Christmas  and Chinese New year  festival

                  by Iris Rojas

      Every  nation has it own traditional festival. The Chinese new year ( Spring festival) is the major holiday celebrated in China ,while Christmas is the most important red – letter day in the western world. After researching both Christmas and the Chinese new year festival, interesting similarities between the two unique celebrations come into fruition. For instance, both contain traditional meals, presents, decorations, songs, and are family oriented occasions. Also there are perceptible differences  between the two, such as the time of year, and the significance of the occasions within their respective cultures. This essay will be showcasing both Christmas, and Chinese New year festival in terms of their  origins, as well  all the similarities and differences they both share.

Firstly, Christmas is a religious celebratory holiday, which embraces the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas Eve takes place on December 24th,the day before Jesus Christ is born. It  is significant  to know that different cultures may eat different meals. For instance, in Poland traditional Christmas Eve meals include fish soup, carp, and pickled herring. It is important to  know that non-religious  individuals may also celebrate Christmas as well, whom primarily focus on the family,casting and gift giving  aspect of Christmas. Some may view Santa Claus, a mythological figure, to be more important than Jesus Christ. Santa Claus is known for traveling across the world on December 24th from the North Pole, delivering presents to the nice children, while the naughty children receive a lump of coal. December 25th is the day where Jesus Christ, known to many Christians as their savior , is born. This is the day where a few individuals will put up numerous decorations, although many will decorate in advance, for example miniature size nativity, candles ,garlands , etc.

Nevertheless, the Chinese New Year Festival is a major holiday, which has been celebrated in mainland China for many centuries,taking place on the second New moon after the winter solstice. It is significant to know that this Festival is also celebrated in other countries by its Chinese inhabitants,while various foreigners have been known to participate in the festivities as well. According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called The Nien, who would  come on the first day of new year to devour livestock,crops, and even villagers,especially children. Moreover, the color red is strongly used throughout the festival, such as clothing, decorations, envelopes, gifts,etc. Another point to consider is that the Chinese New Year consists  of fifteen days,, with the majority of the days each signifying different customs and actions.  During this period numerous individuals decorate the street with lanterns,which are primarily red. The Chinese new year festival  is a high-spirited, content time where family and friends come together in order to celebrate years of tradition, such as feast, decorations, gifts, national pride, etc.

                                                               

Despite  the considerations above, Christmas and the Chinese New Year have actual similarities, with slight variations to them.

On one hand, the use of flowers is strongly used in both celebrations. The Chinese are known for using many different flowers for the Chinese New Year Festival, such as pussy willows, plum, bamboo and so forth. Therefore ,having this plant around during Spring Festival would represent the invitation of abundant luck and prosperity into homes. As for western cultures, when celebrating Christmas , individuals use flowers mostly as decorations. Both celebrations are also known for the process of giving and receiving gifts to friends and relatives. For  instance, during the Chinese New Year individuals will give gifts, which are usually brought, when visiting friends or relatives at their homes.

To conclude , Christmas and the  Chinese New Year are both important celebratory occasions, which can bring joy and anticipation amongst those whom celebrate these events. These are time when family, friends  and even complete strangers,can come together in harmonious enthusiasm. Both events contain similarities, such as, gifts, decorations, songs, flowers, traditions etc. Christmas, a westernized occasion, may contain different significance and symbolic meaning to those, whom celebrate it rather than those whom celebrate the Chinese New Year. But, the most important thing about these two occasion, even with their differences, is they bring people together, and are both accepting towards all cultures and beliefs.

Food fight to celebrate

Food fight to celebrate.

Festivals are always a good way to celebrate something. It can be a commemoration of a saint’s day or remembering a historical event that took place long time ago and was very significant for people from the town, village or city where it took place. Whatever the reasons are, a festival is always an exciting experience that really worth it if you are ready for anything to happen. A food fight may sound peculiar and unlikely to happen anywhere, but no matter what we might think, it takes places not only in one place but in two. Or at least, two cities are very well-known because of their celebration of special days by having a massive food fight in their own streets. The Battle of the Oranges and La Tomatina are two celebrations that take place in different countries but with strong similarities.

La Tomatina is held in the Valencia town of Buñol, a town located in the East of Spain. The Battle of the Oranges takes place in the Northern Italian city of Ivrea. Both are celebrated during a period of festivities. The first one is celebrated during the week of festivities of Buñol, on the last Wednesday of August, and the Battle of the Oranges is held in February, during the carnival celebration.

The main characteristic that makes these celebrations very similar and special is the one related to food. These magnificent and somehow fierce spectacles are based on a fight with fruits, a kind of war, not with weapons but oranges and tomatoes. As it can be inferred, the main weapon used in La Tomatina are crushed tomatoes that people use to throw each other. In the same way, oranges are used to fight in the festival of northern Italy where thousands of people come together to undertake this massive activity.

These two festivities share another important thing. Both have become very popular worldwide because of their special development and long history. People from all over the world travel to these countries only to be part of these shows. Generally, the inhabitants of these cities are overwhelmed by the huge number of tourists who attend these festivals, shelter locations become saturated and many tourists end up staying in nearby villages and then take a bus or any other transport to help them reach the destination for the event.

Apart from these resemblances, these festivals, as they are from different countries, they have some differences that make them special and well worth it to have the chance to be part of both of them.

Although La Tomatina has no definite origin, the Battle of the Oranges has at least one historical event which support its celebration. La Tomatina has begun approximately around the 1945, but it is not clear the precise reason why it all begun. On the other hand, it is believed that the Battle of the Oranges started to commemorate the city’s defiance against the city’s tyrant around the 12th century.

Regarding the celebration itself, differences also exist. La Tomatina has some rules to avoid serious injuries among the participants, and since 2013 the capacity of people who takes part in this festival is regulated by selling tickets for the event; this happening has not got any award not even teams to fight ones against others, it is all about fighting and having some fun. Unlike the previous event, the Battle of the Oranges is an organized event. Teams are formed to be part of this celebration, nine teams must be in the battlefield to fight against guards that move in a coach. These teams are evaluated by specialized judges and they decide which team deserves the prize.

So, if you have an adventurous spirit and a desire of being part of something big you definitely must try some cultural celebration. There are as many as countries in the world, some are artistic, others celebrate New Year in a truly fantastic way and few of them are not well justified but those are the best. Of course, if you choose any of these celebrations above, you must be prepared to be hit by tomatoes or to have a bruise for several days thanks to a large orange. These festivals are some of the most intense and extreme you can find, but if you enjoy the adrenaline it generates you will not be disappointed. 

Transport in modern cities, a cost of living

Public transport is a shared passenger transport service which is available to be used by the general public. More than fifty percent of today´s world population is living in urban regions requiring of this service to move to their work places generally in the city centre. Having said that, we realize how important this facility to these million people is. Just today in the capital of Argentina there has been an announcement about a hike in rates for this service, impacting on the economy of all these users. It is fair to attack in this way to the economy stability of the people who make this country work? 

This hike in rates will not only impact on the economy of these individuals, it will hit directly on their lifestyles, their relationships, their jobs and their mental and physical health. If the cost of living increases but wages do not, there will be an imbalance in the way of living. Depression, family and marital conflicts and health oversights may be some of the effects of this disadvantage.

Now that we are aware of the influence of this issue in the population we will try to understand why this unfortunate decision has been taken by the government. 

The rise in fuel (about a 6%) had strong impact on the activity as it is one of the main inputs, being one of the biggest costs of companies.

Another origin is the recent devaluation of the local currency having a strong implication on the price of spare parts and supplies necessary for the operation of enterprises.

The sharp increase in inflation causes the loss of purchasing power of the transport employee’s salaries so the companies need to raise them and thus the transport rates.

Sadly it is certainly unfair to put on the shoulders of the working class another weight being historically the most punished. But anyway we try to find answers to justify the unjustifiable.  

New Year:  two very similar and different celebrations

   New Year is the time at which a New Year calendar begins. Despite the fact that the origin of this celebration is not Christian; most of people celebrate new year´s day as it would be. The new year of the Gregorian calendar falls on 1° January. Although, this is the most used all over the world there are many places in which celebrate New Year at the time determined by many others calendars. All around the world, the different cultures celebrate this event in many particular ways. It is possible to compare two countries of different continents such as America and Asia and find not only differences but also, similarities.

   In the Asian continent, the Chinese use another calendar for cultural festivities than the United States in the American continent. In the united states, as in many other places in the world, New Year is celebrated on 1° January at 12 a.m. while in China, spring festival (how is also named New year in China) is celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar calendar, it falls on the new moon between the 21 January and 20 February. However, similarly for both countries, this is the major social holiday in which people meet to celebrate.

   In China, traditionally families cleanse minutely their house in order to sweep away any ill fortune and to make way for good incoming luck. In the United States, people also clean the house but not as minutely as people in china. This is because it is not a ritual for American people, who are not as spiritual as Chinese ones. In both countries families receive their friends and relatives to have dinner and exchange gifts, in china friends and relative give each other little and common gifts such as chocolates, biscuits and candies but in the U.S.A, people give their parents or friends big presents.

  In the united states, people is used to decorating their houses with globes of different colours and with the Christmas’ ornaments that are still at home at that date. In China, windows and doors are decorated with red colour paper-cuts with popular wishes of good fortune or happiness, health and longevity. Similarly, Americans have a tradition in which every person makes promises and wishes for the New Year.in both countries traditionally are used fireworks to celebrate the arrival of the New Year, Chinese believe that the deafening explosions scare away evil spirits.

  In conclusion, although every culture has different traditions and cultures, all over the world the departure of the old year and the arrival of a new one is always considered a special time for celebration. it is a very important day that is celebrated with bright and enthusiasm in every single country around the world.

The other side of the coin

               

                Theistic Satanism is the belief that Satan is a supernatural being or force that individuals may contact and supplicate to and represents loosely affiliated or independent groups and cabals which hold such belief. It generally includes magic in the ceremonies. Meanwhile, LaVeyan Satanism is a religious movement founded in 1966 by the American occultist and author Anton Szandor LaVey. All religion’s doctrines and practices are codified in LaVey’s book, the Satanic Bible which adepts use as a guidance through ceremonies and festivals nowadays. As a result, several satanic holidays have been described by both Satanists and by Christian authors (even by historians of witchcraft) and many of those holidays and festivals are held around the world but in different ways: Krampus Festival (Germany), Devil Baby Jumping Festival (Spain), Black Mass Festival (Mexico), Diablada De Pillaro (Ecuador), Saint Sebastian Day (Spain), Virgen del Carmen Festival (Peru), Day Of The Dead (Mexico), Burning Man (USA), Walpurgisnacht (Germany) and Summer Solstice (Stonehenge – near England) are some of them. There are not neither a lot of contrastive aspects nor similarities, but we cannot deny they exist. Which are they? Here is the answer.

            To start with, one of the similarities existed among these festivals is, obviously, that people celebrate something related to evil spirits and energies. Although in some places evil is considered good or bad, in each country or town, the main topic of the celebration is a “bad” presence that they want to worship or shoo in different ways. Another big similarity may be the worn of costumes. In every single festival, extravagant and colourful clothes are used. Some of them add masks to the celebration, but even colours are similar (red, yellow and black) because it is said that they represent both cheerfulness and darkness. Finally (but not less important), a thing they all have in common is the amount of people they attract. Hundreds and hundreds of persons assist to this festivals to watch or even participate in the ceremonies. Not only citizens but also visitors witness and like these holidays, coming back later years.

            As it has been seen above, there are not many similar aspects among these festivals, but they do have things in common. Now we are about to see that differences also exist if we refer to these celebrations.

            First of all, one of the biggest differences we can notice is the fact that some of the festivals worship an evil entity but others try to shoo it. In Latin America, for example, (except for one of the Mexican cities) these celebrations are used to avoid the evil to get into people’s lives, but, on the other hand, in European cities, the USA and in Black Mass Festival (Mexico) satanic festivals are used to venerate evil spirits. People here dance and even offer animals’ lives as sacrifice and abundance. Another main contrast found is the moment of the year these celebrations are held. All of them are carried out in different months, related with different events, too. Krampus, for instance, is the anti-Santa Klaus, and it is held in December 6^th as a sign of evil against good before Santa begins his journey around the world giving presents for children. Krampus, on the contrary, used to kidnap little kids to the woods to eat them later. Meanwhile, Walpurgisnacht is hosted in April 30^th and Summer Solstice in England takes place in June 21^st.

            To sum up, all religious and belief systems have their own festivals. Although some of them revolve around ancestors and others are associated with the lunar calendar, different celebrations hosted by satanic people are being known and practiced nowadays. More and more persons assist to them every year and they are becoming more popular as years go by. Not many of us dare to talk about that issue and those festivals shown before, but we can no longer ignore their existence. As we try to think that they do not exist, more people adept to them. They are neither too similar nor different among them. They are not too known in our country, but they are likely to be popular soon. They are not regular festivals, but they are hosted and held around the world. Satanic festivals do exist and it is a very good way to know the diverse of people’s way of thinking. It’s the other side of human’s beliefs and, principally, the other side of the coin.

BIZARRE FESTIVALS OF ANIMALS

            Festivals are one of the greatest ways of celebrating special days. But what is a festival? Well, it is an event celebrated by the local people of a region centering on some cultural aspects, religion or some traditions. There are many different types of festivals, for instance, dancing, acting, singing, shows about food, animals, cartoons, etc. this essay focuses on the similitudes and differences of two famous festivals related with animals, which are, the rabbit hopping championship and the hen race championship.

These competitive festivals are very bizarre and unique. Therefore hundreds of tourists are attracted by these unusual competitions where farm animals can show their talent in front of many people without feeling scared. The competitors have to train their animals for long periods in order to develop their abilities. That makes possible the application of a variety of techniques and strategies so to win the challenge.  What is more, these kinds of sport tournaments do not only help the animals to keep fit, but it also entertains the spectators.

Now that some common things about these festivals have been established, let us move on to see the difference between them.

The rabbit hopping festival takes place in Copenhagen-Denmark. It is usually settled inside of a big room similar to a basketball stadium, whereas the hen race championship takes place in Bonsall-England and it is held at the barley mow inn where a race track is built on the street so the hens can compete without obstacles. During championships the rabbits are led by their owners on a leash over a series of obstacles, like a miniature version of horse show jumping, only cutter. On the other hand, in the hen race, the birds are released at a start line and then, they are encouraged along a 20 yards track by their human coaches who use a variety of weird tactics such as, banging tins or garden forks, and even talking in strange tongues in order to obtain the victory.

To sum up, people are always looking for a reason to celebrate, and often, animals provide that reason. It may seem a big excuse to just drink alcohol, eat a lot of food, or just have fun with family and friends, but it represents the tradition and part of the history of a community. What is more, these kinds of events help people forget about their problems and have a break alongside their pets and nice people who want to just enjoy the show. 

Assess the importance of public transport in the modern city

In modern cities, where people are so busy doing things and working, the relevance of public transport is noticeable: not everybody has a proper transport and not all of them work in places nearby. To solve these problems, nowadays, places like Buenos Aires for instance, counts with subways and buses, without forgetting taxies, of course, but the aim of those transports is, clearly, to cheapen the costs of the tickets and help people move in their daily life. In modern cities, not only in our country, the existence of these services highlights most the need and the importance it has, because without them, it would not be possible for people, to move cheaply from one place to another.

            One major reason that emphasizes the importance of public transports like buses, subways and trains, in some countries, is its accessibility to its use in daily life and modern cities. Not everybody has a proper car, or motorbike or even a bike, so, taking one of these options could result sensible. It represents a cost, but nothing impossible to afford to. As a consequence of this, the great masses of people who do not have the opportunity to go home or to somewhere by their own can move with no problems and at any times. The advantage of having several schedules and lots of units to run helps passengers to choose not only the time but also the most convenient destination.

The next reason to talk about is the profitability using public transport, represents. Generally, distances between towns are huge, and in big cities it is usual to live in a certain village but working in another one. Travelling in a particular way may cost more than just paying a bus or a subway ticket. Long distances to move by car, for instance, translate into high money inversions if we do this daily. Consequently, when using public transportation, passengers can save money, or destine it to other uses without forgetting the contribution to their own economy. Indeed, they might take advantage of the saved money to go on holidays, buy useful items or simply saving it. If you have to travel to work without spending so much money, the ideal option is to take one of these alternatives.

The last issue why we should bear in mind transportation, is because it implies a public inversion, that is to say, it is a service that everybody can access to. The public transports given for the state such as trains, subways and buses tend to help people in every single possible aspect, not only in economic ones but also in the availability for everyone. As a result, it guarantees citizens mobility everywhere they need, eases overcrowded roads from cars and motorbikes and generates jobs, such as maintenance. As the public service that it is, it gives its passengers comfort and a number of options depending on how far you have to travel, how you want to do it and where you need to go.

All things considered lead you to choose public transportation and highlight its importance in modern societies and cities. It does not matter if the route is crowded or not, services like those above mentioned facilitate motion, cheapen costs and help users face their daily reality. It is still the easiest and common option for those who need to reach to a destination safely and sometimes rapidly, and, of course, something that will be always in vogue for those who cannot access a proper vehicle. As all the things, it will always continue developing according to passengers’ needs and social requirements.

Two carnivals, two ways of celebrating the culture

A festival can be defined as a series of different types of performances which include shows, music and dance. Festivals are an expressive way to celebrate heritage, culture and tradition of a country. Somehow, they connect locals to their historical backgrounds and give them inspiration to remember the important things and moments in life. This essay proposes to establish some comparisons and contrasts about two famous festivals such as Rio Carnival in Brazil and Venice Carnival in Italy.

To begin with, both carnivals, Rio and Venice, are nowadays two of the most famous carnival celebrations around the world. They attract millions of tourists who want to enjoy these spectacular events. Likewise, both are held 40 days before Easter, just before Lent begins. These kinds of festivals are similarly characterized in some way or another by their parades. They also have music, rhythm, choreography, fantastically dancers and fancy costumes in common.

Now that one has considered the general similarities of the two festivals, the differences between these popular events will also be examined.

In Rio, the celebration takes place in a Sambodrome, where all the samba schools dance to the beat of the pounding drums whereas in Venice, the heart of the carnival, including the main shows and concerts, is in Piazza San Marco. Also, in Rio, a year before the parade, every samba school chooses a theme, selects a song, prepares a performance, makes their colourful costumes and builds their giant floats. Different from Brazil, in Venice, the locals wear dark cloaks, elegant costumes, and long-nosed masks to symbolize equality while parading the streets and squares. Additionally, gondola parades and water processions are held along the Grand Canal.

 As shown above, two of the most famous traditional carnivals in Rio and Venice have many similarities and differences. In Brazil, the event includes colourful costumes and enormous floats while in Italy, it includes different styles of masks and parades in gondolas. In brief, from Rio to Venice, these carnivals are a way to represent the history and culture of their own country by passing down the traditions to younger generations.

Roots and consequences of dropping out school

According to a case study made by a science education, magister and philosophy teacher, Mario A. Olmedo, the province of Formosa has a scholar dropout rate of 50 %. This means only fifty of one hundred students who start being formally educated continue their formation. Such dilemma not only confines to our province but extends to the entire nation that it turns an alarming social matter nowadays. There are several reasons as well as consequences among desertion in the Argentinian education system. Scholar institutions can be taken as reference to set the external roots to them.
To begin with, one of the problem`s main extra scholar origins points to economy. It cannot be denied that the existence of different social strata brings with itself different opportunities as regard education. Most of those who do not succeed academically are said to be marginalized or socially excluded. They are generally aborigines, children of unemployed or Paraguayan immigrants who daily come to Formosa to assist to classes. Some of them have to dropout school in order to support their parents providing sustenance for the family. Such situation might carry psychological damages into someone’s life. Depending on his/her personality, somebody can feel frustrated with him/herself because he/she will probably not achieve the goal of becoming a professional. This child or adolescent could go into the mental state of depression, which may grow into even more serious difficulties such as experiencing insomnia, loss of appetite/overeating and develop an eating disorder or, in the worst case, loos of life by committing suicide.
Next, let us consider a second extra scholar factor which refers to culture but is also attached to economy. There is a conception about teaching itself in which society do not think of it as a valuable task. Perhaps this is why our political authorities invest only 2,3% of the country`s gross domestic product (GDP) on education. It is ironic though; that those same politicians claim education is one of the keys to succeed on almost any aspect either individual or collectively. In this same line of thought, it is interesting to note how that sort of decisions re-impacts on economy with unfavorable consequences. Clearly, the less the number of generations who succeed on getting a degree, the bigger is a simultaneous stagnation on the different fields of knowledge and economy at societal level.
The main conclusion to be drawn from this essay is that monetary regulation is crucial on the issue. Its management affects our population both individually and collectively. School as an institution offers the first step to move between social strata individually. However, if few pupils progress beyond primary school, the access to the system`s third level turns into something almost impossible to achieve. Therefore, there cannot be neither social mobility nor a chance to develop collectively into our economy as society. Consequently, such dynamics impact on us causing serious damages which affect specifically our mental health.

Mazza, Sofia._

Higher Education would be available for everyone

by Natacha Castro

      University Education is a formal stage of learning that occurs after finishing secondary school. This opportunity of studying is relevant not only to improve our knowledge but also our lives. Unfortunately not all of people can have the chance to do it for many difficult situations. Would not it be gratifying that everyone have the possibility to continue their studies?

       First of all, everybody has rights so the government should facilitate education. as superior level should be free for all of us. As a result we could study in order to be professionals and thus have the future we deserve as human beings.

      A problem that is often debated nowadays is the economic situation of every single person, for that reason we need to be formed academically, so as to have our own job. Consequently, thanks to our job we can survive living independently. Thus we can bring a better life to our future family.

       For the great majority of people is important that many individuals become professionals, so taking this into account our country will improve the level of life thanks to their services. Therefore, those members of society who work to be paid are so necessary because they are going to offer help people in some way.

       To summarize, we can see the importance of Higher Education in our lives not only for our needs but also to help others as part of our job. All of us should have the chance to study in order to obtain our degree to enjoy our life doing what we appreciate.

The greatest festivals of the province


Festivals are well-known events in our country. They take place in different locations and

different seasons of the year. What is more, they are related with the culture and customs

of each region. There are a lot of them and their main purpose is to entertain people.

There are specially two huge festivals in our province called “Festival del Pomelo” and

“Festival de la Corvina”. The main topic to discuss in this essay is what they have in

common and what their differences are.


To start with, in the ¨Festival del Pomelo¨ and in the same way, in the ¨Festival de la

Corvina¨ people can listen to live music as there are concerts of different music genres not

only for adolescents, but also for adults. They both are festivals for the whole society, so it

does not matter the age. Just as the first festival, the second one is held during the day

and also at night. Attendees can buy things from a kind of shop inside the field where it is

held during the day and at night, they can enjoy the music shows and performances in

which not only play national artists, but also international ones. Another big similarity is

that in both festivals a queen is selected; about twenty girls´parade on a catwalk and a

jury chooses who will be the next queen of the festival. Then, the girl selected represents

that festival for a year until the new election.


As they both have many similarities, they also have differences. It is important now to list

some of them.


“Festival del pomelo” is held in a city called Laguna Blanca in July, in winter, whereas

“Festival de la Corvina” takes place in a city called “Herradura¨ in February, as it is

summer. During this time, people can not only go to the festival, but can also go to a

beach nearby. They stay there to have fun, lie on the beach, have a good time and then

they go to the festivity. Moreover, another huge difference is their purposes. The primary

aim of the ¨Festival del pomelo¨ is to present the fruit known as grapefruit. It is a kind of

exhibition where sellers show different products made with that fruit like: wine,

marmalade, juices, cake, ice cream and cookies. In contrast, the first important event of

the “Festival de la Corvina¨ is a competition where fishermen have to catch fish. The

winner will be the one who catches more fish. This event is important as the name of the

festival is referred to a specific type of fish, the “corvina”.


To sum up, they are two of the most important festivals in our province; unless their

similarities and differences they have an equal importance for habitants. Both have things

that make them special and enjoyable. People wait anxiously for the time they are held;

all want to be part of these important events in order to have fun, relax, share it with their

family and friends and of course, to see the performance of the famous artists.

Compare science fiction representation about global warming with real ones

Since science fiction has represented disaster as a new genre of films we have been seeing different ways of Earth destruction. In the majority of the cases the destruction are caused by global warming (the increase in temperature of the earth’s atmosphere). Global warming causes great disasters on earth in movies but fortunately in real life the events are not extremely devastating.  A good example of this is the film “The day after tomorrow”.

On the positive side there is an advantage in films based on imaginary situation and this is that those movies teaches us about all the effects of human activities and makes us conscious about environmental problems that we actually have. Unfortunately, imaginary representations of reality sometime cause disavowal in viewers because images are extremely over demonstrative.

It is also important to highlight that in this kind of movies scientist are represented as people who are never heard for the government and conversely government pays for scientific researches because their opinion  are considered so valuable.

Science fiction represents possible effects of human activities not only to attract audience`s attention but also to warn people about the possibility of such events became true. Also, Nature does not distinguish good people and bad ones so it is rare that in a real catastrophe only survive good people like are suggested in movies.

To conclude this, film industry represent extreme ways of earth destruction, but the real events of catastrophes do not affect the whole world at the same time. There may be a specific scientific reference on the argument to make them more real. Films seem to highlight moral and good behavior but this don’t means this going to save people from destruction. Disaster movies scared but warn.

Parents vs. Children

            It is no question that our society had a major shift. Technology has changed the world and the way people live. New generations have the opportunity to experience a new way of interacting with each other. We are able to see a gap between parents and children when it comes to childhood. Why is it too different?

            First of all, we, children need no much effort to get what we want, sometimes to get a new mobile device or clothes, it is as simple as ask for it. Back in our parents’ times, things were nothing like that, some of them had to work for what they wanted or needed. They got what they could afford.

            Chores were like an after school job. Saying, ‘I have plans’ or ‘I’m too tired’ was no excuse for skipping their chores. When our parents were growing up, housework were a part-time job. If they lived in that house, then they helped out. Nowadays, kids come up with all kinds of excuses to justify why they cannot do their chores.

            Playing outside was one of the easiest ways to keep kids occupied. However, children at this time could not care less about being outside. Most of us spend our days locked in our rooms playing video games, texting or uploading photos to social networks.

            Another aspect to mention is that safety were not a matter of life and death. Our parents were not too much worry about playing safe, being near home with their friends, they could be two blocks away and their parents would not say a word as long as they get home for lunch or dinner on time. Nowadays, an item to bear in mind is where kids are, what they are doing, and who they might be with. Parents got an eye on them most of the time.

            One last allusion to the topic is friendship and communication. These two were way different for our parents than they are for us now. There was no texting, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. If they wanted to tell their friends something, they would call them or write letters. Friendship and communication were not all through a phone or computer. Our parents went out with their friends and enjoyed face-to-face talks and adventure.

            With all that being said, we can learn a thing or two from our parents. Childhood has changed for many people. Our parents’ childhoods were a lot more spontaneous than ours. Their memories would never be forgotten, not because they were posted online, but because they had a great time.

Its fatal impacts on the Earth.

    How are the things with our Planet? Are we aware of the things we do and what we cause? There are many damages caused to the Earth by different problems like smoke, rubbish, deforestation, traffic, littering and so on. But there is one unequal with lethal consequences that is the Radioactive Pollution. The Radioactive pollution is defined as the physical pollution of air, water and other radioactive materials. In view of the environmental specialists, radiations can be from different sources: can be natural (also known as the background radiations) or manmade (include the mining and refining of plutonium and thorium), humanity is still careless about the Earth.

   In reference to this, an event which is well-known worldwide, was the first atom bomb exploded in the Japan in the year 1945. It affected the Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities. It adversely affected the flora, fauna and humans of that area. In spite of these destructions the nuclear race is still going on between nations. The nuclear arms are tested with the production of nuclear weapons.

    Moreover, there are gases and particles produced by radioactive materials which are carried out by the wind and the rain brings down the radioactive particles to the ground which is referred to as nuclear fallout. The soil transfers these radioactive substances to the plants and ultimately they reach the human body and cause many side effects. For example, the iodine, affected material, may affect the blood cells, spleen, skin cancer, sterility and etc. Another case, the strontium has the ability to aggregate in the bones and form a bone cancer and leads to tissue degeneration.

    The radioactive materials are passed through the land to water and cause an adverse effect on the aquatic animals and they also reach to human through the food chain. Even though it is fictional, but for the matter of rising consciousness, think of the power plant in the Simpsons – contaminants are left behind which get contact with water, as a result we can see a fish with three eyes. This shows a type of mutation produced by contaminated water with radioactive elements.

   To put it briefly, this controversial issue that is strongly a manmade cause, has several results such as explosion of nuclear weapons, the nuclear fuels from power plants and mainly adulteration of the air, water and other materials. Therefore, we can also see consequences of this as in a TV series, The Simpsons where reflect them in an animated and funny way but unfortunately, human beings do not do anything to reduce it.

                                     

CARNIVALS IN ARGENTINA

 Carnival is one of the most traditional popular festivals in the history of mankind. As time went by, carnival began to be adopted in different styles according to the customs of each country. In Argentina for example, we have the “Carnival of Gualeguaychu” in Entre Rios and the “Carnival of Quebrada de Humauaca” in Tilcara, Jujuy. These two carnivals are similar in many ways, but their atmosphere and location set them apart. 

 To start with, these festivals were only practiced privately but slowly over the centuries, they were expanded and then developed into the more organized public street celebrations completed with masks, colourful costumes and elaborated parades. Both are celebrated in February during holidays. Most of the dancers cover their faces with colourful masks. In the festival of the Quebrada de Humahuaca joyful dancing and feast  takes places and many different instruments are played. Similarly in the carnival of Gualeguaychu there is a mixture of dancing, singing along, the comparsa and the festive mood is palpable. Other similarity is the audience. As both festivals are well known they attract many tourists around the world who visit the area at the time of the year that the festivals take place.

 As regard with their differences, the Humauaca as much as in other Andean carnivals, Christian tradition merges with native religious beliefs, for instance offerings made to the Pachamama (mother earth). In Gualeguaychu the carnival is more related with the Brazilian carnival and the people do not make Christian offers. Other difference is food and drink. In Tilcara, copious drinking of chicha (the local brew made from fermented maize) and traditional dishes such as empanadas and humitas play a leading role in the celebration. What is more, in Entre Rios a few “trago” carts are about, some people eat “choripan” and others sip bottles of icy-could Quilmes beer. Moreover the Humaucaca is one of the most renowned celebrations in northwest Argentina, besides one of the oldest. The Gualeguaychu festival is considered one of the best in the world together with Rio de Janeiro.

 To sum up, as the time went by, carnivals began to have more popularity depending on the region. In Argentina the Humauaca and Gualeguaychu festivals attract a lot of tourists every year. Despite their difference and similarities these two festivals are a spectacular and amazing attraction. 

This is María Elena's essay.

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THE MOST IMPORTANT HOLIDAYS OF EAST AND WEST

    The Spring Festival (Clunjie), also known for the rest of the world as the Chinese New Year, was celebrated on February 8th of 2016. This is the most important celebration in China, comparable with our Christmas party. An interesting fact is that Christmas always falls on the same day, December 25th, but instead, the date of Chinese New Year changes every year. It is held in conjunction with the first new moon of the lunar calendar, always between January 21th and February 20th.This essay sets out to take a look at the traditions of the Chinese New Year in order to see the many differences and similarities between the two parties, and in consequence, draw some conclusions.

    The first example is the origin of both of them. In one hand, Christmas is a religious festival linked to Catholicism, in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ; but on the other hand, Chinese New Year, linked to rural life, has pagan roots. According to Chinese mythology, the Spring Festival dates back to an ancient legend about a dragon called Nian that used to go to the villages to devour children and livestock. This terrible monster could not use the red objects or being exposed to loud noises, which scared him to death. For this reason, chinese people have the custom to greet the arrival of New Year with fireworks and the use of red color.

    The next example is related to gifts. Children awaits anxiously for Santa Claus to bring their presents. Adults exchange different kinds of gifts, often food and drinks or sometimes even money, especially within the family. The exchange of gifts is also typical during the Chinese New Year. The most common offering is the “red envelope” (Hongbao) containing money. This envelope is usually donated to children. Adults usually exchange different presents such as fruit baskets, cakes and alcohol.  

    Once the family has gathered, the best way to celebrate Christmas is eating and drinking together. Each region has its own cuisine though everyone celebrates staying several hours at the table and eating traditional Christmas food, such as turkey, salads, nuts and cakes. In general every meeting with family and friends has to do with food and drinks. Likewise, Chinese New Year is also celebrated around the table, eating traditional meals together. Some foods are typical of this event for its symbolic meaning, sometimes tied to its Chinese name or appearance. For example, it is almost compulsory to eat fish. In fact the word “fish” (yú) sounds exactly like the word “abundance” (yú), so, for them, eating fish brings luck and prosperity in the new year. Another typical meal of this holiday are the raviolis (jiaozi) stuffed with meat and vegetables. The “Jiaozi” represents wealth and prosperity, due to its shape reminiscent of ancient Chinese coins.

    Another interesting aspect is that during the Christmas period the streets of the city, shops and houses are decorated with lights and Christmas trees. The typical Christmas colors are red, green and gold. In China, during the Spring Festival streets, shops and houses are also decorated. In this case, the typical decorations are made of red paper and elegant carved red string knots. The typical colors of this feast are red (because of the legend mentioned before) and gold.

    To summarize, taking into account all of these aspects, we can agree that these events are very important rituals for every community they represent, no matter if they are celebrated through parades, foods, entertainment, music or costumes.  Also, although the east and the west may look completely different worlds, comparing their most important holidays the commonalities emerge clearly. 

The reality of climate change

The reality of Climate Change

Suffering a lot, the world is being killed by Global Warming. This problem may result from greenhouse effect and it is an the increase in the average temperature of the Earth´s atmosphere, especially a sustained increase great enough to cause changes in the global climate. While It can be said that greenhouse effect is the thickening of earth atmosphere because of the presence of increased carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

As regards the causes of this affection, we are overloading our atmosphere with carbon dioxide, which traps heat and steadily drives up the planet’s temperature. Where does all this carbon come from? The fossil fuels we burn for energy—coal, natural gas, and oil—plus the loss of forests due to deforestation. So that, we can see that human activity is the primary cause.

Global Warming is having significant and costly effects and these consequences will only intensify as the planet´s temperature continues to rise.

One effect is climate change; the world is becoming warmer and warmer. This results in more frequent and intense heat waves. Besides, dangerously hot weather is already occurring more frequently around the whole world.

Another effect is that Global warming is accelerating the rate of sea level rise and dramatically increasing coastal flooding risks. Thus, the coastal cities and ports may be submerged under sea-water. Many islands may vanish from the earth's surface as well as from the world map.

A third effect is related to water balance. In the future, warmer world will face a water crisis in some parts while in other regions it will be wetter than it is now.

The last and may be a more important effect is referred to human health put at risk because of Global Warming. Nowadays, climate change has costly and growing health impacts as the significant implications for our health, including increased air pollution and a longer and more intense tropical diseases season, for example allergy.

In conclusion, Global warming and Greenhouse effect are happening now and they are here to stay, so we must take immediate action to address them, or the consequences will continue to intensify and increasingly affect the entire planet, including you, your community and your family. 

Two worlds in one country

                                                     Two worlds in one country

   A festival is an event commonly celebrated by communities around the world centered on some characteristics aspects of those communities. The word festival is being used since the XIV century as an adjective, for example “a festal day” or “suitable for a feast”. Specifically in Argentina there a lot of festivities throughout its territory such as Fiesta Nacional del Folklore in Cordoba, Festival del Chamamé in Corrientes, Carnivals in different places,etc. In one hand all these fests are very different from each other. In this writing we will try to contrast “The Carnavalito in Jujuy” and “The Carnivals of Gualeguaychú in Entre Ríos”.

  Carnivals from the north-east are strongly influenced by Brazil. Meanwhile carnivals from north-west follow the traditions of Bolivia. Those contacts are reflected in the costumes of every Festival. As regards The Carnavalito, women wear a long colourful dress, a poncho, a pair of espadrilles, a scarf, and a hat; men´s clothing consist of a white shirt, pants to the ankles, a scarf and a hat. In contrast to The Carnivals of Gualeguaychú people wear costumes of fantasy covered with precious stones, sequins, beads and feathers.

  Another point to consider is the way inhabitants hold the carnivals in Jujuy and Entre Ríos. In the former, one week before the huge carnival began to develop “carnavalitos” and “bailecitos” where people dance traditional dances. During the huge celebration, generally out of the city, participants meet around cairns and they proceed to dig up the “Diablo carnavalero” symbolizing the red sun. It is believed that he is who fertilizes the Pacha Mama (mother Earth), giving raise to seeds, roots, stems, foliage and fruits of the region. Temptation Sunday celebrations end with the ceremony to bury the devil, who will return to his hideout with coca leaves, alcohol and cigarettes to remain buried for a day. Conversely, in the latter the comparsas (a group of people wearing the same costume forming a team) compete between them. They elaborate a theme every year evolves it throughout the different sections of the comparsa and representative choreographies having their own float and queen. It is a great touristic attraction. While different comparsas dance and walk in the streets, thousands of people are watching them as an audience placed at each side.

In addition, another difference is the music. On the one hand, in Carnavalito are utilized instruments such as quenas, charangos, erkenchos, erkes, cajas chayeras, sikus and bass drums. The dancers move around musicians and a woman or man with a scarf in his/her hand is responsible for directing. All they sing the same songs or crisscross improvisations. On the other hand, in Gualeguaychú are very common the “batucadas”, a musical manifestation which consists of a group of percussion instruments like different kinds of drums, tambourines, a whistle, guiros, maracas, etc. In comparison with the Carnavalito, these dancers have organized choreographies because they are in a competition.

  On the whole, although these two festivals take place in the same country, they have a variety of dissimilarities. It is obvious that bordering countries have a high impact in the culture of these places. As a result, the meaning of the carnivals are completely different, Jujuy`s population do it as a ritual and Entre Ríos do it as a competition. 

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE SOLVED, PUBLIC TRANSPORT ON THE SPOT

Every single day everyone has to leave home and get to some other places such as work, school or college. Modern cities population are mostly car reliant, due to this, going by car is always the first choice, although it is faster and more comfortable, it has a huge impact upon the environment, therefore, public transport has an enormous importance in present-day cities.

          Recent statistics have shown that on average 10 to 20 cars are sold every day in developing countries. Although it may mean that a country economy is rising it also leads to a great drawback such us road management since most of the cities are poorly structured to contain heavy traffic flows, in the same way, there is another important issue that a car use increase leads to, that is, excessive pollution levels which affect human beings not only by causing physical disabilities but also psychological and behavioural disorders.

          Consequently, parking dearth, in fact, is something completely predictable within these cities that are not correctly prepared to face the needs this extremely car reliant population carries out. Accidents are the most noticeable effect about this concern, however, not the only one, and difficulties as regard traffic control are rife. Besides, it is important to mention the influence all these factors have into people moods leading to prevalent arguments among citizens and government officers.

          For that reason, most governments have set higher taxes on car using as a measure aimed to regulate this environmental harmful habit. Hence, more and more people are changing their routines and choosing the use of public transport as a healthy and environmental friendly alternative to cars. This clearly has lowered the inclination of people on using their own cars and created and environmental awareness about the damage pollution causes.

          In the final analysis, public transport has become a reliable substitute for cars in most of cities which have created this sort of environmental conscience among their citizens who cares more about keeping an eye on how harmful to the environment is the indiscriminate use of cars and, despite not being so faster and comfortable, nowadays choose going to anywhere by train or bus.

Written by Jonathan Rivero.

                                        Children festivals in Japan:

Japan is one of the most cultural countries around the world. Japanese traditions are known for being very representative of the country. Their culture, customs and traditions are just unique. Festivals are everywhere in Japan and are celebrated all along the year and in every corner of the country: from snow celebration in the north (Samporo Yuki-matsuri) to spring festival of the cherry trees (Hanami), festivals are present in all Japan. Two of the most important celebrations that take place on these beautiful islands are Hinamatsuri (Doll’s or girl’s festival) and Kodomo no hi. Both festivals are dedicated to the young ones, the children, but at the same time have enormous differences between them, that make them unique.

   To start with, either Hinamatsuri or Kodomo no hi celebrate the children. In the first one, the girls are the central piece of the festival. The second one celebrates children in general, despite the fact that it was first celebrated for boys. Another similitude between them is that both originated from older or ancient traditions. Doll’s festival traces its origin in another custom called Hina-nagashi (floating doll) that consisted on putting dolls on a boat and then sending the boats down on a river to the sea. They believed that by making this, the bad spirits were taken away from the girls. Children’s day, until recently and since its appearance, was called Tango no sekku. Kodomo no hi traces origin in that ancient custom. It was exclusively male celebrating boys and fathers, but since Japanese government designated it a national holiday in 1948, it celebrates boys and girls. The main intention of this festival is the respect for children personality and happiness.

  Now that we have seen their similitudes, let us see   what differences exist between these children festivals of Japan.

   The main difference between them is the procedure. In Hinamatsuri girls wear kimonos and expose dolls dressed with traditional kimonos too. The dolls, that symbolize the emperor, empress, musicians and attendants of a court of the Heian period, are set in a kind of stair-like platform, in a hierarchic way from left to right. The platform is covered with a red carpet and the dolls stay in their position 4 days. It is believed that if the doll stays in the platform for more than that time, the girl that owns it will stay single or have a late marriage.  On the other hand, the main activity of Kodomo no hi consists of rising carp-shape kites or flags. Every flag represents a member of the family: The black one (Magoi) goes at the top and symbolizes the father; the red one (Higoi) follows and stands for the mother and the last ones represent the children of the family. Another obvious difference between these festivals is when they occur: Hinamatsuri occurs on March 3rd and Kodomo no hi on May 5th.

 In conclusion, Japan has one of the richest cultures in the world. Festivals are very common and popular in the country. Two important festivals are Hinamatsuri and Kodomo no hi. Both celebrate children and started as antique traditions but that is the only thing they have in common: The procedures in these festivals are completely different, apart from taking place at different times of the year.   Of course both Hinamatsuri and Kodomo no hi are excellent reasons for visiting Japan.