Let's start feeling comfortable!!

During the last years, serotypes have been widely spread by the mass media, resulting in many people not feeling comfortable with their bodies anymore. In general, we find TV shows in which beautiful (which means being very very slim and young) women and men appear. Due to this, many people are becoming less comfortable with their bodies (and I am one of those, I must admit). Every day, when we look at ourselves in the mirror, we generally tend to point out our “defects”, those parts of our bodies that we would like to change because they make us feel bad with ourselves. However, there are people who still believe that being beautiful is not related to what we look like, but to how we feel with our own image.

Jubilee Project is a group of people who started a campaign in order to raise awareness about the importance of accepting and respecting ourselves. They recorded 50 people (children and adults), and asked them only one question: “If you could change one thing about your body, what would it be?”. 

What amazes me the most about the people’s answers is that when adults are asked what they would change in their bodies, they answer almost instantly. All of them point out the parts of their bodies which they do not like at all. Some of them just say what they would change, while others explain that they have been laughed at because of their physical appearance. On the other hand, when the same question is asked to the group of children, instead of making reference to the parts of their bodies they do not like, they say that they would like to have a mermaid tail, or shark teeth, or wings, among other answers. Evidently, when talking about physical appearance, adults and children have different points of view.  

After having watched the video, I started thinking about the fact that our speech is full of stereotypes. Whenever we talk about others we call them as “la gorda”, “el petizo”, “el narigón”, etc. We are all the time making references to others’ physical appearance, as if our body is what determines us and what makes us what we are. Sadly, we do this without thinking how our comments can negatively affect children’s perspectives and opinions. 

When I heard the answers of those children I became aware of how pure human beings are at childhood. It seems that growing up is closely connected to filling our minds of judgements and prejudices. I do not understand why we do that.

We have to struggle every day in order to get rid of the discriminatory speeches we (sometimes unconsciously) spread. Leading by example is the best way to instil respect and acceptance in our children. Besides, we should consider that, even though we believe that children have a lot of things to learn from adults, they also have a lot to teach us. 

I would like to end this post with this nice quote:

- Confortable: 50 people 1 question (video file). Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0tEcxLDDd4#t=196 

Halloween in Argentina

During the last years, more and more people are starting celebrating Halloween in our country. Every year, many shop windows, shops, English institutes, and even some schools’ classrooms are decorated with elements related to this pagan celebration, such as: spider webs, ghosts, bats, and Jack-o’-lanterns, among others. 

Every October 31^st it is more common to see many groups of children wearing scary costumes, and going from house to house asking for sweets. In live broadcast, many TV news show images of the streets full of children playing the famous and traditional “trick-or-treat”. 

Each year, this topic sparks interest in many Argentine people, creating lively debates in which they share their opinions of agreement or disagreement in relation to this issue. 

The arguments are varied and clearly divided. Those who are against of celebrating Halloween claim that:

- We shouldn’t celebrate a festival which is not part of our culture and traditions;

- Halloween is another “Yankee” celebration whose only aim is to make us spend a lot of money;

- We should encourage our children to become more interested in our own traditions rather than in other cultures’ customs;

- We don’t know the real meaning of Halloween, which results in a mere imitation of others’ festivals;

- Halloween is a satanic celebration, and children should not be encouraged to participate in this sort of cults. 

Despite these arguments against the celebration of Halloween in Argentina, many people believe that:

- We are free to celebrate whatever we want;

- Argentina is a country made of immigrants from different parts of the world who have the right to commemorate their important dates;

- If we shouldn’t celebrate Halloween because it is not part of our culture, we shouldn’t celebrate neither Christmas nor Valentine’s Day, or any other festivity that was not created by our ancestors;

- We should be more open to the changes that are taking place in our culture;

- We do celebrate many other festivals (such as Oktoberfest, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, among others) which are not part of our traditions, but people only complain about Halloween. 

Of course, there are many more arguments in favour and against this issue, but these are the most common ones.

Even though I do not celebrate Halloween because I do not know its meaning and origin, I cannot tell others what they should do or not. I think that all of us have the right to choose what to believe in, without being condemned.

I agree with the fact that Argentina is a country “made of” a mixture of cultures from different parts of the world: Italy, Spain, Portugal, China, Germany, Ireland, and others. What is more, there are many different religious groups in our country, which have their own believes, cults and customs: Catholics, Jews, Gypsies, Mormons, etc. Due to this, I hold that we must accept and respect other people’s customs and believes. If there are people who want to be part in this particular festival, we should respect that, as well as those who do not take part in Halloween because it is not what they believe in.

So, what do you think? Should we celebrate Halloween? 

Image #1 retrieved from: http://www.minutouno.com/notas/342526-por-que-los-argentinos-no-debemos-festejar-halloween

Images #2 & #3 retrieved from  some comments people make on different Halloween's posts. 

Memories vs. Money

1 - Edith Macefield

According to Jessie J.’s song, “Price tag”, it “seems like everybody’s got a price”. However, there are some people who believe that memories and time spent with your loved ones are much more valuable than money. At least, this is the case of Edith Macefield, an 84 year-old woman who turned down U$S 1 million to sell her house to a shopping mall.

In 2006, an important company started to build one of its many Shopping Malls in the Ballard neighbourhood, Seattle. The company needed to tear down Edith’s house in order for the shopping to take up the whole block. Due to this, the corporation offered U$S 1 million to Edith for the house, claiming that with this tidy sum she would be able to afford another similar house.

2 - Edith's house during the construction of the shopping centre

Nevertheless, Edith refused the financial proposal alleging that she would never sell the house where she lived so many beautiful moments with her mother and friends. Because of this, the company had to change the mall’s blueprint and was forced to build around Edith’s house. 

When this story was publicly known, Edith became like a sort of heroin for her neighbours, because she gave more importance to her memories. Two years later, Edith died and willed the house to Barry Martin, the building’s construction superintendent, who took care of her during those years.

3 - Edith's house when the mall was finished

Evidently, this old woman thought that there are certain things that money cannot buy. Nowadays, in an era in which capitalism sets the rules and makes us believe that everything and everyone has a price, it’s heart-warming to come across this kind of news.

This is the kind of stories that fill us with tenderness and hope, teaching us that money cannot buy memories, love and happiness. Our experiences, our adventures, and each moment we live and share with those we love are the things that make us rich people.

When I found this story, I immediately remembered a part of Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the chocolate factory” in which, after having found the golden ticket to visit the factory, Charlie decided to sell it so as to give the money to his parents, to which grandpa George replies:

“There's plenty of money out there. They print more every day. But this ticket— There are only five of them in the whole world, and that's all there's ever going to be. Only a dummy would give this up for something as common as money. Are you a dummy?”

Sources:

- Edith Macefield. (2014). In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Macefield

- Image 1, retrievd from: http://cdn.labioguia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/140903_EYE_EdithMacefield1.jpg.CROP_.original-original.jpg

- Image 2, retrieved from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Edith_Macefield's_house.jpg

- Image 3, retrieved from: http://www.myballard.com/images/edith_dec.jpg 

- La Bioguía. (2014). "Rechazó un millón de dólares por su casa y forzó a un centro comercial a construir alrededor de ella". Retrieved from: http://www.labioguia.com/rechazo-un-millon-de-dolares-por-su-casa-y-forzo-a-un-centro-comercial-a-construir-alrededor-de-ella/
- Roald Dahl. (1995 edition). Charlie and the chocolate factory. Penguin books. UK.

In a world like this

Distorted image of a post-apocalyptic city

Last year, after having read “Brave new world”, I was shocked and amazed by the book, mainly because I didn’t know this particular genre; and then I became interested in dystopian fiction. Then, this year, when we read “Oryx & Crake” (in my case), “The year of the flood” and “MaddAddam”, I became even more attracted to dystopias.

Since then, I’ve been watching many films which depict dystopian worlds, and I’ve just read the last book of the trilogy “The hunger games” (because the movie has not been released yet). And a loved them! What impresses me the most is how appalling the worlds depicted in these stories are, and how strong the writers’ critics that fall upon human behaviour are. 

According to Wikipedia, a dystopia is “a community or society that is in some important way undesirable or frightening.” Usually, these stories describe grim post-apocalyptic societies that have lasted after a dreadful war, plague or natural disaster. In an extreme way, these stories aim at drawing attention to certain issues that are part of our reality, such as: environment, politics, economic, religion, psychology, ethics, science, and technology. 

In general, dystopian stories have some distinctive characteristics: 

The five factions - "Divergent"

- They portray societies in which there is a strict social stratification that orders people in different castes, mainly, according to different aspects. In “Brave new world”, for instance, this allocation of people in social classes is prenatally determined, being the ones belonging to the lower classes those who have reduced brain-function. In “Divergent”, people are divided into five distinct factions based on human virtues: Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent). 

Room in which the staff controls the arena - "The hunger games"

- Ubiquitous technology is one of the most significant characteristic in these stories. A variety of technological devices are present in everyday life, mainly as a form of control and constant surveillance.

- Governments are totalitarian and oppressive, and have the power to control every aspect of the inhabitants’ lives. For example, in “The hunger games”, the government doesn’t only control the food rations that every person in the districts receives, but it also selects twenty four adolescents each year and sends them to the arena so as to fight till death. 

- Poverty, violence, dehumanized living conditions, depleted resources, and environmental disasters are other characteristics generally present in most of dystopias. 

"Elysium" (2013)

The way in which writers satirise and criticise humans’ flaws,  by showing societies involved in drastic and extraordinary situations, makes me think in the hidden messages that are implied in each dystopian tale. From my point of view, authors aim at raising awareness about the possible negative consequences that our current lifestyle may have. We cannot deny the fact that technology and science are becoming the most powerful weapons that human beings have developed in order to control the world. Clearly, this is one of the chief points that dystopian fiction highlights so as to make us reflect about it. Of course, I’m not blaming scientific and technological advances for the possible consequences, but the misuse of them that human beings do. What do you think about this issue?

Do you like dystopian fiction? Which another dystopian movie/novel do you know?

Sources:

- Dystopia. (2014, October 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia

- "What is a dystopian society?". Article retireved from: http://www.explore-science-fiction-movies.com/dystopian-society.html#axzz3GjLOCyWS

- Video retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ6y98meKeU

Dear friend

Vanina

I’ve never thought of writing something like this to you; and I even didn’t know how to start. It’s incredible how life forces us to face such difficult situations, like the one you’re living today. But at the same time, it’s nice to realise how close we are and how much we love you, isn’t it?

What I’ve always admired of you is your strength as well as your capacity to laugh at everything, despite the tough times that you had to live. It’s not necessary to remark all those circumstances in which your strength was put to the test, nor how hard it was for you to overcome each of them. What really matters is to mention how much you grew and learnt from them, and how strong you became.

You’re a unique woman, whose personal traits make you be loved by so many people. Your good predisposition to help everybody, your beautiful smile, your quick witty jokes, and your devotion to your three children are just a few of those characteristics that make you special.

And now, your life is testing your fortitude once more. However, as it happened before, I’m sure that you will defeat the adversity. You have to… you must do it for you, for your children, for your family and friends, for all the people who love you.

We need you to open those bright eyes, in order for you to keep on looking at the blue sky, at your children’s faces… at their eyes. I know that you’re a woman whose determination leads you to work hard and to do everything you can for your family and friends. I know you! I can imagine you in some weeks complaining about having "wasted" some days lying on a bed, without doing something productive.

Being so young you have to stand up and struggle again, perhaps the hardest of the battles. Yet this time, you’re not alone; all your loved ones are with you.

Because of this, you have to wake up so as to continue loving and being loved, working hard, growing and improving yourself, enjoying your kids and enjoying life.

We love you, we need you, we want you to be alive!!!

Days full of complaints

During the last two days, there have been a series of protests in the IFDC (Instituto de Formación Docente Continua) led by a small group of people who claim for:

•         Better studying conditions,
•         Better quality of teaching,
•         Better working conditions for teachers, and job stability,
•         Improvements in the institute’s building; among others.

In order to be heard, this group of students and teachers staged a sit-in, on Wednesday. Then, yesterday they took over the building, and prohibited other students and teachers from entering it. Due to this, and according to what they say, classes an exams will be suspended until an authority (they ask for the Ministry of Education’s presence) listens to their demands. 

 

Of course, I do agree with all the things they demand to be improved, because I’m studying to become a teacher and I would like to study and work in optimum conditions. However, I strongly disagree with the way these people hold the protest.  

Yesterday morning, after having taken over the building by force, they blocked the doors using some sticks and other elements. Then, when some students who had already been in the institute wanted to leave the building, the protesters didn’t allow them to do so. Instead, they told those students that if they wanted to go out, they would have to sign a note that aimed at supporting their actions. Isn’t it incoherent to claim to be a democratic person and at the same time, to force others to support your ideas? What I mean is that we have to be coherent with what we think and the way in which we behave. If not, what’s the point in complaining about something that WE even do?

What is more, during the whole morning there were some other violent actions. A pregnant student, who was sitting for an exam, was taken out from the classroom in such a violent form that she couldn’t help but crying at the situaton. Then, some people that were afraid of being attacked called the police. But as soon as the police officers arrived, they were sent out of the building by the protesters, without having the possibility to try to control the situation.

In the afternoon, since the classrooms were locked, we had classes at the buffet. While we were there, another student arrived at the institute, and when she tried to enter, some of the protesters attacked her with insults.

Having classes at the buffet.

Having classes at the buffet.

I insist on the fact that I DO agree with the demands they are claiming for, because all of us are going to benefit from them; however, I don’t accept reaching a goal by means of violence.

These people complain about studying and working in undemocratic conditions; but at the same time, they are forcing others to think and behave like they do. Their decisions affect our possibility to keep on having classes and studying, when they are supposedly fighting for that.

Certainly, all of us think differently, and I don’t expect to impose my opinions on the issue. I respect everybody, and everybody’s points of view, and I expect the same from others. I’m not against claiming for our rights, I’m against the violence that some people use in order to get what they want. It’s unbelievable that we still appeal to aggression as a means to achieve a "better world". In my opinion, we should “BE THE PEACE WE SEEK” (Fil Tribble). 

Image retrieved from: http://www.pinkchocolatebreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/monday-quotes-15-inspiring-peace-quotes-7.jpg 

A wanderlust heart

Have you ever thought of travelling around the world without worrying about time or thinking about our duties and responsibilities? Wouldn't it be great living such an experience?

But I’m not making reference to a luxurious trip in which you stay at a five-star hotel, have dinner at the most expensive restaurants and go shopping every day. What I mean is “travelling light”, taking only what is really necessary for you (such as your ID and passport, a blanket, a pair of t-shirts, underwear, and other things like that).

Of course it’s not as easy as it sounds, but it’s not impossible. Felix Starck, a 24 year-old German did it, and shared his experience through a series of pictures and an excellent documentary on his trip.

He, together with a friend, decided to go on a year-long voyage around the world. Felix sold almost everything he had: a car, a flat and all his possessions; except his bicycle, on which he travelled during the whole trip. Isn't it amazing?

During his long journey, Felix did 18.000 kilometres in 365 days, and visited 22 countries. According to what Felix told Spiegel, a German online magazine, what made the greatest impact on him was crossing Asia. After having seen too much misery he learnt to appreciate little things in life, and now he considers himself a much happier person.

Even though travelling around the world is a wonderful experience in itself, I think that what Felix did is much more extraordinary. Why? Not only because he was in many countries and took great delight in the astonishing landscapes, but also because he met many different people who helped him grow and enrich himself from the adventurous experience.

In my opinion, this inspiring experience should lead us to think that there is nothing impossible to do if we desire it from the bottom of our heart, and work hard to achieve it. At the end, as Felix says, “The journey is the reward”.

In addition, Felix gives some advice to those who are interested in setting out on a journey:

1. Stop making excuses. (Such as “travelling is expensive”, “it takes a lot of time”, “nobody wants to come with me”)

2. Adjust your plans to your possibilities.

3. Pick the best destination for YOU.

4. Traveling alone is not as bad as it may seem.

5. Stay positive and you'll be rewarded.

6. Plan the next trip.

I know that most of us would like to visit England, but I’d like to know if there is any other not so well-known place that you would like to be in. In my case, I always imagine myself in a place like this:

Butterflies Valley, Turkey.

You know what they say, “If you’re going to dream, dream big” =)

You can find (and read) the article on Felix's journey in http://aplus.com/a/felix-starck-pedal-the-world-bicycle-journey

"Pedal the world" (video), retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qruBre--S-w

Image retrieved from: http://www.turkeytour.net/turkey-blue-cruise/butterfly-valley-lycia.html

The show must go on!

Last Wednesday in Language IV class, when we dealt with some expressions related to entertainment, the teacher mentioned the idiom “the show must go on”. Most of us already knew the phrase, perhaps because of the famous song by Queen, also named “The show must go on”.

"Live at Wembley '86"

Of course, I already knew the phrase and the song, as well. (Actually, Queen is one of my favourite rock bands). However, every time I listen to it I can’t help but get moved. Its lyric is so inspiring and touching, that one can clearly have a picture of the suffering Freddie Mercury had endured.

This post doesn't pretend to be a sort of biography of Freddie; in fact what I’m interested in is in making a kind of reflection about LIFE. After having heard the song in class I started thinking about the fact that, at some point, most of us have experienced a difficult situation in life. Sometimes we don’t know the reason, and the first questions that invade our minds are: Why me? Why does this happens to me? Do I deserve to suffer? Our anguish is so strong that we can’t figure out any answer for all these questions, maybe the same happened to Freddie. 

Too late, my time has come,

Sent shivers down my spine,

Body's aching all the time.

Goodbye, everybody, I've got to go,

Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.

("Bohemian Rhapsody", Freddie Mercury)

It’s not that easy to face a reality that obliges us to live something which we are not prepared for; or at least, that’s what we think at first. But then, when time passes, we realise that we can get through it, that whenever we fall we can stand up again and keep on walking, that the pain isn’t endless and that eventually our wounds heal, making us much stronger. And, in my opinion, that’s what Freddie tried to tell us through his songs.

I consider “The show must go on” an anthem, not only for Freddie, but also for me and for many people who have learnt and grew after having gone through adverse circumstances. We should feel inspired by Freddie and his poetic compositions, and try to believe that “life never gives us more than we can handle”.

According to Freddie, despite everything, the show must go on…

The Show must go on!

The Show must go on! 

Inside my heart is breaking,

My make-up may be flaking,

But my smile, still, stays on!

("The show must go on", Freddie Mercury) 

I strongly recommend you to take some minutes to enjoy one of the best songs in the history of rock music. =D

- Image retrieved from: http://caprichosamelomana.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/album-freddie-mercury.html

- "Bohemian Rhapsody" lyric retrieved from: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/queen/bohemianrhapsody.html

- "The show must go on" lyric retrieved from: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/The-Show-Must-Go-On-lyrics-Queen/239672834B5B940448256894000845EB

Smart technology and... dumb people?

During the last decades, technology has rapidly improved having an impact not only in our lifestyles but also in our minds. Have you ever heard someone saying that we live in an “era of smart phones and dumb people”? I have, but I don’t totally agree with this thought.

Searching for some information on the web, I've come across an interesting piece of news which describes a project carried out by a team of entrepreneurs from Harvard Innovation Lab that aims at illustrating how technology has evolved the last 35 years. 

The project, called “Evolution of the Desk”, consists of a series of pictures which show how a cluttered desk (full of electronic devices) has recently changed into an empty one with only a laptop and a Smartphone. Although the information and the project are quite interesting, what actually called my attention was the last comment in the article made by one of the researchers. By citing Albert Einstein, the researcher says: "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” And, in my opinion this is one of the most controversial issues nowadays.

Of course, we cannot deny that the last improvements in technology have made our lives easier. But at the same time, these changes have affected our way of thinking in a considerable manner. Currently, most people don’t even take the time to do mental calculations… what for? We have calculators that simplify that sort of tasks for us. Memorizing phone numbers, addresses, important dates, appointments, among others examples, seem to be old-fashioned and useless tasks. Our cell-phones and laptops do all those kind of things and more.

Due to this reason, many people believe that we have become dumber throughout the last decades. However, from my point of view, being “dumber” is an inappropriate term. What I strongly believe is that technology has made us LAZIER. Why would we make our minds do a lot of effort to remember things if computers do it for us? Perhaps, the main point in this issue is that there’s some propaganda which tries to convince us that, in a way, we are lowering our intelligence capacity. Nevertheless, it seems that it’s easier to accept that idea than to consider ourselves lazy people; mainly because it’s simpler to blame technology for those changes than to make us responsible for the misuse we make of technological devices.

Do you agree with the idea that we live in the “era of smart technology and dumb people”? What I’m heartily convinced of is that we’re not becoming more stupid, but lazier. 

- You can find the article about the "Evolution of the Desk" following this link: http://aplus.com/a/evolution-of-the-desk-technology-impact