FEMINISM AND "FEMINAZISM"

I have wanted to talk about this topic for some time now, so I'm going to do it in this post. I'm going to talk about the difference between feminism and the coloquial called “feminazism”.

Let's start from the beginning, what is the feminism? The feminism is a social and political movement that fights against woman discrimination and supports gender equality, wanting men and women to have the same rights and duties and wanting their equality.

Nowadays, feminism is getting everytime more popular and it's gaining a lot of support, either from women or men.

The problem is that some people go further and defend another way of thinking under the name of feminism, although it is not the same at all. This is when the term “feminazism” comes in. These people, normally women, defend the rights of women and complain in case men have advantadges or better conditions, but don't complain when it's women who are having this advantadges.

In my case, I don't agree with them. I think men and women should be equal and have the same rights and duties, because we are all human beings and, of course I cannot say we are equal in everthing, because there are obvious different between the two genders, but this shouldn't be a reason to be treated differently. And, although I'm a woman, I find some situations in which women are being treated with advantadges in relation to men unfair.

But, even though I don't agree with the thoughts of the “feminazis” and in my opinion, if they are against male chauvinism, they shouldn't defend what they defend, I think everyone has the right to think and express their opinions and thoughts. What bothers me is that these people consider themselves feminists and state they are totally in favour of feminism, but they are actually acting in a lot of situations as the opposite of feminism is defending.

So I think they should accept that they are not feminists and don't make other people believe they are when they are defending other things. 

OBAMA VISITS HIROSHIMA

On 27^th May, Obama visited Hiroshima, becoming the first United States president to do this since the nuclear bomb was thrown in the World War II.

The president talked about nuclear weapons and that we shouldn't use them and he said that we must never forget what happened 71 years ago, although he didn't apologize in the name of the country.

Obama visited the Peace Memorial Museum and the Park, spoke with two survivours and even hugged one of them, Mr Abe. This visit has caused diversity of opinions: some people see this visit as a good thing and some Japanese people welcome it, despite the fact he hasn't apologized; and other people say that he made a very idealistic speech, but he is still the leader of the country with the biggest nuclear arsenal.

The same thing happens with the throw of the nuclear bomb, some people think it was good because it brought the war to an end, but other people, amongst which there are people who were directly or indirectly affected by the bomb, who think it was cruel and it shouldn't have been done. 

PERSONAL OPINION:

I think it's something good Obama visiting Hiroshima, because even though he didn't apologize, it's a way to show he accepts whan the country did. Also I like the fact he spoke with survivours and people affected by it, because I think it is a good gesture of him.

And about the if it was good or bad throwing the nuclear bomb debate, I think it wasn't good, because even though it meant the end of World War II, a lot of people died and it had horrible consequences that are still prevailing until nowadays.

NEW WORDS:

· Wreath: corona funeraria

· Complacency: autosuficiència

· Poll: votació

LINK: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36394975

REVIEW: THE FIGHT CLUB

Some months ago I watched a fim that I had heard about before but it never really caught my attention: it was the Fight Club. Someone reccomended it to me, so I decided to watch it and it really surprised me. I ended up liking it a lot!

This movie was directed by David Fincher and it's based on the book with the same name by Chuck Palahnuik.

The story starts when the main character, whose name we don't get to now and who is played by Edward Norton, starts having insomnia and starts attending support groups for problems which aren't even related to him, there he meets Marla, played by Helena Bonham Carter, who is doing the same as him. With that, his life changes a little bit, but then it makes the big change when he meets Tyler, played by Brat Pitt, a soap maker who lives a particular life. Together, they start a fight club that develops into something out of control.

When I started watching the film I was interested in it. Then the middle of it I started to get a little bit bored, and I think it was because I wasn't understanding the whole message of it. But then, there comes a point when there is a huge plot twist that totally surprised me and that I didn't expect at all. From that point I started to really like the movie and I began to understand the things better. The film has a full of ideologies background, that can be hard to understand, but the main ideology that it transmits is the rejection of the consumism and the idea that people are living lifes they don't like because of the system we are living in.

There are films that use plot twists to explain the story using the easy way, that maybe it has nothing to do with what happened before and that's why it surprises the viewers, but at the end it was just a way to end everything easily. This film isn't one of these cases, because if you watch it for a second time you can notice different clues the director puts in scenes previous to the plot twist that subtly warn you of what it's actually going to happen.

In conclusion, it is a film I totally recommend and although it can be a little difficult to understand (it happened to me and I am not sure I understand it fully now) it will surely surprise and shock you.

THE TRAILER:

SELECTIVE XENOPHOBIA

One of our society's problem nowadays is the xenophobia. Not everyone, but there's a lot of people who feels rejection for immigrants, specially on situations like the one we are living right now, when we are not in a good economic moment and some people think that unemployment is caused by immigrants who “steal” the jobs to people from the country.

But we could say this xenophobia is selective, because normally people tend to reject immigrants from specific countries, a lot of times from African countries, who are normally in a worse economic situation. But then, when people come from other European countries, such as France, Germany or the UK, or even people from African countries, but who are rich, this xenophobia disapears and everyone is pleased with them. There is the typical example of the common rejection to the arab immigrants, but the acceptance and fondness to the arab sheikhs, because they are extremely rich and they bring money to the country.

Another example of this, that I saw on the Internet recently and that it made me think about writing this you say, is Donald Trump, one of the USA presidential candidates at the moment. Donald Trump is the representant of a republican party and is totally against immigration. He wants to close the borders of the country to avoid the entrance of immigrants, specially from hispano immigrants who come from the south of the country. But, despite his hate for immigrants, on the 5^th May, when the “Cinco de Mayo” Mexican festivity is celebrated, he posted a photo eating a taco bowl and saying how much he loved this festivity and the hispanics. Or pictures of him with arab sheikhs can be also found, after he has said more than once that muslim people are a danger for the country.

Xenphobia is a problem that exists and that society needs to fix, but I think that total xenophobia is not something common, what is common is this “selective xenophobia”, that lots of times changes depending on the economic situation the person in front of you has.

This “selective xenophobia” is a problem, as well as the “total xenophobia”, but I think it is even worse, because it shows the incoherence and the illogicallity of a lot of people, who show that can't even follow their own principles. If you are against immigration, it's okay. I don't agree with you and I don't think you are right, but at least be coherent and be against all immigration and don't break your principles, even when the thing you don't accept is beneficial for you.

Also, I think it's a shame that someone famous, who totally shows this “selective xenophobia”, is having so much support on being the next USA president. 

WOMAN CONFRONTS NEONAZIS

The news talks about something that happened on the 1^st May in Sweden: Tess Asplund, a Swedish woman, stood in front of a neonazi grup, confronting them while they were doing a march. This took place in Borlänge, a city in Sweden, and the march was organized by a political party which is against immigration, the Nordic Resistance Movement.

A photographer, David Lagerlöf, immortalized the moment in a photo that went viral and quickly spread on the Internet, in which you can see Asplund rising her fist and standing in front of three uniformed neonazis with a firm attitude.

The photographer took the photo and after realizing how powerful it was he posted it on Twitter, after what it became viral. That's when Tess Asplund fully realized what she had done. She says that it was an impulsive act, that she didn't even thought how dangerous it was. The woman states that now, after the impulseveness that moved her, is still happy about what she did, because it has showed to the world what is happing, and she is happy to show that she is not okay with that. She hopes this photo makes other people fight against this kind of marches and against racism, just like she has been done for 26 years. 

PERSONAL OPINION:

Even if it was an impulsive act, I think this woman was very brave for doing what she did. I think it's a shame that after all the nazis did during World War II, there is people who still shares their ideology and exaltates the same values they did, for example the violence. And I think now it is a problem, because with the economic crisis we are living, the refugees situation and other problems we are having in our society, this kind of political parties are gaining everytime more popularity and support.

That's why I really like the photo and I think it's shoking and powerful, because it lets you see that there is still people who fight against what they think it is wrong, even if they are alone, like Tess. Because one little spark can start a fire.

NEW WORDS:

· Hook: ganxo

· Pinch: pessic

· Clash: enfrontament

LINK: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/05/europe/swedish-protest-nazis-woman/

REVIEW: LOVE, ROSIE

Love, Rosie is a film directed by Christian Ditter which is based on the novel Where Rainbows End, by Cecelia Ahern.

The story follows two best friends: Alex and Rosie. They have been best friends since they were little, but growing up, having to make important decisions and the mixture of feelings they feel for each other gets everything more complicated.

Before watching the film I didn't have big expectations on it, but it surprised me in a good way. I found it a very beautiful film, and I felt like it was different from the ones I had seen before.

It is catalogued as a Romantic Comedy, and although it has some funny moments it is not at all like the typical romantic comedies we know. It has emotional parts, but it isn't a drama neither. And I wouldn't say it is a total romantic film, because it is not one of these extremely corny films. It is a mixture of several types of films.

I liked the two main characters because you can see how they commit several mistakes, and then try to fix them, even if it's not possible, and well, they are realistic characters, that could be real life people. I loved the relationship they have, because they are very close to each other as friends, and then start realizing they feel something else for each other, so they have like a lovers-friends beautiful relationship, because they still take care of each other as they always did being friends.

Summarizing, it is a film I totally recommend. Maybe if you don't like romantic films you are not going to like it, but maybe you'll do, because I think it is a little bit different from the typical romatic films, and besides the romantic part, it tells a beautiful friendship story. 

THE TRAILER:

"TREBALL DE RECERCA"

In this you say I wanted to talk about something I think it is quite unfair: the “Treball de Recerca” or Research Project only being done by students in Catalonia.

The Research Project is a project, which consists in a theorical and practical part, that students have to do between first and second of batxillerat and it is important for your Batxillerat final mark.

I don't think this project is a bad idea, because it makes you gain experience in working on this kind of projects, it prepares you for projects you'll have to do at university, and if you choose a topic you are interested in, you can learn a lot about it and it can be very interesting. But I find it very unfair that only the students in Catalonia have to do it. It may be a good project, but it takes also a lot of work and this extra amount of work it makes a big difference.

When you are in first of batxillerat you have to start thinking about your topic and maybe start working on it. Then, during the summer, when the school year is supposed to be over and you should have time to relax (or in case you have a summer job, relax a little less and work), you also have to work on your Research Project. Of couse you are not going to be working on it every day and every hour and it's not going to ruin your whole summer, but in my case, one of the things I like the most about summer is that, after a whole school year working, I can finally be three months without school responsabilities. And the Research Project takes me this away.

Finally, when you start second of batxillerat, your project probably won't be finished yet, so you will still have to work on it while you are starting the new school year, having exams and other school work to do. Because yes, it is an independent project, it doesn't belong to any subject, so you have to find some time to do it between the six hours you spend at class and the extra hours you spend at home doing homework or studying for the different subjects.

When you think about it like that, you see that it actually needs a lot of time and work, and I think it is unfair that while Catalan students are spending all that time and effort in doing the project, the rest of the students in Spain can spend that time doing other things. I don't really know how it works in the rest of Spain and maybe they have more work from other things that here in Catalonia we don't have, or maybe they have to do another kind of project, but I think this is just a little work compared to the Research Project here in Catalonia.

THE ANCIENT PERUVIAN MYSTERY SOLVED FROM SPACE

In the region of Nasca, in Peru, there are the called “Nasca lines” or “puquios”, geometric shapes carved on the ground which have a gigantic size. Recent studies and investigations using satellite imaging have arrived to the conclusion that in that area there was a flourishing society.

It has been discovered that the puquios were a hydraulic system which allowed the people living in that arid region, carry water to every part of it. This system retrieved the water from the underground aquifers and brought the water to the surface, to be used for agriculture, irrigation and even domestic needs.

It is believed that the puquios were a much more sophisticated system back then than it is right now, but with the centuries it has been dilapidated. But although we can't study this structrures like they were back then, the investigators have been able to establish that the population of the Nasca region was organized in a hierarchy and they were a sophisticated and intelligent society. Building this hydraulic system required having important knowledges of the geology and also being able to calculate the water level variations along the year, something this society was able to do and which allowed them to bring water to one of the most arid areas in the Earth.

PERSONAL OPINION:

I found this news very interesting because I didn't know the existence of the puquios and when I read it, it caught my attention. I find it quite shocking the fact that this society, living in the Nasca area in Peru was able to create and build such a complex system back then, with the resources and tools they had and that, as the news says, some of the puquios can still work today.

NEW WORDS:

· Hierarchy: jerarquia

· Retrieve: recuperar, rescatar

· Flourishing: pròsper

LINK: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160408-the-ancient-peruvian-mystery-solved-from-space

REVIEW: CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS

This review it's going to be about the last book I read: Cat among the Pigeons, by the famous writer Agatha Christie. I'm really into detectives and crimes books, and I always said that I had to read something by Agatha Christie, and I have finally done it.

The book takes place in a girl's school, ruled by Miss Bulstrode and where almost al the characters are either studying or working. As you could expect being a book by Agatha Christie, there is a crime and from that point, the book is about police trying to find out what happened, involving more crimes. Unlike most detective books, the crime is not commited at the very beginning, first we get to know a little the characters, the situation and there is even some action happening. And I can't say a lot more about the plot, because as a mystery book, knowing a lot about it would remove the excitement of discovering step by step what happens.

I liked the book and it met my expectations. It was the way I thought it was going to be, so it didn't surprise me, neither in a bad nor in a good way.

At the beginning maybe it is a little boring, because you don't really know what the story being explained has to do with the girl's school mentioned in the first chapter, and also because there isn't a lot of action, although there is some. Then, once the first murderer is commited, it becomes everytime more interesting until the end, when everything is explained and you finally understand fully what happened. 

Summarizing, it's a book I would recommend, specially if you like the books with mysteries and things to solve, because it doesn't dissappoint you. 

Photo of the TV series Poirot.
 Episode 11, based on the novel Cat among the pigeons.

FEMALE PILOTS RECEIVING THEIR HONORS

The article is about the female pilots of World War II, who are receiving honors from the State for their service during the war.

Elaine Harmon, Miller's grandmother. Pilot in
the World War II.

Erin Miller, a girl whose grandmother was a pilot in the World War II serving the WASP, started a campaign to get the honors to the female pilots from the Congress, after her grandmother had these burial honors denied after dying.

Miller explains that her grandmother received the honors from the Department of Veterans Affairs and also a Congretional Golden Medeal, but that when she died the Department of the Army denied her the burial honors. Her grandaughter made a petition in the website Change.org, to spread this story and get more people to support her. A lot of people, including Martha McSally, a retired Air Force Colonel, supported her and thanks to this she could get in touch with the Congress.

After some weeks speaking with different parties representatives and people from the Congress about this, she finally achieved her goal and all the female pilots who served in the World War II are now going to be regognized for their job and honored in the name of the United States.

PERSONAL OPINION:

I think it is good that Erin Miller has achieved her goal, because it wasn't fair that these female pilots weren't receiving their honors while others were. I liked this news because I found interesting that she got what she wanted by posting it online and thanks to the people who supported her. This proves that with support from people and by making just a little action, is it possible to finally get to change something you find unfair.

NEW WORDS:

· Amendment: correcció

· To lobby: pressionar

· Media buzz: enrenou a les xarxes socials

LINK: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/05/20/female-pilots-world-war-ii-like-my-grandmother-finally-receive-honor-deserve.html

SELF-EVALUATION ORAL PRESENTATION

After seeing the recording of the oral presentation I can talk a little bit more about how it went, although I already had an idea before watching it.  

We tried to think an idea to make the presentation original and not an average presentation. The idea that came in our minds was to make it a little bit like theatre, introducing characters and a little story through which we gave out the information we had to include in the presentation. 
After watching the video I realize that maybe we could have worked more on that idea, but in general it turned out well and I'm happy with the result, because it is a way of making the presentation different.

About the images and the format of the presentation we used, I think that it was quite similar to all the other presentation, taking away the fact that we used some pictures to represent the settings of our "little play", although after watching the video I see that maybe that wasn't very clear.

Focusing on the presentation itself, in general I'm happy with the result. There are always things to improve, for example the pronuntation of some words, the volume of the voice, which I think should have been louder in my case, and the nerves. I was a little bit nervous during the presentation basically because I didn't remember to say some of the things and because, since we were conversating between us, if one of us forgot something, it could be bad for the other because she could get confused and don't know what to say. But although we forgot things and we didn't do the presentation 100% the way it was meant to be, something that happens almost in all the presentation, I think it wasn't very noticiable and from the outside it looked like a perfectly normal and good presentation.