This blog has been designed for students who want to share their different opinions and experiences. However, everybody is invited to come and sit next to the fireplace at this cozy virtual cottage.
Ho, ho, ho!Father Christmas is here, it's time to spend some moments with your friends and family. However, there is a new fashion in Europe different from the traditional dinners, green trees, charols etc: This new tendency consists of enjoying Christmas abroad. Christmas has become a global festival, regardless of religion or location.
But, Can you imagine your Xmas in a different country?
There are many options:
1. Cologne. Germany's reputation for legendary Christmas markets is well deserved - and this is the granddaddy of them all.
2. San Juan, Puerto Rico
Why: Can't get enough of Christmas? Head to San Juan in Puerto Rico, where Christmas celebrations run longer than anybody else's -- sing carols, or aguinaldos, from November through mid-January.
3. New Zealand—where it’s summer in December—serves up nighttime fishing, sub-tropical beaches, and award-winning cocktails
4.Bali.With its sunsets over temple spires.
5.Sant Claus Village. Finland. If you need more Santa stuff, you must visit him and talk to his neighbours.
Perhaps, you can also enjoy a Husky Safari.
6. New York. I'm sure you have seen this on many films. The world's tallest Christmas tree is lit at the Rockefeller Center in early December. Ice skating below it is a must for wintertime visitor.
7. Dublin. With a funny sense of humor, the Catholic Irish have a few amazing ways to honor Christmas.
Barcelona against Real Madrid is known as El Clasico by international newspapers. I have taken this article from the BBC webpage.
Barcelona outclass Real Madrid
By John Sinnott
Lionel Messi's superb display handed Real Madrid their first competitive defeat of the season and sent Barcelona top of the table after a 5-0 victory.
After Messi's chip hit the post, Xavi gave Barca the lead with a lob after the ball deflected into his path.
Barca were soon two goals ahead when Pedro poked in a David Villa cross.
Two Messi passes set up Villa for the third and fourth goals, with Jeffran's goal rubbing salt into Real's wounds, before Sergio Ramos was sent off.
The match was billed as much as a contest between the world's two greatest players - Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - as between these two fierce Spanish rivals.
But the Argentine's display was so staggeringly good that Real's Ronaldo was reduced to a bit part player in the Nou Camp.
What do you think of diamonds? They are beautiful, aren't they?
A couple of months ago, Naomi Campbell was accused of having illegal diamonds coming from the corrupt ex-liberian president Charles Taylor. But, what's going on with these stones? How can these little stones be illegal?
1 Diamond = 20 AK47 Kaláshnikov
Welcome to the real world. Have you ever heard about "War Diamonds"? These are diamonds illegally sold to pay different conflicts in war areas, particularly in central and western Africa. Thats is to say, corrupt governments in Africa which change ARMS for diamonds. But the real thing is that rebels from the same area change their diamonds for weapons too.
There is a logical reason: Modern societies want diamonds and WE sell Africa our arms for these stones. It doesn't appear on TV, why? Because WE are the bad guys in this story.
"Most wars in Africa are little more than diamond wars"
However, there is something even sadder: most of the warriors in these diamond wars are just children, not even teenagers. Beautiful, isn't it?
What's your opinion about this? Who is responsible for this rude situation?
Did you have a favourite book when you were little?
Although books for children seem to be simple, they sometimes have very deep and interesting meanings. This is probably one of my favourites, it is called "The Giving Tree" (El Árbol que da).
"The Giving Tree was published in 1964 by Shel Silverstein, however, specialists still disagree about the meaning of the tale. Is it about nature, selfishness, consumption?
Can you give your own interpretation?
Once there was a tree..... and she loved a little boy. And every day the boy would come and he would gather her leaves and make them into crowns and play king of the forest. He would climb up her trunk and swing from her branches and eat ...apples. And they would play hide-and-go-seek. And when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade. And the boy loved the tree.......very much. And the tree was happy.
But time went by. And the boy grew older. And the tree was often alone. Then one day the boy came to the tree and the tree said, "Come, Boy, come and climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and eat apples and play in my shade and be happy."
"I am too big to climb and play," said the boy. "I want to buy things and have fun. I want some money. Can you give me some money?"
"I'm sorry," said the tree, "but I have no money, I have only leaves and apples. Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then you will have money and you will be happy." And so the boy climbed up the tree and gathered her apples and carried them away. And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for a long time.And when he came back, the tree was so happy she could hardly speak. "Come, Boy," she whispered, "Come and play."
“I am too old and sad to play," said the boy. "I want a boat that can take me far away from here. Can you give me a boat?"
"Cut down my trunk and make a boat," said the tree. "Then you can sail away...... and be happy." And so the boy cut down her trunk and made a boat and sailed away. And the tree was happy.... but not really. And after a long time the boy came back again.
"I am sorry, Boy," said the tree, "but I have nothing left to give you. My apples are gone."
"My teeth are too weak for apples," said the boy.
"My branches are gone," said the tree. "You cannot swing on them.”
"I am too old to swing on branches," said the boy.
"My trunk is gone," said the tree. "You cannot climb."
"I am too tired to climb," said the boy.
"I am sorry," sighed the tree. "I wish that I could give you something------ but I have nothing left. I am just an old stump."
"I don't need very much now," said the boy. "just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired."
"Well," said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could, "Well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest." And the boy did. And the tree was happy.
Pounds, dollars, euros, dirham, crowns... There are lots of terms for the same idea: MONEY. Who wouldn't like to be richer? If you have money enough to buy anything you want, what would you choose? A brand new red Ferrari or a blue second hand Seat Cordoba? ( "Thanks, but I prefer the blue one" Can you imagine it?).
This brings a song to my memory:
However, one should not forget that money is an abstract idea which was invented around 5000 B.C.
Should we really give so much importance to it? Let's think about something: We all know Cristiano Ronaldo, who may (or may not) be an excellent player, but, what we may not know about him is that he earns 25 euros each MINUTE of his life, even if he is not working!
On the other hand, there are around 1.7 billion people who live in absolute poverty (without any money). For example, one out of every four children in Niger dies before the age of five, and most of them just because they don't have any water! If we think about this: does Cristiano really deserve the 13.000.000 euros he earns every year?
A couple of days ago we listened to one of my favourite songs, Elvis Presley's In the Ghetto. As we know, this song is basically about poverty, it describes a boy who can't overcome his unfriendly environment and turns to crime, leading him to his death.
This song was released in 1969, but it was the first song he performed with a social message. This was Elvis' first Top 10 hit in 4 years.
This song produced a great impact on society, and it has been performed by many singers afterwards. The latest example was recorded by Lisa Marie Presley, who used the song and his father's images to raise money for the Presley foundation.
However, not every version of the song has been succesfully produced, there are some examples which are more complicated to analyse and to understand.
Here is one of my favourites.
Can you see any difference between this and the original? Which one do you prefer?
