Journal Writings

TODAY'S WORRIES - 25/09/2018

We get up everyday and we do the same things like a vicious circle without thinking about nothing. We go to the job or school and, then, we come back to home to repeat every step that we've already done during all week. The rush of the modern world don't let us enjoy our day to day and the little moments are forgotten. Nowadays, our only worries are getting to work on time or checking every notification of our smartphones, and we left behind our family, friends, hobbies or dreams. Reading a book, spending good time with your brother, dancing, singing, drinking with friends... All of this is replaced for today's worries.

1. MY LIFE SINCE I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES - 25/10/18

Four months ago, I decided that I would move to United States to look for a good job as an editor. When I took the plane and had to say goodbye to my family, I felt really depressed. The first weeks in Seattle were very hard because everything was new for me and at the job I was a bit lose. My new home seems to me so small but, actually, I felt lonely living there. However, over time, I have adapted very well to the city: at the editorial I work very hard everyday and my coworkers are nice and funny so I do what I like with great people. Also, I met a group of guys last month at a pub and, now, we go out every weekend to have fun. It has been a big change in my life but, little by little, I have been feling more and more comfortable with the custom and people of United States. Today, I know that I am chasing my dream and my family and friends will always support me.

2. MY SPECIAL SKILL - 25/10/2018
Probably, If you ask me what is my special skill I would answer you that I have no special skills. Notwithstanding, everybody has an ability. Since I was a child I always like make people feel happy. For example, when I spend time with my friends we laugh about something that I said before. For this reason I think that my "tallent" could be make anyone smile. I try to turn the bad moments into good ones, despite I feel disconsolate. For it, in a bad situation I rest iron to the matter or I treat it with a bit of humor, because I think it is the best way to feel yourself gratified in hard moments. Similarly, I consider that I know deal with problems without stress. In conclusion, maybe my special skills could be these.

3. A HOBBY - 04/10/2018
Everybody has a hobby, something that help us to scape from the routine. In my case, my hobby is reading, I have always enjoyed reading a book since I was a child. For me, reading is one of the most important skills that a person can have because it let us gain knowledge and understand the world and everything that surround us. Therefore, books are essential for our lives. 

My favourite kind of books are science fiction and fantasic ones. I love this literary genre since it transport me to fantastic and wonderful worlds. Some examples of this type of books which I have already read are "Game of Thrones" or "The Name of the Wind". These are awesome works that I enjoyed reading so much.

In conclusion, reading is something more than a hobbie for me, it'a a source of principles and values. Everybody should reading. 

4. LEARNING TO PLAY A SPORT - 04/10/2018
Play a sport is really beneficial to health since it bring us physical capacity  as well as basic skills and abilities. Sport also contributes to cooperativism.

Learning to play a sport is very easy if you propose it. First, when we play a team sport we must know the basic rules and techniques. That is less difficult if we have a coach to guide us in this way because he or she show us how to play properly. Furthermore, we can't forget that playing a team play calls of adaptation to teammates and, especially, companionship.

On the other hand, if we play an individual sport like tennis or swimming we will learnt to concentrate and overcome ourselves. In other words, individual sport help us to know ourselves better and search our limits since we do not depend of the team.

As a conclusion, if you want to learn play a sport you should consider what is better for you and make a balance to deliberate the benefits of each sport.

5. MY FAVORITE SPORT TO PLAY OR WATCH - 11/10/2018
When I was at school I liked so much playing baseball with my classmates. This is the reason why my favorite sport to watch, even to play, was baseball. 

For me, baseball is a fantastic team sport since it brings essential teachings. First, constancy and work are so important in baseball so you learn to find your own determination. Also, it does not matter if you lose or win because play the match was just funny.

On the other hand, you have to work both individually or as a team and this helps us to learn to work our own strengths combined with those the rest of the players. In addition, you start to control yourself in momments of preasure and it's very important fighting until the last second. I appreciate all this even I do not play baseball, just watch it.

Therefore I love baseball because it promotes values such as discipline, companionship, tolerance as well as respect.

6. AN ACCIDENT - 11/10/2018
When we talk about accidents we includes many types of them. However, I consider that the most important accidents are those that could harm the enviroment. For example, the Fukushima nuclear accident.

It happened in 2011 in Fukushima I Nuclear power station, located in Japan. It comprise a series of incidents such as explosion in buildings where nuclear reactors were stored, triple core fusion and release of radiation among others. 

For this reason, this have been the worst nuclear accident since the Chernobil Accident in 1986, constituing one of the biggest enviromental disasters of our history. In addition, the radiation induced genetic mutations in several animal species exposed to radiactivity in the areas close to the central.

To sum up, it's undeniable that an accident of this magnitude cause serious changes in our enviroment, so that we must be more aware of the consequences and be careful.

7.  BEING ON TIME - 16/10/2018
When we live in society, it's so important adapt ourselves to the custom and social conventions of our time. Being on time is essential to fin in the schedule and keep an organization. 

This is a quality that let us comply wit our obligations: a job appointment, meeting of friends, a pending work to deliver, etc. Being on time is, also, a necessary value to equip our personality with order and efficiency. This will make us realiable people.

However, to be on time is very important show interest in what we do. We should be aware of the importance of a meeting or an appointment and organize ourselves and our schedule to be able to be a timely person.

Summarizing, if you want to fit in this society and harmonize with the rest of the people you always should be on time and prove that everybody can trust you. 

8. THE PEOPLE I LIVE WITH - 16/10/2018
I have always lived with my parents and my elder sister in Bullas. Actually, I hadn't left my house until now.

A month ago, I moved to Murcia, so currently I live in a flat with three of my friends: Rosana, Carmen and Maria. We have met since we were nine. Therefore, we  get along really good so we never argue and the coexistence is not a problem for us. 

Rosana is very quiet and responsible. She always help me when I need some emotional support because she has an spectacular view of the world. Carmen is really cheerful and you can have fun a lot spending time with her. She is also a good student and has very clear ideas. Maria may seem a serious person but, actually, she is very funny. You can talk with her about whatever since she has always a conversation topic.

In conclusion, I have no problems with the people I live with because they are amazing. 

9. AMERICAN CUSTOM YOU LIKE/ DISLIKE - 24/10/2018
Each country has its own custom and traditions. The truth is that American custom and Spanish custom are quite different. For this reason, some of these traditions seems to me very strange while I like others. 

On the one hand, I love the importance of Christmas in America. Everyone decorates their houses with Christmas lights and garlands so the streets are full of colours and ornaments in this time of the year. In addition, I like Halloween because I consider it a good way to have fun being scared. In fact, this tradition has already arrived in Spain.

On the other hand, I detest the fast food. In America restaurants such as Mc Donalds or Burguer King are always crowded due to in this country eating this type of food is really usual. However, it isn't specially healthy and, in fact, America is one of the countries where there are more obesed people.

To sum up, althought I don't understan some America custom, I respect them. Probaly, Spanish traditions seem also strange to American people.

10. AN IMPORTANT STORY IN THE NEWS - 25/10/2018
Everyday newspapers post a lot of important news. However, when I was reading the last news a few hours ago, there was one of them which seemed to me particularly interesting.

The headline says: "Spanish doctors get a woman with advanced menopause to give birth a child". This makes me feel surprised because the truth is that you can't read information so inspiring like this everyday. The woman is called Maria José Ortega and although she is 32 she has evident symptoms of advanced menopause: a painful diagnosis. Nevertheless, this woman had succesfully operation and after a lot of attemps she has been mother of a beautiful girl thanks to these great surgeons.

It is a pity that we are used to hear and read bad and awful news but, from time to time, there is an encouraging story that makes me believe in social progress.

11.THE WORKING STUDENT - 30/10/2018
Nowadays, a lot of students decide to go to university. Getting a degree isn't, currently, exactly cheap. For this reason, these students have to work in part-time jobs to pay their studies.

The truth is that working shouldn't be necessary because this jobs robs students much time to concentrate in their homework or exams. In this way, the anxiety, stress and discourage are elements which take part in their lives since they have to go to class in the morning and then go to work in the afternoon or vice versa. 

In addition, students don't live only to study, they also have social life and hobbies. Being a working student doesn't let you meeting with your friends or having free time to read or watch a film. Therefore, your life become a boring routine. Subsequently, I consider that government should help students to pay their degrees.

All things considered, although students need money, part-time jobs aren't a good way to get it due to the stress that they generate in students' lives.

12. A BIG MISTAKE YOU ONCE MADE - 30/10/2018
I have always been a very absent-minded person and anybody who knows me knows it. As a result, I usually forget all my possession in anywhere. However, I made the biggest mistake a few years ago when I was in Italy.

I was in my fourth year at high school and my class and me travelled to Italy for the study trip. We were there 4 days and we visited Bergamo, Venice, Florence and Rome repectively. All my friends warned me not to lose anything but my purse had already disappeared the second day. Fortunately, I got to find it.

Unlike, in the last day, when we were going to the ariport by bus to take the flight I realized that I didn't have my mobile phone in my backpack and we couldn't return. I tried to remember where I could left my cell, but it was in vain. I felt very dissapointed with myself and I comprehended that I wouldn't see my mobile phone anymore.

Nonetheless, we were in the plane when my teacher said me that the owner of a Italian cafe had got in touch with my mother to give me my phone.  By a happy change, I could recover it because my sister's boss travelled to Italy that weekend and he brought me it. 

Although I had a stroke of luck, this was, certainly, the biggest mistake I have made. 

13. USING E-MAIL - 05/11/2018
Currently, the truth is that there are more and more ways of communication. With the social networks appearance such as Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram, others have been set aside. This is the case of E-Mail.

A few years ago, most people used to communicate by letters and later by E-Mail. The latter was successful because of its advantages:it's an essential tool for organizations and companys to transmit information as well as promotions or releases; using E-Mail also allows us to decide where and how we want to transmit that information; from a economical viewpoint, E-Mail is free.

By contrast, using E-Mail has been replaced with other ways of communication due to the fact that, and as I have already mentioned previously, these latest medium of communication are clearly more modern . In addition, E-Mail has certain weaknesses. Some of them are: it is vulnerable to viruses; when you use E-Mail you are expose to identity theft; everydays you receives a lot of spam.

In short, althought using E-Mail is a good way to transmit information and send messages, its use has stopped being trendy. As a consequence other social networks are becoming increasingly more important.

14. CELL PHONES - 05/11/2018
In the current times, everybody has a cell phone. We use it at all hours of the day to check our WhatsApp, watch Instragram publications or read Twitter comments. But, is this really healthy?

Firstly of all, the latest cell phones called "smartphones" have became in an essential tool in our day by day because of its versatility and multifunctionality. Smartphones can do anything, from taking photos to playing video games as well as sending messages or surfing the Internet. For this reason, they are the most prized possession of all of us.

However, it is necessary to know that cell phones are double-edged swords. Despite the fact that they serve us faithfully, they create addiction too. We have turned into obsessed since we can't stop checking our smartphone every minute to verify that everything is okay and this is, actually, really worrying.

As a conclusion, it is undeniable that smartphones are tremendously useful for our lives but we should being aware of all the risks of using cell phones too much. Probably, the solution would be using them in the correct way. 

15. TEENAGERS - 13/11/2018
Everybody has been a crazy teenager; this is a stage of our lives that we will always remember wistfully because it is in these ages when we start to experience with everything that surround us. We discover our first intense feelings and we begin being aware of life. However, it is clear that there is a huge difference between generations' teenagers.

Since 1940 until our days there have been several generations. Technically, we can differentiate the Baby Boomers, X Generation and Millenials. The first ones were born between 1946 and 1964 and they lived historical moments such as the Cold War, the murder of Kennedy or Martin Luther King, as well as the Vietnam War and  the arrival of man on the moon. They also grew up with the radio, the television and the landline phones.

Later, the youth of X Generation (1969-1982) are marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the division of Soviet Union. In this time, it appeared Internet and the email so they could enjoy the first mobile phones. Furthermore, teenagers of this era liked take drugs and spend hours and hours in front of television. 

Finally, the Millenials (1980-2000). These are the Baby Boomers' children and they were raised with technological development. This is the most famous generation due to the social media, the entertaiment and the contast communication. For these teenagers, the tecnhology is considered as something natural. As a result, we have young people addicted to their smartphones. 

All in all, we can appreciate the evolution of teenagers' generation and the influence of tecnhology in their lives. Probably, the following teenagers will be more marked by it. 

16. THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED - 13/11/2018
Most people dream of findind their soul mate and marrying her or his; if we talk about the right age to get married, the truth is that there isn't a specific age to get married. 

First of all, we must consider that each person find the love in a different time of his or her life. For this reason, it does not matter if you get married at 25 or 50. The important thing is that you love the person with whom you will spend your days. 

Nonetheless, it seems to me that there must be a minimum age to marry your love because getting married too soon could change your life drastically. People who are under 18 years old don't have a sufficiently formed personality and they can act impulsively.

In short, the age doesn't matter to get married as long as we are aware of what we are doing since marriage is not a thing that we can take lightly. 

17. A GOOD FRIEND - 20/11/2018
Probably, if someone asks you what is the perfect friend, you wouldn't know what to say to him or her because the concept of a good friend can bevery subjetive. However, there is a friend who, safely, will never betray you. This is your dog.

It is said that a dog is and will always be the man's best friend and this is true since they are faithful and loving animals. Dogs do not ask for anything in return, they are happy only seeing you happy too. Also, our canine friends accept us as we are, no matter if we are tall or small, fat or skinny, young or old.

Added to this, although they are sometimes a bit annoying, there is a lot of good things of your dog that make you forget about the bad. For example, they are actually really funny and they will be there for us, giving us love and support in any situation. There is nothing like the received of your dog when you return home.

In brief, dogs are certainly a good friend for all of us due to their love, loyalty, support and fun. Unlike humans, these are all the reason why they will stay by your side until the end of their days. 


18. SHOPPING - 20/11/2018
We live in a capitalistic system where we are shopping all the time. Everyone wants to have the last camera, smartphone or laptop and be fashion. So, we can claim that  shopping is one of the most important activities of our times.

Shopping could also be a good way to spend the time with friends, as long as you can afford it. This activiy become something massive when there are sales or in days such as black friday or Christmas.

However, shopping have its disadvantages since, sometimes, people buy compulsively and the consequences of an unbridled and unaware consumption can be devastating. We usually waste money in unnecessary things.

In conclusion, althought this activity can result funny, the truth is that  living in a capitalistic world makes us buy nonsense and have the closet full of things that we do not need at all. 

19. MY LAST DAY IN MY COUNTRY - 27/11/2018
When I decide to move to the United States I was not very sure. I told my family and my friends that I was going to spend some time in other country to learn English and know other cultures apart from Spain. They seemed really sad but, at the same time, they were proud of me.

I knew that it was going to be a huge change in my life so I prefered to enjoy the last months with my parents, my sister and my best friends. I realized that I would miss a lot all the things that I had in Spain. In fact, the last day in my country was quite weird since, on the one hand, I felt depressed but, on the other hand, I was very excited for the new experiences that I would acquire. 

I said googbye to all my loved ones with a party and then they accompanied me to the airport to catch the flight. When I were on the plane I was aware that a new stage of my life would begin. 

20. MY FIRST DAY IN THE UNITED STATES - 27/11/2018
My firs day in the United States was very busy. I arrived at the airport early in the morning and it took me all morning to find my new house in New York because the streets were crowded; with every step I took I was more and more stressed.

At first  I felt lonely but after staying in my new apartment I went out to find a job. Fortunately, there was  a vacancy in a cafeteria in the center. They told me that I could start to work the following week and I remember that it seemed to me fantastic!

Nonetheless, I was not alone in the face of this new situation because I friend of mine lived in New York too. We met in the evening to take a coffee and catch up. He helped me a lot with the move and then we had dinner together.

Before going to bed I called my parents and, altought I was sad because I missed them a lot, I knew that living in the United States would be a great experience for me.

21. DISCRIMINATION - 04/12/2018
Discrimination is one of the most harmful things in our life. It is the way in which people treat other people, group or institution detrimentally. Discrimination can be due to reasons of sex, religion, race, gender, ideas, nationality, etc.

Isolation towards other people has always existed; since the first times until our days. However, from my view point, currently is when this problem is more intense since everyday we can see on the news how a husband has killed his wife, a terrorist group has carried out a massacre or an afroamerican person has been fired. 

Similarly, in day to day, many obese people, for example, suffer bullying and discrimination because of their physical appearance. This makes that that people feel depressed and their self-esteem deeply affected, as well as bad ideas and complexes are inherited from generation to generation. 

In a nutshell, although discrimination is a phenomenon that people have always been able to see, it is currently when people are more cruel than ever and when struggle for power resort to discrimination, alleging above all race, ideas and nationality. 

22. MY FAVORITE FOOD - 04/12/2018
Eating is one of the things that I like most in this life because there is nothing like feeling all the favors on the palate. For this reason, the truth is that I have not an only favorite food since I like a lot of them. Nevertheless, if I had to choose one, I would said cannelloni.

I know that this is a food like any other but I enjoy eating it a lot. My favorite kind of canneloni are those of tuna, followed by those of meat. Actually, I love pasta in general, from the most common macarroni to tortellini. I should have been born Italian!

 My mother does not have much time to make elaborate meals, so for that reason I may like it so much. The fact that I can eat it only a few times a year, make it so special for me. 

23. THE BEST CAR TO OWN - 10/12/2018
I must admit that, actually, I have no idea of cars. However, comparing all of car models of the current world market we can consider some of them as the best automobiles to own.

If we do a thorough analysis we would put the Toyota car brand in first place because of its reliability and versatility. It might not be the most expensive and luxurious model but you can be sure that it will be a good decision, especially in the long term. In addition, nowadays, in the business world there is a fast evolution; for this reason, Toyota is a brand name which is always renewing its product.

Sometimes, we think that the more expensive the better but the truth is expensive cars often give many problems. In this way, buying a model somewhat cheaper could be the best option. Like the Toyota cars, there are also others with a really good price-quality such as Lexus, Mitsubhisi, Mazda or KIA. 

In brief, often a good car is better than another expensive one. All things considered, the best car to own could be a Toyota, although it is clear that tastes can always vary from one person to another.

24. SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES - 10/12/2018
Smoking in public places has become a controversial issue due to the fact that many people find tobacco smoke annoying when somebody is smoking by their side. The truth is that forbidding this action has been, absolutely, a successful measure.

First of all, this prohibition has managed to reduce childhood asthma attacks and premature births. The laws which forbid smoking in public places such as restaurants, parks or workplaces have also been proben to protect adults from the health threats associated with passive smoking. Added to this, this action affects workers in the hospitality sector who are exposed to smoke enviroments. This enviroments, at the same time, involve high risk of diseases.

On balance, smoking in public places is a really harmful action for people who don't smoke and don't have to be affected by other people's smoke. Therefore, prohibitting this, is the best way to keep passive smokers somewhat safe.

25. A MOVIE STAR OR SINGER I LIKE - 13/12/2018
Since I was a child my musical taste has changed a lot. I remember that when I was 8 my favourite singer was Hanna Montana, but it is clear that I have matured and as time goes I have been listening other singers and groups. Although the truth is that I like many artists, my favourite group is Queen.

I love Queen because of its extraordinary and quality music. As you probably already know the vocalist of this group is Freddie Mercury. I consider this singer to be the best in the history of rock since he had an outstanding voice which makes you feel amazed. Added to this, Freddie was an excellent composer and draftsman, at the same time that he had a lot of charisma.

Undoubtedly, Freddie Mercury was a very versatile artist, and this is the main reason why I like him so much. Furthermore, the group played all types of music and this is a very important thing to be the best in the world of music.

In brief, my favourite group is Queen and, of course, its vocalist, who was one of the greatest singers of the 20th Century. 

26. A BELIEVE I HAVE OR USED TO HAVE - 17/12/2018

Most of my family is religious so and just I saw in my parents, I used to believe in ghosts, heaven, hell and the beyond.  This was something that worried me for a long time because I felt that I had to act according good and evil in order to be a good girl.

Being different in a family is difficult since your parents show you some ways of being and you abide by them. Nevertheless, over the time, you realise that things are not as you thought they were and start to see the world differently. Ghosts, heaven, hell, good, evil… all these concepts were so real for me in my childhood and I tried to pray due to the fact that I needed to believe in something.

However, that idea never convinced me at all and I have grown up, read and acquired values and my own principles. Now I consider myself atheist because believing in God is a waste of time for me. I respect Catholic people but I consider that they are missing the best things. Life is too short to thinking about sins and what is good and what is wrong for God.

In conclusion, although I used to be Catholic and believe in all the things that implies Christianity, my way of thinking has changed a lot since I was a child and now I can say that I am atheist

27. A STORY FROM MY CHILDHOOD - 17/12/2018

I must recognize that I am a very shy person who has had always problems making friends. Talking with other people scares me but the truth is that I can be very sociable when I want. In fact, when I was a child, at first introducing myself to other children was very difficult to me. However, once I knew them I felt sure of myself.

I remember as if it were yesterday the day I met the one who today is my best friend. Our mothers already knew each other so they started talking in the street. I hid behind my mother for shame: the girl who was accompanying her mother seemed so extroverted that intimidated me. A few days later the course started in my school and I saw her sitting in my new classroom. I gathered my courage and approached her to ask her name. I discovered that she was called Rosana.

Since that moment, we became inseparable and we are still best friends after ten years. I have a lot of memories of all stages of my life with Rosana, and now I know that introducing myself to her was an excellent decision.  This story can show that, sometimes, we miss the good things in life for not being brave so dare to do what you are wanting.

28. A FAVORITE POSSESSION - 18/12/2018

If I have to be honest, I must say that my favourite possession is, undoubtedly, my smartphone. We live in a technological world where everybody is connected to the network and, nowadays, it is really difficult to find someone who doesn’t have an electronic device. This is the reality in which we live and we should accept it.

The main reason why my smartphone is so important for me is that it is very useful for my day to day. Currently, mobile phones have a lot of useful tools which made our lives easier: from high definition cameras, to a search engine and thousands of applications. Added to this, they allow me to visit social networks where I can share my reflections, photographs and creations with the rest of the planet. This is fantastic!

Nevertheless, I know that my smartphone is also harmful for me because it creates addiction. Sometimes, I drift away from my family, friends or even hobbies to spend time checking my notifications. The truth is that this is very worrying because, although my phone is my most precious possession, it prevents me for seeing that I actually have more valuable things that are not material.

In brief, I consider my smartphone as my favourite possession because of its versatility and utility but I must recognize that it is not as good for me as I think since it has, like everything, two sides. 

29. MUSIC THAT IS SPECIAL TO ME - 18/12/2018

I like many types of music: from pop to rap. However, if I had to choose a specific type, I would not hesitate to choose rock music.

I consider rock as quality music. Currently, reggaeton and trap are fashionable but, from my viewpoint, lack sense and aptitude. The main reason why rock music is so special to me is because it transmits sensations and makes your hair stand on end. In addition, it has fantastic and deep lyrics that do not denigrate women and that often denounce social and political situations. Moreover, The sound of the guitar combined with the bass and the drums is unparalleled.

This way, I hear groups such as Queen, AC/DC, Guns and Roses, Nirvana, Metallica and many more everyday which form the history of twentieth-century rock. Although I also listen rap, pop or even electronic music I know that rock is, undoubtedly, the best.

On balance, rock is a fantastic genre of music to me since it has good instruments, deep lyrics, fantastic singers, great composers, talented artist as well as a brilliant history of extraordinary groups. The combination of all this makes rock a type of music that passes generations.

30. A SPECIAL GIFT I HAVE GIVEN OR RECEIVED - 19/12/2018

I am an inveterate reader so I consider myself a little geek. I love the TV series “Game of Thrones” and last year my boyfriend gave me for Christmas all the books in the saga written by George R.R. Martin. It was incredible for me!

Although some books reach 1100 pages, I have read the five in four months and I can assure you that it has been an extraordinary experience. The way of writing of the author is wonderful since you feel that you are part of the story in every moment. For this reason these books were a gift so special.

In addition, the story is told from different viewpoints, what allows you to have different perspectives of the plot. “Song of ice and fire” (as the literally saga is called) is definitely a work of art in epic and science fiction literature.

In brief, this gift meant a lot for me and I am very grateful to my boyfriend for giving me the opportunity to know this fantastic work. Now I can say that I am absolute fan of “Game of Thrones”