Reindeer Stories: Rudolph and Olive

Playlist includes:
Christmas tales:
"Olive, the other Reindeer" (5 parts)
"Rudolph the red-nosed Reindeer" (6 parts)

Christmas songs:
"Rudolph the red-nosed Reindeer", Gene Autry
"Run, Rudolph, run", Chuck Berry (by Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie)
"Little Saint Nick", The Beach Boys
plus Drew Barrymore, Hanoi Rocks and more

In 1997, Vivian Walsh and J.Otto Seibold teamed up to create 'Olive', an updated version of the traditional story of "Rudolph the red-nosed Reindeer," originally written by Robert May in 1939.

In the original story, Rudolph is a young reindeer born into Santa Clause's herd. But he has a glowing red nose and all of the the other reindeer make fun of him. That is until, one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa asks Rudolph to light the way for his yearly trip around the world delivering gifts and Rudolph becomes a hero.

The modern version changes things a bit. Olive, a Jack Russell terrier, hears the chorus of Gene Autry's rendition of the song 'Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,' and misinterprets the line 'All of the other reindeer...' as 'Olive, the other reindeer.' Now, instead of being a dog, she thinks she's a reindeer and so, in a time of crisis, goes to the North Pole to help out Santa.

group one _ Session 2-10

Thursday, December 17th, 6:30pm
Silvia, Maurizio and Mike

"Open Night in Via Balbo"
lots to choose from:
Olive, the other Reindeer (text),
Clifford Stoll, Bob Dylan, WB Yeats,
The Riviera Supper Club (?wtf?), etc.

General Review

Wrap Up
Organize next year.

group five _ Session 10

Friday, December 11th, 6:30pm
Chiara, Odoardo and Mike

"Open Night"
lots to choose from:

Reading, Listening, Conversation
The ever-present "Whatever you want" option
- and/or -
New York Times "The Daily Grind" link, or open pdf here
- or -
New Yorker Article "Trial by Fire" link
- or -
Over the Wall, open pdf here (on pages 5-7)
- and/or -
Devdutt Pattanaik: East vs. West -- the myths that mystify
open pdf here

Vocabulary
5-5-5 switch

Closure
Organize next year's sessions.

conversation A _ Session 7

Saturday, December 19th, 14:30pm (skipped on the 7th and 14th)
FM and Mike

Reading, Listening, Conversation
New York Times "The Daily Grind" link
- or -
New Yorker Article "Trial by Fire" link


Word game
Organize next year's sessions

group two _ Session 2-9

Wednesday, December 9th, 8:00pm
Graziella, Carolina, Anna and Mike, plus Alessia for two more sessions

Warm Up
Review
"At the Restaurant"
"Foods"

Reading, Listening, Conversation
New York Times "The Daily Grind" link to NYT, link to CLL
- or -
"Olive, the other Reindeer" link to text , link to videos

Wrap Up
Organize next session

group one _ Session 2-9

Thursday, December 10th, 6:30pm
Silvia, Maurizio and Mike

Warm Up - Vocabulary
Word Game
More Food

Reading, Listening, Conversation
Clifford Stoll: 18 minutes with an agile mind
open pdf here
- and/or -
"The Riviera Supper Club"

Wrap Up
Organize next session.

group five _ Session 9

Friday, December 11th, 6:30pm
Odoardo and Mike (Chiara busy)

Reading, Listening, Conversation
"Olive, the other Reindeer" link to text

Vocabulary
Opposites

Closure
What did we cover tonight?
Organize next session.