e mërkurë, 7 nëntor 2007

Russian Cinematography

Presentations at
http://movietalk1.blogspot.com/


You are welcome!!!

e premte, 19 tetor 2007

RUSSIAN TEAM 2.
THE RUSSIAN CARTOON "THERE ONCE WAS A DOG"


Dear friends!
Now that Russian Team2 has successfully managed translating (subtitles) the cartoon everybody is welcome to see it and express the opinion on http://maximus-russiancartoon.blogspot.com/

Warmly,
Elena

e martë, 2 tetor 2007

Suggestion Box

Sharing Cinema News

I guess it'd be interesting if we shared the information about the new films released in our places. In one part of the world - here in Russia. And in the other part of the world - in Brazil.

Here quite recently they released the film "The Twelve" made by Mikhalkov, a famous Russian director.
I guess Kate, Ksenia and Helen could tell us more - about the impressions it left on them. :)
Just a few days ago we had a class devoted to the topic below. And here are some reports and the Presentations.

MY FAVOURITE TV PROGRAM,

FILM or CARTOON


My favourite film
By Ann Lapik
My favourite film is “Speshi lyubit”, its original title is “A Walk to Remember”. This film is a screen version of Nicholas Sparks’s novel, the inspiration for this novel came from his sister - her life and her courage. It is about great love which may appear in your life at any moment especially when you are not waiting for it. The stars of the film, Mandy Moore and Shane West by names, are cast to advantage, they could create such true to life images that every time you watch it, you cry.
The plot of the story is build around two teenagers, who have nothing in common; they live in different worlds and have different interests. Landon Carter is a shallow but well-meaning teenager who spends most of his time hanging out with his friends and trying to ignore the impending responsibilities of adulthood.
Jamie Sullivan, a quiet girl who always carries a Bible with her schoolbooks, seems content living in a world apart from the other teens. She takes care of her widowed father and helps the pupils at school. They couldn’t even think that the fate would knock them together. When Landon had to play one of the leading roles at the school theatre after his regular misdeed, he met his unexpected love. Both Landon and Jamie first refused to believe that it had happened. But it looked as if their love were much stronger than everything they used to believe in! They had nothing to do but become thoroughly engrossed in this feeling. Their love was ideal, they paid no attention to what people were talking about, they just devoted themselves to each other.
But unfortunately nothing can be ideal in our life… Landon suddenly found out that Jamie was seriously ill, she had leukemia. Everything they had built was going to be destroyed. He could hardly imagine his life without her, but he didn’t leave her alone in this terrible situation. He did everything he could in order to do Jamie’s last days the best in her life. Landon presented her with a star, showed her a meteoric rain with the telescope and simply was with her when she felt unwell. Most of all Jamie wanted to get married in her mother’s church, Landon knew it perfectly well and when Jamie felt a bit better, they made her dream come true.
Jamie died, but their love would always be alive, because it’s like a wind – it isn’t seen, you can just feel it.
“A Walk to Remember” leaves a deep and lasting impression each time I watch it. No other film touches my emotions more deeply than this one. It illuminates both the strength and the gossamer fragility of our deepest emotions. The producer, Adam Shenkman by name, could make a hit with the public. The picture was released in 2002 year, but it is still popular among the youth. The film is really astounding. It’s one of the best it its genre. It’s the best even among all the other genres .The film produces an impression of love, faithfulness, and a kind of nobleness. It makes us think about the place you occupy in this world, how you treat other people that are around you and what you’d do if you were in such a situation.
Nancy R.E. O'Brien said about the film, «Look for a movie starring beautiful people or, better yet, snuggle under the covers with your tissues nearby and let your inner sap run wild».
“A Walk to Remember” is a truly unforgettable story, one that glimmers with all of its magic, holding us spell-bound and reminding that in life each of us may find one great love, the kind that changes everything.

My favourite film
By Natalie Mamochkina
I watched film “Green Street Hooligans” several weeks ago. It left a deep and lasting impression on me.
A prospective young man Math Buckner, the son of the famous journalist, studied at the faculty of journalism at Harvard, but all his plans for the future were ruined in a blink, when the police found drugs in his room. The owner of the drugs, who shared the room with Math, offered him money in exchange for Math’s silence. Math accepted his proposal realizing that his neighbor’s father was very well-connected. In despair Math went in England to his sister Shannon where he got acquainted with her baby, her husband Steave and with Steave’s brother Peat. Peat is a chief of fan-football club West Ham. Soon Math communicating with Peat becomes involved in this club and there he learns “to stand his ground” – to fight. Now his life is the communicating with his friends, drinking beer, watching football matches and taking part in scuffles with other football fans.
Their worst enemy is Millowl club. This confrontation began ten years ago, then the chief of Millowl club was a man called George and the chief of West Ham was a man called Major. In the scuffle of these clubs died George’s twelve-year-old son and the only George’s aim became revenge to Major and to West Ham in the whole.
Suddenly the fans of West Ham learn that Math is a journalist and begin to suspect him in betrayal and they gather in a pub to investigate it. This becomes known to Steave and he comes to the pub to warn Math about menace. During their conversation Math learns that Steave is Major. When he met Shannon she made him choose either he left club or she left him.
Peat guarantees Math’s innocence, but this makes Bower, Peat’s right hand, angry and he tells George that all the fans of West Ham, including Major, are in the pub. Several minutes later carnage begins in the pub and Major was injured. In the hospital Shannon tells him she leaves and takes their son with her.
Peat decides to take revenge on George for his brother. Math in spite of Shannon and Peat’s persuading comes to the meeting with Millowl. During the savage fight George breaks Peat’s leg with crow-bar and when he is ready to make the death-blow, Bower appears and saves Peat.
Shannon can’t find Math at home; she takes the baby and comes to the place of the scuffle. George, having seen her, decides to do away with Major’s family and Bower and Math have to defend Shannon from George’s people. Then George decides to do it with his own hands and directs his steps to Shannon’s baby. Peat, having noticed it, reminds George about his son and blames him for his death. In a burst of blind fury George attacks helpless Peat and killed him.
So, Shannon leaves Steave, Steave loses his whole family and Math loses his best friend. At the end of the film Math says: “Peat’s life taught me to stand my ground, but his death taught me to leave in time…”
I like this film because of variety of problems it touches. There we see love and hatred, friendship and betrayal and wrecking desire of revenge. This film showed me that football fans are not morally depraved persons but people with their own problems, troubles and which is the most important with feelings. Math’s last phrase is a kind of credo which shows that we have to be strong and persistent, but we have to understand that sometimes we need to leave just not to make things worse.

My favourite film

By Svetlana Shashkina
I’m keen on movies and that’s why it’s difficult to say which film is my favourite. “PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN” is one of my favourite films as I enjoy watching adventure films.
“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN” is a thrilling pirate adventure movie with a mysterious twist that caught imaginations all over the world after its release. It was inspired by a Disney theme-park ride “PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN”. It consists of three parts: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End. I’d like to tell you about my impressions of the first part.
I read that most of the filming took place in the North Part of the island: Calibishie area, Portsmouth, Indian River, but some scenes was at the Soufriere, Laudat, where the cave Titou Gorge is most remarkable place for these purposes. So you can’t help admiring the scenery as it’s really picturesque. And also this film has the best visual effects of 2006.
“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL” is the first in a series of the funniest adventure films, you will ever watch. It is fun, entertaining, action packed and humorous, this is a great movie for entertainment.
A tale of adventure took place during the 17th Century in the Caribbean Sea. For the roguish charming Captain Jack Sparrow, the crystalline waters of the Caribbean present a vast playground where adventure and mystery abound. But Jack’s idyllic life capsizes after his enemy, the wily Captain Barbossa, steals his ship, the Black Pearl, and later attacks the town of Port Royal, kidnapping the Governor’s beautiful daughter, Elizabeth Swann. Elizabeth’s childhood friend, Will Turner, a blacksmith and expert swordsman, joins forces with Jack to commandeer the fastest ship in the British fleet in a gallant attempt to rescue her and recapture the Black Pearl. Jack and Will and their crew are pursued by Elizabeth’s admirer, ambitious Commodore Norrington, who intended to marry her. What Will doesn't know is that a cursed treasure has doomed Barbossa and his crew to live forever as the undead when exposed to moonlight, they are exposed to living skeletons. The curse they carry can be broken, only if a once-plundered treasure is restored.
Although the skeletal pirates may be a bit frightening for small children, there's lots of humour to temper the scary moments, making “PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL” a nearly flawless film.
Orlando Bloom as Will Turner is the actual hero of the story, but in my opinion at the center of the film is the charismatic and utterly captivating anti-hero, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) , who steals the show and is clearly the main factor behind the huge success of the sequel. The film still belongs wholly to Johnny Depp, who gets all the belly laughs with a single widened eyelinered gaze. He’s one of the most fascinating characters in the movie. Depp's initial portrayal of the crazy captain earned him a nomination for best actor at the 2004 Academy Awards. Some of the inspiration for the character's idiosyncrasies came from Depp's friend, the guitarist from legendary UK rock band the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards. Then there is Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann, who is also lovely as she is adventurous. Knightley is really a great actress and her character is essential to the story. Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth are very believable characters.
Rich in suspense-filled adventure, sword-clashing action, mystery, humor, unforgettable characters, and impressive special effects, THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN is probably the best film you can find when it comes to entertainment value.

My favourite film
"Lord fo the Rings"
By Alexander Vinokurov

I don’t know why I chose “The Lord of the Rings” to be introduced as my favorite film. I am not a fan of fantasy but this film left a lasting impression on me. The first time I watched it, I was so impressed that I decided to watch it three more times though the first part lasts more then two hours. Actually, it’s one of list of my favorite films. It was directed and produced by Peter Jackson, one of the greatest directors of the century. Wouldn’t be you impressed if you knew that the theatrical version lasts 560 minutes & extended 683 minutes. The budget of the trilogy is 280 million dollars & its gross revenue is 2.91 billion dollars. I decided to make a short trailer based on the key scenes of the first two parts of the film. I used Apocalyptica’s music because it reflects the atmosphere of the film in the best possible way. I hope you enjoyed not only Peter Jackson’s masterpiece but also my little work.

My favourite cartoon

“Le Ratatouille”

By Marina Shelkunova
Remembering our essay’s topic “ Movies: path to war or path to piece” I can say that this cartoon is one of the those where there are no pain, suffer and evil. All the personages are positive. The only bad character –is Skinner , but he is so funny that you don’ t notice the evil he brings. Everything is made with love and you feel this love. I wish animators made more such cartoons.

My favourite TV program

“MythBusters”

By Maxim Jackubowski
Some people treat this show as a stupid and meaningless one but I think that the merit of this programme lies in its ability to satisfy people's curiosity. Myths and rumours tested in the Mythbusters are not a product of our imagination but happenings which once occurred in our real life. Thus, with the help of this popular science programme we become more experienced and broaden our horizons.

See also our
PRESENTATIONS:


My favourite film

1) “A Walk to Remember”
Ann Lapik

 

2) “Green Street Hooligans”
Natalie Mamochkina
3) “PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN”
Svetlana Shashkina
4) “The Lord of the Rings”
Alexander Vinokurov

My favourite cartoon

1) “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Irina Makarkina


2) “Le Ratatouille”
Marina Shelkunova


My favourite TV program

1) “MythBusters”
Maxim Jakubowski


e premte, 21 shtator 2007

Brazilian Movie Talk Class



This was your first contact with our friends from Russia. In the pictures, we are posting comments/questions in the blog.

Read some students'introductions:


Hi! I am Rodrigo Saldanha, a student from the Movie Talk course of Casa Thomas Jefferson. I was born in Brasília and I’ve lived here all my life. It's a nice place to live. I enjoy playing soccer, tennis and watching movies at the movie theater. My favorite kind of movie is comedies and I would like to watch some Russian movies and be closer to the Russian culture.

Hi! My name is Ana Carolina Faria and I am 16 years old. I live in Brasília, the capital of Brazil. It is an amazing place to live and I like it very much here. English has played a big part in my life; I have been speaking it since I was 4 years old and can't imagine my life without it. I love the English language. I enjoy going to the movies, listening to music and hanging out with my friends. I have been interested in Russia for about five to six years now, and I think it’s an amazing country. My interest in Russia started because I saw the Anastasia movie. I'm planning of going there in the near future. I am very interested about one city, St. Petersburg, I would really like to see the Winter Palace, learn about the culture and many other things.

Hi there! I'm Danilla. I'm from Brasília, the capital of Brazil. I’ve lived here since I was born. So...it's been 27 years. I graduated in Modern Languages (English/Portuguese) and I'm taking a post graduation course in Psycho-Pedagogy. I love spending my time with my family. I'm married and have a girl, Larissa and a boy, Lucas. On my free time, I'm fond of being around friends, chatting, watching movies, listening to music and I do like going to church. We are Baptists. I used to teach English for high school students till last year. Then, I had to quit for a while in order to study for the post graduation. However, it's only a matter of time and I'll be teaching again. I do believe in my profession and really think that if we, as teachers, are not prepared to learn then; we are not prepared to teach. Hope to hear from you soon. God bless you all!

Hi, My name is Angela Banhos. I'm a Brazilian lawyer, and I live in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. I have two kids (Joao Carlos, a 16-year-old boy and Fernanda, a 14-year-old girl). I love traveling, movies, reading, good food and good wine. I also love going to the beach, playing tennis and skiing (abroad, because we don't have snow here in Brazil). I’ve never been in Russia, but I really want to make a visit someday. I believe in friendship, and I also believe in a better world to the other generations. Well, it is impossible to forget that I love Internet and English, because both make people closer and the world smaller!

Hi! My name is Elizabeth Cosmo, 19 years old. I'm from Brasília, the capital city of Brazil, and I study International Relations at the University of Brasília. I'm very interested in the study of languages (just like you are!), and I've already completed courses in English and in Spanish. I currently study German and French. I like to learn about other countries and cultures, which is very important to me since I am an International Relations student. I like to read a lot and I also love going to the movies, I like all kinds of films. I like to spend my free time with my friends, going out, dancing or just talking and laughing. I love music, especially rock, traveling and meeting new people.

Hello! My name is Carol and I'm a 21-year-old Brazilian girl. I'm studying English at Casa Thomas Jefferson. I've already finished the regular course but I feel I have to improve my skills in English. I study Biology, I teach classical Ballet, I dance Ballet, I'm an intern at a laboratory and I'm always busy (actually, I'm always looking for something to do).
I like to meet people (especially foreign people). So, I'll be glad to chat with you.

Hello! I’m Gabriel Freire. I’m a Brazilian student from the Movie Talk course in the capital of Brazil, Brasilia. I speak Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish as well. I’m 15 years old. I study very hard and I like to play tennis, speak foreign languages and hang out with my friends. I like to watch movies very much, and the Movie Talk course is a unique opportunity to discuss and comment about them. :D

Hello! My name is Amanda. I'm 16. I'm fond of movies, music and sports. I play basketball in my school team and when I have some free time I like to read and go out with my friends. I like to watch all kinds of movies. My favorite one is The Sound of Music. I am very excited to learn more about Russia and I will be very happy to answer any questions about Brazil.

e mërkurë, 12 shtator 2007

MOVIE TALK. 2 new Teams of students who are now the participants of our Project

                                                MOVIE TALK 

RUSSIAN STUDENTS. Let's get acquainted.




Team 1
(from left to right)

1) Podolnaya Nastya
I'm twenty. I come from Unecha, a little Russian town. I study at the Bryansk State University at the faculty of foreign 
languages. We have different subjects such as oral practice, grammar, theoretical and practical phonetics, economics, 
pedagogics and many others. I read a lot of books in the original. My favourite writers are James Joice, Theodore Dreiser,
Agatha Christie, Dan Brown, Ernest Hemingway. As to my hobbies I like to listen to music for example such bands as
Scorpions, Him, Rasmus and some others.
I'm fond of traveling. I've already been to the Crimea and Belarus, but I would like to go to Great Britain to master the
language.

2) Fetisov Eugene
Hello! My name is Eugene. I'm 19. I was born in Ludinovo city, Kaluga region. It's a lovely place not far from Moscow. If
you have chance to visit Russia do not forget to visit my native city. It is known for its beautiful nature and the
factory of Machine Building. But I have already been living in Bryansk for 2 years. I'm a student. I study at the faculty
of foreign languages. I'm the only boy in my group and I like it very much. I think, sometimes, I can understand the
women's soul, their psychology. But their logic is beyond human understanding+
So, I have a lot of friends, besides, I share a flat with two interesting guys. One of them is an amateur boxer and
another is going in for the subculture named Gothics. I am also fond of music. I like such groups as "Gorky Park", "System
of a down", "Spling", "Queen", "B2", "U2" and others. I'm very active, I can dance all night long. I'll be thankful to you
if you drop a line to me.

3) Babenko Christina

4) Mamochkina Natasha
Hi! My name is Natasha. I'm interested in everything that is new and unknown to me and that is why I'm learning foreign
languages. I adore dancing, puppies and camomiles.

5) Shashkina Sveta
My name is Sveta. I'm 19, I'm a third year student of the faculty of foreign languages. I'm fond of reading, especially
of reading books by Agatha Christie. My hobby is skydiving, so I may say that I'm a risk-taker, but I'm an amateur in this
sport as I made only 3 jumps. I am a communicative person and have a lot of friends; I enjoy spending my leisure time with
them.

6) Muraeva Olga
Hello! My name is Olga. I'm 19 years old. I'm a student of the faculty of foreign languages. I like to study English and
German. I'm also fond of reading, especially I like to read detective stories. Sometimes, when I have spare time, I
embroider. I'd love to communicate with you and I'd like to know about your way of life and your national culture.

7) Lapik Anna
My name is Anna. I like to strike up new acquaintances everywhere and as a result I have a great many friends. I should
say (and it's not only my opinion) that I'm a very buoyant girl. Besides, I'm an optimist and one of my merits is that I'm
a good mixer. A famous proverb "The echo responds to the call" is a motto of my life.

8) Pirmamedova Oksana
My name is Oksana. My surname is Pirmamedova.
I was born in Bryansk. But after 7 years my family and I moved to Ekaterinburg and only when I was 14 years old we returned to Bryansk.
Speaking about me I am fond of dancing and taking photos, but it doesn't mean that when I have my leisure time I always try to take photos. As a rule I spend my day off at home and sometimes if my friends come to me we have a party and as usual discuss some news and have a lot of fun.
 I am also fond of cooking but I like to make appetizers and desserts such as pies, cakes, pastries, tartes and I hate to cook first courses such as soup and mashed potatoes.





Team 2
(from left to right)

1) Nosikova Kate
Hello, everybody! My name is Kate. I’m 19. I am a third year student of the faculty of foreign languages, Bryansk State University.
I try to enjoy my life no mater how pressed in time I am owing to my studying. I like many things as my tastes are quite broad. I like to be surrounded by people, so I prefer going out with my friends to reading a book or watching TV. I like to talk. I like to laugh. I like to listen to music. I like to look at starry sky. I like extreme.
There are also some things I hate. I can’t stand hypocrisy, betrayal and lie. But most of all I hate war and death.
The most valuable things in my life are my family and friends.
I would be glad if you write several lines to me.

2) Khokhlova Tatiana
I’ m Tanya. By the way people who have this name are considered to be born to create home atmosphere. I don’t think that it is my predestination in life, but my head is always full of crazy ideas of how to make life around more interesting and vivid. I have always been keen on foreign languages and I can’ t imagine my life without them. My firm belief is that there’s no limit to perfection and I stick to this idea every day of my life.

3) Makarkina Irina
Hi, everyone! My name is Irina. I’m 19. Here I live, in Bryansk, and here I study at the faculty of foreign languages. I can’t say I have much free time to spare, but when I have some I’m always in search of different ways of entertaining myself. I meet my friends, go to the clubs, watch new films and listen to music. But the things I really keen on are Tim Burton’s movies, the Numerology and fantasy. So I would be glad if you scribble me a line or two.

4) Kovaleva Elena
My name is Helen Kovaleva. I’m 19 years old. I live and study in Bryansk. I’m a third year-student. I study two languages: English and German.
When I have some free time I usually listen to music and watch TV. I like Club and R’n’B music. Among different types of films best of all I like comedy and romantic dramas because such films are very cheerful and full of life.
My family is not very large, just a typical family: Dad, Mom, me and two brothers. We don’ t live together and once a month get together and spend our time magnificently.
Speaking about me I can say that I’ m very merry and communicative. I usually say what I think that’s why people around me always take offense. But still I have a lot of friends.


5) Zhuck Kate

6) Shelkunova Marina
I’ m Marina Shelkunova. I’m 19 years and I live in Bryansk. I think I’m a versatile person. I like to study languages: In my University I study English and German and also I study Spanish. I can’t live without reading. I prefer long thrilling stories written by Stephen King. As for my hobby - I’ m fond of football. I simply adore this game and root for Liverpool FC for 5 years.
I hate being alone that’s why I value my friends very much. Besides I sincerely believe that there are no bad people in the world simply we must stop doing harm to each other and then everything will be all right!

7) Vinokurov Alexander
Hello, my name is Sasha. I’m 19 years old & like most of teenagers I’m fond of good music & cinema. First of all I should mention that in my opinion good music is rock. I don’t know why I chose this music style but after listening to different genres I decided on this particular one. Everything began when I first heard the accords of the Status Quo’s best-known song “In the Army now”. There has been many a peck of salt eaten since that time but it is still one of my favorite songs. I listen to different bands such as Metallica, Apocalyptica, DDT, Lumen & many others but still my favorite band is Rammstein. Another weakness of mine is cinema. Oh, there are lots of films I admire. All of them are well-known to you: The Matrix, The Terminator, The Mulholland Drive, The Lord of the Rings, The Dead Alive…
There are a lot of things to discuss about films and I think it will be a good theme of our talk.

8) Androsova Irina
There is a saying if you want something to be done well, do it yourself. So I follow this wise saying and would like to introduce myself.
My name is Irene Androsova. I’m from Russia. I love my country greatly as I have already been living here for nearly 20 years. I’ m 19 years old and now I’ m a third year student of the faculty of foreign languages. I think it is not easy to learn foreign languages but I’ m used to getting over difficulties and now can’t imagine my life without English and German.
While studying at the University I do not have much free time. But still my friends and me do our best to get together every week-end.I like reading books as well as watching films. I’ m fond of Russian and foreign writers such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Pasternak, Bulgakov, Hemingway, Orwell, Steinbeck. Speaking about my character, I can say that I’m friendly, kind and honest. I don’ t like falsehood. I’ m modest and sometimes very shy. It’s very difficult for me to cope with people who have such features as egoism and dishonesty.
My family is not very large: my father, my mother and my brother, who is 6 years my junior. I like strolling along the streets because my parents usually tell me a lot of interesting details of the history of our city. But I don’t see my family often because I live and study in Bryansk where I live in a hostel with my group-mate. My parents live in Smolensk and though I’ m a grown-up I miss them very much.

9) Kukareko Olga
My name is Olga Kukareko. I was born on October, 30 in the small town Starodub, Bryansk region. My family is not large.
It consists of mother, father, my grand father and my young sister.
I am a student of the faculty of foreign languages of the Bryansk State University and I wish to master the language as it is very important to know foreign languages especially nowadays. I have a lot of friends. During the weekends we gather together and discuss the latest news and films.
Speaking about my character, I can say that I am friendly, honest and kind. Sometimes I can be shy but I dislike when somebody tricking me! I should say I can keep secrets and I never let my friends be ashamed.

10) Jackubovsky Maxim
Let me introduce myself. My name is Maxim, Max for short. I’m 19 years of age and have been studying at the faculty of foreign languages for 3 years already. Love for languages has always been typical of me and after my school teacher of English had said that I was quite capable I set my mind on acquiring as many languages as possible. Hopefully, either English or German will prove useful to me in future and I will somehow or other deal with foreigners in the course of the professional activity wherever I work.
Actually, my circle of interests stretches far beyond studying. For instance, I enjoy doing sporting activities, which enables me to strengthen health and be in high spirits. In particular, I like swimming, running, cycling. I am not indifferent towards football either, even though I prefer to watch spectacular matches instead of running after the ball about the pitch myself. I also like movies especially those full of humour because, watching such films, I can forget at least for an hour or so about life which is far from being funny. I like music. My musical tastes are different, but it depends on my mood. As for reading, I like magazines devoted either to economy or business world news as I get to know a lot of interesting and important information from them without which, I believe, it’s next to impossible to orientate oneself in life in which economic relations play a dominant role.
Speaking about my character I can say that I’m friendly, kind, reliable and responsive. I’m not at all communicable by nature, which occasionally makes me difficult to deal with and makes it difficult for me to get a way with people but at the same time I’m far from being a timid boy. I wish I had more friends. I think I’m somewhere in between an extrovert and an introvert.

You see, it's me - a person with his good and not good characteristics.


And the other participants:


      Hello, everybody! It’s very nice to participate in this community! My name is Dmitri Dorogov, I live in Bryansk and study English & German at the Bryansk University.
The greatest interest of mine, besides English of course, is movies, especially independent European and American cinema, but that doesn’t mean I ignore mainstream, at least not when it suits my mood. My best favorite authors in this field are David Lynch, Alejandro González Iñárritu (whom those of you who come from the Latin America should know), Terri Gilliam and the one I adore most – Lars Von Trier. I also like good music – though the concept of good concerning music is very vague for me. I can listen almost to anything – except, perhaps, very hard rock & and what they call the ‘black’ music. Best of all I like classical pieces, Enigma and the like, to some extent different sub branches of Ambient music and good artful film soundtracks. Have you ever heard of the American film composer Philip Glass? I find his works unsurpassably deep and beautiful. Into the bargain, he is one of the pioneers of minimalism in music which has lately initiated my enthusiasm for the avant-garde. I’m also keen on modernist & post modernist literature. My favorite modern writers are Elfriede Jelinek, Bernard Verber, J. M. Coetzee, Michael Cunningham, etc. Out of the classical English-speaking authors my favourites are Oscar Wild, Somerset Maugham, Virginia Woolf, George Orwell and Truman Capote.
   There’re not very many things I hate. As concerns people those are tactlessness and intolerance.
   As for myself, I can say perhaps that I’m quite mild and tactful; I’m friendly & benevolent, I like to interact with interesting people and can accept people the way they are, only I can’t stand those who have the inclination to judge others.
   Well, that’s it, I guess. It’s wonderful we live now that we can talk free regardless of the national frontiers. Hope everybody’s going to make a great many friends here!

















e premte, 22 qershor 2007

Brazil-Russia Video

Hello everyone!
Kate sent me some very interesting questions about Brazil, and some of my teenage students, Erika and I tried to answer them. Watch the video and check the questions and our answers to them!


e enjte, 7 qershor 2007

What is Russia?

I decided to begin this topic to share opinions about Russia. You’ll tell us what you know about our country and we’ll try to discredit myths or approve of your vision if it’s right..
These pics are of Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and symbols which Russia is associated with.- Snow, unique architecture, squares, drawbridges.. I`m looking forward to your words about Russia, public opinion polls.
Truly, Kate
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e mërkurë, 6 qershor 2007

Your Brazilian Friends



Hello Kate, Lena and everybody out there in Russia and in cyberspace! This is Erika Cruvinel writing and these are photos of some of my students, and teachers Carla Arena and Ronaldo Junior, who are also interacting with you.

Yesterday, my students read all your messages and we discussed them during our class. They really enjoyed reading the answers of the poll and we all laguhed a lot at some answers! We can tell that you do know a lot about Brazil, but as Lena mentioned, most of the asnwers are 'cliché' and stereotypes and now it is my students' job to show you the real Brazil! It will be a challenging task, but it is a great way for us to reflect and learn even more about ourselves.

'O Clone'! We can't believe you have watched it! It was a big hit here some time ago! And one of the Russian students mentioned 'Coelho'. We think you are talking about the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho and, believe it or not, he is now acting in the most recently released Brazilian soap opera, "Eterna Magia". It will probably be shown in Russia too. A lot of you have the image of a hot sunny Brazil. Did you know that it's freezing in the south and southeast of Brazil right now? Take a look at this picture of Gramado in the South of Brazil.



Well, we have a lot to learn from each other and I do believe you know more about Brazil than we do about Russia. Next class my students will spend sometime writing about the answers given in the poll and we will try to demystify somethings. I'm also going to build an online poll to find out what Brazilians associate with Russia, ok?

Talk to you soon!

Erika

e premte, 25 maj 2007

Russian-Brazilian students

Hi! I`m Kate. I`m a student of the university and I`m 19. I like Internet and I`m mesmerised by Cinema, especially soviet and modern russian. I like foreign languages and hope to connect my future life with them. It`s intricate and captivating for me to know something new about a diverse number of states and nations.So I`m the representative of our Russian group of students, involved in the project dedicated to Latin America, in which we try to deprive of our stereotypes concerning Latin American countries and try to find out any similarities, connection between our nations.

It`s a great pleasure for me to colloborate and communicate with you, because I`m nearly crazy about Brazil, Rio, and Brazilian people. You seem to be so far and beyond the reach, but still so close by spirit. So I hope for an interesting and productive work.