YOUR-SAY

PERSONALITY OR PHYSICAL ATTRACTION?

When you meet someone for the first time, there are some things that you notice about them, like the way they dress, their body, their face's beauty, their hair, height… Basically, their appearance. It’s the first thing that we see in the first time, even before they say a word. It’s normal because, of course, we don’t see a person and know at the moment how their personality is; they don’t have a piece of paper stuck in their head that says how their personality is. So, we only see their physical appearance and we don’t know anything about their personality. In that point, some people ask: should we focus on the physical appearance over their personality? Or vice versa?

We are living in a society where someone’s appearance it’s very important. Also, our idea of beauty may be a bit unconsciously marked by the media: Internet, television, magazines… Although we all have an own opinion of beauty, the most of the people have quite the same idea, which is the one that says the media. For example, the prototype of the perfect women nowadays is slim, tall but with boobs and butt (called the 90-60-60). Of course, not for every men and women this is the perfection, but that’s what the media tells us. Also, we took as an example the celebrities; a lot of celebrities are recognized as being “the most beautiful people in the world”. For example, people like Angelia Jolie, Brad Pitt, Emma Watson… We have also lists that rank the celebrities based only on their looks. Because the appearance is the most important thing, right? That’s what they try to say to us. Well, I guess people have a tendency to be very superficial.

Talking about love, when you are searching for your “soul mate”, a good personality should definitely be at the top of your list. Of course you would like to have a partner that you are physically attracted to. Who wouldn’t want that? But you shouldn’t be in a relationship with somebody only because of their look. Remember that the outside beauty doesn’t last forever; the inner beauty does (well, yes, a person’s personality can change through the years but, normally, we have an own personality, and it doesn’t change that much as time passes). For example, let’s suppose that you marry a very handsome man or a beautiful woman but not intelligent at all. Yes, you have a hot partner at home, but you can’t hold an intelligent conversation with him. How cool, right?

In my opinion, I think that both of them are important. That people who say that only the personality matters… Well, I’m not totally agreeing with them. I think that, although having a good personality (or a personality that you find cool) it’s such an important thing, so is feeling attracted to your partner. Although, I have to recognize that there are people in the world that can be in love with a person only because of his or her personality. But, normally, for the most of the people, it’s necessary both of things. Also, there are people who are in a relationship with somebody only because “he/she is hot”. For me, this isn’t true love, it’s just physical attraction. And yes, you can have fun with them if they want you too, but I think that it isn’t good to start a relationship without feelings. So, as I said before, for me, both of them are important: you have to like that person in all ways; you have to love him or her inside and outside.

But now, let’s be honest. We have all been guilty of focusing on a person’s physical attributes. It’s a natural thing; it’s the first thing that we see in a person. Then, if you meet that person, you start knowing their character and personality. But there is something that I always ask myself: if you don’t like a person’s appearance, would you consider to give them a chance? As I said before, humans have a tendency to be superficial, so I think this is a good question to ask to yourself.

NEWS

TERRORIST ATTACKS IN PARIS

A state of emergency has been declared across France after attacks in Paris that killed at least 128 people. Also, 200 people were injured, 90 of them seriously. Eight assailants had died, seven of them had killed themselves with explosive belts at various locations and one had been shot dead by police. President François Holland said was an "act of war" organized by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

France was on high alert for attacks because of a video that the ISIL group released on Saturday saying that they would attack France if France continued bombing of its fighters in the Middle East. They literally said “As long as you keep bombing you will not live in peace. You will even fear travelling to the market".

Yesterday, at night, the attacks began. The deadliest attack was on the Bataclan, a popular concert hall where group Eagles of Death Metal was performing. Four gunmen armed with explosive belts killed at least 80 young people who were attending to a rock concert at the Bataclan music hall. Luckily, dozens of survivors were rescued and the attackers were killed at the site. About 40 more people were killed in five other attacks in the Paris region. 14 of them were killed while they were at the restaurant Le Petit Cambodge by a gunman who opened fire with a Kalashnikov. There were five more locations in close proximity where shootings took place around the same time and killed more people, like bars or restaurants.

One of them happened near the Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis, where the France-Germany friendly soccer match was being played. The President Hollande and the German foreign minister were watching it when the attacks occurred. The explosions were audible on television during the live broadcast. Police helicopters circled the stadium and Holland left to the interior ministry to deal with the situation. The match continued until the end, but people found out what was going on in the streets of Paris. At the end of the match, everyone got on the pitch for security reasons. 

This morning, France has woken up with security all across the capital, with about 1500 soldiers deployed in Paris. Also, all public transportation services have been cancelled. Residents in Paris were asked to stay indoors for precaution.

Barack Obama (USA), David Cameron (GB) and Angela Merkel (Germany) were all very shocked by the events in Paris and offered France their help. The leaders of other countries also gave their condolences for the French people in general. Also, the people around the world has sent support and their condolences to France and the French people using hashtags like #prayforparis, #jesuisparis and others through social media.

PERSONAL OPINION:

What happened in Paris was a terrible thing. It died a lot of innocent people. I just wanted to say that maybe we are giving a lot of attention to France because it’s “an important country” because these type of things (terrorist attacks) happens EVERYDAY around the world, specially in Syria. Also, in the same week that happened the terrorist attacks in France, it happened the same type of attacks in Beirut and in other countries. But France captured all the attention. All lives mean the same, have the same value; or it is better a French person that any other? The skin color or the religion didn’t make us different (or less important).

With this, I don’t want to say that what happened in Paris it’s not important. Of course it is! And it was a horrible thing. I just want to say that we are very hypocrite if we thing that what happened in France it’s more important than what happens to the other countries around the world that we consider “inferior” than us. A life is a life. And all lifes are equal.


 NEW WORDS:

- Gunman: persona armada
- Manhunt: cacera / recerca 
- Flank: flanquejar (estar al costat o rodejar a una persona o objecte)


Link: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/reports-shooting-restaurant-central-paris-151113211237312.html

YOUR-SAY

MAN ON THE MOON

John Lewis's Christmas' Advert is now a typical thing for this time of the year. I personally love these ads because they’re always very deep, sentitive and always make me cry.

This year wasn’t different. The story is about one little girl who, one night, looking through her telescope at the moon, she finds an old man living there. She’s amazed, and she keeps watching him, but she can notice that the man is feeling alone and isn’t happy, so she wants to help him. She tries to send him a message in several ways, but she can’t do it. Then, on Christmas night, she manages to send a telescope to the man in the moon with balloons. The man smiles when he notices that someone cares about him, and he’s even happier when she can finally see the little girl in her house watching him and waving at him.

Personally, I liked very much, even made my cry! The part I liked the most was the end, when the man and the girl finally can see each other and both smile (and even we can see the man crying). But the most important and beautiful thing of the ad is the message that is sending to us: not to forget the people who are alone in Christmas (specially the old people) and make them feel wanted and that someone cares about them. It makes me think about how isolated many elderly people are all year round and especially at Christmas.

Like always, there were people who criticized the ad (it’s normal, we all can express our opinion about something). Most of the reviews said that the ad has got no logical sense. They said that, if this was real, the man couldn’t breathe, or the girl couldn’t send him the message and other things. But, I say, why this ad has to be logical? It’s an ad, it can be illogical, magical or whatever it wants. Also, it’s a CHRISTMAS ad, and Christmas, among other things, represents magic, so it doesn’t have to be strange if a Christmas ad is magical or illogical. Another thing is that the previous John Lewis ads weren’t logical (for example, the one which 2 snowmen fall in love), and the people didn’t criticized that (or didn’t criticized that much).

Another thing that people say is that this ad is telling us to buy presents to solve the problem of solitude. About that, I think they’re missing the point. This advert is telling us that it’s the little things and acts of kindness that have the power to make the most difference in society. Just checking up on your elderly neighbour, speak to them, inviting them to Christmas Dinner… These things mean more than any amount of money ever could. It’s not about buying things; it’s about caring for the people that they think no one is caring about them.

So, in summary, I’ve loved this ad and the message that is sending to us: “Show someone they’re loved this Christmas”.

VIDEO:

link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuz2ILq4UeA

FAIRY TALE

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

YOUR-SAY

LIVE THE MOMENT OR HAVE A MEMORY?

Last week, the American newspaper “The Boston Globe” published a photo of the photographer John Banding. In that photo you can see a group of people behind a fence photographing and recording with their smartphones the actors that were presenting the movie “Black Mass”. Then, you can also see a grown woman in the first line watching the same thing not through her mobile phone, but through her eyes.

A lot of people gave their opinion about it, showing their different points of view but, a part from that, I want to show you my own opinion.

First of all, I think it’s obvious that we’re so addicted to the mobile phone, the technology, the social networks… And we know it. We became so addicted, that if our mobile phone runs out of battery it’s such a big deal. A big, big deal. Or, if simply we forget our phones at home, we start “missing the phone”, especially when everyone starts using it and you can’t, so you start feeling strange and weird, out of place.

It’s like we depend on our phone. No, I think it’s better to say that the phone became a part of us. He follows everywhere you go, like your shadow. The difference is that your shadow stops following you in the dark; the phone doesn’t. And if one day you don’t bring your mobile phone with you, somebody else will do, and maybe you will end up playing games on your friend’s phone of both of you watching videos through it. It’s like a course. Also, the mobile phone is method of salvation. I mean, for example, if you are waiting for somebody, and you don’t know what to do, you take your phone and you start checking anything, even if it’s not important, just to not feel like a lonely person. Or, another example, if you are in the bus, you do the same thing I said before. Talking about that last thing, call me a freak but I saw a lot of films when the main characters met or fall in love in the bus, or in the underground, or even in the street waiting for something or someone. They just look each other and… love. But now, we can’t do this. We are always watching our phones; we don’t look at each other. We don’t look at strangers anymore. We don’t watch the birds flying in the sky as we walk. We just head down and watch our phones. A screen. 

Of course I know that NOT EVERYONE is like this. But I’m talking for the most of the people (especially the teenagers and the young people) who do this.

So, talking about the photo, I think it shows what our generation is like nowadays. As I said before, we’re always using our smartphones. A lot of people criticized that these people in the photo are not enjoying the moment as much as the elder woman, and I’m totally agree with them. Clearly, if you are recording something you have to be attending to the phone, making sure you’re recording it well and all these things. So, you’re not enjoying the moment as much as the other people (that aren’t using their cameras or phones) do. For example, I play the guitar, so three or four times a year I do concerts. My mother always wants to recorder it, to have a memory, but every time she ends up just recording a part of it, because she says that she wants to enjoy the concert and the music, and if she is recording, she can’t enjoy as much. And she feels the difference between recording, or just enjoying of the moment.

Well, recording or taking photos of the moment have good parts too: you have a memory for the rest of your life (unless you lose the photo or the video), and you can show this to anyone you want.

With this, you have the sensation of having been there, right? I mean, it’s normal, you have been there. But, if you think about it, and let’s suppose that you where recording all the time, it’s like you haven’t been there. Well, I really don’t know how to say that. I mean, when you were recording, you were watching it through your phone, so you technically never have seen it in your own eyes, just through a video. Because even the moment you were watching it for the first time, you were doing it through your phone. Yes, I know this is quite confusing, but I hope you understand me.

Basically, recording videos or making photos has advantages and disadvantages, but, in the end, do you think it’s worth it recording it, but not enjoying the moment? In my opinion, I think that nothing is worth than enjoying the moment and living the moment (quite hipster, right?). You only have the opportunity to see what you’re seeing once, so we have to just enjoy. Although I recognize that it’s cool to have a memory of a cool thing for forever. Obviously, I have a lot of photos or videos of different moments of my life that I love and I’m happy that I have them.

So, in the end, I think that we have to do both things: enjoy the moment and make photos and record things. Just a bit of all, because each thing has advantages and disadvantages. We don’t have to bring it to the extreme like some people do.

I know I haven’t talked much about the photo in particular, but the photo was just a thing to introduce what I wanted to talk about.

I let you a video that shows our addiction to the phone that I've found very interesting "I forgot my phone"

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINa46HeWg8

FESTIVAL

ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a festival of hot air ballons. The Festival basically consists of a lot of hot air balloons (it has arround 750 ballons) filling the sky. It's the largest hot air balloon festival in the world and approximately 100.000 spectators watch it every year.

In the festival, there are also special events or things: the Special Shape Rodeo (there are different types of balloons, like one in the shape of a cow or a baby), the Balloon Glows (it takes place at night, and all the balloons shine), the Fiesta Challenge (a game where balloonists attempt to drop a marker closest to a target), the America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race (where special long-distance gas balloons are inflated and then launched.The winner of the race is the balloon that travels the farthest), the Fight of the Nations Mass Ascension (where balloonists from each nation launch, one at a time, to their national anthem and waving their nation's flag)...

Where does it takes place? It takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA). In a big field where the people can relax and have a great time looking at the beautiful sky full of baloons.

When? Every year, during the early October and it's quite long: it lasts nine days!

Why? This festival started in 1972, because of the 50th birthday celebration for a Radio in New Mexico (770 KOB Radio). The manager of the Radio asked Sid Cutter (the first man to own a hot air ballon in New Mexico) if they could use his balloon as part of the festivities. He agreed, but then they wanted to have as much hot air balloons as they could, so they tried it. In the end, 13 balloons attented to the party and 20.000 people went to the celebration. In fact, they also did a competition of hot air balloons in the celebration (it was like a race).
The next year, the Fiesta became and international event because of the competition. They saw that the race was a good idea, so they decided to do the first World Hot Air Balloon Championship. Then, the next year, they did it again, and again, and again... until now (they are still doing it).

Video

REBEL SONG

SAME LOVE - MACKLEMORE

As a rebel song, I've chosen Same Love by Macklemore and Mary Lambert. I have chosen it because it's a song that criticizes the society and talks about the issue of gay and lesbian rights.

It was the third single from their 2012 debut studio album, The Heist. The song was adopted as an anthem by supporters of legalizing same-sex marriage. Macklemore explained that the song also came out of his own frustration with hip-hop's positions on homosexuality. He said: "Misogyny and homophobia are the two acceptable means of oppression in hip hop culture. It's 2012. There needs to be some accountability. I think that as a society we're evolving and I think that hip hop has always been a representation of what's going on in the world right now".

I actually love this song and what it represents. It's a calm song and the rhythm is perfect.