The good thing about Christmas in English speaking countries and many others is that everything is over on Christmas Day. The anticipation and build up happen during the month of December. All the family can relax after that and school children enjoy the Christmas holidays with their toys. Also, you have the day off on Boxing Day, 26^th December.

Here in Spain the hustle and the bustle go on until the 6^th January because the children wait to receive their presents from the three kings who arrive with spectacular Christmas parades in every town on the night of the 5^th January. So the Spanish have been faithful to the three kings despite Hollywood, despite television and despite the rest of the world rendering homage to Santa Claus or Father Christmas. That is remarkable. Obviously the three kings are number one here.

Come and tell us about the magic of 6^th January.

Wednesday 20^th December 18.30h

U.P. Sanse

Pragmatics

JOIN OUR TALKS 
asedow@gmail.com
Wednesday 13th Dec 18.30

Sometimes understanding the language isn´t enough!

Listen to this incident and tell us if you have ever been in a similar situation.

Different countries different gestures

Learn that in some countries nodding your head means that you are saying no.

How important is it to know these cultural differences?  😒😑😖😊😟💭😀

DECEMBER

Getting ready for 🎄🎅Christmas? Enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city centre and buy a totally original present here.

CHRISTMAS ART AND CRAFT FAIR IN PLAZA ESPAÑA

Also in Plaza de España, at the cines Renoir here is a film you don´t want to miss.

El Viaje

This film comes out on 8th December in Madrid. You can see it in English with Spanish subtitles. Forced to travel together  two politicians from Northern Ireland who were poles apart in their political views are able at last to talk to each other and find some common ground to build a path to peace in Ulster.

The film gives credit where credit is due.

Mandela is the one  5.12.2013

29th November

Be prepared! Listen to the link below.

The gym

Tell us your story and what you think about the opinions given here. 

Do you watch Gym Tony?...a lovely play on words!

Universidad Popular 
See you there at 18.30h for our talk.

Last performances today

A film with subtitles

Wednesday 22nd November

As indicated in the recent publicity, we have the use a room in la Universidad Popular in San Sebastián De Los Reyes where we can chat or read or watch a film. 

This week we will be watching ´the most romantic film of the year´starring Emilia Clarke, who also plays Daenerys Targaryen in HBO´s Game of Thrones. In this film  she lives in the English countryside and her role is completely different so even that is interesting.

Come along at 18.30 to see the film.

Come at 18.00 if you want to exchange a book or pick up information about our association.

See you there.

Some things cannot be taken lightly

This is sad

Offensive discourse and its effect on interracial friendships will be our talking point.

 It is a long article so only one link this week for our discussion group on Wednesday  15th at 18.30h..

The Arts and Crafts Movement in Great Britain

William Morris 1834   1896

Contemporary and friend of artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti and architect Philip Webb, Morris was married to Jane Burden whose beauty is portrayed below in this painting by Rossetti

This is a fascinating generation and Oscar Wilde, twenty years younger, admired him deeply.

Morris trained as an architect but he has many facets which will be explored in this excellent exhibition now on in Madrid. The link below is to whet your appetite. We look forward to our  visit very shortly.

https://www.march.es/arte/madrid/exposiciones/william-morris/?l=2

Scroll down and watch the videoclip.

Proserpine by Rossetti

Dream on!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-171102

http://www.newurbanism.org/pedestrian.html

We hope you enjoy these links to introduce our talking point for Wednesday 8th November 18.30h.

Things that go bump in the night

 HALLOWEEN IS THE NIGHT OF

31ST OCTOBER 1ST NOVEMBER

A VERY SPOOKY NIGHT INDEED

 Make sure you are with your friends having fun.

Then the spooks won´t come near you.

A change is as good as a rest

This week we can have a look at our films and select one to see, at intervals, maybe on the last Wednesday of each month. We can try it with English subtitles, Spanish subtitles and no subtitles to see how it goes. The important thing is to enjoy the film and immerse yourself in the language.

You will be surprised at the good selection of films that we have already in the association. 

19h.

Primera planta

Universidad Popular 25-10-17

A Good Story

In our room on Wednesday 18th we will read a good story from the Roald Dahl books that we bought with our grant one year. This one is called The Great Automatic Grammatizator.

This will most likely lead on to a good conversation.

There is no need to come prepared as we will pause to check your understanding and help correct the pronunciation.

Punto de Encuentro

Primera Planta 

Universidad Popular
18th OCT 2017 19h
asedow@gmail.com

AN OUTING

There is an exhibition on in Madrid about a pioneer of the Arts and Crafts Movement, Mr William Morris. (England 1834 - 1896)
We will go on an outing to see it and learn more about this remarkably talented man. We learnt a a lot already from Luis who is a great enthusiast and told us about the exhibition. It seems that Mr Morris  was a true Renaissance man....poet, writer, politician, conservationist, businessman and fabric designer., e.g. the Liberty prints

We look forward to this and will set a date asap.

                 

Universidad Popular 19h 11th Oct 2017

We will be taking a breather on Wednesday so no topic is being sent out.

However, you can come along as we will be doing other things.

A Peter Mc Kee picture

October 4th

Audrey writes:

Here's a reminder that last week, we talked about the numerous associations that have sprung up in our area and what motivates them: gatherings of like-minded people who would like to make a difference to the community they live in and bring people together. Asedow is the first of two English speaking associations along with Gallego, Chinese, Arabic as the other languages represented up to now in San Sebastían de los Reyes.

We also spoke about a type of association called the Women's Institute which has been thriving in English speaking countries for over 100 years. It originated in Canada then in Britain, during First World War when women used to make jams in their homes for the Women's Institute  to increase food supplies during the food rationing that was in place during those years and was repeated during the Second World War and has carried on ever since and has grown in its influence.     

Here is a link to read more about that or simply scroll down to see a couple of old photos.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11612597/Womens-Institute-100-years-of-ballsy-women-who-quietly-changed-UK.html

This week's topic has a short but intriguing link. Please watch it before you come!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0358zj7

We look forward to catching up with those members who have been
away up until to now :) 

Write to us at asedow@gmail.com
Come to our talks Wednesday 4th October 19h 
Universidad Popular San Sebastián De Los Reyes

From 14th September to 8th October

You still have the chance to see a wonderful play in El Teatro Fernán Gómez in Plaza de Colón, Madrid. From Tuesdays to Saturdays at 20.30h and at 19.30h on Sundays. The play is in Spanish.

An exhilarating, fast paced, modern play that lasts just over two hours without a break, the talented cast and clever staging of the three trials of Oscar Wilde is a worthy portrayal of the writer´s fall from fame to infamy.

Wilde was brave enough to try and look for protection from defamation in the society that seemed to worship him at the height of his success. Determined to prove his innocence of having committed any crime, he found himself involved in the complexity of family affairs and a downward spiral from then on.

The sad, sad ending to this real life drama was relived and much more was revealed. The indignity of hearing his works quoted to state a case against him did not work because Mr Wilde on the stage is charming too, both eloquent and harmless. There is nothing, nothing at all offensive in Wilde´s wonderful works. You can only improve your mind by reading them.


 A thumping rendering of Somewhere Over the Rainbow a capella by maybe ten young men on the stage demands attention from the audience to the words of this sugary sweet Broadway song which is transformed into a thundering demand to be free from the hypocrisy of a society that condemns them to live behind closed doors.

Definitely a play to see. It played to a full house on Friday.

IONA

Spain´s rich resources

Last weekend there was a fair and all the associations of our town were invited to showcase their initiative. 

We had aprons for solidarity, mutual support, youth clubs, Iberian eco protection, neighbourhood social clubs, friends of immigrants, change the world initiatives, help for addictions, support for families who had a member with illness or special needs, performance arts, ground breaking initiatives.
 ‘Our performing  arts group has had tremendous success, filling the theatre to the brim twice in a row but the only thing they ever talk about in Spain is football and mass political rallies. There is no other news here.”

So my conclusion is that reporters and the media missed a good story here and that it is about time that they discovered associations!

SOLIDARITY WITH MEXICO

19th September 2017

Exactly 32 years after the devastating 1985 earthquake Mexico has been hit again by another earthquake.
A terrible coincidence. Impossible to explain. 
Mucha fuerza  Mucho ánimo y todo el amor del mundo.

Tequila rose, fragrant, beautiful and delicate

TheTrials of Oscar Wilde

Gross Indecency is the name of the play showing in El Teatro Fernán Gómez in Madrid from 18th September.
It is in Spanish and it deals with the three trials Oscar Wilde had under the accusation of gross indecency. Now that the transcripts of the trial are public it will be interesting to hear Oscar Wilde´s  own defence.
Tickets for groups of ten are at a reduced price  so please contact us at asedow@gmail.com if you want to come along and see a Moises Kaufman adaptation of this trial with us.
 Here are some pictures of his school in Northern Ireland where he received his formidable education and a link to the theatre show.

The trials of Oscar Wilde

Map in Enniskillen showing train routes boys took from all over Ireland to go to Portora School

View from Portora School in beautiful County Fermanagh

A view that could be  seen from this window of the school.

Roman Concrete

Aqueduct in Segovia

Alcántara Bridge in Cáceres

Talking Point for Sept 20th 2017

According to the links Audrey sent us there is great interest in discovering the exact composition of Roman concrete as, believe it or not, that knowledge has disappeared. Time has shown that Roman concrete sets hard under water and its durability surpasses modern day concrete.
Spain has a fine legacy to prove the point.
An important ingredient was volcanic ash and Rome had plenty of that.

Compare with the Kingdome stadium in Seattle, a concrete building which was demolished by implosion after only thirty years, It had outlived its use they said.

Come to our talks and tell us about the Roman structures you have visited and how well they stand the test of time.

Be prepared!

Write to us at  asedow@gmail.com  for the links where you can watch the demolition of the stadium and read about the durability of Roman concrete.

Universidad Popular
Wednesday  19h

Sala 1.1.

OUR TALKS

Dress code in the 21st century

The picture shows the way schoolboys in Britain this year protested about the fact that their school uniform does not allow for shorts. During the heatwave in June, they had to wear long trousers to school.So they decided to borrow the girls' uniform and wear skirts.

Contact us for the links and find out what happened next. Join the discussion: asedow@gmail.com

Wednesday 13thSept 19h

News

Today September 6th ASEDOW will recommence its activities. There will be a meeting this evening at 19h. to draw up a calendar and make suggestions   💭💬 .
Sala 1.1. U.P. 
Metro Baunatal.

Pictures

Thank you Josephine Patane from NYC for sharing pics of your fantastic night out with the girls
 (Good luck Patri Lo in OZ!)

The day time pictures are mine, (Biddy) These are just a sample of a holiday time that is so exciting to relive year after year if you were brought up in Sanse and definitely worth checking out, if you were not.

Julia sent us the ones of the concerts. Both big names here in Spain.

          I asked Josephine Olivia what she thought of the 'chupinazo'  and to describe the fiestas from a New York City point of view. Here's what she said,

             ' I loved the chupinazo, it's fun to have an event like the fiestas that everyone can come out and experience no matter how old they are or how much money they have. 
Because of the liquor laws and the amount of people the same types of events aren't really possible in New York where everyone out on the streets is there for the same reason.'

           

Sanse's fiestas 2017 by night and by day.

Off to party

Chupinazo

Run for your life!

The cutest clothes/ lots of stalls

Chocolate and churros mmmmm

Last of the summer wine;) tinto de verano

Lots of places to eat and drink. Thanks Audrey!

The last show at the bullring

What a sky!

The best rides

The best concerts - Rosario

Mago de Oz

¡¡¡FELICES FIESTAS, SANSE!!!

El Pregón
Countdown to lift off

INICIATIVAS QUE HEMOS LLEVADO A CABO

ACTIVIDADES ASEDOW

INTERCAMBIO DE LIBROS

La Biblioteca Central de San Sebastián De Los Reyes siempre nos ha abierto las puertas. El interés por la lectura es un atractivo para las personas de habla inglesa en la zona.

Es lo que creemos y por ello, durante los últimos cinco años hemos montado un quiosco de libros en inglés en la entrada de la Biblioteca Central de San Sebastián de los Reyes.  Se celebra dos veces al año durante unos días. La idea es ofrecer a los lectores la oportunidad de cambiar un libro viejo, que ya han leído por otro, poniendo así los libros leídos en circulación. El resultado es que tenemos una gama amplia y ecléctica de libros. Nuestros socios son los que atienden al público que acude.

El Intercambio de libros  ha sido un buen escaparate para nuestra asociación y nuestro primer contacto con la Biblioteca Central .

La campaña se anunciaba en el periódico InMadrid y con carteles.

LECTURAS COMPARTIDAS

Es una idea que llevamos a cabo con nuestra amiga y trabajadora en la Biblioteca Central, Raquel Arribas

Las lecturas compartidas tienen lugar una vez al mes, también en la Biblioteca Central. Se anuncia en   la Plaza y está abierto al público. No hay que ser socio para participar.

Es un espacio para descubrir autores y obras en inglés de una manera social y dinámica. Se elige a un autor y libro y cada participante lee la intervención de un personaje o un fragmento de la obra. Luego lo comentamos de forma distendida.

Amigos de Reino Unido, Malta e Irlanda nos han acompañado y disfrutado con esta iniciativa formando parte del grupo de lectura.

De esta manera compartimos nuestro interés por la literatura con los vecinos de la zona ofreciéndoles la oportunidad de usar su inglés a la vez de descubrir a los grandes autores de la literatura escrita en inglés.

En 2015 hemos leído extractos de las obras de Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, John Steinbeck y seguiremos con Jane Austen y Emily Brontë.

El día de San Patricio hicimos una sesión especial en la que leímos cuentos escritos por los participantes del grupo de lectura.

A lo largo de estos años y con la subvención que hemos solicitado y obtenido del Ayuntamiento de San Sebastián De Los Reyes, hemos adquirido tomas de las obras completas de Oscar Wilde y relatos cortos de Roald Dahl para nuestros encuentros en la biblioteca.

CONCURSO LITERARIO

Es una idea de nuestro socio y vicepresidente de ASEDOW, José Labrador

ASEDOW organiza anualmente un concurso literario en inglés para niños y jóvenes de 6 a18 anos. Se envían invitaciones a los colegios e institutos públicos de San Sebastián de los Reyes para incentivar la participación.  Los cuentos recibidos son leídos por un jurado, que se compone cada año para la ocasión. En el jurado han participado representantes de la Embajada de Irlanda como su Agregada Cultural.  De nuevo la Biblioteca Central  ha hecho posible otra iniciativa muy bonita al permitirnos el uso del Salón de Actos para le Entrega de Premios

Los premios han sido patrocinados por FNAC que además en 2014 acogió la iniciativa haciendo una presentación oficial en el FORO FNAC del Plaza Norte de San Sebastián de los Reyes.

ASEDOW se hace cargo cada año de preparar un libreto con los cuentos de los aspirantes que se imprime y entrega a los participantes como recuerdo. Es precioso tanto el evento como la libreta como la ilusión  de los participantes

Esta iniciativa trata de impulsar la lectura y escritura en inglés entre los más pequeños.

SALIDAS Y PASEOS

Entre otras actividades hemos organizado salidas al teatro para nuestros socios, para ver  la pantomima de la Caperucita Roja en inglés o la obra de Mark Twain “Los Diarios de Adán y Eva”

Hemos organizado paseos por el Jardín Botánico de Madrid, y por Madrid Rio. En estas salidas se procura que los participantes aprovechen para hablar y usar su inglés. Usamos medios de transporte público o nuestros coches.

Solemos organizar caminatas en Rascaría, Cercedilla y la Dehesa Boyal con el mismo propósito, conversar en inglés y disfrutar de una actividad al aire libre.

UNIVERSIDAD POPULAR 2015

HAPPY WEDNESDAYS

Es una idea de nuestra socia Cristina Carcedo

Cada miércoles (menos el primer miércoles de mes) durante media hora los padres de niños pequeños pueden acompañar a sus hijos mientras escuchan un cuento leído en inglés. Los niños escuchan el cuento leído generalmente por una persona de habla inglesa, ven un videoclip y hacen una actividad de manualidades. Todo ello en media hora.

La socia de ASEDOW Audrey Horrocks, de Newcastle en Inglaterra suele hacerse cargo de esta actividad.

Esta actividad se ha propagado de boca a boca ya que no hemos tenido tiempo para crear pósteres y publicidad. La idea es ofrecer la oportunidad a los más pequeños de acercarse al mundo de habla inglesa de forma amable y sin presiones.

GRUPO DE CONVERSACIÓN

Es una idea de nuestro socio Luis Navajo

Los miércoles a las 18:30 la asociación organiza un grupo de conversación en inglés. Se elige un tema cada semana que se envía por correo junto con algún artículo de prensa o estudio para inspirar la participación en el debate. En 2015 se han tratado los siguientes temas:

• La extracción de petróleo en las Islas Canarias
• Sistemas Educativos
• La alegría
• La mendicidad en las calles
• El rol de las mujeres en el mundo de hoy
• Los lobos en Guadarrama
• La protección de la identidad
• Vida después de la muerte
• Un salario digno
• La preservación crionica
• Tradiciones sorprendentes
• Nanotecnología
   

Esta actividad se ha ampliado a un grupo nuevo los viernes a las 19h.

SALA DE TELEVISIÓN

En la misma sala de la U.P. hemos decidido organizar sesiones para ver y comentar series populares ej. Episodios de la serie Modern Family en inglés y tras el episodio charlar sobre dicho capítulo. La asociación pone a disposición de los socios DVDs, libros para utilizar en este tipo de actividades.

Además en ASEDOW hemos fomentado el interés por la literatura escrita en inglés al invitar a actores y escritores a hacer presentaciones y lecturas dramatizadas de grandes escritores.

Hemos colaborado con las AMPAS de Joan Miro, CP Buero Vallejo y C.P, Príncipe Felipe y prestamos atención a las ideas de la gente que se acerca a nosotros para ofrecer el tipo de actividad que se adecúa a sus demandas.

EL FUTURO INMEDIATO

• Nos encantaría organizar un viaje a Irlanda 

Solidarity with Barcelona.

17th August 2017 

TRADITIONAL FESTIVITIES IN MADRID

25th August - 31st August  Fiestas en San Sebastián De Los Reyes

These fiestas are also known as Little Pamplona because of the important bull fights and the possibility of seeing  bull running through the streets each morning at 11h.

There are good concerts which this year are free and lots of activity in the streets.

Here is the full programme.

FIESTAS AGOSTO 2017 San Sebastián De Los Reyes

It all begins with the CHUPINAZO ... the inaugural rocket goes off and bottles of cider are popped open in the Plaza Mayor. Everyone gets soaked in cider but not to worry, you will be drenched in water thrown from balconies and well cleaned before you head to the fair!

An exciting new app

A startup app publishing company from beautiful Barcelona has been in touch with us to show us their fabulous initiative. They are bringing classical literature to life with animation, music and voices while  using the original text.

Their latest publication is The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde. However, this is actually their second publication of Wilde's work. Their first was a set of stories, one of which was the inspiration for this association, The Selfish Giant. 

Together with The Happy Prince and The Nightingale and The Rose, these stories can be seen and viewed in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese. 

FIND OUT MORE IN THE LINK BELOW


http://iclassicscollection.com/en/project/canterville/

IF IT IS MUSIC YOU ARE LOOKING FOR....

...YOU'LL FIND IT HERE 😊

CASTLEWELLAN SOMA FESTIVAL 2017

This weekend In Madrid

If you are wondering what this is all about , just go along, 

ALSO

The Boomsday Society and The Yeats Society will be putting on a performance of  selected readings from Yeats and Joyce at the María Pandora Café in Las Vistillas on Friday evening too. Highly recommendable. 

 In Madrid there are great, dedicated, talented actors.

See for yourself.

www.englishtheatremadrid.com   English Theatre have a new play. Don't miss it!

Summer Reading

Members are welcome to borrow and exchange paperbacks.
We have a nice collection. We even have The Moon and Sixpence.
We read the opening chapters even though they were pretty difficult.
Well done all of you! That title comes from another story by Somerset Maugham suggesting that  people are so preoccupied looking down for sixpence  ( a little silver coin now out of use) that they don't look up to see the moon.

The room will be open tomorrow 15th June at 19h.
Also on Friday morning at 11h
Universidad Popular San Sebastián De Los Reyes  Sala 1.1

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2017

CONNECTING PEOPLE AND NATURE is the theme for this year's World Environment Day. 

Here the camera records those WOW! moments and Judith has shared them with us. So refreshing in hot Madrid!

Where is this? Do you think you know? 

Chapeau to the two gentlemen of football!

Chapeau!

Congratulations M.  Zidane ! 

Newcastle Utd's Rafa

And to their teams and fans of course. Another Cup in Madrid.
A good talking point could be football and the good energy it generates  and if it can play a role in world peace.