ARISTOCRATIC SERIAL KILLERS: THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE

Mariona and Pedro Bond with a voodoo toy

Today, The Bonds are visiting Washington DC. They're interested in the historical buildings and they're comparing them with Comparative. They are also learning how to use the modal verb May and practising some Social English.

After that, the family is practising some vocabulary about Hotels and Tourism and they're meeting with Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully who are helping The Bonds to know more things about voodoo.

More information: Comparative

The Grandma is remembering some of her favourite singers and Irene Bond is explaining some experiences with one of them. Suddenly, they have received an unexpected visit, M, the partner of MJ, has appeared with some presents for the family. Thanks a lot MJ! We admire you and you know it!

In addition, The Bonds are discovering Ordesa, a beautiful natural reserve in the north of Aragon and they're connecting different stories.

Finally, the family are listening to The Grandma who is explaining some stories about blood and monarchies talking about Jack the Ripper, Vlad Tepes and Enriqueta Martí meanwhile Jaume Bond is adding a new name to this serial killers list: Elizabeth Báthory.

More information: Jack the Ripper

Tomorrow, the family has a meeting in The White House with the new president of the USA, a Juanjo Bond's old friend, and with the Queen Elizabeth II. They're going to talk about Middle Age and literature. 

Be polite and dress elegantly!

 My grandfather was a voodoo priest. A lot of my life dealt with spirituality. I can close my eyes and remember where I come from.
 

Wyclef Jean

EUROPOPPINS: LIVING A CELEBRATION

Today, The Poppins have spent a great day preparing the Eurovision Song Contest. After doing some exercises of vocabulary and thinking in the origins of Friday, 13, they have been talking about some famous people like Vlad Tepes, Jack The Ripper and Enriqueta Martí. Next, they have composed some beautiful songs which have been sung by all the members of the family.

It has been very difficult to choose a winner song but after an amazing re-count, Lulú & Jennifer Poppins have won the Poppins’ Contest. By the way, tomorrow, all members of the family are going to stay in Stockholm defending their songs with all the heart.

More information: Sovereign Order of Malta

The Grandma has decided to follow some important artists and has borrowed some lyrics of her family’s songs to create her own one. Here it is:

If you want a better place…

Ooooh! Help me!

We’re enjoying a lot!

If you're a prisoner of your plans…

Ooooh! I'll be on time.

Life is beautiful.

Well, well, are you happy?

We should loveeeeeeeee

Together, the world is better!

The family is flying tonight from Edinburgh to Stockholm while The Grandma is returning to Barcelona because she has a meeting with her other family, The Holmes, who have an important appointment tomorrow morning.

I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.

George Washington

CARMEN HOLMES & AMIGURUMIS

AMIGURUMI is a Japanese art that consists in knitting in crochet small stuffed objects or toys.

The word AMIGURUMI comes from a combination of two Japanese words: ami (meaning crocheted or knitted) and nuigurumi (that means stuffed doll).

The material, we need to create an AMIGURUMI is: a crochet hook of 2,5 or 3 mm of thickness; cotton or wool yarn in a different colours and a few of synthetic cotton  to fill them (similar at the stuffing of pillows).

AMIGURUMIS are usually worked in spiral rounds, in one or several pieces that then we sew.

This is one of their features. Another is their over-sized round head and a body cylindrical with small extremities.

We start the piece with the magic circle or ring and chain stitch. Then, we crochet increasing and decreasing using the single crochet stitch.

Most popular AMIGURUMIS are animals, but we can do anything we want using this technique: dolls, food, transportation, celebrities....

Internet is plenty of designs and ideas.

The feeling that transmits an AMIGURUMI is affection. They are cute.

Japanese people give a spiritual meaning at this art that takes part of their traditional culture of Kawaii philosophy. They believe these dolls help people to protect their homes. AMIGURUMIS born from the idea of "cheer the heart". The word "kawaii" is a Japanese adjective that can be translated by "beautiful", "sweet" or "lovely".

I can read that AMIGURUMIS also are used as personal amulets, and is super common in Japan seeing them in offices, as an ornament.

You can offer an AMIGURUMI as a toy to children, as a curious gift or as a decoration.

Carmen Holmes @carmenholmes291

Today, The Holmes have worked Present Simple vs. Present Continuous. They’ve continued reading The Canterville Ghost and The Grandma has explained a new bloody story about the relation between legend and real story in the cases of Vlad Țepeș in Transylvania; Jack The Ripper in London, El Chupacabras  in Centre and South America and Enriqueta Martí in Barcelona.

Next, they’ve created a new lullaby taking different themes, mixing them and giving them three important and essential aspects: coherence, cohesion and adaptation. 

"Ninety years ago I was a freak. Today I'm an amateur"

 Jack The Ripper