MLK Thank you for giving us a fairer world.

MLK Thank you for giving us a fairer world.

Michael King Jr. or Martin Luther King Jr., as we know him, was born and raised on Atalanta’s Auburn Avenue on January 15, 1929. He was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He was best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs.


King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. King also helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he gave his famous "I have a dream" speech. There, he established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history.

But unfortunately, on Thursday, April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr., who had retreated to room 306 of the Lorraine Motel, was killed by a white segregationist on his balcony, before his sermon in Memphis on Sunday. For all these reasons on the third Monday of January America and the whole world remember everything he did for America and for the civil rights, in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day., (which is the date where he was born).

In my view, he was with Mandela, two of the most influent people that have fought for the black people rights, and what’s more important, in a nonviolent way. Both of them searched the equality between white and black people, one in America and the other in South Africa and I reckon that without them we would be in an unfair world (even more that it’s in our days). 

Thank you M. Luther King for giving us a fairer world.

China growth slows and oil price falls.

China growth slows and oil price falls.

In the latest months, news all over the world have been talking about two main topics, China’s economic situation and the fall of oil prices. What’s happening with China economic growth? And why are oil prices falling so fast?

First of all, I want to talk about Chinese economic situation. After growing more and more during more than 20 years at least, China economic growth has experienced a painful slowdown in the last two years. According to experts, China’s economy has suffered this economic slowdown for two main reasons: China’s focus on creating an economy driven by consumption has made an overproduction that now they can solve, especially in steel. And the other main reason is that China's stock market has crashed over because of the distrust of the other countries of this overproduction and because of the ignorance of some Chinese investors that have become indebted investing with money that they didn’t have.

The oher important piece of news has been the oil price falls in all over the world. The latest fall of oil prices has been prompted by concerns that a market already awash with oil from the two biggest suppliers – Saudi Arabia and Russia – would receive additional supply from the lifting of sanctions against Iran and the ending of a 40-year US export ban. In addition to this, experts say that things won’t be better in 2016.

In conclusion, in this 2016 things won’t be better in the economic aspects. China will have to do all their best to have a lower production if it doesn’t want to continue having an overproduction. And in my opinion we have to search alternatives to the oil, pushing more towards renewable energies.

Is travelling abroad a good experience for every young person’s education before starting university or finding a job?

Is travelling abroad a good experience for every young person’s education before starting university or finding a job?

Nowadays, travelling abroad is considered a good experience for young people who are going to begin their university education or working. However, can everyone afford it? Is it so necessary to find a job if you want to work in your own country?

It’s a well-known fact that travelling abroad can be too expensive: accommodation, food, the travel... Nevertheless, it isn’t impossible because you can do many things to earn some money for it, if you can’t afford it. For instance, I have some friends that have worked in ice cream parlours or restaurants when they were staying in a foreign country. In spite of this, in my view it’s more advisable to earn some money first and then travel abroad.

Another important fact to take into account is that you should live there with people of another nationality, because if you go with people that speak your language, you won’t learn anything. This year, for example I’ve stayed for five weeks in France and I’ve been living with a Swiss, a German and a Taiwanese, so apart from having a different language, we also had different cultures, which for me was even better.

Personally, I think that it has been one of the best experiences of my life, this summer I hope to do the same in England. I reckon that now it’s the best moment to do these kinds of things, firstly because we are learning a different language and secondly because it will help us to find a better job, even if we aren’t going to work in a foreign country, because it will give you experience.

Brolin Mawejje had a dream far from home

Brolin Mawejje had a dream far from home.

Born in the Makindye District of Kampala, Uganda, Brolin Mawejje, had a hope and it was to become a snowboarder. His family wanted the best for their child, so when he was only two years old, his mother left the family indefinitely and she reappeared at age 11, arranging him to join her in the USA in Boston’s suburbia. As he was the only African in his school, he was bullied by his American classmates. But the course of his life would change for ever when he joined an after school ski & snowboard program. Brolin discovered a new world. Combined with a drive to excel in his studies, Brolin found a family that helped him to trust the world for the first time.

This article story shows us that everything can be possible. No matter where we live, no matter how much money we’ve got, because if we have got talent everything can be possible. The most interesting thing is that he’s now going to participate in the next Winter Olympic Games and he’s going to be the first African snowboarder that is going participate in some Winter Olympic Games.

Another important fact is that he came from a poor family, so his conditions were even more difficult to become successful and it is for that reason that he needed economic support for this incredible project. He’s also going to help in Uganda children that were in the same case as him, so I reckon that it’s going to be a good way to contribute in this world of inequality.

All in all, I personally think that there should be more cases like this man. Showing us that if we believe in something, even if people tell you that it is impossible, we can achieve them at last.

Japan resumes Antartic whales hunt. Tradition or brutality?

Japan resumes Antartic whales hunt.

Tradition or brutality?

On 1st December Japan restarted its "scientific whaling" programme after a year-long hiatus. The hunt is expected to kill 333 whales. To carry out this mission a Japanese whaling fleet set sail for the Antarctic at the beginning of December. Last year, they couldn’t do this “lethal research” because the UN (United Nations) proved that it was a cover for commercial whaling and that they had no proven scientific merit. However, this year despite all the international pressure and as Australia said in “a whale sanctuary” of the Antartic, they have set their fleet there. What do you think about this “scientific research”? For Japan, hunting wales is a tradition, is this tradition, a tradition that should be banned?

First of all, it's true that scientists do many researches with animals, because we couldn’t cure for example a cancer proving with humans, because we would kill ourselves. It’s for that reason that they use lab mice to first try to find the cure and then they begin to administer the drug in humans. Nevertheless, why shouldn't we do it in whales? Firstly, because they are species that can’t reproduce as fast as lab mid do. Secondly, because they are at risk of extinction. Thirdly, because it’s unnecessary to kill an animal of thousands of tones to do a research. And, most important, because they are an important element in the food chain.

Like a lot of traditions that imply hunting animals only because it’s a tradition and that in reality they don’t need its food to survive, I reckon that is not a wise tradition. Or like in Spain that we have a tradition which consists of fighting with a bull on the arena, humbling it and then killing it; or running with a dozen of them beating them with sticks.

All in all, maybe my opinion is influenced by the fact that I'm an animal-loving person, but I don’t think that we are in the Middle Ages when people needed to kill whales to survive. That is why I would like to ask humankind for something: stop these brutalities! as we keep on maintaining these stupid traditions we'll put an end to our world, especially to certain endangered species, and I reckon we should preserve our planet as healthy as we can for future generations.

An example of direct and reported speech

A WEIRD LAPTOP

Two weeks ago I decided to buy a new laptop, because my last one wasn’t working well and it was old-fashioned. Therefore, last Tuesday I went to the new computer store that is just at the corner of my street. There were good offers and I bought a light red Mac (a laptop from Apple). The first week everything was okay, but on the second week, when I switched it on, it made a lot of noise and then it switched of. So, I went back to the shop and talked with the shop assistant and this is what he told me.

“Hello, can I help you?” He asked me.

“Yes, I’ve got a problem with the Mac that I bought here two weeks ago” I said.

Then I explained my problem, he took my laptop for a couple of days and he called me by telephone again.

                “Listen, Sir, your Mac has a virus and we can’t do anything for it” He told me.

                “But, but… I can change it for another one, can’t I? I asked impatiently.

                “No, because it was an offer”, he answered.

We were talking for two hours and then, I decided to talk with his manager. He finally accepted to solve the problem and told me that they would bring me another one, because they have some spare ones in another city. However, he told me that he couldn’t give my money back, because they had just opened, and I finally had to accept, but I didn’t go to that shop again.

Anyway, next time I will always check that any item I want to purchase has a guarantee and that it is valid for at least two years. Bargains can cost you a fortune!!

Local heroes: James Bond and Robin Hood

Local heroes: James Bond and Robin Hood. Do we have this type of heroes in our everyday life?

There have been many characters in our history like Robin Hood or James Bond that have taught us the good values of life and that have also been local heroes, because they have fought against the rich people that stole money from the poor. Currently, James Bond is still one of these characters that promote this type of values. In fact, soon there will be a new James Bond’s film. However, do we still have this type of heroes in our minds? Have we got a little local hero in our everyday life?


Firstly, it’s a well-known fact that this type of heroes had a lot of influence in the past, because there was no TV and no Internet, so to do revolutions against the rich, they needed to believe that a hero like Robin Hood for example, was supporting them in another part of these wars. I don’t know if they really existed, but perhaps it was true that someone did similar things and after his death, he became a myth, even if we couldn’t testify it.

And what do we know about them? Well, Robin Hood was an English archer of the Middle Age who stole the money from the rich and gave it to the poor. It’s said that he was a very kind man and that lived in the wild forest of Nottingham fighting even against the king. Another character is James Bond, or 007, an English secret agent who is the best in his job, because he kills everybody who is ordered to kill. People think that he is the perfect English gentleman because of his look, but in reality he’s a bit womanizer.

All in all, I reckon that before there were more local heroes that people believed in than in our days, because now our politicians are more corrupt and we have fewer local heroes. At least, now we can decide “the king” that is going to steal our money.

Paris COP21 What is it? Are our gouvernements going to do something for the climate change?

Paris COP21 What is it? Are our gouvernements  going to do something for the climate change?

For two weeks, from 30th November to 11th December, representatives of 195 countries will meet in Paris for the COP21, and what is the COP21? The COP21 is the 21st Conference of the Parties, the annual meeting of all countries which want to take action for the climate. And the most important matter, what are the main goals? Their main goal is that they want to reduce their emissions of CO2 so that Earth doesn’t get warmer than 2ºC. 

One of the problems that they are having is that the attacks of Paris were so recent that they can't give lectures in public and they have to be at every moment with a lot of security. As a result of the attacks all the presidents are giving their condolences to the victims. Another big problem in relation with this conference is that emerging countries don’t want to take part in this meeting, because most of them still use too much non-renewable energy, and that can be determinant in the end, because they are the most polluting countries.

In addition, this conference is more important than others, because now rich countries like the USA or China, which haven't wanted to respect the limits of pollution in the past, have now realized that renewable energies are more economic in the long term, so they are now in favour to reduce their pollution in their countries. Moreover, they want to promote this to poor countries, setting their renewable factories there (and for not paying taxes).

From my point of view, it’s good that we have this type of conferences, but we need to take practical measures, because if we don’t do something fast, we will finish with our planet. In Spain, we have had two alerts because of pollution and in two cities (Madrid and Oviedo) people couldn’t use their cars for a couple of days. I don’t know you, but I want to breathe fresh air.