When words fail, music speaks...

And suddenly my mind turned black. No words. No thoughts. Just nothing. My heart was broken. Broken in thousand pieces. He never loved me. He never owned to me. But he was an important piece in my stupid puzzle called life. Not an unremarkable piece. Of course, in a puzzle all the pieces are important. But he was the last one. The last piece that would complete my puzzle, my life.

_______________________________________________________________________________

She was brushing her teeth when he knocked the door. She, impatiently, went to open it. The guy smiled at her, and when he was going to say hello, the girl grabbed the guy's hand, and guided him through her house up to her bed-room.

To be continued... 

Cool deep T-shirts

I wanted to do something a little bit more different with  my last "news" post.  Firstly, I'm going to write without looking for some words in the dictionary, and without Internet's help. Well.. this article is really short, but the writer uses idioms and also it's really funny. So I hope you enjoy it.

My favourite one. 

Thisarticle talks about the Japanese clothes, made to replicate American clothes. But as the writer says, some languages just weren't meant for each other. This article gathers some clothes found in the Japanese shops. The T-shirts have a lot of mistakes, or just say nonsenses.

I've chosen this article because it reminds me to Sonia, because she takes a photo of cool T-shirts with beautiful messages. If she saw this, she would laugh at this not pretty cool T-shirts.

• Hit the nail on the head: Dar en el clavo
• Replicate: Copiar
• Sail: Tierra

Photoshopped Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus

In the matter of the beauty topic that we're doing in class, I've found this article in a website called aplus that really attracted my attention. It's about the odd idea that a professional photo editor had.

Lauren Wade, the editor, have photo-shopped versions of iconic paintings to capture how much the beauty standards have changed. He applied the current beauty ideals to the famous paintings from the Renaissance.

The results prove the contrast, and reveal our warped beauty standards.

I've chosen this article because it really attracted my attention with the funny fact that the writer uses the expression “all about that bass” we worked some weeks ago with the song.

Slim down: Adelgazar

Shrinks: Reducir

Warped: Retorcida

Japan Is Back in the Hunt for Whales

This pieceof news from the New York Times is an opinion article about the Hunt for whales by the hands of Japan. As far as we can see, Japan's political leaders claims “scientific” motives to resume the whale hunting, despite the International Court of Justice banned against commercial whaling off Antarctica.

So, to keep the adherence to the treaty, the government announced that it would resume the hunt, but reducing the kill to 333 minke whales (1/3 from the recent hunts).

But the worst of all is that they try to prove the whale-hunting with arguments like:

- Whaling for scientific research.

- Whaling as a definitive part of Japanese culture.

So, the court has no power to enforce it's ruling, and everything is in the Japan's government hands. 

I've chosen this article because the whale-hunting it's a topic that really upsets me. I'm an ocean lover, and I love all the ocean's wildlife. So the fact that a government resumes with that awful murders, breaks my heart. The whale-hunting must be stopped.

• Minke/Humpback/fin whales: Different types of whales
• Resume: Continuar
• Slain: Asesinado
• Ruling: Resolución
• Despite: a pesar de
• A third the number: un tercio del nombre

Self evaluation

• Language 20%  We used an understandable vocabulary, and we learned some new words 2
• Presentation 10% We did a really cutie prezi, with pink details (I hate pink, but I let this happen because I really love Léna.) It was useful and practical. 1
• Body language and eye contact 10% I'm really ashamed about this. I was really nervous, and I screwed it up. 0
• Structure 10% It was well structured, in a useful way. 1
• Pronunciation 10% I need to work on it. 0'5
• Content 40%  It was a difficult topic to work about, because it's hard to find all the pros and cons about the paper and the digital. But I think that the classmates enjoyed it. 3'5

                                                                                          Final mark: 8

Photoshopping Real Women Into Cover Models

Well, as I think that my reading comprehension it's pretty good, I wanted to try with my listening comprehension. So that's why I've chosen this beautiful video that it's connected to the topic we are doing in class.

This video is about an experiment with some women that are not happy with their bodies. They say that it's because their bodies will never resemble to the cover models ones. It's a very simple experiment, with a beautiful reflection behind. A professional photographer take some photos to those women, and then he phosothops them. Then, they show to the participants the results, and the women hate the results.

I've chosen this video because I loved the message that it gives to the world. Well... in particular to the woman of the world. You don't have to hate your body, because it's not like the perfect bodies from the covers. Nobody is perfect, not even the cover models. And these imperfections makes ourselves unique. So love every inch of you. 

• Ads: Anuncios
• Cover models: Modelos de portada.
• Flawless:Perfecto
• Pretty: Más bien

When Should You Shop? Right After Black Friday

Following the advice of one friend, as I didn't had any idea of what I could  write about, I googled Black Friday. Among all the consumerism stuff, the excesses and the  fake sales, I've finally  find out an interesting article. It talks about the truth hidden behind the Black Friday deals. 

The article explains that the best time to get the best deals on electronics products is in the two to three days after Black Friday. Why? Because it's when the prices tend to bottom out. So the best moment to drop, it's when the older models of goods had fallen in price over the weekend after Black Friday, when the newest models are introduced to the market because of the Christmas season.

Therefore, if you stay at home on Friday and you wait few days to shop online, you will truly get the best deals.

Moreover, it reminds us that the prices can be different in the brick-and-mortar stores and online, and that the sales patterns for other products can be different. It gives to us the example of the toys prices that don't bottom out until two weeks before Christmas, more or less.

And finally, it ends with the advice that we wouldn't buy items if we don't really want to. 

I've chosen this article because I absolutely disagree with Black Friday, because I think that it's just a trick to promote the consumerism, like valentine's day.

• Deal: Ganga
• Caveat: Advertencias
• Brick-and-morter stores: Tiendas tradicionales (no vía Internet)
• Bottom out: Tocar fondo
• Sales patterns: Patrones de venda.

Opinion essay

Does humour play an important role in life?

Personally, I think that humour plays a really important role in our daily lives. Why? Well... Because the humour affects directly our mood. Humour can even completely change it.

And the fact that when we see someone crying, we always try to make some silly jokes or actions to make him or her laugh, proves it. We do this because we think that the fact of laughing ends with sadness. And also we know that if this person laughs, he/she will forget the sad think that gets him/her down (Maybe not forever, but yes at this moment).

When you try to help this sad person, immediately he or she feels better (or normally they do). And if you're a lonely person, you can help yourself. For example, when I'm on a bad mood or sad, I watch comical videos in you-tube.

So, in conclusion, I think that a little bit of humour never hurts, and all the people shall spend one hour minimum to forget the problems and just laugh.

Would you sleep here?

This piece of news talks about the annual International High-line Meeting in the Italian Alps, where some thrill-seekers, a group of extreme athletes, gather in Monte Piana, Italy, to spend together a week practicing their sport.

This meeting is not a competition. They just get the best out of this special sport in group. And also they enjoy the amazing view, the nature and the company.

Moreover it explains when started the International high-line meeting and also, in who can it be inspired. 

Well... I've chosen this piece of news because the pictures attracted my attention. It's really odd to see some people lying in a hammock  at hundreds of feet above the ground, relaxed and playing the guitar. I'm a trhill-seeker person, so I think that I would do this. The height, the feeling... But I think that would be impossible to me to sleep without moving a finger. 

What about you? It's not for the faint of heart.

• Thrill-seekers: Amantes de la adrenalina.
• Tightrope-walker: Funambulista, acróbata sobre cuerda floja. (HIGH-WIRE)
• Hammock: Hamaca.
• Daredevil: Temerario.
• "Not for the faint of heart": No apto para cardíacos.

If you could read my mind

Sitting in my bed, with the PC above my sun-kissed legs, trying to write my thoughts, trying to explain my feelings to the world. But after 20 minutes, the page it's still empty.

I need to collect my thoughts. But I can't, because my mind is a mess. So I go to the kitchen to take some cold tea (tea always helps to order my shambles).

When I return to my bed-room, my mind is still a mess, and I can't find the words to express myself. I turn off the computer and in a rush I put on my converse, I take a sweater and I escape.

Taken by me

Step by step I arrive to my lovely ocean. There, I put my shoes off and I walk along the seashore. The caress of the water in my barefooted feet provokes me shivers. I just look to the skyline. I'm lost in the skinny line that separates the ocean and the sky. Little by little, the sound of the waves floods my messy mind. 

Keep calm, it's almost over

Oh, my lovely blog. You are really empty since the last year. I'm so sorry, but everything has been really messy this new scholar year. Too much chaos, too much stress, too much pain... I was upset with the world, drowning in my dark ocean of pessimism. But I've found myself again trying to keep my head above this dark and dirty waters. 

It has been really hard to let go my lovely summer. Sunny days are over. I'm gonna miss the boat trips, the immersions, the sporty mornings, the sun kissing my skin, the underwater photographs, the relaxing evenings watching series, the meetings with my friends, the summer parties...

Summer's gone. But the next one will be better. Why? Because this year is the last one in the high-school. So in the next summer, I will be FREE, completely FREE. And I'm gonna enjoy my freedom. 

Here I leave you some photos of my lovely summer. (The two landscapes photos are taken by me)

Me with one friend in the boat.

Taken by me, Cap de Creus, underwater.

Taken by me, Cap de Creus, Boat trip.

Me and my friends

Let's change the world together.

Why are people conformist? Each one of us have got the power to change the world, to do whatever we want to do.

Who says that you're not the person who is going to found Atlantis? Who says that you're not who founds the cure of cancer? Who says you're not the person who is going to open the eyes of all the people in this world, to helps them to see that we are ending with the beautiful earth?

Each one of us have got this power. We only need two things to be the change: the persistence and the enthusiasm.

What are we waiting for? We need a change. We need an open mind generation. A generation who can correct these mistakes. A powerful generation.

I'm tired of all those teenagers that only think about being popular, pretty and in beautiful clothes. They don't cares about the climatic change, the wars, the dangered animals.... They only think about themselves.

Come on, please. We need non-conformist guys. We need you. The whole world needs you. Let's change the world together. 

The Yellow girl.

As you would probably know, if you know me, I think that every people that pass trough our lifes, always teach us something. But there are some special people that not just teaches something to us. Besides, they mark our live changing us. I like to call this type of persons “my yellow ones”, as Albert Espinosa did in his book. 

On the second term, I talked about one of my yellows, Adrián. Now, in the third therm, I'm going to talk about Laila. She was my first yellow. She's a pretty Italian girl that haven't had got an easy life. She is very strong, and very special too. She's an artist. She loves everything relacionated with the art. Painting, music, reading... If art would have to be faced, I'm sure that it would have Laila's face. 

Moreover, she writes very well. She inspires the other people with her inspiration. She can transform something normal into something amazing and beautiful. She's really philosophical, and have got an interesting point of view and interesting thoughts about life.

She made her home between the books. She's in love with Ed Sheeran, and because of that, I'm going to show you my favorite song.

The end.

Summer is right here. I can't believe it. I've survived to this scholar year. Well... Besides the fact that I've survived, I have got all of my goals (Okay, maybe not all... but yes whole of them.) This year I've found myself. This year I'm another person. Now I'm more positive, more strong, more dauntless, more happy and also more hippie. My life have changed a lot, and I love it. 

This year I have known a lot of interesting people. I'm really happy about have retook 1st of Batxillerat, because this year I've learned a lot of things. At the beginning, I was really afraid because it was a really big change. The fact that I had to knew all my new classmates, and the fact that they are one year younger, was something that scared me. But I've realized that some of them, are even more mature than me, which it's very curious.

Moreover, I love my class. Well... I don't like all of my classmates because there are some people with who I don't share some ideas and their behavior. But in general, I get along well with all of my classmates.

In addition, this year have been more interesting. All of the teachers had noticed about my radical change. I've improved my marks. I've changed my lifestyle.

So I hope that next year will be better than this one. 

DIVERGENT

FILM REVIEW

Divergent it's an American film based on the Veronica's Roth best seller. It explains the story of a girl who lives in a futuristic city that was funded after a war that devastated the world, and whose society is divided into 5 factions: Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Erudite (the intelligent) and Dauntless (the brave), based on their aptitude tests. But when arrives the moment of choose for Beatrice (the leading role), the aptitude test didn't work on her. They call it Divergent, and she have to hide herself in a faction, for survive. 

I've chosen this film because it's based on my favorite book. I was really excited and impatient to saw this in the cinema, and I went with some friends that also read the book. After this meeting, all of us did a TEST that it's on internet, to know what faction would be the ours. In my case, my faction is Dauntless, which is the faction that Beatrice chose, and the faction that I like the most. They wear a lot of tattoos, piercings, they do a lot of physical and also psychological exercise. 

Dialogue podcast.

Here is my dialogue with Léna. I hope you enjoy it. 

Cancer child's secret message on back of her mirror found by dad after she died.

Thispiece of news, talks about the story of a young girl who left a 3,000-word message hidden on the back of her mirror  she died of cancer. Some days after her death, her dad Dean discovered the long note written in marker pen behind the mirror where she wrote her thoughts on life and approaching death. 

Moreover, in this article we can found some sentences that appears in the message behind the mirror, and also her story with a lot of details.

I've chosen this article because when I found it, the strength of this 12 years old girl surprised me. It's awesome how this young girl can taught to us this lesson. So my favorite sentences from his message, are:

“Happiness depends upon ourselves."

“Maybe it’s not about the happy ending, maybe it’s about the story."

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra."

"Happiness is a direction not a destination."

“Every day is special, so make the most of it. You could get a life-ending illness tomorrow so make the most of every day."

Rest in peace, dear Athena. Wherever you are, I would like to tell you that I admire you. I'm sure that I'm not the only one.  

• Wig: Peluca
• Clever: Ingenioso, inteligente
• Blow away: meterse en el bolsillo a alguien. 

Thai army prohibits greetings from Hunger Games.

 This piece of news published 4th of june of 2014 in the news web 2014live.com, explains that the Thai army have prohibited the greeting from the movie "The Hunger Games", which is performed with three fingers, because it has become a symbol of the opposition after the coup of the army on May. 

In the movies and books, the greeting is used as a protest against a totalitarian regime,  but the Thai protesters gave their own meaning. Some people says that the three fingers stand Liberty, equality and fraternity. Another people says that the three fingers stand freedom, elections and democracy. 

I've chosen this piece of new, because I love this books. It's really shocking how the rebel greeting can be caught from the fiction, to become part of the reality. 

• Greeting: Saludo
• Coup: Golpe de estado
• Farewell: Adiós, despedida

Sunset.

She was waiting him. There. As always. The sunset were the witness of their kisses. Each evening. But this one he was late. She wanted to talk, to ask him a lot of things. Also, she wanted to give him the last present. But after hours and hours waiting him, she decided to leave the present in their meeting place. She decided to forget him, and to carry on. But what she didn't know, was that it was exactly what the guy wanted: To be forgotten.

He was behind the tree, watching her. The way that she walked nervously, angry with him because he was late. He would miss her. Her hair, her pail skin, her big green eyes, her pointing nose, her lips... But she deserved someone better than him.

His heart broke up when he saw how the girl went away by the street. When he made sure that she wouldn't come back again, he walked to their meeting place, where he found it. The present with the letter. He just read the end: I love you, Sam. 

Summer'14

You don't know how I've missed you. I have a lot of things to explain you, dear Summer. This year have been so crazy. A lot of changes. A lot of experiences. A lot of laughs, a lot of kisses, a lot of memories.  But now that you're here, it's going to be even better. I'm sure of it. Why? Because I've a lot of plans. Do you want to hear them? 

Firstly, dear Summer, I’m going to enjoy you, as I never did before. To begin, I'm going to test every sports, as much as possible: Paddle surf, long-boarding, snorkel... Also, I'm going to improve my English, and maybe I will travel to England, to a beautiful place called Plymouth. Moreover, I'm going to work in my dive club, taking underwater photos and helping with the tourists that speaks English. And besides I'm going to change my style. There are more things to do, and I’m sure that them will make this summer, greatest and better than ever.

There are many things to do, so dear Summer... Please, come quickly but happen really slow and stay with me forever. 

Living in chaos

I'm wide awake, but my eyes are closed. I feel the sunlight caressing my skin, and I hear the sound of million birds. The window is open and the picture of all these birds coming into my bedroom picking me up from my bed is floating in my mind.  But it won't happen. So, bravely I open my eyes and I leave my bed. It's a rainy day, and the cold gets into my room through the big window. But I don't close it. I like this feeling. Step by step, I go to my bathroom to take a cold shower.

Today is going to rock. Today is the day. Today is MY day. So I put on my favorite black shorts, my black T-shirt and my Vans. I go downstairs with my mobile in the pocket, and the long-board under my arm. I have to be in the beach at nine o'clock.

-Bye Mom.

- Honey, where are you going? Please, have breakfast before anything.

- Sorry Mom, but I’m really late. I will eat something with Emily in the beach, okay?

- Mhhh. Okay. Have fun, darling. I love you.

- Me too, Mom. ¡Bye!

I never lie. I hate lies. So I drive my long-board by the streets of the city, feeling so guilty. I'm so sorry, but my mom can't know anything about us. 

Opinion essay

Torture: Nor an art nor culture. 

In general people think that the animals can be underestimated because they are not rational beings. But how rational is someone who defends bullfighting being an art? 

Art is understood as the expression of your feelings and ideas by the production of something original by you according to aesthetic principles and having more than an ordinary significance. Art would never involve swords, blood or the constant suffering of the innocent bull. 

However, In my opinion what is more outrageous is to see a bullfighter proud to rise his award: the animal's ears or it's tail. In both cases they are cut off from the dead but still hot animal's body. Although many Spanish people agree with bullfighting being a beautiful and patriotic tradition. I disagree with the fact that this type of bulls are specially grown up to end up in a bullring. 

In summary, I think that this awful tradition should be eradicated, because it attempts on the animal's dignity. 

EBOLA.

Well, I'm going to talk about something that scares me a little bit. Because of that, I've choosen it. 

This piece of news from the BBC news web, talks about the outbreak of Ebola, one of the most dangerous virus wich causes an extremely severe illness in humans, the Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

So, this piece of news says that Mali is on alert after tree suspected cases of Ebola deaths, all reported near the border with Guinea. Because of this, there are tight controls on people entering the capital from the border area, and tight controls on ill people around the world, to prevent a pandemic.

Besides, in this piece of new explain some cases of people feared to have Ebola, and that them have been isolated.

It scares me, because there's no cure or vaccine for Ebola, and this tropical virus leads to hemorrhagic fever, causing muscle pain, weakness, vomits, diarrhea and organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.

But the worst of all, is that news programs don't talk about this problem. It's really shocking because a lot of people have died already, and we live in a globalized world, where is too easy to happen the infection. Yes, maybe they don't want to tell this to us, because they don't want alarm the whole population. But equally, I think that we have the right to know the risks. For example, my mother didn't know that there's no vaccine or cure for Ebola. 

How we can protect ourselves against something we don't know?

• Screening: Revisión
• Spread: Extenderse
• Crew: Tripulación  

Equal love, equal rights.

Few months ago, I saw this video on facebook. It marked a milestone on my life. It explains the story of two guys, Shane and Tome. They are an homosexual couple. They felt in love, and they were living an amazing and beautiful love story, until Tom kills himself.

The pressure of his homophobic family, bring him down. It's really sad, and unfair, because after the death of Tom, his family steal the body. If the homosexual marriage, would had been accepted, Tom would had have the right of demand the body of his dead boyfriend.

I'm tired of the homophobic thoughts. I would like to talk with someone homophobic, and ask him/her one question: Why you don't understand that no matter If you love a boy or a girl? You don't fall in love with the sex. You fall in love with the personality. 

Open your eyes, open you mind. RESPECT the others. 

Changes

Well, as you know, I love changes. And I think that a lot of things had changed in my life:

New house, new town, new friends, good mood, more positivity (But still a little bit of negativity), more maturity, more open-minded, more philosophical, more healthy, more happy with myself...

Well, because of all this changes, I would like to share the others that I have changed, changing my style. No, I don't want to dress like a hipster, and I don't want to dress like Gothic girl neither. Keep calm, I won't tint my hair, nor cut it. No way!

What I want to do with my style, it could be called be more “hippie”. No, I wont wear flared jeans, nor become nudist. It's like a light version of the hippie style. I don't want to buy clothes in the big companies. No more Zara, no more Stradivarius, no more bershka. I think that the society had washed our brains. If my clothes is not broken, why I have to go to buy more and more clothes? Anyway, even if you have too much clothes, you finally wear usually the same, your favorite ones.

I'm going to clean up my closet. What I never wear, because I’m waiting to be more thin, or because It was more beautiful in the mannequin , I will try to change all this clothes, with the help of one dear friend.

From now on, I will buy my clothes on the little shops. Just the cheap and comfortable clothes. I will let my hair grow. 

Sweetest smile.

I'm sat on a gray little wall, with some friends. I've got the camera on my hands. We are at the university, visiting the place where probably some of us will be in a couple of years. All of my friends are enjoying the visit, talking about the hot university students, or about the enormous classes, or the talkative professors.

But I'm on my way. I'm analyzing all the people that are walking through the hall. There are a lot of different and special people. But then, I see her. She has got the sweetest smile of the world. It's one girl of my classroom. I don't know her, but anyone, even If you don't know her, could realize about she's different and special.

I take a photo of her. I take another one. She's walking, lost in her thoughts. She doesn’t see me. I look the photo. She's smiling. Even when nobody's looking her, she's smiling. She's awesome. She shines. I would like to know her, because she transmits me her good mood. She seems interesting. 

My deep ocean

The people walks through the school halls. Walking so fast, without paying attention to the other people. Some of them are walking with company, talking together. Another ones, are just walking in silence, alone. Each one of them, drifting in their own ocean of thoughts. Love, friends, problems, mistakes, complexes... A lot of little drops that form the gray water of their oceans. I'm lost in my own ocean too. It's not called Mediterranean, but it's name starts by the letter “M” too.

My mind go blank. My ocean is looking at me. His way of looking at me, without avert his eyes of myself, provoke me shivers. Now, my mind is a mess.

So deep. It scares me. But the fear makes me feel alive. I want to dive myself on  my ocean. 

The world around us

This article talks about the National Geographic photography competition in 2012.

The organization are calling professional and amateur photographers from all around the world, to send their best photos, that will be classified in 3 categories: people, places and nature. The most breath-taking photo, The one that takes first prize will be rewarded with $10,000 and a trip to National Geographic headquarters, to participate in the annual national geographic photography seminar.

I'd chosen this piece of news, because I’m in love with photography, and one of my dreams, it would be become a famous photographer of the National Geographic. Moreover, I've felt in love with the photos of this contest. 

Who's gonna win the contest? Well, my favorite photos are:

Vocabulary: *prize: premio

                 *headquarters: oficina central, sede.