Cloning

We'll be meeting tomorrow to talk about this topic -cloning.
- What do you know about it?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of it?
- Do you think animals/plants/humans should be genetically modified?
- What are the ethical concerns about it?
- What do you think are the consequences of consuming modified meat/vegetables?
These are some of the questions that might come up.

Gift giving

It is very common in Spain to give gifts to people on different celebrations: anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, first communions, graduations... But these traditions might be different depending on the country.
-What kinds of gifts do you like to give?
-Have you ever re-gifted something?
-What do you do if you don't like a gift? Do you keep it? Do you change it?
-Have you ever given/received a knick-knack as a gift?
-What is the last gift you gave/received?
-Is there a special gift you would like to get?
-What gifts would you consider appropriate/inappropriate for...
     your wife/husband?
     parents?
     children?
     your boss/employees?
-What is the best/worst gift you have ever received?
-Have you ever played secret Santa?
-Is there any gift that is considered inappropriate in your country?
Here you'll find some gifts that are considered inappropriate in other countries. Compare!

April Fools' Day

Maybe you don't know it but our tradition of fooling people on 28th December (the so called "Inocentes") does exist in the UK, but on a different date -1st April. Even newspapers, radios,TV stations and websites have joined to this tradition. 

What are some tricks people play on Fools' Day? Have you ever tried fooling someone? A friend? A relative? Have you ever been fooled? Did you enjoy it? Did the others have fun too? How did it make you feel? 

We'll talk about this and we'll tell some tricks we have played, we have been played or we have seen or heard. 

Come and join us! It'll be fun.

If you want to learn more about the history of April Fools' Day, click here.

Back to the future

We've already talked about how life has changed, especially the ICTs, but... have you ever stopped

to think about what the future holds? What will the future be like?
Many films talk about the future. How will ICTs develop? And means of transport? Will there be new jobs that do not exist nowadays?

We'll talk about the evolution of AI (artificial intelligence), robotics, credit cards, genetics... and much more!

What's for lunch?

Are you or have you been on a diet? Have you got problems when it comes to deciding what's for lunch/dinner? Who decides at home? And who does the shopping/cook?
What is your favourite food? Do you like foreign cuisine?
Are you proud of any of your recipes?
Come and we'll exchange these ideas and (why not?) some recipes.
Here's some vocabulary you might need:

VOCABULARY food

- Add: añadir

- Bake: hornear

- Boil: hervir

- Chop: trocear

- Crush: machacar

- Cuisine: cocina (estilo de cocina), culinario

- Cutlery: cubertería

- Cutting board: tabla de cortar

- Deep fry: freir en mucho aceite

- Dip: mojar

- Fork: tenedor

- Grate: rallar

- Knife: cuchillo, navaja

- Ladle: garcilla

- Mash: hacer puré

- Measuring cup: jarra medidora

- Microwave (oven): (horno) microondas

- Mix: mezclar

- Mould: molde

- Oven: horno

- Pan: sartén

- Peal: pelar

- Pot: olla, cazuela

- Pour: echar, verter

- Roast: asar

- Rolling pin: rodillo de amasar

- Scale: balanza

- Scramble: batir

- Sieve: colar, escurrir, colador, escurridor

- Slice: rebanada, cortar en rodajas/rebanadas

- Spoon: cuchara

- Spread: untar

- Steam: cocinar al vapor

- Stove: cocina (el fuego)

- Teaspoon: cucharilla

- Tray: bandeja

- Whisk: batir (con varilla)

Stereotypes

I'm sorry to inform you that next Friday 19th February, I won't be able to attend Bar Chat.

Next session will be held on Friday 26th February and the topic will be... Stereotypes!
What is true behind stereotypes? What is the origin of these beliefs?
I recommend you to read some stereotypes about Spaniards and about British people and see if they are true or not. We'll talk about it next day.
Here's a link to a pdf document where you can read stereotypes about these other nationalities.

"In heaven, all the policemen are British, all of the lovers are French, all of the chefs are Italian, all of the cars are German, and the whole thing is run by the Swiss.

In hell, all of the policemen are German, all of the lovers are Swiss, all of the chefs are British, all of the cars are French, and the whole thing is run by the Italians."

— Traditional Joke

Headband

Next Friday 12th February, we'll be playing headbandz. On a headband, on your head, there'll be a word you'll have to guess, so we'll be practising making Yes/No questions. The word can be a noun, a verb or an adjective.
You might need the following structures:
- Is it a person / an animal / a fictitious character / an object...?
- Is it male / female / a boy / a girl...?
- Is it a feeling?
- Do you find it in...?
- Do you use it to...?
- Does he/she/it ...?
- Is it something you do when...?
- Is it someone who...?

Storytelling

Next Friday 5th February, we'll be telling stories at Bar Chat. Get a story ready and tell it to us. If not, we'll make up our own. Here is a link where you can read some.

Friday, 29th January

I'm sorry to inform you that next Friday, 29th January (Peace Day), I won't be able to attend the Bar Chat session due to health reasons. It's still Wednesday and I can guess my voice will be missing by Friday. Sorry...
Next session will be held on Friday, 5th January.

Singlehood, marriage and parenthood

Are you married? Has your life changed since you got married? And since you had children? How has it changed? Is it difficult to combine parenthood and work? Does your work help you combine both? What are the pros and cons of singlehood, marriage and parenthood?
We'll talk about this and much more!
Here is some vocabulary you might need.

VOCABULARY

SINGLEHOOD/MARRIAGE/PARENTHOOD

- Be engaged: estar comprometidos

- Breastfeed: dar el pecho

- Breastfeeding: lactancia

- Bride: novia (que se va a casar)

- Employer: patrono

- Employee: empleado, trabajador

- Fatherhood: paternidad

- Fiancé: prometido

- Fiancée: prometida

- Flexible working arrangements: flexibilidad horaria

- Full-time shift: jornada completa

- Groom: novio (que se va a casar)

- Hen party: despedida de soltera

- Marriage: matrimonio

- Maternity leave: baja de maternidad

- Motherhood: maternidad

- Parenthood: paternidad (en general)

- Part-time shift: media jornada

- Reduced working hours: reducción horaria, de jornada

- Split shift: cambiar la jornada (con un compañero)

- Stag party: despedida de soltero

New Year Resolutions

Bar Chat returns after the Christmas break!
Next meeting will be held at K4 on Friday 15th January 2016 at 7.00 p.m.
We'll talk about our Christmas holidays, the presents we received and, why not, our new year resolutions! Which are yours? Stop smoking, go to the gym... Come and tell us! It'll be fun.

Notice!

I'm sorry to inform you that next Friday 11th December I won't be able to attend the Bar Chat due to personal reasons.

WWIII (3rd World War)

Last week, there were a few of us at Bar Chat, so we decided to talk about other things and leave this topic for next session, which will be held on Friday 4th, at 7:00 p.m. at K4.
Topic: WWIII. You can check the vocabulary list on the previous entry.

WWIII (3rd World War)

Is there a WWIII about to start? Or maybe you think that terrorism is already a new World War... Have we ever actually lived in peace? Is a peaceful world possible? Or is it that human beings are so greedy that peace will never be attained? What were the reasons for the WWI and WWII? Is history cyclical?
We will talk about this and much more. Here is the vocabulary list:

                             VOCABULARY – WWIII

(World War Three / 3^rd World War)

-Ally: aliado

- Archduke: archiduque

- Attack: ataque

- Assessin: asesino (en caso de figuras públicas), magnicida

- Assessinate: asesinar (a figures públicas), cometer magnicidio

-Battle: batalla

-Bomb: bomba

- Capitalism: capitalismo

- Christianism: cristianismo

- Civil war: Guerra civil

-Concentration camp: campo de concentración

- Country: país

-Declare war: declarar la guerra

-Empire: imperio

-Gas chamber: cámara de gas

-Genocide: genocidio

-Great War (WWI): la Gran Guerra (1º Guerra mundial)

- Invade: invadir

- Invasion: invasion

- Holocaust: holocausto

- Imperialism: imperialism

-Islam(ism): islam(ismo)

- Jews: judíos

- Judaism: judaísmo

- Kill: matar

- Mosque: mezquita

- Murder: asesino, asesinar

- Muslim: musulmán

- Nationalism: nacionalismo

- Nazism: nazismo

- Peace: paz

- Populated: poblado, con mucha población

- Religion: religión

- Shia: chiíta

- Sign: firmar

- Suicide bomber: terrorista suicida

- Sunni: suní(ta)

- Surrender: rendirse

- Terrorism: terrorismo

- Terrorist: terrorista

- Treaty: tratado

- War: guerra

Taboo Game

I didn't publish any vocabulary list this week because today we are going to play Taboo! We'll have a lot of fun at K4.
Examples of the structures you will need are:
- It is something that...
- Is is a place where...
- It is a person who...
- It is what you do when...
- It is how you feel when you...

Have the ICTs changed our life?

In the last 20 years, there has been a great evolution in the ICT sector and nobody can deny that this evolution has changed our society considerably.

Have you got an account in any social network? What do you use it for? Have you got a smartphone, a tablet, an e-book, a laptop, Internet connection...? What do you use them for?

Was life better then than know? How have the ICTs changed our way of life?

We'll talk about this and much more.

Here's some vocabulary you may need.

VOCABULARY – ICTs

(Information and Communication Technologies)

-App (application): aplicación

- Battery: bacteria, pila

- Bluetooth

- Bright: brillante

- Cassette player: radiocassette

- CD player: reproductor de CDs

- Computer: ordenador

- CPU (Central Processing Unit): CPU

- Device: dispositivo

- Digital board: pizarra digital

-E-book: libro electrónico

- e-mail: correo electrónico

- Floppy disk: disquete

- Handsfree: manos libres

- Interactive: interactivo

- i-Phone

- Keyboard: teclado

- Laptop: ordenador portatil

- Memory stick: lápiz de memoria

- Mobile phone: teléfono móvil

- Mouse: ratón

- Notebook: ordenador portátil (pequeño)

- Online: en red (ej: online shopping)

- Portable: que se puede llevar

- Screen: Pantalla

- Smartphone

- Social network: red social

- Speakers: altavoces

- Tablet: tableta

- To take: llevar

- Used to do: solíamos hacer / hacíamos

- Video chat: videoconferencia

- WI-FI: conexión inalámbrica

- Wire: cable

- Wireless: sin cable

Do you believe in the supernatural?

As you know, Halloween has been just a few days ago and I've thought that this could be an interesting topic for this week: Do you believe in the supernatural? 
Different questions can be asked. Do you think there is life after death? Do ghosts and spirits live amongst us? Have you ever had a paranormal experience? Or do you know anybody who has had one? Can we communicate with spirits? Do you know any haunted place in your town? Can animals feel a presence?
We'll talk about this and much more. I'm sure you know lots of stories!
Here is some vocabulary we might need. 

VOCABULARY - SUPERNATURAL

- Blood: sangre

- Body: cuerpo

- Corpse: cadáver

- Electronic voice phenomena (EVP): psicofonía

- Divination: adivinación

- Fortune teller: adivino

- Fright: susto

- Ghost: fantasma

- Haunted house: casa encantada

- Medium: medium

- Ouija board: tabla güija

- Parapsychology: parapsicología

- Soul: alma

- Spell: conjuro

- Spirit: esíritu

- Telepathy: telepatía

- To be scared / afraid of: asustarse de

- To bleed: sangrar

- To die: morir

- To frighten someone: asustar a alguien

- To scare: asustar

- Trick or treat: truco o trato

- Witch: bruja

- Witchcraft: brujería

- Zombie: zombi