It’s Fiesta Time

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Patrycja Iwaniuk, The Netherlands

The Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara is a week of celebrating the traditions, history, heritage, and culture that has been in Santa Barbara for hundreds of years. Since the beginning of the week, the first preparations can be seen. Music can be heard on every corner of the street. The first Fiesta eggs can be bought and smashed to color the streets with colorful confetti and even the people dress up in beautiful and traditional costumes. They proudly walk through State Street giving it wonderful ambiance.

Also, here at the EF school and in the Santa Catalina residence the feeling of Fiesta is in the air. More and more decorations are being hung up in the school and even some teachers can be seen wearing some great colorful outfits. Wednesday was Tamale Day and some students had the opportunity to make some beautiful Fiesta eggs, which are by the way strictly forbidden to use in the residence. Luckily for us, there is enough space outside to break these eggs and throw some confetti on our friends. As Wednesday night was the grand opening at the Mission, Thursday morning the decorations were even greater. In the afternoon students were welcome to enjoy some chips with salsa and delicious churros. To add to that, in what way can you end the day better than having people break a piñata in the middle of the schoolyard?

The big days, however, were without hesitation Friday and Saturday. Before the big parade, everyone started to get out their chairs and blankets to save the best spot for the whole family. After a very long wait in the sun, the parade had begun. Dozens of beautiful horses gaited through State Street and the music played by the musicians completed the picture. It was really a new experience for me as a foreigner, since I have never seen or been to this kind of a parade. Over the past couple of days, I have really seen that the people of Santa Barbara cherish this week of joy and a lot of tourists who walk down the streets with the biggest smile when someone throws confetti to them. We can still savor the moment for a few weeks until the confetti disappears and then the first eggs can be eaten as a preparation for next year. As for me, this was my first time and hopefully not the last… VIVA LA FIESTA!

My Trip in the USA

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7/26/2018, Emilie Verwee, Belgium

Before I went to EF Santa Barbara I took a trip around the USA.

I left the 5th of July from Amsterdam to San Fransisco. We started our trip there. I went to America with my own family and another family. The first day, we did a bike tour but before we start the tour we stopped at the Hard Rock Café where we were watching the footballmatch of the WK from Belgium against Brasil. Belgium won the match 😉                 so after the match we did our tour. We were driving to the Golden Gate Bridge. After that we went to Sausolito. The second day, we visited Alcatraz, it is the old prison of San Fransisco. The prison was located on an island. The third day, we walked around the city. We also went to the Coit Tower where we had a nice view of the city.

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After three days in San Francisco, we took the plane to Las Vegas. We slept in the Bellagio where we stayed two nights. We also went to a show of David Copperfield. We also walked on the strip. The strip is one of the biggest streets in Las Vegas where you have a lot of hotels and many casinos.

After two nights, we went to the airport to go rent a car. We rented a car for one week because we visited a lot of national parks. First we visited Bryce Canyon. Than we went to Lake Powell, one of my favorites. It was one of my favorites because we took a boat trip during the day between the canyons. We were swimming a lot and we did some wakeboarding ! One day later we were driving to Monument Valley, but before we went  there we visited Horseshoe Bend and Canyon X. Later we went to Monument Valley. There we went horseback riding. It was an epic experience! As the last national park we visited Grand Canyon.

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As the last part of our trip we went to Los Angeles. Our first three nights we slept in Venice Beach. Venice beach is the part of LA that I liked the most because you had a lot of variety, like beaches, the sea, a skateboard park, nice streets, … We also took a bike trip to Santa Monica and the Venice Canals. The last two nights I slept in Hollywood before my sister and I left for Santa Barbara.

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This trip will always stay with me !

 

 

 

 

 

Minimalism

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minimalism picJulia Feldmann, Germany

Smalls steps to resist increasing consumption

A common misunderstanding of minimalism is that it is just all about having the smallest number of items in your life as possible. But when you take a closer look at the point of minimalism, it is actually about having items which you really appreciate and which add value to your life. Knowing that you don’t need material belongings in order to be happy and enjoy life will increase your mental health and emotional stability.

Having more and more things is not making people happier and more fulfilled. Mindless shopping has become a problematic trend.  There is a risk to developing an addiction to material items, especially clothing that creates a feeling of being weighed down by clutter. Clearly, it is human nature to always long for more and to progress in life in all aspects, like experiences, careers and relationships. On the other hand, it is essential to be grateful for everything that you already have and, in general, to be grateful for being alive. The clue is to find balance between both of these things.

 

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A good start to becoming a minimalist is to go through your home with a box and fill it with random items you find standing around with no obvious use. Put the box out of sight for 30 days. If you don’t need to open it, or if you don’t even remember what is in the box, donate or sell it. Start in one place in your home, which could be a wardrobe drawer, your desk or underneath your bed.

Another important aspect minimalism includes gratefulness. There are a lot of things people take for granted that are actually really special to others. This goes from having food on the table to simply owning a bed and a blanket. Often people forget how many people on earth don’t have access to these things that seem so natural to others.

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Apart from belongings like clothing and furniture, minimalism also affects wastfulness, especially of food. It’s a fact that there’s more than enough food to feed the planet, but still large amounts of people suffer from malnutrition. As a minimalist, people can try to become aware of how much they throw away every day. Next time you are shopping for groceries, try to only buy what you will actually eat.

Most recently, the textile industry has gone crazy on their sales prices. T-shirts for less than 5$ and jeans for less than 20$ are no rarity anymore. This development is the reason why we tend to buy more and more clothes just because of the bargain price. However, the majority of people only wear a small amount of their wardrobe on a daily basis. Some pieces even end up never being worn. On the way to becoming a minimalist, you have to think logically. What do I actually need? How can I simplify my wardrobe? Which pieces are unnecessary?

4 first little steps into your minimalism journey:

  1. Travel lightly and focus on the things that are necessary
  2. Only buy new things when your old stuff is used up or broken.
  3. Write down your plans and your achievements in a diary
  4. Try to find multifunctional items

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Remember that it is not a contest or a race, but about your personal comfort. There is no specific rule to start a minimalistic lifestyle, just follow what comforts you and what feels right to you.

 

 

What to do on Holidays

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Well…  finally you’re done from school! and probably you’re thinking about what to do this laaargest vacations, so here we have some ideas to make this holidays.Daley-Reading-Room_Overall-View

  • Go to a Library, could be fun cause you can find any type of readings and movies to watch, but especially our favorite is “Anna Frank diary” in the library you can go you can sit there and have a quiet time at this place, where everyone is reading and getting concentrate.
  • Ride a  bike in the metropolitan park, with this sunny days and beautiful, you can have a picnic with your best friend, your boyfriend or family and ride a bike!
  • Go to the beach, there are so many things to do at the beach!                                             – play volleyball     – join for the sunset   -kayak    -fishing  -make a castle sand  -dive
  • The movie theater is always a good idea to spend a day, eating popcorn with an ice cream! and a big soda, each Friday the add new movies to watch so be pendent to watch your favorite movie
  • Shop at the Mall– near from here are the premium outlets so for sure you’re gonna find your favorite brand. There are around 50 stores.
  • You like the animals? well, we have the city zoo where you can find all the land animals and feed them! so choose a very nice day to go with your family and friends. Or well… if you like more the aquatic animals you can go to the aquarium and see sharks, whales, turtles, and swim with dolphins!! with a spectacular show of them.
  • A time for relaxation can be an SPA day, to make your nails, repair your hair and get a new look, a foot pedicure or a body massage, anyone can be excellent for your person.
  • If you want to learn something new, I mean… a lesson about something or a course, you can learn a new language, improve school stuff or learn to cook.
  • Visit another country with a special tour and price, you can go with other students from different countries.
  • Have a beach body! everyone wants to look good for this vacations so you can do exercise at the gym and get fit!
  • Get a job for a season, something simple to do just for making money while you are having a great timeDaley-Reading-Room_Overall-View.jpg

SARA RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ RIVERA

Homeless People in America

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Melinda Bilmez, Belgium

This is one of the phenomena that you can see everyday, one of the things that increase through the years, one of the things you don’t worry about when you’re walking into the street.                                                                                                                                                    Homeless people are ” Individuals without permanent housing”.  I was wondering why there are so many more homeless in America than in Europe?

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The first things to understand about this phenomena is to look at the cause of homelessness in America.                                                                                                                                                  If we look at the statistics,there were 549,928 homeless people in 2016 counting 60% of male, 40% of women with 35% with children.                                                                                Since the financial crisis in 2008,the amount of homeless people has increased. Unemployment took a large space in this period, one of the reasons why people began to be homeless. Also, the decline of social services has had an impact on homelessness. That means that if you have less help you will probably decline, that’s what happened to some of them. The cost of housing had increased in this period,but not the salaries which can explain why some families had to go to the street.                                                                            We can talk about those “children” who were out of the foster care. At this age a child is not able to take care of herself as a parent would do which can lead to homelessness. The inmates who were leaving the prison can join this theory. The integration into society after years of jail isn’t easy.

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The second thing to understand about homelessness is the consequences of this situation. First of all, they can have many health problems such as illness, nutritional deficiencies, sleep deprivation, drug dependency, death and more. Homelessness causes also personal problems for example, less self-esteem, changes in behaviour, and increases in the chances of entering into the criminal system. Homeless people are not alone, sometimes with children. These will have consequences and it will start before the birth of the child, such as health problems, low immunity and emotional problems. They won’t have the chance to go to school, to learn and being cultivated. Their social or academic developments will be behind the expected level. The chances that they will leave the homelessness situation is low and very difficult. People who have been living in the street for a long time do not reach the age of 62, or not that often.

 The last thing to understand is how you can help those people. They don’t deserve this. Nobody does, so we should help them. There are many things that you can do such as donate money or items to an association like “whamministries”. You can show your respect by saying hello or goodbye and you can be a volunteer  to your local homeless shelter. If you want to go further you can buy them some food or invite them to go eat with you ; they need moral support. It is also important to encourage people around you to hire homeless people so they can have salaries to get out of this horrible situation. In San Francisco, Atlanta and New York you can download an app to help directly the people by giving them blanket, gloves, coat.

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In conclusion, we can notice that homelessness as I said is a very common situation in America and it continues to grow with the years. California is the state with the biggest amount of homeless people and people don’t pay attention. You have many solutions to help them; you would be happy if someone would do the same for you.

A New “Lifestyle”

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Federica Capuzzoni, Italy

The Zen philosophy is more than a simple religion, it is a life style near Buddhism. The “Zen” is a philosophy of life that helps the individual to find happiness and serenity, and it helps to remove a negative thoughts and stressful things. To understand, and to catch the real meaning of this religion, it is not necessary to become a real follower of it, but it is only necessary to open our hearts and live with broad minds.

The most important teachings of Zen are:

  1. the JOY IS NOW: Often people concentrate more about their past actions or think about a future instead to live in the moment but, it’s wrong. We need to learn to live every moment of our lives and to appreciate every thing. For the Zen’s philosophy the individual’s joy depends only on himself and how he lives in the world. So how can we be happy ? We need to remove negative thinking. We should’t get swayed by external factors and also every human has the conditions to be happy.bbb
  2.  LIVE WITH A BROAD MIND: Living with serenity without any stress means living with a broad mind. We need to always stay ready for the changes that happen in our lives, because if you have a narrow mind this prevents you from understanding what is happening in your life. If we want to see life from another view, you must forget the rules that the society requires of us. To understand better what is meaning we can use this quotes:

“In the sky there is no difference between east or west, but the people create this difference in their minds and after they start to think that it is real.”

3.     PAIN IS UNAVOIDABLE, SUFFERING IS OPTIONAL: People can only be hurt by what they decide to give importance to, so that means that is possible to avoid the suffering in vain; in fact, if you decide to emotionally break away, you can see the problem from another point of view. This teaching takes time and diligence, but it is  important for your life.ddddd

Simplicity in the Buddhist lifestyle is essential. Simplicity as way of life focuses attention on the really important thing. How can you practice simplicity?

First, you must examine your life to see what stressful habits clutter your life. Are you running around too much? Are you trying to do too many things at once? Once you ask yourself these types of questions and make an inventory of habits, then you can change to simplify your life. Simplicity is the way of life that helps us put more attention on what is happening in our lives every day, and helps us to search all the positive things that are happening every day.

After this you must realize that you have choices. Every person is the writer of his/her own life. You are 100 percent unique in your own special way. You have the right to spend your life doing the things you love to do, and experiencing things that bring you massive joy.You-have-a-choice

 

The trick is to enjoy your life. Don’t waste away your days, waiting for better ones ahead. You must give the possibility of every day to be the best day of your life.

Marjorie Pay Hinckley

When the day is finished and you are in your bed, close your eyes and think about the whole day and search all the “happy moments” and reflect about all the good things that  happened. It helps you to appreciate your life more! 

The “Iglou”, a solution for homeless people?

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Hannah Klifa, France

Image result for iglou homeless people

Geoffroy de Reynal, a french engineer, designed what we call the Iglou after caming back in France after a year in Montenegro. Seeing homeless people in nearly all french street give him the desire of a solution to rising homlessness in France, or at least an idea to help them in the every-day life.

In fact, the number of homeless people have increase in France this last few years, there are about 140,000 homeless people living in France, a 50 percent increase compared to 2001. France has ensured the right of housing since nearly ten years but in most cities, this program is satured and every day, people sleep in the freezing cold. In onlu one month, eleven homeless peolpe died in Paris in january, because of cold temperatures.

28071055_214368419125827_2987550839377380291_o.jpgHe sarted the project of the iglou, and found materials that can retain body heat : aluminum foil and polyethylene foam. He explained in an intervie`w that with this material, “the temperatures inside the igloos are about 60 degrees Fahrenheit higher than outside. And it is also waterproof”.

The ingeneer distribute more than 10 of those in Bordeaux and Paris since this winter, because of the cold wave that affected France this year. He explained that even if this is not an permenent solution, it could save life.  Iglou shelters also give homeless people a sens of security and dignity.

 

Social Media

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Sahra Ali

Sweden

 

The purpose of this video was to see how two different people use social media differently and what they think social medias effect is on the youth.

STREET ART: VANDALISM OR ART?

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Ilaria Tedeschi, Italy

Post graffiti, murals, frescoes or Urban Art, the Universe of the Street Art is known under many appellations. But where does it come from ? What were the changes ?

“Is it art?”

A question sometimes said and heard in museums, galleries, movie theaters, concert arenas, any place of creation. One such place is also the street, where the spectators often seem to wonder: “Is graffiti art or vandalism ?”
As a response to modernism and social segregation, graffiti became the means of communication and identity for young people in New York City in the 1970s.
Street art is visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues.
Some of the earliest expressions of street art were certainly the graffiti which started showing up on the sides of train cars and walls. This was the work of gangs in the 1920s and 1930s New York.
The impact of this subversive culture was extraordinarily felt in the 1970s and 1980s.
These decades were a significant turning point in the history of street art – it was a time when young people, by responding to their socio-political environment, started creating a movement, taking the ‘battle for meaning’ into their own hands.
Soon, this subcultural phenomenon gained the attention and respect in the ‘grown-up’ world. It had taken a form of true artistic expression.
One of the most important name of the street art is Martha Cooper.

Martha-Cooper-Untitled-Ghetto-4-LifeOne of the most important photo of Martha Cooper.

Although still subversive, and in its large part an illegal movement, through art enthusiasts and professionals, street art earned its place in the contemporary art world.
It is a marvelous art form in its own right and it is amazing to follow the evolution and diversity of street art in the 21st century.
Street art gave birth to artists who create breathtaking murals, and those who have incorporated video art and other performative aspects to creative work ‘on the streets’.
Omnipresent globally, it has evolved into a complex art form encompassing various practices. The World Atlas of Street Art and Graffiti is a survey of international art scene and brings together the world’s most influential urban artists and their work.

Street art is a way to communicate with other people, to share your creativity, your ideas, your thoughts and a way express yourself, how you really are.

Some of the most important street artists are:

BANSKY

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KEITH HARING

Keith-Haring-Crack-is-Wack-Mural-Restored.-Photo-Jim-Kieman-via-animal-new-york-Haring’s bold cartoon figures are a visual staple of the 1980s New York art scene and have come to appear on everything from T-shirts to skateboards.

 

Jean-Michel Basquiat

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Before Basquiat was one of the most popular artists in New York City, hanging out with the likes of Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, he was a young, homeless runaway who took up graffiti under the name “SAMO.” In his short life, Basquiat worked his way up the rungs of the art world, landing himself in top galleries yet continuing to put work on the street.

Street art is a way to communicate with other people, to share your creativity, your ideas, your thoughts and a way express yourself, how you really are.16426886448_003b55ce09_b

 

IKEA – Inspiration to your home

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IKEA is a store where you can go and get furniture and home accessories. They offer everything you need to have in your house at a very good price. Even if you just want to go and get some inspiration for your home, and have some dinner in IKEA’S restaurant – IKEA is the best place to go to.

IKEA’s founder, Ingvar Kamprad is a man that was born and raised in a small village in Sweden. Since he was a small kid, he liked to do business, and he was good at it. His career started with selling pencils and soon he developed it to much more, different furniture. In 1958, he opened his first IKEA store in Almhult, Sweden.
Unfortunately, he passed away 27th January 2018, 91 years old.

1963 was the year that IKEA became international. He opened up his first abroad store in Norway.  Today IKEA has 328 stores in 43 different countries. In 2016, IKEA had 180,000 employees and revenue 36.4 mrd EURO.
This makes IKEA  one of the biggest furniture retailers in the world.

I’m not sure why IKEA was and is so successful, but I know that the founder Ingvard Kamprad build it up from nothing and really put his heart and soul into his business. Hard work pays off and we all from Sweden are really proud of him and IKEA business.