MONGOL RALLY

Mongol Rally is a trip without a preestablished route with the only objective to arrive in Ulaanbataar (Mongolia's capital). There, the drivers have to give 1200 euros, which are destinated at the orphanages of the country. They have to give their car too, and in Mongolia, they sell it to earn money for the next Mongol Rally. I'm talking about this because this summer my brother Dani and one of his friends, Pau, have done it. This year it has been the 8th edition, with approximately 450 teams from around the world. They left Sant Pere on 22th July and they arrived in Mongolia more or less on 25th August. All the participants met in Czech Republic: all them started the Rally there. 

Here's their route (all the participants had their own route):

Incredible, isn't it? 1/3 of the world!

They had to search some sponsors so they would can pay the most part of the trip: a lot of people helped them! The name of the team of my brother and his friend was MICRA NOIS. They had a Nissan Micra (for this reason the name) called Titus, who arrived to Mongolia without several problems. Another team traveled with them the most part of the adventure. They were EKITCAT, with the company of a Seat Inca called Keka. 

My brother Dani and Pau with their Nissan Micra :)

Ekitcat team: Marcos, Laia and Pitu with their Seat Inca. 

There's a lot of anecdote and stories about their trip, so I can't explain them all! If you want to know more about their trip you have some options. They appeared in the newspaper, in the radio and even in the TV (Canal Nord). You can listen to my brother and his friend there: http://www.mixcloud.com/HoraL/dani-salles-i-pau-torracabota-viatgen-amb-un-micra-fins-a-mongolia-per-participar-a-un-rally-solidar/

As I have said, they have a lot of anecdote to explain! They have lived a great trip, full of adventures and solidarity. I'm so glad for all the participants because they have done all this route to collabore with the orphanages of Mongolia. For example, my brother and Pau have done 15.000 km!! Incredible :)

Yeehaw! My brother Dani :) they found an yak's head and they thought that it would seem so pretty as a decoration in their car... and it's amazing, isn't it?

At last, in the Finish Line!

Camels! My brother explained us that they chased the camels with the car! It's so funny, he said that the camels were exhausted later... you can see it in the photo! Poor animals... chased by a Micra and two mad drivers! 

Without shoes but... with a Barça's shirt. Another anecdote is that they bought some Barça's shirts because in all these countries people loves football (overcoat Barça team). When they said to the people that they are from Catalonia, Spain, people only said: MESSI MESSI! with a big smile. Incredible... 

Well, if you want to see more photos and more anecdotes you can go to their blog. 

Click there: MICRANOIS TEAM

And I also give you another link: EKITCAT TEAM

In my opinion, they're amazing :) It's a big trip where you can find a lot of inconvenients and problems... with the car, if you get sick... but luckily, they didn't have a lot of problems! All was good, and now they have a big experience to tell to all the people. And I know I can write a lot of things of their adventure in the blog, but it will never end! Even now my brother has things to explain... (and all the things that they don't want to explain to anyone... haha). So I only show to you a little bit of their big and beautiful adventure :)

MY DREAMS

Hi Sonia, I'm Natalia :)

I'm going to talk about my dreams; I have a lot! 

I have always been a dreamer... When I was younger my most important dream was to be a Pokemon trainer, live in Neverland and never grow up, or to receive Hogwarts letter that lets you study there.. And how about to go with Frodo Baggins in his adventure, or to be with Edward Scissorhands in his mansion? And I have to say that these dreams still living inside me. So as you can see I have a lot of impossible dreams. It would be better that I talk with you of more "real" dreams, isn't it?

Now my biggest dream is to be able to study what I want. And of course, can work in a future of that. I'm very fond of cinema, and I hope I can enter to the College in Barcelona to study Audiovisual Communications. My other dream is to travel a lot. I want to know better the world! Greece, USA, England (specially Liverpool!),... and of course, New Zealand, my paradise. I want to live in New Zealand for a period. It would be incredible...

Apart from that, my other dream is to meet with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp (why not?) It's more probable than the others!

Seriously, now my biggest dream as I have said is to enter in the College. Afterwards all the other will come (maybe). I hope in my future I can travel a lot (and I'll meet with Tim and Johnny *joke*). Finally, one of my other dreams is to help the Earth. The animals, the ecosystem... all what I can. It's so sad what the humans are doing with our Mother, the Earth... Can you imagine me working in the Greenpeace? I like it! 

In summary, I don't know why, maybe because I'm aquarius and I'm air, so my mind is always far from here... but I know that I have been always dreaming impossible things and that I'll do it forever! My other broken dream is to be in a Beatles concert... I know that's impossible (maybe when I die) but I'll dream it forever! Can I be more stupid? (yes, I can :D) 

And that's all. During my seventeen years of life I have had a lot of dreams, but if I talk about all them it will be long! And I suppose that in this moment I have forgot some of them... but well, I have told you about the most important ones for me. 

I hope you don't think that I'm mad! I'm just a dreamer...

See you soon,

Natàlia

I'M BACK

Bye bye Summer... I'll miss you a lot! And hello Batxillerat... 

Well, I'm here again. I hope that year would be great... I have to get good marks! I want to study Audiovisual Communication in Barcelona, and for this career they ask you high marks. 

This summer I have been working at the Estate Agency of my parents. It has been interesting because I have talked a lot of French and English. Even I have talk a few of Russian! And meanwhile I have been doing my Work Research about Tim Burton. I talk about him, his style and techique, his movies... I have to analyze some of his movies: Vincent (his first short), Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands (my favorite :D), Batman Returns, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Big Fish, Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland. I have also to create a short using the stop-motion. It's the most difficult part of my Work Research... 

I hope I'll get good marks of English too :D I'll do my best for all the subjects.

And that's my first post. Yes, I know it's short but it's only an introduction. See you soon!

PS: TGIF! :)

FINAL REFLECTION

In my opinion, my level of english between first posts and latest, they haven't changed a lot.But maybe the latest are best explained than the others; recently I have used some new words or for example the conditional, that I didn't understand it very well before. 

The activity which shows best my level of english, for me, is all the writings that are in this blog. Because I think my oral level is a bit bad...there are some times my pronunciation is so bad, I use a lot my catalan pronunciaton... it's difficult for me...Well, but I have to say I have improved!

For me the most useful activities have been to watch movies, because I can listen pronunciation better. And do this blog because I have written a lot and for this reason I've learnt to express better. 

The worst activity has been the Workbook, because when I was doing it, I was all the time thinking it was very useless.  It's very "mechanical", you don't have to think a lot... So in my opinion, you don't learn with it, the truth is you get bored easily.

As I have said, I have liked do the blog. It's good because you can talk about things you love, but in my opinion his repercussion in the mark is low. It would have to count more, because is a lot of work!! So next year I hope we continue doing it.

Happy Holidays!!

JACK SPARROW RETURNS TO THE SCREENS!

Adventures of Jack Sparrow return again in the cinema, with new characters and on STRANGER TIDES.  Jack wants to find the Fountain of Youth, but he's captured by Queen Anne's Revenge, a ship of the pirate Barbanegra. He will live an incredible adventure which he don't know who inspires him more scare: Barbanegra or the woman of his past. 

As the others movies about Pirates of the Caribbean, soundtrack and costume have impressed me a lot. The Soundtrack is terribly powerful, I love it. Only to hear it, you can carry yourself into the movie without any problems. 

Also, the plot between the siren and the boy who loves her it is extremely nice. Well, all the plot is acceptable. At first, I thought that the movie wouldn't be good.. but after see it, I think that it isn't so bad. 

Johnny Depp, as always, has done a wonderful interpretation. He lets you believe that all what happens in the movie is real. For me, this is one of the characteristics of a great actor. 

I have to say that I don't like Penelope Cruz. In my opinion, all the movies that she has record, are basically the same plot. But now, I have to bow before her, because she has interpretated a different character, but I didn't like how she acts. For me, she overacts too much... but maybe there is only in my mind. 

Apart from that, if I have to talk about something that disappointed me... I don't know. Maybe the plot is slow in some parts, but it is compensated for the funny moments. And there are a lot! Jack Sparrow always have a smile for us. 

In summarize, it is a movie that all the people that love Pirates of the Caribbean have to see (or who love pirates stories!). In my opinion, it is better than 3th movie, for example. Maybe that happens because when I went to the cinema, I had the idea in my mind that the movie would be horrible... and it was everything better than expected. 

Sorry but.. I have to say something... HE'S EXTREMELY HANDSOME! ♥

Goodbye 1st Batx!

Well, we are now close to summer. In my opinion, this year in Batxillerat has been very hard for me... I don't know how I can be alive. It has been very stressed, but I have met with new people too. I can't complain about marks, but I hope I can do better next year... 

The most difficult school subjects this year for me have been: Maths (as always), and Economy. But for my surprise, I have passed maths with good marks! I can't believe it, because since always I haven't passed maths.. well, at last!!
Economy has been new for me, and in my opinion you have to swot up on this subject... I haven't a good memory, and that's a big problem for me.  

A new subject that I have started this year and that I have liked has been Philosophy. I love it, it's incredible.. (except logical classes, because I don't understand nothing! it's very difficult to me... my logical is disgusting...) But when you talk about reality, about dreams, when you start to ask for all the tings... it's incredible for me. I love think about things, and philosophy classes let you do it.  

This summer I have to do Research Work... oh my god. Luckily, I do a theme that I love: about Tim Burton. And I will have to record a short film. It will be very difficult for me, because it will be in stop-motion... uff, it will be very hard! 

I would like to travel this summer, but I can't...  aish.

Sooo... That's my last your-say this year.  See you soon! :)

ORPHANED BEAR CUB IN SLOVENIA TUG OF LOVE

"An orphaned male bear cub which has charmed Slovenia with its antics since being adopted by a family faces removal to a wildlife shelter.

Family members have bonded with the cub, which is known to hug the family dog and play on the furniture. But officials fear the fourth-month-old cub could grow dangerous. 

The family have asked for permission to build a fenced enclosure, to be more close to him.

The cub's story has captivated sections of the press in Slovenia, a mountainous Balkan state with a brown bear population."

I have been searching news, and all they were talking about misfortunes... and I found it! It's a nice and curious news. I want a bear too! It seems so sweet and funny... You can see it in this photo:

The family dog has been getting bear hugs!
But look at dog's face! I think he doesn't love him very much.. uhm...

Isn't it so sweet? I hope that the bear is happy in his new life!