Dear student, this is a series of two postings related to our Travel English conversation studies.
On the first part we will show you 4 videos of Peruvian travel destinations together with their corresponding audio transcripts so that you can watch the video scenes and also read along for better comprehension.
We recommend that you watch the video first without reading the text, then read the text and watch the video again. Afterwards you may wish to listen as you read for a few times and finally read the text as if you were the announcer yourself!
We will show you places in Lima, the Inca trails, Machu Picchu and the famous Santa Catalina convent in Arequipa.
On the second part of this series, we will take a long jump across the skies heading north and land in British Columbia, Canada! Likewise the transcripts will be there for you to read along and practice your English.
Please visit our video corner on our website; there you will find a collection of similar videos to help you improve your English! Here is the link:
Please fasten your seat-belts and let your imagination take you to the wonders of Peru!
Lima-Peru
Script from the YouTube site.
Lima, Its the capital city of Peru, and the only large city on the Pacific coast of South America.
With 8 million people living in the rain shadow cast by the Andes mountain range, Lima is the second largest desert city in the world, behind Cairo in Egypt.
Its now considered the gastronomic capital of the continent, with Peruvians proud to show off their unique cuisine.
Dozens of restaurants serve the national dish ceviche, using lime juice to cook raw fish and seafood.. Its also the birthplace of the novo andino movement that combines ancient Inca ingredients with the latest trends in high cuisine, and Lima now has the most cooking schools of any city in the world, with trainee chefs eager to learn the trade.
A string of gardens connect the financial, cultural and tourist areas of the city, leading down to the Parque del Amor at the top of cliffs overlooking the beaches and rolling surf of the Pacific coastline.
Paragliders float over the heads of surfers and fishermen who brave the rich cool waters of the Humboldt current for its abundant seafood.
Located on Perus central coast, Lima was founded by Conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535 and was originally known as the City of Kings.
Colonial and Republican architecture adorn its streets plazas and churches, from the Cathedral and Presidential Palace on the main square, to the convent and catacombs of nearby San Francisco.
UNESCO declared Limas historic center a World Heritage Site in 1988.
The city guards its pre-Columbian past. The pyramids of Pucllana seem to sprout up from the heart of a wealthy suburb, and the mud city of Pachacamac lies a short distance away on the southern edge of Lima.
These ancient monuments stand in contrast to the cutting edge skyscrapers in the financial district.
The Inca Trail-Tambomachay, Peru
Script from the YouTube site:
ot far from Puca Pucara, on the road from Cusco to the Sacred Valley, Tambomachay combines intricate stonework with the Incas devotion to water.
Known as the Baths of the Incas, a number of aqueducts and channels run through the site. But the focal point is a string of carefully designed waterfalls, which split spring water into a series of cascades
that fall in such a precise and delicate manner that its believed they were built as part of a water cult.
The trapezoidal niches on the high terrace and off to the side of the waterfall are among the most highly crafted stone constructions left by the Incas.
The precision of the falls is matched by a similar water feature at Ollantaytambo, but the Incas also showed great control over water for more practical purposes.
Their use of stone irrigation channels to feed agricultural terraces around Cusco and the Sacred Valley allowed them to grow abundant crops at high altitudes, something previous Andean cultures never achieved.
Fertur Peru Travel.
A full service travel agency and tour operator dedicated to making your journey to Peru a dream come true.
Machu Picchu - Cuzco, Peru
Script transcribed by Cesar Macher
Invisible from below and completely self contained in the Andes Mountains of Peru, few words can capture the beauty of Machu Picchu. This travel video postcard was contributed by Venessa Velles.
Perched on a mountain ridge at almost 8,000 feet the ancient Inca site is enigmatic and spectacular. Climb the steep Inca Trail to Machu Picchu if you are up to it, or ride the tourist bus that wines from Aguas Calientes. If you descend by foot don’t forget to stretch when you reach the bottom, your legs will thank you the next morning. Arrive before dawn and don’t be disappointed by the fog. The ruins and surrounding peaks reveal themselves as the fog lifts and steal your breath away! Marvel at the genius of the ancient builders, in truth no cam or camera can do justice to Machu Picchu. Inspiring and timeless yet almost forgotten until its rediscovery in 1911, this magnificent site, is a place not to be missed.
Santa Catalina Convent - Arequipa, Peru
Script from the YouTube website.
Santa Catalina Convent is one of South Americas most prominent religious establishments, a city within a city famous for its astounding architecture and its brightly painted walls, murals and religious artworks.
Located in Perus second largest city, Arequipa, the convent was founded in 1580.
During its first 300 years, Santa Catalina was a refuge for unmarried daughters of wealthy Spanish families who paid a dowry for inclusion into the Catholic order.
But instead of keeping to vows of poverty, the nuns kept servants and slaves and lived lavish lifestyles. In 1871, the Pope sent Sister Josefa Cadena to put things right. She did so by sending most of the daughters of nobility back to Spain, setting the slaves and servants free and giving them the choice of staying on as nuns.
The walled-in convent, covering an area of almost 30 thousand square meters, was opened to the public in 1970. Visitors can stroll the streets and cloisters and appreciate this masterpiece of colonial architecture.
Showing posts with label English. Show all posts
Showing posts with label English. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The ugly side of not speaking English? Indiana’s SB 590 Attacks Immigrants and their Languages
These words reflect my opinions and are sardonic in tone. They do not intended to insult anyone living or dead. Hopefully you will find this entertaining and and at best humorous.
Remember though:
"A joke is a very serious thing". Winston Churchill
Picture by:
Silhouette Of Carrie | Flickr - Photo Sharing! http://bit.ly/e9ERUe
by Mike Saechang
Being allowed to act on “reasonably suspicious” premises may totally eclipse prejudice; it reminds me of the fascist practices imposed by the Nazis during WWII.
Please let me know about your thoughts on being questioned to proof your identity on the basis of your looks, that is, on the grounds of being "reasonable suspicious". Visible minorities, who are residents of Indiana, should not be afraid these days, you live in the “developed” world and this is the year 2011. The probability of being questioned because the pimple on your nose is ugly, or because your accent is foreign, or because you prefer to speak in a foreign language is absolutely zero! Believe me; all officers in Indiana are reasonable except when suspicious.
If the color of your skin you wear is not within the “norm” it should not be a problem to you either; however, it may be a little controversial (if not illegal) if on top of your color your moves betray you as suspiciously gay! But now seriously speaking, never mind if your loose apparel reveals you ethnicity or religious believes (touchy subject, mind me writing so small). Don’t worry for any of these totally insignificant stereotypes my dear friendly; minority looking resident of Indiana. I am absolutely sure that it is still safe to J-walk there!
One should only be fearful of “reasonable suspiciousness” if you are an innocent white Polish immigrant going through the control gates at the Vancouver international airport… There, the authorities mercilessly greet those of that kind with powerful Taser stun guns! (Robert Dziekanski – RIP Nov. 2007) But then, Indiana is not in Canada and thus one more reason not to be fearful.
The truth is that legislators in the State of Indiana are reasonable persons and wish to protect your civil rights – they are only after illegal humans and not you. What???? Did I say that right?… illegal humans? – How can it be illegal to be a human? … Trust me there are illegal humans amongst us. There is nothing to hide about it any more. This was on the Wiki leaks cables, but even Mr JA (the big mouth!) had his reservations about going public with this one, but I will not!
Legislators are mainly concerned about persecuting mutant aliens coming from outer space that look suspiciously human; these are the culprits of all things that go wrong in Indiana, they are dangerous to society, and the world is being invaded as we speak… watch out for them as they are lurking in your neighborhood, and we know for a fact that Indiana is a preferred destination!
Now you have the real picture and an explanation of the truth, Please tell the world that you read it in my blog! If you still want to play it safe, my other best advice for you to evade being singled out in public, is to mind flatulence that smells too spicy – that will certainly get you in trouble, unless of course, you can blame it on someone else!
Cheers.
Cesar Macher
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Here is a copy of the article:"Indiana State Sen. Mike Delph, R- Carmel not only wants to implement a Arizona style bill but wants to bar the use of any language but English in most government transactions.
“We’re taking the handcuffs off of law enforcement. We’re holding employers who are thumbing their noses at the law accountable. And we’re lifting up the English language,” Delph said Friday.
Opposition groups fear the bill will lead to profiling and hurting businesses in the state.
“I’m worried that the unintended consequences of what he’s doing is to put a sign on our state saying we don’t want immigrants,” said John Livengood, co-chairman of the Alliance for Immigration Reform in Indiana, a coalition of groups that want to see immigration reforms left to the feds.
Senate Bill 590 is a thirty page proposal and includes:
-requires state and local law enforcement officers who stop anyone for violating a law or ordinance to ask for proof that the person is here legally if the officers have “reasonable suspicion” that the person is not a citizen or legal visitor
- Businesses that hire illegal immigrants can be shut down.
- Most government transactions, documents and meetings would be in English. The state would shut down their Spanish language portal and printing forms, ballots in other languages
-The state will bill to Congress for reimbursement of all costs for undocumented residents in Indiana.
-No financial aid, scholarships or grants for education at U of I and would have to pay out of state tuition.
- Cities and counties would be barred from limiting the enforcement of federal immigration laws.( No Sanctuary Cities)
According to the Pew Hispanic Center, Indiana was estimated to have 120,000 illegal immigrants in 2009, up from 10,000 in 1990.
“This is going to lead to profiling almost surely,” Livengood , Alliance for Immigration Reform in Indiana co-chair, said. “Our biggest fear—my biggest fear—is that Indiana becomes known as a state where immigrants aren’t welcome.”
Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, a Hammond Democrat who is one of two Hispanics in the legislature, agreed.
“While I don’t condone illegal activity, it’s pretty foolhardy to pass a bill modeled after a bill being litigated in federal court,” she said.
The bill has already been promised a hearing in the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee. Ten senators have signed on as co-sponsors, and Delph expects more.
He predicted: “This is going to fly.”
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the article also features on our facebook page, this is what a friend of mine had to say about it:Oswaldo Trigueiros
It seems the republicans have nothing better to do, than blame immigrants for their failures, so instead of working on positive attitudes to generate employment, better working conditions for their states they sit around and waste their time on coming up onlaws based on prejudice. I guess they should have listened to MLK speech.
I agree everybody should speak english, and not only in the US but everywhere, its the language for doing business, plus we dont any more laws regulating our lives, we have to keep the Govt out of our lives.
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