Women in the 21st century

Rosa Cuesta Valentin, The Netherlands

Most people find feminist annoying. Feminist complain, feminist are fat, feminist are not able to get a man, feminist live in houses with way too many cats and most of all: feminists hate men. The F-word, feminism, still remains a negative topic in this, so-called to be, 21st century ‘modern world’. Which seems totally unfair, when you know that there doesn’t exist a single place on earth where men and women have the same rights.

Ever since the beginning of the feminist movement, the development of women has been blocked by both traditional thinking and stereotypes. Even in The United States of America, which is claimed by many to be the country of freedom, respect and equality, men and women are not equal. Women everywhere in this world are still subordinate to men. Difference in wage between men and women while having the same job function, stereotypes which demand certain behavior from both women and men, the acceptation of the lower position of women in Arabian countries. They all prove us the reality of gender inequality of today’s life.emma-watson

Women are subordinate to men, even here in the US in the 21st century. I don’t know whether I am a feminist or not, but when I watched Emma Watson’s speech for the HeforShe Campaign on feminism at the United Nations I felt every word she said. I had my doubt when writing about this subject, just as Emma Watson had her doubts on giving her speech. However, beyond the  fear she might had felt , more outstanding to me was the power and strength that she radiated as she spoke. ‘I am inviting you to step forward, to be seen, to speak up.’  It were her last words that gave her, and me, the strike-through we needed: ‘Ask yourself ‘If not me, who? And if not now, when?’.

Rio de Janeiro

 

Luiza Martins, Brazil

Rio is a marvelous city in Brazil and famous for Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, Christ the Redeemer statue, Corcovado and the Sugarloaf Mountain. People there have a way of life totally different from the rest of Brazil. They call it “jeitinho brasileiro” and are very proud of that. This way of life makes Cariocas – people who are born in Rio – always think they are right.

In Rio it is summer all year long so lower degrees are rarely seen by them. As a result of this, they are always wearing flip flops and the only concern they have is if the weather is going to be good and if they can go to the beach. Because of that, Cariocas are always happy, with a smile on their faces.

carioca

“Carioca. Yes, 20 degrees is winter”

The beaches in Rio are authentic and attract a lot of tourists all year. Copacabana Beach is the most famous one and is located in South Zone of the city. This beach is known for the 4km of sand. There are still other famous beaches, like Arpoador, where the surfers like to go due to the perfect waves, and Ipanema, where usually many families are seem. Cariocas loves being at the beach while eating a biscoito globo and drinking a cold tea called matte. It’s part of Carioca’s life.praia

 

Although the weather is not good you have a lot of other options. We have Parque Lage and Jardim Botanico (Botanical Garden) where you can find a lot of places to have a picnic with beautiful trees around you.  We still have the museums with a lot of exhibitions, one of them is the Museum of Modern Arts. And don’t think that are the only things to see, there are churches, islands, and other places to visit.

Rio is a city which never sleeps, people are on the street all day and all night. They really like parties, so if you want to go to a good one, Lapa is the best place to visit while you are in the city. Around this neighborhood you can find many bars to drink and chill with friends. The architecture there is amazing and even if you go at night you can see it.lapa

 

There isn’t a city that is perfect and without problems. So, on the other hand, Rio has a lot of problems, and one of them is the inequality. The corruption is the worst thing there. Because of that, there are a lot of people living in good conditions and a good life, and others are living in extreme poverty at the same time. They call those places with extreme poverty “favela”, and the largest one is Rocinha, located between São Conrado and Gávea, in South Zone.  Rocinha’s population was estimated between 150,000 and 300,000 inhabitants during the 2000s.rocinha

People in Brazil, especially in Rio, are obsessed with football. It’s a tradition on Sunday to stay at home with the family and watch the games drinking a beer. Fla and Flu is a classic game. They are rivals and it is a beautiful game to see. The two cheering audiences are always singing for the players and it is kind of a pretty concert. But the best option is  to go to Maracanã to see the game inside of the heart of football.torcida

 

 

Rio is the city which was chosen to host the Olympic Games. It was a huge and beautiful ceremony and the entire world was talking about it. Now they are getting ready to host the Paralympic Games and do an enormous event again.

Finally, we can talk about music. There is a very particular kind of music, the Bossa Nova, which is derived from the Samba but they put more emphasis on melody than the percussion. One of the most famous songs is “Garota de Ipanema” and it was written by Tom Jobim.

Now you know a little bit more about Rio, and we expect that you want to go there to visit all those places shown here. You have to know that people in Rio are always ready to receive tourists and happy to help them.

Olha que coisa mais linda                                                   Look, what a beautiful thing

Mais cheia de graça                                                             So graceful

É ela, a menina                                                                     She is the girl
Que vem e que passa                                                          That comes and goes by

Num doce balanço a caminho do mar                              In her sweet swing heading to the sea
Moça do corpo dourado                                                    Girl of the golden brown tan

Do sol de Ipanema                                                               From the Ipanema sun

O seu balançado                                                                  Her swing

É mais que um poema                                                         Is more than a poem
É a coisa mais linda                                                              She is the most beautiful thing

Que eu já vi passer                                                              That I’ve ever seen going by

Tom Jobim

 

 

 

FC Barcelona

by Jovan Dukic, Switzerland

Fc Barcelona is a famous football club from Spain. The short form is Barca. The players never would like to say they play for Spain because Catalonia has a conflict with the Spanish government. Catalonia has been looking to be independent for many years. The club was founded 29. November 1899. Today the club counts as one of the best in the world, if not the best. In Spain, Barca has the most trophies of the national cup (Copa del Rey) and they have the second most championship titles behind Real Madrid.

 

barcelona2 stadium

Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff was born 24. April 1947 and he died 24. March 2016. He died in Barcelona and the club gave him the highest honor. Johan was a Dutch professional football player and head coach. He won the Ball d`Or three times as a player. Johan Cruyff was regarded as a true football genius and he was the founder of the considered Tiki- taka. Johan has three children; he has one son and two daughters. His son leads the Johan Cruyff Foundation, who helps children in trouble.

Barcelona3 johan cruyff

 

Tiki- Taka

Tiki – Taka is a style of play in football characterized by short passing and movement, working the ball through various channels, and maintaining possession.
The style is primarily associated with La Liga Club Fc Barcelona especially during the era of Pep Guardiola. The typical characteristic of this system is that the team has a lot of ball possession, between 50%-70%. If the left and the right outside linebackers run in the attack and don’t defend for this short moment, they have more players in the attack. If they lose the ball, the two outside linebackers run all the way back to their defensive positions. If the whole team changes from attacking to defending, it creates pressure on the other team to lose possession of the ball again.

 

barcelona1 tiki taka

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi was born at 24. June 1987 in Argentina. As a young guy he started his career in Newells Old Boys. This is a mid-level club in Argentina. In 2003, he left the Newells Old Boys to join Fc Barcelona. He started in the youth team of Fc Barcelona, the famous La Masia. With 16 years, four months and 23 days, old he made his first team debut. It was a friendly game against Jose Mourinhno’s Porto. In his first season he made his first record he scored 36 goals in 30 games. Messi holds the record for the most goals scored in La Liga 50, a football season 82 and a calendar year 91. After the tournament copa america 2016 he is the top scorer of Argentina he past Gabriel Batistuta. He won the Balon D’or five times you can see the picture among the article.

Barcelona leo messi

 

7 Things To Do in Los Angles

By Emma Leboullanger (France) and Ellen Maes (Belgium)

 

1. Venice Beach

 

Venice is a residential, commercial and recreational beachfront neighborhood on the Westside of the city of Los Angeles. Venicea was founded
in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it merged with Los Angeles.
Today, Venice is known for its canals, beaches, and the circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half-mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, mystics, artists and vendors.

“I went to Venice Beach. There are a lot of little shops with nice souvenirs and it’s cheaper than in the cities! And the beach is so beautiful!”

 

 2. Santa Monica

Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is named after the Christian saint, Monica. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is bordered on three sides by the city of Los Angeles – Pacific Palisade to the north, Brentwood on bbthe northeast, Sawtelle on the east, Mar Vista on the southeast, and Venice on the south. Partly because of its agreeable climate, Santa Monica had become a famed resort town by the early 20th century. The Santa Monica Pier remains a popular and iconic destination

“When you stand on the Santa Monica Pier, you feel like you’re standing on the set of Hannah Montana. It is amazing!


3. The Hollywood Sign

It’s more than just nine white letters spelling out a city’s name; it’s one of the world’scc
most evocative symbols, a universal metaphor for ambition, success, glamour…for this
dazzling place, industry and dream we call
H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D. In this place, you’ll get c

loser to Hollywood’s “biggest star” than you ever dreamed possible, from a photo journey through Hollywood history and tips on where to see the Sign, to live Sign Webcams and the latest Sign news. You’ll also learn about the people who work to keep the Sign preserved and protected, and how you can get involved.

“Seeing the Hollywood Sign makes you feel like you are really in America, close to the most famous people. It is very wonderful!”

 

4. Walk Of Fame

ddThe Hollywood Walk of Fame comprises more than 2,500 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California. The stars are permanent public monuments to achievement in the entertainment industry, bearing the names of a mix of actors, musicians, directors, producers, musical and theatrical groups, fictional characters, and others. The Walk of Fame is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and maintained by the self-financing Hollywood Historic Trust. It is a popular tourist destination, with a reported 10 million visitors in 2003.

“Walking where your favourite people have walked is so amazing! You really feel closer to them and seeing their stars on the sidewalk is so impressive…”

 

5. Universal Studiosaa

Universal Studios is an American film studio, owned by Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal, and is one of Hollywood’s “Big Six” Films Studios. Its production studios are at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California. Universal Studios is a member of the Motion Association Picture of America. Universal was founded in 1912 by the German Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O.Baumann, Adam Kessel,  Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley, Robert H. Cochrane, and Jules Brulatour. Universal is the world’s fourth oldest major film studio.

“It’s incredible to see the places where movies have been set, and the attractions are so amazing, especially The Simpsons!”

 

6. Beverly Hills

eeBeverly Hills is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, surrounded by the cities of Los Angeles and West Hollywood. Originally a Spanish ranch where lima beans were grown, Beverly Hills was incorporated in 1914 by a group of investors who had failed to find oil, but found water instead and eventually decided to develop it into a town. By 2013, its population had grown to 34,658. Sometimes referred to as “90210”, one of its primary ZIP codes, it is home to many actors and celebrities. The city includes the Rodeo Drive shopping district and the Beverly Hills Oil Field.

“If you are lucky, you could see a celebrity in Beverly Hills! All these luxurious shops are very impressive. Moreover there are all these beautiful cars on the street…”

 

7. Griffith Observatory

Griffith Observatory is a facility in Los Angeles, California sitting on the south-facing

slope of Mount Hollywood in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park. It commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin, including Downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific ocean to the southwest. The observatory is a popular tourist attraction with an excellent view of the Hollywood sign, and an extensive array of space and science-related displays. Since the observatory opened in 1935, admission has been free, in accordance with Griffith’s will.gg

“This is an extraordinary building where you can have an amazing view of the city of Los Angeles, and also of the famous Hollywood sign. I think you have to see it once”

Terrorist Attacks (ISIS)

Joana Aebi (Switzerland)

Alan Hermans (Belgium)

Smile: a video about happiness (and clouds).

By Maria Jose Zurita (Ecuador)

 

 

Make Time For Yourself

By Maria Paula Volker, from Argentina.

 

1

Have you ever thought in make a time for you in the day to relax, to think about you? Just imagine what things would you like to do in this time and imagine how would you feel after doing this. It is amazing believe that with a simple time we can feel really harmonized.

The greatest of people spend of lot of their time living on the run, trying to get on time all the activities, work, home and satisfy others but hardly ever make time to be alone and do the things that we indeed enjoy.

2

The first thing that you have to do, is to book in you schedule a time during the day and think the place where you would like to go and the things that you would like to be doing, regardless of what timetables of the gym or any sport. I consider that, although , this is something that improve the health and that it cause welfare state but make a time for you to doing nothing you feel good the mind and spirit.

Then you only have to relax and enjoy the moment and have on hand something to write about the things, wishes and projects that came to mind.

It seems to me that all people should make time for themselves because I think that this way, you get to know yourself and will have a more clear mind to continue your routine, make good decisions and love yourself.

3

Interview with Jana Odermatt

 By Maria Paula Volker,  Agentina

jana1

Jana is 19 years old. She is from Swizerland and lives with her family, but in this moment she is staying in Santa Barbara because she loves studying English.

Her family consists of her sister Lena and her parents Martin and Tatjana.

She has got a nice cat called Vanessa.

She is in secondary school and her favorite subject is Art.

She would like to be an Actress.

She speaks German, a bit French and English.

Her favorite food is the pizza.

She enjoys going shopping and the best shop for her is Brandy Melville.

She doesn’t have preference with any film but she likes funny movies.

She doesn’t have a boyfriend but I think that soon she will have one.emossimages

She would like to know the city Los Angeles.

She told me that in her city there aren’t a lot of interesting places to visit but if I went there, I could go to the disco and go shopping.

I think that Jana is a very funny girl! cara feliz2

Interview with Mélodie Sanscartier

By Maria Paula Volker, Argentina.

Mélodie is 16 years old, she is from Canada and lives with her family but in this moment she is staying in Santa Barbara, because she studying English and want to improve her speaking.

She has got 2 sisters called Olivia and Marika and she gets along very good with them but sometimes she wants to kill them!  emossimages

Her parents are called Marcel and Lyne.

Melodie goes to the secondary school and her favorite subject is Art, she is very creative.

She is planning to study Lawyer when the secondary school ends. It seems to have nothing to do with Art but really to defend a person is required to be very creative and capable to resolve a problem and reach an agreement with the other lawyer and to convince the judge.

She dreams of going to the Bahamas, she loves the beach, lying on the beach and knowing places. In her city there isn’t a beach and it’s very cold, also there aren’t many things to do, only the Stade Olympique.

She likes playing tennis and she loves going to the shop, and her favorite is H&M.

She loves to eat Sushi and her favorite movie is Harry Potter.

She can speak French and a bit Spanish.

She told me that she doesn’t have a boyfriend but I don’t believe that…cara feliz2

I think that Melodie is a fantastic Missy!

Interview to Pierina Staub

Agustina Lopez from Uruguay

Questions:

  1. What’s your name and how old are you?
  2. Where are you from?
  3. Do you have any brothers or sisters? If you have, do they live with you?
  4. If you could travel to any place in the world where would you go first?
  5. Supposing you get a job offer in this place, would you accept it?
  6. Would you like to live there?
  7. What would you do if you fall in love with a guy there?
  8. If you stayed there for a very long time, what would you miss the most from your country?
  9. Of the countries you have visited, which one do you liked the most and why?
  10. If you could choose a super power, which one would you choose?

 

Pierina Staub from Switzerland

Answers:

  1. Her name is Pierina and she’s 16 years old.
  2. She’s from Switzerland, St.Gallen
  3. She has one sister and she loves her, her sister’s name is Lea and she’s 18 years old so Pierina is the younger sister and they live together.
  4. If she could travel to any place she would choose Santa Barbara so her dream has come true because now she is here.pierina staub
  5. Absolutely no, she loves her family and she would miss them very much because it is too far from home.
  6. No she wouldn’t like to live in Santa Barbara.
  7. In case she falls in love with a guy here she is going to tell him that Switzerland is very awesome and beautiful so if he wants to come back with her he is welcomed.
  8. Pierina would miss the most her friends, family and handball.
  9. Of all the countries she had visited the one she totally loved the most was Greece because she loves going to the beach and the food in there is pretty good too.

10.If she could choose a super power she would like to run very fast.