This time next week, TeachMeet09 will be drawing to a close and about 60 people will be descending on PizzaExpress to carry on the networking and discussions. And I can’t wait!

As Drew Buddie has put it so eloquently on his blog, I’ll leave it to him to explain –

The TeachMeet model is one which encourages anyone with something of interest regarding the use of technology in the classroom to talk about, to speak to a gathered audience of people who (in a nutshell)want to be inspired. It makes for an excellent antidote to the BETT Show which is effectively a showcase for hundreds of companies trying to sell teachers their products. This is because you know that the people talking are genuinely talking about THEIR classroom practice, as opposed to a salesman peddling their latest tool or software package.

Last year I went to BETT for the first time and must say that I got far more out of TeachMeet than I did from BETT. I love the fact that each presentation is short – 2 or 7 minutes – and that everything is based on classroom practice! And because presenters are chosen by random generator from the list of volunteers, you’re neer sure what’s coming next.

Last year, I watched in awe of everyone, rather like a rabbit in headlights. One year on, I’m helping to organise the event and have volunteered to speak – name is down for 7 minutes as I was told by several people that there was no way I would be able to limit myself to 2 minutes!! And that’s what I’m going to talk abut – how I got from one to the other!

So, if you’re coming to BETT next Friday, sign up on the wiki – it’s free!

And if you can’t be in London, why not join in virtually? As Drew also points out, there are Facebook , Twitter & Flickr groups and a Ustream feed already set up for the event as well as a Flashmeeting providing a backchannel which will run throughout the event so that attendees all around the world can participate in the event, and there are plans afoot to have all videos hosted on a TEDTalks-like portal so that the talks can be used to inspire others once the event is over.

There are lots more details on the wiki – well worth a look to find out what’s going on. And I’ll try and blog as much as I can!

Blogging from my desk, I can watch the cars sliding down the icerink that has replaced the road on which I live. That’s the problem with living on a steep hill – good for keeping fit but a pain when it snows as it fast turns to ice and makes it very hard to go down the road under complete control, and you might as well forget going up the road! And this situation can continue for long after all the surrounding roads have been cleared.

Anyhow – looking out of the window reminded me of a post on About.com entitled Spanish words for ‘SNOW’.

An urban legend has it that the Eskimo language has 25 (or four, or 50 or 100, depending on the version) words for snow. While the statement is seriously flawed (there’s no one Eskimo language, nobody knows what the true number is, and nearly all languages have multiple words for snow), it does have some truth to it: Living languages, by their very nature, come up with the words or means to describe nearly everything that people talk about and to differentiate among them.

It goes on to list the numerous words in Spanish to describe and name snow and related vocabulary. So, if you want to get beyond talking about ‘la nieve’ and become more descriptive, check out the list!

Here are a few words I liked!

As a Mum whose eldest has ‘had a little chat’ with me this year about Father Christmas, this clip particularly struck a chord!

If you are fortunate enough to be somewhere they celebrate Reyes, enjoy the ‘cabalgatas’ and don’t forget your shoes on the balcony.

¡Felices Reyes!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noH51NPI9C4&hl=en&fs=1]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-u54LFG_m0&hl=en&fs=1]

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Redhill @ New Year, originally uploaded by lisibo.

from my little ‘reyes magos’ Isaac and Jude. They seem to have lost their mate – perhaps he’s feeding the camels??

(I know – the picture that’s used as the screenshot of this clip is bizarre!)

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Puerta de Sol, originally uploaded by lisibo.

Having visited Madrid in November, I have now stood in the Puerta de Sol, in front of this clock which will be the focus of festivitis in Spain much as Big Ben is in England. The square will be full of the level of chatter and hubbub that only Spaniards can produce – oh to be there! Hopefully I’ll find it online somewhere!! Got my grapes ready…

28th December is el Día de los Santo Inocentes in Spain (and other Hispanic countries – found a clip from Venezuela too) – their equivalent of April Fool’s Day. I think it’s a great time of year to have a day of practical jokes as it’s in that awkward ‘lull’ period between Christmas and New Year, and also as it’s the time when people are visiting relatives and friends so gives much more scope for ‘inocentadas’ or jokes.

Have a look at this description of the day and for some ideas, check out this site which offers suggestions of jokes you might like to play! Here’s another list of suggestions – one of which involves salt to make people think you have dandruff!!

Other ‘bromas’ might include some of the following-
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrif_HHU36U&hl=en&fs=1]

And here’s a clip from The Simpsons where Bart plays a joke on Homer – (sorry video quality is poor – Twentieth Century Fox have had most clips removed!!)

That’s a bit extreme I guess!

This Christmas is going to be different in my family as my Dad is not here to share it with us, and I have to say that I haven’t really entered into the whole Christmas thing this year with the gusto I usually do. I’ve not sent any Christmas cards and don’t really feel as I normally do at this time of year, a time that I usually adore. Being ill last week didn’t really help I guess.

However, when it all boils down, this is what Christmas is all about for me – the celebration of the birth of Jesus (whenever it actually took place). And, because of Him, I believe I will one day see my Dad again.

Wishing you a Happy Christmas xxx

Yesterday saw the biggest lottery of the year – El Gordo (the Fat One) – in Spain. As far as I know – and I think I would know – my Aunt didn’t win and nor did anyone else I know, but I still like to check it out as it is drawn and called in such a quaint way with children singing the numbers and prizes.

As The Guardian reports;

The Fat One showered €2.15bn (£2.02bn) in prize money across the country. It brought tears of relief to some winners and champagne-soaked pledges to pay off mortgages and meet debts from others.

The world’s biggest lottery payout has ushered in the Spanish Christmas season for almost two centuries since it was first drawn in 1812.

Rarely has the prize money, spread among tens of thousands of people, been so eagerly welcomed. “Everybody says they are going to use it to get themselves out of problems,” said Madrid lottery seller Rosario Rueda.

So, congratulations to the winners, and to the losers…there’s always next year.