Farewell....

Hi there! I guess it’s time to say goodbye! Or as the looney toons put it, actually as they funnily stutter it, “it’s all folks!” lol!

Before leaving I’d like to say a few words :(!. Well, to begin with, I’ve found this blog experience most enriching. It proved a really useful tool to me, and I’m pretty sure, to most of us, since the fact that we’ve been sort of forced, in a way, to write a piece every single week improved the quality of our writings heaps. On the other hand, we may also say that our writing skills got much better not only in terms of accuracy, but also in terms of speed and thinking skills. I reckon what most of us usually find really hard is to grab a chair, sit down and warm up our brains to start writing, let alone gathering our thoughts in a split second to decide on the skeleton of our piece, and then be able to say something intriguing about a trivial matter. To my mind, I think, or at least I hope, we’ve pulled it off! So.. what’s left to say is goodbye and.. keep it up girls!

xoxo

Spanglish

I know some of you may think this is an absolutely mind-numbing, run-of-the-mill movie which does’t communicate much, though to me, this is actually a terrific movie in that it so perfectly and neatly depicts Mexican's reality in the United States. It gives us insight into how Mexicans lead there lives there as immigrants, what their feelings are, and how integrated they feel in the American community.

There are 2 sorts of Mexican personalities that can be identified throughout the movie. On the one hand we’ve got the “homesick Mexican type”, this role is fulfilled in the movie by the Mexican mother. This lot felt compelled to emigrate to The States due to economic reasons. This mainly why they completely alienate themselves from the American culture. One of the main sources pf alienation is definitely the language. This kind of Mexicans, having their culture deeply rooted in themselves, feel totally reluctant to learn the English language, a fact which makes Mexicans outcasts in the United States. These Mexicans are then not worthy of any qualified, well-paid job, consequently, they are confined to work as cleaning ladies and , if they get lucky, as babysitters. It goes without saying that these Mexicans have a more than miserable life.

On the other hand there’s the “superior Mexican kind”, this role is played by the Mexican little daughter. This group of Mexicans actually have, to my way of seeing it, a huge inferiority complex. They reckon their native culture is worthless and inferior in comparison to the American. Besides, they feel, as Americans do, that Mexican immigrants are the scum of the American multiracial society. These Mexicans madly crave for Americans’ social approval to be fully integrated in their society. The mere thought of picturing themselves as Mexican castaways greatly torments them. In light of this, Mexicans of such a type strive for a native-like American pronunciation and try really hard to closely resemble them in every possible way. They do whatever takes to mingle with Americans, even if this means obliterating their customs and traditions from their memory.

This movie strikes me as a true- to- reality portrayal of the Mexican culture per se. It gives us a quite illustrative picture of how differently some Mexicans react and adapt to the American environment.

Being Young – It’s Not Fun !

It is with an overwhelming sense of outrage that I am writing to air my views on the fact that being young it is not fun at all – personally, it is not only because I am young (17), but also because I am THE youngEST in my family that my life is so miserable.

One might think that being the last born is, by far, better and easier than being the first born: once your parents have already experienced how to raise the first ones, by instilling discipline into and imparting good manners to them, your parents may feel like the job is done, so what might be left for the youngest one is eternal bliss – though this is by no means the case when you are the youngest girl in a family of four “machos” above you. Believe me, there’s no room for whatsoever opinion you’d like to voice. From choosing which T.V. show to watch during dinner time, to what you’d like to wear to hang out with your best girls, you can never have the last word on anything!

This goes so far even to the point that my family is intruding with my future plans in terms of my studies and my boyfriend. Next year, I’d like to enrol on Graphic Design and, if everything goes according to plan, in the next three years, I’d love to get my degree and, then, move in with my boyfriend. Naturally, my parents won’t approve of this, my dad’d go like: “ you should follow in your father and brothers’ footsteps and study law”... “ you won’t move out with him till you get married and I put my foot down!”

Being 17 is a tough age. One feels so mature when handling some situations, but then so helpless when coping with others, especially those that involve shouldering higher responsibilities such as making crucial decisions, as it is choosing a career you want to pursue for the rest of your life. Our frame of mind is constantly changing as is our emotional sense of being. At this point in life, we are still unstable, vulnerable persons, and all this situation is made even worse when your closest surroundings, namely your family, put stumbling blocks in your way. Therefore, I’d like to conclude saying that, from my experience, being young is neither fun nor easy.

Useful Vocab!

Hi there! I came across some interesting vocab that's worth taking a look! I've here copied their definitions from the oxford dictionary (not the virtual one!) and provided my own examples ;)! check them out! Hope you find them useful! Here you go!

To give chapter and verse: the exact details of sth.
Eg: I hate calling my friend Sarah to know about Saturday’s plans! – she gives chapter and verse, eating up all my credit!!

At a pinch: possible if you try very hard or if it is absolutely necessary
Eg: if I had to pick one of my friends to to go out with, I’d definitely choose Marta at a pinch, she’s such a good laugh!

To screen off sb/sth (from sb/sth): to hide or protect sb/sth by placing sth in front of or around them.
Eg: Being fed up with my entire family, I locked myself in my bedroom, listening to music, reading a book, screened off from them, from whatever could disturb my peace and quiet.

Exasperating: extremely annoying.
Eg: I find his behaviour absolutely exasperating!

To disclose: to give information about something, especially something that was previously a secret.
> to be disclosing > eg: Even though I’m hand in glove with my mum, I’ not that disclosing as I am with my mates when it comes to my boyfriend.

Backlash (from sb): a strong negative reaction by a large number of people, for example to sth that has recently changed in society.
Eg: scientists robuslty defended their theory of evolution in spite of a religious backlash from Catholics.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Capital punishment is one of the most controversial issues nowadays. It appears that everybody fiercely claims what they feel are strong, let alone “righteous” arguments about such an issue: “ an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! ” some might say. But are we being serious about how we are judging this situation? I am posing this question with a view to raise readers’ awareness on the seriousness of this thorny subject, hoping that those who view such punishment in a good light may change their views.

Those in favour of death penalty wholeheartedly believe that it is the right thing to do seeing that putting the actual criminal to sleep will definitely act as a deterrent to possible, subsequent murders. In fact, as most people agree, this will for sure prevent the assassin from taking the lives of more victims – but then, aren’t we deterring murder by actually committing the same crime? That would turn US into murderers and, is this the sort of example we want to set to criminals? Even though both killings are carried out for different reasons, I hold that murdering someone is never right whatever the reason. No one is “entitled” to do such a thing. Besides, what if we end up murdering a completely innocent person?

On the other hand, I feel that we should analize the different reasons that may have led a criminal to take someone else’s life before we arrive at such a verdict. There are plenty of psychological variances that come into play which could lead us not to necessarily kill the assassin, but to punish them in other ways. Other sorts of punishment may eventually help criminals to recover from possible mental disorders which might have prompted the killing. For instance, it could be the case that a pyromaniac sets fire to a building, murdering lots of people due to their mental illness. In the light of this, the crime should, to my way of thinking, be judged from a different perspective.

All in all, personally, I reckon capital punishment is an issue we should give a second thought.

Retro Style, Retro Language!

Are only clothes from your granny’s closet coming back into fashion? I reckon the retro trend is so pervasive that even old-fashioned words are hip these days!The English language is really great in that it’s constantly recycling itself, I mean, there are expressions aplenty that had been trendy in the past, then, naturally became old-fashioned, and now are becoming fashionable again. The fact that these expressions sound a bit outdated is what actually make them catchy nowadays, because they sound funny and therefore nice to the ear. Here I have included some words which seem to have caught on lately, whenever you turn on the T.V. to watch a movie, a series , or a reality show, prick your ears and see if you can spot these words being used! Here you go!

Streetwalker: a prostitute, especially a cheap one, who finds customers by walking in the street. This word is nowadays used to talk about women’s tacky dressing style, which consists of wearing very revealing clothes. There’s then a comparison being made between prostitutes’ dressing style and some women’s outfits.

Preposterous : used to refer to a situation that is absolutely absurd or ridiculous, it’s synonymous with ludicruous.

Wicked: this word is used mainly, not to say in all cases, all around Britain. It means cool, awesome, terrific.

Bob’s your uncle: it means....” and there you go!”, I particularly love this expression :)!
Eg : Can you please tell me where the flag memorial is?
Well, you have to take Cordoba street, carry on until the very end of it, then you’ll bump against the cathedral, you turn on your left and... bob’s your uncle!

Euthanasia

Euthanasia has engendered a lot of controversy all over the world.The origin of the word euthanasia can be traced back to the seventeenth century, it was a term actually coined by Francis Bacon, and the meaning it used to have was quite opposite to the meaning some people nowadays seem to give to it. Traditionally, euthanasia meant a painless, happy death, though in modern times, some seem to translate euthanasia as the intentional killing of a terminally ill patient by their doctor’s means. To my mind, the modern view some people wholeheartedly support is totally unfounded.

It is only natural that patients suffering from an unendurable, excruciating pain choose to engage in euthanasia to hasten their death . After all, terminally ill patients have the right to determine what could be done to their bodies. Or else, similarly, people would not be allowed to choose whether they would like their corpses to be buried or cremated, since a doctor would be the only person entitled to take such a decision. Both issues are definitely comparable due to the fact that bodily integrity is in both cases at stake. Will then the doctor be charged with a crime if he decides to cremate the corpse? The obvious answer seems no. So, why doctors should be penalised if they administer medications to put an end to a patient’s life, when it is actually their patient who has conscientiously decided to abstain from any life-saving treatment?

Doctors have long been regarded as healers. Some may hold that it is contrary to the vocation of doctors to intentionally cause a patient’s death. Though there is some truth in this, it cannot be denied, however, that in circumstances where patients are facing a certain death, it is beyond the power of medicine to revert those situations. There is nothing else to be done but to wait until the patient passes away. If the same fate is to be met all the same, then prolonging a patient’s death would be inconsequential.

Personally, I believe there are no downsides of euthanasia. I can only view it in a good light since it spares the suffering of a terminally ill person who seems not to be able to endure such pain any longer.

Pages I've visited: procon.org