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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - February 2024

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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - February 2024

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Hi Katie,

I’m glad to hear that you’re planning to continue your studies in Madrid next year and I’m more than pleased to help you with the document you’ve sent me.

First thing to consider from the document: there will be just 2 contracts (out of 32) for the University of Economics where you’re trying to go.

That said, you’ll need to have 300 ETCS credits minimum and an average grade of at least 7.5 (out of 10) to apply for a pre- doctoral contract. BTW, online application is compulsory. Also, as you’re not a European citizen, you’ll need either a work permit or a document which exempts you from having it. Besides, you’ll have to be pre-admitted in a fellowship program for the 2023-2024 academic course or to be already registered in one for the previous academic year. In addition, you should know that the maximum duration of your contract is 4 years and that you won’t be able to work more than 60 hours per year or 180 hours for the whole duration of your contract. Needless to say, when you become a Doctor, your contract will expire.

As for the application process, the deadline for submission begins the 21st of June 2023 and ends the 5th of July 2023. Your application should contain (i) a certified document, including the credits you’ve obtained and your average grade (again, as you’re not European, you’ll have to present the equivalence between your marks and those of the Spanish scale made by our Ministry of Universities); (ii) a proof of admission or pre-admission to the doctoral programme and (iii) your CV, following the model uploaded on the online app and including evidence of the merits stated. Last but not least, a project report on the doctoral programme is required, including a report from your thesis supervisor justifying the suitability of your project.

One last piece of advice: considering possible delays in the Spanish Administration, submit your application ASAP in order to have time to correct possible mistakes.

I think I’ve summarised all the information you’ve sent me but, please, let me know if you need any clarification.

Please, call me when you arrive in Madrid!

Paul

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Santiago Núñez-Lagos -EOI San Lorenzo, C2.2-  February 2024

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Santiago Núñez-Lagos -EOI San Lorenzo, C2.2-  February 2024

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Hi Katie!

First of all, congratulations for the smashing results you have obtained in your MDE. I know it has been a tough process, but I never doubted you would pass it with flying colours!

I have gone through the document you emailed me, and although the procedure is not rocket science, there is no room for errors. I will guide you as best as I can to avoid the risk of leaving something forgotten.

Dates are CRITICAL. From 0:00h June 21st to 23:59h July 5th the registration process has to be done. All Spanish official entities have taken very seriously the job of setting the record straight regarding the image given in the past. No more backdoor requests or out-of-date entries will be admitted. If you fail the process & dates, you're out.

There are SEVEN docs needed. All of them should be uploaded on-line, and in some cases, using the provided templates. Obviously some are easier to obtain (your CV, University marks and any doc that may confirm what you state on the CV as achieved). Others are trickier: A Spanish University Ministry (“Ministerio de Universidades”) guideline that clearly converts your US marks to the ones used here. Also a certificate of being admitted at your PhD project has to be uploaded. I suppose this is automatically sent to all registered students, but double check you have received it. A PhD project summary (max 2 pages) is also requested. Don´t forget to devote some space to the main references used!

Last but not least, a letter from your thesis director should be sent, stating the suitability of your proposal as well as the adequacy of yourself as a candidate.

Those last docs may take a bit longer to prepare, so start requesting them ASAP. I do not know there in the US, but here, teachers tend to be overloaded and therefore have little time to devote to these administrative tasks.

To wrap up; There are only two (2) vacancies assigned to your PhD area, so the sooner you gather and upload the information, the better. Mind you, selection will be mainly based on the candidates' marks, but to follow the procedure in a flawless way is a must.

Please, if you find any difficulty filling templates or in any other aspect, do let me know. I will gladly help you and you will avoid sending wrong information, that maybe could not be corrected later.

Meanwhile, I will start a list of plans to be done together, when you're here. You have up to 4 years to finish the PhD, and 3 to work, so we need to fill the rest of the time!

Santi

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THE TWIN PARADOX
Here's why astronauts age slower than the rest of us here on Earth

Kelly Dickerson and Natalie Musumeci.
Tech Insider

Jan 1, 2023, 7:31 PM CET

Time feels like one of the only constants in life — it passes day after day at the same pace. Then Albert Einstein had to go and ruin that for us.

We've all heard the phrase that "time is relative," but it can be difficult to wrap the mind around what that actually means.

The phrase came from Einstein's Theory of Relativity that joined space and time and created the idea of a fabric that permeates the whole universe: "space-time."

We all measure our experience in space-time differently. That's because space-time isn't flat — it's curved, and it can be warped by matter and energy. So depending on our position and speed, time can appear to move faster or slower to us relative to others in a different part of space-time. And for astronauts on the International Space Station, that means they get to age just a tiny bit slower than people on Earth.

That's because of time-dilation effects. First, time appears to move slower near massive objects because the object's gravitational force bends space-time. The phenomenon is called "gravitational time dilation." In a nutshell it just means time moves slower as gravity increases. That's why time passes slower for objects closer to the center of the Earth where the gravity is stronger. That doesn't mean you could spend your life in a basement, just to outlive the rest of us here on the surface. The effect isn't noticeable on such a small scale. If you became a basement hermit, then across your entire lifetime you'd only age a fraction of a second slower than everyone else above ground.
But this concept gets pretty crazy when you start thinking about it:

·          A watch strapped to your ankle will eventually fall behind one strapped to your wrist.

·          Your head technically ages more quickly than your feet.

·          Time passes faster for people living on a mountain than those living at sea level.

Time gets even weirder though. The second factor is something called "relative velocity time dilation" where time moves slower as you move faster.
The classic example of this is the twin scenario. One twin blasts off in a spaceship traveling close to the speed of light, and one twin stays behind on Earth. When the space-traveling twin returns to Earth, she's only aged a couple years, but she's shocked to find that her Earth-bound sister has aged over a decade.
Of course no one has performed that experiment in real life, but there's evidence that it's real. When scientists launched an atomic clock into orbit and back — while keeping an identical clock here on Earth — it returned running ever so slightly behind the Earth-bound clock.

Then time gets even more complicated because gravitational time dilation and relative velocity time dilation can happen at the same time. A good way to think about it is to consider the astronauts living on the International Space Station.
Currently, an international crew of seven live and work aboard the ISS, orbiting Earth about every 90 minutes, according to NASA. They're floating about 260 miles above, where Earth's gravitational pull is weaker than it is at the surface. That means time should speed up for them relative to people on the ground. But the space station is also whizzing around Earth at about nearly five miles per second. That means time should also slow down for the astronauts relative to people on the surface. You'd think that might even out, but actually their velocity time dilation has a bigger effect than their gravitational time dilation, so astronauts end up aging slower than people on Earth. The difference isn't noticeable though — after spending six months on the ISS, astronauts have aged about 0.005 seconds less than the rest of us. That means that when former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly returned home in 2016 from his history-making, year-long stay on the ISS, he technically was 0.01 second younger than his twin astronaut brother — and now US senator — Mark Kelly who stayed on Earth.

So the next time you find yourself wishing the weekend would last longer, stay low to the ground and move really fast. It won't feel like your weekend got any longer, but technically you may gain a teeny, tiny fraction of a fraction of a second.

Remember, time is relative.

Read the original article on Tech Insider. Copyright 2023.

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Review of an hotel in Vienna. Santi. EOI San Lorenzo (C2.2)

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Review of an hotel in Vienna. Santi. EOI San Lorenzo (C2.2)

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HOTEL IMPERIAL

Get swept away in a whirl of pomp and circumstance in one of Vienna's most spectacular properties…

Why book Hotel Imperial?

To be swept away in a fairytale whirl of 19th-century pomp and circumstance, the sort that could be soundtracked and choreographed by Baz Luhrmann, lit by chandeliers, with marble floors you want to slide across in your socks and a fleet of liveried footmen who will happily take those socks to be washed and pressed afterwards. Oh, and the cake is pretty good too: the Sacher Torte isn’t the only cake in town, you know.

Set the scene

It has certain allusions of grandeur, doesn’t it, the name Hotel Imperial? It could be the name of a hopelessly delusional pile in a down-at-heel English seaside resort, all crumbling stucco and luke-warm kippers… or the name of a palatial, wedding cake of a hotel where it’s always Champagne o’clock, where a tiara at breakfast wouldn’t be blinked at. Fortunately, this is the latter, set right on Vienna’s central Kärntner Ring. There are antiques and silk walls and a lobby the size of a Renaissance chapel, its main desk embossed with a depiction of Vienna’s skyline. The royal staircase (don’t get the lift) is an overture in marble, with a life-sized portrait of Emperor Franz Joseph to greet you at the top – the walls positively bristle with Habsburg-era moustaches and beards. Go up another floor and you can find one portrait where it’s the shoes, not the eyes, that follow you around – a painterly trick of perspective. But despite all the over-the-top, gold-leaf opulence of it all, this isn’t a haughty Dowager Countess of Grantham sort of place: it’s eminently approachable and just wants everyone to enjoy themselves.

The backstory

All too lazy to reach for a Wes Anderson Grand Hotel Budapest reference for this sort of hotel, but here the comparison is justified: Michael Moser, the hotel’s head concierge for 31 years, was the inspiration for Ralph Fiennes’ Monsieur Gustave in the film – and was even asked to appear in the film, but his duties prevented him. Moser remains the hotel archivist though, and conducts entertaining historic tours of the building, alighting on paintings and the room where Queen Elizabeth II stayed in 1969 (the bed was borrowed from an actual palace museum so that no one could sleep in it afterwards) and the life of the Prince of Wurttemberg, who built this as his Vienna residence in 1863. He only lasted a short while before down-sizing, and 10 years later it opened as a hotel in time for the World Fair, with Bismarck among the first guests; in the 1920s its Imperial Café became the hangout for pipe-chewing intellectuals and artists. After the war in 1945, it was the HQ for the Russian Army, who complained that the manager was slowly purloining its Persian rugs. Since then it’s been cleaned and buffed, and most recently renovated so its public spaces are more or less as they were in the 19th century.

The rooms

Not exactly shy and retiring, those with an issue with chintz may want to avert their eyes. There are velvets and flock wallpapers and drapes assembled with the sort of maximalist aesthetic that would have Barbara Cartland reaching for her sunglasses. Like the pecking order at Versailles, the six-metre-high (six metres! The BFG could stay!) Royal Suite – once the private chambers of the original Prince and with a lavishly draped but surprisingly small bed – is surrounded by lesser suites in descending order of aristocratic lineage. But even the smallest Classic Room is an escapist bubble, individually designed, with antique knick-knacks here and there, lined with parquet flooring to practise your waltz steps and illuminated by a cascading crystal chandelier. For serious imperial oomph you’ll need a junior suite or higher – 231, a corner room, is a vision in soothing garden green, with chaise longue and writing desk – while the maisonette suites, with their spiral staircases, have an appealing cosiness.

Who comes here

Oh, the occasional emperor and empress there, the odd head of state here, locals in Homburg hats and their Sunday best round the corner. The guest books are huge fun – they read like the index for a biography of someone even better socially connected than Princess Margaret. Who else, you wonder, would count acquaintances such as Alfred Hitchcock, Sophia Loren and Walt Disney alongside Brahms, Bryan Ferry and, um, Vladimir Putin? Billy Joel signed his entry with a goatee-and-keyboard self-portrait; Karl Lagerfeld with two elegant fashion sketches. My favourite celebrity story (courtesy of Michael Mosel) concerns Larry Hagman, aka JR Ewing of Dallas, who handed each and every member of staff a $50 note on his way out. They were all thrilled, until someone pointed out that instead of the likeness of Ulysses S Grant, the note carried the image of a certain stetson-wearing Texan oil baron…

Food and drink

OK, so Wiener Schnitzel (breadcrumbed, flattened veal or pork), Tafelspitz (a boiled beefy stew not for the fainthearted) and Kaiserschmarrn (a fluffy pancake dessert) are pretty much ubiquitous in Vienna and the obvious things to order, but you need to try the ones at the Thirties-style Imperial Café. (Unless you’re vegan, in which case order the red beet dumplings.) The schnitzel is one of the best in town, so large you could drape it over your knees to keep warm in winter. Afterwards, sit with your coffee and wonder what Gustav Mahler, Thomas Mann or Umberto Eco chatted about when they came here. Niki Lauda, I expect, simply made ‘vroom vroom’ noises when he sat down to his breakfast of bread with chives and a soft-boiled egg served in a glass. Egg in a glass is the thing to order. With a glass of Champagne on the side. In the wood-panelled Opus restaurant, though, chef Werner Pichlmaier creates beautiful still-life compositions using Austrian ingredients, such as a flower-strewn landscape of mushrooms, herbs and mushroom crisps, and Alpine venison, kefir and red cabbage, with a fine list of Austrian wines – which are just brilliant at the moment. The Imperial Bar, meanwhile, is to normal bars what Fabergé eggs are to Cadbury’s Creme ones. If Maria Callas wandered in and started singing a medley from Tosca it would feel entirely appropriate. A harpist plays as you nurse the signature cocktail known as The Kiss. The ingredients? Gin, limoncello, tonic and a garnish of berries and 23-carat gold dust. Of course.

The neighbourhood

There’s a reason the Prince of Wurttemberg built his home here: the Imperial is right on the Ringstrasse, the Imperial-era boulevard that encircles the historic centre of Vienna. So all the main sights are walkable, including the Albertina Modern Art Gallery, State Opera and Karlsplatz – along with the MuseumsQuartier, set in the Habsburgs’ former stables, for Klimt, Schiele and a sprawling collection of modern art.

The service

You’ve seen Grand Hotel Budapest, right? There’s a small army of blue-uniformed bellhops and concierges (current head concierge Manfred Grassauer has been here 35 years) who can help arrange opera and museum tickets and restaurants around town. Your morning newspaper, of course, will arrive ironed; shoes will be polished to parade-ground shininess.

Anything else to mention?

Everyone should attend Vienna’s waltz-spinning, silk-spangled, baton-twirling Philharmonic Ball – a nine-hour danceathon that ends at 5am – at least once in their life, and this little place is right next to the Musikverein, the 19th-century concert hall where it takes place. The Imperial holds a Philharmonic dinner and Champagne reception beforehand, and afterwards, the waltzers return, loosening bow-ties and eating hot dogs, to sleep in late. If nothing else, it’s a fine excuse to swan around in a tuxedo or ball gown – one can never be too over-dressed at the Imperial.

Is it worth it?

I’ve been coming to Vienna for years, delving into its contemporary art scene and alighting on new restaurants and bars – despite its reputation as one of the classical European cities it has a fresh, youthful side, with a crop of personable boutique hotels (Motto, Josefine, Guest House) and international five-stars such as the Rosewood Vienna and Park Hyatt. The Imperial, though, is firmly in the old-school camp, alongside The Bristol and the Sacher Vienna, both with their own merits… but this is the most magical, transportive address in town. Watch The Empress on Netflix – the historical drama based on the life of Sisi, aka Empress Elizabeth of Austria – before you come for etiquette advice. Unless you live in a palace, coming down to earth after a stay here, of course, will be with a hefty bump.

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FILM REVIEW - Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - February 2024

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FILM REVIEW - Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - February 2024

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POOR THINGS

Director

Yorgos Lanthimos

Cast

Emma Stone

Mark Ruffalo

Willem Dafoe

SYNOPSIS

Godwin Baxter, a famous, unconventional anatomist, reanimates the body of a young woman in a secret experiment at his bizarre London mansion, and names her Bella Baxter. Bella quickly develops a questing curiosity, keen to absorb all the knowledge and pleasure the world has to offer. After meeting philandering lawyer Duncan Wedderburn, she runs away with him in pursuit of “grand adventure”.

REVIEWED BY Jessica Kiang

Faraway a bell is ringing, maybe a cruiseship bell or a cathedral chime or a cornershop ding, because there’s a new, lovely thing alive in the world and it is Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things. A film (based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray) that gives pleasure in every fantastical frame – pleasure to the eye, pleasure to the soul – this dazzling suite of dirty-minded delights is set in not-quite-reality during an era of never-quite-was. But its accuracy about the here-and-now gives its macaroon swirls an acidic sting – in both senses: formaldehyde

and LSD. Few films make you think and feel and laugh this much; even fewer send you skidding out with your whole demeanour reset as you remember just what a splendid, absurd thing it is to have a body and a mind, and a big, dumb, glorious world on which to set them loose.

On the verge of discovering body, mind and world, Bella Baxter (an extraordinary,

physically ingenious Emma Stone) lives in an eccentric London mansion with her adoptive father Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), a famous surgeon with a scarred, misshapen face. His medical students – except Max McCandless (Ramy Youssef ), whom Baxter takes on as an assistant – call him ‘Monster’. Bella calls him ‘God’.

Bella is God’s beloved experiment. Unbeknownst to her, she is the brain of a baby put into the body of its mother, the crowning achievement in God’s macabre

menagerie. God hires McCandless to observe her development; McCandless, like most of the men she meets, is instantly entranced. Bella punches him on the nose, and giggles.

But Bella is learning fast. Her staggering, coltish walk, the gait of a puppet suddenly made real, becomes steadier. Her language skills improve. Then one day she discovers how good it feels to rub herself down there, and McCandless has to explain that in ‘polite society’ such behaviour is not appropriate. In almost the same moment, Bella has discovered sex and shame, and decided instinctively to get as much as she can of the one, and never to bother with the other. Though she’s been confined her whole life to God’s rambling architectural mish-mash of a home, now her questing, curious mind and newly voracious sexual appetite compel her to escape.

Escape comes in the puffed, pomaded form of Duncan Wedderburn (a fantastic

Mark Ruffalo, giving some marvellously meme-able reactions), a caddish lawyer

who intends to spirit Bella away, shag her senseless then cast her aside once he’s tired of her. But somewhere on their grand adventure, under the dangling tramcars of Lisbon, or on the steamship to Alexandria, or beneath a purple Parisian sky in the bordello where Bella goes to work, Wedderburn falls in love. Bella’s lack of reciprocity drives him mad.

It is impossible not to be on a similar journey to Bella’s when every scene is so crammed with inventive, baroque detail to discover. Lanthimos’s luscious visual imagination give us so much to feast on; it makes one feel practically gluttonous.

Striking black and white gives way to vivid colour and, captured in pinholes, vignettes and warping wides alike – The Favourite (2018), also shot by cinematographer Robbie Ryan, made it clear that Lanthimos is the foremost filmmaker of the fisheye – the photography alone stuns and soothes, caresses and cracks jokes.

And what material it has to frame: Backdropped by pungent electronic skies, surrounded by hyperreal CG seas, the set-built imaginary cities are places both tangibly real and deliberately artificial.

And not that you’d ever want to, but if you shut your eyes, the score – the first by

experimental musician Jerskin Fendrix – tells the story all on its own. Scraping, naive single instruments initially struggle to stay in tune, before combining into a swelling, symphonic whole at the end, mapping on to Bella’s rapid-order experience of: kippers (disgusting), masturbation, manners, fucking (aka ‘furious jumping’), Portuguese custard tarts, dancing, oysters, reading, booze, class injustice, companionship, socialism, cruelty, kippers (delicious), forgiveness, grief, ambition and revenge – the best kind, the kind kind, the life-lived-well kind.

Wedderburn and Godwin are very different men, and they love Bella in very different ways, but they share a desire to keep her dependent and childlike, full of potential that will never be realised except on terms they dictate and control. But Bella has other ideas, even when she barely knows what an idea is or how to have one, and bursts out of their cages the way Poor Things bursts out of the screen: with ravenous, ravishing, furious-jumping joy.

SIGHT AND SOUND

Special Edition

Winter 2023-24

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Review of a concert Luis C2.2 EOI San Lorenzo 2023

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Review of a concert Luis C2.2 EOI San Lorenzo 2023

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Coldplay live in London: a fantastical, feel-good bonanza that delivers on a bold promise

Wembley Stadium, August 16: the band’s ‘Music of the Spheres World Tour’ touches down for night three of six colossal sold-out, star-studded shows

By Hannah Mylrea                       17th August 2022

“This is gonna be the best Tuesday of our lives,” Coldplay‘s Chris Martin tells a sold-out Wembley Stadium early on in the evening. It’s a bold claim, but you sense he believes it: we’re only two songs into the band’s set – there’s been a bombastic rendition of the Max Martin co-written, synth-pop belter ‘Higher Power’ and we’re now being encourage to “get low” during ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ – and we’ve already had confetti sprayed, fireworks let off and a flurry of rainbow coloured balls released across the audience. And all accompanied by the band’s feature LED wristbands that put on an impressive stadium light show. A subtle, stripped-back show this is not.

This is the band’s third night of six at the iconic venue, performed as part of their global world tour in support of their 2021’s ‘Music Of The Spheres’. In NME’s review of the record, we wrote that this “ninth album is quintessentially them – all stadium ambition and rousing choruses”. That goes for their stadium show too. The sugar-rush performance is a veritable feast: meticulously performed and a visual treat, it’s a welcome vehicle for new songs. More impressively, though, the colossal show also manages to be intimate and political, alongside offering tons of fun at the packed out, 90,000-capacity venue.

For example, there’s a focus on sustainability and inclusivity throughout. Pre-show, a message flashes up encouraging fans to take to the kinetic dancefloors (circles that punters can jump up and down on to create energy) and power bikes, the energy produced from these fixtures used to power part of the next night’s show. At one point they encourage revellers in those dancefloors to jump by blasting a soundtrack of House of Pain‘s ‘Jump Around’ through the speakers.

Elsewhere, videos flash up that demonstrate the green causes that ticket sales support, explaining that the band have pledged to cut the tour’s emissions by 50 per cent compared to their last tour, and outlining their use of renewable resources. A powerful moment of inclusivity comes later, too, when the band perform a solo version of their collaboration with The Chainsmokers ‘Something Just Like This’. Pre-recorded vocals take the reins from Chris, and instead the frontman performs the song in sign language.

Throughout the show, the band hop between two main stages, strutting down a catwalk to get between them, but for the encore they march through the audience, taking to a cosy third stage, which is nestled in among the punters in the standing area. The songs performed here see the band strip things back, injecting the larger-than-life show with a moment of closeness. There’s a poignant version of ‘Parachute’ track ‘Sparks’, which is followed by special guests joining the band on stage. At the Coldplay’s two prior Wembley shows, this saw a team-up with Craig David. Tonight, though we’re joined by Aussie pop sensation Natalie Imbruglia and virtuoso performer Jacob Collier, first for a warm rendition of ‘Torn’ (aided by a full-crowd sing-along) and then a cover of ‘Summer Nights’, from the movie Grease, as a tribute to the late Olivia Newton-John. It’s a sweet – if unexpected – homage to the icon.

There are some sillier instants too: ‘Human Heart’ is performed with a puppet, and later the band don massive extra-terrestrial heads for a track. These moments, alongside the meticulously considered set-list, all aid the show’s momentum.

Often, though, it’s a reminder of the hits upon hits that the band are blessed with. You struggle to hear ‘Viva La Vida’ over the iconic vocal riff being bellowed by tens of thousands of people. The cheers that go up when fans realise ‘Yellow’ is coming (the audiences wristbands turning said colour is a dead give-away) are immense, and everyone takes Martin’s direction when he encourages the audience to turn and sing the track to each other. “You’ve come to see us, but we’ve come to see you, so really we’re one big band” the vocalist tells Wembley before ‘The Scientist’, further encouraging the audience to become the capital’s biggest choir for the night.

It’s a joyful spectacle; a masterclass in how a massive pop show can be done. The band seem genuinely thrilled at the reaction, too. “Thank you for coming. These days, it’s so difficult to get to see a show,” Chris notes appreciatively at one point. “Thank you for coming and restoring our faith in humanity; for being peaceful and singing together.” The roars in response indicate that the feeling is mutual.

This show is a welcome dose of serotonin; a feel-good celebration. The best Tuesday of our lives? That’s high praise indeed – but given the reception from the audience, you’d argue that for thousands of punters, it’s certainly up there.

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SANTIAGO NÚÑEZ-LAGOS. EOI San Lorenzo. C2.2. January 2023

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SANTIAGO NÚÑEZ-LAGOS. EOI San Lorenzo. C2.2. January 2023

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From: Santiago Núñez-Lagos

Hoyo de Manzanares (mob: 669 433 833)

Date: January 10th, 2024

To: The Council for the Environment. Hoyo de Manzanares

Dear Sir /Madam,

I am writing to bring to your attention the deplorable status of our “La Cabilda” park. During the last year, vandalism and destructive weather have transformed one of the most important landmarks of La Sierra de Guadarrama into a shameful example of abandonment and disinterest.

Well-trodden paths have transformed into muddy corridors forcing pedestrians to avoid their usage. Therefore, those daily users ambling around “La Cabilda” need to side-step out of the designated pathways trampling our delicate flora.

Another critically deteriorated area is the upper part of the park, with our impressive granite boulders, one of the main attractions of the park. Owing to the fact that miscreants have covered them with graffiti, the whole area radiates an air of poverty and abandon.

With the recent unearthing of the medieval settlement located inside “La Cabilda”, it seems unwise to have such a neglected image of the whole area. The number of visitors has increased enormously and, in my opinion, this natural gem close to Madrid could boost our local economy.

It is my firm belief that with very little cost, both in time and materials, “La Cabilda’s” image could be restored quickly. With the aid of a proper graffiti removal company, and some granite gravel to embellish the main paths, the change will benefit us without further ado.

I hope you will give this pressing matter your urgent attention and I look forward to seeing positive changes.

Your faithfully.

Santiago Núñez-Lagos

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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - November 2023

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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - November 2023

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EDUCATION WEEK: Critical thinking

Proposal Report

From: Pablo de la Iglesia

To: Community of Madrid

The purpose of this report is to identify possible ways of boosting critical thinking as a tool for students and workers to improve their capacities of analysing the huge amount of data they receive every day.

Present situation

Today’s rush times prevent citizens from thinking properly about relevant events that affect definitely their lives such as choosing which academic studies to pursue, what job to do, or even which political party to vote for.

The need to reflect before acting seems to have been substituted by decision-making processes without any previous consideration of the pros and cons of our actions. Therefore, both students and workers can feel themselves, on certain occasions, as mere robots who perform routine tasks with no particular goal to improve their ways of life.

Benefits of critical thinking

The wealth of nations can be measured by the socio-cultural level of their inhabitants. In this regard, the more critical thinking a person has, the more enriching his or her life and the more prosperous his or her country will be.

Recommendations

The initiative of the Community of Madrid to take part in the Education Week and its calling for proposals to enhance critical thinking is an unmissable opportunity to make our authorities more aware of the relevance of this matter.

Some concrete recommendations to be taken into account to reinforce critical thinking could be:

-       The increase in the number of hours for studying philosophy or literature in schools with the aim of training students to think for themselves.

-       The reduction of working time to give workers more free time to read, go to the theatre, and so on and so forth, in order to improve their cultural skills.

Conclusion

Not only is critical thinking beneficial in economic terms, but it also allows people to be self-fulfilled in their lives. Moreover, thinking properly helps to reduce the incidence of mental illnesses, so prevalent nowadays.

I hope you will give this matter an appropriate consideration. Should this be the case, society as a whole will benefit. Thank you in advance for your attention.

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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - Noviembre 2023 

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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - Noviembre 2023 

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From: Paul

To: Kevin

Dear Kevin:

I’m glad to hear you’re moving to Madrid as we’ll have opportunities to organise the get-togethers you have always enjoyed so much. Remember that there’s never a lack of plans in Madrid.

I’m putting pen to paper as I’ve received the article you sent me about how to hire a housekeeper in Spain. Let me point out the main legal obligations you should take into account when hiring one.

To begin with, I advise you to sign a mandatory legal contract even if you realise that many housekeepers are hired on the black market in Spain. This way you’ll avoid potential conflicts in case of a  work accident and, what is more relevant, you’ll be contributing to the proper function of the Spanish pension system, whose sustainability is always on everyone’s lips here.

If you finally opt for the legal contract, you should bear in mind that the present annual minimum wage in Spain reaches 15.120 euros (divided into fourteen monthly payments of 1080 euros) and that an increase in it is planned for 2024. Yet, you’ll probably need to pay more as you’re looking not for a simple housekeeper but for a Spanish cook.

Consider also these two options:(i) hiring a worker for less than 120 days per year will force you to choose an hourly contract (in this case, the minimum wage is set at 7.88 euros per hour, in 2023) while (ii) choosing a contract for all working days, up to a maximum of 40 hours per week, requires signing a full-time indefinite contract and, therefore, paying the above mentioned minimum wage of fourteen monthly payments.

Last but not least, don’t forget that a housekeeper, like other workers in Spain, has the right to enjoy 30 calendar days of holidays every year or that sharing an employee with friends or neighbours doesn’t exempt you all from signing an individual contract each.

That’s all for now, my friend. If you still have any doubts, write to me when you want!

Take care,

Paul

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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - January 2024

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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - January 2024

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STUDY ABROAD FOR ONE YEAR

Letter to authorities

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am planning to study in Canada for a year and I am writing to you to request some specific details about the legal procedures to be followed to take some of my personal belongings to your country.

To begin with, I would like to know the requirements for temporarily importing my car to Ottawa, considering that I own a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) car, which pollutes more than a Standard Utility Vehicle.

Not only will I take my car but I also need to take some medication I consume on a daily basis as well as a piano and other musical instruments I play as part of my career as a music student.

Furthermore, I would like to take this opportunity to be informed about the visas I need to enter the country as a European citizen, if any, and about possible scholarships for students in Canada.

Finally, may I suggest that you complete your web page with the above-mentioned information and other useful pieces of information in order to facilitate the procedures for foreign students in the future.

I hope you will give this matter your consideration and that I receive the appropriate information soon so as to enjoy a wonderful year of study in Canada. I am very much looking forward to coming to Canada and enjoying your beautiful country.

Yours faithfully

Paul Smith

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Santiago Núñez-Lagos. San Lorenzo. C.2.2. WRITTEN MEDIATION  (Teacher Breda)                                                                                                                13/12/2023

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Santiago Núñez-Lagos. San Lorenzo. C.2.2. WRITTEN MEDIATION  (Teacher Breda)                                                                                                                13/12/2023

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From:  Santiago Núñez-Lagos <santi@....>

To:  Kevin Landmann <kevin2323@...>

Hi Kevin!

What a great surprise it was to open the mail inbox and find your message. To be honest, long ago I ruled out the possibility of sharing some time with you here, in Madrid, as we did back in USA. When did you arrive? We need to catch up on everything!

Regarding your concerns with this cleaner hiring, I have read the document you have attached. To make it simple, it clearly states that to hire a cleaner, you should do it with all legal aspects covered, or you have a high risk of being heavily fined.

Since your intention is to have a short stay here, you have to sign a part-time contract with the selected person. The document clearly states that you should give monthly payment slips to that person to guarantee full transparency. It also clarifies the minimum Spanish salary to be paid to a worker, regardless of the activity. In your case, 4 hours per day and three times a week, adds up to 350 Eur/month, give or take 20 Euros.

Mind you, I am almost sure that this information is outdated, so consider a slightly higher budget to cover this possible increase. Also, if the cleaner is also requested to be a cook, I am sure that the cost will increase If you also want to have an English-speaking employee, you’d better hire me 😊.

My advice, to avoid running the risk of doing things wrong, is to go to a specialised housekeeping agency. Not only will they handle all the paperwork, but also, if the selected person does not suit your needs, you can request another candidate as many times as you need. What’s more, in Spain most cleaners are migrants, mainly from Latin America or East Europe. They are superb cleaners, but obviously they aren’t traditional Spanish cuisine experts…   It is not necessary to say that you have me here to help you in the selection process, no matter how long it takes.

A final word: Maybe someone may tell you to turn a blind eye to all the legal process, and hire someone without all this red tape involved. I have to say that in Spain, our government is taking a stand against black market contracts. There are many people, both employers and employees, that still prefer illegal hiring, to pay less taxes. Since the information is cross checked by our inland revenue agency, the chances of being caught are high. Consider yourself warned!

Sorry for the long answer. Please keep me updated and do not forget to reply ASAP. My mobile is still the same:  +34 669 433 833

Santi.

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Luis Mariano Casado Sánchez EOI San Lorenzo  C2.2 -Teacher: Breda Mediation    

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Luis Mariano Casado Sánchez EOI San Lorenzo  C2.2 -Teacher: Breda Mediation    

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From: lmcasado@educa.madrid.org

To: Kevin

Hi Kevin,

How are things?

I haven´t seen you for ages. We could hang out, when you come to Spain, right?

If you want to hire a domestic assistant when you are in Spain, I will help you. I can introduce you to the right person. Spanish people usually cook at home, so if I were you, I’d rather hire a Spanish domestic worker.

If I were in your shoes, I would do it in line with the new law, which means that you should be a legal employer. You could get in trouble otherwise. Illegal employers might face hefty fines. The new regulations provide domestic workers with full employment rights, so they are treated in the same way as other workers.

The first thing that you have to keep in mind is that you, as the employer, must deal with all the red tape at the Spanish National Social Security Institute (INSS).

If you ask me, this article is outdated, so remember you can also do all this stuff online, anyway, I can give you a hand with Spanish red tape, it can be a nightmare.

Another thing that you have to consider is that the following details should be included in the contract:

-          Minimum wage, according to this article, it’s 7.04 euros per hour, remember it’s outdated, it’s not common to pay less than 9 euros per hour, so you won’t find any domestic worker if they are underpaid.

-          You have to give your employee a payslip with your full name and identity card number and those of your employee. You have to include in this payslip, the agreed salary, with both gross pay and net pay, together with the date on which you signed the contract.

-          Enough for you to know that if the worker comes less than 120 days a year, the contract will be partial, no matter how many hours a day the employee works. And of course, you have to set a holiday period of 10 calendar days, because you have come to work for four months, haven’t you ?

You can sign the contract with the employee or his/her representative.

I think that’s all you need to know, please call me if you need anything.

Catch up soon!

Luis

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MAR VILLAR C2.2 PROPOSAL: CRITICAL THINKING

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MAR VILLAR C2.2 PROPOSAL: CRITICAL THINKING

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MAR VILLAR: Nurturing Mental Health in the Post-Pandemic Landscape.

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MAR VILLAR: Nurturing Mental Health in the Post-Pandemic Landscape.

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MAR - ARTICLE NURTURING MENTAL HEALTH IN THE POST-PANDEMIC LANDSCAPE

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Conchi. EOI San Lorenzo. C2.2. November 2023.

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Conchi. EOI San Lorenzo. C2.2. November 2023.

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The aim of this proposal is to outline the importance of critical thinking and to suggest some ways to develop this key skill.

Need for critical thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to question assumptions and to be willing to accept alternatives. This skill becomes crucial in the current ever-changing world where, what is optimal today, becomes second-best tomorrow, or even unsuitable the day after tomorrow.

However, critical thinking is not something natural. In fact, our nature makes us think that what we believe or our way of doing things is the only right one.

Experts in the fields of psychology and education have found that critical thinking can and should be learned and put into practice from elementary education to our workplace.

Therefore, in the next section, some tools which might enhance our critical thinking skills will be suggested:

Education

-         Making use of debates to learn to consider different points of view and even to change positions when reason leads us to do so.

-         Teaching different alternatives to approach the same problem.

-         Encouraging pupils to ask questions and to express their opinions.

-         Inspiring creativity by asking children to write stories or songs, paint pictures, create games …

Workplace

-         Practicing brainstorming so that participants can share their spontaneous ideas in an attempt to find a solution to a problem.

-         Working in teams to learn to cooperate.

-         Questioning objectives and methods by a regular analysis of causes and consequences and pros and cons.

We trust all these suggestions will be considered.

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Conchi. EOI San Lorenzo. C2.2.November 2023

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Conchi. EOI San Lorenzo. C2.2.November 2023

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The purpose of this report is threefold: to provide an overview of the events held over the last year, to outline the current financial situation and to announce the future plans of the international film club.

Events over the last year

The main events spaning the last year were:

-          A talk by Juan Diego Boto (January).

-          A lecture on the influence of social networks on cinema (March)

-          The Short films week (April).

-          A visit to the National Film Library (June).

-          A trip to San Sebastian Festival (September).

-          The terror film week (October).

Special attention must be paid to the short films week  due to the attendance rate of our club members.  This event is likely to be repeated next year.

It is also noteworthy the success of the San Sebastian trip where club members were given the opportunity to see famous actors and even to talk to some of them.

In contrast, the feedback received regarding the lecture on the influence of social networks was not so positive, its excessive duration being the main criticism.

..

Financial situation

The club has a healthy bank balance since although there has been a slight rise in expenses, the income has increased too.

The rise in expenses has been caused by the replacement of  the big screen and the increase in film rental prices.

As for the income, the club was awarded a grant of 2.000 euros by the local council and has received the fees paid by 20 new members.

Consideration is being given to raising more money to fund future plans. Any suggestion about possible sponsors will be highly appreciated.

Future plans

Following requests of many club members a new video library is due to open next year. Although final terms have not been decided yet, in every likelihood club members will be able to rent films for at least one week.

Another interesting project proposed by one of our club members consists of giving talks at high schools to encourage young people to watch classic cinema films. This proposal will be discussed at the next meeting of the club on 25th January.

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Conchi. EOI San Lorenzo- C2-2 . December 2023

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Conchi. EOI San Lorenzo- C2-2 . December 2023

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Hi Kevin,

How are you doing? I’ve been reading the article you sent me about the requirements to employ home help. To be honest, I’m pleasantly surprised about the improvement in the regulation of these workers. It’s striking in a country like Spain where the rates of underground economy have typically been so high.

Nowadays, the rights of the cleaners are in line with those of any worker. So, if you want to hire somebody, the first thing you need to do is to sign a contract and to register it at the Social Security. Don’t forget to do it, otherwise you could be fined up to 6.250 euros; not to mention the huge compensation you would have to pay if, unluckily, your employee suffered personal damage in a work accident.

Regarding the wage, you should pay at least the minimum wage which nowadays is 7,04 euros per hour (including salary bonus and holidays). Every time you pay, remember to hand over a receipt including your personal data and those of your employee along with the gross monthly wage, contribution of the employee (4,7% of the wage), net wage and the date of the contract.

Please, tell me in case of doubts.

Best wishes,

Conchi

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EOI San Lorenzo.English. C2.2  HOW TO ENHANCE OUR CRITICAL THINKING. PROPOSAL To:       Kenny, BredaFrom:   Nuñez-Lagos, SantiagoDate:    November 22nd, 2023

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EOI San Lorenzo.English. C2.2  HOW TO ENHANCE OUR CRITICAL THINKING. PROPOSAL To:       Kenny, BredaFrom:   Nuñez-Lagos, SantiagoDate:    November 22nd, 2023

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INTRODUCTION

The aim of this document is to propose some useful ideas that promote changes in academic and/or daily work. Once implemented, these simple actions will enhance critical thinking as well as routinise it.

BACKGROUND

Nowadays, our western society has optimised our work and thinking procedures to minimise the time devoted to each action due to a “lack of time” perception. The main idea of my proposal is to promote a healthier approach to everyday tasks and therefore to re-educate this way of acting. To achieve this, I propose four ideas in the next paragraphs.

1)    BROWSING INFORMATION

Much as we believe that the information we gather for a certain task is clear, certain and enough, unfortunately it is (in most cases) a wrong perception. Thus, if we use the rule of “Three main sources”, i.e., to compare the information obtained from three origins (as independent among themselves as possible), we will realise how different the obtained information could be. Therefore, comparing sources, our intellect will be exposed to sometimes radical different perceptions, and we will be forced to think either which one suits us best or come to terms with the fact that the truth is probably an amalgam of all.

2)    “FIVE WHYS” INTERROGATIVE TECHNIQUE[1]

Although it may look quite tedious, this technique verifies that we have really dug deep to the root of a question. Asking ourselves “why?” recurrently to each of the previous answers, we may realise that we were accepting a predeterminate answer to avoid devoting more time to the task. If we include this technique when we face important decisions, we will be more confident with our given answers.

3)    DEVIL’S ADVOCATE POSITION

This Role play roll (either with yourself or with a second person) is known to be good for the proper analysis of any question from all possible sides. I am inclined to think that this methodology has great results when used within a group of people that needs to deliberate which of several options is the best. It covers all aspects, preventing a lack of great alternatives lest someone's proposal may be considered irrelevant.

4)    GAME-BASED LEARNING

Finally, I would like to highlight that, childish as it may seem, the usage of all the previous principles in a relaxed playing environment enormously enhances the results. It has been affirmed. New studies show that when we are part of a game, we have less barriers in our communications, and are keener to propose new ideas. Therefore, this principle could be used both at school and at working environments.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, I feel certain that the aforementioned ideas are both simple rules and quick to implement. No special abilities are needed to use any of them. With neither significative cost impact nor complex training, if we include these ideas in our daily routines, the quality of our decisions will increase dramatically.

Santiago Núñez-Lagos

[1]     More info about this technique could be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_whys

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Luis Mariano Casado Sánchez -EOI San Lorenzo - C2.2 - November 2023 Proposal

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Luis Mariano Casado Sánchez -EOI San Lorenzo - C2.2 - November 2023 Proposal

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How to enhance our critical thinking skills in both education and the workplace

The main goal of this proposal is to make helpful suggestions for educational centres and companies so as to enhance critical thinking skills in teachers and students and also to implement these strategies in the workplace.

Since creative thinking is important for coming up with new ideas, critical thinking is crucial for making sound decisions in the workplace and personal life.

By enhancing students’ critical thinking skills, we will focus on teaching them how to think and not what to think. We will go beyond memorization, which undoubtedly provides our students with a certain advantage and it is clearly useful to people in a variety of situations. Critical thinkers are able to achieve concepts, solve problems, think creatively, and apply their knowledge in new ways.

How to foster critical thinking in educational centres and the workplace

Self-awareness

First, we should be more self-aware, this way, we will better understand our viewpoint to approach different problems. In addition to this, we suggest taking time to analyse your mental processes before decision making, thus objectivity is our priority.

Foresight

Considering how others might feel about a decision you make, we would be able to determine possible outcomes, the positive and negative ones. Foreseeing possible reactions will surely help you make the right choice.

Active listening

Moreover, practising active listening is decisive. By listening carefully and attentively to teachers, colleagues and co-workers, we will have a full understanding of what we need or expect. We should also ask questions in order to clarify certain details which probably have been misheard or misunderstood.

Previous experience

And finally, by using previous experience, we will be able to make decisions through critical thinking, finding more effective solutions and explanations.

Conclusion

To conclude, creative thinking involves students learning to produce and apply new ideas in different contexts, identifying alternative explanations and making new associations which generate positive outcomes.

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Are there instances in which war might be justified

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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - September 2023

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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - September 2023

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REPORT

International Film Club

Annual report

This report aims to summarise the main events held over the last year by the Spanish International Film Club (henceforth the IFC) as well as to list the activities planned for its next season. As occurs every year, the report will include a concise description of the IFC’s current financial situation in order to provide members with an overview of the present circumstances of the Club.

Last year activities

As for the most relevant past events, the activities of the Club were mainly focused on the monitoring of film festivals in Spain, Europe and the US. More in detail, the IFC attended the 71th Edition of ZINEMALDIA (San Sebastian Film Festival) and the 68th edition of SEMINCI (Valladolid Film Festival) while cinema cycles were organised in the IFC’s local branches in order to track the films featured at festivals such as the Venice Festival, the Cannes Festival or even the Hollywood Oscars.

Future activities

Although the above-mentioned activities will continue representing our leit motiv, the IFC will offer some new proposals for the next year among which the following constitute conspicuous examples:

-       The creation of a shorts contest for boosting nouvelle filmmakers.

-       The presence of local celebrities in our film screenings so as to encourage film viewing in movie theatres.

-       The use of cutting-edge film technologies, for instance 3D vision, Virtual Reality (VR), Motion seats or Computer-generated imagery (CGI).

Financial situation

Ensuring the sustainability of all these activities requires a balanced scenario between the money received and the payments made. As for the former, IFC’s main sources of financing come from membership subscriptions and public cultural grants. Regarding payments, supply bills, IFC’s marketing campaigns and rental charges constitute the backbone of our expenses.

Although expenditure usually exceeds income, our financial situation is almost balanced. Nevertheless, it would be advisable for members to maintain an active participation that would ensure the future of the Club.

More specific data on every topic mentioned can be found on the Club's website.

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REPORT C2.2 Luis Mariano Casado Sánchez Teacher: Breda 2023 2024

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REPORT C2.2 Luis Mariano Casado Sánchez Teacher: Breda 2023 2024

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AMM INTERNATIONAL FILM CLUB ANNUAL REPORT 2023 2024

The aim of this report is to give our members a general review of the current year’s  activity and inform you about new projects for the coming year. Moreover, an insight of our financial situation statement is included.

Last year’s events

Regarding the most notable events of the past year, these have demonstrated the need to seize the opportunity to diversify and grow. Not only were the European  festivals successful but also the North American events outdid everyone´s expectations.

Among the most exclusive international events we highlight:

-          Venice festival.

-          San Sebastián.

-          Cannes.

-          Sundance.

-          The Oscars.

Future scheduled events

As mentioned at the outset, and due to the growing enthusiasm for film activity, some new proposals for the next year have been included in our programme.

The creation of a shorts contest for boosting nouvelle filmmakers or innovation in movies projections by using the cutting-edge technology, such as 3D vision, motion seats, environmental effects… so on and so forth, will surely contribute to our success in upcoming events.

In addition to this, we are so proud to announce that the renowned Colin Firth has confirmed his attendance to our Annual Gala Dinner.

Financial Statement

A really good business performance has set the basis and foundation for planning our future course.

Our film club has earned a 200 per cent return on invested capital, which as a result has produced an increase in shareholder value.

The sustainability of our business is also assured by the rise in state grants. Around 500000 pounds were granted last year. About 120 new members have subscribed  to our club this year and we have reduced rental expenditures by using our new studio in Los Angeles more frequently.

Conclusion

Our activity is really thriving and we will surely be successful the coming year. All your ideas and proposals will be helpful to make our club still more enriching for everyone. Thus, we suggest taking some minutes to fill the form available at the club website.

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Luis Mariano Casado Sánchez EOI San Lorenzo - C2.2 October '23

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Luis Mariano Casado Sánchez EOI San Lorenzo - C2.2 October '23

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Justification for war is the main aim of warmongering ideologists, who wage wars worldwide so as to persuade people to support their wicked ideas.

It is a fact that, some of the most famous world leaders in history have spread their “propaganda” to manipulate people’s attitude towards war, Adolf Hitler, for instance, delivered his campaign speeches, promising salvation for Germany. Nowadays, Vladimir Putin addresses his compatriots by focusing on a benevolent Russia and a malevolent West.

As far as I know, the above-mentioned leaders and many others just aim to preserve or gain power and wealth, hence all their promises and lies.

Nonetheless, it is not all doom and gloom, fortunately, most people do not like confrontation and human life is so valuable for them.

All in all, while it is true that if genocide is occurring in a country, war is justified, in terms of self-defence, however, we, outlookers should avoid being biased or prejudiced in favour of either side.

As Pope Francis said “Life is a precious gift, but we realise this only when we give it to others”.

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MAR VILLAR C2.2 Are there any instances in which war might be justified?

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MAR VILLAR C2.2 Are there any instances in which war might be justified?

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ESSAY Are there any instances in which war might be justified?

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Pablo de la Iglesia. EOI San Lorenzo - C2.2 Oct '23

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Pablo de la Iglesia. EOI San Lorenzo - C2.2 Oct '23

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Taking Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance or John Lennon’s pacifist songs as examples, there have always been political and cultural movements which regard wars as unjustifiable. However, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and, more recently, the Israeli-Palestinian war raise the question of whether wars, although painful and rejectable in theory, are justifiable as they are unavoidable.

Consider first who should be the one to blame for the invasion of Ukraine? At first sight, one could easily conclude that the Russian government is the only bad guy. Nevertheless, should we use Agatha Christie’s reasoning to find out the culprit, we need to reflect on the beneficiary of the confrontation in order to find out the guilty party. If it looks like a duck and swims like a duck, then it is a duck. Not only has the US increased its sales of both weapons to the Ukrainians and energy to the European Union, as it did previously in both Iraq’s wars, but the Americans also have taken up again its role as the (unwanted) Western watchdog of the world.

Let us think on the perpetual invasion of Palestine carried out by Israel since 1947. Under no circumstances has the misnamed International Community condemned the intruder in this scenario. Quite the opposite, Palestinians are being (in bad faith) likened to the terrorist group Hamas so as to continue justifying the expulsion of the legitimate inhabitants of Palestine from their homeland, in the same way as the non-native Americans did with the native Americans in the US, by the way.

Apart from the US presence in almost any armed conflict in the world, such as the above-mentioned, the former examples have another common feature: civilians are the ones who suffer the negative consequences of any war. That said, it is clear that as the vast part of the population suffers from wars, no war could be justified ever. Unfortunately, the majority does not have the final say, even in consolidated democracies such as the UK or France where demonstrations supporting Palestinians have been (shamefully) forbidden.

Just like other atrocities in human history (i.e. absolute monarchy or slavery) wars should only be present in our lives as a school subject. However, it seems we are getting dangerously closer to a third world war. The future has not yet been decided. In the meantime, we could perhaps repeat as a mantra those Lennon’s lyrics in his song ‘Happy Christmas’: “War is over, if you want it”. Does it seem too naïve? Bring us back to other Lennon’s lyrics, this time from ‘Imagine’: “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be (and live) as one”.

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Throughout history, mankind has resolved their disputes by means of sheer force. It is written into our ADN, as a surviving strategy to confront natural enemies. Therefore, it may be seen by most people as something commonsensical to maintain whatever we need and when we need it.
However, history and science have shown us that the higher in intellect a species is, the better this species resolves difficulties by means of pure collaboration among its individuals. From a simple amoeba that thrives by means of pure competition, to an anthill, the results are clearly different.
Since the end of the WWII, diplomacy has tried to replace battlefields and weaponry with peace talks. Alas, man is the only animal that trips twice over the same stone. The Korean war, the Irak war, and at the present time both the Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Palestine wars demonstrate that there is a need for change.
Surely, the main driver behind wars is wealth and its ownership. Should we fail to find a better way to share resources and fulfil needs for all humankind, we are condemned to auto destruction. This fierce capitalist model has to evolve rapidly.
From my point of view, no instance justifies a war, not even to protect ourselves from external attacks. There are no friends and foes, actions always backfire and both sides suffer defeat. Furthermore, traditional wars relied on “man-to-man sheer force”, so each soldier witnessed the disaster done by his own action. Nowadays, just pressing a button, any soldier can release a devastating power that could convert a continent into barren land.
To summarise, I believe in our intellect and our capacity of predict events’ evolution. Therefore, I am sure that a new regime will be implemented (maybe at snail’s pace) that avoids wars. Unfortunately, this sadly may happen only after a major disaster that forces us to do so.

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Santi C2.2 Teacher: Breda.  As conversations could be considered to be no more than interlocking monologues, so too might relationships be considered simply the pragmatic pairing of two INDIVIDUALS.

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Santi C2.2 Teacher: Breda.  As conversations could be considered to be no more than interlocking monologues, so too might relationships be considered simply the pragmatic pairing of two INDIVIDUALS.

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Are current relationships real, deep, intense exchange of behaviours, fears, needs and expectations, or just a mere comfortable pairing of two individuals?

Easy, as it may seem, the question has deep and complex areas to analyse. Comparisons are extremely dangerous so, to start with, if you compare current relationships to those that our elders experienced, maybe you will have a biased result. External factors (cultural, social, religious) as well as new ways to exchange information that we have nowadays, make this comparison very difficult, if not purely impossible.

So, if we try to analyse this topic with our current information, this possibility of having a biased result disappears.

Moving forward to another area, it is not the same trying to get deeper in relationships that are between two individuals with a close family link (couple, parents, offspring…) as analysing the relations in other groups, such as our working environment or our closest friends.

I am firmly convinced of the pure and uninterested relationships of the first group: With your family you need to constantly share everything, so it must be a long-lasting deep, mature, convinced exchange of thoughts, ideas or possessions. I have to say that it has a trace of egoism, since you need the relationship to work for your own benefit, as well as for others’ benefit.

Akin to the first core group, the second one (that may be similar) is our friends’ environment. This second group, although considered as relatives, may have differences with us in some aspects. In some occasions, when a difficult issue arises, we tend to be more pragmatic rather than honest. Our subconscious plays an important role, presenting the idea “IT IS NOT WORTH THE DISCUSSION”, and therefore, assenting with your head to “agree” in such point.

At last, the third and maybe wider group, is our colleagues (at work, neighbours, distant relatives) where we have not much to win, and a lot to lose if we ruin a meeting if confronting each other.

To wrap up, and as a conclusion, the closer the other person is, the deeper the relationship. On the contrary, we tend to avoid confrontations with less “useful” people, and we try to interact in a civilised and pragmatic way.

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Luis C2.2                   Teacher: Breda

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Luis C2.2                   Teacher: Breda

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As conversations could be considered to be no more than interlocking monologues, so too might relationships be considered simply the pragmatic pairing of two INDIVIDUALS.

Considering conversations as simple interlocking monologues is a glaring error which could give us an absolutely wrong idea about what the main aims of human communication are.

On one hand, conversations are the processes by which we interact, share and spread information, not only to demonstrate the world our knowledge but also to learn, to adapt and evolve.

On the other hand, we converse in response to a social and natural necessity, innate to every human being.

Having explained that, we cannot infer that, relationships are merely pragmatic pairing, because there is an infinite dimension of feelings, thoughts and viewpoints that enrich our lives.

As Plato said: “A citizen is the result of his relationship with others in society”.

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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - September 2023 

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Pablo de la Iglesia Aparicio - EOI San Lorenzo  - C2.2 - September 2023 

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ESSAY

As conversations could be considered no more than inter lack ing monologues, so too might relationships be considered simply the pragmatic pairing of two individuals

As most things in life, relationships are conditioned by the period of history you live in or the place where you are brought up.

Nevertheless, there is one question that could be posed at any time or place when we try to discover the reasons people have for living together: do they decide on their partners for love or just for common interest?

Consider marriages amongst kings and queens, for instance. Traditionally, political alliances have been decisive in fixing who should marry whom. In fact, the more political power a king or a queen desired, the less probability they had of getting married just for love.

Pay attention now to a celebrated tragedy such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in which both lovers fight against all odds in order to preserve their love. They eventually prefer to die rather than continue living without their beloved ones.

Can we conclude then with a simple yes or no when we are asked about the nature of relationships? Of course, we can’t as the examples above mentioned have shown us.

Moreover, as relationships are not a static picture, some of them usually evolve in one or the other direction and there have been gorgeous love stories even in royal marriages which were initially arranged just for economic or political reasons.