Native American Legends - Leyendas Indigenas Americanas

Creation Story and The Importance Of Dreaming

An Abenaki Legend                      

The Great Spirit, in a time not known to us looked about and saw nothing. No colors, no beauty. Time was silent in darkness. There was no sound. Nothing could be seen or felt. The Great Spirit decided to fill this space with light and life.
From his great power he commanded the sparks of creation. He ordered Tôlba, the Great Turtle to come from the waters and become the land. The Great Spirit molded the mountains and the valleys on turtle's back. He put white clouds into the blue skies. He was very happy. He said, "Everything is ready now. I will fill this place with the happy movement of life."He thought and thought about what kind of creatures he would make.
Where would they live? What would they do? What would their purpose be? He wanted a perfect plan. He thought so hard that he became very tired and fell asleep.
His sleep was filled with dreams of his creation. He saw strange things in his dream. He saw animals crawling on four legs, some on two. Some creatures flew with wings, some swam with fins. There were plants of all colors, covering the ground everywhere. Insects buzzed around, dogs barked, birds sang, and human beings called to each other. Everything seemed out of place. The Great Spirit thought he was having a bad dream. He thought, nothing could be this imperfect.
When the Great Spirit awakened, he saw a beaver nibbling on a branch. He realized the world of his dream became his creation. Everything he dreamed about came true. When he saw the beaver make his home, and a dam to provide a pond for his family to swim in, he then knew every thing has it's place, and purpose in the time to come.
It has been told among our people from generation to generation. We must not question our dreams. They are our creation.
                                                   


Los verbos marcados en rojo son en forma de Past Simple.
Puedes convertirles al Infinitive? Al Past Continuous?
Por ejemplo:
Looked about - to look about - was/were looking about
saw - to see - was/were seeing

Today's Key - Past Continuous

El Past Continuous se compone con

el verbo auxiliar "to be" en pasado + un verbo+ing

I was working

You/ We/They were studying

He/ She/It was playing

Anotamos que: En caso que el mismo pronombre (we)

esta haciendo varias actividades,

no se repiten los verbos auxiliares (was, were)

por ejemplo:

We were working, studying and playing at home.
She was ironning, watching TV and listening to music all at the same time.

The three of them were working, playing, studying and living together for five long years.

Usamos el Pasado Continuous para indicar:

1) acciones o actividades que estaban sucediendo en el pasado y tenian una duración. 

pero ya no están sucediendo más.

I was working on a composition while my husband was listening to music with the head phones on.  I was
trying to write about dog watchers downtown.  It was taking me a very long time because I forgot to add some important details when I was interviewing them in the park and now it was too late to find out. I remembered that Julio was taking care of 15 dogs and was making $35 per dog. But I couldn't remember if he was taking care of them every day or just for a few days a week.

May this year be...the best!

        Wishing us all Peace, Love and Happiness in 2012

Peace On Earth

The Thief - told by Maharaji

 

a story portraying 

the hidden treasure within the heart

There was a man and he left his home, he went to the big town to earn money. And he worked and he worked very hard and he made a lot of money. So, one day he decided he is going to go back home. So, he was on his way home. Walking, walking, walking. And a thief, looked at him and became interested. Looks like he might have some money, may be I can steal it from him. So, he joined him in the walk and they started talking.
The thief said, "Where have you been?"
And the man said, "Oh I have been to the town for many years, I went to the big town and I earned a lot of money. And now I am going home."
Thief said, "Great, Can I join you? Can I be your friend?"
So, that evening they checked into a little inn, and they both checked into the same room. And the time came, the man got ready, took a shower and he said, "Come on lets go have dinner."
The thief said, "You go ahead, I will be right with you."
Few minutes past and the finally the thief came and he sat down and they had dinner. And the next day, they could see that the village where the man had come from was very close by.
Then the thief said, "Listen, I must confess. I am not your friend. I am a thief, and when you told me, that you had a lot of money, I became very interested in following you. And every day that you used to go down for dinner. I used to search the room everywhere looking for this money, I didn't find it. I just want to know were you just joking with me? Or do you actually have the money."
And the man said, "Of course I have the money, let me show it to you."
Then he showed him all this gold that he had carried.
The thief said, "Where was it? You didn't take it to the dining room with you. Where was it?
The man said, "I knew you were a thief. I could smell it. So, everyday, before I would go down to have dinner, while you were still taking a shower. I would take this money, and I would put it under your pillow. Because I knew, you would look everywhere except under your own pillow."
Looking for peace is the same way. We look for peace on the outside, search for it everywhere, but we forget to look within ourselves. That's where peace it, it is within each one of us.

Keep What Is Yours

Keep What Is Yours
I have been traveling with the message of hope for people—that you exist, that you’re alive, that you’ve been given something that is so precious. I tell people that what they have—not what they need to achieve, not what they need to create, not their need to climb a mountain or swim an ocean—but what they have is the most beautiful thing.
For most people, the hardest thing to understand is that they already have everything they could possibly want. On one hand, there are desires, expectations, aspirations. We are told, “Do this, do this, do this.” Remember when you were young and your mother or father would tell you, “Study! Study hard so that one day you can become something”?
I understand the intent behind that statement. The intent is that parents want their children to succeed. But it also implies something else, which is: you are nothing. And that is simply not true.
I don’t really want to tell you that your mother was wrong. I want to be able to say that your mother was right. And maybe she was right about everything, except for that one thing—you are something. Not only that, but you are, in fact, something divine. And so, my message brings hope—not just making something up to give you good news, but real hope.
What is the reality? The reality is that within you the blessing of breath is coming and going. What does that mean to you? You judge yourself by what you have accomplished. You judge yourself by what you think your world is. Everybody is proud of something. There are mothers and fathers who are proud of their sons and daughters, children who are proud of their parents—and it goes on and on. Everybody’s proud of something.
But go beyond the expectations. Right now your bucket is full of ideas. It’s your bucket, but it’s full of ideas. And these ideas are not yours. It’s your bucket, so if it’s full of ideas, at least they should be your ideas, right? But that’s not how it is. It’s full of other people’s ideas.
We buy into the idea, “That’s how it is.” In this life, it’s important to put in your bucket only that which is tried and true—and good enough to bear your stamp. Only what you want to put in, not what somebody else wants to put in.
You think this only happened when you were young? No, it happens every day. You walk around with that bucket and people keep chucking things in it, keep chucking things in it—every day. That’s why this bucket is full of nothing—nothing that will help you.
What am I saying? Just walk this life on your feet, not somebody else’s. Understand its value for yourself, not because somebody else said this life is valuable.
What is really yours?  I’m only pointing this out because I think you should take care of it. What is really yours? This breath that just came, is really, really yours. It didn’t go into someone else. It came just for you. From the workings of the universe, something stirred, and this breath came exclusively for you. That’s yours.
So, are you going to keep what’s yours? Or only keep what’s borrowed? People who keep borrowed things end up without anything. Because it was all borrowed, one day it will be taken away. Those who keep what is truly theirs will be rich beyond belief. Keep it. It brings with it life. Live it. It brings with it joy. Grab it. Fill yourself with that joy. It brings with it hope. Squeeze out all of it. This is for you, and you get to keep it.
Prem Rawat

www.wopg.org

THE GIRL WHO SILENCED THE WORLD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

La Niña que Silencio el Mundo en los Naciones Unidos por 5 Minutos .






REVIEW: PRESENT SIMPLE & PRESENT CONTINUOUS

come: She comes here every day.  coming: When are you coming for a visit?
can't: I can't study at night.
know:  Do I know you from somewhere?
buy:  She buys all her grocery at the supermarket. buying: He is buying the whole store!
throw away: Please throw away the garbage. throwing away: He is throwing his life away!
live:  We live in the countryside.
have: How much time do you have?  having:  They're having a great time!
wish: I wish you a happy new year! 
teach: We try to teach our children good manners.  teaching: she is teaching him how to ride a bike.
fight:  Countries fight against each other. fighting: The oppressed are fighting for their rights.
respect: We must respect nature.
clean up: The made doesn't want to clean up the corridors. Cleaning up: But, she's cleaning it up now!
share: Some people don't want to share their wealth. sharing: The beggers are sharing their food.
tell: Dont tell me what to do!
attend: They don't attend classes very often.
decide: She doesn´t decide the rules!
make: It makes a big difference!
act: He acts badly!
want: I want you to be happy!
save: We need to save our time.
find: They can´t find a house to live in.
behave: She usually behaves very well at school. behaving: Now she is behaving poorly.
work things out: We must work things out for the best. working things out: They're working things out between them.
hurt: She didn't mean to hurt you. hurting: Stop! you're hurting my arm.
forget: He never forgets a face. forgetting: Aren't you forgetting something important?
say: They don't say anything!  saying: What is she saying to him?
love: My father and mother love each other very much.
lose: I never lose my keys. losing: I thing he's losing his patience.

die: Nobody really wants to die. dying: She's dying of cancer.

do: She does everything well. doing: What are you doing now?

vanish: Things don't just vanish in thin air! vanishing: Many species are vanishing.
speak: He speaks English very well. Speaking: She's speaking to him in French.

try: I try to be happy everyday. trying: They are trying to make the world a better place.

starve:  She always starves her dogs, they are so thin! They're starving the elderly.

Los Opueststos: Verbos - Opposite Verbs

Los Opueststos: Verbos - Opposite Verbs

Arrive (aráiv) llegar / Depart (depár) partir

Be born (bí born) nacer / Die (dai) morir

Create (criéit) crear/ Destroy (distroi) distruir

Do (dúu) hacer / Undo (andúu) deshacer

Enter (énter) entrar / Exit (éxit) salir

Find (fáind) encontrar / Lose (lúus) perder

Give (giv) dar / Take (téik) tomar o Receive (rísíiv) recibir

Hurry up (héri áp) apurarse / Slow down (slóy dáun) bajar la velocidad
 

Love (lav) amar / Hate (heit) ódiar

Make (méik) hacer / Unmake (unméik) deshacer

Nurture (nértcher) nutrir / Starve (stárve) hacer pasar hambre

Presume (prisiúum) presumir / Know (nóu) saber

Question (kuéstshen) preguntar / Answer (ánser) responder
Rent (rent) alquilar / Own (óun) ser propitario

Save (séiv) ahorrar / Spend (spend) gastar

Tie (tái) atar / Untie (antái) desatar

Unite (iunáit) unir / Divide (diváid)dividir

Variety (varáieti) variedad / Monotony (monótoni) monotonidad

Work (uérk) trabajar / Rest (rest) descansar

Yell (iél) gritar/ Whisper (uwísper susurrar 

Pronounciation by Assosiation - Pronunciacion por Asociación

 
La cuarta letra vocal O tiene varios sonidos, depende en como combina con otros consonantes y vocales. Puede sonar como O, Ou, A, Ú, Úu,   É por ejemplo:

La O en suena como "O" en palabras como:

On (on) en, sobre; From (from) de, desde; Born (born) nacido; Doctor (dóctor) doctor Soft (sóft) suave; Cost (cóst) costo; Lost (lóst) perdido; Boss (bós) jefe

God ( gód) Dios; Dog (dóg) perro; Fog (fóg) niebla; Block (blók) cuadra,                                                   

      Our dog got lost arond the block.

Holiday (hólidéi) feriado; Polish (pólish) pulir; Borrow (bórou) pedir un prestamo
Story (stóri) historia;
 

La O suena como "Ou" en palabras como:
Go (góu) ir; So (sóu) entonces; Most (móust) la mayoría; Ghost (góust) fantásma;

    So, most ghosts must go!

La O tambien suena como "Ou" en combinacion de consonante+O+consonante+e

por ejemplo en palabras como:

Home (hóum) hogar; Bone (bóun) hueso; Stone (stóun) piedra
Phone (fóun) teléfono, Smoke (smóuk) fumar; Spoke (spoúk) habló; Broke (bróuk) rompió 

                      He spoke on the phone at home.                       

 

 

Pero....existen muchos irregulares tambien escritos en esa forma que suenan como A

Por ejemplo:

Some (sám) algún; Come (kám) venir; Done (dán) hecho; 
Gone (gón) ido

      Some have come, others are gone.

La O tambien suena como "Ou" en combinacion con la "A"

por ejemplo en palabras como:

Boat (boút) bote; Coat (kóut) abrigo; Goat (góut) chibu; Coast (coúst) costa
Roam (róum) bagar;
Coach (kóuch) entrenador ; Approach (apróuch) acercar; Reproach (ripróuch) reproche

            Our coach reproached us for taking the boat to the coast

La O tambien suena como "Ou" en combinacion con la "W"

por ejemplo en palabras como:

Grown (gróun) crecido; Blown (bloún) inflado

O

como "Au" por ejemplo en palabras como: 

Brown (bráun) maron; Crown (kráun) corona;

La O suena como "A" en palabras como:

Money (máni) dinero; Honey (háney) miel, querida; Hot (hát) caliente




OO suenan a menudo como "Ú" cuando en palabras como:


Book (buk) libro; Foot (fut) pier; Took (túk) tomó; Shook (shuk) sacudió
Good (gúd) bueno;

OO suenan a menudo como "Úu" cuando en palabras como:


Soon ( súun) pronto; Moon (múun) luna; Room (rúum) cuarto;



Groom (grúum) novio, arreglar; Bloom (blúum) florecer;




Poor (púur) pobre;

                                                                                                                                                                 

      The poor groom had to wait in the room until the moon was full .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

y...a veces los OO suenan como "Oo" en palabras como:


Door (dóor) puerta, Floor (flóor) piso;

La O tambien suena como "Úu" en combinacion de U

por ejemplo en palabras como:

Should (shúud) debería; Could (kúud) podría; Would (wúud)...ría (auxiliar de la posibilidad de futuro)

                Maybe I should and if I could I would

La O en suena como "E" en palabras que terminan con ...on, por ejemplo:

Education (ediukéishen) educación;
Nation (néishen) nación
Relation (riléishen) relación
Translation (transléishen) traducción
Conversation (converséishen) conversación

Vision (víyen) visión; Reason (rísen) rasón; Season (sísen) temporada;
Motion (móushen) moción, Emotion (imóushen) emoción; Notion (nóushen) noción

Y...miles más.

BEATLES - I Saw Her Standing There

Verb Bank - Past Simple

Past Simple 

en contexto de la biografía de Nina Simone

Past Simple con (acento y pronunciacion), el infinitivo y traduccion al español

sang (séng) sing - cantar

wrote (uróut) write (ráit) - escribir

received (risíivd) receive ( risíiv) - recibir

released (rilíisd) release (rilíis) - publicar

became (bikéim) become (bikám)  - volverse, ponerse

died (dáid) die (dái) - morir

took (túuk) take (téik) - tomar

helped (helpd) help  - ayudar

won (won) win (uín) - ganar

taught (tóot) teach (tíitch) - ensñar

had (héed) have (héev) - tener

lived (livd) live (liv) - vivir

claimed (cléimd) klaim (kléim)  - reclamar

started (stárted) start (stárt) - empezar

came (kéim) come (kam) - venir

began (begén) begin (bigín) - comenzar

featured (fítcherd) feature (fíitcher) - en que aparece

included (inclúuded) include (inclúud) - incluir

played (pléid) play (pléi) - tocar musica

was (uás) is (ís) - ser / estar

hated (héited) hate (héit) - odiar

tired (táierd) tire (táier) - cansar

struggled (strágld) struggle (strágl) - luchar

clashed (kláshd) clash (klásh) - chocar

recorded (ricórded) record *(ricórd) - grabar

showed (shóud) show (shóu) - mostrar

gave (géiv) give (giv) - dar

maintained (meintéind) maintain (meintéin) - mantener

filled (fild) fill (fil) - llenar

performed (perfórmd) perform (perfórm) - actuar, interpretar

appeared (apíird) appear (apíir) - presentarse, exhibirse

reviewed (riviúu) review (riviúu) - revisó

attended (aténded) attend (aténd) - assistir

left (left) leave (líiv) - dejar, irse

Verbos fraciales con (acento y pronunciacion), el infinitivo y traduccion al español

grew up (grú úp) grow up (gróu áp) - crecer

had to (héed tu) have to ( héev tu) - tener que

ran out of (rén áut óv) run out of (ran áut óv) - no tener más

went through (uént zrúu) go through (góu zrúu) - a traveser

came out (kéim áut) come out (kám áut) - resultar

won over (uán óver) win over (uín óver) - tener como fan

Expresiones con (acento y pronunciacion), el infinitivo y traduccion al español

did not do well (did nát dú uél) do not do well (dú nat dú uél) - no tenía éxito

drew to a close (drú tu é clóus) draw to a close (dróu tu é clóus) - terminar

took a break (túk é bréik) take a break (téik é bréik) - reposar

Nina Simone biography

2 photos

Quick Facts

• NAME: Nina Simone
• OCCUPATION: Civil Rights Activist, Pianist, Singer, Journalist
• BIRTH DATE: February 21, 1933
• DEATH DATE: April 21, 2003
• EDUCATION: Julliard School of Music

Best Known For

Nina Simone sang a mix of jazz, blues and folk music in the 1950s and ‘60s. A civil rights activist, she wrote songs promoting the movement.

---

Synopsis 

Born on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, Nina Simone received a scholarship to study classical piano at Julliard, but left early when she ran out of money. She turned her interest to jazz, blues and folk music and released her first album in 1958. In the ‘60s, she became identified as the voice of the civil rights and wrote songs about the movement. She died in France on April 21, 2003.

Early Life

Singer, musician, composer, arranger, civil rights activist. Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina. She took to music at an early age, learning to play piano at the age of 4, and singing in her church's choir. The sixth of seven children, Simone grew up poor. Her music teacher helped establish a special fund to pay for Simone's education and, after finishing high school, Simone won a scholarship to New York City's famed Julliard School of Music to train as a classical pianist.

Simone taught piano and worked as a accompanist for other performers while at Julliard, but she eventually had to leave school after she ran out of funds. Moving to Philadelphia, Simone lived with her family there in order to save money and go to a more affordable music program. Her career took an unexpected turn, however, when she was rejected from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia; she later claimed the school denied her admittance because she was African-American. Turning away from classical music, she started playing American standards, jazz and blues in clubs in the 1950s. Before long, she also started singing along with her music at the behest of one bar owner. She took the stage name Nina Simone—"Nina" came from a nickname meaning "little one" and "Simone" after the actress Simone Signoret. She won over such fans as Harlem Renaissance writers Langston Hughes, Lorraine Hansberry, and James Baldwin.

Civil Rights Singer

Simone began recording her music in the late 1950s under the Bethlehem label, releasing her first full album in 1958, which featured "Plain Gold Ring" and "Little Girl Blue." It also included her one and only top 40 pop hit with her version of "I Loves You Porgy" from the George Gershwin musical Porgy and Bess.

In many ways, Simone's music defied standard definitions. Her classical training showed through, no matter what genre of song she played, and she drew from many sources including gospel, pop and folk. She was often called the "High Priestess of Soul," but she hated that nickname. She didn't like the label of "jazz singer", either. "If I had to be called something, it should have been a folk singer because there was more folk and blues than jazz in my playing," she later wrote.

By the mid-1960s, Simone became known as the voice of the civil rights movement. She wrote "Mississippi Goddam" in response to the 1963 assassination of Medgar Evers and the Birmingham church bombing that killed four young African-American girls. After the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, Simone penned "Why (The King of Love Is Dead)." She also wrote "Young, Gifted and Black," borrowing the title of a play by Hansberry, which became a popular anthem at the time.

Career Renaissance

As the 1960s drew to a close, Simone tired of the American music scene and the country's deeply divided racial politics. She lived in several different countries, including Liberia, Switzerland, England and Barbados before eventually settling down in the South of France. For years, Simone also struggled with her finances, and clashed with managers, record labels, and the Internal Revenue Service.

Around this time, Simone recorded cover songs of popular music, putting her own spin on such songs as Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun." She also showed her sensual side with the song "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl." She then took a break from recording, returning in 1978 with the album Baltimore. The title track was a cover version of a Randy Newman song. Critics gave the album a warm reception, but it did not do well commercially.

Simone went through a career renaissance in the late 1980s when her song "My Baby Just Cares For Me" was used in a perfume commercial in the United Kingdom. The song became a Top 10 hit in Britain. She also penned her autobiography, I Put a Spell on You, which was published in 1992. Her next recording, A Single Woman, came out in 1993. To support these works, Simone gave some performances in the United States.

Touring periodically, Simone maintained a strong fan base that filled concert halls whenever she performed. She appeared in New York City in 1998, her first trip there in five years. The New York Times critic Jon Paneles reviewed the concert, saying that "there is still power in her voice" and the show featured "a beloved sound, a celebrated personality, and a repertory that magnifies them both." That same year, Simone attended South African leader Nelson Mandela's 80th birthday celebration.

Legacy

In 1999, Simone performed at the Guinness Blues Festival in Dublin, Ireland. She was joined on stage by her daughter Lisa for a few songs. Lisa, from Simone's second marriage to manager Andrew Stroud, followed in her mother's footsteps. She has appeared on Broadway in Aida, using the stage name "Simone."

In her final years, Simone battled with health problems. Some reports indicate she was battling breast cancer, but that claim has not been officially confirmed. She died on April 21, 2003, at her home in Carry-le-Rouet, France.

While she may be gone, Simone left a lasting impression on the world of music. She sang to share her truth, and her music still resonates with great emotion and power. Simone has inspired an array of performers, from Aretha Franklin to Joni Mitchell. Her deep, distinctive voice continues to be a popular choice for television and film soundtracks, from documentaries to comedies to dramas.

© 2011 A&E Television Networks. All rights reserved.

*Los verbos colorados son en el Past Simple.

  Algunos son verbos fraciales o son expresiones.

  Verbos no colorados que parecen ser en Past Simple, 

  son Participles (participios) usados en la Passive Voice 

  (voz pasiva) o en Present Perfect (presente perfecto).

---

3 BROTHERS FOUND GOLD

by Prem Rawat

     THERE WERE THREE BROTHERS. They had been brought up quite well. But as they got older, their parents died, they lost all their money, and they became very poor. So in their state of poverty, they had to beg for food. Before long, the three of them decided that they would rather go to the rivers in the mountains and pan for gold.

As luck would have it, all three found an equal amount of gold. They each took their gold back to their own shack, and some time passed.

The first brother was very religious. He made a little altar for the gold he had found. Every day, he would pray to the gold and sing its praises — how the gold had the power to totally eliminate his poverty and his suffering that he would never again have to beg or do anything he didn’t want to do because he would have food and housing. And that’s all he did — pray.

The second one was very educated. Instead of praying to the gold, he would write essays on the power of gold and write poetry in its honor. He would write about how the gold, so beautiful and shiny, had the power to remove his hunger, give him clothes, and put a roof over his head.

We might think there is a big difference between what the first two brothers did, but at the end of the day, we really have to question what the difference is.

The third brother sold his gold, and with the money, he bought himself a farm. He grew vegetables, planted fruit trees, and ate whatever he wanted. What he didn’t need, he sold. From the money he earned, he made himself a beautiful home. Amazingly enough, the things that the first two brothers wanted, the third one got — food, shelter, and clothes.

At one point the brothers decided they wanted to come together again. It had been a long time. When they met, they asked each other, “How are you doing?”

The first one said, “It’s beautiful. I pray every day. I pray and pray, ‘Almighty gold, please make available to me clothes to wear, a house to live in, food to eat.’ And I am sure that someday in the future — because of my sincerity — the gold will respond.

The second one said, “I write beautiful essays about gold, and I am sure that someday, pleased with my praises, the gold will bestow upon me all my wishes.”

Seeing their devotion and dedication to the gold, the third one kept very quiet.

The others turned to him and said, “And what do you do? We can see you have good clothes and look quite healthy — not like us who have to beg and wear these torn clothes. What happened? Were your prayers answered?”

The third one said, “I hate to tell you this, but I sold my gold, and with the money, I bought a farm. I worked on my farm, and somehow, that gold made it possible for me to have clothes, food, and shelter.”

Then the first two realized that they had started with the same amount of gold, but they didn’t really do anything with it. 

*Verbos subrayados son de Past Simple. Cuales son de Present Simple? Cuales son infinitivos?