American zero, South African hero

Last Friday we saw a really interesting film or better said, documentary Searching for Sugar Man. Although we were supposed to be a larger number of pupils, we all enjoyed it and as other extra-curricular activities at the EOI it was worth.

 

Some pupils at the EOI

Needless to say, this is a must-see film which tells the story of the life of Sixto Rodriguez, an absolutely brilliant and talented singer-songwriter whose career wasn’t as successful as it had been expected, at least it wasn’t in the United States. While he sold like six copies of his album Cold Fact in USA, in South Africa he sold millions of records. He became a hero there and his songs national anthems.

Listen to this song I Wonder. Catchy, isn't it? 

                                     

                                                                I Wonder (1970)

Rodriguez’s story is too strange to be true. He comes from a blue-collar family from Mexico who moved to the States in order to have a better life. However, I’m not going to give you more details about him.

Listen to another song from his first album Cold Fact which got people free their minds.

                                                               Forget it (1970)

 And let's finish this entry with Rodriguez's words. One of his best moments of his life was the concert that took place in Cape Town on 6th March 1998 -he was back and said:

"Thank you for keeping me alive"

 

A meaningful sentence but if you want to find out why, just watch the film.

 

If you attended school on Friday and saw the film, did you like it? What do you think of this singer? Do you like his songs? Had you heard of him and his amazing life before?

Leave your comments. They’re always welcomed.

A Life Skill

Hi there,

For the first entry in this new year, and on a special day for me, let's review one of the topics we have been dealing with: success and its secrets. We've talked about what makes the most successful people on the planet different from the rest of us. We all agreed with the fact that practice, hard work and a bit of natural talent are key factors to be high achievers.

In this entry, we are going to listen to Chris Hadfield, the former commander of the International Space Station, talking about his experiences and what life skills have been essential for him to survive both up in space and back down here on Earth. 

For those who haven't heard of Chris Hadfield, I must say that there has been no other astronaut quite like him. Along these years, we have been learning how life in space is like. He has managed to teach us several facts about gravity and answer many of our questions. He has shown us how to shave or brush one's teeth in zero gravity; he was able to make a burrito or a peanut butter sandwich. We didn't know how astronauts sleep until he showed it and he even performed David Bowie's Space Oddity out there. Undoubtedly, he's a skilful man.

He has also written about his experience in his book, an Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth. 

I'm eager to read your comments on this topic. Try to leave your comment if you haven't done it before and you'll succeed in your English.