What LIA really needs is...

Our school, LIA, has always been compared to other schools such as ANS and St. Augustine and well, we all know ANS is known as the best between these three schools. That is because LIA is missing so many things. First in its building; we don't have a pool, which I consider necessary because swimming classes are really important and it's something basic that every human being has to learn. Also the library is too small and does not catch the interest from students. The cafeteria is really bad too. Also they just started this "go green" campaign in which they turn off all the air conditioners that are accessible to students, but let the one in Mr. Roberts’s office run all day long.

Second, this school is lacking organization. The class periods are always mixed up, there are not enough electives, and some classes are simply ridiculous. For example P.E class has a length of 45:00 minutes, which I consider it’s too little time for us to change, have P.E, and then change again. The class ends being about just 20 minutes, and nobody wants to get all sweaty just for 20 minutes of exercise, besides there's not enough time to clean up when changing. Dance is also ridiculous, and the Christmas and mother's day shows are really bad. They also have problems with honors and regular class. These classes are extremes. Honors wasn't well though about when it was made, all the classes are clearly disorganized and teachers have wrong concepts with what honor is and just give us a bunch of work load.  They also mix up the classes we are to take each year. For example the science classes were all changed from physics to chemistry to biology, etc.

I think a major problem in LIA is the teachers. I think some of them don't have the capacity to teach here and are lacking of knowledge for their classes. Parents are always coming to school to complain with teachers. They are rookies when teaching. Not all of them, but most. Also there are some with no ethic that have student preferences and do unfair things. Some do not know how to grade, and there are some that take grading to the extreme. There is no balance; or they are great teachers or they are really bad, always taking things to extremes. Also, when it comes to AP and honor classes there are some teachers that should not be giving those classes! I think that for a teacher to be giving honors or AP, he or she has to be really experienced and really know about their subject, but they do not. Some regular teachers are much better than the AP ones. Again, this is lack of organization from the school.

What do we Nicaraguans do well?

Ok,so first of all I don't think a nationality will determine what someone does well or not, I think everyone is capable of doing whatever they want if they really go for it. But, Nicaraguans do have some specialities when doing some things. For example, cooking. Most women in Nicaragua are housewives that dedicate their lives to cooking for their family and cleaning the house, and also many women that work are domestic maids that also cook. Nicaragua has many typical food, which are the ones that most Nicaraguans cook; we don't get out of our costumes and traditions; our culture is seen in every single thing we do.Some of this typical food that we Nicaraguans love are: gallopinto, fritanga, vigoron, baho, etc.

Another thing in which Nicaraguans specialize is in arts and crafts. Nicaragua has many "pueblos" in which the main job is doing hand crafts such as souveniers, pots, bowls, and many house ornaments. They do very pretty things with ceramic and clay which then are sold  to many tourists. Nicaragua has many artists too, such as Jose Alejandro Vargas, that have many famous paintings. 

Besides cooking really good and doing beautiful hand crafts and paintings, Nicaraguans can also sing and dance very nice. We are very cultural and have many typical dances such as Folklore and Palo de Mayo. There are also many famous singers such as the Mejia-Godoy family, Otto de la Rocha, Hernaldo Zuniga etc.

NEWS!

As you may know Mexico has been dealing with many drug trafication problems and with a "drug war" as well...here are the latest news and updates from this:) 

According to CNN:

January 18, 2011

Mexico announces capture of one of the founders of Los Zetas

"Los Zetas" is a Mexican drug cartel and one of Mexico's major drug trafficking organizations. Last Monday in Oaxaza, Mexico, Flavio Mendez Santiago, "el amarillo", was captured. He is said to be one of the founders of the Zetas cartel. Mendez was once the bodyguard of a now imprisioned member of the "Gulf Cartel", from were the Zetas were created but then split. He was recruited in 1993 as the founder of "Los Zetas", and is believed to be in charge of controlling the flow of illegal immigrants from other parts of America. There is also an investigation taking place because of accuses he has for attempted murder, organized crime, and crimes against health. It's a relief that he was finally captured because this is a blow to the Zetas operations and because he was in the list of Mexico's 37 most wanted.

For original and complete article go to: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/01/18/mexico.violence/index.html?iref=allsearch

January 18, 2011

Book aims to 'make victims visible' in Mexico's drug war

This second article is about what writer Marcela Turati Munoz tells CNN en español.

Marcela is the author of a book in which many true stories from victims of the "drug war" in Mexico appear. She was able to get all this information through many interwiews around Mexico. In her book she encourages people to see how they are giving a voice to drug dealers instead of the victims, and to do something about this situation. 

"I thought I was Superman,I loved doing it, killing that first person. Then they tried to take my gun, but it was like taking candy from a kid." Rosalio Reta, from Marcela Turati's book.

 

For original and complete article go to: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/01/17/mexico.drug.war.victims/index.html?iref=allsearch

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Favorite Song!

When they ask me what my favorite song is all I can think of is my all time favorite "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay. But if you ask me why I actually don't know, I just love it! The problem is, the lyrics in this song are not from a life experience or something similar, they are just something that the composers came up with and that are free to interpret by the listener. I think that's actually the thing I like about this song, it is not like all the other songs inspired in a love affair, breakup, etc. This song is like writing one about ponies and whatever comes to your mind, it's like and abstract painting waiting to be interpreted:) 

So, here are the lyrics and I'm going to tell you what I think they mean, although I'm sure it has nothing to do with what the composer thought about when writing it. 

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sweep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing: 

“Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never, never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter will call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Ohh ohh ohhh, Ohh ohh ohhh,
Ohh ohh ohhh, Ohh ohh ohhh,
Ohh ohh ohhh,

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Ohh ohh ohhh,Ohh ohh ohhh,
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Ohh ohh ohhh, Ohh ohh ohhh,
Be my mirror my sword and shield
Ohh ohh ohhh, Ohh ohh ohhh,
My missionaries in a foreign field
Ohh ohh ohhh, Ohh ohh ohhh,
For some reason I can’t explain
Ohh ohh ohhh,Ohh ohh ohhh,
I know Saint Peter will call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Ok, so the first thing that comes into my mind when I read the lyrics is that it's something taking place long time ago maybe the end of the 1700's when the French Revolution took place and where kings and queens were the absolute rulers and everyone wanted to kill them:) I think of France too not just because of these lyrics but also because of the cover page of their album which also has the name of "Viva la Vida". The image that appears on the cover of the album also appears in my history book and it's something about the French Revolution. I also think of Christians and the religious wars taking place in those times.What a weird theme to write a song about ha? and weirder because we are in the 21st century...Well in conclusion I love this song just because it's DIFFERENT and I know the lyrics by memory; it's a song I never forget and listen to it once in a while although its really old. It has a really good rhythm too:) 

My Favorite Movie:)

My favorite movie at the moment is Charlie St.Cloud. This movie touched my heart ; I cried from the beginning until the end:( I never cry in movies but this one is just so realistic and intriguing. It's a combination of all genres; comedy, love, suspense..etc. Also, I love the actors that participate in this movie specially Zac Efron, although they all do an amazing job!

The cast of the movie includes: 

*Zac Efron: Main character, Charlie St. Cloud

*Charlie Tahan: Charlie's Brother, Sam St. Cloud

*Amanda Crew: Charlie's love, Tess Carroll 

It is about Charlie, a professional sailor, that has a scholarship to go into Stanford and a great future planned out until something really bad happens and ends with all his future.Charlie has a really good relationship with his little brother Sam whom he has a promise with to play baseball every evening when the cayons start firing.  One night, while his mom is out working and Sam is asleep, he decides to go to a party. Sam wakes up and stops Charlie when he is about to start the car and tells him to take him to a friends house while he is out partying. On their way to Sam's friend they have a car accident from which Sam couldn't survive. Sam's death ends with Charlie's entire life because he is forced to move to the cementery to wants to keep the promise he made to his brother. Every evening he went into the woods and played baseball with Sam while he worked in the cementery the rest of the day. He was known as crazy in town for seen talking to himself ( actually talking to his dead brother whom he could see) and for wasting the amazing opportunity he had to go into stanford. 

His daily routines are changed when he meets Tess in the cementery while she is visiting his father's tomb. They get involved in a romance that turns out to be not true because she is actually "almost dead" and thats why he could see her. When he discovers she is lost in the sea( she was a yachtswoman who went on a sail around the world) and almost dead, he is willing to do everything to save her, even if it involves breaking the promise with Sam.