Happy Christmas!

Hi!

Do you like Christmas? If so, tell us why? and if you don't like it, please, tell us why too.

Do you know any Christmas songs? Here is one of the most famous songs with the lyrics. It could be funny if you learn it and try to sing it with your family.


The Christmas song I like most is this one:


Do you know it?
What do you like doing at Christmas? I like travelling to other countries on New Year's eve, however I can do it this year. So ,tell us what are you going to do?

Happy Christmas and Happy New Year, too!!

See you in January!

Hi everyone!!!

I`m Paloma, i`m going to try to writte in this blog, i think it´s a good chance to practicing, but there´s a long time since I don´t write English, so Im sorry for the mistakes...

I´ll talk about one of my passions, Mexico. I was living there for a year, and maybe it could be interesting to show something about its culture, good things and also bad things of this wonderfull, and colourfull country, some advices to travel there, and of course it would be nice if you have some questions or things to discuss.

If i had to describe Mexico with just one word, i´m sure it is Colour, everything is Colour there, people, food, landscapes, music...

Why don´t start with tipically topics?People don´t wear a big roun hat, and they aren´t so lazy as they seem. They don´t say "andele ándele" every time, and yes! they use belt, not a rope like cantinflas...And you know what? have you ever seen these round hats, which are sold in chinese shops or markets? These with those little white balls around? I had never see one of those there, they never were mexicans!!

Till next day!

Photo from Joel Bucio

I can't study french

This year I have to choose the second language. I had thinking a lot of time in it, and finally I decided to choose French.
My God¡¡¡ I didn't know what I was doing¡¡¡
I have to say that I had never studied french before, and obviously I didn't think that probably you had to have previous knowledges. So, you can see now I feel like a mouse in a mousetrap.

Therefore in this moment I think that english language it's the most easy language in the world¡¡¡¡
I can't pronounce a word in french without my english pronunciation, I can't understand the articles, the plurals, ... I can't to stop to think in english.

And probably I can see my summer in a french academy trying to get some idea of this brother language and then can pass the exam...in September.

Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable tourism is a form of tourism that follows the principles of sustainability.

Sustainable tourism in its purest sense, is an industry committed to making a low impact on the natural environment and local culture, while helping to generate income and employment for locals.^[1]

Global economists forecast continuing international tourism growth, ranging between three and six percent annually, depending on the location. As one of the world's largest and fastest growing industries, this continuous growth will place great stress on remaining biologically diverse habitats and indigenous cultures, which are often used to support mass tourism. Tourists who promote sustainable tourism are sensitive to these dangers and seek to protect tourist destinations, and to protect tourism as an industry. Sustainable tourists can reduce the impact of tourism in many ways, including:

• informing themselves of the culture, politics, and economy of the communities visited
• anticipating and respecting local cultures' expectations and assumptions
• contributing to intercultural understanding and tolerance
• supporting the integrity of local cultures by favoring businesses which conserve cultural heritage and traditional values
• supporting local economies by purchasing local goods and participating with small, local businesses
• conserving resources by seeking out businesses that are environmentally conscious, and by using the least possible amount of non-renewable resources

What do you think about sustainable tourism? Do you agree with this article or do you think it's an exagge ratio n? Do you think "ecotourism" and "adventure travel" is the same? Do you any cases of greenwashing? Please tell us about it or write your own post about this theme.

Means of transport

Hello everybody!

These days we're dealing with "means of transport" in your book and I think we can talk a little about it.

What do you think it's the best way to travel? Is it the plane? If you think so, what do you think about the differences in prices among the different companies? For example, Low Cost companies like Ryanair offer very cheap flights, however you have to pay for your luggage. Moreover, there was a problem recently in one of the Ryanair flights to Rome and a lot of people had to wait several days in the airport.

Do you think this wouldn't happen to other kind of companies? Why?

And what about the other types of transport, like the train, the bus,the subway? What do you think about them? For example, the train has changed a lot recently and those slow trains we travelled in some years ago doesn't exist. Furthermore, I think in a few years we'll be able to travel to Madrid by train in two or three hours. When this happens, will you choose the train or the plane?

Maybe, you prefer travelling by bus or by car. If so, tell us why, please. Maybe you feel more comfortable in a bus or in your car. Or maybe you don't mind the speed and what you want is just to travel .

I hope you tell us your opinion, please.

See you soon!

All Saints' Day

In Spain, like in other countries, we tradicionally celebrate All Saints' Day or All Saints on November 1st. It's a very ancient Catholic or Christian tradition. In terms of Roman Catholic theology, the feast commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in heaven, while the next day, All Souls' Day, commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been purified and reached heaven.

In Spain, Portugal, Poland, Mexico, France, etc. people take some flowers to the graves of dead relatives and they also light candles and leave them there until they put out.

What do you think about this tradition? I suppose some time all of you have attended the graveyard with your family to visit the graves. Did you like to visit the graveyard? or do you think it's too sad? Tell us about it.

Do you celebrate Halloween?

Halloween, or Hallowe’en, is an international holiday celebrated on October 31. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o'-lanterns, reading scary stories and watching horror movies.

The origin of this feast is in the Irish Samhain, which was the a festival on the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, with aspects of a Festival of the Dead and it was also a celebration of the Celtic New Year. This feast was not only celebrated in Ireland, but also in a lot of places with Celtic origin like Galicia, Asturias, Bretaña, etc.

Nowadays, Halloween is celebrated in several countries of the Western world, most commonly in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom and occasionally in parts of Australia. In Sweden the All Saints' official holiday takes place on the first Saturday of November.

I know Halloween is a new event in Spain, but in Galicia and in countries with a Celtic origin people have been celebrating it for centuries. Why is it so popular? Maybe because it's funny and different from the typical All Saints' day. What about you? Do you like it? Have you ever disguised yourself as a witch, a ghost, a skeleton, or anything to go to a Halloween party? Or, do you prefer the typical All Saints' day in Spain? Tell us about your preferences and why.