A human little cutie.

Do you remember that in one of my previous posts I told you that I love watching videos about babies and the crazy things they do? Well, I am writing about that topic one more time. 

You must have heard about this new video because it's everywhere : on the web, on many social networks and in the news. 

This time the video is about a baby girl who.. who... NO. I don't want to say what happens in the video. I want you to face it for the first time (if you haven't watched it) and experience it with all your senses. The only thing I will say is that IT MADE ME CRY. Now it's your turn to see it. 

Here it goes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSCZWQjTm6s

I am really sensitive. I cry when I watch movies, when I read something that awakens something in me. I cry with sad pieces of news. Oh my goodness! I cry for every little thing. Anyway, I tend to watch these videos to have fun because I enjoy babies (funny) behaviors. And as I told you, I will record my babies all the time when I am a mom. Unlike the rest of the videos, this one in particular really touched me. I didn't have words to express what I was feeling. It is quite moving. 

My dad aked me whether I have watched the video or not and that's the reason why I faced it for the very first time. When I watched the whole situation, I couldn't believe it. This baby girl feels a special connection with her mother's voice or with the song, this we'll never know. But, for sure, this little beautiful baby has and exceptional interpersonal intelligence.  It can be easily seen that this baby is not crying due to fear or pain. She is crying from the emotions of listening to her mother's singing. She cries and smiles at the same time. At the very first note her mother sings, she bursts into tears of emotion on listening to her tender voice. 

This is the last post. :(  I've enjoyed this a lot! 

I hope you liked my posts. I really loved yours.

See you soon girls.

BYE :)

What would you do..?

"THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF"

Franklin Roosevelt

Hi people. How are you? Here I am, I'm catching up with the blog. I think this is one of the greatest tasks we've been asked during the Teaching Training Program. I really enjoy it! 

Well, I had been trying to find a thought-provoking topic for the blog during the weekend but nothing really catchy came to my mind. 

But today, while I was coming back home from work by bus, I was caught by a quote that is written in one of the walls of our city. I always see the quote when I go by, but I've never paid very much attention to it. The quotes says: "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" (In Spanish , of course.)

The quote got me thinking the whole way back home. However, I couldn't find any personal answer to the question. I want to do many things in life, I AM A DREAMER as Lennon put it. 

I want to be independent, I want to work a lot, I want to keep on studying and developing some skills, I want to have some spare time to do all the activities that fill my soul and make me feel alive, I want to TRAVEL THE WORLD, I want to follow the process of construction of my own house, I want to be a good mom and have a "perfect" family. I don't know. I want EVERYTHING that could make me happy. Nevertheless, I still don't have these things because I think it's not the time yet, it's not because I'm afraid. 

I think I'm only afraid of little bugs and those tiny and flying insects, ha ha. 

So, as I don't completely believe in my not being afraid of anything I would like your comments to be full of questions in relation to this. Questions like "are you afraid of...?" "Aren't you afraid of..?" Or things like these. I will definitely answer and I will thank you for making me think about it.  And I also would like to know about your fears, if you happen to have any.. :)

Hope you like it. 

See you then. 

Bye :)

Unplanned plans

If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.

George Bernard Shaw

Have you ever realized that the more you plan, the less things work out? It's incredible. It seems there's someone up there or down there or wherever observing you and witnessing how hard you work for things to go the way you want and then this being says: "Sorry, but I'm gonna mess everything up". 

This can be analyzed from different perspectives. On the one hand, this is something positive. This has the factor of the unexpected which, sometimes, can be surprising and great and can light up your day or, why not, your life. A clear example of this is what happened to me last night. 

I finally came back home after work. It was 8.30 p.m. My mother commented me that she was going with a group of trekkers to Cerro de la Cruz. I've trekked this hill several times so I said: "Ok, nice! Have a good time". But then I realized that I had never trekked at night. Suddenly, this idea crossed my mind and I decided to go as well. I invited my boyfriend since we didn't have any plan and most of the members of my family went too: my aunts, my uncles and my dad. It was an unforgettable familiar experience. The weather was good to us, even though there were some parts in which the wind blew us all haha. We had some sandwiches when we reached the peak. We listened to music, we talked, we laughed. The conclusion is that this wasn't planned and everything was OK. We had fun and wasted some energy at the same time. 

(Good for you, Carl)

Now, I work really hard during the week, I study a lot and try to be responsible and fulfill all the requirements. Taking this into account, you can imagine how much I wait for weekends. I do everything I can during the week so as to have free weekends. I don't plan anything I just want to rest and enjoy my free time. Well, this unknown being that seems to enjoy ruining everything appears from time to time. I would like to ask him/her/it why? Why are you so mean? Why don’t you let me enjoy my weekends!

What do you think about this? Is there a similar being in your lives?

Fortunately, there is something good about the unexpected and unplanned. I'm not completely against this and I receive with a huge smile everything that can bring something positive for me. However, I hate it when it happens that you are striving for something or waiting for something and you work hard to get it and this being says HA HA as Nelson from The Simpsons does. 

IT'S SATURDAY, SO THERE IS A CHANCE YET. The weekend is not over. Everything can change in a day.

Thank you for reading

See you soon, girls! J

(I add a photo for you to see how beautiful the view from Cerro de la Cruz is)

OUR TIME

Hello there!! How are you doing? I'm quite relaxed I must admit and I don't know why. 

I enjoy so much posting in my blog and commenting yours and I hate the fact of not being able to post when I have to: On Fridays. 

This is related to TIME. The time that we don't have or the time we have but we don't know how to allot to our daily activities.

But, first of all, what is time?  I share with you this definition of TIME taken from Wikipedia (such a reliable source, but well, we all go there from time to time, haha)

"Time is a dimension in which events can be ordered from the past through the present into the future,  and also the measure of durations of events and the intervals between them"

Now, have you ever thought about how relative the concept of time is in relation to each individual and the context in which we are? I always complain about the difference between the duration of hours during the week and the duration of hours during the weekend. Technically, there are 60 minutes in an hour. However, it seems hours are looooooonger when we are working or studying and when we are having fun time flies. This is completely unfair, don't you think? 

Time dimensions also depend on the people and the moment they are living. 

For instance: Some of us are about to graduate, right? And, technically we'll be "free" in two months. Now, TWO months is just two months, 8 weeks or 60 days. No more than that, no less than that. But FOR ME, and for sure for the rest of the girls, two months is like TWO DECADES. WHY? This may happen to most students. The last two months are the busiest ones. We have to hand in billions of practical works, assignments, and we have to deliver oral presentations and finish our practicums, and then we have the colloquiums, the final exams, and .. and... and.. EVERYTHING IN TWO MONTHS. So, two months seem to be so far away from us and maybe, for a person that has an ordinary routine two months is nothing in comparison to the whole year. That's why I'm saying it depends.

What follows has nothing to do with my reflection about time. The thing is that I love IDIOMS and IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS. It's really hard for me to learn them. That's why I try to add some of them to all my writings. 

Here you have the ones that I learnt today. 

TIME AND TIDE WAIT FOR NO MAN. This can be applied to those moments in which we have to hand in something and we wish time to stop for a while. It's impossible because time and tide wait for no man. 

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Time+and+tide+wait+for+no+man

LIFE IS SHORT AND TIME IS SWIFT. We have to appreciate our time and our lives because they are not going to last forever. 

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Life+is+short+and+time+is+swift

TO HAVE A WHALE OF A TIME. When I finish the training program and I go on holidays I'll have a whale of a time, haha!

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/have+a+whale+of+a+time

QUALITY TIME. You know this one. Even when I'm running out of time or I am in a rush I try to spend quality time with my people. 

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/quality+time

RACE AGAINST TIME. That's where we are. 

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/race+against+time

TO HAVE TIME TO KILL. That's what I want!! 

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/have+time+to+kill

SEE YOU GIRLS AND HAVE A GOOD TIME!

SECOND PART

Hi Girls! How are you doing? I’m fine. REALLY REALLY TIRED. I’m waiting for this year to come to an end once and for all.

As you know, last Wednesday, Nadya and I gave a presentation about interesting facts about the animal world. Did you enjoy it? WE CERTAINLY DID. The presentation was supposed to last half an hour and, of course, we couldn’t talk about everything we found out on the web. That’s why I decided to post the TOP 5 of the EXCLUDED from AMAZING AND INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE ANIMAL WORLD THAT MAKE OUR WORL WONDERFUL (The title of our presentation, remember? Haha)

Let’s start.

NUMBER FIVE

SEA HORSES (hippocampus)

Beautiful Creatures. I know we included this animal in our presentation, but I wanted to add more information. We said that they are monogamous life mates and travel holding each other’s tails. Another interesting fact, which Valeria mentioned in class, is that the male is the one who carries the eggs.  Take a look at this explanation.

“Male seahorses are equipped with a brood pouch on their ventral, or front-facing, side. When mating, the female deposits her eggs into his pouch, and the male fertilizes them internally. He carries the eggs in his pouch until they hatch, then releases fully formed, miniature seahorses into the water.”

Here, unlike most species, the male is the mom. Really interesting.

Source: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/sea-horse/

(Just in case) Brood pouch: a saclike structure in any of various animals, such as the abdominal receptacle marsupium in marsupials or the cheek fold in rodents  http://www.wordreference.com/

NUMBER FOUR

GEESE

These animals are well-known for the long-term relationships they have. It would be great to believe that they have a never-ending love just for LOVE’s sake. But the truth is that they have this agreement, let’s say, in order to maximize breeding opportunities. However, they are not always faithful. They tend to engage in extra-pair mating. Just like some humans, right? Haha

Source: http://ingenira.hubpages.com/hub/Do-Animals-Fall-in-Love

NUMBER THREE

HORNED TOAD

Even though the name is HORNED TOAD, this animal is, in fact, a lizard. “The short-horned lizard is often referred to as a “horned toad” or “horny toad” because its squat, flattened shape and short, blunt snout give it a toad-ish look.” Interesting, uh?

Now, you won’t believe what’s next. I couldn’t believe it when I read it. Imagine when I actually SAW it. THESE ANIMALS SHOOT BLOOD FROM THEIR EYES AS A DEFENSIVE MECHANISM. Yes, girls, that’s what I’m saying. And, as I know this is hard to get , I added a short video for you to picture it.

Source: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/horned-toad/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI5t_VmHWWI

NUMBER TWO

PENGUINS

Penguins are beautiful to me.  While searching the net, I found out that they have a lot of fun. How do they do it? They do TOBOGGANING. What’s that? Look at the picture! They slide on their tummies over the ice and the snow. Of course, this has a more useful function. Penguins use this part of their body to travel more efficiently.

Source: http://facts.randomhistory.com/penguin-facts.html

NUMBER ONE.

GIANT GOLDEN-CROWNED FLYING FOX (or Acerodon Jubatus)

The name of the animals says it all, doesn’t it? Ok, I’ve just realized that the name just confuses everyone. This is A BAT! Of course, the largest bat in the world. And, as human beings are always there ruining everything, this not-ordinary-at-all animal is on the verge of extinction thanks to poaching and forest destruction. Take a look at the images. Rare, uh?

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_golden-crowned_flying_fox

I’ve enjoyed pretty much writing this post, I hope you enjoy it as well.

I will be looking forward reading your opinions, your reactions, and everything you want to add.

See you soon! 

I want it back.

"A child's smile can light up a day. A child's innocence charms many hearts. That's why it must be protected. Love your child and you will get abundance of love in return."

Hi  there! How are you dear mates? I want to tell you something that happened to me yesterday. In fact, I've thinking about this idea lately and I'm getting more and more certain with the passing of the days.

Yesterday afternoon, I was in the supermarket with my grandma buying some things to accompany the mate.  While we were waiting in the queue, a group of five eleven-year-old girls were walking around the gondola whooping and behaving as if they were alone in this world. I know this is a typical characteristic of pre-adolescents. However, there was something I didn’t expect from them. They said: “Llevamos un Fernet para esta noche?” I repeat: THEY WERE ELEVEN YEARS OLD.

The idea behind this is INNOCENCE. This innocence our children don’t have. They are little by little losing it. What is happening? How is it possible that this group of little girls want to have FERNET?

I see it in my little students who are seven and say or think things they shouldn’t.  I see it in my cousins who are 11 and 13 and they want to behave as adults. They have some attitudes that shock me. I see it in every child. We don’t have any more children in our world. We have little adults. And I don’t think this is ok

.

I remember my pre-adolescence. I wanted to be an adult as well. I wanted to act independently. I believed I was the queen of the world and I could do whatever I wanted. I WANTED TO. Today’s children and adolescents ARE and BEHAVE as adults. It’s not a wish for them. It’s a reality.

The worst thing here is that it seems that REAL ADULTS allow this. Their parents, their teachers or whoever is in charge laugh at this situation. I don’t think it’s funny. First, it’s not funny because children end up believing they have some rights they don’t really should be having. They are authoritarian and bad-tempered. Second, because they HAVE TO enjoy this stage in their lives. INNOCENCE. They should be willing to play in the parks, to have dolls and little cars, to enjoy the fact of not having responsibilities.

I’m worried. I’ve been thinking about this a lot. It seems there’s nothing we can do about it. THERE IS.

I’m not a mother and I don’t know what I am going to do by then. However, I think LIMITS and RULES are really important and LEADING BY THE EXAMPLE is absolutely necessary.

Well girls, I shared my thought about this new trend our children and adolescents are following. I just want to know whether I’m the only one worrying about this and noticing these changes or not.

See you soon. Have a nice day!

Por cuatro esquinitas de nada

Hi there! How are you? Happy Monday! I know I should have posted this on Friday but I couldn't make time. Better late than never! Here it is.

Last Friday, my partners and I had the opportunity to listen to an English teacher, Susana, who works in a school for students with special needs. It was great to know the dynamics of those schools. She explained to us how the different levels are reached and the varied strategies they have to use. This teacher put emphasis on how hard it is to find material to be used in those cases. It is difficult but not impossible. Susana showed us some authentic and home-made videos in order to get us closer to their reality.  It was very clear that working for those students means hard work. Nonetheless, with a huge smile in her face, she made us feel how gratifying her job is. Everything was new to me. I knew these people (I don’t say children because there are many adults as well) were educated in a different establishment. But I didn’t know how they did it.

It was Friday afternoon and it was almost the end of a long long week and I just wanted to get home. However, I learnt a lot and I enjoyed this talk pretty much.

But it was the way in which Susana gave a closure to the talk what I liked the most: she showed us a video which told a story about Cuadradito y Redonditos. I really want you to see it.

 

My reflection: Again, I have mixed feelings towards this topic.

On the one hand, I think it is ok they have a specific school where trained people take care of their individual needs and use the means these students really need in order to educate them. On the other hand, it is a way of differentiating them and excluding them and that's not the idea.  In addition to this, in these schools, teachers have few students and it is possible, though hard, to pay attention to each of them. In ordinary schools, there are 30 students in a classroom and it’s really difficult to pay attention to and take control of all of them, even when these children don’t have special needs.

The story of Cuadradito and Redonditos is really touching. It got me thinking all the weekend long. And, once again, I don’t know what to think.