what i love most about teaching English as a foreign language sometimes has got to be the mistakes. Even when i was doing my original teaching training at ih barcelona i was told i had ‘pretty pink tits’ by my student, (yes, really) when what he was trying to say was ‘tights’ and to make matters worse they weren’t even pink! Then there was my all time favourite of irregular past tense verbs, you know like sink-sank-sunk or alternatively think-thank-thunk or wink…. Of course there’s also the way it lends itself so well to language play, puns, innuendos, irony, colloquium, idioms and my personal favourite:sarcasm. Was carrying out some research today and was tickled pink by some of the classics…apparently it’s not on the tip of my tongue but on the end of my nose…ahh what’s on the end of my nose: a bug, toothpaste, some of my lunch? And when it comes to recreation, make sure you head down to the swimming pool where you can play with yourself? Not your cup of tea then try the golf course, there’s the golf course for….couldn’t resist finishing that sentence (you know when you just have to)…golf course for…let me think GOLF. Well no it’s for ‘elders’ according to some. Hmm not sure it’s really just for the elderly either, could do somebody a fearful injury. Then there’s always cultural differences that can influence your way of thinking. Why is the fact that a potential scholarship candidate was suspended from school for smoking a drawback? Well perhaps because it doesn’t set a good example. Apparently not. High school students here in Greece demand ‘equality of their rights’…so if the teachers have their own smoking area so should the students. Well it’s certainly a different way of looking at things i suppose. And then to top everything off was forwarded this of the history of the English language
if only somebody had sent it before i did that advanced diploma on ELT…darn it…
yes i know it sounds strange but i do love the messages they put for us to read on products sometimes…like in greece we have a make of chocolate croissants called Five a Day, I mean really what does that say to us as consumers we should be eating 5 of these a day? Have they magically become one of our five a day like baked beans or a glass of orange juice, my latest hilarious re-entry into English culture. It might not even be 5 anyway here seeing as every country has their own recommended number, England’s being quite low at 5 I suppose they assumed we couldn’t cope with any more but seeing as breakie seems to have taken care of two couldn’t we have managed some more, why are they always underestimating us? And besides what about our mental health? Why isn’t it also 5 new words a day or listen to five new songs a day or say something nice to people 5 times a day? And can a can of deodorant encapsulate the smells of Africa, I mean why do we fall for such rubbish? And then there’s my shampoo bottle claiming for me what I want, need and the results of such. It got me thinking as it does in the shower how something seemingly so simple could be so overwhelming…what do i want, what do i need and what are going to be the results. Seeing as im currently in the middle of a move from teaching jobs and countries this seems even more significant how would i finish those as the big picture cannot be ignored by daily routines or unbreakable commitments… but really we should all think about these things everyday shouldn’t we? What do we want and is it really protected hair from hair enemies, yes can you believe it actually used the word enemy? I’m still figuring out how to finish mine but the questions are always at the forefront of my mind rather than the back. Posed husband same questions…the response…
I want…. tomato ketchup
I need…a poo
Result…a mess
at least one of us obviously has things figured out!
unfortunately it’s all steam punk and now he’s got me hooked on it even though it’s been around since the 80s. i’ve always loved the tight bodiced corsetted Victorians with their bizarre and kitsch tendencies for building arcades and collecting glass paper weights and ferns. Their obsession with mermaids and displaying flora and fauna in museum like display precision. Jules Verne’s 20 000 Leagues under the Seaalways fascinated me, even more so after a childhood submarine experience on the vintage style ride at WDW Florida. I can still vividly recall the green sides of the submarine and its brown leather inside where you peered outside portholes at floating dummies somebody had weighted in the pool. OK so it was a bit naff by today’s standards, but it was one of the original rides from the 50s and it had this aquatic etherealness to it. It was a classic and so now is its poster. If you can’t imagine what i mean you have to read Celeste Olaquiaga‘s The Artificial Kingdom: A Treasury of the Kitsch Experience(the older publication’s cover is more beautiful available at Abebooks). So now I have an excuse to bust out my Victorian style black corduroy jacket with gorgeous puffed sleeves and neck to waist buttoning…just needs a skirt like this to die for one. Handmade grey black victorian inspired skirt I found on etsy from PINaR ERIS based in LA. And with some accessories…goggles and some lace up heeled ankle boots perhaps. Now i just have to get my husband a suitable steampunk gadget…
For me: being both a flapper fan and an aficionado of paper dolls I am coveting these gorgeous prints from flapperdoodle on etsy or this vintage 1930s travel book The New Meditteranean Traveller from LemonIceBoxPie (what a fantastic name) on etsy complete with black and white photographs and beautiful pull out colour maps, I love maps and not being told that I have arrived at my destination when I am in fact in the middle of nowhere next to a tree…
For friends: The Spirit of Paris by Frankfort Sommerville, sold by StoriesDivinations on etsy the art deco cover is delicious enough before even opening the cover to reveal the beautiful illustrations…
For a while now I have been harbouring secret desires for mustard…the colour is wherever I look in interior design magazines that I am also obsessed with, fashion magazines, on models on the net, in vintage stores. And you have to be discerning in your taste as some of the vintage seventies yellows can look rather dirty and the others are far too bright and happy to be seen or worn without protective eye wear and a public health warning. However, still being in the process of moving from Greece to the UK and my life in storage any home purchases were out so it was left to me and something I could wear. Being strawberry blonde I was concerned that it might result in a clash of the yellows though and shuddered at the thought of the word ‘bilious’ but I am happy to report that I am utterly thrilled with my mustard purchase which is this cute big pocket shift dress from closet.
It has also converted me to being an avid fan of the line closet, a concession at dorothy perkins, who have some amazing new designers since I last went into a store way back in the nineties I think. What’s more the dresses are actually designed and made in London, a rare opportunity nowadays on the high street to support made in Britain. I’ve already got a little christmas sack of quirky vintage reproduction style closet dresses waiting for me and the next wishlist made. To make matters worse, just spotted this beautiful drop waisted twenties style 60s dress on etsy…and yes it’s mustard heaven.
rare 1960s flapper style dress with hand beaded collar from TrueValueVintage
As for the edible variety I have to say I can’t stand the stuff except for wholegrain mustard on a Nigella warm potato salad with bacon and spring onions…yummy.
the little anorak girl has a new shiny z key and is now looking for some things to keep her dry as she heads off to a place where it rains practically everyday. (no, it’s not england) (not seattle either) It’s gonna be hot. it’s worrying how you can lose so much time of your life looking for rainwear…. and how so much of it either fits into the category of scary old lady or fetish. wasn’t entirely prepared for PVC clear bloomers I must admit but as they say whatever flicks your switch (and it appears that the light is on and burning brightly for clear PVC lovers everywhere). Did manage to find gorgeous cute polka dot mannittoni raincoat, fitted tailoring, swing coat and love the hood. Then went vintage and minus model, whose worryingly minus her top, this 60s retro polka dot is just as cute and in perfect condition… from ohsandra, san francisco
remember my grandmother having the funny rainhats too but certainly don’t remember them being as cool as these…
and amazing vintage 60s Marshall Field yellow and blue plaid coat and matching hood, from violetvillevintage…can just picture a hitchcock leading lady in this…
and to make matters worse they weren’t even pink! Then there was my all time favourite of irregular past tense verbs, you know like sink-sank-sunk or alternatively think-thank-thunk or wink…. Of course there’s also the way it lends itself so well to language play, puns, innuendos, irony, colloquium, idioms and my personal favourite:sarcasm. Was carrying out some research today and was tickled pink by some of the classics…apparently it’s not on the tip of my tongue but on the end of my nose…ahh what’s on the end of my nose: a bug, toothpaste, some of my lunch? And when it comes to recreation, make sure you head down to the swimming pool where you can play with yourself? 
Not your cup of tea then try the golf course, there’s the golf course for….couldn’t resist finishing that sentence (you know when you just have to)…golf course for…let me think GOLF. Well no it’s for ‘elders’ according to some. Hmm not sure it’s really just for the elderly either, could do somebody a fearful injury. Then there’s always cultural differences that can influence your way of thinking. 
Why is the fact that a potential scholarship candidate was suspended from school for smoking a drawback? Well perhaps because it doesn’t set a good example. Apparently not. High school students here in Greece demand ‘equality of their rights’…so if the teachers have their own smoking area so should the students. Well it’s certainly a different way of looking at things i suppose. And then to top everything off was forwarded this of the history of the English language
always fascinated me, even more so after a childhood submarine experience on the 
(the older publication’s cover is more beautiful available at Abebooks). So now I have an excuse to bust out my Victorian style black corduroy jacket with gorgeous puffed sleeves and neck to waist buttoning…just needs a skirt like this to die for one. Handmade 
from 
vintage 60s 
and amazing vintage 60s Marshall Field yellow and blue plaid 
Thelittleanorakgirl's Blog 
