A Typical Day in Santa Barbara, California

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by Gabriel Rickenbach, Switzerland and Eva Schwenger, Germany

Weird beeping. The beeping is getting louder and louder and louder. Where`s my iPhone? I take my iPhone but it isn’t vibrating. I’m confused like Confucius. Suddenly I realize that it`s my friend’s iPhone. Why doesn’t my roommate turn off their mobile phone? School doesn’t start until 1 p.m. for me. Welcome to my home share.

Meanwhile 5.3 miles west a girl stands in front of her closet very troubled. She doesn’t know what to put on. Her phone shows the weather forecast for today: rain and up to 15 degrees Celsius (57.2 degrees Fahrenheit). Time to put on a hoodie and some long jeans. But which should she wear? The struggle is real. With the right jeans and the not-so-right hoodie, she leaves the house. Next task, which has to be accomplished in order to go to school, is catching the bus. Thank god the bus is late as well! She hopes it will be next time or she’ll get into serious trouble. Oh well, it’s just attendance.

BusMeme

I force myself to get out of my bed. My back is hurting. This decrepit bed has probably killed more than one back. I shuffle to the kitchen, grab the cereal and a gallon of milk and enjoy a boring breakfast. Still in my pyjamas I return to my room. One of four beds is already empty, the other three occupied with people who share the same schedule as me. I open my cupboard, grab some clothes which don’t seem filthy, and put them on.

Holding her phone in her right hand and a coffee in the other, she checks in which room she’ll have class next. Why doesn’t her phone connect with the Wi-Fi? She logs in with the username and password provided by the school for the seventh time this week.  It’s so tedious to always reconnect with the Wi-Fi! After she has reentered the information she opens the “myEF” App but it crashes. She gives it a second try and it shows where she has to be. But hurry up she’s already late! Entering the room she feels a breeze but the longer she stays in this room this breeze turns into freeze and the girl starts wondering why the school tries to compete with the Santa Barbara weather which one being the coldest.

SchoolMeme

 

I hit up my friends on WhatsApp to ask what they’re up to this morning but nobody seems to have a good idea. Afternoon class just wastes a whole day because what can you do in the morning? For the beach it’s too cold and for other activities there isn’t enough time available. Maybe I should go to Starbucks and see how they spell my name this time.

I’m feeling so tired, even though I slept enough. Let’s hope that this class ends soon. The most motivated person in this room is standing right in front of me. Maybe I can sneak out the class and fill my bottle of water. Maybe a snack afterwards? But hopefully the vending machine will take my Dollar bill this time…

Finally, school is over and I’m meeting my friend. Time for our vitamins of the day, also known as Yogurtland, our guilty pleasure. After meeting with our friends we start the tiresome walk down State Street towards the sweet release. When we arrive we happily accept the sample cups and pile them way too high with frozen yogurt. Freed from hunger we’re leaving for Sandbar so the lucky ones in our rows can hit it. Hard. So after a couple of Caipirinhas and some non- alcoholic beverages, we fancy going to the beach to have a BBQ.

DrinkingMeme

We order an UberXL to fit all the people inside and go to Ellwood Beach. While the boys try lighting a fire (which is the saddest thing to watch) the girls eat Cheetos and contemplate on how real men would light a fire. The sun is setting and the fire slowly starts to light up the scene. The music blasts and the mood gets better and better. Nobody wastes a thought about having to go to school early the next morning. Oh well, welcome to California everybody!

Campfire

Homeless People in America

Posted on by efsbnews

By Klara Keysendal, Sweden

What is homelessness? 

How to prevent homelessness? 

Homelessness occurs when people do not have the ability to take care of themselves. In January 2015, more than 560,000 people were homeless in the United States. About 200,000 were people in families, and about 360,000 were individuals. Almost 17 percent are considered chronically homeless, which is someone who has experienced homelessness for a year or longer and has physical or mental conditions. About 8 percent of the homeless people are veterans.

homeless

There are many factors to become a homeless person; poverty, job loss, health care, mental illness and much more. Persons living in poverty are most at risk of becoming homeless, to not have enough money and to be a homeless person makes it harder to get a job. Health care is a bigger problem for a person who is already homeless; many homeless people are ill and do not ever receive medical care.

homeless1

Numerous studies have shown that about 1/3 of the homeless people have serious mental illnesses, mostly schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. People who are homeless often use drugs and alcohol to deal with their situation, and to temporarily relieve their problems. The majority of domestic victims are women. 1 of 4 woman are abused in their relationships and they choose to stay in a dangerous relationship or to be homeless.

homeless2

It is hard to help all the homeless people in America, but we can probably help some of them. Communities and the government have to help. You as a private person can help as well. Give them food or clothes so they can survive during the day. Help them to find a job, start working and to take care of themselves. Give them assistance to find a place to live where they can be supported both mentally and physically .

Cali’s Best Parties

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BY Dorien van Veen, Switzerland

Flashing colored lights, moving light beams, laser lightshows, strobe lights, mirror-covered disco balls, or foam, and smoke machines in combination with music repeated by good DJ’s and a lot of excited people dancing on big dance floors. Where can you find the best parties in California?

Let’s talk about what makes a party an unforgettable event. In my opinion it’s all about  good music, variety, the guests with the fun party atmosphere, enough space to dance, but also the possibility to sit down and rest or just talk. A really good party has to have something special, but shouldn’t be too expensive. However, the party folks like some kind of luxurious touches.

I mentioned that variety is an important point to make a party worth going to. There are some different types of parties in California. I’d like to present the three most exciting:

 (http://calipartybus.com/)

How can a party be more mobile than inside a driving party van? San Francisco and San Diego provide such parties taking place inside of a huge and luxurious limo bus. 10, up to 55, persons can celebrate their personal party inside. You can also ask for a party-tour and the bus will stop at some clubs or beaches for you to go out and join the best celebrations. And I have to say that it’s really affordable.

Party bus rates will vary based on the following factors:

  • Vehicle size: 20, 30, 40, 45 or 57 passenger party buses.
  • Day of the week: Sunday – Thursday rates; Friday / Saturday rates.
  • Time of the day: Is your event during the day or at night?
  • Location: How many miles will you travel to your pickup location and what is your itinerary?
  • Type of event: Are you planning a bachelor party, wedding, concert or festival, Napa wine tour or San Francisco nightclub tour?

Party waves (http://www.destination360.com/travel/beaches/west-coast-beaches)

If you are a beach-party lover, you may want to get to know the following 6 best places to party during spring break in California. With plenty of options, all focused on the lifestyles of the rich and the famous, you and your friends are sure to enjoy every second spent there. Make your decisions wisely, because every destination on this top 6 list is completely worth visiting

  1. Palm Springs: This is undeniably the hottest spring break destination in California for anyone who wants a party that never ends the whole week. Although there are no beaches around, there are plenty of fun activities that make up for the lack of water. Don’t worry, you will still be getting plenty of California sunshine.
  2. Hollywood: One of the most famous places in the world for having some of the hottest parties under the sun. During Spring Break the parties get even better in this diverse city that has something for you to do 24/7 regardless how old and who you are.
  3. Malibu: While you may not want to book separate hotel rooms because of this costly beach destination, get together with a group of friends and rent a beach house for a week. There is always plenty of specials for this occasion, and breathtaking sandy beaches to satisfy your every desire.
  4. Laguna Beach: Known from the hit TV series on MTV, this destination is where you will indulge in luxurious lifestyles, and wake up to the peaceful beaches every morning. You are best booking a beach house rental for the week here. There are plenty of activities and nightlife for you and all your friends
  5. Santa Monica: Here you will wake up to the breeze from the Pacific Ocean, and go to sleep to the bright lights and partying around the beaches. There are plenty of specials readily available for your whole crew. Enjoy the dining experiences that come along with this beautiful city.
  6. San Diego: Known for some of the biggest parties ever in the southern Californian area, San Diego contains many luxuries of a city that will keep your attention no matter where you may be. Enjoy great deals on hotels and restaurants, along with all inclusive deals for your whole party. 

    Hit the Dance floor (http://clubzone.com/california/places/nightclubs/)

    The best nightclub I‘ve ever been to is the OHM in Hollywood.

    This club in the heart of Hollywood right at the Hollywood Boulevard and the well-known walk of fame has a huge dance floor, two stages, a very comfortable lounge area and enough space for smokers and people who just want to talk to each other or cool down. Two bars inside and one outside make it possible for you to refresh yourself with a cold drink. You even have the possibility to smoke a hookah outside (which is pretty expensive for $60). And the view is priceless and breathtaking.

Whoopi Goldberg – Not Only An Actress

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By Jeni Kuruthukulangara

She is one of the few people who won the EGOT – the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards. Caryn Elaine Johnson, better known as Whoopi Goldberg, is one of the actresses who impressed the world with her acting skills. She portrayed many characters in different kind of movies, such as The Color Purple, Ghost, Sister Act. How did she start in film business?  

 

Whoopi Goldberg

Goldberg was born in 1955 in New York and was brought up by her single mother. Although she was considered as a shy person, she loved to entertain her family by imitating actors from the television. Due to her tough life in New York, she became a drug addict and was in rehab at the age of 17. After only one year she was released from rehab, married ,and pregnant with her only child. Later on she got divorced from her first husband and moved away with her daughter to San Francisco, CA.

Goldberg and daughter

 

On the West Coast, she started a career as a stand-up comedian and established her one-woman show called The Spook Show. The outstanding show included humor, satire and drama and she was asked to tour  through the United States and the Europe. Soon after, the show was adapted to a Broadway show and was renamed as Whoopi Goldberg. This was the turning point of Goldberg’s career. Although William Farley discovered Goldberg, Steven Spielberg contributed to and launched her career as a movie actress.  From then on, she has had several performances in movies, various shows and performances. Goldberg as Celie in The Color Purple

She is a hard-working and ardent person. Beside her stage career, she continued her studies. She holds Ph.D. in literature from New York University and she is an active human rights advocate. Even now, in March 2016, she started a new company with Maya Elisabeth called Whoopi and Maya, which is dealing with medical cannabis.  

 

Whoopi and MayaTheir company is offering salves, balms and edibles. These are produced with high quality, infused with cannabis and sold at a fair price. The aim is to relieve menstrual pain and discomfort. The company is based in San Francisco and you can buy their products only in California. We have a store in Santa Barbara called Evergreen Compassionate Care which is selling their products.  

https://youtu.be/eEXKlkDC65k

 

Against all the struggles and difficulties which life brought her, Whoopi Goldberg climbed the ladder of success. She is not only a prosperous actress but also a smart entrepreneur. Seldom has an actor overcome her drug addiction and turned it into a business.  She reminds us that we have the strength to shape our own destiny. So, go for it!

San Fermin Festival

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Vera Martinez de Morentin, Spain.

I’ll talk about one of the most known festivals in the world. The name is San Fermin and it takes place in the North of Spain, in a city called Pamplona. It lasts one week,  every July from the 6th to the 14th inclusively. Every year thousands of people around the world go to the city to enjoy the big party. This festival has become known thanks to an american writer, his name is Ernest Heminway, who went to San Fermin and then wrote a book about it.

This festival begin the 6 of July at 12 am, when the mayor gives a short speech followed by the “Chupinazo” (a rocket). After that, the typical Spanish families are used to eat together, but the rest of the people start partying, dancing and drinking until 14 of July. During the day there are lost of events, so you won’t be bored. For example the bars are open until 6 am and also, there are music on the street. In the afternoon there are “corridas de toros” (bullfight) and when they finish, the people go thorugh the streets of Pamplona singing and dancing.

san-ferminsan fermin la-plaza-de-toros-de-pamplona

One of the most known event is the “encierro” (running of the bulls). The first one is on the 7th at 8 am, another rocket is thrown and 6 bulls start to run for 2 or 3 minutes across Pamplona streets being followed by houndreds of people. While this is happening, there are thousands of people watching this and waiting the bulls to arrive at the “Plaza de Toros” (bullring). Sometimes this becomes very dangerous and if there are drunk people running, they are likely to die. Of course, the police works very hard to try this not to happen; also, there are a double fencing so the animals can’t escape. This spectacle is televised in a nacional channel, but also, there are japanese, american, australian television…

san ferminsan fermin hfgd

Also you should know some things like: all the people wear white clothes with a red ( …… ); San Fermin is the patron saint of Navarra; the typical drink is wine, sangria and kalimotxo; there are also religion events taking place in churches; some of the foreigner don’t have a place to stay, so they sleep in parks; 14th of July is a very sad day for us, and we sing “Pobre de mi” at 12pm to end the festival. That day starts the count back until next year.

SanFermin.jpg procesionsan-fermin-pobre-de-mi_galeria

 

Passau – The “Three-Rivers-City”

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Eva Wipplinger, Germany

Passau is located  in the southeast of Germany at the Austrian border. It is confluenced by  the rivers Danube, Inn and Ilz. That’s why Passau is worldwide known as “The Three-Rivers-City”.

The earliest evidence of human settlement dates back to the Neolithic. Passau was part of the Roman Empire for more than 400 years. It became an Episcopal seat in the year 739 AD. Passau was an independent prince bishopric for over 600 years. Finally in 1803 Passau was annexed into Bavaria. The setting of the Old Town, created by Italian baroque masters in the 17th century, shows soaring towers, picturesque places, enchanting promenades and romantic lanes.                                                                                                                                             

 A lot of sights are located in Passau’s Old Town:     

  • many churches

-> St. Steven’s Cathedral

  • New Bishop’s Residence
  • Gothic Town Hall
  • Many museums
  • ‘Veste Oberhaus’ ( in the north)
  • Pilgrimage Church ‘Mariahilf’ ( in the south)

St. Steven’s Cathedral

This Cathedral is located on the Old Town’s highest point with its three characteristic green, onion domed towers. The Building had burnt down almost completely in the devastating town fire in 1662, but it was rebuilt by the famous baroque architect Carlo Lurago. The stucco works were done by  G.B. Carlone and the frescos were painted by Carpoforus Tencalla. All of them were famous Italian baroque artists.                                           With its 17974 organ pipes, 233 stops and the 4 carillons it is the world’s largest cathedral organ. All five parts of the organ can be played from the main keyboard one at a time or all together.

 

University

Founded in 1973, it is the youngest university in Bavaria and consequently has the most modern campus in the state.Nevertheless, its roots as the Institute for Catholic Studies date back a hundreds of years.     After  the university opened to the public in 1978 it has quickly developed into a first address in German academia. The University regularly achieves top positions in academic rankings e.g. in Law, Business and Economics, Computer Science, Communication Studies, Political Science and Cultural Studies. Over 12000 students from over 90 countries are enrolled.

 
The flood in 2013

 

Before the flood

 

                     During the flood

In 2013 central Europe was flooded after several days of heavy rain in early june. The historic centre of Passau, where the Danube, Inn and Ilz converge, was underwater on 1 June. In Passau the water levels reached 12.85 m (42.2 ft), overflowing the highest recorded historic flood level.

After a dike failed near the town of Deggendorf, the  water levels rose to a record-breaking height of  eight meters (26 ft). The town was flooded completly and in some places the buildings were two meters (6 ft 7 in) underwater.

  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymzddtmHmLs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p6OXqZLy0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOyYqo3WvCI

Yuri Kochiyama

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Lysiane Sublet – Switzerland

“Remember that consciousness is power. Consciousness is education and knowledge,” said Yuri Kochiyama, who spent an important part of her life fighting for the human rights. The 19th of May was Yuri Kochiyama’s 95th birthday. Yuri Kochiyama, a Japanese-American, who was born in 1921 as Mary Yuriko Nakahara, was raised in San Pedro, California. Months after the Pearl Harbor bombardment, Yuri and her family were sent to a World War II internment camp and it is at that moment that she started to see tla-me-yuri-kochiyama-20140604he world with all new eyes and that she understood how important it was to fight for human rights.

During the war, she met her husband, Bill Kochiyama, who was also a Japanese-American. In 1960, Yuri moved with him to Harlem, where she gave birth to six children. She lived in a housing project with African and Puerto-Rican and that is what inspired her interest in Civil Rights Movement. She fought by their side for better schools and safer streets.

In 1963, Yuri first met Malcolm X, and from this moment she radicalized her activism. Then she plunged into action to help Puerto-Rican and African rights, nuclear disarmament and reparations for Japanese American internees. Yuri met Malcolm X during a protest of Puerto-Rican and African construction workers. She saw many children and teenagers run in the same direction and then she realized it was for Malcolm X arrival. She was so surprised and also so happy to see him, but she felt bad not being Black, because she thought she wouldn’t have the chance to talk to him. Yuri finally yelled and asked him if she could shake his hand. First surprised and suspicious that an Asian woman was interested in shaking his hand, Malcolm asked Yuri why it was important for her. She answered that it was because he “was giving directions for his people.” From then, a friendship was born between them two.

yuri malcolm

In the 1980s, Yuri and her husband pushed the government to apologize for Japanese-American internees through the Civil Liberties Act, which President Ronald Reagan signed into law in 1988. She was a huge source of inspiration for younger generations of activists, especially for the Asian-American community.

33479943e5fb1543d10651ee52be3201

In 2014, Yuri Kochimaya died of natural causes in Berkeley, California, at age of 93. According to her family, she died peacefully in her sleep.

I chose to write about this inspiring woman because she touched me. There are still a lot of issues in this world and there are still many things to do for the human rights. In my opinion, it is very important that some people devote themselves to help minority communities to be more accepted. No one should suffer because of one’s race, sex, sexual orientation, or because of the way they want to live. Everyone should be allowed to be oneself and I feel very concerned about all kind of injustices related to that. I really hope that one day all of us will succeed in being equals and I admire people like Yuri Kochiyama, who fights for that right.

quote-so-transform-yourself-first-because-you-are-young-and-have-dreams-and-want-to-do-something-yuri-kochiyama-74-82-75