THE POPPINS: SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS

The Poppins

She closed the door. Behind it, there were hundreds of incredible moments lived with her last family, The Poppins. The sun shone. It was 14:30 and she must talk with her boss before returning at home. While she was walking across the hot corridor, she thought in the first day when one of the Poppins explained her, her doubts about continuing in the course. It was a hard moment, how can you convince anyone who didn’t know you to trust in you and in a new course? She continued walking until the electrical panel. She opened it and switch off the lights.

It has been an intensive day, in fact, it has been the last day and although she has tried to do a normal class, it has been impossible because the last day is always a special day, a day plenty of feeling, emotions and hidden confessions. She was very proud of every member of that unforgettable family. They remembered her when she was younger and tried to study English and suffered a lot to understand her teacher, his cassettes, his listening. How many times she thought that she wasn’t going to learn this language? How many hours studying the same and understanding nothing?  How many failed exams? How many bad days? Too many, perhaps, but she was lucky to find a person who believed that she could do it. 

She crossed the little space which separated the classrooms and the reception and entered in it. She always had a big smile for the receptionists. A course is the result of the effort of a lot of people and you must be pleasant with them because they’re attending you every day and offering their best to help you. The receptionist smiled in a funny way and asked her about her presents while she was showing them to her. They were incredibly made by heart. She hadn’t had enough words because she was astonished and she didn’t know what to say. 

She had a meeting with her boss, a wonderful woman with a great sense of humour, something very important to survive nowadays. They talked about the course and about the future. She was very thankful with all the coordinators of the centre because when she had nothing, they trusted on her.

She left the centre without knowing if she was going to return someday but happy with the success of the last courses. By the way, she found another Poppins and they were talking during some minutes before she took her car and drove home.

An incredible feeling of sadness invaded her. She was going to miss The Poppins. They had been her perfect family during more than three months and she had met strong and wonderful people. 

She is very shy. She doesn’t like talking but listening. She loves poetry and music. She doesn’t understand anything but accept it. She hates intolerance and tries to survive in the middle of an understandable world. She thinks that you must fight your future. She thinks that you can arrive, if you believe in it. She knows that life is a game and you must play your best cards. She trusts in The Poppins. She trusts in them in the same way that some years ago someone trusted in her. We only need a little of external trust, we are able to offer all the rest.

She’s Carmen; she’s Cristina, she’s Eli, she’s Esther, she’s Irina, she’s Isa 1^st, she’s Isa 2^nd, she’s Jennifer, she’s Laura, she’s Lulú, she’s Núria, she’s Saharay, she’s Susana and she’s Tonyi. She’s the sum of all of them because we’re all connected.

 We are the champions, my friends,
And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end.
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions of the world.

Queen

CREATING A MICROTALE: WHO? WHERE? WHEN? WHAT?

Keep Calm

Yesterday, The Poppins continued their studies in Labour Integration. While the family was learning new skills to find a job, The Grandma put her business in order. The course is arriving to the end and The Grandma is closing affairs and preparing new objectives for her family, one of them, how to pass a speaking with success.

A PET Exam isn’t an easy thing, especially when the student has been a lot of years without revising the subject. The Grandma is going to explain how to create a microtale, a good tool to practise in the speaking.

More information: PET Exam (Free Practice On Line)

A microtale is a short story where the most important is answering the elemental questions: Who? Where? When? What? with a few words and using an easy vocabulary to feel comfortable during the speaking and avoid nerves and hysterias.

It’s usually a first person and real story where the main character is the narrator. This microtale is often plenty of hilarious situations and lots of sense of humour. The objective of this story is to explain something that can be controlled by the narrator and creates a point of empathy between the student and the examiner. The Grandma has practised this technique during all her travels with The Poppins. She has explained lots of short stories to her family and she has always tried to connect every story with a present fact. 

Finally, The Grandma has prepared some new material for The Poppins. For one hand, attending to Susana Poppins, she has written a small dictionary about Commercial Vocabulary and for other hand, attending to Isa Poppins, she has created a resume of some Verb Tenses.

Download Commercial Vocabulary in English

The Poppins are finishing their trip in Washington DC and they're going to travel to Switzerland where The Grandma hopes to arrive tomorrow evening.

Download Verb Tenses  

There were people who said the Society of Cincinnati
in the American revolution, of which George Washington
was one of the shining lights, was a branch of the Illuminati.

Caroll Quigley

LABOUR INTEGRATION: COURAGE & PERSISTENCE

Let's go to work!

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a written overview of a person's experience and other qualifications. In some countries, a CV is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview.

In the United Kingdom, most Commonwealth countries, and Ireland, a CV is short (usually a maximum of two sides of A4 paper), and therefore contains only a summary of the job seeker's employment history, qualifications, education, and some personal information. Some parts of Asia require applicants' photos, date of birth, and most recent salary information. CVs are often tailored to change the emphasis of the information according to the particular position for which the job seeker is applying. A CV can also be extended to include an extra page for the job-seeker's publications if these are important for the job.

In the United States, Canada, Australia and India, a CV is a comprehensive document used in academic circles and medical careers that elaborates on education, publications, and other achievements. A CV contains greater detail than a résumé, a shorter summary which is more often used in applications for jobs, but it is often expected that professionals use a short CV that highlights the current focus of their academic lives and not necessarily their full history. A CV is generally used when applying to a position in academia, while a resume is generally used when applying to a position in industry, non-profit, and the public sector.

Curriculum Vitae is a Latin expression which can be loosely translated as [the] course of [my] life. In current usage, curriculum is less marked as a foreign loanword. Traditionally the word vitae is rendered in English using the ligature æ, hence vitæ, although this convention is less common in contemporary practice.

The plural of curriculum vitae, in Latin, is formed following Latin rules of grammar as curricula vitae (meaning "courses of life")—not curriculum vita (which is grammatically incorrect), nor curricula vitarum. The form vitae is the singular genitive of vita and is translated as "of life".

In English, the plural of the full expression curriculum vitae is seldom used; the plural of curriculum on its own is usually written as "curricula", rather than the traditional curriculums.

Today, The Poppins are participating in some Labour Integration classes. This afternoon, they're going to meet Barack in the White House. They arrive with a long list of demands and reclaims to be listened and done.

The family continues its preparation for the PET Exam doing some Reading and Comprehension Exercises to improve their personal levels of English knowledge.

   
Correction does much, but encouragement does more. 

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

JUNE, 15: THE HOLMES DAY

Today, The Grandma has received some fantastic news from Cambridge. 

While The Poppins were still visiting Washington DC in their American trip, The Grandma came back to Barcelona last Saturday to stay in the last concert of Amaral in the Catalan capital. Although, The Grandma is a great fan of this group, the real reason of her return was being in the city to wait news about the Holmes' Cambridge exam.

The day has arrived and The Holmes and The Grandma are excited after the fantastic results and marks of this unforgettable family. For one hand, all members of the family have reached a Cambridge Certificate and for other hand, Manoli and Núria Holmes have reached another Catalan Certificate.

The Holmes are plenty of happiness and they want to share it with the rest of the families, especially with The Poppins, the next family who is going to certificate in Cambridge next month.

Finally, The Holmes are celebrating Rosa's wedding anniversary in a private party in this moment.

Congratulations Holmes! You're fantastic, unforgettable and eternal!

More information: Cambridge University (PET)

It is an old maxim of mine that
when you have excluded the impossible,
whatever remains, however improbable,
must be the truth.

Sherlock Holmes, The Beryl Coronet

EVA & THE GRANDMA: NOBODY WILL REMEMBER US

Dear Eva,

Time has gone since first time I met you. It was in a small bar and you were playing your guitar with this force so characteristic in you. You weren’t a famous star but your lyrics were already universal and eternal.

I love all your songs without exemption, because you talk about small lives inside an infinite universe with a strength and emotion that nobody is able to express except you. I dance madly with your music and cry deeply with your lyrics.

I only wait that you never change because although we needn’t idols, we need references and there aren’t a lot nowadays. It has been a bad year. We have lost great references like Johan and Muriel and I feel sad without their advice.

In these moments when people seem defeated and desperate, we need artists more than ever; we need you to shake our brains and take enough force and trust to start again. 

Thanks for coming to Barcelona!

More information: www.amaral.es

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.

Plato

EXAMS? TRUST ON YOURSELVES.

Yesterday, The Poppins practised a part of a PET Official Exam. It was a hard day because the family was exhausted after an intensive weekend in Washington DC visiting a lot of places.

After, the family studied Reported Speech and talked a little about effort, hope and work and the importance of being flexible.

More information: Reported Speech

The course is arriving to the end and the family is going to take different paths very soon but they always must remember that they’re Poppins and this surname is plenty of energy, magic and power.

More information: Reading & Comprehension (35 On line Exercises)

Today and tomorrow, the family is assisting to Occupational Health Hazards and Safe classes and they’re learning about these dangerous risks in their works.

 During exams, students look up for inspiration, 

down in desperation, 

and left and right for information.

Anonymous

WASHINGTON DC: I HAVE A DREAM

Martin Luther King

Yesterday, The Poppins studied the order of complements in English syntax and the difference between Because and Because of. They also did some exercises about Past Simple and Past Perfect and read a new chapter of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.

More information: Because-Because of

After this work, they listened the beautiful Isa Poppins’ speaking about Love Birds and they talked about different themes with the idea of preparing the next exam.

The family is in Washington where The Grandma wants to visit The Lincoln Memorial and evocate Martin Luther King Jr., a person who she admires with all her heart.

More information: Conjunctions

Today, they’re going to visit the Potomac Park and Georgetown University in the morning; The Tomas Jefferson Memorial in the afternoon and The Smithsonian Institution (aka Jeffersonian Institution) where they’re going to visit Temperance Brennan (aka Bones) and her scientific team in the evening. 

The function of education is to teach one 

to think intensively and to think critically. 

Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

ISA POPPINS: MARCELINA & CIPRI (MICROTALE)

A lovebird is one of nine species of the genus Agapornis (Greek: αγάπη agape 'love'; όρνις ornis 'bird'). They are a social and affectionate small parrot. Eight species are native to the African continent, and the grey-headed lovebird is native to Madagascar. Their name comes from the parrots' strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods which paired birds spend sitting together.

Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat fruit, vegetables, grasses and seed. Black-winged lovebirds also eat insects and figs, and the black-collared lovebirds have a special dietary requirement for native figs, making them problematic to keep in captivity.

Some species are kept as pets, and several color mutations were selectively bred in aviculture. Their average lifespan is 10 to 15 years.

Lovebirds are 13 to 17 centimeters in length and 40 to 60 grams in weight. They are among the smallest parrots, characterized by a stocky build, a short blunt tail, and a relatively large, sharp beak. Wildtype lovebirds are mostly green with a variety of colors on their upper body, depending on the species.

The Fischer's lovebird, black-cheeked lovebird, and the masked lovebird have a prominent white ring around their eyes. Many color mutant varieties have been produced by selective breeding of the species that are popular in aviculture.

Isa Poppins closed the webpage after reading some information about Love birds. She was preparing a little conference about them to expose to the rest of the family. All The Poppins knew how Isa loves the animals, especially Love birds, and all the family was enchanted when she decided to explain them her knowledge about this theme.

Isa took her camera and recorded some live moments about Cipri and Marcelina, her beautiful pets, and their children.

After, she sat in front of the computer and created a presentation about them. In this, she talks about the different species and their characteristics.

Download Marcelina & Cipri's Love Story

Some days later, when she was in front of her family explaining it, she felt a little nervous. It’s normal when you’re a shy person but she’s courageous and funny and did one of the nicest and kindest expositions that the family remembers.

Congratulations Isa Poppins, you’re fantastic!

 Birds have wings; they're free; they can fly where they want when they want. They have the kind of mobility many people envy.

Roger Tory Peterson

SUPERHEROES: SACRIFICE & HUMILITY

Yesterday, The Poppins worked Third Conditional and revised some grammar aspects like Present Perfect, Past Simple, Present Continuous and Past Simple Passive.

The family is preparing the PET Exam and they practised with different texts which demonstrated that it’s not only a question of knowing but understanding and not doing mistakes.

More information: PET Online Examples

After this, some members of the family talked about life and difficult situations that appear suddenly and how to fight against inconveniences appreciating good people and refusing bad ones.

More information: Third Conditional 

Finally, some superheroes joined to the family to share their power with them.

I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me...

All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.

Jackie Robinson

GOODBYE CALIFORNIA! HELLO WASHINGTON DC!

Yesterday, The Poppins took a look over pronouns and Some/Any/No compounds and read a new chapter of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The family is learning some new grammar without having the pressure of studying it. They have been working very hard during two months to arrive to this point and they’re obtaining the results.

Eli Poppins offered a conference about her own web. She’s a clever and curious person who wants to get answers when she has questions. This aptitude is very important in life because you don’t accept the reality in the way that is offered but in the way that you discover and check.

More information: Object Pronouns

Finally, The Poppins wrote incredible compositions, a new demonstration about how much knowledge they’ve acquired.

More information: Some & Any Compounds

The family wants to stay this weekend in Washington DC because they have interesting things to do and The Grandma desires to visit Abraham, an old friend.

Today, they’re going to meet some superheroes and discover that they only exist in the paper format and in our dreams because we’re the real heroes.

We are all now connected by the Internet, 

like neurons in a giant brain. 

Stephen Hawking

ELI POPPINS & CLUBMADRES.COM

Eli Poppins & Club Madres

Hi, I'm Eli Poppins and I'm here to explain to you my last project: clubmadres.com.

When, the other day, Susanna Poppins showed us her project I thought in a web in which I write some articles about the maternity. The web was made in 2008 by an old friend, who is an expert in internet,and me.

We thought that when we have a problem, we search the solution in the net and because both of us were mothers and we had learnt a lot about pregnacy, babies, health and education, we decided to write our experiences in well-written articles.

At the beginning, we started with well-known themes like allergies because our children had and have a lot of them and we had some knowledge in this theme. We felt very happy.

After, we started to receive books from the publishers and we read them and wrote some articles about them.

Nowadays, we have less time and we don't write as frequently as we would like but, however, the web has lots of visitors.

More information: www.clubmadres.com

  

Goodnight, my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say.

Lullabye (Goodbye, My Angel), Céline Dion