Happy Diwali!

Diwali festival celebrates the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil. It is observed by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and New Buddhists all over the Indian subcontinent and in the diaspora, at the end of October or at the beginning of November, depending on the Hindu moon calendar. In 2020 Diwali begins on 13th November and it runs for five days, but the main celebration is held on the second day, November 14th.  Different gods are worshipped in different parts of India, and in the families, houses get spotlessly clean, clay oil lamps are lit, "to symbolize the purification of the mind and to remove negativity, clutter and ignorance" and fireworks and firecrackers are let off in the streets. Other Diwali traditions include playing cards, baking and eating sweets, dressing up in the best attires, and exchanging gifts. Finally on the fifth day of Diwali, brothers and sisters honour their common bond by getting together and sharing food. If you want to find out more about this festival, you can click on this Tripsavvy link. This text is suitable for B2 students and upwards. 

In that article, you will find interesting words like: disrupted, fireworks, firecrackers, a row, brightness, a kingdom, clutches, the defeat, a demon, to be free [from prison], to dispel [our own darkness], outwards, to overlap, a fortnight, mankind, [legend] has it, a goddess, to churn, to ready, to purchase, to gather, to play cards, to gamble, to be auspicious, the doorway,the courtyard, to burst crackers, an effigy, clay [lamps], candles are lit, [fireworks are] let off, a fearsome [goddess], to be worshipped, sugarcane, jute sticks, mechants, shortcomings, the bond, blessings, [houses are] spotless, to remove clutter, joy, [firecrackers] go off, breathing [difficulties], to be aware that, peak [travel time], [trains will be] heavily booked, crowded, ear plugs, damaging [to the ears], [pollution has] skyrocketed.   

Below, you can find a National Geographic video with automatic subtitles that explains the Diwali celebrations when you are travelling in India and a Diwali Special Bollywood video:

 

      

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Twitter Turns an Old Quarry in Nigeria into a Tourist Hotspot

This BBC article tells the story of an old stone quarry that has become a new tourist hotspot in Nigeria after it became popular through Twitter.  The article is short and it has very illustrative pictures, so it can be accessible to B2 students.

But here you can find a lesson plan which focuses on vocabulary and speaking, basically, for C1 students.

B2 learners (and above) will find rich, descriptive vocabulary here, like an abandonded quarry, a tourist hotspot, a cliff, a moss-lined footpath, to shimmer [in the sun], [the views are] breathtaking, on the outskirts, to be thronged, food vendors, a burgeoining community, expatriates, lockdown, to be somewhat bemused, city-dwellers, tiers, a stunning view, sightseers, a winding footpath, the top terrace, [the path] snakes down to the water's edge, the brave, to plunge into, an aquifer, a fracture-prone area, tremors, to warn amateurs against hiking, fun-seekers seemed not to be deterred, chagrin, to put measures in place, to clear up a trail of plastic waste, to split, a clean-up dash, to dispose of [litter], to poison [a place], [a job or a profession] to be cut out for [me].

If you are interested in local varieties of  English worldwide, you can read here a West-Africa pidgin version of the article above from the BBC Pidgin Service, based in Lagos (Nigeria).

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Galway's Craic

This superb BBC description of Galway's "craic" (which is a kind of light-hearted, mischievous approach to life) portrays the atmosphere of the streets, pubs and people in that Western Irish, bohemian town. In only 12 slides and a video, you will come across words like bustling pubs, freshly poured pints, lilting music, fiddle, mischief, craic, a local, promenade, odd, damp, to strip down to swimsuits, to plunge into, roiling waters, shivering, dripping, wont, to go with the flow, gale-force winds, counterweight, to breed, laid-back spirit, to foster, layout, an out-of-towner, low-key, to pervade, buskers, winding streets, a month goes by, to distil, pretention, uncontrivedness, breakdown, to edge in, to clutch, to connect with other people, to settle for something. 

The text is short, but the vocabulary is very descriptive, so it is suitable for C1 students, although B2+ students can also enjoy the pictures and get the gist of the text.

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Music & Craic in the Streets of Galway

If you want to feel the "craic" of Galway from your own home, even if your level is B1, you can watch this You Tube video of some Galway buskers performing Hit the Road Jack:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUQaf_kcPK0

But if you prefer something more Celtic, this video of Irish folk music and dance is for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t03aMiKnU4A

Here, you can find some buskers playing an anthem, Song for Ireland by James Gallagher:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4TYvl6xub4

If you like an unpretentious, young, hippy style, try this cover of The House of the Rising Sun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkn-RfhyFeU

More street talent with a fiddle and some Mexican flavour: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKL1EwoIE0

This video shows the largest performance of the song Galway Girl in the streets of Galway in 2016: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNs0vKDvs0g

I hope you have enjoyed Galway's "craic" wherever you are, 

But if you still want some more, you can watch this tourist documentary which includes, at the end, 20 minutes of Irish  music from the pubs and streets, with visuals of Galway, the Connemara region and the Cliffs of  Mohair. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usAvzbDq6-c

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