A brief summary of 2015

Since only a few days left to finish December and thereby end 2015, I will make a summary of the most important moments and the ones that left me marks, both positively and negatively, throughout the year.
First, I must say it was a good year, full of good times, in which occurred many beautiful things in my life, I managed to achieve difficult goals that I thought I would never reach, met cool new people, and also lived great moments I will always remember.

I'll start talking about the academic goals that I reached. First, this was a very hard and difficult year, since I was in 2nd year of Bachillerato, and it was a very difficult course, I had many decays, occasionally gave me depression and anxiety, because  this course aims to give a endless amount of material in a very short time, then teachers push us away with very frequent exams, not enough time to study and perform all tasks . However, after much suffering and much mourn, I managed to finish in May with very good grades.
After this achievement and even tired of the course that just ended, the university entrance examination needed to be done, which got through succesfull, even without having studied enough. I got a grade of 11'15 over 14, of which I am very proud of. Immediately after I was able to choose a career according to my grade and take enrollment in the University. Finally, I managed to get into English Studies, Faculty of Letters "La Merced" in Murcia.
Finally, after being all year going to an academy that prepared me to acquire the title B2 English at the University of Cambridge, I got approve !! Passing this test was very exciting and important to me, and I felt very proud to get a degree that can qualify my level of English both in Spain and abroad.

On the other hand, they have not been all good news and achievements this year, as they have also been a number of tragedies around the world that have impacted me a lot and made it more difficult to concentrate on studies. First, the very beginning of the year (January 7) started the terrorist attacks in France against Charlie Hebdo magazine that appalled the world, bringing fear to the country and the rest of the West.
A couple of months later, a brutal and shocking tragedy left the world breathless. 9525 flight of German airline "Germanwings" ended with a terrible and tragic end: the plane crashed into the French Alps shortly after takeoff, on the spot died 144 passengers. It was later discovered that it was caused by the copilot which made the tragedy more than a horror story. No doubt ... this news, to me personally, let me totally destroyed, I did not know any of the passengers, but for the simple fact of thinking that could have happened to anyone, including my family, my surrounding and even to me, seeing me in such a situation, it frightened me, I was horrified. And thinking about there might be people in the world with such thoughts of evil, cruelty and immorality, gave me more helplessness and sadness. I was quite concerned after the accident.
And finally, perhaps the most notable event of the year is the recent terrorist attacks of November 13 in Paris. The terrible shooting left 137 dead people. This news upset the whole world spreading panic and terror everywhere.

Despite all the bad news, this year has been very important to me. Besides all academic achievements, it has been a year full of beautiful moments with family and friends, I have met many new people and I've started a new phase of my life. Therefore, the year 2015 closes with  many memories, and I hope to continue achieving in the 2016 goals and to start new challenges and dreams.

Christmas time is already here

And another year, Christmas has finally come to our homes. Tonight thousands of families around the world gather for the same reason, to celebrate Christmas Eve. Night when the baby Jesus was born. Possibly, this is one of the most special nights throughout the year. It is a magical night for both children and adults.

On Christmas Eve, families gather in full, those family members who during the rest of the year are far from home or abroad, they return again to share the excitement and happiness of Christmas with their loved ones. It is also an important night to remember all those family members even though they are not physically with us, will always be remembered.

Honestly, I find it very strange that today is Christmas Eve. It's been a year since the last time, a year full of memories, full of incredible moments that will always be in my memory. To be honest, until a week ago I did not want it to be Christmas, I did not feel enthusiastic, merely I thought that it should pass quickly because I did not feel to celebrate with family, or anything. But maybe it is just that Christmas spirit ends up wrapping us, seeing the streets full of brightly colored lights, crowded, excited by Christmas, typical Christmas markets, Christmas lottery, see the kitchen full of delicious food besides nougat mountains  ... All this fills you with joy, and I think therefore, this is what Christmas really means.

Personally, from a few years ago I do not like Christmas too much, but mostly because I hate winter, but this year it was different. It may be because of the life changing of when I started college, people, schedule ... this year I feel more excited, happier.

Tonight, and like the rest of Spanish families, I will go to my grandparents' house and there we will meet my uncles, my cousins, my other uncles, my other cousins, after dinner, gifts will be distributed ... summing up, the same mess of every year because there are a lot of people in my family. However,  I think this is what makes Christmas really cozy and pleasant, feeling the house full of people, full of voices, of laughs ... of illusion.
                                     
                    
                   

Introduction and Conclusion of one topic

Introduction

Due to the enormous technological advance of recent years, and therefore, to the globalization for which the whole planet is connected, we can be aware of everything that happens around us. Internet has become an important tool by which the most famous people are released and show the world their day to day. These are followed by millions of teenagers around the world who see in them a role model to follow. Nevertheless, the influence of these celebrities in youth can bring positive aspects, but mostly negative.


Conclusion

In conclusion, it is always good that young people have goals in life and that they learn from people with great achievements that the most important thing is to fight for themselves and never give up, because everything in life with values and effort can be achieved. However, these teenagers should remain controlled by family and friends as they are not yet fully formed mentally and small failures and mistakes that may commit on the road can bring them emotional harms that can make them not want to keep fighting for their dreams.

Beauty Pageants

This weekend are being celebrated the two most famous beauty pageants in the world, "Miss Universe" and "Miss World".

There has always been a confusion between both contests in which people think that they are the same. But the truth is that they are very different. They celebrate different competitions and they have different objectives. Moreover, "Miss Universe" is American and "Miss World"  is English.
Generally, "Miss Universe" is better known than "Miss World", but both of them are really famous worldwide. However, they are not seen everywhere and they do not have the same followers everywhere.
For example, in America, especially in South America, this kind of contests are so followed. For them, beauty pageants are like football in Spain. They prepare and make aware girls since they are children to become beauty queens, and the preparation for these women has just one and clear objective: to win the crown. So, normally, they are always the winners. The latin countries with more crowns of "Mis Universe" are Venezuela with seven, Puerto Rico with five, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia with two respectively, and then other latin countries with one title are Perú, Dominican Republic, Panamá, Argentina, Chile...

On the other hand, here in Spain, these pageants are not seen or followed, because people do not believe on them. People think that they are ridiculous and male chauvinist. This is the main reason why there are no Spanish beauty queens, because organizations here do not have fame and sufficient strength. There is just one queen, Amparo Muñoz, who won the "Miss Universe" tittle in 1974. However, she refused to be manipulated by the organization and after six months of reign, she resigned the title.

Nevertheless, and 40 years after, Spain has won their second beauty crown in the history of beauty contests. Yesterday, December 19th, it was celebrated "Miss World" in the city of Sanya, China. There, 114 countries and autonomous territories from all over the world competed for the title. But finally, the crown was obtained by the Spanish Mireia Lalaguna, a 23 year old girl form Barcelona who is studying pharmacy at the University, and she also can speak two foreign languages and she plays the piano.
The winner spends her reign traveling around the world, including third world countries, representing the Miss World Organization in its several causes. The Miss World has an explicitly altruistic agenda and has more than 250 million pounds for several global works of charity.

It was an amazing achievement for Spain. Since three years ago, the Spanish organization of "Miss Universe" and "Miss World" is getting more strength and both pageants are winning more and more followers.
Now, we must have our eyes on Carla Barber, the "Miss" who is representing Spain in the "Miss Universe" pageant, which is celebrated tonight, December 20th, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Outline about the Education System

I. The education in Spain is being subject of criticism in recent years and there are plenty of reasons to explain why the system is failing.

II. Main shortcomings

    A. Young people, teachers, families and society are victims of an    

         educational system which is...

         1. poorly designed

         2. outdated

         3. variable

         4. ideology depends on who governs

    B. Embarrassing results

        1. high school failure

        2. high youth unemployment

        3. clear functional illiteracy

        4. remarkable inability to keep students excited about their own learning

III. Major failures

     A. In children schools

         1. early separation from attachment figures

         2. maladaptive

         3. too much homework

         4. obligation to the child rules preventing their natural movement and  

              experimentation

     B. In primary schools

         1. memorization

         2. too much homework

         3. exams do not value creativity and curiosity, but the ability to study    

              exactly what it says in the book

     C. Secondary schools

         1. too much homework

         2. too many exams

         3. memorize a lot of information just to pass exams

IV. The difficulty to continue with university studies

   

     A. Fear of not achieve what they want to

         1. qualification required to enter university

          2. not to enter the desired career

          3. not go wrong with the chosen career

      B. Economic difficulties

          1. too expensive

          2. difficulty to get a scholarship

       

      C. Complicated future

          1. to find a job

          2. to have a good salary

          3. to stay in your country

V. Because of all the problems that society has with the education system, the Spanish government should take this more seriously since it is the base of the country's future.

Halloween memories

  This Halloween has not been too special. I stayed at home with my family, eating popcorn and watching horror movies. When I was a child, I used to dress up with scary costumes and go street after street calling homes and asking for the famous "trick or treat" . I have very endearing memories and I remember All Hallow's Eve with a lot of illusion. It was really fun because I live in a little village where there is no danger of traffic, so children can go out with any problem. I remember the streets full of children dressed up from all over the village, and we all knew each other because we all went to the same school. I can also remember arriving at home at the end of the night with large bags full of sweets and sometimes even money!
  Nowadays, we all have grown up, and in the night of Halloween you might can see a few children calling your door bell for some candy. However, the magic that used to wrap the town ten years ago, sadly, has now totally gone.

Man on the edge

  There is a man who is on the edge of the ledge of a building with suicidal intentions. There can be many reasons which lead him to that situation. First of all, it seems that the problem started at the beginning of the episode when the man argued with his girlfriend. She rubbed in his face that he was unemployed and after that, she forced him to leave the house.

   There can be a lot of problems in a relationship. However, I believe that both of them must do their part and from the beginning of the relation they must be honest and respectful with each other and not try to hide their problems, because it can end with a separation. I do not think that the man on the edge should have suicidal thoughts, he must just think clearly for a moment and try to find solutions to each problem. Maybe, he just needs to be positive and search for a new job, I am totally sure that everything in life is possible with positivity and strength. Then, he must go to his girlfriend's house and talk with her peacefully, she will accept his apologies and everything will be as before.

Summer, see you next year!

 Now, we can officially say goodbye to summer and its warm weather, and say hello to autumn and its cold evenings. It is sad for me to say it but yes, summer left us and it will not come back until next year. From my point of view, summer is the best season of the whole year. It means freedom, fun, friends, parties, beach, heat... so many wonderful things! I probably will miss waking up in the morning with that big and warm sunshine that appeared everyday in my window. The fresh scent of freshly cut grass, the impertinent but at the same time nice noise of the pool machine, the full breakfast in the terrace with my family... But what  I will especially miss is spending the whole days on the beach, eating, sunbathing, playing on the sand... And something that I have really enjoyed this summer was meeting foreign people of my age at night in the dance bars and discos. I met a few friends from France, Germany, Sweden... They were all so kind and I could practice my English with them. To sum up, I have so many beautiful and amazing memories of this last summer, and I cannot wait until the next one!

Some differences between Rock and Classical music

  There are so many kinds of music, and between them, a lot of differences. Probably, the two styles of music in which we can see more contrast are Rock music and Classical music. First of all, classical music appeared some centuries before the rock. Moreover, classical music requires more preparation, both musicians and instruments; whereas the modern music is easier to create and it is more accessible for everyone. Other difference between them is that the classical music can be more difficult to understand because of the composition and the great difficulty of its rhythms and melodies; while in the rock the rhythms are simpler and repeated. Furthermore, the classical music is created mainly to listen carefully and to relax yourself, summing up, it is created to enjoy it with all senses. In contrast, the rock, apart from being listened too, you can also dance, sing, it is used to tell stories, to announce love, to make a politic protest, to teach something... etc. To conclude, the classical music is more "pure" as music. However, both types are wonderful in their own style and indispensable in our lives.

The evolution of beauty in history

 The canon of beauty imposed these last years has changed a lot from the canon of thousands of years ago.

Nowadays, we can see it everywhere, in the media,on Internet, in the fashion industry...etc, and it is usually followed by almost everybody, especially, young people. However, this is not something new, because the ideal of beauty has been in the society since the beginning of time. As fashions and customs, the canon of female beauty has had a marked evolution through the centuries. Let see some examples of it. 

Prehistory

 In the Prehistory, men preferred women with large breasts and wide hips, because they associated it with fertility and with the ability to bear healthy and strong children.

 Ancient Greece

 The ideal of beauty in ancient Greece lies neither in body care or the artificial embellishment of it, but in the harmony of all from each of its parts. The beauty lay in perfect proportions. The Greeks viewed the world and loved as a work of art.

Middle Age

 The ideal woman of the medieval era was blond, with curly hair, in braids or loose; with very white skin (as a symbol of purity), pale tone that stretched to the neck and hands. The glossy front was widened and a mandatory levy, enlarged eyes and delimiting the root of the hair in a crown.

Renaissance

 In the Renaissance, Durer and Leonardo Da Vinci they established precise diagrams for the ideal figure. The woman must have three white elements (skin, teeth and hands), three red (lips, cheeks and nails) and three black (eyes, eyebrows and eyelashes), and respond to seven nine or thirty-three canons of the ideal body. Moreover their bodies should be round and big, thin hands and feet, and small and firm breasts. 

Baroque

 Catherine de Medici becomes the promoter of Baroque beauty. There is no greater beauty than blondes transparent skin. Wider hips and narrow waist, round and fleshy arms, bright white skin and breasts are highlighted by corsets. In addition, the female figure is embellished with popular wigs,Around the same time they begin to be false moles, which serve to disguise freckles or pimples, and rouge, the ally hiding the paleness that produce sleepless nights and dinners.

Victorian era

 In the early eighteenth century, which affected small and is well seen. The women used the corset, and its abuse causes fainting, hypochondria and anemia.These tight elements stumble many women, causing fainting or even death by deformation of the chest, just squeezing vital organs. The hips should be wider than your shoulders, arms plump, thin ankles, hands and elongated small mouth.

The beginning of the 20th century

 The expansion of women's magazines changes the way of looking the body. The woman in the first half of the twentieth century struggle for their civil and political rights. They stop caring about the beauty standards that dictate men. The female figure has as ideal a flat stomach, small breasts and male shoulders. An androgynous and ambiguous body. Even it becomes fashionable the tan, before sign of work in the field and now denotes good health

The 30's

 After the 'crack' of 29, the androgynous image of the 20s is outdated and becomes sensual, feminine and women feel the need to enhance her figure. Hollywood stars such as Jean Harlow and sultry Mae West or the 'divine' Greta Garbo, become style icon and the femme fatale Marlene Dietrich. Platinum blonde hair, pale complexion, sculpted eyebrows and lips, always red, become the pinnacle of fashion.

The 40's

At this time, the style of woman who wins is provocative and sensual. The magazines are filled with girls with wavy hair, narrow waist, hips and impressive bust. The reign of the 'pin-ups', which had begun at the end of the previous decade and feminine style that is consolidated.

The great icon of the time was Rita Hayworth, nicknamed "the goddess of love" and that "Gilda" raised passions. It also begins to dawn Ava Gardner, considered "the most beautiful animal in the world". It will start the golden moment and Hollywood divas.

The 50's

 Women with curves is the great ideal of the decade. The girls look or wish to have an explosive bust, rounded hips and long, toned legs. The film becomes an inspiration for millions of young people try to imitate Marilyn Monroe and dyed platinum blonde.

The 70's                                                                          

 The social and sexual revolution that began in the 60s continues in the 70s, a decade marked by the cult of the body. Women going wild, hair cardan, set aside bra and tanning is imposed. The eyebrows are naturally drawn and eyes are highlighted with colorful shades.

The 80's 

 In the 80s reached the age of excess and eccentricity, of leonine hair, in shaper and carded, the disco music, the 'punk' ... The fashion is characterized by XXL with padded shoulders; high heels or thin waists. Several aesthetic bind and are opposed. Madonna becomes an emulated by millions of young people worldwide icon. Lips ranging from red to black, and other women also become ideal model from the classic beauty as Brooke Shields.

The end of the decade marks the beginning of the era of supermodels

The 90's

 It comes to the larger models, a long list that includes women as Cindy Crawford; Claudia Schiffer; Elle McPherson, nicknamed 'The Body'; Naomi Campbell; Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, which happened after others, like Eva Herzigova. Athletic women with slim bodies are imposed, but not too much and, although excels Kate Moss, they are the undisputed queens.

New millennium

  The beauty becomes synonymous with thinness, often insane. Many women aspire to be increasingly thin. The cult of the pathological body even chiselled Nip-Tuck, characterizes the beginning of the century. Kate Moss becomes a real muse and inspiration. Cara Delevingne is now considered his successor. Actresses like Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman also boast of thinness and of an absent body curves. However, against this trend appears also claiming other curves and women like Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Scarlett Johansson also placed as a role.

Is Photoshop really necessary?

 Since the discovery of Internet, a lot of programs have been used in the fashion industry to retouch models photographs with the objective of making them look absolutely perfect. From my point of view, I support the natural beauty of every woman and I think that nobody should feel ashamed of himself. However, I do not see Photoshop as an enemy. I think that it can be a very useful tool if people use it correctly, everything in excess is bad in life. Maybe, if we want to retouch the lighting or even any spot o redness on the skin, we can use Photoshop with no problem. The real problem comes when the physical appearance changes completely, to the inability to recognize her or him. Recently, a famous Spanish actress complained on social media about one photo of her, made in a photoshoot, where she compares the retouched photo with the real one. There, we can see the big difference between that "perfect" girl and the real and natural girl. Definetely, I believe that sometimes Photoshop can give us really amazing works, but we must be careful and use it in a good measure, not to make big mistakes which make us create a totally different person.

Confessions...

 My last two months have been a completely chaos. I can even say that I am still inside of that huge hurricane of problems, problems and more problems.

First of all, I must say that 2nd of Bach.  left me absolutely without any strenght, mentally and physically bad, so I took the beginning of the summer with a great desire to do nothing. And well, I took this sentence so literally, that summer ended without having done anything. There, was where the problem really started.  

 September came, and with it, the beginning of a new life, the beginning of what will make me grow and become a fully formed, mature and independent person.

  Foremost, I had to start thinking about what I was just about to begin, the University. I had also to start thinking about study again, about meet new people, about get used to my new schedule, and the most important thing, convince myself that summer had ended. That was, honestly, the hardest part. 

 Apart of all these problems, a lot of personal problems came too. The two first weeks of class were the most difficult ones. I missed my old life a lot, and with my old life I mean  my parents and my sister, all my fights with my mother (hard to believe, but true), waking up in my bed, in my room... I missed everything. 

  

 Fortunately, all these clouds are beginning to disappear, and me and my mind are starting to accept this new challenge. Now, I try to look forward with a smile.

The Giant's Causeway

 The picture I am going to talk about refers to the "Giant's Causeway" located in Northern Ireland. It is a masterpiece of nature which is in the middle of the sea. It is formed by a large amount of rocks whose shape is similar to columns. In this place, the atmosphere looks really cold and sad. Moreover it makes me feel nostalgic and it makes me start thinking in my thoughts and memories. Nevertheless, it also gives me inspiration and power because the appearance of the landscape is beautiful, relaxing,quiet, peaceful and unforgettable. Definetely, I encourage everyone to visit this ancient place which takes part of the Ireland's culture.

Fear weakens even the strongest man

Fear of what could happen today.

Fear of what could happen tomorrow.

Fear of my thoughts before sleeping.

Fear of my nightmares.

Fear of my frightened and immature mind.

Fear of making a mistake.

Fear of don't do it.

Fear to not enjoy life truly.

Fear of enjoy it too much.

Fear of illness.

Fear of not being understood.

Fear of not being good enough.

Fear of can not protect completely my sister's life.

Fear of her life.

Fear to disappoint my parents.

Fear of see my mother crying.

Fear of streets at night.

Fear of being superstitious.

Fear of bad luck.

Fear of feeling alone.

Fear of loneliness.

Fear of silence.

Fear of death.

I'm afraid, so afraid of death.

Let me introduce myself :)

 Welcome everybody to my personal blog page in which I will upload every week at least two posts. In this one I will do a brief presentation about me.

  

  First of all, as you know, my name is Lucía Navarro, I am 18 years old and I am from Cartagena which is a small city in the south-east of Spain. I live there with my parents and my younger sister Marina, who is 16 years old. However, at this moment, I live with my grandfather because I have just started my higher studies at the university. What I am studying here is "English studies", which I think is a pretty interesting and beautiful degree. Furthermore, this is also a very useful option for my near future because languages are so important right now in the working world. Moreover, I have always loved to learn new languages and that is why, apart from English, I am studying German, and I also can defend myself in French. Besides my passion for languages I like so many other things, as for example, the fashion world. I can spend hours and hours in front of the laptop watching fashion shows and also keeping up with the latest information. This actually fascinates me. Another thing I love to do for almost the whole day and to relax myself is listening to music. I love almost every kind of music, but my favourites are Pop, Rock, R&B... At this moment I can't stop listening to "The Weeknd", "Years & Years", "Somo", etc.

 This is a little introduction of myself  and some of the things I like to do during my free time. See you in the next post!

Living in Spain or abroad?

  In recent years, a large number of Spaniards have been considering noticeably the idea of continuing to live in Spain or seek a better future abroad. There are some advantages and disadvantages of living in a foreign country, and these are the main reasons why so many students, adults or even families take one or another decision. Firstly, going abroad is a fantastic way for students of discovering new opportunities and living unforgettable experiences. They can learn new languages, different cultures and meet new people. Moreover, is one of the best ways to find a job. However, it is not so easy for everyone because it can be a bit expensive and it is also difficult leaving behind your everyday life and get ready to start a new one. In conclusion, I think that everybody should fight for a new and better life, even if their possibilities are not big enough.