Turning points

To be honest, I've never made really important decisions. I don't know why, it may be because as I am part of the bilingual group we don't get too many options or because I am a very abstained person when the time requires a decision. I'm so abstained that, even now, in second of bachillerato I still don't know what I want to study when I get to university. However, this doesn't mean that I had never made a decision.

The first decision I made was not to attend to French but to Technology, however, as I was a bilingual student, I had to learn French too. That, honestly, was very disappointing.

Nevertheless, in second year, we had technology too, which was an improvement made thanks to ours parents that were complaining about us complaining of wanting to attend to Technology. It was a step forward.

If I remember well, during third year I didn't make any decisions, whether important nor insignificant. Not until summer. During summer third year students have to think about what to choose: arts or science. However, I had to make a bigger decision: I have to decide I was going to live in Ireland for a year. Truth be said, it wasn't a real decision, my mother said to me “You're going and there's nothing else to talk about”, so it was an awareness. Anyway, it meant a big change in my life, I hadn't done anything like this before, my last travel to a foreign country was in 2009 to Wales with the bilingual group for a week, and that didn't have too much to do against this. I had to choose the subjects I was going to be attending (they were Physics, applied Mathematics, Geography and Biology), and the clothes I was taking with me. Apart from that, I didn't do any other decision for the rest of the summer or even in Ireland. As I said before, I am a veru abstained person.

Last year I didn't make any other decision apart of choosing the science way, and Technology instead of Drawing or Biology(despite that, ironically, this last one was the one I go my highest mark in my year abroad). Any other decision were made during first of bachillerato.

This year, contrary to my habit of not doing decision, I have already done two. The first one is to pass Physics with a good grade. I'm sick of Magdalena saying “Andrés, I'll see you next” or “You better move to arts next years, the upcoming class is better than you in physics”. I'm not going to be trampled; I'll show Magdalena what I am capable of. The other decision is a promise that my mother had made me: if I get a distinction media, she would install a small climbing wall at the back patio with the money they're saving from the university matriculation. That's why I've decide that, after 5 years studying practically nothing (just the minimum to pass or getting a bit more), I've decide to be serious with my studies. Just to get a climbing wall.

Trips

Wales was the first place where the bilingual group was traveling together. It was July 2009 when this unforgettable experience started.

The main reason of the trip was our participation on the W.Y.S.C.(World Youth Skills Challenge), which was taking place in Llangollen. The W.Y.S.C. was an international project made by the school where it was being carried out (who were staying at the students' houses), involving hundreds of children from all over the globe, who had to participate in different categories.

I remember that the month before we had to choose the category we were participating in. There were like a dozen: Technology, Interpretation, Sports,... Mine were Mathematics, with Rocío, and Technology, among with William.

After that, we just had to wait. The partner we were designated had to contact us by email, so we could know better each other. I receive his a week before the exchange, his name was Nick. We actually spoke very little, he hardly ever was logged in.

A week later, we were boarding, heading to Wales. We arrived at the afternoon to Llangollen, after almost three hours of flight and another two hours traveling by bus. We went to the college, where our Welsh partners were waiting for us. It was now when my first problem came along.

My partner, as I said before, was called Nick, what I think it was boy name. However, he looked like a girl. Do not misunderstand me; what I mean is that he was blonde (as it is usual for English inhabitants), but hi has a really long hair for a boy, and his face didn't help to distinguish his gender (he had a “neutral”, it could be a boy's or a girl's one). That how he gained nickname of “the boy-girl” (el tío-tía, in Spanish). I was very shy of asking, I mean, it would be a very awkward question. Later that day, we met at the school again, and the question started. Some believed it was a boy, some others it was a girl, but me, his partner, the one who was supposed to know, didn't do. It wasn't until nighttime, when we went to sleep, when I finally knew it for sure. We slept in his room so when he had to put his pajama, he dressed off until he was in underwear, put hi pajama on, and went to sleep.

The next day was a funny day, most of the people couldn't believe he was a boy, and the ones who did believe, were laughing at me making gay jokes. It was also the presentation day, and after ir, we had the rest of the day for ourselves and our partners.

During the rest of the week, our competitions took place. The longer ones were the technology one, in which we had four days to make a lamp or an amplifier with a “modern” design; and the sports one, which was actually a league of various sports, so it took all the week. For the technology category I did a lamp (who gave tons of problems at the return) which I still conserve. With all the problems it caused and the time I spent making it, it wasn't worth it to throw it away. Another reason for keeping it is that I like it. Mathematics was one of the shortest competitions. We had about two hours I think to solve some problems. The curious thing about it was that Rocío and I were the team representing Spain. The other countries participating had minimum two teams participating.

The competitions only took place during the morning. At the afternoon we usually went on a tour trip. That's how my second problem started, just by doing trips. One of the trips was to a mountain back the school. I was with Javi, Antonio and Eligio, and we were completely lost. Not all the Spaniards had gone from the schools but all the foreign students. Well all except for William, who was talking with some girls. We started to search for them around the school but we couldn't find them. I don't remember how , but we knew after a while that they were at the top of the mountain, and that we were late, so we started running to the top. Nevertheless, when we were halfway to the top, we realized of one thing: William was still at the schools, “flirting” with some Welsh girls. So we phoned him, and we continued going up, until we arrived to the top, where and old small castle in ruins was, among with all the foreign students. William arrived about thirty minutes later, laughing of what had happened.

The week continued going until the sixth day, when the closing ceremony took place. Some of us won a trophy (it wasn't exactly a trophy, it was a diploma and a medal), some of them didn't get anything (like myself) as we didn't classified or won the final. That evening there was a goodbye party with a motorbike exhibition, a climbing tower and some concerts. Another memorable thing about that evening was Sendra showing of “his blonde”.

The seventh day was the goodbye day. Most of us were crying, they didn't want to say goodbye, but they had. Some of them kept in touch for a while, I don't know if they still do. I my case, I don't; as I say in the beginning, Nick didn't log in very frequently, so in the end I lost my only contact to the place where I had an amazing time.

Diary of a compulsive cheater (May the cheat be with you)

Long time ago, in a boring Philosophy class far, far away...

PHILOSOPHY CHEATER

Episode I: The whispering partner

Lola Villar, also known as the “Mindwrecker”, has just gave the Philosophy test to their first of Bachillerato B stundents. A multiple choice Philosophy exam that represents the 80% of the first term's final mark of 37 students. One of these students is our young cheater. However, he doesn't know he's a cheater yet. He is nervous as he knows that if he has a wrong answer, he will lose 0,5 points. 90 minutes later, he has given up after doing his best, and gives his exam to the Mindwrecker, hoping he'll pass.

A week later, he is given his mark. He's twice surprised. Not only he has failed, but he has got the lowest mark: -0,5 out of 10

Two weeks later, Christmas holidays starts, and during the sixteen days it lasts, he does nothing but study Philosophy.

And now, January the tenth, 2012, he is facing the Mindwrecker and her multiple choice test again, a retake exam that he has been sixteen days studying for. Nevertheless, the Mindwrecker is wining again. The bell has rung and he has only answered four questions, four questions that he's sure they are correct, but he needs one correct answer more to pass it. “It seems that it is over”, he thinkts when some people are standing up and giving the exam to her, but suddenly, his luck changes. He realises that the people are making a “visual barrier” between him and the Mindwrecker, and he sees the chance to ask his parter, who had passed the first exam and is trying to get a better mark by doing the retake one, the answer of one of the questions. “It's option A”, he answers whispering. “Thanks”, he's replied by our young cheater. Then, he gives his exam to the Mindwrecker and by having a quick look, she tells him his s knew mark: 5 out of 10. He has passed.

He has passed by cheating. He has cheated. He's a cheater. And he likes it.

Episode II: The magic chair

The Mindwrecker is testing our cheater and his partners again ta the end of the second term, but this time she hasn't used multiple choice exam to do it, because this time she was testing their logic.

Logic is an essential part of Maths, and as Maths is supposed to come from Philosophy, it's also an important part of it.

During the full second term, she has been teaching them logic formulas at the same time she wrecked their minds with long converting formulas exercises.

However, our cheater doesn't know why, but this time he does understand what the she's teaching them, so he's prepared for the exam, at least, more prepare than he was in the last term.

He knows all the logic formulas, but some of them are confusing and can be mixed up. He doesn't know how to remember them during the exam, his handwriting is too big to write them on and “informative” sheet, and it's spring so he can't write them on his arm as he has no long sleeves to hide them. The Mindwrecker will come back at any moment with the exam copies and he hasn't figured out where should he put them. He looks to the table, thinking that being in the first row it's too risky to write them on it, and the he looks down to his trousers, wondering why pen ink cannot be erased for them... when he finds the perfect place to put them: his chair. The curved part is big and long enough for him to write the confusing formulas even with his big handwriting, he won't attract the Mindwrecker's attention if he looks down and his legs and the table will conceal them all the time.

He then proceeds to write confusing formulas (and other not so confusing) on his chair, his “know-all” magic chair, and he had long finished before the Mindwrecker was back. He's given the exam, finishes it an hour later and gives it to the teacher.

A week later he knows that he had an 8 out of 10. Thanks God he had written the confusing formulas on his chair, there was a full question about them.

Episode III: The magic chair strikes back

Our young cheater is now confronting among his partners his final proof: the third term's final exam. The last philosophy exam of the year, at least if he pass it.

This time, the main topic was psychoanalysis, and to examine their students, the Mindwrecker told them that she would show them a video and they had to psychoanalyse their content.

The psychoanalyse it is not really very difficult, most of the signs have a sexual meaning. The problem is knowing what does that sign mean and what connection has with the other elements, and that's confusing, and again, our cheater didn't want to confuse them, so he needed an “informative” sheet again, and this time he knew what the sheet was going to be: the magic chair.

He knew which chair was his “know-all” chair, as the cleaners, despite they are meant to clean, they didn't have time enough to clean the chairs of the class in the last three months. That was what our cheater thought when looking for it.

He found it, and when the Mindwrecker arrived to the class and explain some basic rules about the exam, he had already finished actualizing his magic chair.

Now he is doing the exam, and psychoanalysing the video, a video showing the tale of Icarus, and his doing pretty good. He knows almost all the secret meanings of the signs, and the ones he can't remember, he consults chair to know what they could mean.

The bells rings, and he gives his exam to her, the Mindwrecker, who gave his mark to him a week later. He had 6,5 out of 10, and his final mark, the one which represented the media of al the year, as an 8 out of 10.

He had done. He has passed Philosophy. And with a very good mark.

-Socrates said “I know that I know nothing”, but I say “I know that I know cheating”,- he thought while exiting the class.

Classmates & friends

At first, there were twenty-eight bilingual students. However, now, six years later, there are nineteen of us, as a result of some of them leaving (Ana María, Julia, William, Marina, Carmen, Manolo, Fernández, Ana Jiménez, Sergio and Gabriel) and others coming (Lucía). I'd like to talk about the first four, which I could say that I appreciate most.

Ana and I are friends since primary school. We've always been good friend (at least, I've always consider her a good friend). We liked practically the same things, at least in the beginning, because as time passed by they changed a little. However, this didn't stopped our friendship. I remember once, as we did get on so well, our friend's group said that we were the perfect marriage and created us an imaginary son! Unfortunately, she has moved to Málaga, and we can't meet with her as usual as before.

When talking about Julia, I'd say that the only difference between her and Ana were the glasses and the imaginary marriage. I met her in first year. I think that she started to talk with Ana first, and after that, she joined us to our group. Juls (as I used to call her) and I could laugh at every single nonsense said by any of us, so we got on really well too. Nevertheless, since she changed school with Ana, I hardly ever met her nowadays, and that's a pity, to be honest. Curiously, since Ana moved, she lives now in her old house!

William, better know as Guille, was also a lad with I could laugh with every time. He's always been very nice, and we had a very similar music tastes. As happened with Julia, we laughed at every single nonsense. He was also the person which I usually put with when we had to do a project, he was intelligent, funny, and a friend, things that made him a very good partner. However, he left the bilingual group and this secondary school due to he was worried about his marks in Maths. We have to thank this fact to Fernanda.

Last but not least, we have Marina. Marina was possibly the last one I started a friendship with. Unluckily, I can't remember why. The most characteristic fact about her is that I call her “Burka”, and she calls me (not so often) “Zombie”. I started to call her like this because she make a book review of a book named “Un burka por amor”, and she started to call me like that because I showed her once a zombie I had drawn by myself. She and also Guille are the ones who I mostly see nowadays.

To be honest, I'd would have liked to talk about some others, but if I did it, it would take me more pages than stars in the night sky, because the classmates and friends that we have during the bilingual project deserve a book for each one. 

Teachers

We were asked to talk about one the teachers we have had during this past 6 years. In the beginning, I didn't know who I should talk about, but then I started to think about anecdotes of them, and Fernanda is possibly the teacher with the funniest anecdotes.

Firstly, I'd like to comment that, despite all what is said about her (her difficult exams, her incomprehensible hand writing, etc.), she was a good teacher. However I cannot say that the facts mentioned about aren't true – because they are.

When talking about the anecdotes she stars in, the most remarkable one is the day in which we arrived to the class, we came in and Fernanda wasn't there yet, and as she didn't came after ten minutes waiting, we thought she was absent. However, we were wrong. Fifteen minutes before the bell rang, she entered the class, and said “You had maths class now and you didn't tell, such imps of you”. She forgot about having class, and she even blamed us!

She is also the protagonist of many smaller anecdotes, such as repeating each day “Virosta, did you do the homework?” or “Laza, don't stretch in public – it's very rude”. And who can forget about “You have a media of 4.5, if you want I can pass you, if you don't, I fail you, however you want”.

To end, I'd like to say that for me Fernanda was a good teacher. She did some weird things (like shouting “ay ay ay ay ay” when she accidentally knocked over the board rubber), but that dind't meant she was a bad teacher. I have to admit that some of here exams were difficult, but she made them like that so we could apply what we had learnt so we could learn more.

Earliest memory

I don't remember too many things about my first days at secondary school. However, there's one I can remember better than others: our first English lesson.

Our English teacher was – and still is – Isabel Celis, or as we call her, Miss Celis. It didn't take too long until we got shocked with her. Why? Because she was talking in English. It may be normal for someone who has been studying English for years but, for us, twenty-five student who had just left primary school was astonishing. Almost any of us could understand her at all. However our “nightmare” was not finished yet. The worst part came when she showed us the red car, a red cardboard which was given to who spoke Spanish, and at the end of the class he or she was given extra homework. Funnily, there was just one red card, so if two people spoke Spanish, the second person who spoked received it and the first person was free of having extra activities.

To conclude this first chapter, I'd like to say that I possible never forget this day as long as I remember how nervous we were and how funny was to annoy that person who received the the red card.

Do you think "El Pep" should continue training Barça?

Pep Guardiola, an ex-football player ant current Barça coach, says that he wants to finish his career as a coach and retire completely. the question is, after four years on the top and achieving to be one of the best football coaches in the world, should he retire?
Most people consider him the best coach Barça has ever had, and if not the best, the second. SO these people think that he should stay a few years more, making both, him an the club, more successful.
On the other hand, some people think that he has done a lot for the team, has already won lots of titles and shouldn't take the risk.
What I think of this is that you actually can't say that a person is  a good coach just because the team he trains wins most of the matches they play, because you can be a very good coach but the payers could be the worst in the world, so your club would loose the matches.In my opinion, he shouldn't take the risk and leave.