domingo, 30 de septiembre de 2007

When are you coming home?

Poem written after having seen a situation down the street that inspired me.

When are you coming home?

Here I am, sitting in the grass
Watching the rain as it falls down.
My head is aching, I’m getting wet.
When are you coming home?

Drop by drop, they fall down on me
Tear by tear, I cry for you.
Do you know you rock my world?
So I’ll wait as the rain falls down on me.

Until you come, I’ll be here
Down the rain, waiting for you
My head is breaking in two, I’m cold
When are you coming home?

Watching time passing by
Watching drops falling down
Watching the sky becoming dark
Watching my tears falling down

And I’m still waiting for you
Wondering if you’ll ever come back
I’m cold, I’m wet, sad, hurt
When are you coming back?

martes, 25 de septiembre de 2007

“Do as I say not as I do”?

'Do as I say not as I do'. Who hasn’t heard that? (“Haz lo que yo digo no lo que yo hago”). Is that really a good example? It’s true that when saying the whole phrase you’re explaining what the person in question has to do and what example follow… but is it really a good example? If it’s wrong, why don’t you stop doing it too? You won’t harm anyone and you’ll be a good example to be followed.

There’s another phrase that I like much more than that one, and says:
'Do as you say, not as you do'. That is what should be done! Why telling me not to do something you also do? If you don’t do it, then maybe I understand that it is really wrong.

:) jeje

lunes, 24 de septiembre de 2007

Hollow Years ·· Dream Theater

“Once the stone
you’re crawling under
is lifted off your shoulders.
Once the cloud that’s raining
Over your head disappears
The noise that you’ll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years”


Chorus of the song Hollow Years by Dream Theater.
Written by John Petrucci.
Words full of hope, optimism, victory, happiness, stregth.
Words that helped me a lot and still help me whenever I’m not feeling alright.

Everytime I listen to the song or think about the lyrics I have the image in my head: you’re crawling under a stone and then you just get rid of it. Or there’s a cloud that’s raining only above you – just like in the cartoons, a black cloud following you – and then it goes away and it stops raining. Those are two great examples of victory, of how you manage to beat what is hurting you. And that’s when you hear the crashing down of hollow years.

Love that song!
Love that chorus!
Love that words!

sábado, 22 de septiembre de 2007

Although I didn't fit

Sometimes I feel I don’t belong,
it doesn’t belong to me,
I don’t fit,
I don’t match,
I don’t feel, I don’t fit.

Sometimes I find myself between doubts,
between dilemmas,
between stories,
between poems,
between songs and thoughts.

Although I always think,
always cry,
always laugh,
always implore,
always dream and think.

Further than everything,
crying, laugh,
doubt, melancholy,
thought, melody,
love and hate.

There is always something that supports me,
that inspires me,
that calls me,
something that keeps me alive.

And although I cry, think, shout,
read, sing or laugh,
Never stop shinning,
Don’t abandon me.

Although I doubt, love, hate,
And never ever fit,
I’ll always need you,
Never die inside of me.

Never go, never leave me,
Never say good-bye,
Never the last hug,
Don’t abandon me.




Original:

A veces siento que no pertenezco,
que no me pertenece,
que no entro,
que no encajo,
que no siento, que no entro.

A veces me siento entre dudas,
entre dilemas,
entre cuentos,
entre poemas,
entre canciones y pensamientos.

Aunque siempre pienso,
siempre lloro,
siempre río,
siempre imploro,
siempre sueño y pienso.

Más allá de todo,
del llanto, de la risa,
de las dudas, de la melancolía,
del pensamiento, de la melodía,
del amor y del odio.

Siempre hay algo que me mantiene,
que me inspira,
que me llama,
algo que me mantiene viva.

Y aunque llore, piense, grite,
lea, cante o ría,
Nunca dejes de brillar,
Nunca me vallas a abandonar.

Aunque dude, ame, odie,
Y nunca jamás encaje,
Siempre te voy a necesitar,
Nunca mueras dentro mío.

Nunca te vallas, nunca me dejes
Nunca me digas adiós,
Nunca un último abrazo,
Nunca me vallas a abandonar.

If I had my own house…

I’ve been thinking… what would I do if I had my own house? If I lived alone? Well, let’s see… I would:
• Put in the whole house a sound system, with loudspeakers in all the rooms in order to never stop listening in whichever room I am and go to
• Listen to music very loud whenever I wanted
• Eat everyday only what I like
• Have lunch at the small table, while reading a book or a magazine
• Eat alone all the deserts I cook :P
• Use the toothpaste tidily, from the back part to the opening
• Shout my favourite song once in a while with no one near to remind me I don’t sing well
• Have my shower at 3a.m. if I want to
• Play the guitar with my bedroom door opened and at any time I want
• Sleep until my body or my alarm-clock tells me to wake up – not waking up with my brothers’ discussions before that
• Drink Coke every single day
• Talk alone out loud
• Draw something in each wall
• Not have three football balls rolling round the whole house
• Buy always peach jam; and plum never more
• Choose my own meal times
• Not suffer the smell of spinach being cooked
• Hang the coat hanger to the side I want
• Put the soap with the letters to above

I am a bit meticulous, retailer, obsessive, paranoiac, I know… :P
But I also know that I would not have my mom to cook some great meals I love… my dad to fix some electrical problems, my brother to tell very bad jokes that make me laugh, my little brother to hug and kiss… I wouldn’t have company whenever I needed it… but I wouldn’t have anybody bothering me with whatever! ;)
… Still I would really like to live alone! :)

martes, 11 de septiembre de 2007

Feliz día del Maestro/Profesor!!

Había una vez... Un hombre que tomaba cada día el autobús para ir al trabajo. En la siguiente parada subía una anciana y se sentaba a su lado en la ventana. La anciana abría una bolsa y durante todo el trayecto, iba tirando algo por la ventana. Cada día hacía lo mismo, y un día, el hombre intrigado le preguntó qué era lo que tiraba por la ventana.
- ¡Son semillas! – le dijo la anciana.
- ¿Semillas? ¿Semillas de qué? preguntó el hombre.
- De flores – respondió la anciana - Cuando viajo veo todo tan vacío. Y me gustaría poder viajar viendo flores durante todo el camino, porque sería muy bonito.
- Pero las semillas caen encima del asfalto, las aplastan los coches, se las comen los pájaros... ¿Usted cree que sus semillas germinarán al lado del camino?
La anciana contestó:
- Seguro que sí. Aunque algunas se pierdan, alguna acabará en la cuneta, y con el tiempo brotará.

Así, la anciana siguió con su trabajo... Y el hombre bajó del autobús pensando que había perdido un poco la cabeza. Pasado un tiempo... Cuando el hombre se dirigía al trabajo, al mirar por la ventana vio todo el camino lleno de flores. Se acordó de la anciana, pero hacía días que no la había visto. Preguntó al conductor:
- ¿La anciana de las semillas?

-Pues ya hace un tiempo que murió.
El hombre desde su asiento siguió contemplando el paisaje y pensando que las flores habían crecido y la anciana no había podido ver su obra. De repente oyó a una niña que decía entusiasmada:
- ¡Mira papá! ¡Mira cuantas flores!...

Autor Desconocido


Está claro en la historia que la anciana hizo su trabajo dejando su herencia a todos los que pudieran recibirla, a todos los que pudieran contemplarla, ser más felices y aprovecharla.
Esta historia está dedicada a todos aquellos maestros, profesores, educadores, profesionales de la enseñanza, que hoy, más que nunca, no pueden ver cómo crecen las semillas plantadas, las esperanzas sembradas en el corazón, sobretodo, en los adolescentes que llenan sus clases. Ellos que siguen sembrando sin recoger los frutos y sin gozarse del esfuerzo y la dedicación que siempre valen la pena.
La tarea educativa exige paciencia, saber esperar, volver a empezar no una sino muchas veces..., algo que resulta bastante difícil en nuestra sociedad y nuestro mundo marcado por las prisas y por el deseo de obtener resultados inmediatos.
Quien no es un mercenario de la educación, sino que siente y vive con el corazón esta labor, sabrá mantener la esperanza y la ilusión de que en algún momento, quizás después de largo tiempo, esas posibilidades de aprendizaje y de crecimiento se harán realidad.

Volvió a florecer el lapacho

Perdón, pero hay fiaca de traducir. Lo escribí, me gustó y lo subí. Esta vez no lo traduzco... =)
Marta despertó con el sonido de los pájaros. Se asomó a la ventana y descubrió algo nuevo en el paisaje que la rodea todos los días. Había más color; no todos los árboles eran ramas secas. Blanco, rosa y amarillo distribuidos por todo el jardín. “¿Tan rápido es que llegamos a esta época del año?”, pensó Marta. . Volvió a florecer el lapacho. Hace un año ya que recogió las flores amarillas que hoy se encuentran secas entre las páginas de “La Vuelta al Mundo en Ochenta Días”. Hace un año que se sacó una foto junto a Martín sentados bajo el árbol de flores blancas del jardín. Hace un año que era feliz, que había vuelto a ver la luz. Hace un año que no florecía el lapacho.

El lapacho es siempre el primer árbol que se anima a florecer. Fue el único que le brindó colores justo cuando ella los necesitaba. Es el único con flores mientras los demás siguen siendo puras ramas. Junto con las flores del lapacho de un año atrás, Marta se asomó nuevamente a la vida y había permanecido en ella. Hoy, un año después, asombrada de la velocidad a la que pasa el tiempo, Marta es feliz. Ella se sienta bajo el lapacho amarillo, contempla las flores que le caen a los costados, piensa en Martín, piensa en la vida, en su felicidad. Observa el lapacho blanco frente a ella, que se menea con la suave brisa de otoño. Piensa. Contempla. Ríe. Recuerda. Llora. Y es feliz. Ahora que el lapacho volvió a florecer es más feliz que nunca.

Vale

sábado, 8 de septiembre de 2007

The use of technology in education

I was asked to write about the use of technology in education for e-Meetings... so here this is!

Technology is not something new in the science of teaching as teachers have been searching in the internet for information for their classes for some years now. Videos are also used since long ago... but technology is something that evolves with huge steps and we can’t just stay behind; we should evolve and interact with it because if we don’t, when we least notice, we will be far behind all the new world. Technology has some disadvantages, but definitely its positive points have much more weight. The secret is to know how to use it in the properly way without falling into the addiction and lack of social events and interpersonal relationships because of it. But that is another topic.

Technology is a very useful tool in terms of education. The teacher can go through the internet to search for information in order to prepare classes as well as students can search for answers for their works. But technology is not only the information we get when doing a click in “search” in the Google toolbar. Technology surrounds us everywhere and is found in absolutely everything we have near. Technology is something that has been evolving since long time ago and nowadays we can’t stay behind because it is the tool of our future.

What would you prefer, the teacher who comes with chalks and talks the whole period, or the one who comes with a laptop, a projector and a screen? Would you prefer the one who writes in the board or the one who types and you read everything in the screen? As a student, I can say that we feel completely attracted when we have those activities that are different from the everyday’s. When we have to go to the lab, to the computer room, or to watch a film, we go with more enthusiasm than to a regular class. So, I think that students try to find more dynamism in the classes; that is the detail that makes the classes far more bearable, interesting, fun and that is a way to get us concentrated and interested in the topic. At least that happened in my school when suddenly a new teacher appeared with a laptop, a projector and a screen every single class (Charlie, you know...). We had to send him our homework via e-mail, he would answer back and suddenly a new relationship teacher-student that we had never thought of started taking place. Interacting with a teacher on line is very different to the regular interaction and with it people show different aspects of their lives that get to know better the other person.

Learning is not always fun, but teachers can make it bearable and really fun some times! Most of the times, if we like or not a subject depends on the teacher, don’t you think so? That means that the teachers with more creativity to teach in a way that interests the students, with dynamism and good methods is the one we will like most.

As technology evolves and advances with huge steps, we have to update with it too. So this year, the blogs and the making of a video were part of the English program at Saint Patrick’s School. Each of the students had to create a blog (my blog) and we write at least twice a week about anything we want for half an hour more or less. We also have a class blog where we find asignments and a school blog also created by ourselves. The making of the video clip consisted in choosing a song each and making the video with pictures from the Internet or taken by us and showing what the song wants to express. My video is about suicide and it has pictures of me too, because the feelings that the song shows – when you watch it you’ll know – are things we all can feel, and in fact, I’ve felt. The song represents me a lot and I felt very identified with it in a period of my life. So here it is:
Entry about my video clip here