textos de alunos: "Take a minute, take five!"

 Mais uma sugestão. Agora de Maria Vilaça, do 11ºG, na subcategoria "Fun Corner, Chill out time".

source Tik Tok

cortesia do envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a minute, take five!"

Subcategoria ""The World Around Us"

I'm João Sousa and the festivity that I chose to talk about was the Inti Raymi in Peru.

Inti Raymi

Inti Raymi ("Inti Festival" in Quechua) is a traditional religious ceremony, in Peru, of the Inca Empire in honor of Inti (Quechua "sun"), the most revered god in the Inca religion. It's a celebration of the winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year between sunrise and sunset -- and the Inca New Year, when the hours of light will again lengthen. In regions south of the equator, June and July are the winter months. It happened on June 24th. During the Inca Empire, Inti Raymi was the most important of the four ceremonies celebrated in Cuzco, according to Inca Ciraso de la Vega. Celebrations are held at Haukaypata, or the main square of the city.

According to the chronicler Garcilaso de la Vega, Sapa Inca Pachacuti created Inti Raymi in the Andes in the southern hemisphere to celebrate the new year. The ritual also symbolizes the mythical origins of the Incas. Lasting nine days, it is filled with colorful dances and processions, as well as animal sacrifices to thank Pachamama and ensure a bountiful harvest. The first Inti Raymi was held in 1412. The last Inti Raymi in the presence of an Inca emperor took place in 1535. Thereafter, the Spanish colonists and their Catholic priests banned Inca ceremonies and other religious practices. 

In 1944, Faustino Espinoza Navarro and indigenous actors directed the historical reconstruction of Inti Raymi. The first reconstruction, based mainly on the chronicles of Garcilaso de la Vega, relates only to religious ceremonies. Since 1944, the annual Inti Raymi theatrical performance has been held every June 24 in Saksaywaman, two kilometers from the original location of the celebration in downtown Cusco. It attracts thousands of tourists and locals.

Inti Raymi is still celebrated in indigenous cultures of the Andes. Celebrations include music, colorful costumes, most notably woven Aya Huma masks, and food sharing. In many parts of the Andes, however, the celebration is also associated with the Western Catholic feast of St. John the Baptist, June 24, which occurs a few days after the southern winter solstice, June 21. Festivities begin today at Qorikancha, followed by the Plaza de Armas and other important Inca sites.

João Sousa, 11º C

cortesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a Minute, Take Five!"

 O projeto TAKE A MINUTE, TAKE FIVE está de volta!

No seu segundo ano, o projeto visa ser um espaço online de expressão em língua inglesa, feito por e para os alunos do 3º ciclo e secundário, dando assim voz às suas preocupações e visões do mundo.

Utilizando diferentes linguagens, os alunos poderão dar asas à sua criatividade e espírito crítico, exprimindo conhecimentos de várias áreas do saber, despertando a curiosidade e sentido crítico sobre o mundo que os rodeia, exercendo assim o seu direito de participação e Cidadania.

O projeto prevê publicações ideais para pausas de 1 a 5 minutos no seu dia-a-dia, organizadas em 5 categorias:

Speak up your mind

Did you know? Now you know!

The world around us

What do you mean?

Fun corner/Chill out time

Estejam atentos!                                                   

cortesia de envio de Constância Silva, professora coordenadora do projeto

"Take a minute, take five!"

Mais um texto de alunos, a terminar a série "Take a minute, take five!". 
Desta feita a colaboração é da  Carolina Cunha, aluna do 10º D., que envia mais uma curiosidade cultural da subcategoria "Did you know? Now you know".

Buthan

Bhutan is a small country in the middle of the Himalayas, where Buddhism is law. The inhabitants of this country still wear the traditional dress, work in agriculture for the most part and live in small villages, lost between hills and valleys. In Tibetan, Bhutan means "The Land of the Dragon", bordering India and China.

Bhutan is famous for its monasteries, fortresses and impressive landscapes and known for having a warm and extremely gentle population, and also as the "country of happiness" or as "Earth’s last paradise". This is due to the fact that the culture of this exotic country is authentic and very preserved.

The title "Earth’s last paradise" is due to the fact that this Buddhist kingdom remained isolated from the rest of the world until the 1960s. With this, there is a sense that time has slowed down there and the part of so many technological changes that have affected the whole world. Its culture, many traditions linked to spirituality and its nature have remained untouched and well preserved and today they are great attractions for the select tourists who visit the country.

The title "country of happiness" is due to the fact that the Bhutanese government is concerned about the well-being and happiness of its people. Bhutan was the first country to implement an index called Gross Domestic Happiness and, before making important decisions, the government calculates the impact of these actions on the happiness of its population.

Carolina Cunha, 10ºD

cortesia do envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a minute, take five!"

Não, não é um engano! É mais um texto de alunos, curiosidade cultural, subcategoria "Did you know? Now you know", proposta de Francisco Miranda, 10º D.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu, also called "lost city of the Incas" is a well-preserved pre-Columbian city, located on top of a mountain, at 2,400 meters of altitude, in the valley of the Urubamba River, present-day Peru.

It was built at the beginning of the 15th century, around 1420. The site is probably the most typical symbol of the Inca Empire, both because of its original location and geological features. The construction is formed by larger stones, and with fittings with little space between the rocks.

It consists of two large areas: the agricultural area formed mainly by terraces and food storage areas; and the urban area, in which the sacred area with temples, squares and royal mausoleums stands out. The layout of the buildings, the excellence of the work and the large number of terraces for agriculture are impressive, highlighting the great skills of that society. In the middle of the mountains, the temples, houses and cemeteries are distributed in an organized way, opening streets and taking advantage of the space with staircases. According to Inca history, everything was planned for the passage of the Sun God.

The place has been elevated to the category of UNESCO World Heritage Site, having been the subject of concerns due to the interaction with tourism as it is one of the most visited historic sites in Peru.

                                                                                                                                                                               Francisco Miranda, 10.º D

cortesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a minute, take five!"

Não, não é um engano! É mais um texto de alunos, curiosidade cultural, subcategoria "Did you know? Now you know", proposta de Francisco Miranda, 10º D.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu, also called "lost city of the Incas" is a well-preserved pre-Columbian city, located on top of a mountain, at 2,400 meters of altitude, in the valley of the Urubamba River, present-day Peru.

It was built at the beginning of the 15th century, around 1420. The site is probably the most typical symbol of the Inca Empire, both because of its original location and geological features. The construction is formed by larger stones, and with fittings with little space between the rocks.

It consists of two large areas: the agricultural area formed mainly by terraces and food storage areas; and the urban area, in which the sacred area with temples, squares and royal mausoleums stands out. The layout of the buildings, the excellence of the work and the large number of terraces for agriculture are impressive, highlighting the great skills of that society. In the middle of the mountains, the temples, houses and cemeteries are distributed in an organized way, opening streets and taking advantage of the space with staircases. According to Inca history, everything was planned for the passage of the Sun God.

The place has been elevated to the category of UNESCO World Heritage Site, having been the subject of concerns due to the interaction with tourism as it is one of the most visited historic sites in Peru.

                                                                                                                                                                               Francisco Miranda, 10.º D

cortesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a minute, take five!"

Mais um texto de alunos, curiosidade cultural, subcategoria "Did you know? Now you know", proposta de Ana Rita Santos, 10º B.

                                                          Easter Island (Ilha de Páscoa), Chile

Easter Island or Rapa Nui is a territory of Chile that is located in the southern Pacific Ocean.

It is a triangular volcanic island with an area of approximately 170 km2.

This island has several mysteries. Its capital is Hanga Roa, where most of its inhabitants live. This island has 4,000 inhabitants. Before becoming part of the territory of Chile in 1888, it had been under Spanish rule since 1770.

Before the arrival of the Spanish, the civilization that inhabited the place was called Rapa Nui. They had a hieroglyphic writing called rongo-rongo or rongorongo. Some of the mysteries about this island are related to why this civilization has disappeared and not how they built the nearly 900 Moais, the immense statues with human forms carved in volcanic rock, which are scattered around the island. These gigantic sculptures are between 3 and 20 meters high, and their weight can reach tons.

Ana Rita Santos, 10.º B

cortesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a minute, take five!"

 Mais um texto de alunos, curiosidade cultural, subcategoria "Did you know? Now you know", proposta de João Sousa, 10.º D.

                                Huacachina, Ica, Peru: Desert Oasis and Giant Sand Dunes

Huacachina is a village of Peru, near the city of Ica, about 4 hours from Lima. The scenery might make you feel like you were instantly teleported into the middle of the Sahara Desert.

Nested in the heart of impressive sand dunes, the Huacachina desert oasis looks like a miracle of Nature. It is the last place where you would expect to find such a body of water!

In fact, desert oases are extremely rare in the Americas. Many say that Huacachina is the one and only desert oasis in the whole of South America.

The desert lagoon had been quite popular with the people of Lima until the 1950’s, but it was then more or less abandoned. It was only in the 1990’s that a few visionary people and businessmen brought it back to life. Nowadays, it made it to the list of tourism hotspots in Peru.

Short video about this extraordinary place:

                                                                                                                                                                                João Sousa 10.º D

                                                                                 cortesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

                                                                                                                               

"Take a minute, take five!"

Mais um texto de alunos, curiosidade cultural, subcategoria "Did you know? Now you know", proposta de Carolina Cunha, 10º D.

Two interesting facts about South Korea:

The flag

The Korean flag is called "taegeukgi" (if you want to know, it is pronounced as "teh-GUK-key"). The colors of the flag are red, blue, and black on a white background. The flag stands for the three components of a nation: the land (the white background), the people (the red and blue circle), and the government (the four sets of black bars or trigrams).

Korean age

Korean age is a way that Koreans calculate their age and it is always 1 or 2 years more than their international age.

Koreans consider a year in the womb as counting towards their age, so everyone is 1 year old at birth.

Everyone gets one year added to their Korean age on New Year's Day.

This is the only country where people do that, but not for long. The new government wants to stick to the international system instead of “Korean age” because of issues arising during age determination for COVID-19 vaccination.

                                                            Japan - capsule hotels

Capsule hotels are a type of accommodation that is composed of rows of compact and independent "capsules", also known as "cocoon hotel". These minimalist cubicles, with enough space for a bed, offer guests a private place to sleep in addition to access to communal facilities such as bathrooms and showers.

These establishments offer affordable accommodation for tired employees,  or those who have had a little too much to drink, to spend the night if they missed the last train back home.

However, capsule hotels have recently turned into an attraction, and spending a night in one of these hotels is one of the items on the travel list of several foreign tourists. This triggered a new wave of modern capsule hotels, and more quality as the fame of this type of accommodation increased. The result is generally as clean, secure and enjoyable as any other type of hotel.

Capsule hotels can be found in most of Japan’s major cities. They tend to stay close to the train stations, providing an extremely convenient accommodation option.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Carolina Cunha, 10.ºD                             cortesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a minute, take five!"

Mais um texto de alunos, curiosidade cultural, subcategoria "Did you know? Now you know", proposta de Carolina Cunha, 10º D.

Two interesting facts about South Korea:

The flag

The Korean flag is called "taegeukgi" (if you want to know, it is pronounced as "teh-GUK-key"). The colors of the flag are red, blue, and black on a white background. The flag stands for the three components of a nation: the land (the white background), the people (the red and blue circle), and the government (the four sets of black bars or trigrams).

Korean age

Korean age is a way that Koreans calculate their age and it is always 1 or 2 years more than their international age.

Koreans consider a year in the womb as counting towards their age, so everyone is 1 year old at birth.

Everyone gets one year added to their Korean age on New Year's Day.

This is the only country where people do that, but not for long. The new government wants to stick to the international system instead of “Korean age” because of issues arising during age determination for COVID-19 vaccination.

                                                            Japan - capsule hotels

Capsule hotels are a type of accommodation that is composed of rows of compact and independent "capsules", also known as "cocoon hotel". These minimalist cubicles, with enough space for a bed, offer guests a private place to sleep in addition to access to communal facilities such as bathrooms and showers.

These establishments offer affordable accommodation for tired employees,  or those who have had a little too much to drink, to spend the night if they missed the last train back home.

However, capsule hotels have recently turned into an attraction, and spending a night in one of these hotels is one of the items on the travel list of several foreign tourists. This triggered a new wave of modern capsule hotels, and more quality as the fame of this type of accommodation increased. The result is generally as clean, secure and enjoyable as any other type of hotel.

Capsule hotels can be found in most of Japan’s major cities. They tend to stay close to the train stations, providing an extremely convenient accommodation option.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Carolina Cunha, 10.ºD                             cortesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a minute, take five!"

Mais um texto de alunos, curiosidade cultural, subcategoria "Did you know? Now you know", proposta de Rafael Cunha, 10.º C.

                                                                     India - Mehendi

A pre-wedding preparation ritual takes place when the bride and groom have their bodies drawn with henna. Hands, feet, ankles, wrists, and the palm of the hand are drawn with flowers, peacocks, and other elements that represent good luck.

The Mehendi is known for its handiwork and the art it symbolizes, and brides are highlighted in this moment, with very elaborate drawings up to their elbows! Grooms also often use art, but in simpler designs and with less emphasis.

Rafael Cunha, 10.ºC

cotesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a minute, take five!"

 Mais um texto de alunos, desta vez uma curiosidade cultural, proposta de Midory Endo, 10ºD.

                              Tacacá (Brazilian food)

Tacacá is a dish widely consumed in northern Brazil, especially in June festival seasons. Its origin comes from the natives, so the preparation of this recipe takes many common ingredients from Pará.

Tucupi, cassava gum, dried shrimps and jambu leaves are the main components of a true tacacá. Of these ingredients, what stands out most is the jambu, a plant that in contact with the mouth brings a feeling of light tingling that leaves the tacacá very characteristic.

A traditional tacacá dish is served in its own bowl, produced by the indigenous people of the lower Amazon region.

The utensil is produced from the fruit of the bowl, which is scraped from the outside to stay smooth and decorated with the typical art of the Indians, using the cumaté.

All this makes tacacá not only a typical dish, but a culinary experience that transports us to a country's past, which comes from before the discoveries.

link: Tacacá: história, cultura e sabor típico paraense | CyberCook                                                                                Midory Endo, 10ºD

cortesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a minute, take five!"

 Mais um texto de alunos, subcategoria "Did you know? Now you know", publicação da autoria de Simão Couto, 10ºD.

Floralis Genérica, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires, Argentina:

Floralis generica is a metallic sculpture made in 2002. The sculpture is located in the center of a four-hectare wooded park, surrounded by trails that offer different perspectives of the monument, which is located above a water mirror.

Curiosities:

- It is 23 meters high;

-The monument weighs 18 tons;

- It is made of stainless steel with aluminum skeleton;

Simão Couto, 10.ºD

cortesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a minute, take five!"

Mais um texto de alunos, curiosidade cultural, subcategoria "Did you know? Now you know", proposta da Sofia Santos, 10.º C.

  Scotland - kilt

Why do Scottish men wear skirts?

Everyone knows that it's not common to see men wearing skirts, but in Scotland it changes a little, and besides, it's very common for male people to wear this type of clothing, especially if it's checkered in red and black.

This “skirt” worn by the Scots has a specific name: Kilt, which is an adaptation of a wool tunic known as a plaid. By the end of the XIV century, the kilt was already used by a good part of the Gaelic people who lived in Ireland at that time.

But why do the Scots use it, too?

Well, with the migration of the Gaels to the Highlands region, which is located in the north and west of Scotland, the piece ended up being adopted by the people of that region. Because it is a humid and rainy region, these kilts ended up serving as protection against humidity and cold for those who wore them.

The origin of the name “Kilt” comes from the fact that the garment is attached to the body as a kind of cloak, after all, the translation of this term in the ancient Scottish language means “to attach a garment to the body”. It was only in the XVIII century that the kilt began to be used by the Scots, even this format was created by themselves.

In the following century, the kilt was adopted as a national symbol and today it is used by all Scots and even by citizens of other countries, such as those of England. The costume is commonly used at formal parties, fashion events and by the audience at sports games.

Sofia Santos, 10.ºC

cortesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER

"Take a minute, take five!"

 Mais um texto de alunos, curiosidade cultural, subcategoria "Did you know? Now you know", proposta da Ana Margarida, 10.º B.

China - big nails

If you ever go to China, you might come across some people with big nails, so they can be considered nobility since working with or growing big nails is a difficult and almost impossible task as the nails end up breaking.

People had long fingernails so that people would think they didn't need to work. As a consequence, having big nails is quite common in China.

Ana Margarida Ferreira, 10ºB

cotesia de envio de Constância Silva, docente de Inglês e colaboradora do CRESCER