Wizard

Guadalajara, the great unknown

2009-04-25T04:02:00.000-07:00

I have a tradition in order to spend the Easter holidays. I choice one of the Spanish area and then I’m going to visit it. This year I have chosen Guadalajara.

I didn’t know anything about this area and after visiting it I came back very pleased and amazing.

Guadalajara is the northernmost province of Castilla – La Mancha. There are many places to visit and one of them is the north, with medieval villages and castles like Atienza, Sigüenza…. . The local dish is “Sopa Castellana”, “Asado a la Leña”….. Oooff!! incredible, the sweets are made with Alcarria honey and the most famous are “Borrachos”. Another beautiful place is the black architecture towns, which show us how the materials from the natural surrounding were used; the houses are building with black bricks.

There is a book called “Viaje a la Alcarria” that it was written by Camilo José Cela in 1946, this is one of the most important travel books in literature. The writer explained his experiences during his journey to the Alcarria.

The worst thing about this travel was the weather: wind, cold, snow…. but when you are in holidays these things do no matter.

Uncanny Story

2009-03-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

I’m going to write a true story that happened to me a long time ago.

It was the night of St. Joan and, as always, I was celebrating the night of the bonfires with my family and some friends in the house that my parents had in the field, close to the mountain of Montserrat.

It was into the night when suddenly and without any explainable reason the night became day for a few seconds. We looked to each other not knowing what to say and wondering why the night turned into the day.

The next day we heard on the radio that something strange had happened in the mountain of Montserrat and that was not the first time that these weird stuff happened.

Some alien in the mountain, isn't it?

English or American writer ?

2009-03-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

I have just started the book “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker. I have chosen this novel because it was in the list of books banned from Sarah Palin and I thought that it will be so interested to read it, since it makes me remember the film that it was so nice.

But my feeling, when I read the firsts pages, has been that this book is not easy. Alice Walker is from Georgia and she uses American English with many abbreviations and terms that make me the reading so difficult.

When we want to read a book what is better English or American writer? From my point of view is better an English writer but I don’t know if I’m making a mountain out of a molehill.

What do you think ?

International Women’s Day

2009-03-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

Today is the International Women’s Day, that‘s celebrated around the world each 8 March. It’s an important day to celebrate the achievements that women have done during the past.

In many countries they are marching to demand more rights for women because, unfortunately, in the twenty - first century there are a lot of women without the same rights as men like the same payroll, social justice, health-care……so on.

It’s a day to celebrate the past achievements and what they are going to do and can do in the future.

¡¡ Happy day to all women !!

Calçots

2009-03-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

Now is time to eat calçots…., but what is the origin or history about this particular Catalan tradition ?

According to the legend “calçots” was discovered by Xat de Banigues a country person from the XIX century in the area of Valls. This man forgot that in the grill he had to put some onions and they burned, but instead of throwing the onions away he peeled them and he discovered that inside there was a fresh and delicious calçot”.

The “calçot” is the main character of the famous “calçotadas”,that are celebrated in the area of Baix Penedès, mainly in Valls. It's served with delicious romesco sauce, red wine or cava.

In Valls each year there is a competition in order to see the person who eats more calçots in a certain period of time. This year the winner has eaten two hundred and fifty calçots in forty-five minutes …….oooops!! incredible.

I thing that’s a good experience to enjoy eating calçots and I encourage you to taste it.

Let's go …and see you in Valls ¡¡

Charles Darwin

2009-02-13T13:35:00.001-08:00

Charles Robert Darwin

1809 - 1882

This week we are celebrating the birth of Charles Darwin that was born two hundred years ago.

This extraordinary naturalist was born on February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. He was famous for his theories about evolution and natural selection.

From December 1831 to October 1836 Darwin made his famous journey in H.M.S. Beagle, a science expedition around the world. During the trip he collected a variety of plants, animals, bones…… for further studies. When he returned to London he started a scientific research about his notes that he had made during the expedition.

As a consequence of his studies in 1859 he published the book “Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection”. After the publication there was a big fuss about it and he was denounced by the church.

But why was there a big fuss?.... Darwin was the first person who explained the evolution of species with true evidence, and explained as well how species change and adapt to the environment, only the stronger and that have the ability to adapt to the environment can survive in it, and in this evolution he included humans.

He died on 26 April, 1882 and he was buried in Westminster Abbey close to another great scientific Isaac Newton.

ATHEIST BUS IN BARCELONA

2009-01-18T11:50:00.001-08:00

As our teacher suggested us I’m going to write about the atheist campaign in Barcelona.

This month has started an atheist bus campaign in Barcelona. Two buses of the line fourteen and forty-one have begun running with the advertising “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life”.

This campaign is as a result of the campaign launched the last October in London by Guardian newspaper and supported by the British Humanist Association and atheist campaigner Professor Richard Dawkins.

The Spanish organizer wants to spread this campaign in others towns like Valencia, Bilbao, Sevilla and Zaragoza, but it does depend on the advertisement collection.

I agree with this kind of campaign. The Catholic Institution is allowed to express an opinion about important subjects like the abortion, education, gay marriage……, where the government has the authority and the competence about it, the Catholic Institution hasn’t been able to comment anything about this sensitive subjects due to we are in a lay society, and of course with this bus advertisement some Christian associations in Barcelona has announced a campaign in God defence.

From my point of view the atheist has the same rights to show to the citizens their thoughts and express with absolutely freedom their opinions.

Come back

2009-01-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas holiday has just finished and we go back to our daily routine.

During the holidays, we can do whatever we want without any control and stress of a timetable, everyday is different and we discover a new way of life, and you think…. why can’t we always live like a holidays?, but it’s not always so easy.

Why every day is a routine? maybe because we live with a timetable, we know exactly what we will do during the day, since we wake up in the morning until the last time of the day:

A normal day:

7:00 a.m. wake up
8:00 a.m. – 14:00 p.m. working
14:00 p.m. – 16:00 p.m. lunch
16:00 p.m. – 18:00 p.m. still working

But, what can we do in order to change our daily routine? Please if you know how, let me know.

We start a new term and a new year and I know and I’m sure that something special and amazing will happen in our daily routine, maybe in the tram, in the street, in our job, or…. why not? in our English Class.

My darling partners, I wish you that this New Year and this new time bring you an exciting experiences.

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-14T10:31:00.001-08:00

Christmas is coming and as usual customs and traditions.

Santa Llúcia is the Christmas market that it has been hold for two hundred years in front of the cathedral. It’s considered one of the most important Christmas traditions in Barcelona.

In this market you can find everything about Christmas decorations, such a lights, Christmas trees, cribs figures, plants…. . In addition there are a group of shops that sell traditional craftworks or handicrafts.

There is a typical figure called “caganer” that you can find in this fair. The “caganer” is a character that shows a person from the rural areas of Catalonia having a shit, and normally it’s put inside the crib. This figure is thought that comes from the XVIII century.

Nowadays you can find “caganers” with the image of the most famous people during the year, for example this year the new figures are Barack Obama, Lula da Silva, Fernando Alonso….

Another interesting Christmas tradition is the “Tió”. It’s about a trunk where children beat it and singing at the same time, then the trunk give presents.

If you have time, it’s really interesting to visit this Christmas market and it’s not compulsory to buy.

A Curious Book

2008-11-30T04:04:00.000-08:00

I have just finished reading the book “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night – Time”, and only a little bit comment about it.

From my point of view it has been a fascinating, entertaining and enjoyable book. The main character, Christopher with his particular traits and his interpretation about the world show to readers another view of the “normal” behaviour of human being.

His logical conclusion about some issues it has made me feel so funny and in some statements I have burst out laughing. I think that we should learn about some reasoning of Christopher, because sometimes the work out or the answer about some problems is more logical or easy than we thought.

I have spent a good time reading this book, therefore I will recommend it.

Discovering our own city

2008-11-23T11:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we know more interesting places about other cities that about our own city.

That’s an example. Last Saturday I was doing one of my favorites hobbies, go shopping, in the center of Barcelona with my partner when the dinner time arrived, we are looking for a restaurant when we saw a group of people looking a particular building, we approached it and we discovered a beautiful and curios restaurant in the Montsió Street called “Els quatre gats”.

It was my first time that I have seen this restaurant and we decided to enter and eat. Inside it was a fantastic and incredible modernist room with a big piano, where at night the pianist provided the entertainment, also I can saw some pictures of Pablo Picasso.

This restaurant is considered one of the most important modernist building in Barcelona when it’s possible to eat Catalan and Mediterranean food.

For my was a great discovering but at the same time I was very sad and made me a little bit shame, because sometimes we don’t know what a wonderful things we have in our own city or country.

If you don’t know this particular restaurant I recommend it, not only for visiting even for eating.

Our Darling Queen

2008-11-09T10:37:00.001-08:00

What a surprise !!!

The new biography about our Queen Sofia “La reina muy de cerca” ,that was published last week by editorial Planeta and written by the journalist Pilar Urbano, has caused a huge stir in our society.

In this book she talks and expresses her personal opinion about some important and current issues, with great sensitivity towards our society, like abortion, gay marriages, terrorism , religious schools, euthanasia…….and so on.

The Queen at this moment wants to share her thoughts and feelings with everybody after thirty years in the Spanish Monarchy.

From my point of view, neither of the Monarchy Institution members should have any opinion about national issues.

Well classmates what's your opinion??

Halloween

2008-10-31T12:15:00.000-07:00

Halloween day is coming and sometimes we don’t known what the origin or history about this day is.

A little passage of Halloween history…………………

All this happened a long time ago in the land of Ireland, England, Scotland, North of France…………………but who knows? Somewhere the Celtic culture celebrated a festival known as Samhain. The festival of Samhain was celebrated on October 31 like the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the season of darkness and cold, where the days were short and the night long. This period of time was associated with death, and winter was time of terror and uncertainty.

The Celtic society believed that on October 31, when the Samhain was celebrated, the deceased spirits came back from the world of dead people with one goal, to visit their relatives in order to take care them, but if they weren’t attended they tried to enter into the body of someone to guarantee continuing in the alive world.

In the festival celebration there was a great bonfire where the people met around it, and wore costumes, masks with aspects of animals, demons………

However, when Romans conquered the majority of the Celtic region the non-believer tradition was extinguished…. And for year 800 with the Christianity influence the Pope Bonifiacio IV designated November 1 like “the Day of all the Saints”, a day to honor the saints and martyrs of the Roman Church.

After Romans conquered Celtic territory some pagan tradition, like the Samhain festival, turned in a Christian festivity; nowadays known as “Halloween”.

Well……….I think that we know something more about Halloween.

Happy Halloween everyone !!!

International Year of Planet Earth 2008

2008-10-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Please, Planet Earth don't cry.

The International Union of Geological Sciencies and Unesco are the International Year of Planet Earth 2008 initiators. More than 80 countries are supported of this event.

But, What is the International Year of Planet Earth?

In order to avoid our Planet Earth crying, this event tries to provide exciting knowledge about our planet and how we can make the Earth safer and healthier place for the citizens. The main objective is to become aware of our environment and our nature and also what will we be able do to in order to reduce the risk of the climate change.

To make better use of Earth Science and Earth resources I want to invite you, to suggest, to encourge..... to visit the International Year of Planet Earth 2008 that will be held in "Parc del Fòrum " from 31 October to 29 November. There will be an extraordinary tent that will show in four different ways how to take care our Planet:

Audiovisual
Magic Planet
Awareness
Art of teaching

And for many other reasons..... why do you fancy? I think that it's a good idea to spend one morning in this travelling exhibition.

The entrance is free

See you in the Fòrum !!

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

2008-10-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is the last film of Woody Allen. I have to admit that I’m not supporter of Woody Allen and I usually don’t go to the cinema to watch his movies. However, with the last film was different because it was made in Barcelona, my city, and I thought that will be a great idea to see how an American director show Barcelona to the rest of the world.

I went to the cinema two weeks ago and the movie didn’t live up to my expectation. In my opinion, Barcelona and the Catalonia culture that the director showed in the movie is not the reality. It was like a guide tourist of Gaudí, given that the most scenes appears some building’s Gaudí and I think that Barcelona is more than Gaudí work.

The plot of the movie is funny and the relationship of the main characters as well.

But I encourage to everybody to go to the cinema in order to have another point of view.

Why Wizard?

2008-10-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

Why have I chosen this name for my blog?

If there is anybody to blame about why I have chosen this name this is J.R.R.Tolking, a British writer who wrote one of the most fantastic books in the word called The Lord of the Rings.

In this book one of the main characters is Gandalf, an elderly man with a long grayish bear, a grey cloak and a blue pointed hat, he was considered like the wizard of the Western culture.

I’m a little bit wizard because sometimes I can know in advance what will happen or who will appear.