Ask the genie for a wish!

Surfing the net I found a video that called my attention, and I wondered what people from around the world wish for. This man asked people from Russia, Japan, Nigeria, Iraq and Greenland if they found a genie what would their three wishes be.

 Let me say that there are as many wishes as there are people.

http://aplus.com/a/the-genie-question-world

  Money, cars, houses, travelling around the world, speaking as many languages as possible, happiness, no religions, having the possibility to study, knowledge, wisdom, food for everyone, health, and the list could be pretty long. I think that we all have wishes, some of them sound a little bit self-centred because it seems like we only care about our own lives and the benefits we can get, but some others like world peace that includes to stop hating each other and that every single person in the world has something to eat everyday, are more related to helping others. I don't know, it's just how I see it. 

  As regards money, people place a lot of importance on it. And even though it seems materialistic, let's be honest and raise your hand the ones who wouldn't want to have more money to accomplish whatever your other wishes or dreams are. I wouldn't mind having some money to travel around the world, I mean I just can't be stuck here my whole life when there are so many places waiting to be visited.

   But, on the other hand, I totally agree with the people that wish happiness for everyone, a world in peace without hatred and without fighting each other. That would make all the difference, but it seems that violence is in our nature.

  Of course, I believe that we could never ever achieve world peace, it's an utopia. But, wouldn't you wish for it anyway? 

Ask the genie for your three wishes!

The joys of being a bookworm

In trying to come up with ideas for this new entry, I thought of many things, but thanks to the advice of one good friend I decided to write about one of my passions. During our lives we do plentiful things, some which we do not like because probably we are obliged to do them and some others that we do because for some reason, we love. What is it that I enjoy and adore the most? READING. Yes, that’s it. It’s unbelievable how the thoughts and words of a person written down on the pages I absent mindedly caress, embrace me when I read. It’s like I am eaten by the story.

The characters, the settings, the feelings and the story itself run through my blood and I forget about everything else. I’m not here anymore. I’m on faraway places travelling from castles to forests, from dungeons to outdoor fields, sailing through the air on a broom or swimming in the Great Lake trying to escape from the horrendous mermaids. Sometimes I’m lost in a huge maze, some others I’m quietly playing hide-and-seek with my brothers and sisters.

There’s a quote that reads:

    Isn’t it true? Haven’t I travelled almost everywhere? Certainly, I have. And moreover I have travelled around other worlds! How lucky I am!!! I have lived in the present, but I have taken a time machine and went back in time and I took it again and travelled a hundred years into the future. I've known worlds in which magic exists for real and worlds where “ordinary” life is magical.
 

            For me, it’s a pleasure that can hardly be replaced. Having the possibility of being on adventures that are only possible there, it’s without any doubt fascinating. Books are living creatures that kidnap and tie you to them, and you can barely escape even when you have finished reading it.

As well as spending hours between their pages, I could spend hours talking about them and how books make me feel, but I will stop here with a quote that sums up what I think, from one of my favourite authors:

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” 
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice


P.D: Hopefully you would tell me about your passions, what you love doing the most and if you share my devotion to books. If so, which one is your favourite?
My list would be pretty long!


Have a nice week!  :)




Quotes retrieved from:
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/reading
The first image is mine and I made the second one.

A step forward or a step back?

VIDEO-5 min. summary of the Educational Reform

Yesterday, I heard on the news about the educational reform for primary school in Buenos Aires. Among other issues, the ones that are highlighted are the fact that from 2015 onwards children in primary school can only get marks between 4 and 10 ( 4, 5 and 6 being failing grades), and besides children from 4th and 5th grade are allowed to pass to the following year, even if they haven't passed all the subjects from the previous year. This is what will happen on 2015. And, without a doubt there are people for and against this new reform.

            On the one hand, some people agree with this reform and claim that giving students low marks is unacceptable because children feel stigmatised. For this group of people these changes that will be implemented, seek the inclusion of all the children being educated in public and private schools.               

On the other hand, some allege that this reform instead of promoting quality education is lowering the level of it. For instance, failing grades mean that the student hasn’t reached the level required yet. And as a man on the video says: “Stigmatising is not giving a 1, 2 or a 3, it is letting someone who doesn’t know all the things he/she is expected to know, abandon secondary school”. And that is even worse than giving a student a 2.

               I think that the lack of values ​​such as effort, responsibility and hard work to achieve a goal are being emphasised with this new reform. In the way I see it, it seems as if we’re telling students “Don’t study, don’t work hard, don’t be responsible, anyway you’re going to pass the year”. And what about the students who do work hard and are responsible? It’s not fair for them, and that is in a way stigmatising them as well.

            But as usual, the government tries to cover the sun with one finger. And instead of making emphasis on other rooted issues, they believe that by establishing these changes the educational quality improves.

              I'm really worried about this, because I will be a teacher and in my opinion the student gets the mark he deserves (of course, I know that sometimes the grading system is not enough to reflect what the student knows). But, I don't like this easy and laid-back way in which education is transforming into. I agree with the education that brings out the best of man, the education that leads man to the top, which makes him a better human being. And from these goals, we're giving a huge step back.

P.D: Thanks for taking your time to read this. Feel absolutely free to give your opnion! 

Until next Friday!:D

If you want to read more detail information click here:
Eliminan las notas 1,2 y 3 de las escuelas primarias
Docente sancionada por aplazar a un alumno

Make it happen!

Pay it forward

      I have to admit that I don't pay much attention to TV news or newspapers..I just hear about what is happening in Argentina or in the rest of the world by passing by the TV or when my parents are watching it. I never read the newspaper...why?!, you may wonder. I think that it all has to do with the negative horrible news we hear everyday... people being murdered, robberies, kidnapping, rapes, people without jobs and nothing to eat, prices going higher than ever, the civil war in the Middle East  and the list continues. I know they are part of our reality, and it makes me sad and useless. I often wonder what is happening to humanity! I guess it has always been like that. But, I came across a very interesting piece of news, something nice to read...at last!  

So, the thing is there is this 23-year-old homeless woman called Jenedith. She has 3 kids and 2 of them live with their dad, due to the fact that she can’t give them what they need. A couple saw her and instead of passing by and just pretend she wasn’t there, they decided to help her. They took Jenedith to a supermarket and gave her some money. After that, many people heard the story and wanted to help as well. What did Jenedith do? Besides deeply thanking all of those who helped her, she said that she would only look to PAY IT FORWARD!  And she started a weekly search for those in need because she knows how difficult life can get. Moved and inspired by the generosity of others she decided to do something to help others as well.       

 I know that everything out there can be dissapointing, negative and sometimes the tons of bad news make you feel hopeless and due to that we can have a pessimistic conception of human nature. But, Hey!!!  besides all of that,  there is still hope and good people around. This story is a clear example that we can help others, get them back on their feet and move on.

Now the question is... what are we going to do from now onwards? Are we going to pay it forward or are we going to sit comfortably at home and let others struggle?
 I believe it’s all about helping each other, being generous and make others’ lives lighter, maybe we cannot help that much, but I’m sure that sometimes everything someone needs is a kind word, a gesture or even our time to listen to them. 

 What about doing something nice for someone at least once a week? Are you in?

I dare all of us to think about it and pay it forward. I’m sure it will make us feel better.

ENJOY ALL THAT POSITIVE ENERGY!

Cinthya

If you want to read about what Jenedith wrote on her FB account click here:

Strangers help homeless woman 

The images were retrieved from:

http://goodtimebenefit.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/change1.jpg 

http://www.personalcreations.com/blog/7-simple-ways-to-pay-it-forward