Sunday, August 25, 2013

...And all because someone who never heard of U2 thought Bono was somebody´s pet monkey!



So.  I post the following letter to ONE
(ONE is an organization founded by several good minded people including our man Bono.)
                      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good morning Alicia at ONE in Germany, 

I hope you are reading this after a wild and exciting weekend.  
 
I am a ONE member based in Southern Germany.

Like most people, I go through life just trying to juggle the comings and goings of daily life; job, family connections, getting in the groceries, getting enough sleep - `Yikes, I forgot to hang up the washing, no fresh socks for the morning´ etc.  

(I just can never imagine how people who are presidents and world movers and shakers - both the good and the bad ones, have only the same 24 hours in a day that I have.  I mean after doing all the above, how and where do they find the time and the energy to do all that other world shaping stuff.)  

That is why I am so so grateful ONE gives me a chance to add my voice the the voices of your 3 million plus members world wide to make a bigger and more positive difference than most of us could ever do otherwise.  Thank you. 

I wonder if I may be of further assistance.  Stuff in English.  I don´t really know how - considering I still have to juggle all the other getting through life stuff mentioned above.  But if you have any ideas where I may be of assistance, do let me know. 
By the way, I teach English conversation classes in Konstanz.   One of my students a very learned man - is clearly not a rock music fan however:
 
He never heard of Bono! 

Nor U2!

Sorry to Bono und da boys!

But the student, who shall be known only as `Mr. G.`,  thinks Bono would be an excellent name for a pet monkey!

(Even more sorry to Bono!)

So off to bed now for me.
R...

             ------------------------------------------------------------------------
And I get this letter back….
Dear Rosaleen,

Allow me to introduce myself: I recently joined ONE to support the team in terms of Campaigns and Special Projects ….When I read your letter to One.org, I could understand your issues very well.  It is really tough to get anything done outside the circle of things we do every day. Therefore volunteers in any organization have my whole admiration…
 Regarding your suggestions I had some ideas:
 I thought it would be awesome if you could tell your English class about ONE, what we do and what we want and how they can participate, maybe get a signature or two and of course their eyes for our current campaign “Ich schaue hin!”. If we had two or three photos of your presentation and the class, we could create a blog post and you could feature it on your blog (which I took the liberty of browse through).
All the best from Berlin, hope you have a good day!
Take care!
René 

 



And so I do talk with my English classes about ONE, what it does and what the organizations aims are etc.










And hey presto… There I am the first ONE  ´Volunteer des Monates´
See link below for more wild and exciting details.

And this because I happened to mention that a student in my English class never heard of U2 and thought Bono was somebody´s pet monkey!

              Now on to the really important stuff - the organization ONE

On their U.S. website ONE http://www.one.org/us/  is very accurately described as…
…a hard-headed movement of people around the world fighting the absurdity of extreme poverty.

Poverty in any form is a terrible thing. Extreme poverty is an intolerable thing.


That’s why we started ONE.

Our three million members around the world take action. They  click petitions, make phone calls, write letters, attend rallies – to demand solutions from their governments. Your voice alone may struggle to be heard, but our voices together are hard to ignore.
                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can check out the site http://www.one.org/us/ to read more.
…. The ONE German language website:   http://www.one.org/de/
Go on,  check out ONE today.   
If you do, and you let me know, I promise to call you and sing you ` Happy Birthday` on your birthday.
…. Or better again.  If you do check out ONE, and let me know, I will promise to call you and NOT  sing you ` Happy Birthday` on your birthday!





Thursday, August 15, 2013

Witty Words - and not even mine!




With these lovely summer days, I am sure the world will do very nicely thank you without a long blog posting from Moi.  So today I am compiling a few words of wit, accidental or otherwise, from some of my favorite witty people or at least some people, favorite or otherwise, who have spoken some of my favorite witty words. 
I hope these funnies will give you all a chuckle as you lounge under a palm tree/ by the sea/lake/river/in the garden/sit on a crowded hot bus/ fight with the mosquitoes/feel awfully uncomfortable in your ´a little too tight´ Unterhose und so weiter. Or as you English speakers say might say ´underpants and so on´.
  




Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde




Mark Twain 


The quotes from Messrs. Twain and Wilde above are taken from Brainy Quote -  always a good source for witty words of wisdom.     http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/o/oscar_wilde_2.html

Why ruin a good story with the truth
Chubby Brennen
This variation on Mr. Twain´s quote above was uttered by the self same Chubby Brennan who is a head honcho associated with the world famous (in some places) Wellie Race in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny

I don´t need to exercise – my two brothers do enough for the three of us.
Thomas Crotty - brother
                   
And the best source for wisdom and wit – children.

The following quotes come from letters written to God from children in the Homework Club, St. Canice´s, Kilkenny.


 Dear God, In bible times, did they really talk that fancy? 
 Jennifer

Dear God, I went to this wedding and they kissed right in the church.  Is that O.K.?` 
 Niel

Dear God, I think the staple is one of your greatest inventions
Ruth M.

Dear God, I am American.  What are you?  
Robert

Dear God, Thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy.
Joyce

Dear God, I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world.  There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it.
Nan

I hope you are having a wonderful summer, where ever you are reading this.