Super Mario

Tuesday 31 January 2012

As you might know, I am a big fan of video-games. One of the most emblematic characters in the history of video-games is Super Mario.

Mario is an Italian plumber who lives in the Mushroom Kingdom, he uses a red hat with a big M in the center, which obviously stands for Mario.

This character is the main character of the Mario Franchise, by Nintendo, and he was created by the Japanese video-game designer Shigeru Myiamoto, in 1981. Recently, Mario celebrated 30 years of existence.


Mario and his brother Luigi usually get in trouble to save their princess Peach from the evil dragon Bowser. Often, they are helped by the lovely little dinasour Yoshi.

Since his first appearance in video-games, Mario's games kept on breaking sales records and this Italian plumber is often considered as a symbol of video-games.


                                                                                      Fábio Freitas 10ºB

Westminster Abbey

Saturday 28 January 2012

                                 

Westminster Abbey or Collegiate Church of St. Peter of Westminster is a Gothic church the size of a cathedral. It is the traditional location for coronations and burials of British monarchs. It is located in Westminster, London, next to the Palace of Westminster.

The historic Abbey was built by Edward the Confessor between 1045 and 1050 and was consecrated on December 28, 1065. Edward built the cathedral, in the absence of a vote in which he promised to make a pilgrimage, the pope advised him to redeem himself by building an abbey.

The original abbey, in Romanesque style, was built by Benedictine monks. It was rebuilt in Gothic style between 1245 and 1517. The first phase of reconstruction was organized by King Henry III as a shrine to Edward the Confessor. The work was completed during the reign of Richard II. Henry VII added a chapel to the Virgin Mary in 1503.

The abbey was returned to the Benedictines under the reign of Queen Mary, who died in 1558 during the reign of Elizabeth I and then buried in the same abbey. In 1579, Elizabeth I making it back in the "Collegiate Church of St. Peter."The two western towers of the abbey was built in 1722 by Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor, are made of stone and Portland are an example of the revival of Gothic design. In the nineteenth century were carried out various reforms.
Since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, all English monarchs have been crowned in the abbey, with the exception of Jane Grey, Edward V and Edward VIII. The Archbishop of Canterbury is responsible for performing the ceremony of coronation.
On April 29, 2011, in Abbey wedding took place after a long courtship of eight years, Prince William of Cambridge (Lady Diana's son) and his wife now and future queen, Catherine of Cambridge, the current monarch gave them the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 

Telma Soares 10º B

Impressionism

Sunday 15 January 2012

Today I’m going to tell you about my favorite art movement, it’s call Impressionism and it started in the 19^th century in France. It name comes from the title of Monet’s painting, “Impression soleil levant”, which you can see above. This movement was very criticize back in that time because it broke up with every painting convection till then. In spite of that, this artists are now consider some of the most brilliant minds of the 19^th century and their painting are spread all over the world. Names like Paul Cézanne, Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, Claude Monet, Frédéric Bazille, Pierre August Renoir and Camille Pissarro are marks on the history of art. Their painting was inspiring by the importance of color and by the simplest motives… Like a bridge, a bartender, a garden or a river. Quoting Renoir: “The simplest images are the ones which are immortal.”

I leave you with some of my favorite paintings.

Impression soleil levant - Claude Monet

Edgar Degas

Pierre August Renoir 

Frédéric Bazille 

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Alfred Sisley

Impressionism wasn't only felt in paintings, amazing musicians like Claude Debussy created wonderful songs, but that will have to wait till the next post!

Inês Ribas

True facts about kissing

Saturday 14 January 2012

A kiss is just a kiss........
Did you know that a kiss influences your brain?

Volunteering - You can make a difference

Friday 6 January 2012

Volunteers in Mozambique

Volunteering, while traveling in Mozambique or any other country in the world, is a way to totally immerse yourself in the local culture. Volunteering provides a great opportunity to make life-long friends, learn a new culture from the inside out and discover that one person really can make a difference.

Watch the film and leave your comment, please.