, is to attend an evening dinner, hosted by the Prince of Wales. As we can see, this major event happening in the United Kingdom is expected to have both traditional and modern elements and I think that everybody around the world is looking forward to it. About this, the major TV channels in the world such as BBC and CNN, have already announced the live transmission of the wedding, on the day of 29 April 2011. All we can do now is wish them all the happiness in the world! Apostu Ana XI F Philology English intensive 55 The Fame Monster Motto:” A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.” Fred Allen Everyone wants to be famous, but is fame really all that great? Fame is the trickiest monster of them all and it does things to people, things that you couldn’t imagine, terrible and horrifying. Fame seems like a dream at first, a dream that many people have. Once it gets inside your head, inside the innermost depths of your mind, there is no turning back. The minute fame gets its claws on you, there is no way you can escape. It lures you with its charm and magnificence it holds on the outside. An innocent being gets stuck into fame’s trap and from then on the road gets bumpier. Driving fancy cars, eating gourmet dishes, wearing designer clothes and having people “lick your boots” whenever you feel like it. These and many more are the things we see rich people do which we also want for ourselves, but fame isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. First of all, the safety of their kids, family members and even friends might be threatened by kidnappers or crazy fans. Celebrities always need to have security guards with them, even while they are running mundane errands. They can never go out without being recognized and harassed by fans or without being asked for pictures and autographs. This is not a pleasant thing, especially if they are at a restaurant and want to eat in peace or if they are having a date. Famous people are trapped in a small world, with their lives always on display. Moreover, tabloids will always try to dig up information about celebrities. Everyone wants to know which celebrity is having a divorce, who is marrying who, and gossip tabloids specialize in spreading rumors that are not true all the time. When cameras stop rolling, fame can evaporate quickly, leaving a person with even more problems than ever before. Along with fame comes an enormous amount of attention and stress, as famous people have to live up to what people expect them to do. Most people who crave fame really crave the attention that comes with it, but what happens when the attention is negative and their privacy 56 is invaded? No one likes to have their personal problems paraded in the headlines. Finally, celebrities never know who to trust because they are surrounded by people who know less but talk the most. We must understand that most rich people wish for some of the things that ordinary people only take for granted, like having a family, for example. Maybe by some miracle they find someone who loves them for real and not for money, but the greatest challenge of all is not finding someone, but keeping them by their side, happy and safe. Being famous means always being kept away from home by work and thus the partner can very easily find someone else and cheat on them, the excuse being that they are neglected. This will end up in a fight or a divorce which will eventually make it to the press. It is hard as it is to deal with personal problems, that is why no one needs a nosy Parker to turn their lives upside down. On the other hand, if fame is such a terrible monster, then why has anyone not tried to stop it? The answer is simple: because no one can. Fame has this trick, a very sneaky one, where it hides all the madness. Fame conceals its victims from the world behind a perfect smile and dazzling looks. Yet, being famous has its perks, like being a part of the jet set and meeting people that you have seen only on TV. What is more, you can be invited to a lot of parties and events where you will be in the centre of attention. Furthermore, if you are Mr. Moneybags, you are also very influential and you can raise money for charity only by saying a few words. You can get to help people, just the way they helped you. It is good to know that people respect you and look up to you, hanging on your every word. You know that your fans will always support you and raise your spirits, helping you climb the ladder of success. Famous persons can get to enjoy the luxuries offered to them, spoiling themselves just because they can afford it. To sum up, fame is like a drug; once you get the taste of it, you can never get enough. It is like sugar coated cyanide. Fame is like a rollercoaster, with ups and downs, because once you get in you can ever get out. Fame can be your friend but, at the same time, it can turn into your enemy at a snap of the fingers. Ceangău Ștefana XF-Philology English intensive 57 In Heaven with Willie Can you believe, people? I’m standing right here at the world’s most famous Heaven’s Gate. I think you are all wondering how I got here. Well, to be honest, I’ve just drunk a Redbull and I woke up with a nice pair of wings . We are here to get an interview of one of the most well-known British writer and poet , William Shakespeare. I’ve just got Saint Peter’s permission to get in. Stay tune and you’ll see what’s up next! Don’t change the channel! [R]: Is his Excellency, Mr. William Shakespere here? [W]: Oh, my god, not even in heaven can a man have his own peace! [St.P]: There is a reporter who wants to talk to you! Could you come out ? [W]: A reporter!? Oh, finally! See, Michael, you are not the only one in great demand! Told you somebody would come to me one day! One minute! Here I come! [R]: Here we are! The moment of truth! I am trembling! [W]: Yes! Are you really a reporter, or are you a passing strange? [R]: Yes! I mean, a ..a...a ..re..porter! Yes! [W] : Thrift, thrift, Horatio. *R+: Please forgive me, I’m very thrilled. I have never imagined that I will talk to such an important person. [W]: Be not afraid of greatness! *R+ : Could I...I... ask you some que...stions, fo..for... It’s for this magazine interview, aa..aa.it is called..aa..aa….When does past meet future? [ W]: I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you! *R+:O…ok , I will first begin with question no 1. : What is like to be… you know ... dead? [W]: To be, or not to be.. this is the question! [R]: ... aaa, ok! So you are dead, right? [W]: What do you think? *R+: Oh, right! Right! ok… next one. I guess that now you have a lot time on your hands... what are you doing all day long? Do you still write poems ? [W] Well, now I am the King of Infinite Space, so I’m allowed to do my own thing, like drink a bear with Michael Jackson, for example. He’s my Heaven buddy. He’s kind but he’s a blinking idiot; his nose keeps falling and he even lost it once. He was so desperate that I told him : “A nose ,a nose! Your kingdom for a nose!” [R] Wow! You mean that You and Michael are one of the big guns here in heaven, right? [W]: Yeah, we’ve got a spotless reputation... 58 *R+: I’ve heard that Lord Byron is very popular nowadays .How do you feel being left behind? [ W]: O, what men dare do! Off with his head! *R+: He’s already dead! Haven’t you two met here? [W]: In my mind's eye I guess he didn’t have the courage to meet me. He may be a rising star , but I’ve got a long farewell to all my greatness. *R+: I bet you did! If it’s not too personal, can I ask you about love? [W] :Yes, go ahead! [R]: Have you found a pretty woman yet? [W] :Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind... *R+: Oh! So, she’s smart! *W+ She’s a Touch of nature! [R]: Oh, somebody is in love!! [W]: There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio! [R]: I beg your pardon? [W]: [in a louder voice] Something is rotten in the state of Denmark , don’t you think? [R]: Denmark? What do you mean? *W+: Nothing, it’s just too much of a good thing. [R]: Ok, for a final question , what do you want me to say to all those from the Earth who admire you and who have set their hearts on writing? *W+: Tell them..hm...aaa....I know I know.. don’t rush me....aaa... oh, my god, it’s time! Sorry, I have to go , it’s done , the bell invites me! Tell them to eat their vegetables or something , byeeeeeee! [R]: What ? Where is he going? Oh! [ rolling eyes] Stars! Who can understand them even in Heaven!?! Ciobanu Laura /Aron Amalia X F Philology English Intensive 59 Witty celebrity thoughts EINSTEIN (the way he expressed relativity): “ Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with a beautiful girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That‟s relativity.” “Two hairs in my cup of milk is too much. Two hairs on my head is too less.” “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I‟m not sure about the former.” Marilyn Monroe suggests to Einstein: “ What do you say, professor, shouldn‟t we make a little baby together: what a baby it would be! My looks and your intelligence!” “I‟m afraid, dear lady,” said Einstein, that it might be the other way round!” THOMAS EDISON "I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." WALT DISNEY "I love Mickey Mouse more than any woman I have ever known." OSCAR WILDE (Irish dramatist, novelist, & poet (1854 - 1900) “A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal”. “A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world. “ “Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” “I have nothing to declare except my genius.” MARK TWAIN ( American writer- 1835-1910) “A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read”. “Be careless in your dress if you will, but keep a tidy soul.” “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. “ “Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times.” 60 Let’s Laugh Our Head off! A Scotsman who was driving home one night, ran into a car driven by an Englishman. The Scotsman got out of the car to apologize and offered the Englishman a drink from a bottle of whisky. The Englishman was glad to have a drink. "Go on," said the Scot, "have another drink." The Englishman drank gratefully. "But don't you want one, too?" he asked the Scotsman. "Perhaps," replied the Scotsman, "after the police have gone." A man was pulled over for driving too fast, even though he thought he was driving just fine. Officer: You were speeding. Man: No, I wasn't. Officer: Yes, you were. I'm giving you a ticket. Man: But I wasn't speeding. Officer: Tell that to the judge! (The officer gives man the ticket.) Man: Would I get another ticket if I called you a jerk? Officer: Yes, you would. Man: What if I just thought that you were? Officer: I can't give you a ticket for what you think. Man: Fine, I think you're a jerk! What are the three quickest ways of spreading a rumour (or gossip). Telegram Telephone Tell a woman A: Did you hear that a baby was fed on elephant's milk and gained twenty pounds in a week. B: That's impossible. Whose baby? A: An elephant's. A very drunk man comes out of the bar and sees another very drunk man. He looks up in the sky and says, "Is that the sun or the moon?" The other drunk man answers, "I don't know. I'm a stranger here myself." Why couldn't Cinderella be a good soccer player? She lost her shoe, she ran away from the ball, and her coach was a pumpkin. Two factory workers are talking. The woman says, "I can make the boss give me the day off." The man replies, "And how would you do that?" 61 The woman says, "Just wait and see." She then hangs upside-down from the ceiling. The boss comes in and says, "What are you doing?" The woman replies, "I'm a light bulb." The boss then says, "You've been working so much that you've gone crazy. I think you need to take the day off." The man starts to follow her and the boss says, "Where are you going?" The man says, "I'm going home, too. I can't work in the dark." On a crowded bus, one man noticed that another man had his eyes closed. “What‟s the matter? Are you sick?, he asked. “No, I‟m O.K. It‟s just that I hate to see old ladies standing!” There is a California dude going through the desert. He‟s wearing shorts, sunglasses, a towel and he is listening to music on his walkman. He‟s having a really good time. Suddenly, he sees a caravan approaching. He stops the Arabs and asks them cheerfully: “Hey, dudes, how far is the sea?” They look at each other and say: “ 2000 miles!” The California dude then exclaims: “Wow!! What a cool beach!!” What did the barman say when the ghost asked for a drink? Sorry, we don‟t serve spirits! What is an archaeologist? Someone whose career lies in ruins. Riddles What is the longest word in the English language? SMILES: there is a mile between the first and last letters!" If big elephants have big trunks, do small elephants have suitcases??? Did you hear about the blind carpenter who picked up his hammer and saw? Did you hear about the deaf shepherd who gathered his flock and heard? Q: When does the (English) alphabet have only 25 letters? A: At Christmas time, because it is the time of Noel. (No L) Q: What starts with E, ends with E and only has one letter? A: An envelope. Q: If you drop a white hat into the Red Sea, what does it become? A: Wet. 62 Q: What do you call a boomerang that won't come back? A: A stick. Q: What travels around the world and stays in a corner? A: A stamp. Q: What is white when it's dirty and black when it's clean? A: A blackboard. Q: What goes Oh, Oh, Oh? A: Santa Claus walking backwards. Q: Why did the man throw the butter out of the window? A: He wanted to see the butterfly. Q: Why did the man put the clock in the safe? A: He wanted to save time. Q: Why did the man throw his watch out of the window? A: He wanted to see time fly. Q: What State in the United States is High in the middle and round at the ends? A: Ohio. Q: What can't be used until it's broken? A: An egg. Q: What has many keys but can't open any doors? A: A piano. Q: What has 6 eyes but can't see? A: 3 blind mice. Q: Who earns money driving their customers away? A: A taxi driver. Q: What is orange and sounds like parrot? A: A carrot Q: Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State Building? A: Yes, because the Empire State Building can't jump! Q: Do you know why birds fly to south in the winter? A: Because it's too far to walk there. Q: What are the 3 important rings in life? A: Engagement ring, Wedding ring, and suffering. Q: A man rode into town on Tuesday. Two days later he rode home on Tuesday. How is this possible? A: His horse's name is Tuesday. 63 Q: Why did the student take a ladder to school? A: Because he/she was going to high school! Q: Why did the tomato blush? A: Because it saw the salad dressing! Q: Which is faster, heat or cold? A: Heat, because you can catch a cold. Q: What's the difference between a TEACHER and a CONDUCTOR ? A: A teacher TRAINS the MIND and a conductor MINDS the TRAIN. Q: Why did the traffic signal turn red? A: You would too if you had to change in the middle of the street. Q: Why are baseball stadiums so cool? A: There is a fan in every seat. Q: Where does Dracula stay when he goes to New York City? A: The Vampire State building. Q: Why don't sharks eat clowns? A: Because they taste funny. Q: Do you know where people send a horse when it is sick? A: To a horsepital. Q: What a bee says when it gets in the hive? A: Hi Honey! I'm home! Q: What did one light bulb say to another light bulb? A: You are the light of my life. Q: Why didn't the farmer cry when his dairy cow fell off the cliff? A: There's no use crying over split milk. Q: What is a bachelor? A: A man who never Mrs. (misses) anyone. Q: Why were the little drops of ink crying? A: Their mother was in the pen and they did not know how long her sentence would be. Q: Why did God create the man before He created the woman? A1: The answer that men give: To give him the chance to enjoy Heaven on Earth for a few moments. A2: The answer that women give: Everyone makes a draft first! 64 Gain insight into your personality the fun way! A variety of short personality tests that attempt to analyse your personality by interpreting your reactions to various events. You will be amazed by the accuracy of the results! Add all your birth figures To figure out your birth number, add all the numbers in your birth date together, like in the example, until there is only one digit. A birth number does not prevent you from being anything you want to be, it will just colour your choice differently and give you a little insight. Example: March 20, 1950 3 + 20 + 1950 = 1973 = 1 + 9 + 7 + 3 = 20 = 2 + 0 = 2 2 is the birth number in this example. 1 The originator 2 The peacemaker 3 The life of the party 4 The conservative 5 The nonconformist 6 The romantic 7 The intellectual 8 The big shot 9 The performer 1 The originator 1's are originals. Coming up with new ideas and executing them is natural. Having things their own way is another trait that gets them as being stubborn and arrogant. 1's are extremely honest and do well to learn some diplomacy skills. They like to take the initiative and are often leaders or bosses, as they like to be the best. Being self-employed is definitely helpful for them. Lessons to learn: Others' ideas might be just as good or better and to stay open minded. Famous 1's: Tom Hanks, Robert Redford, Hulk Hogan, Carol Burnett, Wynona Judd, Nancy Reagan, Raquel Welch 2 The peacemaker 2's are the born diplomats. They are aware of others' needs and moods and often think of others before themselves. Naturally analytical and very intuitive they don't like to be alone. Friendship and companionship is very important and can lead them to be successful in life, but on the other hand they'd rather be alone than be in an uncomfortable relationship. Being naturally shy they should learn to boost their self-esteem and express themselves freely and seize the moment and not put things off. Famous 2's: President Bill Clinton, Madonna, Whoopi Goldberg, Thomas Edison, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 3 The life of the party 3's are idealists. They are very creative, social, charming, romantic, and easygoing. They start many things, but don't always see them through. They like others to be happy and go to great lengths to achieve it. They are very popular and idealistic. They should learn to see the world from a more realistic point of view. Famous 3's: Alan Alda, Ann Landers, Bill Cosby, Melanie Griffith, Salvador Dali, Jodi Foster 4 The conservative 4's are sensible and traditional. They like order and routine. They only act when they fully understand what they are expected to do. They like getting their hands dirty and working hard. They are attracted to the outdoors and feel an affinity with nature. They are prepared to wait and can be stubborn and persistent. They should learn to be more flexible and to be nice to themselves. Famous 4's: Neil Diamond, Margaret Thatcher, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tina Turner, Paul Hogan, Oprah Winfrey 5 The non conformist 5's are the explorers. Their natural curiosity, risk taking, and enthusiasm often land them in hot water. They need diversity, and don't like to be stuck in a rut. The whole world is their school and they see a learning possibility in every situation. The questions never stop. They are well advised to look before they take action and make sure they have all the facts before jumping to conclusions. Famous 5's: Abraham Lincoln, Charlotte Bronte, Jessica Walter, Vincent Van Gogh, Bette Midler, Helen Keller, 65 6 The romantic 6's are idealistic and need to feel useful to be happy. A strong family connection is important to them. Their actions influence their decisions. They have a strong urge to take care of others and to help. They are very loyal and make great teachers. They like art or music. They make loyal friends who take the friendship seriously. 6's should learn to differentiate between what they can change and what they cannot. Famous 6's: Albert Einstein, Jane Seymour, John Denver, Meryl Streep, Christopher Columbus, Goldie Hawn 7 The intellectual 7's are the searchers. Always probing for hidden information they find it difficult to accept things at face value. Emotions don't sway their decisions. Questioning everything in life, they don't like to be questioned themselves. They're never off to a fast start, and their motto is slow and steady wins the race. They come across as philosophers and being very knowledgeable, and sometimes as loners. They are technically inclined and make great researchers uncovering information. They like secrets. They live in their own world and should learn what is acceptable and what not in the world at large. Famous 7's: William Shakespeare, Lucille Ball, Michael Jackson, Joan Baez, Princess Diana 8 The big shot 8's are the problem solvers. They are professional, blunt and to the point, have good judgment and are decisive. They have grand plans and like to live the good life. They take charge of people. They view people objectively. They let you know in no uncertain terms that they are the boss. They should learn to exude their decisions on their own needs rather than on what others want. Famous 8's: Edgar Cayce, Barbra Streisand, George Harrison, Jane Fonda, Pablo Picasso, Aretha Franklin 9 The performer 9's are natural entertainers. They are very caring and generous, giving away their last dollar to help. With their charm, they have no problem making friends and nobody is a stranger to them. They have so many different personalities that people around them have a hard time understanding them. They are like chameleons, ever changing and blending in. They have tremendous luck, but also can suffer from extremes in fortune and mood. To be successful, they need to build a loving foundation. Famous 9's: Albert Schweitzer, Shirley McLaine, Harrison Ford, Jimmy Carter, Elvis Presley Birthday Colours What color is your birthday? Pick your birthday from the list below and read what the color says. December 23rd - January 1st = Red January 2nd - January 11th = Orange January 12th - January 24th = Yellow January 25th - February 3rd = Pink February 4th - February 8th = Blue February 9th - February 18th = Green February 19th - February 29th = Brown March 1st - March 10th = Aqua March 11th - March 20th = Lime March 21st = Black March 22nd - March 31st = Purple April 1st - April 10th = Navy April 11th - April 20th = Silver April 21st - April 30th = White May 1st - May 14th = Blue May 15th - May 24th = Gold May 25th - June 3rd = Cream June 4th - June 13th = Grey June 14th - June 23rd = Maroon June 24th = Grey June 25th - July 4th = Red July 5th - July 14th = Orange July 15th - July 25th = Yellow July 26th - August 4th = Pink August 5th - August 13th = Blue August 14th - August 23rd = Green August 24th - September 2nd = Brown September 3rd - September 12th = Aqua September 13th - September 22nd = Lime September 23rd = Olive September 24th -October 3rd = Purple October 4th - October 13th = Navy October 14th - October 23rd = Silver October 24th -November 11th = White November 12th - November 21st = Gold November22nd - December 1st = Cream December 2nd - December 11th = Grey December 12th- December 21st = Maroon December 22nd = Teal 66 Red Cute and lovable type. You are picky but always in love...and like to be loved. Fresh and cheerful, but can be "moody" at times. Cream Competitive and sportive. You don't like losing and are always cheerful! You are trustworthy, and very out going. You choose love carefully, and don't fall in love easily. But once you find the right one, you don't let go for a long long time. Teal blue You are mostly interested in your looks and have high standards when choosing a partner. You think before making decisions and avoid making stupid mistakes. You like to be a leader, and it is easy for you to make new friends. Grey You are attractive, and active. You never hide your feelings, and express everything that's inside. But you can be selfish at times. You want to be noticed, and don't like to be treated unfairly. You know what to say at the right time, and you have good sense of humor. You can usually brighten up someone's day. Green You get along well with new people. You are not really a shy person, but sometimes you can hurt people's feelings by your words... You like to be loved and noticed by your lover, but mostly you are single waiting for the right person. Gold You know what's right and what's wrong. You are cheerful and out-going. It's hard for you to find the one you want, but once you find the right person, you won't be able to fall in love again for a long time. Pink You are always trying your best in everything, and like to help and care for other people. But you are not easily satisfied. You have negative thoughts, and you look for romantic love like in a fairytale. Yellow You are sweet and innocent and trusted by many people. You are usually the leader in relationships. You make good decisions and make the right choice at the right time. You are always dreaming of a romantic relationship. Maroon You are intelligent, and know what's right. You like to make things go your way, which can sometimes cause trouble by not thinking about other people's feelings. But you are patient when it comes to love... Once you get hold of the right person, it's hard for you to find a better love. Orange You are responsible for your own actions, and you know how to treat people. You always have goals to reach, and are competitive. When it comes to friendship, you find it hard to trust someone, but once you find the right friend, you trust them forever. Purple You are mysterious, never selfish and easily interested in things. Your day can be sad or happy depending on your mood. You are popular amongst your friends but you can act stupid at times, and forget things easily. You seek people that are trustworthy. Lime You are calm, but easily stressed out. You get jealous easily, and complain over little things. Silver You are imaginative and shy, but you like trying new things. You like to challenge yourself and you learn new things easily. Your love life is difficult and confusing. Black You like being challenged and are very brave. But you don't like changes in your life. And once you make a decision, you keep it that way for a long time. 67 Olive You are warm and light-hearted. You seem to flow well with friends and family. You don't like violence and know what's right. You are kind and cheerful, and you don't envy other people easily. Brown You are active and sporty. It's hard for other people to become close with you, but you fall in love easily. Once you find out you can't get something, you give up and let go easily. Blue You have low self-esteem, and very picky. You are artistic and like to fall in love, but you love with your mind and not your heart. Navy You are attractive, and love your life. You have strong feelings towards everything and are very easily distracted. Once you get angry at someone, its hard for you to forgive them. White You dream and have goals in your life. You get jealous easily and few things make a big impression on you. You are thought highly by others. Aqua Your feelings change suddenly and easily. You are truthful, but believe other people too easily. It's hard to find the right love for you, and you get lost in love easily, sometimes getting hurt. What did you fall from? Personality tree Find your tree from your birthday and then find out what it means. Jan 01 to Jan 11 - Fir tree Jan 12 to Jan 24 - Elm tree Jan 25 to Feb 03 - Cypress tree Feb 04 to Feb 08 - Poplar tree Feb 09 to Feb 18 - Cedar tree Feb 19 to Feb 29 - Pine tree Mar 01 to Mar 10 - Weeping Willow tree Mar 11 to Mar 20 - Lime tree Mar 21 - Oak tree Mar 22 to Mar 31 - Hazelnut tree Apr 01 to Apr 10 - Rowan tree Apr 11 to Apr 20 - Maple tree Apr 21 to Apr 30 - Walnut tree May 01 to May 14 - Poplar tree May 15 to May 24 - Chestnut tree May 25 to Jun 03 - Ash tree Jun 04 to Jun 13 - Hornbeam tree Jun 14 to Jun 23 - Fig tree Jun 24 - Birch tree Jun 25 to Jul 04 - Apple tree Jul 05 to Jul 14 - Fir tree Jul 15 to Jul 25 - Elm tree Jul 26 to Aug 04 - Cypress tree Aug 05 to Aug 13 - Poplar tree Aug 14 to Aug 23 - Cedar tree Aug 24 to Sep 02 - Pine tree Sep 03 to Sep 12 - Weeping Willow tree Sep 13 to Sep 22 - Lime tree Sep 23 - Olive tree Sep 24 to Oct 03 - Hazelnut tree Oct 04 to Oct 13 - Rowan tree Oct 14 to Oct 23 - Maple tree Oct 24 to Nov 11 - Walnut tree Nov 12 to Nov 21 - Chestnut tree Nov 22 to Dec 01 - Ash tree Dec 02 to Dec 11 - Hornbeem tree Dec 12 to Dec 21 - Fig tree Dec 22 - Beech tree Dec 23 to Dec 31 - Apple tree 68 Apple tree: (the love) - of slight build, lots of charm, appeal, and attraction, pleasant aura, flirtatious, adventurous, sensitive, always in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, scientific talents, lives for today, a carefree philosopher with imagination. Ash tree: (the ambition) - uncommonly attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be egotistic, very reliable and trustworthy, faithful and prudent lover, sometimes brains rule over the heart, but takes partnership very seriously. Beech tree: (the creative) - has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.) Birch tree: (the inspiration) - vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere. Cedar tree: (the confidence) - of rare beauty, knows how to adapt, likes luxury, of good health, not the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, determined, impatient, likes to impress others, many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waiting for the one true love, able to make quick decisions. Chestnut tree: (the honesty) - of unusual beauty, does not want to impress, well-developed sense of justice, vivacious, interested, a born diplomat, but irritates easily and sensitive in company, often due to a lack of self confidence. Acts sometimes superior, feels not understood, loves only once, has difficulties in finding a partner. Cypress tree: (the faithfulness) - strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give, content, optimistic, craves money and acknowledgement, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered, unruly, pedantic, and careless. Elm tree: (the noble-mindedness) - pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humour, practical. Fig tree: (the sensibility) - very strong, a bit self-willed, independent, does not allow contradiction or arguments, loves life, its family, children and animals, a bit of a social butterfly, good sense of humor, likes idleness and laziness, of practical talent and intelligence. Fir tree: (the mysterious) - extraordinary taste, dignity, sophisticated, loves anything beautiful, moody, stubborn, tends to egoism but cares for those close to them, rather modest, very ambitious, talented, industrious, discontented lover, many friends, many foes, very reliable. Hazelnut tree: (the extraordinary) - charming, undemanding, very understanding, knows how to make an impression, active fighter for social cause, popular, moody, and capricious lover, honest, and tolerant partner, precise sense of judgment. Hornbeam tree: (the good taste) - of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egotistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life. Looks for kindness and acknowledgement in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious. 69 Lime tree: (the doubt) - accepts what life dishes out in a composed way, hates fighting, stress, and labor, dislikes laziness and idleness, soft and relenting, makes sacrifices for friends, many talents but not tenacious enough to make them blossom, often wailing and complaining, very jealous but loyal. Maple tree: (independence of mind) - no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress. Oak tree: (the brave) - robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action. Olive tree: (the wisdom) - loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic. Free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people. Pine tree: (the particular) - loves agreeable company, very robust, knows how to make life comfortable, very active, natural, good companion, but seldom friendly, falls easily in love but its passion burns out quickly, gives up easily, always disappointed until it finds its ideal, trustworthy, practical. Poplar tree: (the uncertainty) - looks very decorative, not very self-confident, only courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously. Rowan tree: (the sensitivity) - full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive. Walnut tree: (the passion) - unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise. Weeping Willow tree: (the melancholy) - beautiful but full of melancholy, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful and tasteful, loves to travel, dreamer, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with, demanding, good intuition, suffers in love but finds sometimes an anchoring partner. 70 Horoscopes Aries (March21-April19) A warrior at heart, you thrive on challenges and fights. If there isn't any strive and drama, you are tempted to stir things up, just to keep yourself happy. You are also rather intolerant of mistakes and don't have patience for weakness or failings in others. And sometimes, you can be quite a snob as well you like to be seen at the right places or wear the right clothes. And you're also prone to bossiness. Your restless nature may make you quit a project suddenly if you can't sustain the interest. Advice: Get off your high horse and pay your dues before people will accept you. Learn to be more tolerant of others and try to see the other side of the story. If you believe in what you do, you can move mountains. Taurus (April20-May20) You are stubborn and like to hold on to things, not wanting to let go of anything or anyone. You are slow to anger, but when you do get worked up to a rage - everyone step aside! You also have a selfish streak and can be quite sneaky as well. People often see you as helpful and agreeable. You also tend to be suspicious of others and question their motives. Advice: Learn to forgive and let go of your past disappointments. Learn from your mistakes and have faith in yourself and others as well. Gemini (May21-June21) You tend to live on the edge sometimes. Many of you believe that you don't deserve success, somehow feeling guilty for it. You may give others too much of yourself sometimes that you lose yourself. You may be prone to suppressing emotions as well, which makes it difficult for you to accept affection and love. Advice: Try doing something for yourself once in a while, in between, doing favors for others. Cancer (June22-July22) You can get carried away with emotions - your anger is overwhelming and your sadness can depress all those around you. You're also very sensitive to other people's emotions and are easily affected by them. You tend to act before you think and then worry about what you may have done or said wrong. Feelings of insecurity creep in now and then. Advice: Accept that you are sensitive and try to manage your emotions more effectively. Leo (July23-August22) You lose your temper very rarely but when you do, everybody should keep out of your way. You like having an audience, to help boost your confidence and ego. You also tend to be proud and aggressive, cloaking these with your charm. When things don't go your way, you get impatient. Advice: Learn to spend some time alone with yourself and get to know yourself better. Learn to experience your emotions. Virgo (August23-September22) You feel that you were put on this earth to do good work and not receive any credit for it. You tend to be critical of yourself and others and you also worry about things that are beyond your control. A little pessimistic sometimes, you tend to be an intellectual snob. You bottle up all your insecurities and fears, and hesitate to reach out for help. And once in a while, you become a busybody - that's when you also feel responsible for other people's problems. 71 Advice: Modesty has its own limits - take credit for your efforts. Give yourself a break and know that you do not have to be successful in everything you do. Keep focused and don't get tangled in other people's affairs too often. Libra (September23-October22) You have difficulty making decisions when it comes to personal matters. You like to weigh all the alternatives and hear every side of an argument - but this may take time, and thus opportunities may pass by you because of it. You also like to spend energy on people who may not deserve it. You are also sensitive to criticism and may take mild statements of fact very personally. Advice: Follow your instincts and act on them. Don't blindly trust people, learn to be a little more discriminating in your offers of help. Learn to think for yourself and don't be swayed by persuasive tongues. Scorpio (October23-November21) You have a revengeful streak and a long memory for past injustices. Sometimes, you may even use deception to get what you want and to influence others to stay out of your way. Advice: Learn to conquer any tendency towards revenge and things will fall into place for you. Sagittarius (November22-December21) You also seem to enjoy verbal duels with others whenever you can. And you sure can make sore losers, even suspecting foul play if things don't go your way. You have a knack for confrontation and you can't resist being sarcastic. You also don't think too much of many people, because you have a mild superiority complex. Vanity is also a trait in many of you. Advice: Learn with whom you can be frank, otherwise keep your comments to yourself. Discretion is the better part of valor. Curb your confrontation, and you can combine it with your concern for serious issues, aiding in your search for truth. Capricorn (December22-January19) You are rather materialistic and this is fuelled by your fears of financial disaster. This makes you complain about monetary woes, irritating many with your obnoxious attitude. You can also be a social climber, manipulating your way up the ladder. Once in a while, you'll have morbid thoughts about death - something that scares you because you have no control over it. You tend to be obsessive about your mortality sometimes. Advice: Stop worrying about losing money, and you'd rid yourself of a lot of your anxiety. Get rid of your phobias and you'll be able to relax more and enjoy yourself. Aquarius (January20-February18) You tend to be too idealistic and naive sometimes. Practicality gets thrown out of the window by you many times. Cool and aloof, you rarely want to deal with deep emotions. You like to give advice but don't like to receive it. And ideas and inspirations that you sometimes neglect or follow through with them are constantly bombarding you. Or else you are constantly shifting focus, giving people the idea that you are a flake with no staying power. Advice: Take time to explore your private feelings. Not all people see things your way. And just because you come up with ideas, don't expect other people to do all the work for you. Learn to trust people and accept advice. Pisces (February19-March20) You are an escapist - you have this knack of avoiding issues if they seem unpleasant. You delve into past memories to escape your present woes. Sometimes you become rather unsociable and withdrawn. Advice: Trust your instincts. Whenever the escapist tendency hits you, talk with a friend to get your perspective right. 72