Bridge of Spies

Based on true events, this is a film that take places in the 60s in USA and Rusia in the midst of the Cold War. It was marked by the fear of a nuclear attack and role by spies from the both side. There are a lot of films or books that talks about the manoeuvres and risks that spies have to do to make their job, but there are few films that talks about what happened when Americans discover a Russian spy or  inside out. 

It's during this period when American agents arrested a Russian spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance). He has to be tried and the lawyer specialized in insurance James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is conscript by the CIA. The idea was that Abel had a trial, but the sentence was ruled before the trial take place. Even so James Donovan  takes seriously his charge and he defends Abel. This makes that everybody go against James Donovan including his family and the CIA. Donovan strongly believes in his principles as a lawyer and as a human and he got that Abel is not condemned to the electric chair. 

At the same time, Americans also spied Russians. They had built special planes able to fly and take pics from the long distances without been discovered. But the pilot Francis Powers is hit by a missile when he fly over Soviet territory. The pilot Powers is caught as a Russian prisoner. 

The Americans has the fear that the pilot reveal information to the Russians and the same happened with the Russians to Abel. In this point is when the fact that Abel still alive is important to make a swap between countries. For this difficult task, James Donovan is chosen to undertake intensive negotiations between the two parties. What is more, the negotiation takes place in the difficult city of Berlin  while the famous wall that separated the city was being built. The situation can't be more difficult but James Donovan accepts in order to do the right and defends his principles.  

This film doesn't want to tell us who was the good in the war or who made the worst thing, the only thing it wants to tell us is a story that take places and probably nobody knows. This is the reality of an ordinary man who had to fight against unusual, danger and difficult situations to stand up for what he believe and for what he thought was fair. 

After the Second World War born the idea of rights and the idea that every human has to be treated in the same way, no matter where he comes, who is him or what he thinks. These ideas are very present in the way to do of the lawyer James Donovan. When all these principles started to have sense started the Cold War where there was the threat of another war even stronger with nuclear weapons. 

Personally, I think it's a great film with amazing characters. When I saw the main character role in by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg as a director I was glad to see the film and it hasn't let me down. Only one advice, if you think you are going to watch an action movie you are the wrong principally because the Cold War was very different to those we were used to. It doesn't be a war of action, but a diplomatic war were the players were the spies and the information and not the armament.

Star Wars: The Force Awake

Now I'm going to talk about one film that probably the majority have already seen because it's the box-office draw film in cinema history and also because the las day before Christmas we went to see it. I'm talking about Star Wars and his last chapter The Force Awakes. This last chapter is the continuation of the 6th episode (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi), and I say that because one curiosity about Star Wars saga is their order.

The last episode takes place over thirty years after the fall of Galactic Empire. Luke Skywalker has disappeared, but there is a map that leads to him. There is still war in the galaxy and has appeared a new Republic but it's weak and there are forces opposed that wants to control the Galaxy too. From the dark side has born a warrior (Kylor Ren) obsessed with ending with the Jedi warriors. Kylor Ren leads the First Order, the continuation of the Darth Vader legacy. With this wake of the force, the last option is the android BB-8 who keeps the key piece to rebuilding the map leading to Luke Skywalker. The mission is to bring this piece of the map to the Resistance, Poe Dameron is the pilot sent by Princess Leia for the mission, but he will need the help of the soldier Fin and Rey, a young scrap merchant from Jakku planet. This adventure takes them to meet with old heroes from the Resistance like Han Solo and Chewbacca. Now, the first objective of the Resistance is destroying the Kylor Ren plans who wants to conquer the Galaxy and find the Jedi Master. 

The Force Awakes is the first part of the new trilogy of Star Wars. I think that everybody can see that film and enjoy it but if you also know all the story you enjoy twice. Wich has made many people is start to see all the films again to "remember" the plot. It's true that in this new film appeared new characters, but one of the things that I really liked is that the ancient legendary characters appear and seems to say: you are never to old to watch Star Wars! Maybe the new ones are created for the new generation of this saga. 

In general the new film has had good reviews from the public, it means that the film is liked by the former followers and for the new ones it is a film with a lot of action, fights and incredible scenes. 

Oral presentation

This is the first oral presentation of the course. This year I have decided to do with my sister again because is easy to work with she although we disagree in some things...Anyway, at the end we do what I want (is a joke). 

Well, this time the presentation is about British Humour! We chose this topic because we (both and not only me) like the kind of humour that is ironic and we love sarcasm. British humour, in addition, is also a clever humour so we love theme. 

As a self-evaluation, I think that the thing we have to improve more is our pronunciation. 

This is the video of the presentation, I hope you enjoy!

Dorian Grey

This book was written in the Victorian times, it means that it was written years ago in a completely different society. In the time when the story takes place women didn't lay an important role in the society: they were considered housekeepers and caretakers, they couldn't have a work and they were submissive to a man.

Now, this situation has changed and has improved a lot. Now the women are in the same level than man but sometimes it is only something ethical because men are having more "facilities" in the society. In job scope, men are earning more than women for doing the same kind of job, or men are having best positions than women for the reason that they are men. We only have to look to the politic world where most governments are made up mostly of men.

And there are a lot of countries that things haven't changed yet. For example in more countries in Africa or Asia, women continue been less than man even in front of the law. It's also a consequence of the religion of the countries that doesn't allow the women do a lot of things and treats him different than men. In places where religion has already a big importance in the society is where women are less free and they have different right than men.

Disney stories

When we were little we all used to see Disney films and we considered those the best of the world with fantastic stories and amazing and amusing characters that we also used to consider our idols and heroes. Now we have grown up we realize that all the stories of Disney seem to be "not suitable for minor" because of the reality that hide behind them. It means that there are a lot of "secret" messages that we don't realize when we where younger, but now we can understand. After knowing these facts, you can't see Disney films, in the same way, you used to see when you where little.

One of the moments of Toy Story is when  Buzz Lightyear realize what he really is. He discovers that everything he knows about the world is a lie, all his memories are fake and all his convictions wrong. He isn't the hero he used to think, he only is an automaton made form metal and plastic and he only exist to amuse his creators.

Toy Story is considerate one of the best films of Pixar. It's considerate as a classic and it has a huge exit when it was released 20 years ago. But the radical element of the film is the theme of disillusionment. The real thesis of the film is that you are not special, you are another one like everybody else and you are not acceptable and useful if you try don't do the task for what you have been created.

But is not only Toy Story. There are a lot of topics that are treated in Disney films. During all the Disney films, there have been always someone who has been excluded because he is different. For example the famous elephant Dumbo (the same who gets drunk when he always is a child). Another theme that tries to treat Disney in their films is that the beauty doesn't matter and the appearance is not important. But at the same time, all the princes are extremely beautiful and all the villans are ugly. The beauty Snow white and the horrible wich who try to kill him or in the Beauty and the Beast happiness can only get when the beats become human. The importance of the social class is also related with all the films and more of the films given the view that money and power are guaranteed success.

I've taken all this from Internet and I can add a lot more example how Disney have damaged childhoods. Really, I feel it is a big foolish like a lot more you can find on The internet. I also have to say that I'm a fan of Disney films because I have grown up watching them (and I think I'm not corrupted and I'm very normal). Now there is the point of view that children have to be educated from the "legality", I mean, they can't see the things that are bad and they can see the things that go wrong. One one side it's normal and I also agree with that because children have to be educated consideration their age and what can they understand the world. But by the other side I think that there is too much protection.
If someone decide that their children can't watch Disney films because they have wrong messages I will think that it's a big mistake. Disney films are amazing and all the children must love theme. And what is more, if these wrong messages are true, maybe, they can help to the children to enter the real world.

Guns With History

In America is very common among people to have firearms like guns. It makes people feel safer but what studies show is that it actually increases the risk of injury and death. 
States United to Prevent Gun Violence tries to educate and prevent people who want to get a firearm. For this they have made a social experiment that they called "the unthinkable". It consists in opening a real "gun store" on Manhattan where gun buyers will be recording with hidden cameras. 

To created a drama they put disturbing tags on each weapon indicating wich models were used in particular mass shootings, unintentional shootings, homicides and suicides. The buyers listen to the stories behind each gun model and they realise how harmful a firearm can be and the end up thinking that to have a firearm in their houses is fewer saves at leats. 

The recorded video want to inform people of the potential risks and unpredictable outcomes of the arms and make them think twice the fact of buying a gun. 
The facts are very clear, in the USA died every year a lot of people because of the possibility of having firearms. It can be an accident or can be deliberately, but the damage is the same in both cases. 
A gun is a very dangerous thing that can take away the life of someone. In addition it's very difficult to control, I mean, it can be shooting by accident in any moment and by anyone. 
When you listening to the stories that are related on the video is when you realize the power that a firearm have. 

I think that if in one country you only can feel safe when you take a gun in your bag, there is a big problem there. Societies were build to keep people safety. People should feel safe everywhere, they don't have to think that can be killed in the middle of the street because then they are living with fear and it's not a god live. 

News

The Disturbing Effect Our Beauty Standards Have on Women Across the World

The Illusionists is a documentary made by the filmmaker Elena Rossini to explore the ideals of beauty in the occidental countries. Elena Rossini has been travelling around eight countries throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia over the course of seven years.

"We're losing bodies as fast as we're losing languages," says the British psychotherapist Susie Orbach in the documentary. Others experts have also commented the documentary and they criticise how the ideals of beauty are affecting all kind of people: "Actually, man-made Western beauty ideals have spread to the rest of the world through globalization and are now being upheld as models even in places like India and Japan".

The Western ideals of beauty are penetrated in all the cultures of the world and they are causing several health problems. For example, the eating disorders to achieve the "ideal" thin body are increasing and not only is the USA but in other parts of the world.Rossini has created this documentary because he sees the  body dissatisfaction like an epidemic that has appeared in different cultures.

Japan is one example of this globalization of the Western ideals f beauty that has affected their society. Japanese women are under incredible pressure to have an ideal body. Japanese culture has always had distinct standards of beauty like curvy figures that were associated with positive values like wealth and fertility.But since the decade of the 1980s the Japanese women are trying to copy the body of Western. As a consequence, currently about 30% of the women in their 20s are underweight.

The fact of the globalization and the power that have the American media has exported their ideas of beauty to the rest of the world. Japanese people, for example, see in the magazines the bodies of the models that are thin, with long legs and they also want to be like them.

Another country that is affected for the Wester world is Libano, which is the country with the most plastic surgery procedures. In this country, the ideals of Western countries are related to being rich. People see the famous characters and the money they earn and associate the fact to be like them with have money. It's also in this way because not everybody can afford the surgery. But in Libano to be like Western models are not only a equated to wealth but with happiness. People in this countries think that been like Western people is important for their career or have good friends.

But this increasing interest to become "perfect" has been noticed in the number of cases of eating disorders. The number of cases has increased in the last years and they are affecting young people each time. In India, girls are fighting to have the image that has never been considered like "beauty" in their country.

How to fight against this change of the image is a question that a lot of professionals are trying to answer. Most of theme think that the key is in the individuals, if all the women should look at the mirror and if they liked what they saw, then we would have to remodel the capitalism form. We can finish with this system of oppression and manipulation, we only have to realize that everybody is different and it is not an imperfection.

                                 

The happy secret to better work

This is a TED talk about positivity psychology. Shawn Achor starts explain us a story that I'm sure that meany of us has lived it  if we have brothers. After the older brother make something wrong or he hurts the small he always try to fix the situation in their favour, it means that mum and dad will don't know what had happened. Well, this is what he called positive psychology.

Then Shawn Achor show us  graphic where there are some points that are mistakes, they are out f the average and, for this reason, I can delate them, they are ruining my results.  We always tray to just all what we do to the average that it means to the normal level. And if you can't fit in it means that you have a problem or you are depressed (or both). But what Shaw Achor is trying to do with the positivity psychologist is forget the averages and ask ourselves: why there are people who are above of the average intellectual, athletic capacities or any talent? And instead of deleted the unusual person, Achor decide to study it because maybe we can get how to raise the average of the others.

When we look at something, the way we look at the world is what transforms our reality, so it means that if we can change this way to look at the things, we can change the degree of happiness for example. Only the 10% of our happiness comes from the outside world, the 90% of it comes from ourselves and the way we process the outside things. In the same way, only the 25% of the success can be predicted by the outside and the 75% comes from our positivity, enthusiasm and the social support.

In last times, the more common idea of success was: "If I work harder, I will have more success, if I have the success I will be happy". But this is scientifically wrong: when you achieve one objective it change and you have to achieve another better to be happy. If the happiness comes after he success, it will never arrive. It proves that anybody works better when he is happy. If you increase the levels of positivity the brain works better. We have to learn to change the form and start to create a positive ambient to achieve our goals.

I agree with Shaw Achor when he considered that work in a positivity ambient can improve your work and your job is better. But I also think that the fact to achieve a goal doesn't mean that you can achieve the happiness because you want more and more. Without obsessing, I think it's important that when you achieve one of your objectives you go to achieve another one on improving the one you have already got. You have to continue moving all the time. It doesn't mean that you also have to have time to enjoy what you have got and appreciate the effort that has led you to get, but then I think it's ok to try to improve it.

The Martian

The Martian is the last film of Ridley Scott, the famous cinema director and creator of other amazing films like Prometheus, gladiator, Alien or Blade Runner. 

I went to the cinema to watch The Martian and I enjoyed it. I like films about space like the latest Gravity or Interstellar that I also enjoy them. I think if I have to choose between those three films I will choose The Marian in the first place. 

The Martian is a science fiction film and it's based in the novel written by Andy Weird that is also called The Martian.

                                                

The film starts with a spatial mission in Mart where some astronauts from the NASA have installed a spaceport and are researching the conditions of the planet, their composition and things like that. During this mission, there is a strong storm in the planet that force them to have to give up the mission and return to the Earth. The storm caught them and while they are trying to return to their spacecraft they have an accident and they lost one of the members of the team. The rest have to leave him in Mart and they have to start the journey to the Earth without him because they think that he must die. 

The storm passes and the astronaut that is supposed to be died is not, he is alive and he is alone in Mart. 

At first, they spend a few days without knowing what exactly he have to do, he is alone, in another planet and the worst thing: nobody knows that he is alive. 

The surviving refuse to give up and died and he thinks that there are two things he has to do: first of all, he have to notice to the Earth that he is alive, and the second one, he has to solve the problem of the food and water. 

For the second problem, he comes up with and a clever plan, he will tray to grow potatoes in Mart. To get it he has to create the great conditions for the potatoes and it means to create a space with ground and water. 

While he is trying to raise potatoes, he has to solve the first problem. For that he also has some clever ideas and he have to make up a kind of vocabulary to notice to the Earth that he is in Mart. 

Finally, he can communicate with the NASA and from the Erth they started a campaign to try to save him. NASA plays against the clock and in addition to "diplomatic" issues the NASA has to fight against the physic laws that spoiled his attempted of salvation. 

Now I should say what happened at the end, but I think I have said so much about the film and I prefer you to discover if the lost astronaut may be saved or not. 

When you see a film like The Martian, one of the things that you think is that maybe a little bit boring to see a lonely men in Mart and the film can turn repetitive and the same all the time. But I have great news is that this is not so! One of the reason of that is because the astronaut that it's forgotten in Mart is none other than Matt Damon! He is a "sarcastic" astronaut and he takes a little lightly the fact stay on Mars and he makes the film funnier.

How equal are you?

I have found an application in the BBC's internet pages that measure the level of equality there are in differents countries. They measure if the women can participate fully in the social life and enjoy the education or health services in the same way than men. You only have to type the name of any country arrow the world and then the programmes shows you how much disequality is this country and the role of the women in compared with men. The results are pulled out from the World Economic Forum (WEF) so I think it means that they are true. At the bottom of the page, they also explained to us how this institution has made the calculus.

Well, I have entertained myself trying to compare some countries:

The first country I've looked at has been ours. The predictions started with this sentence: "Your country is among the most gender equal in the world. It ranks 25/145" that it sounds quite well. In Spains for every 100€ that a man earn, a woman earns 91€. All we know that it may not be so because there is no reason why the fact of being women supposes to earn less than men. What I have found more astonish is that in comparison with other top equality countries, Spain is the one where there is a less difference between the salaries. For example, in Iceland, that is the top of the ranking, for every 100€ a man earns, a woman earns 86€, or in the United States, for every 100$ a man earns a woman earns 82. 

Your country is among the most gender equal in the world. It ranks 25/145

Another of the statistics that are shown in the program is the proportion between the number of university graduates that are men and the number that are women. What I have found surprising is this case is that in the majority of countries, there is more women graduate than men. Even in one of the worst countries that is Siria the number of women graduates are bigger that the number of men. In Spain, this percentage is about 68% of women graduate, in the UK is 57% and in Siria is 56%. 

Then we have the proportion of women and men looking for work and what is surprising this time is that there are always more men looking for work than women apart from some Africa countries like Malawi, Mozambique or Rwanda. In Spain the average is quite the same: 82% are women and the 87% are men. 

The next topic is about the number of senior officials, managers and legislators that they are female. What happened in this time is that in all countries men are those who occupy these positions apart from Colombia and the Philippines. The numbers are very different between "top countries" and the countries that there are in the bottom of the ranking. For example, in Spain women covering 31% of these jobs and in Siria only the 9%.

Something similar happens with the share of government ministers that are women. In all countries the number of men is always above the number of women. Maybe if they let women have the power things would go much better... In Spain the percentage of women in the government minister are 31%, in the UK is the 23%, in Iceland are the 37% and in Siria is only the 6%. 

Calculations said that if the rate of change continues in this way, we only can get equal society between men and man before 2133, to which, there is still too much time...

If the current rate of change continues, the economic gap between men and women will not close before

2133

El desconocido

Well, many weeks ago I could see the Spanish movie "El desconocido" in cinemas and I really enjoyed it.

El desconocido is a fil directed by the Spanish director Dani de la Torre and in the cast we can find well-known actors like Luis Tosar as the main character, Javier Gutierrez or Goya Toledo. It's based on a real fact and that they have made up a story to portray the case.

Carlos works in a bank as a director, it means that he is responsable of the customs accounts, he manage their money and he also is the person who negotiated whit them to improve their conditions or to offer them a new investment fund. With all this power, Carlos has misled their costumers and he has participated in the corruption of their bank to get money for himself illegally.

A current morning, while he is carrying his daughter ans his son to school he receive a call in a phone that doesn't belong to him. It's a man that explains Carlos that they have a bomb  in the car. If they try to move and they stand up from the sitting it will explode.

At first Carlos doesn't care about this and he think it's a joke but the man who are talking with him know a lot of things about their life and Carlos start to considerate that it can be true. The man at the other side of the phone ask for a huge amount of money, concretely all the money that Carlos has, and he only have some hours.

Carlos doesn't let his children in the school and they started to note that something doesn't work well.

The film continues and the situation is going worse. Carlos try to get all the money and "the unknowing" is trying to keep all behind control.

All goes bad because the time is already out and the police have begun to intervene because they can't let that one car with a bomb  driving around the city. 

But before that, Carlos has tried to get the money and for that he has started again to deceive their customers. 

Carlos can meet the man who has planned all. He explains to Carlos the reason that made him do all that: the bank where Carlos works has made him lose everything and he also lost his wife, she committed suicide. "The unknowing" want revenge and he also want all the money that Carlos and the bank have stolen to him. 

At the end of the film, Carlos see that policeman can't really help him because although his children are already saved and the principal bomb is deactivated, there is another bomb in the car and the countdown is managed by the "unknown". Carlos decide to solve the problem for himself and he escapes from the police and he drives to the port, one place where the bomb can explode without hurting too many people. 

(Now I should tell you who the story ends but I don't like to do "spoiler" so I think it's better you see it).

El Desconocido is recorded in Galicia and the film takes place always in the same scene: inside of the Carlos car. It's there where all the action takes places, where Carlos and his children live this terrifying moment. The film has spectacular scenes when police chase Carlos bombs car for all the city. Then, the fact that the film is all recorded inside of the car make that the viewers can live the moments of anxiety and stress like the characters. 

I think something important is how you see the characters, I mean, you can see Carlos like the victim of the case and the "unknowing" like the mother***** but if you think it, the unknowing is the real victim of all! 

And I have more to say, if you see the film, at the end (yes, the end I haven't told you) you will see who is paying for all. And I say no more because I don't want to reveal the end. 

I liked this film because it's based in a real case of corruption of the banks and then they have created a very entertaining story. There are many ways to address the issue, and I think in the future there will be a lot of films that talks about this big problem in our country, but of all of them, this seems very good. Another reason I liked this film is because is a Spanish movie and I like the actors who act in it. I like to watch how Spanish films are getting better and they can remove the topic that says that Spanish cinema is bad or that it only can do humour films. 

How americans really view aging.

Getting elder can become a problem. You don't look like you used to, your hair turn grey and start to appear wrinkles in your skin. Your face change and it seems that your body is not the same.

All this change that comes like a process of the life and it's the most natural thing we have but some of us doesn't want to accept the real change of their bodies. Because of that, in the last years have been increasing the big industry of the Botox and the plastic surgery that can bring us the face we like to have instead of the old and wrinkled one. With plastic surgery we also can "improve" the parts of our body we don't like or we don't accept.

But it seems to be something that comes more with women that with man: he 56% of the women are worried about their physique against the 34% of men. For this reason, women are more likely to try anti-aging products and again the women are more prone o considered anti-aging injections or plastic surgery. 

The more expensive procedures are the chin enlargement, the neck liposuction and upper eyelid lift that are between 3000 and 4000 dollars. 

But is not only what people think about their own changes but about what others thinks about people appearance. When we see the men with gray hair we use to use to grade him like "distinguished". But by the other way, when we see women with grey hair we use to see her like "old women". 

There is something that both sex agree with: sex improve with age. 

I think that all this is part of the new society who is always looking for beauty and appearance in people instead of other kinds of virtues like intelligence or culture. But I think that the plastic surgery has to improve a lot to achieve the real results they want to sell, I mean, all the people who have tried to change themselves by surgery or botox has to end up worst that they look at first. And then, when people look at you, instead of recognising your hide of age marks they continue criticizing because you are not "natural" or because you have pay to much attention to social standards of beauty. 

Both if you try to "improve" yourself or if you don't you will be criticized by the others, so I think it's better to be judged for being myself that be judged for trying to be other that also looks worst. 

Is humour necessary?

Humour is one communication ability that humans have and maybe it's the most special one. Humour has tha capacity to change things, tha capacity to give them a new meaning. In addition, another thing that makes humour something special is that everything can be subject of humoru, In this way, how necessary is humour in our life? Has humour any red-line?

Humour has more uses that the topic one of make us spend a good time (which is very important, too). It can be used in different situations and it can hide more than one meaning. For these reason, there are a lot of kinfds of humour and each one has different sense. But it is not only the joke we make but the amount os elements there are arrown the joke that provide it with a specific sense. The person who tells teh joke, the situation in which is told, the place where it takes place, the way it's said or the people who recive it are an important part of the message and loads of connotations.

It means that humour has an important role when we wnat to express something and it can make the things easier and less serious. This is important in some situations in our life and humour helps us to front them posituvely.

Another importantthing about humour is that humour approach us to people, that is, humour is a sociable tool taht can make that people connect better and click with others.

Finally, it's prover that humour boosts our immune system so we can't get sick and make us feel better while triggering our serotonine hormone system which is also known as the "hapiness hormone".

In conclusion, humour has to have an opening in our day a day, but it means that all can be subject of fun? I don't think so. The fact that humour is necessary doesn't allows us to make fut of everything mainly because in most cases humour it's also seen like "offensive". If we laugh of trivial things, the offensive meaning doesn't have a big deal because we all have sense of humour which makes us to accept the joke. But if we make fun of more significant things (not only for us but for anyone) the offensive meaning can make that the joke become an attack.

Obviously the freedom of expression is something irrevocable and complety necessary in any democratic and significant society. But then, there are other kind of "rules" (that make that the freedom of expression works) that are not written anywhere: the civic rules These ones comes from the respect, the consideration to others and the affection, see things from another's perspective.

So althouhg our freedom allows us to say what we think, we have "limits" impossed by ourselves from the respect and looking for the social well-being. In life, there are also serious things. 

News

The quest to conquer the other North Pole

A British team is planning to sett of a trip to conquer the center of the Arctic Ocean where there is a Pole that hasn’t been walked on yet. Artic Pole is the point that it’s further from any speck of land. This trip means more than 1000Km trough an unforgiving place in the most remote location. 

Next year’s expedition will be the third attempt of Jim McNeill’s. The other two times he can’t complete his plans due to a heavy storm the first time and because of an infection he gets at the second time.

The story said that was in 1950 when the Pole was reheard for the first time by a Soviet Expedition. This Expedition builds a hut there and they also put a bust of Lenin. When in 2007 the station was revisited the bust was the only thing visible in the snow. 

A lot of explorers have thought that they have been in the Artic Pole: first the Australian polar explorer Hubert Wilkins in 1927 and then the British Wally Herbert after 5900Km by feet over the Arctic Ocean in the 60s, but was McNeill who first thinks that the coordinates were wrong and effectivity they were.  A Scientific group, using their satellites, could prove that the real “Northern Pole of Inaccessibility” was 214Km away from the old point. 

In 2013 were announced the new coordinates so it means that, at the moment, nobody has arrived at the “real Pole” yet. 

The Pole can be reached by trekking across the ice that covers the ocean. The temperature in this part of the world can be -50C in winter and from October to March is completely dark. But even so McNeill has planned his third trip. It will take theme about 80 days and they will measuring the ice to help to compile information about who is the ice breaking up. 

The climate change is changing the Pole quickly. In few years, the Inaccessible point could be reached easily because of the boats could sail more Km inside the ice. This fact makes the expedition harder and dangerous. McNeill and his team will be starting the journey this winter and they hope to can be cross the ice before it starts to melt. 

Well, it seems an amazing expedition through the Pole and I really look up to theme but if they offered me to go very likely I would say no. Of course going to the Pole may be an amazing thing but these kinds of expeditions are one of the hardest! 

I find amusing and surprising the fact that, at the moment, nobody has arrived at the Pole yet! On the one hand, we have all those who follow some bad coordinates. The amusing fact is that they think they were in a good place. I also think that the Russians who carry with the bust of Lenin to the Pole were so much convinced about what they were doing… and there remains it!

But when you read that there still are a place in the world where humans have never been before…is astonish. Nowadays we are exploring new planets or new galaxies that they are billions light years from here and there still places in our own world where we have never been before. And now I’m not referring only to this part of the Pole but, for example, to the deep ocean. 

But finally it seems that we could cross off one more place on our list of places to conquer.

Luna27

The return of humans to the Moon

European and Russian space agencies are preparing a new space mission to come back to the mood. They want to explore the Moon’s south pole and search water and raw materials to make fuel there and, if is possible, settle down permanently. The mission is called Luna27 and is set to carry out in five years.

According to Prof Igor Mitrofanov, of the Space Research Institute in Moscow, the 21st century will be the permanent outpost of human civilization. Mitrofanov says that all the countries have to work together, not as the 60s and 70s when the first world powers competed for the “special race”.

In this way, one of the first intentions of the new head of the European Space Agency was to create an international group of work to build the mission.

The initial mission will be robotic. Luna27 will land in the darkness part of the Moon which is one of the coldest parts of the solar system. There can be icy water or chemical substance that the sun hit has not damage. Scientific think the South pole of the Moon is a completely different environment with an extreme cold and, for this reason, you could find water-ice and the chemistry which is in the surface.

Scientifics from the mission also think that the fact of building a permanent human presence in the Moon surfaces will have a lot of benefits: for astronomical observations, the use of minerals and other resources from the Moon or as a starting point for the future flight to Mars.

Nowadays there are already partners who are developing a new type of landing system able to decide for itself which area is safe of not for the landing. Europe is also proving the drill which should go down and collect all kind of materials and substances. And a miniaturized laboratory will be provided for the searching of the key ingredients with which oxygen, fuel and water could be made.

This sentence summarizes the importance of this mission for the scientifics and the humanity: "This whole series of missions feels like the beginning of the return to the Moon, but it is also starting something new in terms of overall exploration of the Solar System,"

#LikeAGirl

Do we limit girls and tell them what they should or shouldn’t be? Do we box them into expected roles? The answer to these two questions should be: of course NO!

But I’m sorry because we know that the real answer is Yes, we do. Some days ago I was watching a documental about Advertising Awards. It was about the best advertisement during the year and they were all very witty and funny (publicity can be ok sometimes). Well, the fact is hat during the documental I see one of those advertisements that make you think about. It was made by Always a kind of organisation which defends women. This is the idea of Always: We want all girls to live life to its fullest potential and we’re right here to back all of you. I think this is a great organization which fights against “the delay” there are now a day in all societies. Is true that in some countries this fight have had results but we still have much more work to improve many things and there are countries where these fights only have begun. 

Anyway, the advertisement answers the first two questions. In there we can see how different people, of different ages and races, make a casting. First people are asked about the social limits that girls have in our society. Then the casting director tells them to do different activities but they have to do “like a girl”. For example, the director tells them to run like a girl. 

The results are shocking: 72% of the girls feel society limits again them! And what is more, the words “Like a girl” should have a negative meaning whatever you use it. 

When Always realize of the results is when they decided to start a social experiment called #LikeAGirl to increase the confidence changing the meaning “Like a girl” from an insult to a compliment. The campaign is encouraging all girls to break social limitations. 

I think it is one of those campaign that are worth and everybody should know about it. It is another step to approach to equality. The thing is this one are trying to change the things from the start, I mean, trying to change think in all girls that are who should fight in a future against all the “restrictions” the society puts on them by the simple fact that they are girls. 

E-mail

Hi, Sonia! 

I’m Berta Mateos, yes, which look like Andrea, but we are twins so it’s fair. I know (because it is typical) that you probably are going to confuse us and you are going to change our names, but no problem, other teachers also do it and they don’t have us in the same class, or what’s worse, they only have one of us in their class. 

This is the first time we coincide in the same class, so now, I will proceed to introduce a little myself: I live in Sant Pere Pescador. This will be my sixth year in Castelló d’Empúries high school and I’m coursing scientific batxillerat. I play football in a female team and we really do it great, now we are playing in the top league of Catalonia. I also like read and I really enjoy cinema! 

Well, one time the presentations are done and now we know each one better (I mean, you know me better), I will try to answer our principal question which is the interest of this e-mail: “What’s my dream?”

I think this is a very open question and I considered it difficult to answer. It is supposed that each teenager should have a dream because he’s young and he still should have expectative and some hope in the world, but I prefer don’t say I have a dream because I also want to fulfill it. So we can call them “plans”, between cometes because they don't exactly plan like go to the cinema, with an hour and a location in the time and space. “Plans” don’t have a special moment to be done and it is what I like it: for example they are less stressing than homework. But it doesn’t mean that you mustn’t work hard to get them, just the opposite, you must follow them, work always for them and find the time they need to they can become real. 

It is important because your “plans” build the kind of person you are: your mentality in front of all, your decisions with your priorities, the kind of person you are… because, you know, where there is a will, there is a way, and if you want something you are going to act according to achieve it. 

With this little clarification I would like to change the question, can I? My new suggestion is: “What do you want to do?”. Yes, I think it is more appropriate to the last “definition”. 

Ok, back to what got us here, there are a lot of things I like to do. For example, I really want to travel the world and my idea is do it. One of the things I really like more is discovering. Yes, discover. Discover new things, places, experiences, people, knowledge… whatever. 

I think if I have to choose one “plan” for my life, it would be “know how much I can”. 

The fact of try to achieve this plan involves, at the same time, to have to achieve “little plans” that lead me to achieve the principal one. For example: go to one concert of Vetusta Morla, see the enormous glacial and the highest volcanoes, meet some of my favorite actress, actors or writers, look at the polar lights or visit both the north pole and the longest dessert… and step by step this drives me to conquer my plan.

Another of my favorite “plans” is to write a book. This is something I really like to do because I enjoy to write and I also enjoy read so it sounds very good. 

Of course, I work to conquer my “plan(s)” and I also know that it just the beginning. So let’s go!

Bye teacher, see you in the next class!!:)

My joke

Last class we spend a little time telling jokes. This is what I said! (Please laught!)

The key to succes? GRIT

Angela Lee Duckworth tells us what the real key to success is. How has she discovered it?

She leaves his “successful” job as a consulting to become a math teacher in New York public schools. It was when she realizes that the IQ isn’t what marks the difference between his “best students” and those who struggled. Then is when she decided to become a sociologist and she started to study people, adults and children. Lee Duckworth and his team were able to predict with a surprising precision what children will be able to success in a spelling competition, what children will have more probabilities to graduate independently of his means, what employer could success in an important company or what teacher will be teaching at the end of the course in the schools from he worst neighbourhoods in the city.

All those different kind of success have something in common, and it is not the ability to learn faster or the ability to do it easily. This only works in school to difference better students from others who don’t have this facility. It means, that the fact of succeeding is not necessary related with our “brain capacity” how we usual think. In education the only thing we can calculate the best is the IQ of our children, but what happens when the success, in the school and in the life, depend on other things? And of course, it does. The real predictor of success doesn't relate with the IQ, the good look or the health, but with the grit. 

Grit is in our life and for that is also in our schools and can determinate which children is going to give up. For Lee Duckworth grit is having resistance, having cling to our future day in day out and work very hard to do this future real. We don’t know how the grit can be developed or how grit can be found and keep. The only thing we know is that talent isn't gritted. 

Everyone would have the key to success and everyone would like there was a potion with which achieve success. Many would be ok if only exist a pill with which they could improve their marks, pull more or earn more money.  What I mean is that everybody wants to success in their life but want it with the least effort. 

I think Lee Duckworth was very wise when she think that the real key to success is not the IQ, and she could see it quickly in their students. A lot of times, in the school, for example, we related that someone have good marks because he is very clever. A lot of times I have listening someone who excuse himself saying “oh, is not my foul, my head is not to avail” or something similar happened when they said that someone have better marks because of “he has more facilities and is easier”. I’m not going to refuse that is true the fact that someone could have more facilities to learn something than others. But what I don’t like is people who saying that are “despising” the amount of effort that there is behind someone who has better results than him.

Who excuse himself saying he doesn’t have “that facility” what is really saying is he doesn’t have the persistence and he doesn’t put the effort needed, or what Lee Duckworth call the grit. 

But grit is not only necessary in the school, grit is necessary for the whole of our lives: in the sports, in our job, in our relations… all need time to be done and what we considered more important for us is where we have to spend more time and effort with it. 

I know I’m only 17 and I don’t have enough experiences to give lessons, but if I have noticed something in all that time is that when you effort in something and you work hard for something is when it really works and when you really have the better results. I think that this idea is what Lee Duckworth called the theory about the growing mentality which says that the capacity of learning isn't fixed, it change according to the effort. Something similar happens with the rest of things; the result of something is closely related with the effort you made to get it. 

In conclusion, the key to success is something that all of us have in our hands and use it means that we are willing to accept both our failures and triumphs and consider their as a consequence because of the effort we have made and not as excuse to restrict our obligations or possibilities. 

Lookin Back

Well, we have arrived at the end of the term and it is time to look back and see everything we have been through and the things we have learned. 

When you are learning a new language, it is important to see how you have improved, because it is something that you get better while the time. It is not an easy task but thanks the block we should have done during the course and also during the last year we can see easily how this improvement is. 

When I look back to the first post I wrote in my blog I see a big difference between them and the ones that I do now. Apart from a change in how they are I also see a change in the structure of the blog, I mean, in how I do now the post or the topics I chose to talk. As well I have noticed an improvement when I write, for example, now I found easier to write in English and I need use dictionaries less. 

So I think it is thanks to the practice that has helped me to improve my level of English. 

In our blog we have to do different activities, we have to summarize news, or do reviews from books or films and make your-says, it is express your opinion and talk about one topic you like and find interesting. My favorite activities are the reviews and the your-says. I like them because I can choose the topics I prefer and then say what I think about. I also like do reviews because I enjoy watch films and then talk about them and also say my opinion. 

Then I think these activities are the best to improve your level of English because you try to explain something with your own words and with your own point of view and I think this is a good way to get fluency. And at the same time give your opinion it’s important as a way to express what you think and a way to learn how express ideas and yourself better. 

At the other side, there is the news. It is the part I hate the most for two reasons: the first is I find very difficult to search for a new which interest me. The majority talk about the business world or something like that. The other reason is that I don’t like very much make summaries. But anyway read in English is also a good way to learn the language and to get new vocabulary. 

A part of doing our blog, during the course, we also have to do oral presentations in front of all the class about different topics. We organize for groups and we have to develop one topic. This forces us to investigate about something new, learn new words, improve our pronunciation and talk in front a group of people. 

Then there is the grammar book which we work during the course. It is to learn how the grammar works and how speak well, but I think that it goes no further. To learn to use well the grammar structures, you should practice talking and not doing exercises about fill the gaps.  

This year, at the end of the term, we have started a new “project” that it has never done. We are trying to collect money for Nepal and we have thought to do a charitable concert. All we participate in it doing different tasks and organizing it. I think it is a very good work to end the school year which everybody can enjoy it and, what is more, we are doing it for a good cause.

To finish I would like to wish a good summer for everyone and I hope to see you next year! Bye-bye Batxillerat, I’ll see you next course!