Looking forward to summer?

I remember my summer when I was young when it was of going to the beach, meeting friends, ice creams, swimming pools, sun, ‘casal’, relax and fun. Some years later, when I started to have some responsibilities my summer was giving classes to children, beach only in the afternoon, reading a lot and fun only in the weekends. But this summer…the nice and easy life is finished. I will work all day in camp site; I’ll spend my free days preparing my research project (because until it invades my dreams I will work on my research project about dreams). So not much rest but I will have money!!! We can have all we want if we work for it; that is to say that everything has a price and for that, before fighting for something, you have to think about all that you are prepared to lose. I chose to fight for my responsibilities, studies and job but I know that I’ll lose a lot of my free time (but not all!). I want to remember a piece I wrote before ‘Think Yourself Luck’ about my grandmother because she worked for what she wanted and for that I admire her a lot and I will miss her and remember her for ever.

Have a nice summer :)

One wish

You could wish for Money, good job, Health, friends, husband, famous, family-health, etc… So what would you wish for? I actually only need one wish: HAPINESS. You can have a lot of things but actually have nothing! If you are happy you have all that you need. Happiness is in all the situations that you don’t plan, it is in the things that you don’t see coming. It is something which when you search it, you don’t find it. Also it is not necessary that the happiness would be in the biggest things or actions: the littlest and special thing can make you happier than anything else. I am sure that if we would have to summarize the most important moments of our life, we would remember specially the situations when we were really happy. We don’t have to pretend to be happy all the time; if it was like that, we wouldn’t value the happiness. We must believe strongly in happiness and it will be great if we would be able to keep some of it for the moments when we’ll really need. Like Thomas Jefferson said, we have the law of live, of to be free and to look for our happiness.

Beauty and the beast

Did you know your eyeliners, mascara, face cream, shampoo, etc have been tested on defensless animals?

I don’t agree with animal testing for beauty products but I still buy the products! Maybe because there aren’t enough alternatives. We understand that they want to be sure their products have no side effects, but is there only one method?

Maybe they should test the products on themselves, instead of putting chemicals in rabbit eyes or on cat’s fur.

Testing on animals for medical products appears more logical because is something really important for humans but it is still not acceptable.

There are some products which have a drawing of a rabbit; it means that this product isn’t tasted on animals.

Think next time you put your make-up on. Think about the poor animals and imagine it is your pet being tasted on!

There are some companies that test with animals:

Ace, Acuvue, Airwick, Ajax, Alberto-culver (3M), Ambre Solaire, Antica, Erboristería, Anubis, Ariel, Avéne, Axe, Barbara Gould, Bausch&Lomb, Beauty Control cosmetics Benckiser, Bic, Bien Etre, Binaca, Biotherm, Bristol-Myers, Cacharel, Cadey, Cadonett, Calvin Klein, Carefree, Carter Wallace, Chesebrough-Ponds, Church & Dwight, Ciba-Geigy, Clariol, Clearasil, Clearastick, Clinique, Clorox, Close-up, Colgate, Colgate-Palmolive, Coppertone, Coral Vajillas, Courreges, Cover Girl, Crinos, Cruz Roja (Basilea), Cutex, Denim, Dercos, Dolce & Gabbana, Don Limpio, Douss-Intim, Dove, Eau Jeune, Ecolab, Edge, Elida Gibb, Elililli&Co, Elizabeth Arden, Farbergé (Unilever), Fairy, Fendi, Fidia, Finesse, Garnier, Gemey-Ricils, General Motors, Germaine Monteil, Gillette, Giorgio Armani, Giorgio Beverly Hills, Glassex, Gloria Vanderbilt, Goldys, Guy Laroche, H&S, Hanorah, Harriet Hubbard Ayer, Harpic, Helena Rubinstein, Heléne Curtis, Hill's Pet, Hoffman-Laroche, Hugo Boss, Impulso, Isdin, Hacques Fath, Johnson & Johnson, Johnson Wax, Juvena, Karl Lagerfeld, Kik, Kimberly-Clark, Kleenex, Klorane, La Biostique, Laboratorios Esteve, Laguerfeld (Unilever), Lancaster, Laura Biagiotti, Lenor, L'oreal, Lux (Unilever), Maurice Messegue, Max Factor, Mennen, Mixa, Mum, N.A.S.A., Marta, Natural Glow, Nenuco, Netol, Neutro Balance, Neutrogena, Nina Ricci, O.B.A.O., O'Cedar, Oil of Olay, Old Spice, Olga Tschenowa, Orlane, Palmolive, Paloma Picasso, Pantene, Pato WC, Patrick's, Phas, Physicians Formula Cosmetics, Piaubert, Pierre Balmain, Pierre Fabre, Piz Buin, Playtex, Pond's, Post-it, Procter & Gamble, Profiden, Pronto, Raid, Ralf Lauren, Ray-Ban, Reckitt & Colman, Rexona, Roc, Sandoz, Scad, Schwartzkopf, Scotch Britte, Scott (papel), Sensodyne, Shiseido, Shishido, Signal, Sisley, SmithKline Beecham, Squibb, Studio Line, Super Ween, Tacto, Tampones OB, Timotei, Tode, Vaseline, Vasenol, Veet, Vichy, Vicks, Vidal Sassoon, Vividop, Wizard, Woolite, Xampa, Ives Saint Laurent.

Prestress’ escape

First weekend after Easter holidays I went to my second concert of La fuga. It was a complet weekend; let me explain.

On Saturday mid day Màrius and I went by train to Barcelona. When we arrived we went to look for my Research’s project book in FNAC: it was so difficult to find because there are mountains and mountains of books. After that we walked around the Ramblas because Màrius wanted to buy a female squirrel. One and a half hours later we were in the metro with a new little and precious rabbit that Màrius bought me and without squirrel because it isn’t time of rearing.

Then we arrived to my flat in Sant Adrià where my grandfather was waiting for us. He didn’t have anything for dinner and we had to run to Telepizza and buy some food. For this we didn’t have any time to eat and after two pieces of pizza, we ran to the metro. Màrius, like always, wasn’t nervous of being late but I was very restless. Apart from that, Clàudia phoned me to say that the people under 18 years old couldn’t enter! We stayed for a long time in the metro (or it seemed to me) but finally we arrived to Plaça Espanya where a friend, Ramos, was waiting. We arrived to Palau Sant Jordis’ doors and Clàudia came to give us the tickets.

The concert had not started yet and we looked for the best place. The concert was fantastic and the best song was Luna de miel by piano. For this song I called my new rabbit Miel (only at first time because it had diarrhoea and then my mother called it Mielda and I decided to change its name for Manolu). After the concert Ramos picked us up at Sant Adrià. There Màrius and I went to drink something in a little bar before go to my flat.

Next day we slept until late. Then we woke up and helped my grandfather with lunch. At lunch time my uncles and little cousin came: it was such a long time that I hadn’t see them.

In the afternoon we said goodbye to my grandfather and we went to Fontana where Màrius had dance classes. While he was dancing I was reading my English book for the exam of the next day.

At nine o’clock we were getting onto the train to come back to Figueres. We arrived very tired but this good weekend rewarded.

Cosmos Vs Caos

We think that the origin of all was in the disorder, the caos; then it became the order, cosmos, and it was then when the universe appeared. If we would change the order of the world, the world would become caos. Everything has its place and everyplace has its space. Personally, I give a lot of importance to the order of all in my day to day; I need to have all my activities very clear and organize. I’ll tell you some examples:

I’m bored of arguing with my sister about tidying up the room: she can be working or living under a mountain of things, but I cannot! They don’t disturb her! I feel nervous when I have a lot of unnecessary things in the middle of what I am doing. I need to have all in their place.

It is the same with my work. I usually do my homework in the order as I write in my notebook. Also I arrange my clothes by colours. The same happens with my routine activities, like for example, from when I wake up to when I leave home: I always follow the same order. Or also if I plan my day activities I need to have everything so clear because I hate being late as well.

Some times the people who live in their own caos make me fell very nervous; they usually are the same people that are always late or can never find the keys, for example. But in other ways I think that they also are happy and calm, they are never stressed! And, although their quietness makes me more nervous, I think that these people have their own order in their disorder. Also, but only some times, I admire their way of life.

A dogs' life

I don’t understand why my owner is in the habit of takeing me for a walk every day at half past six in the morning; in general, I don’t understand humans! Well after this hard routine, I come back to my bed and I sleep again… if I can because the girls start to make noise until eight o’clock when they leave me alone at home. They are so cruel; they don’t understand that I live a hard life and I need sleep.

At eleven o’clock my landlady come to make me up saying things that I don’t understand so much, but they should be good words because then she hugs me and kisses me. After I walk to the garden and I make my necessities. Until lunch time I watch over the house and when I’m tired I look for a clearing where I could lay down.

Then the little girl of the house arrives with my owner and I go to welcome her; I thought my name is Zeus, she always says to me “hello bubu!” –another thing that I don’t understand-. Later she let, me go in to have lunch. I run to my plate of food. If there are only biscuits I only need to look at her with a sad face and sit down. Then she comes back with something else to put on the biscuits; it isn’t so much, but it’s better.

Of course I have to snooze minimum one and a half hours while my owners are eating. When I wake up I go to the living room door and I knock it to enter; they don’t hear me but I insist and then – and I don’t understand why again- one of them becomes so angry and open the door.

In the afternoon I walk trought the house and I like to go to the girls’ room where I always find the little one although I prefer the older because she always let me climb on to her bed. I move her arm with my snout because I want to play or that she touch me but then she say “stop Zeus!”… Zeus! Why now am I Zeus and not Bubu? I insist again and finally she takes me out to the garden. There every afternoon I find a tedious dog-neighbour who is always barking. By the way, some days ago it lost its voice! What a nuisance! When I am tired of it I start to bark as well but then my owner tells me “shut up!”.

But it doesn’t matter because I go to the other garden to see my friend rabbit, Versacce…poor rabbit to have this name. It is very bored. I play alone on the grass rolling or biting myself.

At eight o’clock the older sister arrives and I go to welcome her too. She also calls me Bubu but it doesn’t matter because she lets me do everything. We go into the house and I play with this blonde girl with my favourite ball; she hides it and give me hugs. Me, because I want my ball back, I don’t move.

After the landlady starts to cook the dinner and I stop in front of the kitchen waiting for something to eat. I make a sad face again, I sit down and finally I lift up my paw; in this way she give me a piece of cheese.

After dinner, when I hear the sound of the plastic bags I know that my lovely owner will take me out for a walk. When I come back I go directly to knock the door of my room because it’s ten o’clock and is time for bed! There are not hours for me.

That’s all my day to day. As you have can see, my life is so stressful and hard!

The show

I think that we are living a difficult age because of changes and decisions; sometimes we are lost and we don’t know which way we have to choose -job, subjects, studies, degree, boyfriend, girlfriend, friends, activities, etc-. I like this song because it talks about these situations when we are confused and we are going to break out. With this song I want to say that life is a maze but we have to enjoy the show.

THE SHOW - Lenka

I'm just a little bit

caught in the middle

Life is a maze

and love is a riddle

I don't know where to go

I can't do it aloneç

(I've tried)

and I don't know why.

Slow it down

make it stop

or else my heart is going to pop

'cuz it's too much

Yeah, it's a lot

to be something I'm not I'm a fool

out of love

'cuz I just can't get enough.

I'm just a little bit

caught in the middle

Life is a maze

and love is a riddle

I don't know where to go

I can't do it alone

(I've tried)

and I don't know why.

I am just a little girl

lost in the moment

I'm so scared

but don't show it

I can't figure it out

it's bringing me down

I know

I've got to let it go

and just enjoy the show.

The sun is hot

in the sky

just like a giant spotlight

The people follow the sign

and synchronize in time

It's a joke

Nobody knows

they've got a ticket to that show

Yeah

I'm just a little bit

caught in the middle

Life is a mazeand love is a riddle

I dont know where to go

I can't do it alone

(I've tried)

and I don't know why.

I am just a little girl

lost in the moment

I'm so scared

but don't show it

I can't figure it out

it's bringing me down

I know

I've got to let it go

and just enjoy the show.

oh oh

Just enjoy the show

oh oh

I'm just a little bit

caught in the middle

life is a maze

and love is a riddle

I dont know where to go

I can't do it alone

(I've tried)

and I don't know why.

I am just a little girl

lost in the moment

I'm so scared

but I don't show it

I can't figure it out

it's bringing me down

I know

I've got to let it go

and just enjoy the show.

dum de dum

dum de dum

Just enjoy the show

dum de dum

dum de dum

Just enjoy the show

I want my money back

I want my money back

I want my money back

Just enjoy the show

I want my money back

I want my money back

I want my money back

Just enjoy the show.

TRANSLATION

Estic una mica

Parada en el mig

La vida és un laberint

I l’amor és una endevinalla

No se on anar

No puc fer-ho sola

(ho he intentat)

I no se per què.

Baixa lentament

Para

Perquè el meu cor explotarà

Perquè és massa

Si, és massa

Per ser allò que no sóc.

Estic boig

D’ amor

Perquè no puc tenir-ne prou.

Estic una mica

Parada al mig.

La vida és un laberint

I l’amor és una endevinalla

No se on anar

No puc fer-ho sola

(ho he intentat)

I no se per què.

Sóc simplement una nena

Perduda en el moment

Estic molt espantada

Però no ho diguis

No m’en puc fer una idea

Em fa anar malament

Sé

Que l’he de deixar marxar

I tan sols gaudir del festival.

El sol escalfa

En el cel

Com un fanal gegant.

La gent segueix la senyal

I es sincronitzen a temps

Es una broma

Que ningú coneix

Ells tenen el tiquet per el festival

siin the sky.

Estic una mica

Parada en el mig

La vida és un laberint

I l’amor és una endevinalla

No se on anar

No puc fer-ho sola

(ho he intentat)

I no se per què.

Sóc simplement una nena

Perduda en el moment

Estic molt espantada

Però no ho diguis

No m’en puc fer una idea

Em fa anar malamente

Sé

Que l’he de deixar marxar

I tan sols gaudir del festival.

Dam di dam

Dam di dam

Tan sols gaudeix del festival

Dam di dam

Dam di dam

Tan sols gaudeix del festival

Vull que em tornin els Diners

Vull que em tornin els diners

Vull que em tornin els diners

Vull que em tornin els Diners

Tan sols gaudeix del festival

Vull que em tornin els Diners

Vull que em tornin els diners

Vull que em tornin els diners

Vull que em tornin els Diners

Tan sols gaudeix del festival

A tastes of better life

How do you know if you can live better or if you can have more commodities if you don’t know about their existence? If you don’t know it you think that you are lucky with what you have and you give thanks. But…what happens when you discover a better kind of life? Let me explain.

Some days ago the film, Slumdog Milione, which won eight Oscars, was premiered. This film tells the hard life of an Indian boy that lives on the street and who is about to win a quiz show. Hollywood needed some children from India and they looked for them there. Finally they found some poor children and they brought them to Hollywood while they were making the film. The children passed from begging for money on the streets, to having lots of luxuries. For them it was a new life, like a dream!

But dreams aren’t eternal. After the Oscar’s night, where they assisted like princes, they had to go back to India’s streets with their suits. The dream became a nightmare. Some of them didn’t want to return and some others felt sick or depressed. Also now one of them doesn’t want to make interviews and his father hits him because they won’t earn money without interviews.

And now, what happens to these children? Now they know that there is a better life and they don’t want to live in this misery knowing that they could live a nice life. I think that it’s unfair. The rich people needed cheap actors urgently and they didn’t think of the psychological problems on these children after the film.

The problem is that, although we can see the big moments coming, we aren’t ready to live them. Nobody ask that their life changes, but it changes. Maybe for better or maybe for worst; but it’s then when you open your eyes, you see the reality and you discover who you are.

FRANKENSTEIN: The book VS the film

We read Frankenstein by Mary Shalley and then we saw the film about the book; although is the same story, I’ve found some differences.

• In the film Justin’s mother appears and in the book she doesn’t.
• While in the book Victor’s mother dies of an illness, in the film she dies guing birth to William.
• Victor’s mother gives a diary to Victor in the film but not in the book.
• In the book there is Ernest, the youngest brother and in the film not.
• In the film they celebrate a farewell party.
• In the film Victor knows Henry from University but in the book both were known from childhood.
• In the book, Frankenstein’s laboratory is on an island and in the film it’s near the University.
• In the film version the experiment isn’t a secret as in the book; in the film Henry and the professor know about it as well.
• In the film there is an epidemic.
• Felix’s grandchild, in the film, is a boy and in the book is a girl.
• In the film a man goes to ask Felix for money for rent and then he hits him; the monster saves Felix and after they go into the house. This doesn’t happen in the book.
• In the book the monster saves a girl from the river and this doesn’t happen in the film.
• The photo on the chain, in the book, is of Victor’s mother but in the film is a photo of Victor.
• In the book Justine doesn’t have a trial.
• The monster kills Victor’s father before the honeymoon in the film but, in the book, Victor’s father dies of sadness when he knows that Elisabeth is dead.
• In the film the monster plucks out the Elisabeth’s heart but in the book the monster drowns her.
• The first woman who Victor starts to create in the film is Justine and for this reason he doesn’t want to continue; in the book the women monster is a woman he doesn’t know.
• Victors tries to give life to Elisabeth when she dies but only in the film.
• In the film Henry doesn’t die, therefore, Victor does not go to the jail.
• In the film the monster doesn’t kill itself; it dies burned with Victror’s body.

Have you ever had to ‘catch’ a present?

I don’t know when I had the idea to give a squirrel as a present. It seemed like a good idea at the time but after I was not so sure. Let me explain:

Monday morning I went to buy my present in a old pet shop where they had the last squirrels of this season. The owner gave me an old bird cage and we went to have dinner in a restaurant. Of course I left the squirrel in the car but I covered the cage with my scarf. When I came back my scarf was full of holes!

The squirrel was nice until, while we were sleeping at mid-day the squirrel escaped. Imagine the scene: my mother screaming, my sister screaming, me screaming and the squirrel screaming! It bit us twice until we caught it.

So you think that’s the end…but no! The next day when I arrived home the squirrel wasn’t in the cage but this time we couldn’t find it! I started to think like a squirrel: where would I hide? Finally the squirrel was under a mound of ash in the fireplace; we spent one and a half hours trying to catch it! We dismantled all the room, including the piano.

Finally we caught the squirrel, we reinforced the cage and today I gave the squirrel to it’s new owner: now its his problem. Happy birthday and good luck Màrius!