The World Is Your Oyster (theWIYO.com)

Regrets- Mylene Farmer

Kimberly — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:12:00 GMT

Here's a beautiful song from the early 90's.

Regrets lyrics

En duo avec Jean-Louis Murat
Loin très loin du monde
Où rien ne meurt jamais
J´ai fait ce long,
Ce doux voyage,
Nos âmes se confondent
Aux neiges éternelles
L´amour cachait
Son vrai visage
Oh viens, ne sois plus sage
Après tout qu´importe
Je sais la menace
Des amours mortes
Gardons l´innocence
Et l´insouciance
De nos jeux d´antan, troublants.
N´aie pas de regret
Fais moi confiance, et penses
A tous les no way
L´indifférence des sens
N´aie pas des regret
Fais la promesse, tu sais que
L´hiver et l´automne n´ont pu s´aimer
Debout la tête ivre
Des rêves suspendus
Je bois à nos amours
Infirmes
Au vent que je devine
Nos lèvres éperdues
S´offrent des noces
Clandestines
N´ouvre pas la porte
Tu sais le piège
De tous les remords
De l´anathème
Je me fous des saisons
Viens je t´emmène
Là, où dorment ceux qui s´aiment.
N´aie pas...
Viens ce soir
De regret
Viens me voir
Fais moi confiance, et penses
A tous...
Viens t'asseoir
Les no way
Près de moi
L´indifférence des sens
N´aie pas...
L'aube est là
De regret
Reste là
Fais la promesse, tu sais que
Je te promets
L´hiver et l´automne
D'être là
N´ont pu s´aimer
Pour l'éternité

Classic French song by Francoise: Comment te dire adieu.

Kimberly — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:40:00 GMT

Another great classic French song by Francoise Hardy: Comment te dire adieu.

Comment te dire adieu

Sous aucun pretexte
Je ne veux
Avoir de reflexes
Malheureux
Il faut que tu m' explique un peu mieux
Comment te dire adieu

Mon coeur de silex
Vite prend feu
Ton coeur de pyrex
Resiste au feu
Je suis bien perplexe
Je ne veux
Me resoudre aux adieus
Je sais bien qu'un ex
Amour n'as pas de chance ou si peu
Mais pour moi une explication voudrait mieux
Sous aucun pretexte
Je ne veux
Devant toi surexposer mes yeux
Derriere un kleenex je saurais mieux
Comment te dire adieu
Comment te dire adieu

Répétez la chanson souvent!!

Official World Cup Africa Song - people went mad for it! Lyrics partially in French. Enjoy!

Kimberly — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 19:49:00 GMT

Chanson officielle Coupe du Monde 2010 (Anglais et Francais)

Give me freedom, give me fire Give me reason, take me higher See the champions, take the field now, Unify us, make us feel proud, In the streets, our hands are lifting, As we lose our inhibition, Celebration it surrounds us Every nations all around us

Tant que l'on avance ensemble Dans la gloire comme dans la défaite Célébration Soweto France On a tous le même refrain en tête

We all say

On est des soldats Sans arme au combat Ce soir la mission C'est de chanter dans les stades chanter dans les stades

When I get older, I will be stronger, They'll call me freedom, just like a waving flag So wave your flag Now wave your flag...

Plusieurs uniformes, une seule passion Derrière onze hommes, une seule nation Nous les enfants, aux vies sévères Voir nos champions nous fait rêver Dans les rues, nos mains sont en l'air Marque nos humeurs, joie comme colère Tous unis sous, une même bannière Qu'importe l'issue on a gagné

Tant que l'on avance ensemble Dans la gloire comme dans la défaite Célébration Soweto France On a tous le même refrain en tête

When I get older, I will be stronger, They'll call me freedom, just like a waving flag So wave your flag Now wave your flag...

On est des soldats Sans arme au combat Ce soir la mission C'est de chanter dans les stades Chanter dans les stades...

When I get older, I will be stronger, They'll call me freedom, just like a waving flag So wave your flag Now wave your flag.

On est des soldats Sans arme au combat Ce soir la mission C'est de chanter dans les stades Chanter dans les stades...

When I get older, I will be stronger, They'll call me freedom, just like a waving flag So wave your flag Now wave your flag...

On est des soldats Sans arme au combat Ce soir la mission C'est de chanter dans les stades Chanter dans les stades...

Love this new French artist. Song with lyrics. Voilà!

Kimberly — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:23:00 GMT

Je Veux :
Donnez moi une suite au Ritz, je n'en veux pas !

Des bijoux de chez CHANEL, je n'en veux pas !
Donnez moi une limousine, j'en ferais quoi ? papalapapapala
Offrez moi du personnel, j'en ferais quoi ?
Un manoir a Neufchatel, ce n'est pas pour moi.
Offrez moi la Tour Eiffel, j'en ferais quoi ? papalapapapala

Refrain:
Je Veux d'l'amour, d'la joie, de la bonne humeur, ce n'est pas votre argent qui f'ra mon bonheur, moi j'veux crever la main sur le coeur papalapapapala allons ensemble, découvrir ma liberté, oubliez donc tous vos clichés, bienvenue dans ma réalité.

J'en ai marre de vos bonnes manières, c'est trop pour moi !
Moi je mange avec les mains et j'suis comme ça !
J'parle fort et je suis franche, excusez moi !
Finie l'hypocrisie moi j'me casse de là !
J'en ai marre des langues de bois !
Regardez moi, toute manière j'vous en veux pas et j'suis comme çaaaaaaa (j'suis comme çaaa) papalapapapala

Refain x3:
Je Veux d'l'amour, d'la joie, de la bonne humeur, ce n'est pas votre argent qui f'ra mon bonheur, moi j'veux crever la main sur le coeur papalapapapala Allons ensemble découvrir ma liberté, oubliez donc tous vos clichés, bienvenue dans ma réalité !

Another Favorite French song to practice - repeat until memorized for incredible results

Kimberly — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:21:00 GMT

La Chanson de prevert

Oh je voudrais tant que tu te souviennes
Cette chanson était la tienne
C'était ta préférée je crois
Qu'elle est de Prévert et Kosma
Et chaque fois "Les feuilles mortes"
Te rappellent à mon souvenir
Jour après jour les amours mortes
N'en finissent pas de mourir

Avec d'autres, bien sur, je m'abadonne
Mais leur chanson est monotone
Et peu à peu je m'indiffère
A cela il n'est rien à faire

Car chaque fois les feuilles mortes
Te rappellent à mon souvenir
Jour après jour les amours mortes
N'en finissent pas de mourir

Peut on jamais savoir par où commence
Et quand finit l'indifférence
Passe l'automne, vienne l'hiver
Et que la chanson de Prévert

Cette chanson "Les feuilles mortes"
S'efface de mon souvenir
|: Et ce jour là mes amours mortes
En auront fini de mourir

Excellent French song to practice/learn French

Kimberly — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:57:00 GMT

Learn French and/or increase your comprehension dramatically with music. The results are profound. Here's a great classic. Lyrics below.

Tous les garcons et les filles

Tous les garçons et les filles de mon âge
se promènent dans la rue deux par deux
tous les garçons et les filles de mon âge
savent bien ce que c'est d'être heureux

et les yeux dans les yeux et la main dans la main
ils s'en vont amoureux sans peur du lendemain
oui mais moi, je vais seule par les rues, l'âme en peine
oui mais moi, je vais seule, car personne ne m'aime

mes jours comme mes nuits
sont en tous points pareils
sans joies et pleins d'ennuis
personne ne murmure "je t'aime" à mon oreille

tous les garçons et les filles de mon âge
font ensemble des projets d'avenir
tous les garçons et les filles de mon âge
savent très bien ce qu'aimer veut dire

et les yeux dans les yeux et la main dans la main
ils s'en vont amoureux sans peur du lendemain
oui mais moi, je vais seule par les rues, l'âme en peine
oui mais moi, je vais seule, car personne ne m'aime

mes jours comme mes nuits
sont en tous points pareils
sans joies et pleins d'ennuis
oh! quand donc pour moi brillera le soleil?

comme les garçons et les filles de mon âge
connaîtrais-je bientôt ce qu'est l'amour?
comme les garçons et les filles de mon âge
je me demande quand viendra le jour

où les yeux dans ses yeux et la main dans sa main
j'aurai le coeur heureux sans peur du lendemain
le jour où je n'aurai plus du tout l'âme en peine
le jour où moi aussi j'aurai quelqu'un qui m'aime

Does music help us learn language?

Kimberly — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:10:00 GMT

The following article from Cognitive Daily supports what some of us have just begun to understand about the role music can play in learning a new language.

Does music help us learn language?

Category: Language • Music and sound • Research
Posted on: June 19, 2008 8:32 AM, by Dave Munger

One of the first steps to learning a language is figuring out where one word ends and the next one begins. Since fluent speakers don't generally pause between words, it can be a daunting task. We've discussed one of the ways people do it in this post -- they focus in on consonant sounds. Other researchers have found that we also focus on the statistical properties of language.

Certain syllables are likely to follow each other within individual words, but unlikely to follow each other between words. Take the phrase "between words." In English, within a single word we're much more likely to hear bet followed by ween than ween followed by wor.

Researchers have found that if you make up nonsense words like gimysi and mimosi and play a constant stream of these words to listeners, the listeners will eventually figure out the boundaries of the words based solely on the statistical properties of the words.

But still, it can take a long time to pick up the word boundaries. A team led by Daniele Schön invented just six words: gimysi, mimosi, pogysi, pymiso, sipygy, and sysipi, and after seven minutes of listening to these words repeated in random order, student volunteers couldn't distinguish between them. It took over 20 minutes for listeners to learn where one word started and the next one ended.

Schön's team suspected that singing the words might improve listeners' ability to parse them. After all, mothers often sing to their infants. Perhaps one purpose of singing is to help children learn language faster. In a second experiment, the researchers assigned a unique pitch to each of the syllables used in their six words (gi was C5, my was D5, and sy was F5, and so on). A speech synthesizer played back the words in a sing-song fashion, with a musical note assigned to each syllable.

After listening to the words for seven minutes, the volunteers were tested. They heard three-syllable "words" from the original list and partial words composed of fragments of real words (for example, mysimi, made from gimysi and mimosi). How accurate were listeners at identifying the original words? Here are the results:

The dotted line in each graph represents the average score for all listeners, and each square is the average score for an individual listener. As you can see, in the speech-only experiment, listeners did no better than chance. But in the second experiment, nearly everyone did better than chance, and the average score was 64 percent correct -- significantly better than chance performance. Simply associating each syllable with a musical note improved performance.

But in real songs, syllables aren't always matched with the same notes. Sometimes different syllables get the same note, and sometimes the same syllable is sung with a different note. In a third experiment, Schön's team allowed the notes to vary with each syllable. Again, listeners could identify words at a rate better than chance (though they weren't as good as in the second experiment).

Schön and her colleagues don't go so far as to argue that music is a requirement for learning language, but they do make the case that the extra information provided in music can facilitate language learning. They also suggest that other information, like gestures, might be equally helpful for learning a language.

But there is additional evidence suggesting that music plays an important role in language. Similar areas of the brain are activated when listening to or playing music and speaking or processing language. Language and music are both associated with emotions. And of course, we know that children -- especially small children -- really like music. This study offers another bit of evidence that the link between language and music may be a fundamental one.

D Schon, I Peretz, M Besson, M Boyer, R Kolinsky, S Moreno (2008). Songs as an aid for language acquisition Cognition, 106 (2), 975-983 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2007.03.005

scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2008/06/does_music_help_us_learn_langu.php />

Continuing on with French

Kimberly — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:05:00 GMT

My last post was a few years ago. It's been a busy time. We moved out of state and after two years at the Lycée, I finally realized it was up to me to keep the girls up on their French. The interesting thing is, I improved my own French in the most dramatic way during this same two year period. I'd had 6 years of French (beginning in 7th grade), followed by four years in college, and a six month semester at the University of Paris. Clearly, living in Paris was the ultimate learning experience. However, upon my return to the States I very quickly realized the change in my comprehension once I immersed myself in French music. It was a profound difference. At the Lycée music is a huge part of the children's curriculum at all ages. This is not only for building language skills but equally for cultural emphasis.

So we now listen to French music regularly. I have scoured so many sources (including the internet) for my favorite songs and created lyric scripts so we can sing along. I'll be sharing many of these songs here so if you are also learning French, check back and listen to some great music while you learn.

I have so much passion for this language...it really moves me.

Forward Thinking Parents Exposing Children To Foreign Language In Early Years

Kimberly — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 19:16:00 GMT

CHANGE: the world is changing . Our planet is changing. As Americans... we want our future president to bring about change in our Government. What about ourselves as individuals? Can or should Americans get out of the frame of mind that the world revolves around us. With respect to Foreign Language, should we rely on the fact that most other countries we interact with speak our language? Technology is enabling other countries to catch up with us in so many ways. Yet in many ways, we as Americans are not making the shift towards true global thinking.

Our Government recognizes the need for our Country to teach and expose our children to other cultures and languages. There are articles about Govenment initiatives that leaders have tried to implement on this subject for more than two decades. Nothing of major significance has been implemented (except in the private sector and in small regional localities). At least none that I have been able to locate in my research. If you know of any, I would love to hear from you.

The rest of the world lives by this way of thinking. We are so isolated, as a country. Living in most any part of Europe, one is often only a few hours drive from another foreign Country with all its customs and language. I suppose this makes it more natural or logical for them to learn about each other. The resulting riches to these peoples is immeasureable and includes a global sophistication that many Americans lack.

So, I hope to get a feel for Americans thoughts and impressions about the subject of teaching Foreign Language for our children. I strongly believe in the importance of this topic. Our children are enrolled at a French Immersion school, which they began September 2007. This is the first step of many in which we hope will lead to a richer appreciation for this world and to give our children a competitive advantage in their futures.

I love this school! On the first day, entering the grounds and hearing all the languages spoken by the parents, Bonjour, ca va, Oui ca va... Bonjour, Bonjour, I felt the thrill of an adventure, as if I were overseas. In my older daughters 1st grade class, the majority of the children in the classroom speak 3, 4 and even 5 languages already. My daughter is one of a few that is only starting her second. English is the language that the children speak together on the playground. The families are many diiferent combinations of American, French, British, Dutch, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Italian and others. Being able to expose the kids to so many cultures is very fulfilling.

One day recently as I went to pick up my kindergartner a little early from her classroom, I heard a slightly loud chanting as I approached the door. I opened the door not sure if I was interrupting...to see the kinder teacher with her arm raised high in the air, encouraging the children to join in the phrase "Vivent le roi et la reine"!!! "Vivent le roi et la reine"! She cheered (Long live the king and the queen)! Such passion is contagious!! This was Roi de la Galette week. A week where the school recognizes a French holiday where a special pastry type of cake is baked by all the people of the towns. Inside is a little figurine and the lucky child who finds it gets to wear a crown for the day. It's the Galette des Rois. The feast of Kings! This type of activity is a regular thing in the Lycee. This is a full French immersion school where all instruction in the classroom is done in French (except for one hour per day of English) . There is exposure to many cultures and customs and teaching is done from a global perspective. Overall it has been an incredible experience. I believe we put our girls into the school just before we missed the opportunity. The school recommends getting the children in as young as possible - preschool age. Learning a new Language at a young age is almost effortless as compared to learning languages as an adult. We plan in the future to begin to learn Mandarin Chinese as a family at home, and continue through at the Lycee.

Reasons to Learn Foreign Languages

Kimberly — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 19:14:00 GMT

Career advancement/ higher pay/ better positions/ little or no competition.
Personal self confidence and enrichment. Builds a sense of pride and empowerment.
Be part of the new global civilization.
Be a better representative of America. Other cultures learn our language, we should do the same / new thinking.
Forward thinking parents are pursuing foreign languages for their children. Today, our children are part of this small group in this country. We consider this a "gift" to our kids for their future, as I considered my parents game me this gift of language.
Widely accepted fact that children who are bilingual or mulitlingual have greater brain cognition. This has been demonstrated in many test groups with drastically better scores on Standardized tests in Elementary Grades through to College tests such as SAT and ACT.

Repairing America's Human Rights Reputation

Kimberly — Sat, 23 May 2009 19:41:00 GMT

“Repair America’s Human Rights Reputation”—An op-ed by Dean Harold Hongju KohAugust 6, 2007

The following op-ed appeared in the Summer 2007 issue of the Yale Law Report as part of a collection of op-eds written by faculty members detailing their thoughts about the direction the next presidential administration could take. To read the full collection of op-eds, visit Yale Law Report [Online].

“Repair America’s Human Rights Reputation”
Harold Hongju Koh, Dean and Gerard C. and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law at Yale Law School, served as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor from 1998-2001.

The Pew Global Attitudes Project recently found, after interviewing 110,000 people in 50 countries, that the United States’ image has plummeted abroad since September 11, due in good part to a decline in America’s perceived commitment to human rights and the rule of law. Six years of defining our human rights policy almost entirely through the lens of the War on Terror have diminished our human rights reputation, given cover to abuses committed by our allies in that “war,” blunted our ability to criticize and deter gross violators elsewhere, and lowered America’s standing as the world’s human rights leader. To repair America’s damaged human rights reputation, the next Administration should take immediate steps to put America’s own human rights house in order, to renew its support of multilateral human rights efforts, to end the ongoing genocide in Darfur, and to restore its own reputation for truthtelling about human rights.

Putting the U.S. human rights house in order would entail not just closing Guantanamo as soon as possible, but also: revising the flawed 2006 Military Commissions Act to ensure availability of the writ of habeas corpus to alleged terrorist detainees; unambiguously banning the use of torture and cruel treatment by U.S. personnel and contractors anywhere in the world—with an enumerated list of forbidden practices (such as waterboarding) that can be monitored by admission of the International Committee of the Red Cross into U.S.-operated or controlled detention facilities; and ending the practice of “extraordinary rendition.”

Concrete steps to restore our human rights multilateralism would include: sending a Special Envoy to the new U.N. Human Rights Council; shifting formally to a policy of constructive engagement with the International Criminal Court; reinitiating a human rights diplomatic process with regard to Iraq following the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group Report; joining new multilateral human rights treaties, such as Convention on Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (both of which the United States recently backed away from); supporting the Community of Democracies and using that ad hoc multilateral body to support democratic transitions in particular countries, such as Cuba; and promoting “Private-Public” partnerships between governments and multinational corporations to ensure the growth of internet freedom and human rights in China (especially as the 2008 Olympics approach) as well as greater access to essential medicines and the end of “blood resources” (especially oil and diamonds) in Africa.

A third necessary and belated step would be to take firm and immediate action to end the genocide in Darfur. While proposals for intervention vary, indispensable to all are “the 4 Ps”: first, initiating a Peace Process; second, calling for immediate deployment of Peacekeepers into Darfur—with a deadline for Khartoum’s acceptance of such a force, to help achieve an enforceable ceasefire that could lead to a sustainable political settlement; third, Protecting People, both the mass of trans-border refugees and the internally displaced; and fourth, Punishing Perpetrators, by promoting four kinds of accountability: (1) new targeted sanctions (such as travel bans and assets freezes) upon individuals named in the U.N. Commission of Inquiry Report on Darfur and upon Sudanese companies owned by ruling party officials doing business abroad; (2) sanctions targeted at revenue flows from the “blood oil” sector; (3) capital market sanctions imposed upon foreign firms who deal with Khartoum; and (4) mechanisms for sharing information with the International Criminal Court to accelerate indictments against responsible Khartoum officials.

Fourth and finally, the State Department’s Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices have increasingly begun to shade or underreport the truth about human rights violations by our allies, especially those such as Egypt and Pakistan, who support us in the War on Terror. Nor has the State Department done enough to ensure that these Country Reports are made widely available in the very countries whose human rights conduct is being described.

This may seem like a long “To Do List” for the next Administration. But America’s human rights reputation defines who we are as a nation and a people. What the last six years have taught is that restoring that human rights reputation is simply too important a task to be left to politicians. Restoring our human rights reputation should be a core challenge for all thinking lawyers, educators, and law students, who are the ultimate guardians of the rule of law.

Foreign Language Education Advantages

Kimberly — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:53:00 GMT

source: AssociatedContent

Why Do We Need to Concentrate More on Foreign Language Education?

By Joshua Cook
Published Apr 27, 2007

Although national reports detail the need for Americans to be competent in other languages and cultures, only a handful of states have actually required foreign language be taught in elementary schools. Local districts are the cause for most long-standing elementary programs, like the Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools (FLES) program. In this program, courses are offered sequentially, beginning in primary grades and continuing through high school. Districts still face challenges in implementing programs like this, due to lack of support from state or federal levels; such as finding teachers adequately prepared in foreign languages.

The absence of a national curriculum and policy on foreign language studies has caused some districts to implement better policies, while others have chosen to eliminate programs altogether. While this is still largely due to budget restraints, the main problem lies in the fact that the benefits of early foreign language study isn't socially recognized or understood. Since it is commonly understood that the longer you study a foreign language, the more proficient you become, it stands to reason that the benefits become more important the longer you study another language.

The advantages to starting children learning foreign language at a young are significant. During their elementary school years, children are open to a better global understanding, so the learning of a different language and culture further that development greatly. This study of these programs also increases basic skills performance in elementary school. Connections have been found to creativity, memory, and listening skills as well.

Research studies also indicate that studying another language may give students the "edge" needed to succeed in later education levels. A study of over 17,000 students applying for college admission revealed that students who had completed a foreign language course in high school tended to have higher scores on the ACT exams in English and math regardless of their ability level. It has also been found that high school foreign language students perform significantly better on the SAT verbal exam than monolingual students. SAT verbal skills also increase successively with each half year of foreign language study.

Once we get to the colleges and universities of our country, one of the problems we face is that, like the individual school districts and communities, they tend to do their own thing. The fact still remains that a very substantial portion of basic foreign language instruction is carried out in the collegiate level. Approximately one in every five students enrolled in language studies is studying at the college level. The result is that there is a major structural challenge in the layers of language learning systems. Ideally, the transition in these foreign language courses should be smooth and well articulated. Too often, the various levels of language-learning systems march to different drummers.

The result is considerable slippage in language study between high school and collegiate levels. Most students arrive in college already having had a substantial amount of language study, which is attributed to students' desires for college admission. However, most institutions of higher education do not require foreign language study for entry. This shows remarkably little attention paid at this level to building on the foundation acquired during high school. In a comprehensive survey of college students conducted by the Department of Education, the proportion of students taking no language courses was 58.4 percent. So basically, while almost two-thirds of students arrive at college with some language instruction, more than half of take no language classes at all.

Yet another problem with our current educational system's attitudes towards foreign language education is that it is overwhelmingly focused on the lower skill levels. In both high schools and colleges, the dropout rate is about fifty percent from one year to the next in foreign language studies. A part of this is due to the fact that the system is set up to only require one to two years of study at both levels. These elementary skill levels do little, if anything, to enable students to use what they learn as a vehicle for communication.

Perhaps this problem is caused, in part, by the fact that American adults do not see a need to learn a foreign language. The commitments required to become proficient in another language, in their mind, outweighs any use they may get out of that knowledge. In some cases it is becoming more beneficial for working adults to learn a second language, usually Spanish, but until those that do the hiring actually push for more proficient language skills, the motivation will still remain low for adults.

Caruso by Lucia Dalla

Kimberly — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:03:00 GMT

Saluto! My first entry in "Favorite things from here and there", is this incredible Italian song. This song is... P A S S I O N A T E ... and lovely....see for yourself...

Caruso by Lucia Dalla

Caruso
( Lucio Dalla )

Qui dove il mare luccica,
e tira forte il vento
su una vecchia terrazza
davanti al golfo di Surriento
un uomo abbraccia una ragazza,
dopo che aveva pianto
poi si schiarisce la voce,
e ricomincia il canto.

Ti voglio bene assaje,
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai,
che scioglie il sangue dint' 'e 'vvene sai.

Vide le luci in mezzo al mare,
pensò alle notti là in America
ma erano solo le lampare
nella bianca scia di un'elica

sentì il dolore nella musica,
si alzò dal pianoforte
ma quando vide la luna uscire da una nuvola
gli sembrò più dolce anche la morte

guardò negli occhi la ragazza,
quelli occhi verdi come il mare
poi all'improvviso uscì una lacrima,
e lui credette di affogare

Ti voglio bene assaje,
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai,
che scioglie il sangue dint' 'e 'vvene sai

Potenza della lirica,
dove ogni dramma è un falso
che con un po' di trucco e con la mimica
puoi diventare un altro

ma due occhi che ti guardano
così vicini e veri
ti fan scordare le parole,
confondono i pensieri

così diventa tutto piccolo,
anche le notti là in America
ti volti e vedi la tua vita
come la scia di un'elica

ma sì, è la vita che finisce,
ma lui non ci pensò poi tanto
anzi si sentiva già felice,
e ricominciò il suo canto

Ti voglio bene assaje,
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai,
che scioglie il sangue dint' 'e 'vene sai

Ti voglio bene assaje,
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai,
che scioglie il sangue dint' 'e 'vene sai...

...dint' 'e 'vene sai ...

Foreign Film Reviews

Kimberly — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 07:08:00 GMT

Jean de Florette / Manon des Sources (France)

I just watched this again for the first time in about a decade. The two films form one of the greatest epic sagas of all time. The films rival the Godfather trilogy as one of the best movies ever made. Some similarity with the Godfather can be found in scope and style and score (although not in story).

Claude Berri makes fantastic use of subtle foreshadowing and symbolism to haunt us with a sense of impending doom, though we can't help but succumb to Depardieu's contagious enthusiasm.

Note how big a role water plays in almost every aspect of both films.

At first viewing, you might despise the actor who plays Galinette Ugolin for his boorish look, his simple mind and his twisted thought process. However, watch some of Daniel Auteuil's more recent work such as Cache and Apres Vous, and you'll agree he's a thespian genius. Depardieu is at his best in Jean des Florrette. Emmanuel Beart got her first major film role as the teenage Manon (she later married Auteuil and starred in Mission Impossible).

Jane Eyre (United Kingdom)

There are twenty theatrical and television versions of Jane Eyre; I've seen five and recommend this as the best.

The use of relative unknowns in the lead roles works well, and their performances are first rate.

The direction and screenplay subtly but effectively create the elements of foreshadowing and muted tension that make such Victorian period pieces come to life.

The film has you rooting hard for Jane and Edward, which is exactly the point.

Lemming (France)

I was immediately caught up and remained intensely involved to the last frame. I found the suspense scenes riveting. A dash of David Lynch in the middle and some Hitchcock sprinkled throughout make this a rather unconventional French film.

Charlotte Gainsbourg is as sensual and sweet as ever. She does act a bit strange for a portion of the movie, but this is all implicitly explained later on. Contrary to other reviewers, I did not find it difficult to separate what was real from what was not. There was adequate explanation for everyone's actions. However, one must accept a paranormal premise in order to follow all of the twists.

Love Actually (United Kingdom)
This movie attempts to include every cliche from every romantic comedy ever made, particularly those starring Hugh Grant. And, as with most modern romantic comedies, relies heavily on scenes involving spontaneous, often bad, singing. Did that sound like I didn't like it? I gave it four stars because I'm a sucker for romantic comedies.

The Widow of Saint-Pierre (France)

This is a beautiful French film shot in Canada, with sterling performances by Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil.

When the movie starts, the story is stark and simple. seemingly mimicking the cold and unforgiving setting of the Canadian Northeast. As the film progresses, the hidden beauties of the landscape are revealed slowly. The cinematography at the end is positively stunning. Similarly, the relationships and idiosynchrasies of the lead characters are developed in a patient and methodical way, revealing unsuspected depths of character.

The emphasis is on compassion, integrity, loyalty, responsibility and unlikely, yet controlled, passion and obsession. It becomes one of the rare films to concentrate more on character's motivations than on their actions.

The film's title, along with an initial glimpse of the ultimate outcome burdens the viewer with a foreshadowing of an unhappy ending. This only adds to the bittersweet, but incredibly deep, investment one makes in the story and characters.

Le Petit Lieutenant (France)

Now here's an unusual French film: a detective story complete with autopsies, stabbings, shootings, DNA matching, investigative work, internal affairs, you name it. It was a good film, but it's hard to rate it more than three stars since this genre is certainly done a lot better and more frequently by Americans.

It was about the equivalent of watching a couple old episodes of CSI, but with subtitles.

My Mother's Castle (France)

What a fun and fanciful romp through Provence with an endearing and credible family. Adapted from a novel by Marcel Pagnol, telling his memories of his own childhood and beautifully rendered as a film with Jean Pierre Darras providing superb narration. Pagnol is most famed for penning the novels Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring.

My Mother's Castle is actually the sequel to My Father's Glory. The film is absolutely fine on its own though if you don't care to watch the prequel first.

After the Wedding (Denmark)

Susanne Bier, writer and director of the Danish film, After the Wedding, believes in telling stories loaded with truth and emotion. The story is compelling enough to hold one's interest throughout, but it's the acting that really captivates. The performance given by Sidse Babett Knudsen as the mother was possibly the best female acting I have ever seen. The woman could go from positively soft and endearing to terrifyingly harsh and cold-hearted without skipping a beat. There were several scenes where I found myself so caught up in her performance that I had to remind myself I was watching a film. Stine Fischer Christensen as Anna, Rolf Lassgard as Jorgen, and Mads Mikkelsen as Jacob were also very believable in their respective roles.

Watch the short inteview with Susanne Bier on the DVD's special features. She reveals some of her process and insight in creating a masterpiece like After the Wedding.

This movie evokes emotion and forces you to care about the characters with not one ounce of Hollywood heavy-handed manipulation. For the most part, the utter realism of the story, acting, and direction made me feel almost voyeuristic having such an intimate inside look as this family struggles with life-defining challenges.

The Lost Son (France / UK)

Intense crime drama follows one man's pursuit of some really despicable characters. It becomes personal when they go after one of his dearest friends.

Daniel Auteuil is a special actor; this is the first English language film I've seen him in (and possibly the only one he's starred in). His English is not great, and his voice sounds much better speaking French, but because he does not try to do more than he can with the language, this does not create an insurmountable problem in the film. I have yet to see him in a role in which he does not perform at five star quality. He is one of those rare actors, like Deniro, Pacino, and Cage, who can be so versatile in so many varied roles, but is still distinctly recognizable.

Natassja Kinski and Marianne Denicourt are excellent in small supporting roles.

My Best Friend (France)

All eight movies I've seen with Daniel Auteuil have earned 4 and 5 stars from me. He's shown some acting chops to so convincingly play both a despicable villian in Jean de Florette and a gallant, devoted officer in The Widow of Saint Pierre.

In My Best Friend, Auteuil evokes a bit of both the good and the bad in portraying a somewhat confused and selfish man searching for the definition of friendship. Dany Boon plays a very Tony Shalhoub-like trivia buff who has his own problems making friends. Together the two men form an entertaining and quite watchable pair.

In a very clever twist, the movie contains a lengthy segment where Boon's character appears on the French Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. What better than the 'Phone a Friend' lifeline to put a friendship to the test?

The movie is mostly entertaining with the warmth of a romantic comedy. As I've said before, the French use cinema primarily as a means of exploring and evaluating human relationships of all kinds. This, like so many other French films, wryly steers clear of the predictable and formulaic, and strives to touch the viewer with both emotional and intellectual stimulation.

Un Couer En Hiver (France)

Un Coeur en Hiver (loosely translated: A Heart of Stone) features a great performance by French beauty Emmanuelle Beart. You may be pleasantly surprised to see how well she plays the violin. Daniel Auteuil is thoroughly believable (if not slightly off-putting) as the ultimate 'afraid of commitment' male.

While watching this film, keep in mind that Beart and Auteuil had been in several movies together already (most notably, Manon of the Spring) and were probably living together when they made this; they ended up married the year this movie was released. They had a daughter together, but the marriage only lasted three years.

The emotion in this film is palpable. The chemistry between Beart and Auteuil, even when it's negative, is obvious.

The supporting cast does a fine job, and the violin performances add some tangible uplift to the overall somewhat disheartening plot.

If you're like me, you'll be waiting for someone to grab Auteil, slap him hard, and ask "What is wrong with you? this woman is incredible!!!"

Monsoon Wedding (India)

A colorful, joyful celebration combining Indian and Western cultures. I was not thrilled at the inclusion of a few heavy-handed subplots; it tended to take away from the lighthearted whimsy at the center of the story. However, I very much enjoyed the frequent scenes blending ancient Indian traditions and culture with what is obviously becoming a very Westernized modern nation.

As often is the case with Indian movies, color, water, and luscious cinematography play a big part in portraying the story.

Innocence (France)

The French working title for the film translates to The School. Odd that they'd rename it as Innocence, although fitting I suppose since the girls wear all white all the time and frolic in the woods and swimming holes without a care in the world. As they grow older they draw nearer to the end of innocence: the release into the outside world.

The film is a surreal fantasy. To try to understand it as anything else will certainly limit your enjoyment of it. If you wish to interpret it as something tangible, you will spend the entire movie wondering why the first scene shows a girl arriving at the school in a coffin. No explanation is given, and if you view the film as total fantasy, none is needed. If you intend to watch this film, sit back, relax, empty your mind of expectations, and enjoy the beautiful cinematography and the lighthearted innocence of young girls in the woods.

Good news for folks with subtitle-phobia, dialog in this film averages about three words a minute.

The Butterfly (France)
This is the third French film I've seen this year about an elderly person bonding with a young child. I guess the French are all about interpersonal relationships. This one has some great performances. Michel Serrault as the old man is perfect, as is Claire Bouanich as the precocious 8 year old girl. Fine for the whole family (as long as you can all understand French or read subtitles).

Dirty Filthy Love (United Kingdom)

This is a difficult movie to want to watch. I had it at home for a month before finally watching it. But my wife and I were both glad we did see it.

It is extremely well done. Michael Sheen's performance is Oscar caliber.

However, I do not agree with this movie being billed and promoted as a romantic comedy. Although there are some light-hearted moments, the movie is nothing but serious. It is a quite sad look at the pain and anguish caused by mental illness, not just for the victim of the illness, but also for family, friends, and colleagues.

The DVD includes the original trailer for the film which promotes it like it's the latest Hugh Grant romantic comedy, with quotes like "Savagely Funny" and "Outrageous Comedy". This "comedy" moved my wife to tears on several occasions.

Wuthering Heights (United Kingdom)

I had anticipated a romantic tale of passion and was surprised to find a somewhat brutal film about relentless obsession, cruelty and violence. Heathcliff's character was quite cruel to everyone he came in contact with, treating women with contempt and physical violence. Catherine was flighty and unconcerned about the abuse, mistreatment, even physical violence sustained by her supposed true love at the hands of her brother. She even took part in the mockery of him.

It was hard to see the forest (romance) for the trees (contempt and cruelty). I give it three stars for the fine performances from Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes.

Truly Madly Deeply (United Kingdom)

As a longstanding Rickman fan, I had high hopes for this film. However I was disappointed by the casting of Juliet Stevenson. After really enjoying her performance in The Politician's Wife, I believe the problem with Truly, Madly, Deeply is that Stevenson is not convincing (for me) in such a frivolous role. Her laughter grated on my nerves and was barely distinguishable from her crying (although when she cried, her nose ran effusively, which gave a clue at least). In any case, she was shrieking, crying and laughing hysterically for much of the movie, and it made me feel sorry for the cast and crew.

On an up note, Stevenson is superb in The Politician's Wife which has little crying and even less laughter. Also, Minghella's Breaking and Entering (Jude Law, Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright Penn) is one of the best film's I've seen in some time.

Mademoiselle (France)
I would not recommend this to anyone who doesn't like French films a lot. It's a nice story with the requisite affair, although done with the least amount of sexuality I've ever seen in a French movie. My wife almost lost interest in the first half hour, I almost lost interest in the last half hour. But we both made it all the way through and agreed upon a three star rating.

The Golden Door (Italy)

Some good and bad here -- the perfect three star movie. The intro by Martin Scorsese was unexpected and intriguing.

Charlotte Gainsbourgh was cast against type as an English woman attempting to immigrate from Italy to the U.S. It seemed they almost wrote her into the script after it was finished.

I'm still not sure how I felt about the bits of whimsical fantasy interspersed here and there. I think the movie was just a bit too heavy to support that kind of leavity.

In the end, a good story directed and performed well is hard to dislike.

Swimming Pool (France)
This film suffers from trying to be a little too oblique. There are several sequences that may or may not be dreams/fantasies. There's a character who may or may not be real. There's a little person. But I gave it three stars because it's entertaining, it has a lot of lovely French countryside, and it features a beautiful French girl.

Night Sun (Italy)

Natassia Kinsky and Charlotte Gainsbourgh add a bit of feminine beauty to this dark and disturbing saga.

It was not difficult to understand what was happening in the story, but it was extremely hard to justify the actions. Seemingly arbitrary decisions that went against common sense made it difficult to become invested in the main character. A quite unsatisfying ending added to the disappointment.

But with all that said, the movie's excellence in cinematography, acting and direction made it hard to consider a waste of time.

Fear and Trembling (France)

I was not pleased with this movie. I found it exaggerated and embarrassing, not to mention dull. The Japanese people in the office are all caricatures of real people with no developed personalities.

I did not empathize with Amelie. It was hard to understand why she continued her experiment when it had so obviously failed. The only explanation I could see for her cleaning toilets for seven months was that she was planning to write a book about it later.

I felt the screenplay came across a lot like a novel; unfortunately the sarcasm and wit didn't play as well on screen as they may have in printed form.

A very long and tedious portion of the film has to do with Amelie's complete inability to use a calculator or copy numbers. Perhaps persons who share this affliction might relate, but I found it slightly incredible and certainly not interesting.

Amelie's borderline sexual infatuation with her female boss was confusing and tangential.

Finally, the fact that the entire film was shot in an office building, combined with the fact that there was only one character that was developed in any form, made this movie a very frustrating and tedious experience.

To Be and To Have (France)

I didn't get it.

I found this movie to be unbearably slow. It was definitely the least informative documentary I've ever seen. There is no narration, and there are many minute-long or even longer cinematagraphic tangents of trees, snow, animals, etc.

My children attend a French-American school in California, so I was hoping to gain a little insight into the French educational system. This movie did nothing more than show one man's country classroom and the surrounding idyllic pastoral environment. Granted, the man was a superbly patient and understanding teacher, but I really didn't learn anything by watching. I fast forwarded a lot towards the end.

Private Property (France)
The film asks more questions than it answers. You're left knowing less at the end than you knew at the beginning. The performances were quite good, and the premise was promising. However the lack of resolution to just about every conflict and relationship introduced in the film left me feeling a bit frustrated.

Education in an Age of Globalization

Kimberly — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:04:00 GMT

source: Asia Society

States Institute on International Education

Michael Eskew
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, United Parcel Service

Washington DC, December 8, 2005

Thank you for that kind introduction and good evening, everyone.

It’s a privilege to be here tonight, in the company of so many people who play an incredibly important role in the future development of our nation.

There is no issue more critical to our country’s long-term competitiveness, health and well-being than the quality of our education system.

The world is changing.

Business is changing.

Our society is changing.

And, as you have made it clear – the way we teach and nurture our future leaders must also change.

In times of extraordinary transformation, it’s natural to feel that we’re somewhat unique – that we’re experiencing changes no one else ever had to deal with.

While that’s partly true, we should also take comfort in the fact that others before us experienced similar challenges as we face today and rose to meet them.

Washington, with the rich history that surrounds us here, is a great backdrop for such a discussion.

For instance, if you think back to what Abraham Lincoln and the Congress of 1860 were facing– it was remarkably similar to what we’re going through today.

And no, I’m not talking about the Civil War.

I’m talking about an often overlooked issue of that day: a transforming economy and jobs.

Then, sweeping economic change threatened a largely agricultural economy and a rural, insular way of life.

In quick succession, steamboat service was introduced. Scores of canals were constructed. Thousands of miles of railroad track were laid. And countless telegraph lines were strung throughout the nation.

It was a time of groundbreaking innovation.

Almost overnight, large numbers of what had been generally self-sufficient local economies found themselves caught up in a changing and expanding national economy.

Competition no longer came from the next town. It came from producers in many parts of the country, and even from industries abroad.

People began traveling farther and more often.

Yet, there was tension then, too. Economic growth was not a vertical line upward.

Financial crises occurred … like the panic of 1857.

That produced sharp increases in unemployment… large numbers of bankruptcies… and runs on banks.

Not surprisingly, many resented the developments that led to this volatility.

Most Americans still thought of themselves primarily as Kansans or Kentuckians or Virginians. They identified with their states.

To many, the erosion of the economic boundaries separating communities and states … and the increasing competition from other regions and Europe … came as a big shock.

Protectionist pressures were strong.

In 1860, when Lincoln and a Republican Congress came to power … the administration pushed forward four broad policies:

Help Americans get a stake in their nation by increasing their opportunity to own property and establish businesses.
Assign a role for government to support the economic, educational and technological changes taking hold at the time.
Establish a transcontinental railroad.
And realize that a period of turmoil, while potentially a barrier to reform, may also present a unique opportunity.

The rest, of course, is history:

A collection of states became a nation.
A climate for Americans to capitalize on innovation and emerging technologies was created. A rising class of entrepreneurs and property owners flourished. /li>

The stage was set for the American economy to dominate the 20th century.

Ask an educator and they’ll tell you that we can learn a lot from history. I’ve done a lot of asking over the years – my wife is a teacher.

Now, we must compete in a 21 st century world economy.

And like what Lincoln promoted, it’s going to take a multi-lateral approach, engaging every corner of society.

I’ve given a number of public speeches over the past several years that deal with global trade, business transformation and education.

You could say it’s enlightened self interest to do so. After all, I work for a company that is entrenched in the global economy … and has a lot riding on its continued development.

On any given day, about two percent of everything produced in the world is delivered in the back of those beautiful brown trucks you see rolling through the streets of your hometowns.

But this issue goes further than my professional interest. Much further.

As a father, citizen, and someone who cares deeply about global trade, global prosperity and global harmony, I feel it’s our mission to help prepare people for a world that is coming closer together through trade.

That said, I applaud the work you folks are doing at the States Institute, and am heartened to see so much progress being made to advance international education in our schools.

I went to InternationalEd.org and counted no less than 20 states involved in programs ranging from:

Student and teacher exchange programs with China
New multi-language curricula
International trade literacy
Global communication technologies
And the list goes.

It’s clear to me that you are well on your way towards effectively changing the way we teach the next generations of Americans. But I also recognize from talking with many of you, that your work in many ways has just begun.

Don’t feel alone. We’re all in this together. Business. Government. Education. Parents. And students.

In the time remaining tonight, I think maybe the best value I could bring to you is to outline six specific traits we’re looking for in future employees at UPS as we engage even further in world trade.

We need people who are:

Trade literate
Sensitive to foreign cultures
Conversant in different languages
Technology savvy
Capable of managing complexity
Ethical

These six traits have bearing on the kinds of education needed to bring people to the workplace who are equipped to succeed in the global economy.

And, by the way, while I’ll use UPS examples, I don’t speak just on behalf of our company tonight. Over the past few years, I’ve participated on a number of boards, committees and agencies – from the Business Roundtable to the President’s Export Council to the U.S.-China Business Council. I spend a lot of time talking to fellow business and government leaders, and I can tell you that we’re all very aligned in our thinking.

The same kind of thinking expressed by Melodie O’Hanlon, an English teacher at Berkeley Springs High School in West Virginia.

Listen to what Miss O’Hanlon says: “Understanding the true economic, social and political forces at work in the world is essential in solving problems on a local and global level.”

This gets to the heart of the first trait I’ll talk about – people who are global trade literate. In other words people who understand the basics of 21 st century trade and economics.

One could argue – and I have over the years – that a major reason that the term “globalization” has come to mean a menacing force in the minds of many is that we haven’t done a good job promoting trade literacy in this nation.

The business community in particular.

Tom Friedman, a good friend of UPS and educators everywhere, recently wrote a column about this.

Tom contends America’s leading businesses and business leaders have been too quiet. While the opponents of globalism have been loud.

Last year, during the national elections, we even saw global trade cast as political wedge issue.

And that’s a shame.

Education, hopefully, will change that perception.

At UPS we’ve started a companywide initiative to teach an ongoing global trade curricula to every UPSer. We’re utilizing our employee web site, as well as one-to-one meetings with drivers, management discussions and other channels.

And we’re also staging conferences around the world with people like Tom Friedman, Jimmy Carter, FW de Klerk, Vaclav Havel and George Bush Sr. to elevate discussion about global trade and supply chain issues.

As our business moves further into both of these areas – trade and supply chain -- we’ve seen a dramatic demand for people skilled in global trade jobs.

In fact, we’ve added over 20,000 supply chain jobs in the last five years.

The Wall Street Journal recently described supply chain professions as “the kind of high value work that international trade produces. Jobs that our nation needs right now to offset losses in other industries.”

The second trait we look for are people who are adaptable and sensitive to foreign cultures.

In 1976, I was among the first wave of American UPSers to work in our fledgling international operations. I was sent to Germany and it was an eye-opening experience.

Let’s just say we weren’t as cross-culturally astute as we are today. We've learned some lessons the hard way over the years.

During the build-up of our business in Europe, we were challenged with integrating 16 acquired companies.

The integration of those acquired companies into our organization was the biggest stumbling block to our international expansion.

Unfortunately, our first impulse then was to behave more like commandos instead of teachers, partners, and consultants.

Our attitude was often, "You stand over there and watch how we do this, then do it exactly the same way." In short, it was, "the UPS way or no way."

Well, that didn't work and our business suffered.

Things only got better when we found the right blend of UPS culture, capabilities, and local knowledge. We knew we had acquired valuable operations in valuable markets. Our job should be to make it better, not make it over.

When we focused our coaching into areas where significant improvement was needed and left the rest alone, things improved.

We learned that local employees lend more credibility to the local customer base because they understand the culture, language, legal system and business practices.

We learned that integrating acquired companies means balancing both parties’ expectations, while creating a climate of trust, inclusion and cooperation.

People who are sensitive to foreign cultures will always have a home at UPS.

Part of that adaptability and sensitivity comes with the third trait we look for -- foreign language skills.

When I was a kid, growing up in Southern Indiana, I never thought about foreign languages. Now, it is essential to expose children to different languages and cultures.

Today, in American schools, one million students study French - a language spoken by 70 million people. Fewer than 50,000 American students study Chinese, a language spoken by more than a billion people.

During a recent trip to China, I heard an interesting statistic: There are more people learning to speak English in China right now than there are English speakers in the United States.

In very short order, the United States will become the third largest English speaking country – behind India and China.

At UPS we serve 200 countries and over 150 languages. We have web sites translated into 22 different languages.

Foreign language skills are essential to our business and will be even more so in the years ahead as we expand our footprint in Asia and the rest of the developing world.

One universal language that is vital to UPS is technology.

In fact, the fourth trait we look for in people to help us with our international business is technology skills.

Global technologies and usage patters greatly impact our lives and our businesses.

Think about the developing world … while lacking in wired resources they actually have leapfrogged the Western world in wireless usage and application.

China today, for instance, adds five million new cellular customers every month.

And as you know, China and India are producing millions of bright new engineers, scientists, materials researchers, software developers and other technology professionals.

In the area of engineering alone, the U.S. ranks 17 th in producing new talent.

As a Sputnik-inspired engineer myself, this concerns me. We have over 10,000 engineers at UPS and that demand will only increase in the coming years.

Technology is central to our mission at UPS of being able to serve every customer -- whether they’re in Boston or Bangkok -- as if they’re our only customer.

Without these kinds of capabilities it would be impossible to compete in a global economy. Customers demand more services and more responsiveness.

Technology is the great enabler.

Here’s a simple example of how technology impacts just one area of UPS.

Six years ago during the Holiday season, we received 600,000 service calls - mostly tracking inquiries. The cost per call was $2 dollars.

This year, those same inquiries are being handled over the Internet. By the end of the Holiday season, we will have handled more than 12 million of them that way, at about one cent per call.

Greater service for our customers at lower costs.

New technologies, new competitors and disruptive business models are accelerating at a furious pace – just look at the extraordinary rise of iPod, Google, eBay and other “flatteners,” as Tom Friedman would call them.

These kinds of forces, compounded on a global level, are also why we look for people who can manage complexity and uncertainty.

This is the fifth trait we look for – people who can learn how to learn.

While information is much richer today – complexity and uncertainty have not abated. In fact, they’ve increased.

That’s also why we want to make it possible for people to have six or more different jobs in the course of a career at UPS. In fact, we think it’s the key to our management longevity, which we consider a distinct competitive advantage.

Today, the average UPS manager has been with the company over 16 years and has had at least six different assignments – many of them international-related assignments.

Being able to manage complexity … and learning how to learn is a trait we will always value. One of the great attributes of a liberal arts education is preparing people to learn how to learn. So we absolutely believe that traditional liberal arts educations still have an important role to play in American society.

Another tradition that has never been more important to America as it engages in a global marketplace is ethical behavior … which is the sixth trait we look for in our people.

Business integrity and diplomacy have been under the microscope in recent years. And that’s too bad … because the vast, vast majority of American business leaders, like educators, play an essential and honorable role every day of their lives.

Outside the U.S., widespread negative perceptions of our country still persist.

The business community can play a big role in fixing this tarnished image.

In fact, I believe we’ve entered an era where business diplomacy trumps political diplomacy.

The world has become so integrated economically that the vast majority of influence … the greatest force that impacts the greatest number of lives internationally … is business.

Our actions and our beliefs are not only shaping the perceptions of our companies abroad but they are forming impressions about our nation and the ideals for which it stands.

It’s a huge responsibility – one we must manage with care and diligence.

I recently spoke at Bentley College up in Boston. Many of you are probably aware that Bentley pioneered the study of business ethics in American higher education. I applaud their work.

At the same, we need to make sure that those foundations of ethics are grounded in students long before they reach the collegiate level. Our schools, our families, our businesses and our communities all have roles to play in this regard.

At UPS all of our managers are certified each year on compliance and foreign business practice issues.

“Doing well by doing right” has been a philosophy that has served UPS well in our 98 years of business and will continue to.

Tonight, I’ve outlined six attributes that we look for in people who will help guide our company in an expanding global economy. People who will guide most American companies. People who are:

Trade literate
Sensitive to foreign cultures
Conversant in different languages
Technology savvy
Capable of managing complexity
Ethical

Everyone here tonight plays a big part in helping us not only attract the right people … but in succeeding in this complex, challenging, invigorating and opportunity-rich world of change.

By promoting international education in our schools, you’re promoting America’s business interests … social interests and cultural interests.

On behalf of all my fellow business leaders around the country, I want to thank you for all hard work and dedication you put into this most noble cause.

We need you. We value you. And we want to continue working closely with you in the years ahead.

Thank you again for your time and attention this evening.