20 facts about me.

1) I was born on a Tuesday.

2) My sign of the zodiac is Pisces, that is why I am very empathetic and sensitive.

3) My favourite number is 18 since childhood.

4)  I want to learn German and Russian.

5) When I become old, I want to be able to say that I have seen the whole world.

6) I overthink about almost everything.

7) My number one fear is losing the people I love.

8) I like to think that coincidences have a special meaning.

9) I have a good memory, for better or for worse.

10) I would like to design my own house one day.

11) I like horror movies but I cannot watch them alone.

12) If I could choose a super power, I would choose the ability to fly.

13) I have no tattoos but I have always wanted one.

14) My laugh is contagious.

15) I will never tire of watching The Lion King.

16) I want to go on safari in Kenya.

17) My personal motto is: ‘live like there's no tomorrow’.

18) Before I die I want to go to a Lana del Rey concert.

19) I love the smell of rain.

20) Before I reach the age of 20, I want to make one of my dreams come true: to swim with dolphins.

What makes you happy?

How would you reply to somebody asking you ‘What makes you happy?’ I have been asked many times if I was happy or how happy I was, however only one person has dared to ask me what makes me happy. To be honest, it took me a long time to answer since I had never thought of it before, but even so, I managed to answer properly. Do you want me to tell you what my reply was? All right, if you insist, I will do it. ‘For me, happiness is to achieve my purpose after being fighting for it for a long time, especially when nobody believed in me or trusted me; to be close to the person I am in love with as well as to share unforgettable and precious moments with him; to see my whole family gathered; to know that my sister will always be there for me and that she will support me unconditionally; to walk down the street and that an unknown person smiles at me or to get into the car and that my favourite song is playing on the radio. For me, happiness is that moment in which everything is absolutely fine and I feel that I do not need anything else because I have everything that I want. I wish happiness could be permanent, but I suppose that it was not meant to be gained and maintained so easily.’

Zoo animals deserve a better life.

Last weekend my family and I decided to go to Madrid (it may sound unbelievable but it was the first time I went there) since Monday and Tuesday were public holidays. Visiting a city as big as Madrid and managing to see almost everything you want to isn’t an easy task, however, we made it. For instance, we visited the Prado Museum; the Reina Sofía Museum; the Retiro Park, where I took a picture of the statue of the Fallen Angel; the Casa de Campo, which is five times bigger than New York's Central Park; as well as its zoo. I must confess that it was also the first time that I went to a zoo and I have no intention of going back there. It saddened me very much to see hundreds of animals living imprisoned, far away from their families and natural habitats. Those people who defend zoos assure that they are places destined to protect the animals which are in danger of extinction, but the truth is that in these sites there are also many species which, fortunately, are not endangered. Therefore, the main goal of zoos is to exhibit animals from all over the world, as if they were artworks. A visit to any zoo is enough to realize that the animals are stressed, unhappy and bored. I do not mean that the people in charge of looking after them do not do their work properly, I mean that these animals do not feel at ease due to the fact that they have been deprived of their liberty. They are living beings which, like us, have got feelings and therefore they suffer. I do not want to even imagine how awful it must be to live always into a cage. From my point of view, the best way of saving the poor species which are endangered is imposing financial penalties and putting the poachers in prison. Furthermore, I strongly believe that it would be better to create natural reserves in the zones where these animals live instead of zoos. In this way, they would be in their natural habitat and protected 24 hours a day at the same time. However, there are other animals, such as polar bears, which are endangered not only because of the hunting but also because of the global warming. In this case, I consider that it is appropriate that some specimens live in captivity so that the species do not become extinct. All in all, it is necessary to take measures to avoid that animals such as Sumatran elephants, polar bears, rhinos or Siberian tigers become extinct, since it would be a pity if within 30 years the only possible way of seeing these animals was through photographs.  

A letter to my future self.

Dear future me,

By the time you read this letter, I hope you stay the same. Always be proud of yourself and don't change for anyone. I hope you have learnt from your past mistakes and that not everyone will be there to pick you up when you fall. Never ever give up and be strong when things get tough. I hope you laugh every day and you make others smile. I also hope you are doing something that makes you want to get out of bed in the mornings. Did you finally go to Australia? I hope you have made most of your dreams come true, like visiting all the countries that you wanted to. Make millions of photographs although you are not a professional photographer because those memories will be some of the best ones of your life. I really hope you don't be afraid of anything, always remember that you can handle whatever comes your way. I hope you keep doing all the things that made you feel alive. I want you to live like there's no tomorrow and your heart to explode with joy.

Never stop exploring. Never stop loving. Never stop trying. Never stop dreaming.

But above all, I hope you laugh when you read this letter, sweetheart, because it will mean that you will have done all of this and more.

Love,

Me 

Punctuation marks.

1. The men in question (Harold Keene, Jim Peterson, and Gerald Greene) deserve awards.

2. Several countries participated in the airlift: Italy, Belgium, France, and Luxembourg.

3. ‘Only one course was open to us: surrender,’ said the ex-major, ‘and we did.’

4. Judge Carswell - later to be nominated for the Supreme Court - had ruled against civil rights.

5. In last week's New Yorker, one of my favourite magazines, I enjoyed reading Leland's article ‘How Not to Go Camping’.

6. ‘Yes,’ Jim said, ‘I'll be home by ten.’

7. There was only one thing to do - study till dawn.

8. Montaigne wrote the following: ‘A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself.’

9. The following are the primary colours: red, blue, and yellow.

10. Arriving on the 8:10 plane were Liz Brooks, my old roommate; her husband; and Tim, their son.

11. When the teacher commented that her spelling was poor, Lynn replied: ‘All the members of my family are poor spellers. Why not me?’

12. He used the phrase ‘you know’ so often that I finally said: ‘No, I don't know.’

13. The automobile dealer handled three makes of cars: Volkswagens, Porsches, and Mercedes Benz.

14. Though Phil said he would arrive on the 9:19 flight, he came instead on the 10:36 flight.

15. ‘Whoever thought,’ said Helen, ‘that Jack would be elected class president?’

16. In baseball, a ‘show boat’ is a man who shows off.

17. The minister quoted Isaiah 5:21 in last Sunday's sermon.

18. There was a very interesting article entitled ‘The New Rage for Folk Singing’ in last Sunday's New York Times newspaper.

19. ‘Whoever is elected secretary of the club - Ashley, or Chandra, or Aisha -must be prepared to do a great deal of work,’ said Jumita, the previous secretary.

20. Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859) caused a great controversy when it appeared.

21. We had a great time in France – the kids really enjoyed it.

22. Some people work best in the mornings; others do better in the evenings.

23. What are you doing next weekend?

24. Mother had to go into hospital: she had heart problems.

25. Did you understand why I was upset?

26. It is a fine idea; let us hope that it is going to work.

27. We will be arriving on Monday morning – at least I think so.

28. A textbook can be a ‘wall’ between teacher and class.

29. The girl’s father sat in a corner.

30. In the words of Murphy’s Law: ‘Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.’

The purpose of education.

What does education mean to you?  For me, education is much more than simply sitting in a classroom lecture or knowing what you can do and how you can do it. For me, it is the ability to grow and mature, that is why it is so important and necessary. Education gives us a chance to have personal achievement and professional development, and to contribute to the greater good of society. However, our educational system is a complete failure because it is badly designed and it is variable, since it changes depending on the party in government.

One reason the current educational system fails is because it is unable to maintain the students excited about their own learning. From primary school, children are taught to memorise, to study the same words which appear in the textbook. Other elements, such as creativity, are not valued. And at secondary school, especially in the latest courses, students are tired of studying, of devoting numerous hours to learn things which many of them are unnecessary and useless. They just memorise everything in order not to fail their exams.

The big problem that our educational system has is that it varies every four years, when the party in government changes. This method should be removed because it does any good. One solution to this problem would be that all politicians gathered and discussed about which system is better. They should also ask the students of all ages which system they prefer, since students are the ones who have to study.

Some proposals to improve the system are: a personalized teaching based on the needs of the student; to make the most of the taught classes so as not to do additional work at home, in this way, students will be happier because they will have free time; and fianlly, creating a system which achieves that students enjoy learning. This could be through experience and practice. However, it would be necessary that the government invests money in education instead of cutting back it.

All in all, education is something essential and vital in order to have a bright future and so that a country can be developed. Nevertheless, our educational system is not the appropriate and the people in charge of the government do not use the necessary means to improve it. They need to understand that to pass the exams is not learning.

                                                                                                                     

Christmas is coming.

My favourite time of the year is… undoubtedly Christmas. Are you wondering why? Although this question seems straightforward to answer, I do not know where to start, but I will try. I love Christmas so much for hundreds of thousands of reasons, and even though I would really like to let you know all of them, I cannot because it may take several hours. I can guess what you are thinking right now and you are wrong, I am not exaggerating at all. Well, I am digressing from what I wanted to talk about, aren’t I? As I was saying, I like Christmas because it is when I write my wish list for next year, I draw up a balance about what went well this year, what went wrong, and what needs to be improved, and I suggest several plans and activities to carry out during Christmas time, too. I love putting up the Christmas tree while there is a Christmas movie on the TV, decorating my entire house, listening to old Christmas songs and carols, as well as snuggling up with a blanket while I drink hot chocolate. I also love its atmosphere full of cheer, joy and happiness, and to see the city streets lighted and the shop windows decorated with coloured lights and Christmas trees. But what I love about Christmas above all is the fact that my whole family comes together, since I miss them, we laugh a lot and share great moments. To sum up, the end of the year is always exciting for me because I have endless things to do, but at the same time, it also saddens me to see it end. 

Description of a picture.

The picture shows a coastal area in which there are hundreds of old and brown rocks whose shapes are diverse, since there are hexagonal, circle and square rocks. But most of them are hexagonal. The image was probably taken on a British island, and that island is perhaps not really big. I think so because we can see a kind of cliff in the middle of the photo and there are many of them in Great Britain. This place might have got a temperature climate due to the influence of the sea, and its ancient rocks were maybe formed millions of years ago. I like the picture because its atmosphere is peaceful and relaxing. There, the only noise you can hear are the waves beating against the rocks, as we can see at the bottom on the left of the photo, or the seagulls. The predominant colours are obviously the brown, owing to the fact that rocks appear in the foreground, in the background and also in the middle, and the blue. The ocean, we can see it on the left and in the background of the image, is an intense blue colour, like sapphire, and this can be provoked by the sunlight, although there are some fluffy white clouds in the blue sky. From my point of view, it is a great place to rest, to reflect and to forget about the problems.  

Marriage.

My oldest cousin is looking forward to getting married because she is very much in love and wants to spend her entire life with her partner. However, I consider that marriage is a nonsense and a mistake for several reasons. First of all, love is a passionate affection between two people, therefore it is a two way thing, so it is completely unnecessary that a third person, in other words, the priest, blesses and makes official a union. Secondly, to sign a paper is not going to change your feelings for that person, neither to the better nor to the worse. And thirdly, although you are married, it does not necessarily mean that you two will stay together forever, since there are love stories which are destined to end. What would happen with you then if the person you love so much leaves you because things do not work anymore? The answer to this is quite clear. You would feel empty, you would be torn apart inside and the worst part is that you will be linked to him or her due to marriage. You could of course get divorced but divorce is a long and expensive process which brings a lot of problems and fights most of the time. All in all, be careful with marriage because it could turn the ring you give away or your partner gives you away into the chain which will asphyxiate you the rest of your life.

Stop terrorism.

Unfortunately, once again we have witnessed that the world does not progress over the years and that the human race can be very inhuman. I am referring to terrorist attacks happened last week in Beirut, Paris and Syria, not to one in particular, because I do not give preference to none of them. We define ourselves as the only species that is able to reason, but we are also the only one that destroys everything in its path, even itself. Personally, I strongly believe that many people have no feelings. It is a merciless and repugnant act to calculate coldly the precise hour in which a bomb will explode in order to cause as many deaths as possible. Is it too much to ask that the world wakes up being better tomorrow? If John Lennon came back to life and realised his song “Imagine” was no use, he would not be able to believe his eyes. All in all, the world needs more good-hearted people and any type of weapon.

Space debris.

Have you ever thought about what you would do if you found an unknown object in the place where you live? This situation happened a few days ago in a town of Murcia called Calasparra. It was the owner of the piece of land where that object fell down who called the Civil Guard to report the incident. They took the object away in order to analyse it and they put immediately the zone under quarantine, since there were endless speculations about what this black ball might be but none of them had been verified.

According to independent researchers and the Civil Guard, the mysterious black orb may be a pressurised gas container which came from outer space, a fuel tank from a rocket, debris from a satellite that broke apart or a part of a space station. These suppositions seem to be the most accurate ones due to its size and look, since these objects are made of a strong material which can survive the reentry into the earth and remain intact. And according to the locals, this object could be a UFO “fallen from heaven”, however this hypothesis is rejected because there is no evidence of aliens.

It is also worth mentioning that similar objects have been found in other areas of the world, such as in Australia and Brazil, owing to the fact that there are thousands upon thousands of space debris which surround the planet.

In conclusion, although there are several hypotheses, the black ball is surely a space debris due to the vast amount which exists. Nevertheless, this fact is not comforting since space debris is a really serious problem whose solution is clearly difficult to implement.

"Those Green Eyes"

Today I feel inspired, that is why I have written the poem which I would really like that someone writes me. I am going to share it with all of you, I hope you enjoy reading it!

Those deep green eyes

are stuck in my mind

all day and night.

Are you a dream?

because your eyes are

too hypnotic to be real.

I’m not sure if they are

an emerald forest that

I would like to explore,

or a vast ocean full of

treasures like you.

All I know is that

those irresistible green eyes

are the place where I want to stay

all my entire life.

Thesis statement / outline.

I.       In order to talk about yourself in a comprehensive and simple way, it is necessary to take into account three issues: your physical appearance, your personality and the places where you have lived.

II.          My physical appearance.

A.   My face.

1.   Long, straight and light brown hair.

2.   Big green eyes.

3.   Shaped, arched eyebrows.

4.   Long dark eyelashes.

5.   Small ears.

6.   Small straight nose with freckles.

7.   Small mouth with thin lips.

B.   My body.

1.   1.70 metres in height.

2.   Slim.

3.   I’m not a strong or muscular person.

4.   I have not got tattoos.

5.   I have got a small scar on my left hand.

III.         My personality.

A.   Positive aspects.

1.   Kind.

2.   Loving.

3.   Understanding.

4.   Amusing.

B.    Negative aspects.

1.   Oversensitive.

2.   Mistrustful.

3.   Very shy.

4.   Stubborn.

IV.             Places where I have lived.

A.   Childhood.

1.   Alicante (1997-2000)

2.   Orihuela (2000-2009)

B.    Adolescence.

1.   Murcia.

V.  Talking about yourself is one of the most embarrassing conversations which exists, since sometimes you are not sure what to say or how to start, however once you have done this, you realise who you really are. Despite all my negative characteristics, I'm very pleased with myself and my life.

Could it have been worse?

The other day I was watching the photo album and I relived the moments I spent with my family when we went to London. It was a really curious journey since, although it was a short trip, just 6 days, several problems happened to us there.

First of all, the enterprise which I contracted to pick us up at the airport and to take us to the hotel, it informed me that, just the night before my family and I arrived in London, it was no longer able to pick us up. Nevertheless, we managed to arrive at the hotel. We were very upset not only because they hadn’t picked us up but also because the hotel was expensive and it looked like a run-down hotel. 

The second day, while we were going sightseeing around the city, my sister and I got sunburnt all parts of our body which were naked, in other words, legs and arms. I would also like to highlight that it was an extremely tiring journey for me due to the sunburn. Furthermore, that same day, we got to the top of the London Eye, from where we enjoyed terrific views of the city and its surroundings. While we were descending from it, we realised that someone had stolen my mother’s phone.

The remaining days were not outstanding, at least as far as I remember. However, the day we came back home there was a stormy weather, therefore we had to buy jackets and umbrellas. Moreover, I had an argument with an old lady who was sitting in my assigned seat owing to the fact that she preferred the window seat. To top it all, the flight was delayed by an air traffic control strike.

All in all, despite all drawbacks, it is a journey that deserves to be told and to be known by everyone. I will definitely go to London again because I fell in love with it from the moment I landed.

If I were the jackpot winner...

Today is the first time I have bought a lottery ticket and I have the feeling that I’m going to win. It may sound crazy but I am a very intuitive person, therefore there are many possibilities that it happens. If I were the jackpot winner, I would buy the house of my dreams and if it didn’t exist, I would build it; I would pay my family’s debts and buy them huge houses and brand name cars so that they live as kings; I would travel with my parents and sister to far away and exotic places and I would stay there for a while, in this way, I would be able to think about what to do with all the money I won. If I were working, I would leave my job so as not to receive orders from my boss anymore. I would also buy the most beautiful jewels and the most luxurious and expensive clothes which exist. Perhaps I may travel into space, since it is an experience that makes you unique in the world. Furthermore, I may buy an island, it would be my own paradise. Finally, I would donate some money to the people of my country who have lost their homes because it is a pity that these kinds of things happen.

Man on the edge.

This is the story of a man who wanted to commit suicide by jumping out of a hotel window due to the fact that his wife had had an affair with a married man and was going to leave him. Besides this problem, he also had financial problems and at work. While he was standing on the ledge, he could only think that there was no possible solution to his difficulties. He was hurt so badly that all he wanted was that the pain ended, that the pain went away. Despite the fact that police officers tried to convince him not to jump into the void, he did not come to his senses. When he was willing to jump off the building, a woman who stayed at the hotel looked out of the window. As she was a psychologist, she wanted to talk to him and to help him. The woman made him understand that he had parents and siblings who would suffer his loss. Furthermore, she made him understand that problems do not last forever because everything comes to an end. However, suicide is forever, once it is done there is no turning back. After that moving conversation, the man no longer wanted to commit suicide since he had come to two conclusions thanks to her: he had discovered that the fear of living with pain was less than the fear of hurting his family, and that he was able to face all his problems because what he was going through was temporary. At that moment, he realised he had something worth living for.

I’m grateful for…

Today I have woken up wanting to give thanks for all things that I have. As there are many things in my life I’m grateful for, I will summarise. First of all, I’m really grateful for my family. My sister, mother and father are the most important people for me. I don’t know what I would do without them, they are essential in my life and a great support. I’m grateful for my friends. They know me perfectly and they always have been through thick and thin with me. I am lucky because there are few people who you can really call your friends. I’m also grateful for little things that make a big difference in my life. I owe a lot to my couple because he is always there when I need him, no matter what time of day or night it is. In addition, when I’m sad he knows how to make me smile. Another thing I’m grateful for is the food, especially the food which my grandmother cooks. Finally, I’m grateful for all the good times I have shared with the people I love. Those memories will remain with me forever.

Problem / solution paragraph.

Global warming represents a serious problem by which life’s balance on Earth could be adversely affected. The severe consequences of global warming are already perceived as a whole, therefore winters which are increasingly mild, the absence of snow in areas where it always has snowed and the extreme heat in summer of recent years, all of them are effects of global warming. Furthermore, it also provokes forest fires, which are increasingly common, droughts, and the irreversible destruction of ecosystems, although the most problematic consequence may be the melting of polar ice caps, since if the sea level rises, many coastal zones will be flooded.

There are several solutions to this problem, being one of them to promote a green conscience from childhood. If the risks of climate change are taught in schools, everybody will be aware of them and will be able to help stop it. A second answer is to adopt effective measures, such as to impose financial sanctions against the most pollutant countries, and if they continue contaminating excessively, they will also be punished politically. A final answer is to reduce the use of fossil fuels. We will achieve this goal if we walk or ride a bike instead of driving. Although to stop this phenomenon is a difficult task, it does not impede that each one does what he or she can.

Personally, I consider that the measures suggested by Beatriz Beltrán are the most appropriate and necessary ones to stop or to reduce the damages which this phenomenon, the global warming, causes in the planet and in all living beings. Moreover, I believe that everybody should cooperate on this issue because any help is not only welcomed but also demanded.

Children and mobile phones shouldn’t be friends.

When I took my First communion, guests gave me money, clothes and a camera. Now, they give children, who are only 8 years old, mobile phones.

There isn’t any doubt about that cell phones are a great way to keep in touch anytime and anywhere, but parents should wonder if their child is old enough to have one. Actually, there is not a specific age to have a phone, but it should be when they are studying at secondary school, since they are supposed to go very often and it is normal that parents want to locate them from time to time and know how they are.

The use of mobile phones by children is spreading like wildfire, they seem to be their new babysitter. However, these devices are not good for them. They cause lack of sleep since if the child has the phone with him or her at bedtime, what do you think will happen? Will the child go to sleep or will stay up late? Being realistic, the last option seems to be the correct one or at least, the most likely option. An excessive use of new technologies can also contribute to the decrease of the concentration. Another great problem is that they cause addiction. 

To sum up, parents should reduce the use of cell phones once and for all. The childhood is one of the most beautiful periods of our entire life and it should be remembered by spending time playing with friends and favourite toys.