Spain's youth against the establishment?

Spain is living an impressive revolution. It has been organized through social networks (like Tuenti, Facebook and Twitter) and it has called the attention of the national and  international media.


This article was published today by The New York Times and it was written by Raphael Minder. I have only added some changes to it.

Plaza de la Encarnación - Sevilla - 21st May, 2011

MADRID — Tens of thousands of demonstrators across Spain continued and many protests against the established political parties on Saturday, even if they were prohibited because of regional and municipal elections on Sunday.

About 28,000 people, most of them young, spent Friday night in Puerta del Sol, a main square in Madrid, the police said. They stayed even as the protest ban went into effect at midnight under rules that bring an official end to campaigning before the elections. The main reason is said to be that the unemployment rate in Spain is 21 percent.

Beyond economic complaints, the protesters’ demands include improving the judiciary, ending political corruption and changing Spain’s electoral structure, notably by ending the system in which candidates are selected internally by the parties before an election rather than chosen directly by voters.

The protests, which started May 15, have spread gradually across Spain. Spaniards overseas have also held some protests in front of their embassies to show their support for an alternative campaign that has almost eclipsed that of the established parties.

As the campaign ban came into force at midnight, many of the Madrid protesters stuck tape across their mouths to signal that they would continue the demonstration, even if ordered to be silent. “The voice of the people can never be illegal,” read some of the banners, while others argued, “We are not against the system but the system is against us.”

Still, the government said that it would not order the police to use force against protests  in Madrid and elsewhere over the weekend, especially given that protests this week have not generated any violence. Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, speaking during a visit to the Murcia region, said that “the police are there to solve problems and not create new ones.”

(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/23/world/europe/23spain.html?ref=raphaelminder)

This is what the article was about. Despite the fact that it is true that we must fight against injustices, it may be a bigger truth that we have to respect our political system in order to find common coexistence.

Or not? Have you thought about this? What's your opinion?

3º ESO: Review Units 9-10 (Answers to page 78 & 79)

Exercise 1: Present Perfect

B) Choose the right explanation...
The present perfect describes... b

CHECK THAT YOU CAN:

2. Someone has taken my book. b
3. I haven't finished my dinner. e
4. Have you seen my keys?. a
5. My watch has stopped. d
6 PEte has broken his legs. f

Exercise 2

A)
A-2 (He talks about something which happened some time ago)
B-1 (The bus has JUST left)

We use the PRESENT PERFECT to connect the past with the present. We don't say when the action happened. We use the PAST SIMPLE to talk about a past action. We OFTEN say when it happened or give MORE DETAILS.

CHECK THAT YOU CAN:
1.has arrived
2 has polluted
3 invented
4 saw
5 haven't touched
6 Have you finished

Exercise 3

A) 's won
B) - ever won  (en algún momento de su vida?)
     - 's never won (nunca)

CHECK THAT YOU CAN:
3.1
2 He's met the queen
3 He's travelled to China and Japan
4 He's made a video called Training with Dean

3.2
2 Have you ever won a competition?
3 Has your school ever been on TV?
4 Have you ever written a poem?

Exercise 4
Answer: B

CHECK THAT YOU CAN:
I've just written something on the blog.(example sentence)

Exercise 5
Answer: I've been here for an hour
             I've been here since 2.15

CHECK THAT YOU CAN:
1 Seth, how long have you had your computer?
- I've had it for two years/ I've had it since 2009.

2. Sally, how long have you lived in London?
-I've lived here for ten years/ I've lived here since 2001 /I've lived here since I was 3/etc

3. Harry, how long have you known Barry?
- I've known her for 9 years/ I've known him since 2022/I've known him since we were at school/etc



Have you got any further question?

The Big Mushrooms

This article was written by Rowan Moore and has been taken from the British newspaper "The Guardian" and it is about the Metrosol Parasol, the two big mushrooms placed at the Encarnación Square.

Oh my God, it's an icon. How very last decade. Did the city of Seville not get the memo? Big, flashy buildings are out; hair shirts are in. Then again, building projects are slow things, especially when they have hugely ambitious and untried structural ideas. In 2004, when the Metropol Parasol project was launched, and Spain felt flusher than it does now, few were thinking it would open after the country was hit by one of the worst of the European Union's many financial crises. As it is, like the grandiose new City of Culture of Galicia complex in Santiago de Compostela, it looks like a late work of bubble baroque.

The Metropol Parasol actually is a device for revitalising the Plaza de la Encarnación, for years used as a parking lot and seen as a dead spot between more popular tourist destinations in the city. The Parasol contains a market, shops, and a podium for concerts and events. In its basement are the ruins of a Roman district, with mosaics and enough bits of wall to get a sense of what the houses were like. On the roof there is a restaurant, a viewing gallery, and a winding, undulating walkway – a sort of pedestrian rollercoaster – from which to appreciate the views gained by rising slightly above the general roofline of the city.

So, What do you think about the modern building? Do you 

think it is beautiful? 

Love and hate. It is said that both elements go hand in hand. Today we are going to leave romantic stuff aside and we are going to focus on things we dislike, a horrible but unavoidable feeling which comes constantly  to our heads. To be honest, there are many things that we like, but there is also a big list of things we don't.


What are the things you totally dislike?


After being thinking about it for a couple of minutes, these would probably be on my list:

1. People talking to me with an Iphone or a Blackberry in their hands. Have you experienced this situation? You can say anything you want and this person won't listen to your words: A- Hey, your house is burning!! B- yes,one second. This reminds me of a very good monologue I saw one day:



2. Music from Mobile Phones. I hate travelling by bus and being obliged to listen to techno, rap, easter or any other type of music which I haven't chosen. This is something very common in teens from the "ghettos" who may think that they look more dangerous with their music on.

3. Standing in a queue. Especially when there is an old woman trying to go ahead of me.

4. Celebrity gossip shows. (La Noria, DEC, Sálvame, etc) This is probably the worst cultural event on earth. However, as Groucho Marx said:

 "I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book."

So, what about you? Is there anything you really dislike? 

What is your favourite film?

The American Film Institute has made a list for the best 100 films in historywhich I read some weeks ago. Films (or movies) included in the first positions are The Godfather, Casablanca or The Schindler's List. 


However, in my opinion, there are no objective reasons for establishing a definite list.




This brings something to my mind: What are my favourite films? And, by the way, What are my students' favourite films?


 I've been thinking for a long time and I've already taken a very hard decision: My top 5 films.


1. Psycho. Hitchcock's masterpiece is great. A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel owner who is under the domination of his evil mother.







2. Braveheart. William Wallace fights for freedom against the English tyranny. Far better than the Lord of the Ring and with highly impressive moments.







3.A Bronx Tale. A father becomes worried when a local gangster befriends his son in the Bronx in the 1960s. Robert De Niro is probably one of my favourite actors.

4. Full Metal Jacket. A great story about the hard psychological effects of the Vietnam War. Stanley Kubrick at his best.




5. Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny, eludes him.






So, this is probably my final list. However, many other great works have been left behind such as Big Fish, The Grapes of Wrath, Rocky.


What about you? I'm sure you must have a really different opinion about good films.


Which are your favourite films?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated internationally on 17 March, by the Irish in Ireland and in big cities (London, New York, Madrid, Sevilla...) and small towns with huge parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Its a time for fun. The most important celebration for Irish, some communities even go so far as to dye RIVERS IN GREEN! 

Well now St. Patrick's Day wouldn't exist if not for the man himself! But how much do we know about him? Do you want to know the history of St Patrick's day? Check this video out!





St Patrick's is a day for fun for everyone, with plenty of food and Guiness beer apart from parades, music, drums, dance... Spring is about to begin and the Irish know how to celebrate it, or don't your remember this famous scene?



So I hope you all have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day and remember: Leprechauns hide their pots of gold at the end of the rainbow and - as they may be parading now- it is probably the perfect time to look for them.
Good Luck!


By the way, did you know what St. Patrick's was about?
Do you have a similar celebration in your city?
What's your opinion on these types of celebrations?

Ni lia duine na tuairim  (Gaelic for "Everyone has his own opinion")

Barcelona's Lionel Messi wins Fifa Ballon d'Or award

The following article has been taken and readapted from the BBC web page.

Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the inaugural Fifa Ballon d'Or award at a ceremony in Zurich.

Messi, 23, won this new prize - which comes from the previous Fifa Player of the Year prize and Ballon d'Or - ahead of his Barca team-mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi.

"I'm surprised to win, but happy to be here with my friends"

Messi, who won the two separate awards last year, said: "To win it makes it even more special. I want to share it with all of my friends, my family, all the Barcelonistas and the Argentinians."

The last player to win the Ballon d'Or award twice in a row (two consecutive years) was Dutch striker Marco van Basten in 1988 and 1989, while Messi's former Barca colleague Ronaldinho won the Fifa prize in 2004 and 2005.

Many thought Iniesta, who scored the winning goal against Netherlands 1-0 in the World Cup final in Johannesburg in July, and Xavi, who was the brain of the Spanish team, were favourites to win at the ceremony in Switzerland.

But Messi scored a remarkable 60 goals for club and country in 2010 and is widely considered the most gifted footballer of his generation.

The only Spanish winner of either prize was Luis Suarez who won the Ballon D'Or in 1960.

Brazilian striker Marta won the Women's Player of the Year for a fifth consecutive time 










Hamit Altintop won the Puskas Award for Goal of the Year for his wonder volley.

What's your opinion about this? Do you agree with the decision? What about the Spanish players Xavi or Iniesta?