MY EXCHANGE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

I recently participated in a high school organized exchange student program, in which both the host and the participant would participate in the exchange student experience. I was the host for the first term and then I traveled to Valencia, Spain to be the exchange student for the second term. Throughout my exchange student experience I was able to learn many things about Spain, i.e. culture, lifestyle and history, the schooling system, and also about myself. I personally believe it broadened my perspective of life and it challenged me to become more independent and self-reliant.

During my stay I was able to visit some areas in Spain to learn more about the culture and lifestyle. I found that the residents in Spain are very relaxed. They like to take their time, sit down at a cafe, and enjoy life. Unlike the lifestyle in Canada, where there is always a line up in every McDonald’s drive-thru. I really enjoyed this relaxed vibe because it felt like I was in a 3-month spa, just taking my time day by day. Another big difference in culture is that Spain has a very loud and upbeat character. During Fallas (a Valencian celebration), fireworks and crackers were being thrown on the streets 24/7. The city was always busy, filled with screams, laughter, and noise. What surprised me was that I never saw the police concerned with the level of noise. This was so mind-blowing to me because all I could think about was that in Canada you can get a noise complaint ticket by the police for playing music on your speaker in your own backyard… even if the volume is low.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t explore the country every day for 3 months; I had to attend school. The school here in Spain is extremely different than my home town high school. I have never been to a school where they call their teachers by their first name. I have always called my teachers by Mrs., Mr., etc. to show their power of authority. Another difference is that this school in Spain is incredibly small. This Spanish school has about 300 students for almost 16 grades! My high school consists of about 1,200 students for only 4 grades, and it’s the smallest high school in my town. Lastly, probably the biggest difference is the rules. In this school you aren’t allowed to paint your nails, wear makeup, use your phone, chew gum, etc. I have never been to a school where they don’t encourage you to use your phone. In the beginning it was extremely difficult to not rely on my phone, and it still is. But now I am very grateful for the fact that my school allows us to use our technology during class.

While I was here, I spent a lot of time in the city because I lived in the city. I really enjoyed this fact because I could walk out of the apartment and be in the center of the city in a snap of a finger. I saw the main plazas, i.e. Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Plaza de la Virgen, etc. I went to Valencia’s main attractions too. i.e the beach, the science center, etc. Throughout my stay, I took many trips by myself and with my host family. I went to Barcelona twice, once by myself and another with my host family. I was able to see 2 FC Barcelona games! This was definitely a highlight of my trip because I am a huge Messi and Pique fan. I also went to the south of France, where I got to put my Canadian French to use. I really enjoyed these trips because I got to see more of Europe, and widen my view of the world even more.

Not only did I learn about the country, I also learned a lot about myself. I learned that I was very dependent on others; in the sense that I never had to take responsibility in adult things like paying for my expenses, cooking, etc. Now I think I have become more self-reliant and mature. I can cook, I know how to budget and spend my money wisely, etc. Furthermore, I think I have learned to find trust in myself. Before coming here, I hated being alone; so I was always surrounding myself with my friends and family. As a result of this, I never knew how to be happy alone, because I was never alone. Since I didn’t have my friends or my family to make me happy, I had to find other ways to cope, one of which was to become self-happy. I discovered many new things that I like and developed my tastes in music, fashion, and movies a lot more.

Overall, I am extremely grateful to have participated in the exchange student program. During my stay I have learned about Spain´s culture and lifestyle, the difference between Canada and Spain, the schooling system and cool things about myself. I personally would recommend this experience to others because I had a great time. Although I spent a wonderful time here, I am ready to go home and I can’t wait to see what the future brings.

Vicky S.

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Intercambio con Holanda

 

Durante la semana del 1 al 7 de abril recibimos la visita de 18 alumnos del colegio holandés KSG Apeldoorn, que se alojaron con familias de alumnos de Gençana. Los estudiantes holandeses realizaron varias visitas durante su estancia: Játiva, la ruta geológica de Buñol, la Albufera y el casco histórico de Valencia. El próximo lunes 6 de mayo serán nuestros alumnos quienes viajarán a Holanda para continuar con el intercambio.

The pursuit of happiness and success

Have you ever thought if you have a good lifestyle? Do you have everything you need to be happy? Nowadays, lots of people think that money brings happiness, and that if you are poor, you don’t have any reason to be happy but, is that totally true? I don’t think so.

Firstly, having a good education and a good job can be one of the most important keys. People who work hard and get good grades have more opportunities in life, like working in their dream job. This is quite important because people spend a lot of their time working and if you work in something you don’t like, happiness won’t appear so easily in your life.

In addition, optimism is another essential key. Although you don’t get the results you expect or you have problems in your life, always be positive, because you can learn from all the mistakes you make.

In conclusion, money and possessions don’t bring happiness, it’s more useful to look inside and have an open mind. As president Roosevelt said: “The pursuit of happiness is decent housing, a good job, education and healthcare”.

Meritxell B.

“It´s up to you to be successful in your life, it´s your own fault if you aren’t”. That was the claim that the American Dream is based upon. All of us want to be happy and successful in the future, and there are two ways to achieve that state of prosperity and happiness: hard work and the pursuit of freedom.

Given that working hard is one of the most important issues -or maybe the most important- to achieve success and happiness, if people act this way they will be successful in their life. According to the concept of the American Dream, it doesn´t matter where you are from, what kind of family you grew up in or how much money your parents have, the one thing you need to be happy in life is a lot of hard work.

Furthermore, following the value of freedom of the individual will help you to be happy in your life. I mean, if all of us respect and follow the freedom of speech or the freedom to live our life without discrimination towards anybody, in the future the society will achieve success and prosperity, so this idea will help to the existence of one of the most important values, equality among the citizens.

Taking into account our current situation of unhappiness in life, working hard and following the value of freedom are the best moves that society should make. If you work hard and you follow this value you will be what you want to be. It all depends on you.

Paula V.

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest times, only if one remembers to turn on the light”. This is one of the many quotes stated by Albus Dumbledore in “Harry Potter”, which says that no matter how poor you are or how bad you feel, happiness can always be found. Many people may think that this means earning lots of money, but does it? I’m sure that I am not the only one who thinks that this is not the case.

Happiness isn’t just found in money, or working in a big business, because that can become boring and lonely, but it is found instead in having quality time with family and friends, and creating happy memories.

Some people may say that in order to be successful you have to have a good start in life, however this is not all true. For example, famous actor Robert Downey Junior started off in a poor family and was sent to jail for drug dealing, but his life took a turn and he became the world famous actor he is now. Finally, it doesn’t matter how clever you are, but how you treat other people socially, because that can take you further in life.

In general, even if you are poor, or if you are not as clever as others, you may have a successful life if you are sociable, and might find happiness if you have family and friends to make happy memories with. What do you think, can money buy happiness?

Mira N.

The legal age should be raised

Drinking age world map

Perhaps raising the legal age could be beneficial. Currently, the legal age for drinking, driving and voting in Spain is 18 years old, which should be raised to create a more responsible society.

At the age of 18, teenagers have not yet matured into adults. Many still attend school, and live in a home with their parents. These teenagers are not independent enough to take on the responsibility of maintaining a vehicle, which they cannot afford to buy or sustain, since they don’t earn an income. Owning a vehicle and keeping up with the newest models could become a trend, which many families may not afford to be involved in.

Many teenagers may get carried away by the privilege of being allowed to drink at such a young age. They may become rebellious, and if put in a difficult situation, under the influence of alcohol, they may not handle the situation correctly.

At the age of 21, these adults begin to mature, become independent in the own homes, and begin to get jobs. Although some people believe that responsibility should be taught at an earlier age, maturity goes with it, and cannot be implied unless they are mature enough. At 21 years old, adults begin to become more aware of their surroundings, and their political situation in their country. Because of this, they will be able to make a confident, informed decision when voting.

In my opinion, the legal age should be raised to 21 years of age, since they will be more mature and responsible, and can face situations confidently and independently. We should aim for an improved society and an improved future.

Melissa F.

I Premi en Narrativa curta de 12 a 15 anys, XXXI Certamen Literari Juvenil Cristòfor Aguado i Medina.

CANVIAR EL PASSAT PER VEURE EL FUTUR

Jo sempre he sigut molt curiós. Sempre m’ha interessat la vida humana, el destí de les persones, i el futur. Però, la curiositat va fer escapar el gat.

Era un dia de primavera quan la meua mare em va donar una caixa que canvià la meua vida.

-Feliç aniversari, Marc! -Va exclamar la mare, mentre jo entreobria els ulls- Vinga, desperta i obri els regals!

Finalment, encara un poc adormit, vaig alçar-me del llit, mentre la meua mare m’estrenyia una caixa. Era petita, però molt decorada amb grans llaços. En ella havia escrit: “Canviar el passat per veure el futur.”

 -L’he trobada a la porta de casa, aquest matí. Pareix guardar un gran secret! -digué la mare.

Atemorit, vaig destapar-la i em van saltar les llàgrimes quan vaig veure el seu contingut. En ella havien dotze ciris i  una fotografia del meu avi.

-Moltes gràcies, mare. -vaig dir entre llàgrimes- Tant de bo estigués l’avi per veure-ho! Sembla que ell tampoc ens ha oblidat.

-Ell mai ens oblidarà! Quina mala sort va tindre, de patir aquella malaltia! -plorava la mare. A cada paraula que deia, més llàgrimes li queien pel rostre. No ens era gens fàcil superar la seua mort.

La meua mare va eixir molt afectada de la habitació, jo vaig romandre al llit pensant què podia significar aquella caixa.

-Marc, és hora d’anar a escola! -cridava el meu pare tres pisos més avall.

Vaig deixar la caixa sota el llit i vaig baixar les escales ràpidament per anar a classe.

-Moltíssimes felicitats, Marc! -van cridar a l’uníson els meus companys.

Any rere any, el dia del meu aniversari, els meus amics em preparaven un pastís i se’l menjàvem abans d’entrar a classe. Estava tan bo que en dos minuts desapareixia. Però això no em va fer oblidar el meu regal. Vaig estar tot el dia pensant en la misteriosa caixa, però no aconseguia trobar-ne la solució. Era un enigma, havia aparegut en la meua casa sense cap tipus d’adreça o remitent.

A les cinc de la vesprada, vaig anar corrents a casa. Volia endevinar el misteri de la caixa, però va ser impossible. Cap explicació era bona.

-Ja estàs novament ací? -va preguntar la mare amb un aire misteriós- Has aconseguit descobrir el significat de la caixa?

-No, per molt que ho pense, no aconseguisc trobar el missatge. Supose que amb el pas del temps ho sabrem.

Després de sopar, vaig tornar a pujar a la meua cambra. Necessitava descobrir aquell embolic, però la son va ser més forta i vaig caure rendit al llit.

Ring, ring, ring… Sonava el despertador de la mare. Mai havia suportat eixe soroll, em foradava els oïts.

-Vinga, Marc, és hora d’alçar-se -cridava la mare

De sobte vaig notar uns marejos, sentia que tot el món es queia i els meus ulls es tancaven. L’única cosa que recorde és la veu de la meua mare cridant i a mon pare agafant el mòbil. Quan em vaig despertar, estava a una cambra tancada gitat damunt una llitera amb molts degotadors al cos. No recordava res, però en certa mesura el meu cervell m’ho impedia. Vaig intentar moure’m, però va ser inútil. Semblava que el meu cervell havia deixat de funcionar, i amb ell, tot el meu cos.

-Està obrint els ulls! –exclamà ma mare, emocionada. En canvi, mon pare no pareixia content, semblava que ja sabia el que em passava.

-Digues alguna cosa Marc! –Deia amb un somriure d’orella a orella.

Novament, vaig intentar dir alguna cosa, tal i com ma mare em va dir, però tot va ser inútil. De sobte, el somriure de ma mare se’n va anar de la seua cara. Pareixia que ella també sabia el que m’estava passant i no podia ser res bo.

-Per favor, us pregue que es retireu de la sala anem a fer-li un diagnòstic -va dir el metge.

Era un home alt i corpulent, i pel que puc recordar, maldestre.

Em feren unes proves amb escàners i màquines estranyes, d’eixes que utilitzen als hospitals. Després d’una estona, els meus pares entraren a la sala i el metge els va explicar la malaltia que patia.

-Sentim comunicar-los que el seu fill està en estat crític i no creguem que puga aguantar 24 hores més. Té immobilitzat tot el cos  i el cervell, exceptuant la mà dreta, la qual calculem que deixarà de funcionar en 12 hores. Açò indica que el seu fill pateix un ictus greu, de difícil recuperació.

-Què farem sense Marc? -plorava desconsolada la meua mare.

-Tranquil·la Joana, que ja trobarem una solució -deia el pare.

Jo sé que ell estava nerviós i que creia que jo moriria, però no volia posar més nerviosa a la meua mare.

Vaig passar tot el dia a la llitera, cada vegada amb menys percepció del que estava passant al meu voltant. La meua mare estava dolguda, fins i tot va haver d’eixir per prendre una beguda de la màquina expenedora. El meu pare, per la seua banda, estava preocupat buscant una solució a la meua malaltia, tot i que els metges li deien que no la trobaria.

Eren les onze de la nit i segons els metges només em quedaven seixanta minuts perquè la meua mà deixara de funcionar. A mesura que passava el temps, les esperances es feien més petites.

-No pot ser! Està movent la mà! Això deu significar alguna cosa! -va cridar esperançada la meua mare.

Seguidament, va eixir fora per cridar al meu pare i als metges. Quan van entrar, van notar que feia moviments bruscos i incontrolats. Semblava que volia comunicar alguna cosa. De sobte, comencí a dir paraules:

-Morse, mor…se, morse -deia jo.

El meu cos estava començant a perdre el control, i cada vegada els moviments eren més ràpids. El meu pare, que havia entés a la perfecció el que jo volia dir va agafar un full i va començar a escriure les lletres que corresponien a cada moviment, estava clar que el meu cos estava parlant en codi morse.

– “Tissmarc” -va llegir mon pare -què pot significar això?

-Potser siga el nom d’un país o d’una medicina -va dir la meua mare, que ja començava a perdre la paciència.

Ràpidament el meu pare va anar al calaix dels medicaments on els metges guardaven xarops i pastilles.

-No hi trobe res on pose Tissmarc! Ja he mirat en tots els calaixos i no hi ha res!-va dir nerviós

La meua mà començà a moure’s una altra volta, aquesta vegada més ràpid.

– «Calaix gran.»

-Allí està! El calaix gran! Busca-ho allí! -Va ordenar ma mare.

A les onze i mitja, mon pare va trobar el medicament, just mitja hora abans que tot s’acabara. Prompte vaig recuperar el sentit, i el metge, sorprès em va donar l’alta.

La meua vida ha canviat molt des d’eixe dia, i m’ha ensenyat que el destí està escrit i que no es pot canviar. Ara, pense en aquell dia i em pareix un milacre haver pogut sobreviure, però sobretot, que tot canvie en tan sols un segon.

Aquella caixa volia dir moltíssim, i amb tan sols una fotografia del meu avi, m’ho va dir tot.

Meritxell B., 2n de la ESO

CURIAL I GÜELFA

FITXA TÈCNICA

Títol: Curial i Güelfa

Autor: Anònim

Editorial: Bromera

Col·lecció: Els nostres autors

Número de pàgines: 208 pàgines

Il·lustrador: Carles Prunés

RESUM

Curial era un jove amb pocs recursos econòmics que, al morir el seu pare, va tindre que anar-se’n a la cort del senyor de Montferrat a treballar. Allí va conèixer a la filla del senyor, una jove de 15 anys anomenada Güelfa, que al poc temps es va enamorar d’ell. Per aquest motiu la noIa va manar a Melcior de Pando que li ensenyara a Curial tot allò necessari per a convertir-se en un bon cavaller (filosofia, lògica, vocabulari…) i així ho va fer.

Els dos joves s’estimaven d’amagat, fins que un dia uns vells els van descobrir i van avisar a la cort. Més tard, a causa d’això, Curial va ser expulsat d’aquesta, ja que no podien estimar-se per les diferents classes socials. En aquell moment, Curial va començar amb la seua gran aventura com a cavaller, començant a Àustria com a defensor d’una duquessa. Allí va conèixer a una altra jove anomenada Laquesis, qui li va demanar casar-se amb ell, però Curial va renunciar per ser fidel a Güelfa.

A més Curial va participar en un gran torneig a Melú, on va quedar guanyador junt al rei Pere. A partir d’aquest moment, Curial va decidir tornar cap a Güelfa, tenint que enfrontar-se a molts perills i lluites amb la finalitat de tornar amb la seua amada, Güelfa.

OPINIÓ PERSONAL

En la meua opinió, el llibre té un vocabulari prou complex, cosa que dificulta la comprensió del text.

Júlia C., alumna de 2n ESO

PENÍSCOLA

 

El 12 d’agost de 2017, com tots els anys, tornàrem a Peníscola. Allí vam seguir la mateixa rutina de sempre. Primer, se n’anàvem a la platja, amb Nerea, la nostra amiga basca, després, totes juntes, a la piscina. Seguidament dinàvem i fèiem deures, i per últim tornàvem amb Nerea a la piscina, baixàvem al passeig, jugàvem a paddle, sopàvem, i depenent de l’hora, tornàvem a la piscina, o no.

A més a més, anàrem varies vegades a la part vella de la ciutat.  El primer dia vingueren el meu oncle i la meua tia i anàrem al castell, menjarem gelat, ens banyarem a la piscina per la nit. Eixa nit hi hagué un incendi molt prop del nostre apartament, que va cremar tota la pineda. Per sort, l’apagaren després  d’un hora, aproximadament.
El segon dia anàrem a fer paddle-surf, i buscàrem petxines i peixos a les pedres del castell, prop de la vora. A més a més, vam agafar un polp viu que tenia una xiqueta darrere de nosaltres, encara que després el soltarem. Una altra de les nits, junt amb el meu pare i la meua germana anarem a sopar peixets al port.

Abans de tornar a València, dinàrem a la Casa Gran, Benavites, on viu la meua cosina Ànnia.

                                                                                                                     Aitana P., alumna 2n ESO