SHUTTER ISLAND

I have recently seen a very interesting film: Shutter Island. To summarize a bit the argument, is about two bailiffs who are sent to Shutter Island, an island in Boston Harbor where there's a psychiatric institution. They are sent to investigate the disappearance of a dangerous killer. The mental institution is run by a sinister character. In this institution there are the most dangerous mental patients, so there's a strong securely. However, they'll realize that everything is very mysterious, and that patients aren't the most dangerous of the island. I think the film delves into human psychology, into the mind, with all its complexities. Actually, the movie is a nightmare in which there are continuous discoveries, it seems increasingly difficult to escape.
Personally, I think the end has several interpretations (don't read this if you want to see it), I think the phrase "Is it better to live like a monster, or die as a good man?" is the key that confirms that he knows he will be lobotomized, and therefore he pretends he has not improved their disease on purpose.

Snowfall in Castelló d'Empúries

This Monday, something very unusual happened that probably I'll never see again, at least here in Castelló d'Empúries: A big snowfall came over Catalunya.I had heard the news there was chance of snow, and when it began to snow in the morning, I thought it wasn't important, and it would be very short. But I was surprised when it began to snow more violently, and we had to go home. It continued snowing all afternoon and all night, cars could not move, some people had to stay in their workplace, because there was no way to get home. I really like the snow, so I went to make a snowball fight, but the cold was unbearable, so I had to go back home. But the consequences weren't so pleasant: no light, no heat, no phone for two days, without internet until today. The only thing I could do to entertain myself was to build a giant snowman. Yet the experience was worth it and makes me think a phrase: no light, no life.

PODCAST: Description of a character

Jane Bennet

Jane Bennet is the eldest daughter of the Bennets, she's approximatelly twenty-two years old, and she's considered the most beautiful lady in the family. She is an amiable, naïve, and extremely optimistic young lady whom sees no evil or illness in others, all the world is good and agreable in her eyes. However, the excessive optimism blinds her from seeing faults and iniquities of people, which makes her very innocent. She always prefers the goodness of people, always looking on the bright side of things. Jane has a very intimate relationship with her sister Elizabeth, who is more clever than her. They trust each other and they confess everything.

ORAL PRESENTATION 2nd TERM

Oral presentation

First, I can say that the oral presentation was about the research project, so that's why the content is pretty good, because it's polished and corrected. Also the language because it's mostly scientific language, and it's very specific, so I put the 20%.

I used the power point for the slideshow. I tried to make my best, but because of the format on the computer, the slideshow was unconfigured the day of presentation, that's why I put 7%.

The presentation had to take more or less five minutes, so I had to greatly reduce the content of my original presentation, and therefore I had to structure the presentation differently, and I think that the structure was quite reduced, so for this I put that score.

Despite the scientific language was correct, to pronounce scientific words in English is very difficult, so there are many words that I hadn't pronounced well. With regard to intonation, I think it was more or less good, and I think I spoke loudly enough.

I finally want to comment my weak point, and also the less scored: I think I can improve body language, I think it should have not taken the paper with my hands, because I couldn't gesticulate. What I believe is that I looked at the audience most of the time.

Why laughter is good for health?

We all know that laughter is always good medicine, and even beneficial to health. According to an article I read recently, laughing is beneficial to health for several reasons. On the one hand, humor reduces stress hormones. Not forgetting that the laugh increase the levels of endorphins, the body's natural anesthetic.
Moreover, even after laughing for a while (recommended 15 minutes a day) the body is feeling its effects. After laughing, there is a brief period during which low blood pressure and heart slows.I've never thought about the effects that laughter has in the organism, but I know that after break out in laughter, and after laughing for a while, I feel better. I think it's appropriate for everyone, even people who are very serious, to laugh a little every day, because the benefits are clear. As it has been said, 30 seconds of laughter, one more hour of life.

COKE URBAN LEGENDS

In recent days, that have been full of exams, Coke has been very present in my life (for its caffeine content), so I started thinking about all the urban legends that generates this drink, and I decided to post about it.Some of these legends are true, like the red Santa, who was invented by the company, and that originally the recipe for Coke contained cocaine. But there are many legends that are lies, for example, people say that if you mix Coke with (Peta-Zetas), it produces a reaction that makes your intestines explode. It has also been said that mixing Coke with aspirin, produces an aphrodisiac effect, or instant death. And who hasn't heard that Coke can dissolve a tooth or a piece of meat in one night? Absolutely false (I tasted it). Coke produces rectal tumors, it's a very good spermicide, police in the USA uses it to clean the blood of the murders ... and many more.Personally, all these stories make me laugh, because everyone has believed any of these legends once, or we're curios and we try to taste some of the experiments, or we have told it to someone to scare. In summary, we have all been fools ever.

Isabel Coixet

From Catalonia today, nº 326

Isabel Coixet is a young woman who works in filming industry. She has also worked as publicist. Her films explore human nature and relationships, and it touches the deepest and more hidden people feelings. She works with famous actors but also with actors that are just beginning. Personally I like Isabel Coixet's films, I think they're a different kind of films, deep and very personal. But as special they are, they could cause a very good effect in people, or however, they could seem to be very weird. That's why I like them because they are located at the extrem, and they're not consciously thought to be the most sold, but to cause a real impression.

When is the ideal time to get married?

From CNN living, February 8, 2010.

As we know, nowadays there's a lot of people that is married. We can say it's almost a tradition. People feel that desire to be tied to the other person for all eternity, or perhaps girls just want it because they want to wear a white dress and an alliance, or also may be a marriage of convenience, such as in the movie Pride and Prejudice, that we've seen in class. Maybe is just a question of religion. But the topic of the report isn't the reason why people get married, but whatever the reason, what is the ideal age for marriage?

Most people interviewed in the article think that there's no specific age for marriage, there's no rule. Love, maturity, respect, experience. According to respondents, these are the reasons that depend on the ideal age for marriage. Some of them believe that we mustn't waste life with only one person, so you have to wait, while others think that while unconditional love exists, marriage can be at any time.

And this is where I want to give my opinion. I can say there's no age to get married, because just to get married seems absurd to me. I think that if you really love a person you don't need any paper to confirm that fact, no need to tie to a person legally. I think the best is life together, because you live in the same way that a marriage, and if you get tired in the worst case, you can always go away, instead of feeling like you have a shackle that haunts you your whole life. I believe in love but not in marriage.