David Steword

This photo of five girls eating sushi has just won the @nationalportraitgallery's Taylor Wessing prize 2015.

“I have always had a fascination with the way people interact", explains David Stewart, who took this photo. "While the girls are physically very close and their style and clothing highlight their membership of the same peer group, there is an element of distance between them.”

David Stewart mentions an element of distance between this four girls but he doesn’t impart which element to us. My opinion is that this mysterious element is their history.

Our lives are like close books which the others just can see the title, our name. People think they know someone just for talking with her or him or worst, knowing her name. The majority of societies believe that we can know the life of someone with social media.  Here we can talk about appearance. Everybody have a false outward look so with social media people show you just what they want to show you.

This photography is merely the front cover of the book of these five girls. We don’t know their story, their past, present and future feelings, bad or happy moments they will shape. We see an image that it doesn’t always reflect the reality. I think we must be careful with appearances.

We are not silent. We are waiting!

An environmental activist makes a powerful statement at the first #EarthDay on 22^nd of April 1970.  Each year the 22^nd of April marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

It’s a fact, climate change and it is happening now. Global temperatures are already on the rise, impacting us all, especially the world’s most vulnerable people.

 If we wait it’s the same than staying in silent. One day we will wake up in a dark and grey world like this photograph. We have to fight to stop global warming. For me the blossom of, probably the last tree of a future world represent the fight. Nothing is more beautiful than an explosion of colors, like the festival of colors in India, Holi. In this case I’m talking about the colors of a healthy world.

Earth Day 1970 capitalized on the emerging consciousness, channeling the energy of the anti-war protest movement and putting environmental concerns front and center. I’m pretty agree about their request. I think if we fight for healthy worlds this is include stopping the war but in the other direction no.

This photograph can be the future but we don’t know the future for this reason we can chose which future we want for us and the future generations.

The famous kiss of City Hall!

Robert Doisneau (1912 – 1994) is a humanist photographer known. This is a photo of Robert Doisneau form after the war where two lovers are kissing in the turbulence of a 1950’s Paris. A picture in black and white that we must, from my opinion, classify in the romantic cliché. It reflects nostalgia or homesickness and joy. I admit that these adjectives are contradictory but when a war is coming and love is in the air everything is possible. Don’t you think so?

At the end what goes around comes around. The years may pass but the love will be remaining and very probably, sadly, it will continue to have wars.

It’s something frighten to know that our technology can destroy our planet ten times or more.  That means we have to act with humanity and solidarity for stop wars. We never have to surrender because we have one planet and one life.

The people of this picture look like they know where they go and no one can stop there. In fact, I hear somewhere that Paris is the city where people know what they want: earning a living. The unique thing can stop this citizen is the feeling of love and this picture is representing it perfectly. 

Libre, seule et assoupi (Free, alone and asleep)

I will talk about the book Libre, seul et assoupi (Free, alone and asleep), of Romain Monnery.

Welcome to the world of work! All the people with a master who are coming to fail, each year, as a shoal of fish in panic out on the shores of non-employment have finally found their spokesman. In this book, Libre, seul et assoupi, Romain Monnery describes a sub-mode of life in a manner jubilant and corrosive. This book was adapted in a film call Free and asleep of Benjamin Guedj. I read the book and I see the film and I love both, it makes me think a lot about our society.

Some phrases of the book I would like to comment on:

 The main character, called in the film Sébastien alias “the other”, said in the book: I am someone who prefers dream her life sooner than live it. I not agree at all about his philosophy, my opinion is that it’s better life his dreams than dream his life.

Another phrase was: We are defined only about what we do and not what we are. I completely agree that the actual society stick etiquettes for what we do. But we know people are inclined to do the opposite to what they say. This reminds me of a citation: Do what I say not what I do. (film / book)

Sociocultural evolution (opinion)

We say that actually, comparing to years before, society evolves a lot. Since the technique of science becomes technology the society improvement faster than before. I’m completely agree that invention change our life but I think the human mentality has stayed the same during years and years before. If we look the medieval conflicts and the actuals are more or less the same. All this war is for power, money and different religions. The unique difference are weapons, so the technology, the way people use the technology, made it different. Otherwise nothing are progressing. 

Forget (opinion)

Forget, a word so easy to say but so difficult to do. When something is hurting you, you would like to blew the memory to forget it. The problem is that isn’t possible. Try to forget it’s a long fight between the world and yourself. We have to know that the best friend in these moments is time. Give time to time, I mean in these moments we must be patient and allow time to do things.

I read somewhere that people can get used to anything. Perhaps you will never forget it but you will accept it.

Live in the moment (opinion)

To live is to discover. If one day we know our future we would not have more motivation to live, it will already be lived. For example: When you have already seen a movie you generally do not watch it a second time.

When people say I would like to know the future to take the correct decision, for me it’s the same as say something like I would like to take my life’s book and read it.

We have to stop being afraid at our future and live the moment because before the moment it is not the moment and after it is no more the moment. So don’t live nor in the past nor in the future just live the present, the moment.

Ignorance (opinion)

Is ignorance so bad? People usually think it but sometimes I believe the better solution it's to not know the truth or what's happen. I often heard "the truth eventually comes out ".

I'm thinking about the attempt in Paris. One afternoon I was looking at the news of Paris when I ask me: You think it’s better to don't know what is happening and to don't be afraid to what can happen to my sisters who live in Paris or to know what is happening to have arguments when we speak about this. I finally continue to look at the news to understand the reason of the appalling acts of this terrorist.

Look at your plate (opinion)

My mum always tell me "Look at your plate" when I compare myself to my sisters. I don't know for you but for me it's really hard to do not compare myself to others. It is so easy look at others. In the present day see the life of others is so easy with social media. You have millions of summaries of lives that with just one click you can see all these clothes you don't have and you would like to have or travels you never could live. In the past, books made you dream but now people live your dreams for you.

Can the language we speak affect our behaviour? (opinion)

When you chose to learn a language take your time to choose it. My opinion I think it is really important. In fact I think this because I did a short work about “How languages affect our behavior”. When you know a language you absorb a culture and this can change your behavior. I suppose you believe it’s more complex than this, and it’s is. But I want to clarify my opinion. I think the language you learn makes you see the world in a different way and I believe it changes your behaviour. For this reason when you chose a language instead of others look at the attitude of the people who speak the language as their native language. If you like their comportment you are in the correct direction because you surely will act like them. 

ABORIGINE WALKABOUT

For thousands of years Australia’s first people have been intricately connected to the land. They are custodians with spiritual and environmental obligations and see the land as a living entity. Travelling their respective country and understanding every aspect of the landscape is a uniquely Aboriginal tradition that non-Indigenous defined this tradition with the word ‘walkabout’.

The aborigine walkabout: Many aborigines Australia send their young men into the wilderness for up to 6 months to test whether they are ready to become men. The boys must survive, unassisted, and keep themselves totally isolated. When they return after 6 months they will be considered men of the tribe.

 ‘Walkabout’ indisputably belongs to Australia’s Aboriginal culture and it has long fascinated Australians. The concept first surfaced in Australian popular culture in the magazine titled Walkabout in 1934 that combined cultural, geographic, and scientific content with travel literature. Then in the 1950s the Australian Broadcasting Corporation screened a TV series called Australian Walkabout.

(My opinion)

I choose this rite of passage after read a lot of different ones. Indeed I thought that this rite of passage was the worst one but instead it was the less dangerous. Of course it is dangerous but everything can be more or less dangerous so my point of view is that the Aborigine Walkabout is less than others. I think in the third world no one is able to experiment something like this. It’s impressive to know that there are still people able to survive alone 6 months in the wilderness. People with the necessary knowledge for take care himself and survive.

I WILL SURVIVE

(Gloria Gaynor)

I think the song I will survive of Gloria Gaynor is quite to a rebel song. The song talks about a girl who was dumped by the boy. He left her and she was really sad and petrified.

She thought that he wasn’t as nice as she had thought. After realized this she prayed the god for strength and not to fall apart. So she started to was strong.

Hereafter he invited himself to her house. So she finds him in her house looking sad, she didn’t want him there and she thought that she should have changed the lock or taken his keys so he couldn’t come back.

She said to him: Did you think I would fall apart, crumble or be crushed by you?

Finally she told him to leave because she didn’t need him anymore and she was keeping her love for someone else.

In summary it’s about a woman who will survive living alone without a man.

The email !

The email !

Hello, my name is Faustine. I’m going to talk and give you some information about my childhood until now. First of all I think it’s important to clarify some basic information like I’m a girl and I’m sixteen-year-old. I was born in Paris, the capital of France, where my two older sisters are living now. We are four sisters. Rebecca is the oldest, after there is Jessica and finally Ophélie is the youngest like me because she is my twin. Ophélie lives with me and my parents in Spain, more precisely in Empuriabrava for 9 years ago. Actually, I can talk four languages, my native language which is French, also Catalan and Spanish and I can speak more or less fluent English. I love traveling around the world, meeting people, improving the languages I know and learn some words from others languages. In my leisure time I enjoy sports and playing piano. When I have a little bit of time for me, I always go to play the piano. Finally for finish this text about myself, I can say I will strive to improve my English.

Italians Interview!

(Faustine, Deborah and Ophélie)

US-Where are you from?
  ITALIANS-We from Italy.

US-How did you come here? By plane, ship or train?
  ITALIANS-We came by ship.

US-Why are you in Barcelona?
  ITALIANS-We are there on holiday for the last year of school.

US-How long are you going to stay here? 
  ITALIANS-We arrived here on Wednesday and we will leave on Sunday.

US- Are you travelling with family or friends?
  ITALIANS- (They answer this question in the third answer: with school, so with friends).

US-What have you visited up to now?
  ITALIANS-We have visited the Parc Güell and the Magic Fountaine of Montjuïc.

US-What do you like the most in Barcelona?
  ITALIANS- I like La Rambla because is amazing. Specialy when we go there in the evening.

US- Is there anything you don't like?
  ITALIANS- No, there isn't.

US- Have you bought any presents?
  ITALIANS- No, we haven't bought any presents yet.

US- How do you get around in the city, by underground, car, bus or on foot?
  ITALIANS- By underground, taxi, bus and a lot on foot .

US- Do you know any words in Catalan or Spanish?
  ITALIANS- (They know): Buenos días; Hola, que tal?; Bondia


US- Have you tried any typical Spanish or Catalan food?
  ITALIANS- We haven’t try yet, but we have to try the paella.

US- Do you think Barcelona is expensive?
  ITALIANS- (They say first): No. (But some of them thought and finally they say): Yes, more than Italy.

US-  Do you see any differences from your country?
  ITALIANS- The Spanish people are not strict with the schedule. It’s not like Italie.

US-   Would you recommend Barcelona to your family or friends?
  ITALIANS- Yes, of course.

US-  Do you take a lot of pictures? What do you like taking pictures of?
  ITALIANS- Yes! We take a lot of selfies.

US- Have you heard about the Catalan process for Independence?
  ITALIANS- Only a little bit.

US- Will you come back again?
  ITALIANS- Yes!

US-Described Barcelona with one Word:
  ITALIANS- Particular

THE RABBIT FAMILY 

(A short tale for kids)

The rabbit family was having tea on a beautiful Saturday morning. When they finished the dad rabbit and the little rabbit went to the park on the red bicycle.

They arrived five minutes later. At the park two little rabbit's friend were playing. Little rabbit went to play with them.

In the meantime mum rabbit and the two older daughter was picking up apples to make an apple cake.

Mum rabbit daughter's needed sunglasses so she went to took it. When she come back she stopped in front of a white flower. At ten meters a cow sow mum rabbit and went to talk with her. But when the cow stopped in front of her she was frightened. That provoked the transformation of the cow into a rabbit-butterfly.

Weeks after the rabbit-butterfly and mum rabbit were the best friend in the world. They communicated with bubbles the rest of their live.

When the older daughter was sixteen years old, she thought she was too big, so she decided to skip every morning.

The middle daughter loved the sky and without noticing she started to look at the moon every night.

The little one was sad to see her sisters growing so fast and she knew the funny moments in the bath would never happen again. But she made new friends. Two little mouses how helped the little rabbit to cook.

At the end the rabbit house was occupied only by mum and dad rabbit.

Great time

Italy, this has definitely been one of the greatest and best trips I have ever done. I would like to say thank you to all the people, friends and mainly my classmates and teachers that have made it such a remarkable experience. I was very sad to leave but I know that I have nice memories in my head and I'm sure that there will be new experiences to come.

I came back from Italy on Friday night, at 12 o'clock so when I went to sleep at 1:00 am I started my short weekend. Two days later my Easter holidays began. 

The weekend was the shortest weekend that I have ever had because on Saturday I woke up at 4 pm and the rest of the day passed without all those big, awesome and historic monuments that I saw in Italy every day!

The day after I went to Barcelona with my sister Ophélie until Tuesday to see our friend Katia. I have had a fun time and I have new nice memories!

1. Six days in some cities of Italy
(In the picture we can see the Duomo of Florence at night)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. Two days in Barcelona!

The life...

In this simple picture we can see two little Chinese girls playing in front of some old houses with an old bicycle. I suppose one of them is trying to help the other one to ride a bike.

Someone take a pic of a nice moment, without photomontage, with two innocent young girls and everyone can think the life is easy and something without problems where everyone helps each other.

The horizon...

As shown in this picture we are in a history which is moving in the fragile borderline who are between logical and irrational. 

It's necessary to exist to shout attention and it's crucial to overcome life obstacles to live without restriction.

It's not because the things are difficult that we don't dare, it's because we don't dare that they are difficult.

I think <<only time is ours>> It's our more valued property and, however we squander it so willingly. <<I think, therefore I am>> so everything we think are the reflects of our actions. On the other hand all our actions have positve or negative result. Wether you think you can like you can't, you're right, so live intensely your short life.

. . .