SOCCER UNITES AND SEPARATES PEOPLE

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By Jose Ignacio Anchundia, Ecuador

In a lot of countries soccer is a very important and famous sport that everyone loves, but that does not mean that they love the same team, because in soccer league there are many and different teams with their own fans. So this means that there is a rivalry between the other teams and their fans. On the contrary, if you support the same team you are probably going to have a better relationship with another fan because you have something in common.HF

Rivalry in soccer exist all around the world and sometimes rivalry can be dangerous because there are crazy fans that exceed the limits  necessary to prove that they are better fans than the other team. So there are a lot of cases when a fan gets hurt and sometimes, worse, dead.JI

Rivalry in soccer also exists in friendships between fans of the same team and sometimes with other team fans because not everyone is a crazy fan. So they can go to the stadium together and share things like what they think about the team or the team players and have a good time because soccer is a thrilling and amazing sport.  And that’s why is we call it “The Beautiful Game.”

Religious Tolerance

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By Roberto Gonzalez – Ecuador

“Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so, too.”
― Voltaire, Traité sur la tolérance, à l’occasion de la mort de Jean Calas

Religious tolerance is one the most important values that a society needs to achieve progress, but this value is fading away. People tend to generalize that all Muslims are terrorists when just few extremists are terrorists, like ISIS for example. This must change in order to achieve religious peace in the entire world.pope francis

Even in past times, intellectuals such as Voltaire, preached about the right that all people have to think freely. He said “I do not agree with what you say, but I’ll defend to death your right to say it.”  We are all humans. Wars should not exist. Why would you kill your same race? Peace and tolerance is needed. Acceptance of all beliefs is imperative in order to save the lives of millions

.earth

 

2016 U.S.A. Presidential Elections

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Luis Rafael Vernaza/ Ecuador

In 2015, the new presidential election started, which is now known as a controversial subject, since it has some interesting candidates that are either supported or completely ignored. In my opinion, I support the Democrats because they are not as extreme as the Republicans, and are actually giving illegal immigrants a chance to improve their lives.

One example of a Republican candidate is billionaire Donald Trump, who has gained the donald trumpsupport of most Republican followers and the dislike of most Democrats , as well as many Latinos. He has some rather unusual propositions, like building a wall that separates Mexico from the US, a wall which, as he puts it, will be made with the Mexican Government’s money. He also wants to deport all illegal immigrants, most of whom are Latinos, by also deporting their anchor babies, who were born in the US.

hillary clintonA candidate from the Democratic Party is Hillary Clinton. I believe that she could bring order to this country because her husband is ex-president Bill Clinton, which means that she was a First Lady, and already has some experience in politics. She has also recently stated that the US will help Europe in the recent Belgium terrorist attack. In the end, I hope that a democratic candidate eventually wins the elections because I believe they are what this country needs.

About

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Charline Cammers is from Belgium and 21 years old. She will stay in Santa Barbara until May.

She started her academic year after she had finished her studies at the university. She did her graduate degree in teaching at the elementary school level, but she now is trying to find something different because she does not want to be a teacher anymore. Children can be very exhausting. In her free time, she likes to draw, especially women. She also used to play basketball, but she had to quit because of her studies. Charline is a very nice and warm hearted person.

According to her, the most disgusting food she has ever eaten was in Santa Barbara. She really does not like white beans.  Her weirdest travel destination so far was also in the United States as well, San Francisco. She thinks the roads there a very different because they are so steep and unusual. She thinks that this is crazy.

The hardest decision she ever had to make was probably to leave her family and friends and move to Santa Barbara for eight months. We think that was a hard decision for all of us. Her most impressive adventure so far was related to her academic year. Leaving her family and friends and taking the long flight alone to come to the United States was not easy. She was afraid to miss the plane or that no one would pick her up from the airport and she would not know where she was going as well. Everything was different as she expected it to be.

By Ute Weidinger, 18, Germany

Interview about Miriam

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Miriam

by Catherine Sodar – Belgium

Miriam is 25 years old and she comes from Barcelona, Spain. She is a tourism agent but she is also studying communication to become a travel journalist. She wants to travel a lot and to see different countries and cultures. She is an open minded person and for her, English is an important skill to communicate with other people, to travel and to work because it’s a good opportunity to meet new people and cultures.

She will stay here for 3 weeks only, because she has to return to work in Spain. First, she worried about the safety in America because everyone can have a gun, but now she isn’t afraid anymore because Santa Barbara is a really safe and it doesn’t seem very dangerous. She is very happy to be here because the American people are very friendly and helpful.

While she is here, her aims are to improve her English for her job, but her life goals are to become a travel  journalist for a magazine. Money isn’t that important because she just want to do something what she loves and that is traveling. She would like to go to Japan and Thailand because they have completely different types of cultures. Her dream is to swim with dolphins but she doesn’t really want to do it if it would contribute to the imprisonment of them.

Before she came to America she went to a few different countries in Europe :

  • France; She lived there for 7 months.
  • Italy : Miriam really like this country.
  • England
  • Tunis
  • United States : for holidays.
  • Brazil
  • Belgium ; to study at the English Academy in Spa for 3 months.

She told me that when I come to her country and especially to her city, Barcelona, I have to visit absolutely the Gaudi Park and also see all the Gaudi architecture. She appreciates  walking in the little streets of Barcelona where are many bars, cafes and little shops. I think it could be wonderful to get lost in her city. I have heard a lot of great things about Barcelona.

She went to Liege six years ago to go to the English Academy and it’s the city where I live in Belgium. There she also learnt a lot of English. She’s now an independent tourist guide but she is studying communication : marketing, languages and journalism.

Viviane Meyer

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By Emmi Zoccolan, French section of Switzerland.

Viviane

Viviane Meyer is a nineteen year old Swiss girl. She is from Zurich and she speaks Swiss-German. Her parents are from Bern and she has a younger sister who is seventeen years old and works with children. Viviane finished high school before coming to Santa Barbara and after her trip here, she wants to study Economics at the University of Zurich. Her hobby is handball; she has played for twelve years now.

She chose Santa Barbara because she knew some people who were here before and told her that it was really amazing.  Furthermore, she thinks it is better to live in a smaller city like Santa Barbara than in a bigger city, like Los Angeles, because you can go everywhere and you do not need a car. Everything is near and accessible. Even if she feels good in the United States, she feels a little bit homesick; she especially misses the food from Switzerland, like the fondue and definitely her bed. According to her, the biggest difference between Switzerland and Santa Barbara is that here everything is within walking distance. Although, if you want to go to another city, like in San Diego, you need to plan. You cannot just go there, because you need to rent a car and book a hotel. In Switzerland, it is really different because it is a small country; so if you want to go in another city you can just take the car and be in the nearest city in less than one hour. In addition, she likes the fact that the stores stay open in Santa Barbara until 10p.m. because in her country they close earlier.

Viviane has already been to a lot of countries, but China was the most exciting experience she has had so far. She went to Shanghai for two weeks and compared to other European countries, China has a completely difference lifestyle. She said it was interesting to see how people live there and how it is so different from our lifestyle in Europe. She noticed that America is also different form Switzerland, but it was even more different than China. The most beautiful place she has been to is Croatia; she has been there three times already and she loved it. For her it is the most beautiful place she has seen because the water is clean and the landscapes are stunning. Moreover, she liked the fact that there are not sandy beaches and she did not have sand everywhere when she went home. She wishes to visit more Asian countries in the future, especially Vietnam. Perhaps she will take a trip to South America also.

Catherine Sodar Interview

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By Miriam Clemente – Barcelona, Spain

Catherine is a young girl, aged 18, who has come from Belgium to live the EF Experience for six months.
She came here a month and a half ago and  will stay until June. Catherine is bilingual (French and German) and she thinks that languages are one of the most important things for her professional life. That is why she is learning English and Spanish as well.
She is curious, passionate, kind and loves to travel. She has shared  all the details of her experiences in the interview below.
1. Where do you come from, Catherine?
I come from Belgium, from Liege, a city located in the French part of Belgium.
2. How long have you been here so far?
I have been here for one month and a half.
3. Are you going to stay for long time?
Yes, I will stay here until June. My plan is to improve my English and to visit as many cities in California as possible.
4. Why did you decide to go on this adventure?
Next year, I’m going to start the university, and before that, I wanted to spend some time abroad to improve my English skills. It was the perfect occasion to leave Belgium and go to a different country.
5. What were you studying in your home country?
I will continue with the International Business degree next September.
6. Why did you choose Santa Barbara?
Actually, I don’t really know. I wanted to go to an English speaking country, but not Great Britain because it’s too close by my country. So, I decided to go to the United States. Then, I wanted warm weather  and  I chose Santa Barbara because it’s not a big city.
7. Do you think English will be useful in your future job?
Absolutely. If I want to work in the international business environment, I need be fluent in many languages.
8. Are you learning other languages besides English?
Yes, I am. I’m learning Spanish at the university.
9. Do you like travel? Which countries have you visited so far?
Yes, totally. I love travelling. I have been to Greece, Croatia, France, The Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Turkey, Kenya and Benin, where I was doing a volunteer project for 3 weeks.
10. What has been the most amazing moment you have experienced here so far?
I don’t have one only amazing moment. To me, the moments I appreciate the most are those times that I share with my friends.
11. Do you think everyone should go abroad in order to have this experience?
Yes, definitely. But maybe I’d advise to choose other living situations, like to be an Au-pair, that way you can have more relationships with local people and you can discover all the traditions.
12. What other things have you learned here apart from English?
I have learned how to live far from my family and doing things by my own.
13. What are the things you miss the most about Belgium?
The things I miss the most are my family and the food, of course.
14. Which are the things you want to do before going back home?
I want to travel around. I’d like to visit the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco and Universal Studios, in LA. and, if I have a chance, I’d like to see dolphins!

Who Is the Greatest Athlete of All Time?

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By Dorian Grenson, Belgium

The 31-year-old football pro smashed goal-scoring records, won the prestigious FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player, captained his native Portugal into the World Cup, and led his professional team, Real Madrid, toward an unprecedented 10th European title in the Champions League.

 

For me he is the  best ever because he works harder than everyone else. He trains for two more hours a day than his teammates and he lives a healthy life. He trains in his home, lifting weights. He uses a bicycle in a pool to train harder in order to be stronger. A famous trainer says that when Cristiano was really young that he knew that by the way Ronaldo trained he would be the best in the world and he is. He has broken a lot of records. He has been voted the best player in the world three times winning the Ballon d’Or. He has the record for the most goals scored in the European Champion Leagues.

He is thirty-one years old, which is old for a professional football player, but he still at the top of his game, scoring a lot of goals.

 

He doesn’t drink alcohol because his father was an alcoholic and died when he was young. So he decided to never drink a single glass of alcohol ever in his life. He doesn’t smoke either.

 

He has no tattoos on his body which is very rare in the professional football world. He keeps his body clean and respects himself.

 

He works to control everything he can so that he is in optimum form.

He makes a lot of charitable donations. He is very generous with his money and time. For example, a child who was very sick and needed an expensive surgery was paid for by Ronaldo because the child’s parents couldn’t afford it.

 

For me he is a great example. He had a poor childhood and despite that he became the man that he is today.

 

 

 

Life Starts at the End of Your Comfort Zone

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By Bastien Julien, France

“Life starts at the end of your comfort zone” is something I learned from Neale Donald Walsh’s book. I spent long time thinking about the meaning of this sentence, and I definitely started to take more risks after I determined what my comfort zone was.

People tend to be satisfied with what they have; we all have experienced routine in our lives. Some people get bored from working for the same company for many years; others get bored from studying a lot, and last, but not least, there are those who are unemployed.

Fortunately, there are many ways to end the routine. The goal is to experience new things, doing something you never done before, because the definition of routine is to live every day the same way. By doing new things every week, by planning unusual trips, and by meeting new people, all these things will help you to live an amazing life.

For some people, only little changes will lead to a happier life, but, for other people, they will need to plan a lot of new activity such as a travel, relocation, or changing one’s job.

Finally, one important advice is to find the motivation which will make you ready to change your way of life.Routine

Culture Awareness

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 By Maria Villarejo from Paraguay.

 Being here in Santa Barbara learning a new language, meeting new people, and getting to know different cultures can be a big challenge for some. Coming to an EF institute means leaving behind all our previous thoughts and normal lives at home. It opens our minds to experience new things with new people.

   EF introduces you to a whole new life; by the time you are here you do not realize that you are sharing personality characteristics and values with others. I believe that we, EF students, will go back home different that the way we came.

   People said that when someone travels she/he returns home different than the way she/he left. In my case, I think that phrase will be applied a hundred percent. I am not just learning English, but I am also learning different ways of living from others. When I am talking about “ways of living” I mean not only the different language or culture, but also about the way people behave in variety of situations, what they eat and their characters.

   Something I learned here in Santa Barbara is not to judge from the physical appearance or the home country. Stereotypes should not be applied to everyone. Your opinion should depend on the character of the person. Sometimes the people you least expect become your friends and you end up spending most of your free time here with them.