TO CONCLUDE...

After almost nine gruelling months of arduous work, I sighed with relief on Wednesday, when I finished the hardest part of my C1 exams. However, I know that all this chaos in which I am immersed will be worn out, and then, I will miss the fulfilling moments I have lived in this course. I have to admit, that the two and half hours we have shared every Tuesday and Thursday, have not been long at all, despite having been working during the whole morning. On the contrary, sometimes the lessons have had a therapeutic effect, as while I have been concentrated on them, I have forgotten most of the day-to-day problems. I could not help feeling snowed under in some moments, especially during the endless second term. To be honest, I thought even about giving up. It was the pleasant atmosphere created in our group which encouraged me to stick it out.

Among the countless tasks we have had to do, we have written a poem. At that time I was feeling nostalgic, so that in my poem I tried to express the sorry for the loss. In this moment I have a similar regret for having finished this stage and losing touch with all of you, so I will dare to share it, even if I am  a little bit ashamed, knowing that I am not a great poet.

A BOTTLE WITH A MESSAGE INSIDE

I did not realize how special you were

Until  the day  you suddenly disappeared.

I could not understand that knot in my throat

That  pain in my chest.

I tried to forget  that absurd craziness,

As you hardly had noticed my trivial presence.

It was an impossible task,

Since as a joke of  fate

Your name came back 

Again and again,

In a sound, in a book, in a paint on the wall.

Then, a foolish idea hit my mind,

I sent you a bottle with a message inside,

I threw it to the sea, on the off-chance

That you could find it, and remind me

Through a word about the days behind. 

 I would like you remind me "through a word about the days behind", of course, a word in English.

MY SELFPORTRAIT

Rarely do people agree about whom you look like: your father or your mother. In my case, none of them have such dark eyes like mine. I wish I had a small Roman nose, as my mother, but undoubtedly, my father' genes have prevailed. I have also inherited from him my determination, as well as my stubbornness, while patience and tolerance are my mother's legacy. As decades go by, our own character is forged at the same pace as wrinkles are drawn in our face. Women having deep lines between the eyebrows and a mean mouth, as I have, are supposed to be meticulous and excessively worried about things for which they are responsible. Admittedly, it was the way in which I used to behave ten years ago, before a key event in my life changed my mind. Since that moment, I try to keep my head and to think twice before frowning or pursing my lips because of unimportant things.

Poetry event – 23 April

First of all, I would like to congratulate both my classmates and the EOI's teachers on their poems as well as on their fantastic readings. Admittedly, I have to learn a lot of vocabulary and new expressions from their work. Apart from this, the event was wonderful, with a beautiful mixture of music and poetry that created a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

Nowadays, the 450^th anniversary of  Shakespeare´s birth - the greatest poet in English language- is being celebrated in Stratford-upon- Avon http://www.shakespearesbirthday.org.uk/

In his honor I remind you one of his poems:

Carpe Diem

O mistress mine, where are you roaming?

O stay and hear! your true-love's coming

That can sing both high and low;

Trip no further, pretty sweeting,

Journey's end in lovers' meeting-

Every wise man's son doth know.

What is love? 'this not hereafter;

Present mirth hath present laughter;

What's to come is still unsure:

In delay there lies no plenty,

Then come kiss me, Sweet and twenty,

Youth's a stuff will not endure.

TUDOR'S DYNASTY

History has never been my strong point. In fact I have had serious problems trying to understand the Tudors' genealogical tree, to prepare our last reading task. The reason for my trouble are not only the six marriages of Henry VIII, but also the great amount of "Marys" related to this dynasty : Mary I- Bloody Mary-, Mary Tudor -Mary Queen of France- ,Mary Queen of Scots-Mary Stuart- and Mary of Guise.

 As a consequence I have sought on the Internet and  I have found so much information for my narrow brain than the result has been rather counterproductive. In the end I have chosen this video that since my view summarizes in the easiest way what I wanted to know.

Can Chess Check-mate Alzheimer's?

Thanks to our last lessons, in which we have been learning about neuroplasticity, I have reminded something that I heard years ago related to the benefits of playing chess, in order to prevent Alzheimer's .

In fact, it has been shown by statistics that hardly never great players suffer from this disease. Interestingly, one of them who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, had symptoms that made think that his illness was considerably less developed than his autopsy revealed after his death.

Searching for more information, I have found this video that suggest that this sport can check-mate the onset of Alzheimer's. Admittedly, I do not have a clue about chess. I wish I had the time to learn to play it ,(maybe when I finish my C1 course).

I have bumped into this endearing video by chance, and although it is not obviously the best for practising "listening", it includes a wide range of amazing facial expressions, about which we have been also working. I hope you will enjoy it

Apparently, this lovely man is not avoiding Alzheimer's through the practice of chess. However, I do not think so at all. In contrast, I believe that he is a sensible man, who is able to take loneliness in his stride, instead of slumping dejectedly regretting his misfortune. He gives a valuable lesson of life.

The Sailor-Boy 's Tale

The Sailor-Boy 's Tale, from Winter's Tales, one of the best known books written by Isak Dinesen, is a lovely story that takes place on the coast of Norway. This tender tale narrates an adventure that happens to a brave young sailor, called Simon, who risks his life to rescue a peregrine falcon entangled upon the mast .

The thrill begins when the ship came to the harbour and such a display of life is discovered by Simon than he feels a self-confident adult in the middle of the incessant trade. No sooner had he mixed with the crowd, than he bumped into a wonderful girl, Nora, with whom he fell in love. He could not have been happier when she proposed to him to arrange a date for the next day.

   However, the plot has an unexpected twist as Simon accidentally kills Ivan, a Russian acquaintance who tries to prevent him from meeting his girlfriend. Since this moment, Simon is on the run for fear of being accused of murder. Had he not found a mysterious Lapp woman who helped him, he would have been arrested.

The atmosphere created by the author, through vivid descriptions, transports the reader to the northern in which the scene is supposed to develop. What Dinesen highlight in this tale is: should we behave honestly, we will be rewarded.

This story is well worth reading , as it is full of amazing moments as well as beautiful romantic details and a stunning creativity.

SYRIA'S LOST GENERATION

While I was watching this video, I could not help thinking of my teen students and even in myself at that age, as well as about how sensitive and dependent a human being is at that stage of his life.  I have been impressed by the sad and hopeless children's look. It should be the consequence of the shock of becoming suddenly adults. Try as I might, I could not imagine their feelings after losing their childhood, their home's safety  and their   family's support.

Apart from this, it is no wonder that the majority of this youth generation will suffer from psychological sequels in the future. Some of the words by which I have felt really moved are: "we should have died before have seen such things", told by a girl who is now playing the role of mother and father of her younger siblings. These two millions of people are supposed to bear the rest of their existence the bitterness of being witness and victims of their enemies's cruelty and barbarism .

 Nevertheless, I would like thinking that among this crowd, maybe some individuals will be able to transform their distress into wisdom, and forgive without forgetting the mistakes of the past, as an exceptional man- Mandela- did, in order to rebuilt their country free of hate and nastiness.

SAN VALENTINE'S DAY:BIG BUSINESS/BIG PRESSURE

Rent-A-Boyfriend Business Booming In China As Women Hire Fake Beaus To Please Nagging Parents

By Philip Ross   on November 11 2013 7:18 PM

The rent-a-boyfriend market, in which women pay young men to meet their parents, is on the rise in China. 

These days, finding a charming boy to impress the folks with is as easy as clicking “Add To Cart.” According to English People Daily, young people in China, particularly women, are renting bogus sweethearts through online marketplaces to parade in front of their scrupulous parents, who often pressure their daughters to find partners before a certain age.

CLIK HERE for more reading and listening information

MY OWN REFLECTION

      Is only in countries such as China where this kind of pressure exist?. I am afraid that it is not. In our own society, similar thoughts are kept, despite the fact that we are believed to be a modern country.

     For a large number of people,single women in their thirties or forties (as it is my case) are supposed to be in the obligation of searching for a husband. For some of them if a woman is talking to a good-looking man, she has to be expecting something else that a simple friendship.

     Apart from that, have your friends sometime 'prepared a boyfriend' for you without asking you in advance?.  Have became they a bit upset if you have not shown especially enthusiastic with their great help?.

     So that, even in our 'developed world', this kind of stress exist and some women agree to get engaged to a fiancé, although they do not like him at all. Their reward is to have an ordinary life and a partner for special dates (such as San Valentine's day) or social events (what in Spain is called BBC).

     Nevertheless, luckily this mentality is slowly disappearing and relationships are becoming more flexible and sincere. It does not matter how you fall in love, face to face, by internet or whatever it was, whether the feeling is authentic.

RED CROSS

Spanish Red Cross was founded in the XIX century to deal with the consequences of the war. Since then this humanitarian organization helps the most disadvantaged people.

The reason why I have chosen this NGO for my writing is that it is one of the largest and oldest in the world. Wherever it strikes a disaster, we can see in the news the quick reaction of the volunteers.

Moreover, not only do they work in emergencies or do they deal with the aftermath, but they also provide different services for millions of people. For instance, in Spain they are mainly committed to the families affected by the crisis, covering their basic necessities as well as offering to them projects to improve the possibilities of employment, and psychological help.

Apart from that, Red Cross carries on with the actions that it used to accomplish before the crisis, such as assistance to immigrants, women and children suffering hardship and abuse, disabled people, senior citizens, and all people living in difficulties of some kind.

Although I would like to contribute more directly with some charity, due to the lack of free time, I only can help with a little donation every month to Red Cross. Maybe in the future I could be more useful. 

http://www.cruzroja.es/portada/

MANDELA'S WAY

After reading this extraordinary book, I have acquired a better knowledge about Mandela´s strong personality as well as the events that have shaped him. It is not a cronological biography, but a portrait that has been made taking into consideration some important aspect of his life, each of them are developed along its fifteen chapters. The three chapters that I find more interesting are the numbers two, four and seven:

Chapter 2-  Be measured - According to Mandela, control is the measure of all human being. In fact, Mandela's measured responses to grave situations were a large part of the reason that South Africa did not plunge into civil war. Mandela strategy to fight was undermine his opponents through his style of play: he waited before making decisions; he considered all options; he formed an idea as complete as possible of the situation before taking action.So that, I see this point as the key part in Mandela's victory.

Chapter 4- Lead from the back- In the language of basketball we could translate as "pass to others and let them shoot". In other words, leading from the back means empowering others to lead, listening to them, summarising their ideas, achieving consensus, and seeking to mold opinions and steer people toward an action. This strategy shows how powerful Mandela's cleverness was.

Chapter 7- See the good in others - This aspect implies a great generosity. For Mandela "everyone is virtuous until proven otherwise". Seeing the good in other people improve the chances that they will reveal their better selves. Mandela always seeked the positive,  the constructive, "what he could take from him". Prison opened up Mandela's view of human nature rather than constricting it. He concluded that no one is born prejudiced or racist: apartheid made men evil; evil did not create apartheid.

       There are infinity of learnings that we can find in this book. To narrow them down, I will mention some of them that I have taken from the last part :"Mandela's give"

·It is possible after a great tragedy and almost fails then resurrecting and achieve harmony.

· It is through sacrifice and discipline that somebody will  reach important goals.

·Individuals are a part of an infinity complex web of other human beings.

We are the reason and we are the ones

 who made things happen.

SHADOWLANDS

Shadowlands is a touching film that little by little grasps spectators' feelings, in such a soft way that you will barely realize it until the end of the movie. Not only are pain and happiness mixed in an excellent manner, but also social prejudices are shown as they really appear in life.

Anthony Hopkin is superb in the role of C.S.Lewis. I find his character difficult enough to play because of the wide range of personality's features that he develops. First of all we find a self-assured and determined man, even rather arrogant but calm and rational. However, when he met Joy (played in a fantastic form by Debra Winger), he become a little bit insecure as well as timid, in front of this spontaneous and light-hearted woman. As the story turns up with an unexpected twist, the actor should change the register towards sensitivity, tenderness, passion and emotion.

The main idea suggested by the plot is: "how can we face the pain, especially when it is hitting us repeatedly?". The film propose two solutions in order to deal with it:

 In the first place, we can search the safety, for example fleeing from sorrow towards a magic world hidden at the background of a cupboard (as Lewis did in "Narnia books", maybe to heal his wounds after his mother's death).

In the second place, we can choose suffering, we can deal with grief through our best memories; in other words we should be aware of the harsh reality without forgetting that fate gave away us cheerful days, and there will surely be again.

That is the learning that this movie offers to us:

 "The pain now is part of the happiness then, that's the deal".

FASHION: A BAD INFLUENCE IN SOCIETY'S HEALTH

Are publicity and fashion guilty of most eating disorders in industrialized societies?. I am inclined to believe that some people in western cultures have such an obsession with imitating the famous’s appearance, that they even risk their health. In addition, big companies usually promote this nonsense behavior, particularly between youth, although most managers deny their implication in such a trouble.

To begin with, it is known that modern societies are suffering from diseases such as anorexia or bulimia, whereas seldom do people in Africa or Asia know about this kind of illnesses. For instance, if we pay attention to TV programmes and series in the so called "developed countries ", we can realise that some actors, actresses or presenters, seem to have been chosen because of their physical perfection instead of their real abilities. So that the media are also to blame for manipulating citizens' minds.

Furthermore, it is a common thought that teenagers and youngsters are the target of the fashion trade. Not only does publicity, with extremely thin models, invade advertisements aimed at them, but also, finding a big size in some shops is almost an impossible task. As a result, what a girl or boy usually decides is to lose weight as quickly as possible to fit into those tight jeans. Who benefits from this situation are companies that mass-produce thousand of item of clothes without worrying about the individual who will buy them.

However, designers and managers of fashion industry claim that such ailments have existed since the Middle Age, as a consequence they have not responsibility and insist on the influence of psychological and social factors as the cause of the problem.

To conclude, we have a great deal to learn from other cultures that are considered as  poor, and nevertheless are wealthy in wisdom. Therefore, it  is through education that we can face this issue; as the journalist Victoria Toro said: " we should develop a critical mind in teens that enable them to distinguish the real world from what it is not".

THALES OF MILETUS (624 – 548 A.C.)

Some anecdotes about Thales

Thales of Miletus learnt more about maths and astronomy from Egyptians. Fascinated with his pyramids and culture he spent some time with Egyptian priests, to acquire information to other sources. Thales visited also the Babylonians and Chaldeans .- As Plato made the point : "the Greeks took from foreigners what was of value and developed their notions into better ideas".- As a result of this travels he had access to the astrological records which enabled him to predict the solar eclipse of 585 BCE. Thales is acclaimed for having foretold this eclipse to the Ionians who were having a battle against their enemies, The Medes.  As all became dark in the middle of the day the combatants saw the eclipse as disapproval of their warfare, and as a warning. They ceased fighting and a peace agreement was reached between the two kings.

Finally I will narrate an anecdote about Thales' mule that was almost as clever as its owner. Coming back to the times in which he was a merchant, a day he was carrying a charge of salt over his mule's back. Then the mule slipped and dropped into the river; as salt  dissolved,  the animal realized that his burden had decreased. So that after a few minutes it plunged into the water, on purpose, several times until it lost all the weight. In order to solve the problem, in the next journey the mule was loaded with sponges. When it jumped into the river, it comprehended that it was wrong. In this way Thales shown how to sort out even a quotidian problem in the most effective and harmless manner. Another man in this situation would had reacted hitting the animal.

It is said that he was asked about what he would like in exchange of his achievements he answered: "I would like that when you speak of them to others, you tell that are mine".

A COUNTRY OF CONTRAST

There are great differences in our country despite the fact that it is rather small compared to others. This diversity is shown  in some aspects, such as climate, landscape, inhabitants' personality and even gastronomy, all of them related to each other.

 For instance, there is a big divergence between the north and the south in Spain: the weather in the north is usually colder and wetter than in the south, where in contrast we have a lot of hours of sunlight per year.

As a consequence, the landscape is certainly greener in the septentrional  areas than in the meridional ones.  However, not only can we notice this variety between distant zones, but also into the same region. It is very well shown in Almería, where in a few kilometers we can find the tropical coast, the desert and the snowed mountain.

In the same way, habitants' personality is influenced by all these factors. Por instance, northern people are believed to be melancholic an reserved, while south's dwellers are said to be upbeat and extrovert.

Similarly, traditional foods have its peculiarity in both areas :on the one hand, heavy meals are common in cold places  (red meat, legumes, fat fishes); on the other hand, in the hottest ones the most appreciated are salads and little warm dishes (paella, gazpacho, and so on).

A TURN OF MIND

The cold rain dripped over Joe's face slithering on his coat; he strode frowning, pale and jaded, concentrated on his miserable existence to the office. As far as work was concerned, he felt stuck in a rut, without hope of promotion; his social life was just as awful as his job, since in his view, most of his friends and colleagues were snob and two-faced people. He was so obsessed with his thoughts that he did not realize that he was crossing the road. Suddenly, he heard a squeal; as he turned a flash blinded his eyes, and after a crash all became dark.

No sooner had Joe woken up than a sweet voice whispered :” Hello, my name is Pam. Thanks God, you are awakening;  you have been on the verge of dying because an accident, but fortunately you are over the worst and you will recover.” She was a gentle, middle aged nurse whose smile lit up the hospital's room.

As days went by Joe got to admire Pam's patience as well as her generosity. Even he dared to tell her :”You are a lively, blissful woman. I suppose you should have a cheerful family and an exciting life; it’s for this reason that you show always so kind.”  Pam's answer was :” I regret to disappoint you; my husband disappeared two years ago, and I have a rebellious, teen son, and a weak, old mother after whom I look. So that I work from dawn to dusk in order to earn a ridiculous salary. However I am lucky of being healthy and strong enough to cope with all my troubles.”

Finally, Joe returned home. It was a warm spring morning; Joe strolled grinning and stirred, self-confident and convinced that neither niceness nor ugliness exist :     " beauty is on the eye of the beholder".

Narratives

The sunbeams were burning the top of the highest trees; although they could not reach the ground due to the dense undergrowth, the air was so hot and there were such a level of humidity than Tom could scarcely breath.

He was crouched, hidden between the weeds, staring without blinking towards the scrub around him. Tom's body was motionless, while miles of flies were buzzing over his forehead's sweat, which he felt scorching in the cuts on his cheek.

Suddenly  his heart started pounding stronger than before, and he cringed  holding the breath, as he heard the spooky rustle of branches…

TRAVELLERS AND TOURISTS

It is really a traveller a good deal more adventurous than a tourist? Taking into consideration most opinions about this matter, it follows that differences between both of them are not as bigger as it is claimed.

What has given to the word "traveller"a meaning of courageous person, mingling with nature and local landscapes, is the stereotype that most of us have created in our minds. To put it another way: the image of the backpacker roaming with their dusty boots, and doing hitchhiking  in order to do "round the world" with barely spare change in their pocket, is significantly more attractive than this of the geek tourist  wearing white socks and flowered shirt.

However, this idea is certainly old fashioned: not only is the idea of the "superficial tourists" disappearing, but sometimes,  they are also considered like real experts about places that they visit. In fact, some of them have left their own countries and their life style, to become citizens in the tourist places where they had previously sightseeing during their holydays.

In contrast, some of the "so called travellers" who show off of being the bravest, and have the best knowledge about new spots, have neither interacted with any local habitant, nor investigated into its history or political situation, as some tourists are used to doing.

To conclude, nowadays the boundaries between the words mentioned above are actually blurred,  as a consequence, there is no point in discussing about that.

TRAVEL TO LONDON

I went to London some years ago for four days with Spanish friends, so that I spoke certainly less English than I expected. However not only did we spend a fantastic holiday, but we also learnt interesting things about art, history and English society. In fact, not until I saw with my own eyes the most famous London's monuments, such as the Big Ben, the Tower of London or the British Museum, did I realise how magnificent they were. 

 Needless to say, I am highly satisfied with the decision of making this journey, otherwise,  I  would have never enjoyed such a funny and rich experience.

PICTURE

     It is a peaceful landscape, which produces in me  feelings of balance and hope, because of two factors: the variety of soft colours that have been  employed and the use of the light.
     In other words, although most of the landscape was painted with cold colours, such as green, blue and white, there are some brushstrokes of bright yellow and pink that make the atmosphere not sad at all. Moreover, while the left bank of the river is dark, the right side is lighting. Not only does it seem that the sunbeams shine on across the clouds, illuminating this latter place, but it also looks that they will soon reach the opposite border.
     Apart from this, I suppose that the author didn't want to attract the spectator's attention neither to the wide river, in the central part, nor to the radiant grass and trees.  It is clear that he wanted to focus on the small horse at the bottom of the picture. Maybe he would like to become this animal, fleeing in this way from his stressfull  life as well as from the noisy and polluted world.