Amsterdam

If you ask me about a special exchange trip with my class, I would think that all of them were fantastic. I really enjoyed my time in Wales, and Cambridge’s trip was also incredible. But the exchange that I liked the most was the last one to Amsterdam.


It was organized for the people of 1st year of Bachillerato studying sciences or technologies, and at first there were only places for 18 girls and 2 boys, but finally some boys went with Dutch girls, so everything was fine.

Firstly, Dutch people came here. Kayleigh, the girl who was staying with me was very nice and soon we were talking about our interests at my house. We spent a great time here, organizing trips for them -even one to Granada!- and other activities. When they finally returned to Amsterdam, we all were good friends.

Then it was our turn! We had a nice flight to Amsterdam, and the reunion was simply crazy! Everybody was shouting and hugging with each other. I met my host mother and host sister at the airport, they were really nice. Then I met my host brother and host father, who were also awesome. We all spent a great time there, eating lots of hagelslags and flocca.

But finally the time to go arrived. We all were really sad about going, but we also missed Spain, and the Feria was already there!

The art of cheating

How many times have you gone to an exam without having studied the necessary? Thinking that you could have studied more, but relaxed because you already know what your mark would be. So, what could you do, just to give up, or try to do something? Most of the times the second option is the best, but, how can you do anything without knowing a thing? Easy answer, just cheat. Cheating is a noble art only used by the most intelligent students. It is a necessary risk for obtaining a mark according their brilliance. I’m very familiarized with this topic because in my bilingual class it has always been a very common way of passing exams. Do you want to know more about this marvellous world? So continue reading and you’ll know the most incredible techniques.

The first thing that you have to know is that there are different cheating techniques and styles, and every people in my class has a determined one. Some of the just use the traditional way: looking at the nearest person’s exam or asking a partner in a very low voice about any question. But most of the people use more complex ones. For example, what would you think of a boy that has bring a toilet paper to clean his nose and is passing it to everyone in the class during an exam for cleaning their noses? Anything except of them being cheating. Well, that’s exactly what all them did with this stratagem.
Another funny style is to put all your notes at the window, and sit yourself near it. I just know one boy that has done that, he is the most intelligent an incredible boy ever, a cheating master.

But my favourite cheating technique is very simple, but really risky too. It just consists of having the book and your notes on your legs and look at them from time to time. If the teacher doesn’t notice anything, you’ll probably get an incredible mark, but it’s really easy to be catched, so I only recommend you to do this when you are very self-confident. If your teacher asks you: “Javi, do you have cheating sheets?” answer her naturally or you’ll be finished!

Old mates

Since our first year, many people have passed through our class and then have left it. But, if I had to talk about one of them, I think it would be Sergio.

He became a good friend since the first year that we met at Nestor Almendros, 5 years ago. I knew him a little from our tennis training, but we hadn’t realy made good friends. I remember that we were always together in group works, and we really had lots of fun.
He was a really funny guy, always laughing and making jokes, but he was also a little bit introverted. Just a little, because he did lots of funny things without any embarrassment! He was also very sporty; he played tennis and basketball, his favourite sports apart from football.

But the best thing that I ever did with Sergio at school was our final PE performance in our fourth year, last time with him at school. None of us knew what to do, but I remembered Rocky’s film soundtrack and we both decided that we had to take it. So we made an incredible performance and everybody loved it so much (I think). But what I will always remember was all the fun we had making the choreography and while we were performing. We even sent our video to a TV program, and we performed it in front of all the Cambidge exchange people!

A funny anecdote

If you ask me about any anecdotes that have happened to me in those years at Nestor Almendros, there are many that I could write about. But one of the anecdotes that I remember the most just happened one year ago.

Our PE teacher Gloria had told us to bring two packets of lentils to use them as weights. As we had to do exercises with them, some had broken, so we could get lentils from them. Later, at philosophy, our teacher Lola had to go, but, as we were mature people that were preparing for the University, we didn’t do anything but throwing lentils to each others. We started a war between us, and one of the packets got completely broken, so the lentils were spreaded all around the class. When our teacher arrived, she didn’t notice anything, -even when the floor was completely covered by lentils! - and she started again with the class. But the funniest moment was when, suddenly, Palmira, our former biology teacher, entered the class asking why was there a lentils rain in her class!

My first experience

It’s difficult for me to remember what happened that day five years ago. It was a special day- I was entering for first time the IES Nestor Almendros.
That day I was late (my legend had already started) so I had to ask one teacher where was the bilingual classroom, and I finally arrived there.

What I first remember of that first day was the classroom. It was so different from the ones at my old school! It was dirty and we were 30 people in it! I was also nervous because I didn’t know who was in my class. Fortunately, half of the people had been with me at the school, and I also knew Carmen and Pablo from my taekwondo training, so I felt much better.

For and against essay: the SOPA law

Some time ago, a new law was presented in USA. It banned the free download of films, music or any other intelectual propiety. This law has caused a big discussion between people from differents societies.

On the one hand, it's true that free download can affect to the economy of the owners of the films or music. It also reduces the money earned by gobernments with taxes and it reduces the possibilities of some authors to continue producing.

On the other hand, most of the people who make music or films earn a lot of money, even when free downloading was "legal". Some people hasn't got so much money, but they want to listen to music or to watch a film, so the easiest way is free downloading.

In my opinion, free downloading shouldn't be banned. Artists earn a lot of money, and free downloading doesn't affect them that much. However, I think that, if you really like any film or music, and if you have the money, you must pay for it, above all if the artist is not so famous.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer who became famous because of his literary character Sherlock Holmes. He also wrote many other types of books, as "The Lost World", some terror and supernatural novels, some medical ones and many historical novels. He lived between 1959 and 1930.

He studied medicine, and because of that in most of Holmes's stories appear any murder with poison or any chemical substance. Hractised some sports, as boxing and football. He liked more to write abot history than mistery novels, but those were the ones who made him famous. He also travelled to Africa, and in many Holmes's adventures criminals came from there.

When he "killed" Holmes in his story "The Final Problem", he received lots of letters adressed to Holmes, "living" in Bakerstreet 221B. Doyle's mother spoke him in a funny way when she knew it: "This happens to you because you have deceptioned Sir Holmes, so be careful not to do anything bad to him again".

In the final of his life, he dedicated most of his time to spiritism, and he wrote many novels about it. His last Holmes's story was written some time before the 1st World War, and in it Holmes and Watson had to catch a german spy, and talking about the future, Holmes predicts that some bad times are coming, making reference to the war.

Important passage from Study in Scarlet

This was a lofty chamber, lined and littered with countless bottles. Broad, low tables were scattered about, which bristled with retorts, test-tubes, and little Bunsen lamps, with their blue flickering flames. There was only one student in the room, who was bending over a distant table absorbed in his work. At the sound of our steps he glanced round and sprang to his feet with a cry of pleasure. "I've found it! I've found it," he shouted to my companion, running towards us with a test-tube in his hand. "I have found a re-agent which is precipitated by hoemoglobin, and by nothing else." Had he discovered a gold mine, greater delight could not have shone upon his features.

"Dr. Watson, Mr. Sherlock Holmes," said Stamford, introducing us.

"How are you?" he said cordially, gripping my hand with a strength for which I should hardly have given him credit. "You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive."

"How on earth did you know that?" I asked in astonishment.

"Never mind," said he, chuckling to himself. "The question now is about hoemoglobin. No doubt you see the significance of this discovery of mine?"

"It is interesting, chemically, no doubt," I answered, "but practically——"

"Why, man, it is the most practical medico-legal discovery for years. Don't you see that it gives us an infallible test for blood stains. Come over here now!" He seized me by the coat-sleeve in his eagerness, and drew me over to the table at which he had been working. "Let us have some fresh blood," he said, digging a long bodkin into his finger, and drawing off the resulting drop of blood in a chemical pipette. "Now, I add this small quantity of blood to a litre of water. You perceive that the resulting mixture has the appearance of pure water. The proportion of blood cannot be more than one in a million. I have no doubt, however, that we shall be able to obtain the characteristic reaction." As he spoke, he threw into the vessel a few white crystals, and then added some drops of a transparent fluid. In an instant the contents assumed a dull mahogany colour, and a brownish dust was precipitated to the bottom of the glass jar.

I really found it as one of the best passages in the story, because it explains how did Watson and Holmes meet each other, starting with this conversation one of the most famous mistery cases couples of all time. In this piece of text you can also imagine Holmes's personality, he's just interested in crimes and misteries, and he doesn't pay much attention to the two men that come to the lab.

Mágico

Siempre, siempre que preguntan cual ha sido el mejor futbolista de la historia, se escuchan los mismos nombres: que si Maradona, di Stefano, Pelé, Beckenbauer, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo O Gordo (en su epoca buena xD)... Pero siempre se olvidan de un hombre que no jugaba al fútbol, más bien hacía fútbol, este era el gran MÁGICO GONZÁLEZ.
Seguro que alguien piensa que un tío de El Salvador que jugó la mayor parte de su vida en el Cádiz no tenía nada de grande. Pues bien, esta máquina iba a ser fichada por la Fiorentina, que en aquella época era un equipo fuerte, y le iban a pagar 5 veces más de lo que le pagaba el Cádiz. El Cádiz no quería vender a su estrella, pero la oferta de la Fiore era increíble. Pero ocurió lo inimaginable, Mágico se negó a irse diciendo: "Allá en Italia no tienen pescaíto frito". Enorme. Que hagan eso Messi o Cristiano. Era famoso por sus fiestas y por quedarse dormido antes de los entrenamientos, pero se le perdonaba porque era magnífico.
Su mejor partido fueron las semifinales del Carranza, en las que el Cádiz se enfrentaba al poderoso Barcelona. Se quedó dormido y se presentó en el campo en el descanso, cuando el Cádiz perdía 0-3. El entrenador decidió ponerlo, ya que necesitaban hacer algo aunque solo sirviese para quedar bien ante la afición. Pues bien, el partido acabó 4-3, con dos goles y dos asistencias del gran Mágico. Maravilloso.
Además era un tío gracioso, y, sobre todo, sincero, siempre decía lo que pensaba. Una vez, cuando le preguntaron por qué salía tanto de fiesta en lugar de entrenar, respondió:
"Reconozco que no soy un santo, que me gusta la noche y que las ganas de juerga no me las quita ni mi madre. Sé que soy un irresponsable y un mal profesional, y puede que esté desaprovechando la oportunidad de mi vida. Lo sé, pero tengo una tontería en el coco: no me gusta tomarme el fútbol como un trabajo. Si lo hiciera no sería yo. Sólo juego por divertirme."
Por último, dejo un vídeo donde se pueden apreciar las maravillas de este genial futbolista. GRANDE MÁGICO.

Study in scarlet

Watson, a doctor who was injured in the war in Afghanistan, is now in London. There he needs a cheap house to live in, so he speaks with his friend Stamford, who introduces his friend Sherlock Holmes to Watson. As they both are looking for a place to live in, they rent an apartment, located in Bakerstreet, 221B.

When they finally go to live there, Watson discovers that Holmes is a private detective with peculiar investigation methods. One day he receives a letter telloing him about a murder. The man is american and there are no hints by the momente, so they go to investigate. The mistery is so weird that it lasts some days of investigations, and another man dies.

Finally, Holmes catches the murderer. He is called Jefferson Hope, and he tells them his story.

Some years ago, in America, he met a girl who was the adopted daughter of a man who traveled with her mother from England to America. They fell in love, but as she and her father were living with the mormons, she had to marry one of them. So they tried to escape, but the mormons killed the father and forced her to marry one of them. She died in a few days. Jefferson escaped from them, but he sweared to kill his love killers, so he travelled through Europe looking for them, and he finally kill them in London.

After that he dies because of an illness, and Sherlock Holmes can definetely say that he has solved the mistery.

Mom, I don't like the SOPA (opinion on a current issue)

We all know about that new law, SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) that had been proposed in the USA just some days ago. A law against piracy that have been supported by most of the most popular films, music and videogames companies, apart from other ones.
I consider that it could have been better to start a “war” against drug-sellers, kidnappers and other elements from our society than to start this “battle”, not only against piracy, but against any kind of freedom using the internet, as to remain nameless or to share multimedia with other people.
I also think that big companies earn so much money that they have to do that, but the smaller companies have never being considered by giants as Sony and Universal, unless for buying them by ridiculous prices and “eating” them.
In conclusion, I don’t think that this law is a good idea, as it will only limit our freedom, but won’t change anything for good, apart from giants benefits. But now our “good friends” from Anonymous, before had been considered “bad people by lots of us, will punish them as they deserve.

By the way, in the EU they aren’t happy at all with this law, as you can read here (sorry, it is in Spanish XD):
http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1807&Itemid=26

#TEIMAGINAS

Bueno, en este proyecto para el tercer trimestre hemos tenido que partir de la siguiente idea: "Te imaginas...?". Todo consistía en a partir de esa idea, dar rienda suelta a nuestra imaginación y hacer una representación en la que expusiéramos un tema el cual nos gustaría que fuera así. En nuestro caso, hemos escogido el siguiente tema: "¿Te imaginas que las cosas pudieran ser de otra manera?" con otros dos subtemas que son : "¿Te imaginas que los roles entre el hombre y la mujer cambiaran?" y "¿Te imaginas que pudiésemos solucionar nuestros problemas con música?". Nos pareció buen tema porque siempre pensamos qué hubiera pasado si hubiésemos escogido otra opción o, simplemente, que las cosas fueran diferentes. Además cogimos los temas de la mujer y de los problemas porque últimamente son temas de moda y creímos que sería una buena idea para llevarlo al terreno de la representación y del humor.

Propiedades alimentos

PROPIEDADES Y BENEFICIOS DE LOS ALIMENTOS DE LA RECETA:

El calabacín: tiene propiedades antipiréticas, por lo cual es muy útil para tratar el aumento de la temperatura corporal producto de alguna enfermedad. Posee también propiedades antiespasmódicas y laxantes.

La cebolla: estimula el apetito y regulariza las funciones del estómago, es diurética, por lo tanto es un medio importante, como depurativo del organismo.
También es muy buena para todas las afecciones respiratorias, cuando tenemos tos, catarro, resfriado, gripe, bronquitis, si nos preparamos el jugo de 1 cebolla junto con el jugo de 1 limón y 2 cucharadas de miel y lo tomamos caliente nos ayudará a recuperarnos.
Contiene vitaminas y sales minerales, azufre, fósforo, hierro, calcio, sodio, magnesio… Para aquellos que son diabéticos, incorporar la cebolla a su tratamiento es muy importante ya que ellos necesitan depurar su sangre y la cebolla ayuda a depurarla, desinfectándola, ya que actúa eliminando las impurezas de la sangre, tornándola más limpia y pura y por lo tanto con más defensas.

Los champiñones:
-Tiene las vitaminas del grupo B y, aunque en menor medida, la E.
-Es muy buena fuente de zinc y de proteínas.
-Se cree que ayuda a contrarrestar cuadros de depresión, ansiedad y fatiga.
-Aportan pocas calorías: sólo 25 por cada 100 g. de producto.
-Además, posee fibras que ayudan a normalizar el tránsito intestinal.
-Los champiñones son ricos en vitamina B2 –otras fuentes de este nutriente: el brócoli, las espinacas, las almendras, la leche, el yogur, los huevos y el germen de trigo-. También aportan vitamina B3.
-Tiene 2 g. de fibra por cada 100 g. de producto, lo cual no sólo da sensación de saciedad, sino que también mejora el tránsito intestinal y protege frente al cáncer de colon y las enfermedades cardiovasculares.

Los tomates cherry: tienen más o menos las mismas características que los tomates de tamaño normal. Entre sus propiedades, hay que destacar que es un excelente antioxidante, defensor de las paredes celulares de los tejidos y la piel, depurador de productos tóxicos (recomendable en dietas de adelgazamiento). Investigaciones recientes muestran su capacidad de prevención de enfermedades como el cáncer con sustancia casi exclusivas como el licopeno.

El ajo: los ajos tienen propiedades que favorecen al buen funcionamiento del corazón y ayuda a protegerse contra los constipados y la tos. El ajo es un diurético, expectorante y estimulante. Se ha utilizado a lo largo de la historia como un antiséptico. Recientemente se señala que el ajo ayuda a reducir los riesgos de contraer cáncer por sus contenidos antioxidantes como la allicina, la quercitina… Incrementa las defensas del organismo, mejorando nuestra respuesta a virus y bacterias, es antiinflamatorio, anticoagulante, vasodilatador y depurador. Es un antibiótico natural.

El pimiento rojo: tiene mucha vitamina A o niacina, el pimiento rojo previene enfermedades en los ojos, fortalece el sistema inmunitario y tiene propiedades anticancerosas. También por su alto contenido de vitamina A, esta verdura también favorece el buen estado de la piel y de las mucosas.
El pimiento verde: la acción antioxidante de la vitamina C, hace que el consumo del pimiento verde sea beneficioso para nuestra vista, piel, oído y aparato respiratorio. Además, la alta cantidad de vitamina C de esta verdura puede ayudarnos a reducir los síntomas del resfriado y a combatir enfermedades como el estreñimiento y el hipertiroidismo. También es recomendable durante la menopausia ya que la vitamina C ayuda a reducir los sofocos y otros síntomas de la menopausia.
El orégano: es digestivo, además favorece la circulación sanguínea. Los aceites esenciales del orégano son muy útiles para tratar casos de tos excesiva causada por resfriados.
El perejil: es un excelente diurético, estimula la función renal facilitando la eliminación de líquidos del organismo, debido a esta propiedad es muy útil para tratar casos de cistitis. Además, resulta ser un excelente depurador del organismo. Posee propiedades anestésicas, debido a esto disminuye los dolores ocasionados por golpes y caídas.
El aceite de oliva: Tiene muchas excelentes propiedades para la salud, también es bueno para la piel y el cabello. Entre los beneficios del aceite de oliva, se destaca el control del colesterol, gracias al ácido oleico, presente en su composición. Además, posee componentes antioxidantes, útiles para prevenir el envejecimiento, por lo que su consumo está especialmente recomendado.
De los aceites, el de oliva es el más rico en ácido oleico, que es bueno para el colesterol.
Previene el envejecimiento y mejorando las expectativas de vida.
Por otra parte, favorece la absorción de calcio y la mineralización, estimulando el crecimiento.
Limón: un excelente limpiador de nuestro organismo. Es buena para la sed, pero mucho mejor para el organismo, que ve como enseguida empiezan a surtir efecto sus numerosas propiedades. Es rico en vitamina C, lo cual de por sí ya es sinónimo de defensas fuertes y escudo contra catarros y gripes. Es un gran disolvente de sustancias tóxicas y magnífico depurativo. Es bueno para el sistema cardiovascular, y para el reuma.

Plato de verduras Migue y yo

Deliciosa brocheta de verduras: http://www.canalcocina.es/receta/brochetas-de-verduras-1

Accidentally in love

Great song, really related to love. This song talks about love, but under a funny perspective, not the way that almost all people are used to know love. It talks about the nonsenses that you can do for love, about that “everybody is after love” and of course it says that you will know nothing about love at first, and even in the final, but there isn’t escape for love, so you’ll be always thinking in what is love and what does it really mean.

Pechakucha!!!

Este es mi pechakucha para el proyecto #kascomío? Está mal que yo lo diga, pero es maravilloso, mágico, de genio, único... XD

Mom, I don't like the SOPA

We all know about that new law, SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) that had been proposed in the USA just some days ago. A law against piracy that have been supported by most of the most popular films, music and videogames companies, apart from other ones.
I consider that it could have been better to start a “war” against drug-sellers, kidnappers and other elements from our society than to start this “battle”, not only against piracy, but against any kind of freedom using the internet, as to remain nameless or to share multimedia with other people.
I also think that big companies earn so much money that they have to do that, but the smaller companies have never being considered by giants as Sony and Universal, unless for buying them by ridiculous prices and “eating” them.
In conclusion, I don’t think that this law is a good idea, as it will only limit our freedom, but won’t change anything for good, apart from giants benefits. But now our “good friends” from Anonymous, before had been considered “bad people by lots of us, will punish them as they deserve.

By the way, in the EU they aren’t happy at all with this law, as you can read here (sorry, it is in Spanish XD):
http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1807&Itemid=26