Pets: Friendship and Responsibility

Last Thursday the One Way group had a fruitful and interesting discussion on “Pets”. As a starting point, Fernando, presented us with some baseline material on this matter. Thigs from what is the most popular pet among us, which obviously turned to be the dog, to what is the average annual cost of owning a pet, a rough figure of 1500€/year. And in addition some Spanish local traditions concerning pets.

Then, the team had an open discussion about this theme. Some team members shared about their experiences with their pets and their opinion of what kind of pet or breed is more appropriate depending on where you live or your vital state. Some others presented the fact that for certain people, owning a pet is a good antidote for their loneliness or for depressed individuals.

In addition, we spend a productive discussion on the responsibility that owning a pet implies; someone said  “…you have to think twice before acquiring a pet…”. And being aware that the decision you make today will last many years, even decades. And not to mention the obvious concerns of urbanity that pet owners should show once they walk their pets in parks or the street.

All in all it was a great discussion; many points of view were shared and it was a great fun!

Stay tuned for our next blog posts!

The One Way Team  

ENGLISH CAMP 2019 (29-31 March)

If you want to improve your English spending a whole weekend with native speakers, here is a link which may help you:

http://englishcamp.sariepaul.com/ 

PAUL IS BACK

   Paul Anderson, our native speaker who is helping us every Thursday, has come back from the United States. Welcome to Spain and we hope he will remain with us for a long time!

   We "travelled" with him on the 10th of January 2019 through the places he and his family visited in Canada and USA. How? We used a presentation and some images or photos that we had received from him during his trip. It was a great celebration!

Some of you asked for a copy of the material we discussed during our time together on 16th of November.  Here is a link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d33yd3g3yld8bzx/AABUqbIZi22KBnX5uAAVv5Swa?dl=0

Here is the article we used during our Tertulia on November 2nd:

News: 2 groups. Basic and "live" conversation.

Greetings!

In order to help every member to improve their level we have formed two groups!

-- A beginner group, which is going to meet on the ground floor (pass through the ballroom, second door on the left).

-- An intermediate - advanced group which will continue to meet the same room (upstairs on the right, fifth door).

We our meetings start at 18.30h and go until 20:30h.  However, come and go as your schedule dictates.

We meet in the Social Centre in Calle Cifuentes 26.

See you there!

Love Letters

• Love letters

  1. Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine du

  Beauharnais

  Since I left you, I have been constantly

  depressed. My happiness is to be near you.

  Incessantly I live over in my memory your

  caresses, your tears, your aectionate

  solicitude. The charms of the incomparable

  Josephine kindle continually a burning and a

  glowing $ame in my heart…. I thought that I

  loved you months ago, but since my

  separation from you I feel that I love you a

  thousand fold more. Each day since I knew

  you, have I adored you more and more.

  2. Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor

  3. Elizabeth Barrett to Robert Browning
• 

  It seems to me, to myself, that no man was

  ever before to any woman what you are to me

  — the fullness must be in proportion, you

  know, to the vacancy…and only I know what

  was behind — the long wilderness without the

  blossoming rose…and the capacity for

  happiness, like a black gaping hole, before

  this silver $ooding. Is it wonderful that I

  should stand as in a dream, and disbelieve—

  not you—but my own fate?

  Was ever any one taken suddenly from a

  lampless dungeon and placed upon the

  pinnacle of a mountain, without the head

  turning round and the heart turning faint, as

  mine do? And you love me more, you say? ….

  How shall I ever prove what my heart is to

  you? How will you ever see it as I feel it?

  4. Beethoven to his “Immortal Beloved”

  Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to

  you, my Immortal Beloved, Be calm — love me

  — today — yesterday — what tearful longings

  for you — you — you — my life — my all —

  farewell. Oh continue to love me — never

  misjudge the most faithful heart of your

  beloved. Ever thine. Ever mine. Ever ours.

  5. Winston Churchill to Clementine Churchill
• 

  6. Oscar Wilde to Lord Alfred Douglas

  My Own Boy,

  Your sonnet is quite lovely, and it is a marvel

  that hose red-roseleaf lips of yours should be

  made no less for the madness of music and

  song than for the madness of kissing. Your

  slim gilt soul walks between passion and

  poetry. I know Hyacinthus, whom Apollo loved

  so madly, was you in Greek days. Why are you

  alone in London, and when do you go to

  Salisbury? Do go there to cool your hands in

  the grey twilight of Gothic things, and come

  here whenever you like. It is a lovely place

  and lacks only you; but go to Salisbury >rst.

  Always, with undying love,

  Yours, Oscar