E-connexion - international

Fun and weird zap! (#3)

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 17:25:00 +0200

Unlucky MAN...

A man in Orange County, Fla., was killed in a freak accident Thursday when he was run over by his own car, according to a Local 6 News report. Police said the 62-year-old man was pushing his car from behind on Goldeneye Drive Thursday when the vehicle somehow rolled over him. The man's identity was not released Thursday.

Caw accident

SOUTH DAKOTA- The Highway Patrol says few car crashes this morning was caused by roaming cows.
Captain Brandon Kevin Sanders (typical name from US) says three cows were loose by a itinerant rodeo show (typical too).
The extent of the injuries are not yet known

There is no respect anymore

As my Grand Father said

I'm not an alcoholic, I'm a drunk!
Alcoholics go to meetings!

The drunker I sit here, the longer I get.

Everybody should believe in something.
I believe I'll have another drink.

I'm not as think as you drunk I am.

Being single is nice...

A frustrated German housewife called police because her husband would not stop watching porn movies. The 44-year-old woman, from Aachen, dialled the emergency police number and told the dispatcher in a weepy voice there was an emergency.

But when officers arrived at the scene they found her pacing the apartment while her husband, 46, sat in front of the TV watching a blue movie. She told the police: "Nothing will move him, not even if I offer him the real thing, and he has the TV on so loud I'm sure the neighbours can hear it."

She was told however that there was nothing the police could do in such a case, but refer her to a counsellor for help.

Shopping idea

Erasmus (#2)

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 23:40:00 +0100

Main figures

-13 different countries.
-22 universities with bilateral agreements.
-from 30 to 40 outgoing students per year and between 20 and 30 incoming students

European partnerships

-1 university in Berlin
-2 in Belgium, both in Anvers.
-2 in Spain, 3 in Madrid, 1 in Valencia, and the last one in Elche
-1 in Finland, in Vasaa, in the north of the country.
-1 in Athens (in Greece)
-1 university in Milan
-2 in Portugal : Porto and Lisbon
-2 new partnerships with Polonese universities
-4 in the United Kingdom. (Loughborough, Warwick, Stafforshire, Glasgow)

You said crepuq, did you ?

Crepuq stands for « Conférence des recteurs et présidents des universités québécoises».
It’s a private organisation comprising, on a voluntary basis, all of Quebec’s universities.
CREPUQ was founded in 1963 and was incorporated in 1967 as a non-profit corporation. It has had a permanent secretariat since January 1968.

Most of its budget comes from annual membership fees. Crepuq permits to many students to come in Québec to follow their Studies.
The twenty universities who are concerned by this organisation are listed right here :

Claudia a cousin from quebec

Can you tell us about Quebec ?
It’s a small city of around 500,000 people. People who are very cordial, by the way. Quebec is an old city, like Lille. The city is close to ski’stations, it’s very pleasant to live here if you like nature, and sports.

What about your university, Laval ?
We are about 35,000 students on the campus which is close to the downtown St Foix.
The campus is composed of many faculties which all have theirs owns buildings.
The associations are very important, especially in sports, we have a basketball team, an ice hockey team, a football team (not soccer). Another thing to know is about students’housing, on the campus there are residences but the better system is to live with roomates because the appartments are half less expensive.

What can you say to conclude ?
Come on and discover our culture : viens dans la cabane à sucre, boire du caribou (typical alcool but i don’t want to know with what it’s made) jouer des cuillères et danser le rigodon. A modern country but full of traditions and proud of it french background. To discover, absolutely.

Anglo-saxon zapping! (#2)

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 23:10:00 +0100

USA: Beginning again

Construction of the World Trade Centre Memorial is finally due to begin in March. Michael Bloomberg, New York's mayor, said the total cost, which would include related projects such as a visitor’s centre, would be $1 billion: double the initial estimate. The memorial is planned to open on September 11th 2009.
Mr Bloomberg and Chuck Schumer, a New York senator, have publicly disputed plans for the site’s future. The mayor recently proposed the area should include more residential space. Mr Schumer, however, says the city should promote commercial building by giving the site’s developer $1.8 billion in Liberty Bonds, a tax-free financing scheme. He also proposed that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey should move into the Freedom Tower, the main new skyscraper. The rebuilding is largely controlled by George Pataki, New York's governor, and the Port Authority, which owns the site. Mr Pataki would like work to start on the tower in April 2006.

Australia:

When the Queen first visited Australia in 1954, her subjects were so enthusiastic about her tour that security had to be beefed up to protect the glamorous young monarch from too much colonial affection. There seemed to be no need for that 12th of march when she arrived for her 15th visit to open the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Wednesday. Police estimated about 400 people were at Canberra's Fairbairn air base to greet the Queen. In a few weeks the Queen will turn 80 and there is speculation this will be her last visit.

South africa:

The Erna and Victor Hasselblad Foundation has selected South African photographer David Goldblatt to receive the 2006 Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography. The prize will be presented at a ceremony held in Göteborg, Sweden, on November 25, 2006. A new exhibition of David Goldblatt's work, curated and organised by the Hasselblad Centre, will be opened in conjunction with the ceremony. The Foundation's had decided to award Goldblatt the award as his "is a life long observation of the social and political developments within South African society". He has been concerned to explore the relationship between individual subjects and the structures within which they live. His interest in the violent history of his country, and his awareness of the symbolic significance of architecture, form an extraordinary statement both personal and socio-political. Photography, in the words of David Goldblatt, reveals 'something of the subtlety and ambiguity of our shifting and frequently contradictory perceptions of reality'. His acute historical and political perception provides a sense of the texture of daily life, and an important piece of missing information regarding life under apartheid in South Africa."

Scotland:

Actor Sir Sean Connery has undergone surgery to remove a tumour from his kidney. The James Bond star had the operation a few weeks ago in a private hospital in New York and has made a full recovery. "He's very fit, he's 100% plus," said a spokesman for the 75-year-old, who played the role of Bond in the 1960s. Sir Sean is back at home in the Bahamas and will return to work shortly - his next job is to record a voiceover for the Scottish National Party. "It is true that Sean had a successful procedure carried out some weeks ago but he's now fighting fit and raring to go," said SNP leader Alex Salmond. The party political broadcast featuring Sir Sean's voice is due to be shown early next month.

Proverbs

From Malta: The world is nonsense: what looks beautiful in the morning looks ugly in the evening.

From Ireland: If you have mistaken the hat, makes sure at least that it suits you.

From Nigeria: Going slowly does not prevent to arrive.

So british (#2)

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 20:00:51 +0100

Two men and a succes

Little Britain is a BBC radio and television sketch show written by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Its title is an amalgamation of the terms 'Little England' and 'Great Britain'. It made its debut on BBC Radio 4 in 2001, running for two short series of five and four half-hour episodes, respectively. Then the series was adapted on the BBC 3, before unloading on BBC 2 then BBC one, while being each time a large success of audience. And it’s absolutely fabulous! If you liked Monty Pythons, then devour as fast as possible this new comic success on the other side of the channel.

Andy & Lou: two characters so famous that they have their wax statues at Madame Tussaud’s in London

The series' style superficially appears to be vulgar, 'lowest denominator' comedy, but mixed with social criticisms and stereotypes, the whole gives a really intelligent humour. It plays heavily on memorable catchphrases that have become ingrained in playgrounds and offices around the UK. The format of the show is a compilation of short sketches featuring familiar characters, linked by narration from Tom Baker. The voiceovers take a wry look at Britain, with comically absurd statements on the nation's character, such as, "Britain ... We've had running water for over 10 years and we invented the cat" or, "Unlike other countries, Britain has people of two genders: male and female."
Ultimately, Little Britain is a series became worship, with its batch of charismatic characters like Daffyd "the only gay of the village", Emily "the somewhat male lady" or Vicky the English teenager in all her splendour. One quickly becomes an addict. Unfortunately the DVD are not easily available in France and there’s no national chains to invest in a phenomenon which however exceeded the britanic borders.

Daffyd is sure that is the « only gay in the village »

USA connexion (#2)

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 19:53:34 +0100

Another french star in nba

With a high level athlete as a father (high jumper) and a mother who was the captain of the national basketball team of France with 247 caps, many will say that Boris’ destiny was already written.

Boris joins the INSEP in 1999. There he meets Tony Parker and Ronny Turiaf and the three bound with a strong friendship. The minutes spent on the court during a game are golden and Boris proves excellent; pro clubs in France are starting to scout him as well as the most prestigious colleges and universities in the US. After successfully graduating from high school and following his title of European Junior champion with a French national team that was led by Pierre Vincent, Boris begins his career in Pau.

He spends three years in Pau, working on his game at the highest level in Europe, whether playing in the Euroligue, or with the national team. 2003 will be fantastic as Boris wins every possible title in France and is elected as the player of the year by the players themselves. Following that season, Boris finally decides to enter the NBA draft where he is selected at number 21 by the Atlanta Hawks. In 2003 he also becomes a key player in the French national team.

His first two seasons in the NBA are very encouraging as he often enters the starting five. In the summer of 2005, Boris is traded to the Suns in Phoenix, the best team from the 2004-2005 regular season.

This year, Boris is doing an amazing season. He averages among 13pts per game, with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. He’s now the second french star in NBA, in a very spectacular team, the Suns. According to their good results, Phoenix’s guys have many chances to meet Tony Parker and the spurs for a conference final in playoffs. Answer in few months...

USA connexion (#1)

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 15:00:00 +0100

Zapping…

-The government's plans to evacuate people from New Orleans in the approach of a catastrophic storm were only 10 percent complete a month before Hurricane Katrina, newly released documents show.

-A January heat wave came to an end across New England this week as a storm brought dropping temperatures and heavy snow that closed scores of schools and caused road-closing traffic accidents. Up to 10 inches fell in some areas from eastern New York to Maine.

-SAN JOSE, California G. Scott Hubbard, who has led a NASA research center since 2002 and investigated the space shuttle Columbia tragedy, is stepping down to accept a position with an organization that studies the possibility of life beyond Earth.

-A research team led by Syracuse University biologist Scott Pitnick found that in bat species where the females are promiscuous, the males boasting the largest testicles also had the smallest brains. Conversely, where the females were faithful, the males had smaller testes and larger brains.

Let’s hit the ball !

Many people in the Americas and East Asia like baseball. In many countries, it is the favorite sport of most people. In the United States, baseball is called the national pastime.

A game is played by two teams, each team has nine players. On the baseball field, there are four bases. The baseball field has two main parts, the infield and the outfield. The infield is where the four bases are. The outfield is past the bases, between first and third base. First base and third base are on the foul lines, which go on into the outfield. Outside the foul lines is foul territory.

The game is played in nine steps, called innings. In an inning, each team has one turn to bat and try to score runs. When one team bats, the other team pitches and tries to put the other team's players out. The team that is pitching always has the ball. This is different from most team sports. When three players of the batting team are out, the teams change places. Then the team that was batting starts pitching, and the team that was pitching starts batting. After nine innings, the team that has the most runs is the winner. If the teams have the same number of runs, they play more innings until one team wins. At the start of the game, the home team pitches, while players on the visiting team bat. Only one player can bat at a time.

The batter's job is to hit the ball so the batting team can get some runs. The catcher's job is to catch any ball that the batter does not hit. Also, the catcher tells the pitcher how to throw the ball. The batting team wants to score runs.

In order to score a run, a player must bat, then become a base runner, touch all the bases in order, and then touch home plate. So first, the batter wants to make other players get to home plate, or to run the bases himself. The batter tries to hit the ball between the foul lines, so that the fielding team cannot get anyone out. The pitcher tries to pitch the ball so that the batter cannot hit it well.

A baserunner who touches home plate after touching all previous bases in order scores a run. When there is a fence around the field, when the batter hits the ball over the fence it is a home run. After the batter hits a home run, the batter and all the runners can touch all the bases and score.

Jokes:

Q:How can you tell it's midnight at an American airport?

A: When you see the 8:00 PM flights taking off.

You should always give 100% at work... 12% Monday, 23% Tuesday, 40% Wednesday, 20% Thursday, 5% Friday...

Q: What's the difference between a car salesman and a computer salesman?

A: The car salesman can probably drive!

So british... (#1)

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 14:50:00 +0100

How bad are we in foreign langages:

A third of the French’s don’t speak or understand English but the majority of them think it’s important to learn Shakespeare’ language. Only 6% of probed say to have a perfect command of English. Twelve percent explain to understand it and to talk "rather well". Among the 15-24 years, this proportion passes to 32%.

On the whole, 34% of the French say not to speak English but among the young people alone 6% of probed make this confession. The training of the foreign languages at the primary school, and the college is regarded as significant by 88% of the questioned people, an estimating third of them even that it has "priority".

What a stupid language!

Have you ever wondered why foreigners have trouble with the English Language? Let's face it English is a stupid language.

Let me show it in three points :

• There is no egg in the eggplant. No ham in the hamburger. And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.

• English muffins were not invented in England. French fries were not invented in France.

• If a vegetarian eats vegetables. What the heck does a humanitarian eat!?

Did I just convince you?

Jack Straw speech in Davos:

Jack Straw has warned the international community against Iran's resumption of its nuclear research programme, in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. The UK foreign secretary has also held talks in Davos with the head of the UN's atomic watchdog, the IAEA. The UK, Germany, France and the USA want Iran to be referred to the United Nations Security Council for censure. But IAEA head Mohamed El-Baradei has indicated that any decision should wait until he reports in March.

Jokes for economists:

Question : How many economists does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer : Irrelevant - the light bulb's preferences are to be taken as given

A True Story:

“A professor was about to get married. He went to the jewellers to get a wedding ring for his fiancée. The jeweller told him that he can have the inside of the ring engraved with the name of his fiancée for an additional $20 (remember, this was a LONG time ago). He said, "But that will reduce the resale value!" The jeweller was aghast. He said, "How can you say such a thing. You are a butcher!" "No," replied the professor, "I am an economist"

English in FLSEG (#1)

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 14:48:36 +0100

English: an essential tool for tomorrow.

You should be blind not to see that English language has a huge and increasing place in our world. Speaking English became necessary to move into tomorrow’s world. And this is even truer in medium of business and economy.

The FLSEG understood well these facts, and that’s why tools are developed in our faculty to help students to improve their English. Thus for few years students have an access to self learning, the Espace Langues, the TOEIC and English projects. Pedagogy is progressive to lead students to learn and improve through written and oral works, debates, and more and more interviews. The aim is to prepare us for tomorrow’s world market.

It’s true that in L1 and L2 self learning is quite boring, but English is something really important for most of us, and we have to complete our education step by step. Our motivations in learning English are different, some of us would like to travel, for others the aim is international business and so on, and FLSEG gives us many tools to succeed in. For all that, E-connexion deals with Anglo-Saxon world in English. And that’s why we hope that you will pay attention to English pages and enjoy it.

The “Espace Langues” : learn and enjoy !

A new bigger room, a new team and new tools, the “Espace Langues” is growing in FLSEG. Interview with Patrick Ngatcha and Yolande Takone, two students in charge of this place where you can learn and improve many languages in an other way. Come in and relax.

E-connexion : Can you describe us the philosophy of the “Espace Langues”?

Yolande & Patrick: There are two starting objectives: to integrate the Erasmus students and to help FLSEG students with languages. Thus the Erasmus students can share their culture and the others can learn much from it. With professors we also set up extra teaching and we want to create links and mutual aid between students. The other logical objective is to make the “Espace Langues” lively, to make it friendly and to have lots of students coming in.

E-C: What do you actually propose to students?

Y&P: The first thing we propose is an adapted school support, in particular to prepare the TOEIC (books, computers…). Moreover a TOEIC simulation will be organized. We also propose permanencies for the language work, and the planning is posted in the entry of the room (and soon in E-connexion’s blog ). Afterwards, the other activities are more playful: plays, series in VO every midday, information in English and Spanish and we would like to propose movies. But the most important thing is the contact with the Erasmus students, and we have in project to set up a language coffee in this end.

E-C: Is the frequentation of the room sufficient for you?

Y&P: Not really. It’s quite disappointing because students don’t often come in. In general, there are often the same ones which come: accustomed. On the level of Erasmus or FLSEG’s students, we hope that a little more interest will be given to this place.

E-C: In few words, what would you say to motivate students for coming here?

Y&P: They would win a lot in coming here! It’s entertaining and they could improve their foreign languages. The Espace Langues is a mix of cultures and we all learn much more than only a language.

To be continued in Espace Langues, in floor 2, in front of the BDE

Erasmus (#1)

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 14:20:00 +0100

Présentation:

Erasmus est un programme européen qui vise à renforcer la dimension européenne de l’enseignement supérieur grâce à de multiples actions : échanges d'étudiants et d'enseignants, développement conjoint de programmes d'études, programmes intensifs internationaux, réseaux thématiques entre départements et facultés de toute l'Europe, cours de langues, système européen de transfert d'unités de cours capitalisables (le LMD). Erasmus est accessible aux étudiants de toutes les facultés des 25 états membres de l’UE. Je ne les énumère pas ici, puisque vous en êtes tous capables, bien entendu… Quelques chiffres importants : 2 199 établissements d'enseignement supérieur de 31 pays participent à Erasmus. Depuis la création d'Erasmus en 1987, 1,2 million d'étudiants ont accompli une période d'études à l'étranger grâce à cette action. Le budget d'Erasmus pour 2004 s'élève à plus de 187,5 millions d'euros.

Pour tout savoir sur Erasmus :

• www.europa.eu.int/comm/education

• www.education.gouv.fr/int/erasmus.htm

Comment faire ?

Pour tous ceux qui seraient intéressés pour partir l’an prochain, c’est trop tard mais sachez que vous pouvez partir en L2 si excellent dossier, ou en L3 ou M1, avec dans ce dernier cas la possibilité de réaliser son stage dans la foulée à l’étranger. Infos sur icampus.

Interviews:

Marion, erasmus a porto:

Pourquoi Porto ?

Car je parle déjà portugais et je voulais découvrir la culture lusophone. La réputation chaleureuse des portugais, ainsi que la ville (située au bord de la mer), rendent le séjour agréable.

Difficultés sur place ?

Aucune, la Fac nous a beaucoup aidé. Avant d’arriver, j’avais un logement (colloc avec d’autres Erasmus), des parrains/marraines nous aident pour les démarches (inscription, logement)

Conseils à donner aux candidats éventuels ?

Ne pas avoir peur de la barrière de la langue, car les gens font des efforts pour te comprendre. Essayer de partir un an et non pas un semestre, et surtout en profiter.

Raquel, erasmus a lille:

Raquel, tu es espagnole, tu étudies à Warwick en Angleterre, pourquoi as-tu choisi Lille ?

En fait, j’avais le choix entre la Sorbonne et la Catho et j’ai choisi la Catho car l’ambiance est plus sympa et moins compétitive, qui plus est je trouve qu’il est mieux de vivre à Lille qui est une ville plus petite et dont la vie étudiante est renommée. J’avais aussi vraiment envie d’améliorer mon français en le pratiquant au quotidien.

Un conseil à donner à quelqu’un qui voudrait partir à Warwick ?

La Fac est réservé aux étudiants en éco. Les cours sont difficiles mais les emplois du temps permettent d’étudier et de sortir. Pour les sportifs, le campus est bien équipé en infrastruc- tures. Sinon niveau logement, les erasmus habitent ensemble dans une grande maison située à Coventry à une dizaine de kilomètres de la Fac.