My sister's visit

These last two weeks my sister came from Germany to Spain to visit us.

She's currently studying biology in Marburg, a city near where we lived before we moved to Spain. I only see her about two or three times in one year. I will also go to Germany, but I want to come more times here to Empuriabrava because I really like being here. So, as I said, I only see my sister few times.

This time it was a little bit stressing because I wasn't often at home or hadn't time: it was Carnival and I also had lots of exams. Moreover, it was great to have she here, she helped me with the exams, we go together for a walk with the dog and meanwhile we spoke English! She and my mother always say that the correct pronunciation in English is very important and sometimes I must speak to her in English...

I went with her jogging! I go about two times a week, but she doesn't do it nearly never. So, I like it because I was better than her. What's more, she kept calm and I could encourage her to continue all the time. Next day she was angry with me because she had muscle ache!

I always like when she comes, but as I said, sometime it's stressing ;)

Fotocommunity

I'm going to talk about the web page Fotocommunity. It's an international organisation in five different language also in Spanish and Germany. There really are a lot of talented photographers, what's more, artists.

Nowadays Internet is the most important way to show your work or talent to everyone. It's said that Internet can be dangerous (specially because the copyright of images or other multimedia) but in my opinion, without it many famous people couldn't be known.

Fotocommunity has got there are differnt types of users, the lowest is free the others must be paid. One section which I like a lot is the Gallery: there are the best pictures from all the users. It's democratic: the photo with more votes and comments comes to the Gallery.

It's really nice to spend time watching these photos, but it's also very educational, you can learn a lot about technical from these pictures (there are the best between

millions).

Through this web page there are organized events and contests, where the photographers met each other to discuss photographie or look at exhibitions. The prizes to win a contest are really amazing, nearly every time it's a trip in a country in Africa or Asia (to took more great photos).

Travel

I always have dreamt about travelling a lot. I think that a trip in a country is more worth than an expensive car. The countries I would like to visit are Mexic and Australia.

Travel is forget your problems for a while, know new cultures, see amazing landscapes... I really would enjoy it.

At the moment I have been in Belgium, Italy, France and, obviously, Germany. I also have been in Egypt, but I was three or four years old, so I don't remember anything.

I like countries with beaches, sea or lakes. I'm really like being on the beach, my mother always remember that when we went to Spain for holidays and spend a day on the beach I was about two hours in the sea or more If I was allowed to be there. I don't like to trips only in the Mountains. Two or three days are okay, but more are not necessary. I also would like to visit big cities, even I have never been in one. Some weeks ago I discover that Berlin is eight times bigger than Barcelona! And from my point of view Barcelona it's very big.

Can Internet help to make the world a better place?

Nowadays Internet is the most popular way to communicate or get access to information. But why has it increased and developed so fast in the last years?

On the one hand it's great because all the people who have got Internet can search important information. What's more, they can read news or personal opinions. This information can help organize people and make them reach their objectives. An example could be the Arabian revolutions.

On the other hand, there might be false information on the Internet or people who is behaving in a different way because they are being anonymous. Moreover, there can be stolen personal information or mobbing attacks again a person.

In conclusion Internet is a great way to show information, although it's quite dangerous in many aspects. Adding to that, Internet isn't helping make the world better, despite it can be helpful.

Oral presentation: TdR, my research project

Self evaluation

First of all; my gesturing with the hands. Every oral presentation I remember myself not to do too much, but it's unconscious, I make it by an automatically way. I mus try to move them less. In my opinion the pronunciation was good, except some words like unconscious or knew.

A sentence which was really wrong was: I was taking notice. The right is: I was taking notes.

I also repeat a lot the word products. I should have searched synonyms.

Between the sentence I often says: emmm... what could be really disturbing if I do it to much. At the moment it's okay, but I will try to avoid it.

And finally, maybe my PowerPoint was to minimalist, I should write more than only the title or put more than one photo in one page.

Germany dividing Europe?

The popular cartoonist Stathis Stavropoulos has caused problems with his latest drawing.

It is one of his typical pictures: a German soldier, a gas chamber and a caption about Greek jobs being burnt. Comic art that draws on a growing anti-German feeling, as Greeks hit out at a country seen as pushing the austerity drive and deepening the recession.

"Germany has already tried twice to make Europe German," he says. "This time it's through economic means. We have to resist that. We have no bad feelings towards the German people - only towards the government and European banks."

The rift between the two countries has grown steadily; there is increasing resentment among Germans that they are largely footing the bill for the ever-growing Greek bailouts. German media have written about Greeks as lazy and unproductive.

Well, obviously my point of view is like many Germans. Greece should be grateful about the help which Germany is offering to them. I also understand that for the Greeks it's difficult to support the effort of all the saving-money laws, but I don't understand why they attack the country which is helping them more than any other. It's more, the arguments aren't currently, the cartoonist only has token this part of the history to make more trouble with his cartoon.

I don't think that any country would give a lot (and I really mean a lot..) of money to an other without imposing rules which had to be fulfilled. Moreover, Greeks can't expect money or help from other countries without changing their system.

TdR, my resarch project

The TdR is a research project which Catalan students do about one year. In first of batxillerat we chose the topic and the school give us a tutor. There must be a theoretical and a practical part.

After finished it, you also must make an oral presentation in front of three teachers.

My paper is a study of psychology and consumption, trying to explain how and why people buy what they buy.

I have researched how the purchase decisions work and which psychology factors have an influence on the customers.

Using different experiments it is shown that unconscious factors play an important role and can also change the perception of the taste of a product.

I hope this resarch paper helps readers reflect about their consumptions' habits and make purchasing decisions with greater critical awareness.

In the final mark I have reached a nine and I'm proud of it. However, this year the marks are very high (there are nearly twenty people between nine and ten!) and the teachers are happy with our results.

Gregorio, philosopher

At the last Friday before Christmas holidays we went to Figueres to an event called: Jornada de Filosofia. There comes students at the same age as us to talk about philosophies, particulary about the idea of progress. Some days before we also watched a movie which talked about this topic.

I must recognize: it was bored. I expected more from this day. We went there in the morning, divide us in different groups and begin to talk. Or we supposed to do. Nearly nobody said anything, I was lucky because I was in the same group with two friends of mine from Figueres.

Later there was a debate, then on student of each school read a self written text and all of them were very long and seemed more a history class like a philosophies text.

Finally there came Gregorio. Albert, our philosophies teacher introduce him and then Gregoria begun to talk and talk and talk and talk.

Sure, it was interesting, otherwise we had already talked a lot of hours about the same topic.

Some interesting points were when he talked about Epicurus, a famous philosopher which quotes has been discovered recently on a wall of a city which was constructed centuries late. Here is one of his quotes: He who is not satisfied with a little, is satisfied with nothing.

Another comparison, from Gregorio, which I remember was the similiarity from humans with Titanic. He said that the whole history is like the ship and their wisdom is like the part you can see from an iceberg. But the other, enormous part we don't see is all the knowledge and the progress we need to do still. This is a disturbing image from humanity, but maybe it's the right.

Christmas: Germany vs. Spain

Merry Christmas!

Some weeks ago I went to visit my grandmother in Germany. Since we have moved to Spain I had never returned being there on Christmas time. I was surprised, on the beginnings of December, the shops were full of Christmas decoration and everybody was shopping presents.

Here, in Spain, I didn't realise that in some weeks was Christmas. I was surprised to find out that on Saturday after finish school was Christmas!

I think that in Germany Christmas is too much. They begin in November selling Christmas products and for this reason people spend a lot of money to buy presents or decoration for their houses. Of course, it's nice to see nearly the whole village with Christmas lights, otherwise it isn't necessary. How my friend Mancilla would say: capitalism. And I agree with him. Of course I like to receive presents, but it isn't the most important on Christmas. Every year suggest myself that I would do anything interesting or meet my friends. And every year it's the same: I stay at home - without doing anything for nearly the whole first week of the holidays. That's my Christmas present: no stress for a while!

Well, now I'm saying all this, but I'm sure that in a few weeks I want to be in Girona or Barcelona shopping... At least, I wait until sold out after the sixth of January and not buy them before for the double price "only" to have a Christmas present.

A Chinese constructor company builds a building of 15 floors in two days

It's seems like science-fiction but it's reallity: a Chinease company builds an hotel with 15 floors in less than two days. Here you can see the video it's incredible! It's a new world Record.

That's show us how diferent cultures have different ways to do things. I remember the construction of the house wich is in front of our appartment: they need more than two years to built it...

Sure, maybe they haven't fulfilled all the security rules or the Chinease construction rules are diferent from the European. But I think the hotel is a good and secure construction. I'm sure that they will change some details in the rooms or review all what they have built before the hotel will be open.

Film: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Summary:

In 2005, Daisy, an elderly woman, is on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital. Daisy asks her daughter, Caroline, to read aloud from the diary of Benjamin Button.

In 1918, a boy is born with the appearance and physical maladies of a very elderly man. The baby's mother dies shortly after giving birth, and the father, Thomas Button, abandons the infant on the porch of a nursing home. Queenie and Mr. "Tizzy" Weathers, who work at the nursing home, find the baby, and Queenie decides to care for him as her own.

In 1930, 12-year-old Benjamin, having exchanged a wheelchair for crutches, befriends six-year-old Daisy, whose grandmother lives in the nursing home. As Benjamin's body grows younger, he accepts work on a tugboat. Benjamin also meets Thomas Button, who does not reveal that he is Benjamin's father. In 1936, Benjamin leaves New Orleans with the tugboat crew for a long-term work engagement.

In 1945, Benjamin returns to New Orleans, and learns that 21-year-old Daisy has become a successful ballet dancer. Benjamin again crosses paths with Thomas Button, who, terminally ill, reveals that he is Benjamin's father. Thomas wills Benjamin his possessions before he dies.

Daisy's dance career is ended in Paris in 1957, when she is hit by a taxi cab and breaks her leg. When Benjamin goes to see her, Daisy is amazed at his youthful appearance, but frustrated at her own injuries; she tells him to stay out of her life. In 1962, Daisy returns to New Orleans and reunites with Benjamin. Now of comparable physical age, they fall in love and move in together.

Daisy gives birth to a girl, Caroline in 1968. Benjamin, believing he cannot be a father figure to his daughter due to his reverse aging, sells his belongings, and leaves the proceeds to Daisy and Caroline. He travels the world alone during the 1970s.

Benjamin, appearing to be in his early twenties, returns to Daisy in 1980. Now re-married, Daisy introduces Benjamin to her husband and daughter as a family friend. Daisy then visits Benjamin at his hotel, where they share their passion for each other. Daisy admits that Benjamin was right to leave; she could not have coped otherwise. Benjamin departs again.

In 1991, Daisy receives a phone call from social workers. They have found Benjamin — now apparently about 12 years old — living in a condemned building, and have contacted her because they found her name in his diary. The bewildered social workers say that his condition resembles dementia. Daisy moves into the nursing home where Benjamin grew up and takes care of him as he becomes increasingly younger, until, physically an infant, he dies in Daisy's arms. Benjamin's story now told, Daisy dies in her New Orleans hospital bed, as Hurricane Katrina approaches.

The film was very long. I saw it last Sunday, together with my sister. At the beginning I didn't like it because it was the typically scene: an old women in a hospital. But I remember that I really wanted to see the film, so we continued watched it. After a half hour I began to like it, it's a complicate story and it makes you think about the world.

I mean, what would happened if the same thing passed to me? I think that the film is really good for that reason, it's a film where the most important things happen at the end and it is in the last minutes when you understand all the movie. I really like this kind of films.

Merkel and Erdogan about integration

"First Turkish or German?"


Erdogan's visit to the CeBIT computer fair in Hanover is not without controversy. Chancellor Angela Merkel has responded to comments made by Turkish Prime Minister about what language should I learn first the children of migrants.

"The integration of migrants of Turkish origin in Germany is a very important point for us. Erdogan will try this issue to balance, but more important is learning German "

Erdogan does not see it, quite the opposite. The Prime Minister recommends to the families of Turkish immigrants who teach their children first and then German. In Europe asks you to remove or soften its visa policy.

Integration is a sensitive issue in Germany since last year the director of the Bundesbank, Thilo Sarrazin, declared that the large influx of Muslims is destroying the German identity.

I have seen this topic at the news and I find it very actual. I think that the president of Turkey is not right. It isn't logical to tell all the Turkish people (in GERMANY!!) that the first have to learn Arab, but he also says that the integration is important. That is contradictory!

How can children and people integrate if they didn't know German? If they didn't want to learn the language of this country why did they come?

I think that the president has missed an important chance for the country. If he had said that people must integrate and learn Germany, nearly secure that a lot of immigrants would do it. He is an important person for them and for that reason it's very important his opinion.

I think that the director of the Bundesbank is right with his affirmation that they are changed and destroyed the German identity and culture. I see it specially now when I'm in Germany: for example, when I was in Frankfurt, nearly every second shop was from Turks and always the main titles were on Turkish. And there were also a lot of them at the street, also young people who should be at school were there.

In my opinion the most of them only come to charge money of the country. In Germany the people who hasn't a job gets money, and it hasn't a limit. In other words: you can live well all your life without doing anything. Of course there are exceptions and families who the parents work and the children goes to school or University, but the most of them doesn't do this.

In conclusion I think that the people who come from other countries should learn the language and use the chance for a better life and education.

Description of a person

Núria is a very friendly and understanding person. I have known her since primary school, we began to be friends in sixth of primary. We started to play football together and day after day we were better friends. Later, she started to come with “our” group of friends, also during breakfast time. When we reached high school, we separated because I discussed with some of the girls of our group and I began to spend more time with others, of my class. But, at second we were in the same class and we returned to be friends. At third and fourth we were closer, but it wasn’t until this year when we became more friends. I think it’s because now we are in the same class and we sit together.

Physically, she is very nice. She has got long brown hair, brown eyes and a little dark skin. She wears a nose piercing and I think it makes her cooler. She has got a small mouth and a little nose. She doesn’t like it, but I think that it’s sweet and characterizes her. At school she use to wear baggy clothes. She usually wears jeans and jumpers, sometimes she also wears tracksuit trousers.

Núria is always laughing about something. If I’m with her, nearly secure that in less than five minutes we are laughing. She is very funny, specially because she always had bad luck. For example, when she is writing in class, nearly the whole pencil case fall to the ground: first the pencil, than the pen, later the rubber… It’s very funny look to her! She also is very innocent and a lot of people made jokes with her.

Why Facebook wants your phone number

Some days ago I read an articel called: Why Facebook wants your phone number.

I thought about two questions:

Why does Facebook want your phone number and address?

And, is it in my interest to put this personal information to the network?

Let's start with the first question.

Facebook, doesn't want to call you to chat, or stop by your house for tea. So what's its motive for asking for these personal details?

The social network says this info helps app developers create programs and games and little social widgets that make Facebook more fun and useful.

Potential examples: A travel app could send you text messages if your flight is going to be late; a shopping app wouldn't have to ask you where to send a gift you bought -- it would just send it to your default Facebook address.

But I think that the real reason is that Facebook wants to be, like Google, a personalized center of the interne.


That sounds practically, but I think it isn't good to show to much personal information about you in the internet. Only with a name and the birthaday you can buy in intenet nearly everything, and the bill goes to the real name (in these case, not the real buyer).

Oral presentation

Transcription:

Our Presentation is about Jamaica, also called Land of Springs or "Land of Wood and Water" in the indigenous language.

That’s an introduction about the important facts. It’s an island situated in the Caribbean Sea, in the south are Cuba, and at west are Hispaniola. The capital is Kingston, it’s one of the largest cities. About the religion, Christianity is the largest religion about 24%. The official language is English and the population are nearly 3 million people. 91.% are black,

The govermanent is a Government Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth the second and in America it’s the thirth populous anglophone country.

Okay, this is the flag of Jamaica, with the colours green, yellow and black . And here you can see the island of Jamaica. This is the currency of Jamaica. It’s the dollar, the Jamaican dollar. And here you can see an hotel, the landscape.

And the music. Reggae is the most popular genre there. It was created in the 1990s. It is a mixture of reggae or with elements of other genres such as hip hop, R&B, jazz, rock 'n roll or indie rock and others. We found it interesting that the precursor of reggae was ska and was created in the 1950s.

Bob Marley is the idol of the reggae music . He is a singer and songwriter and you can hear some of his songs in the background. He was a vegetarian. He had got eleven children, and one of them singed now, he’s called Damian.

I’m going to talk about Jamaican sports. The most important sport is athletics. Jamaica has got the most important team in the world. Usian Bolt is the best on the Earth. He has the record of the 100 and 200 meters. When he was a child he began to play football on the street, but now he is the best in athletics.

In Jamaica athletic is important because school have an athletic programme in the curriculum and children begin to practise it very early.

Another sports in Jamaica are football and rugby. Football are practised in the streets and it’s also important. Here there are many photos . He is Usian Bolt. And here are the woman of Jamaica. He had won a medal of football I think.

Some curiosities about the island the Rastafari movement has 24,020 adherents. The principal idea from them is to legalize Cannabis.

And Ian Fleming, who is the autor of books and films of James Bond setting there, in the island, a lot of films.

The primary industries are agriculture, fishing because it’s an island , foresty and mining

There are also a lot of tourism because there comes a lot of people to see the beach, good weather and to see the Rastafarian ideology.

Okay, we found it interested that Jamaica has one of the highest murder rate in the world. There is a lot of violence and crime because If you want to buy a gun you can do it very easy. Specially in Kingston there are a lot of murders and crime. We found out that Jamaica attacks again gay people. For that Jamaica is called the most homophonic place on the earth. By the way, when we were doing our exposition on the computer a virus came. So Jamaica has attack us with the internet.

Here are some photos. Yes, there you can see that gays are very, not killed, but hated in Jamaica. And that’s the typical image.

There are a lot of crime, but don’t worry be happy! :)

Self- avaluation:

I think that Núria was better than me. I didn't have learnt it very well I didn't have time and so I improvise the most of the time. I also move often my hands and arms and I don't like it. While I'm doing the exposition I didn't notice that. I also forgot some phrases and I didn't say them, but there aren't very important. Maybe it was a little bit short, but for us it was long enough.

The good aspects were the music and the powerpoint. The music helped me a lot to be more relaxed and self-secure.

Formal letter

Av. Pompeu

Empuriabrava

03th January 2011

Head teacher

IES Castelló d’Empúries

Santa Clara Street

Castelló d’Empúries

Dear Mrs. Pintó,

I’m writing this letter to tell you my opinion about the high school.

I think there are some good aspects, but also a lot of negative aspects. I will begin with these last once’s.

I think that this school has too many rules. For example, some years ago the students from batxillerat could go home if there wasn’t a teacher. Why change this now? The same thing was with going to listen to the Christmas Concert. I think it wasn’t fair that we couldn’t go there.

Another thing that I have thought since I’m in this school: why aren’t there any mirrors in the toilets? I think that they aren’t very expensive and a lot of people would be much happier.

And the last thing: the computers. On the one hand, I agree that we must follow technology and that with computers and Internet there are many different ways to learn, and that’s good for the teachers and students.

But, on the other hand, I think that all this is too much. I don’t like that I must spend now a lot of time in front of the computer to do my homework ( essay, blogs, download my homework from internet pages…). And at school we shouldn’t forget the normal work: books, and not have PowerPoint’s in every class (looking at the screen all the time causes me headache…).

I’m interesting about your opinion of my letter.

Yours faithfully,

Lydia Penkert

Pollution

Pollution is a worldwide problem which does not respect national boundaries and is likely to intensify as the spread of industrial development continues. BBC News looks at some of the places around the world which are hardest hit by pollution.



When I read this new I was surprised that Spain where too on this map of pollution. Later there explian that there was the major oil spill, in 2002, who was polluted more than 3,000 km of coastline. The spill is estimated to have killed 300,000 seabirds, making it one of Europe's worst wildlife disasters. The economic cost of the accident to fishing and tourism has been put at about 5bilion euros.

I think that pollution is a worldwide problem and this map show it's perfectly. In nearly every continent (except Australia) there are pollution problems.

In my opinion we, the humans, are very destructive. Yesterday I saw a reportage of the evolution. One thing that I remember very clearly was a sentence from a scientific:

- The Neanderthals lived a long time and they mostly ate meat. But in all the history they never die-out any species of animals. The "modern human" lived a "short time" and has made that every day die-out two species. The question is: are we genetically destructive?

I think that he has right with his question: maybe we are automatically destructive. I don't like that humans think that they are the most important existence on the world. There are a lot of interesting plants and animals. We should learn more about the nature that would help us a lot to understand or to make our life more practical.

I took this photo (on the left) yesterday. That also shows that pollution affects everywhere that it isn't only on the jungle and on the news in television. It affect all the people around the world and we shouldn't ignore it.

Music

Music is an art from whose medium is sound.


That's the first sentences of the definition from Wikipedia, but I think it's more than that. I my opinion music has a lot of power.

I think it's incredible how can chance your mood when you listen to a song, or also make music yourself.

I find it great that with some songs I can cry. If I was a singer I think that's one of the most emotional sensations: knowing that you have received someone with the song, the rhythm, the music and the lyrics.

For me, songs are memories. There are nearly always a song who identifys your currently mood or situation. I also like to relate songs with people. Then, when I hear this song on the radio I remember this person or the special moment, the reason that I relate the song with them.

I like nearly all types of music, but specially pop-rock: the typical music from the radio. One thing I nearly ever do is search more songs from the artist, from this one song who is in the radio. I often find songs who never are in the radio, from the same artist, and they are great. Sometimes I search on American web pages and I look what they hear there. It has happened often to me that on this way I knew a song and two months later I hear it on the radio like "the new song!"- I find it funny!

I of course, I like to make and listen to music in direct. My only problem is that I can't sing (but I do it equally...), and for this reason I have learned to play the guitar. I can't play very well because I have taught it to myself, but for me it's enough. Sometimes, when I'm very stressed I begin to play and after all it's better.

Here are some links from my (currently) favourite songs:

Drift away - Uncle Kracker

F**K you - Cee Lo Green

Els amics de les arts

Raise your glass - P!nk

Time

These days my calender are always full. This week is the week of exams. Well, it isn't the week, it's the week when the exams begins. This is a big difference!
Yesterday I had the English exam and it was more difficult like ever before. The exams used to be, normal, not easy to do, but easy to understand and short. This exam was the opposite: it was long, difficult and the listening was difficult to understand. We will see what happens.
And today it was the same thing with Spanish: Yesterday, I have studied all the afternoon but when the teacher gave me the exam I was shocked: I didn't know nearly nothing! This was my first impression, but then I began to read all very careful and I began to do the exam. But it was also very long, I didn't have time to finish it.
And at last, the exam of biology from the whole first term! It's a exam from more than 120 pages!
And the next week physic and Catalan, in two weeks chemistry... it's horrible.

I'm trying to organize me well and I think the most of the time I reached it, but sometimes I'm too lazy to do anything. I think I can planing good my work, but if this doesn't work, my second option is a sentence who my father always say : we are better under pressure