DULCE ET DECORUM EST.
Torcidos, como viejos mendigos bajo sus hatos,
renqueando, tosiendo como brujas, maldecíamos a través del lodo,
hasta que donde alumbraban las luces de las bengalas nos dimos la vuelta
y hacia nuestra lejana posición empezamos a caminar afanosamente.
Los hombres marchaban dormidos. Muchos habían perdido sus botas
Pero abrumados avanzaban sobre zapatos de sangre. Todos cojos, todos ciegos;
Borrachos de fatiga, sordos incluso al silbido de las balas
Que los cansados cañones de calibre 5.9 disparaban detrás de nosotros.
“¡Gas, gas! ¡Rápido, muchachos!”; un éxtasis de desconcierto,
Poniéndonos los toscos cascos justo a tiempo;
Pero alguien aún estaba gritando y tropezando
Y ardía retorciéndose, como ahogándose en cal viva…
Borroso, a través de los empañados cristales de la máscara y de la tenue luz verde,
Como en un mar verde le vi ahogarse.
En todas mis pesadillas, ante mi impotente mirada,
Se desploma boqueando, agonizando, asfixiándose.
Si en algún sofocante sueño tú también puedes caminar
Tras la carreta en la que lo pusimos,
Y mirar sus blancos ojos moviéndose
En su desmayada cara, como un endemoniado.
Si pudieses escuchar a cada traqueteo
El gorgoteo de la sangre saliendo de sus destrozados pulmones,
Repugnante como el cáncer, nauseabundo como el vómito
De horrorosas, incurables llagas en lenguas inocentes,
Amigo mío, no volverías a decir con ese alto idealismo
A los ardientes jóvenes sedientos de gloria
La vieja mentira: “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori”.
viernes, 27 de enero de 2012
martes, 24 de enero de 2012
MONA LISA WAS STOLEN !
I chose this particular event because it impressed me how an innocent action of a person, the antique dealer, can do more than all the investigations carry out by the police throughout two years in order to discover where the Mona Lisa was.
- On August, 1911, Leonardo da Vinci´s Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. But the Mona Lisa wasn´t even noticed missing until the following day when a painter went to the Salon Carré, where the Mona Lisa had been on display for 5 years, to paint a painting, and realized that on the wall where the Mona Lisa used to hang, sat only 4 iron pegs.
- The painter contacted the section head of the guards who thought that the painting must be at the photographer´s. But it wasn´t. Immediately they called the police and about 60 investigators came to the Louvre. They closed the museum for 1 week.
- The most important discovery was to find the frame of the painting in a staircase, not damaged, and that the thief had some internal knowledge of the museum. But no more clues.
- Months and years went by with no news about the Mona Lisa and then the thief made contact. An antique dealer, Alfredo Geri, innocently placed an advertisement in several Italian newspapers stating that he was a buyer of art goods. Soon Geri received a letter stating that the writer was in possession of the stolen Mona Lisa. The letter was sent from a post office in Paris and was signed only as ¨Leonardo¨.
- Geri soon contacted with the director of the Uffizi museum in Firenze and they both decided that Geri would write a letter in return saying that he would need to see the painting before he could offer a price. Geri received soon an answer to arrange a meeting which was finally in Milano. When they met, Leonardo, an Italian man, stated that he wanted a half million lire for the painting and explained that he had stolen it in order to restore to Italy what Napoleon had stolen from it. Leonardo wanted the Mona Lisa to be hung at the Uffizi and never give back to France.
- Geri agreed on the price but said that the director of the Uffizi would need to see the painting before agreeing to hang it in the museum. They arranged to meet the following day. Geri contacted the police and the Uffizi. The following day when they saw the painting they recognized the Louvre seal on the back of the painting. It was the real Mona Lisa.
- Leonardo, a former worker of the Louvre hid inside the museum on Sunday knowing that on Monday the museum would be closed. Wearing the same white smock that other workers used to wear, he left the Louvre with the Mona Lisa.
- He was arrested and the Mona Lisa was returned to France after being displayed throughout Italy.
- On August, 1911, Leonardo da Vinci´s Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. But the Mona Lisa wasn´t even noticed missing until the following day when a painter went to the Salon Carré, where the Mona Lisa had been on display for 5 years, to paint a painting, and realized that on the wall where the Mona Lisa used to hang, sat only 4 iron pegs.
- The painter contacted the section head of the guards who thought that the painting must be at the photographer´s. But it wasn´t. Immediately they called the police and about 60 investigators came to the Louvre. They closed the museum for 1 week.
- The most important discovery was to find the frame of the painting in a staircase, not damaged, and that the thief had some internal knowledge of the museum. But no more clues.
- Months and years went by with no news about the Mona Lisa and then the thief made contact. An antique dealer, Alfredo Geri, innocently placed an advertisement in several Italian newspapers stating that he was a buyer of art goods. Soon Geri received a letter stating that the writer was in possession of the stolen Mona Lisa. The letter was sent from a post office in Paris and was signed only as ¨Leonardo¨.
- Geri soon contacted with the director of the Uffizi museum in Firenze and they both decided that Geri would write a letter in return saying that he would need to see the painting before he could offer a price. Geri received soon an answer to arrange a meeting which was finally in Milano. When they met, Leonardo, an Italian man, stated that he wanted a half million lire for the painting and explained that he had stolen it in order to restore to Italy what Napoleon had stolen from it. Leonardo wanted the Mona Lisa to be hung at the Uffizi and never give back to France.
- Geri agreed on the price but said that the director of the Uffizi would need to see the painting before agreeing to hang it in the museum. They arranged to meet the following day. Geri contacted the police and the Uffizi. The following day when they saw the painting they recognized the Louvre seal on the back of the painting. It was the real Mona Lisa.
- Leonardo, a former worker of the Louvre hid inside the museum on Sunday knowing that on Monday the museum would be closed. Wearing the same white smock that other workers used to wear, he left the Louvre with the Mona Lisa.
- He was arrested and the Mona Lisa was returned to France after being displayed throughout Italy.
jueves, 19 de enero de 2012
WHAT I TAKE FROM THE BOOK, OR FROM NELSON MANDELA...
The book is basically about Mandela´s character or personality, how he was before going to prison and how much he changed behind bars. I am talking about qualities or characteristics of his personality and how he used them to achieve his core principle of a non-racial democracy and a free society. For example being courageous in those circumstances is something admirable. But we can also experience courageous in our everyday routine, with our daily little problems, and feel proud of it as long as we are doing the right thing on every moment. And that is what I try every day.
Another lesson which impressed me from him is being measured, don´t act too fast, don´t hurry; think, analyze and then act. This quality comes from being an intelligent person or even more, being wise. A wise person acts like that, considering all the different options and points of view before acting or taking a decision. I take also this one because when you apply it to your small world as it is a family, and especially thinking of the children, I think it gives all the members a sense of responsibility and of freedom.
Probably the king of the qualities is ¨see the good in others¨. If politicians and others persons with big responsibilities in the countries had thought and acted seeing the good in others, can you imagine how many wars we could have avoided! Once more this characteristic comes from being a wise person. As Atticus Finch said in the book and film ¨To kill a mockingbird¨, to understand other person we should put ourselves in his/her own shoes.
To finish with my impressions, I will mix two more qualities in only one. I share with Mandela the fact that in many situations the answer is not always yes or not, but it is sometimes both or maybe something in between. This leads you to try to reconcile different opinions, different wishes, and it helps you not to be wrong under some circumstances. But one thing is for sure, when the answer is no, I don´t postpone it. Life is too short to waste our time with excuses.
Another lesson which impressed me from him is being measured, don´t act too fast, don´t hurry; think, analyze and then act. This quality comes from being an intelligent person or even more, being wise. A wise person acts like that, considering all the different options and points of view before acting or taking a decision. I take also this one because when you apply it to your small world as it is a family, and especially thinking of the children, I think it gives all the members a sense of responsibility and of freedom.
Probably the king of the qualities is ¨see the good in others¨. If politicians and others persons with big responsibilities in the countries had thought and acted seeing the good in others, can you imagine how many wars we could have avoided! Once more this characteristic comes from being a wise person. As Atticus Finch said in the book and film ¨To kill a mockingbird¨, to understand other person we should put ourselves in his/her own shoes.
To finish with my impressions, I will mix two more qualities in only one. I share with Mandela the fact that in many situations the answer is not always yes or not, but it is sometimes both or maybe something in between. This leads you to try to reconcile different opinions, different wishes, and it helps you not to be wrong under some circumstances. But one thing is for sure, when the answer is no, I don´t postpone it. Life is too short to waste our time with excuses.
miércoles, 4 de enero de 2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!
Happy New Year to everybody! Hope you are having a great Christmas time. I got a bad cold and I am still recovering from it but for the rest fine. I send you a picture of my daughters Lucia and Paola. I couldn´t get a picture of them in front of the Christmas tree, when one was in front, the other behind or the other way round !martes, 20 de diciembre de 2011
sábado, 17 de diciembre de 2011
A DISCONSOLATE POEM FOR OUR TEACHER
A proposal of making up a poem
Our English teacher has asked us to do
And here we are like a commitment solemn
Doing our best in something completely new.
What will be the next
In this fascinating adventurous course?
A speech, a writing, or maybe a text
At least it is in English, and not in the Old Norse.
Our English teacher has asked us to do
And here we are like a commitment solemn
Doing our best in something completely new.
What will be the next
In this fascinating adventurous course?
A speech, a writing, or maybe a text
At least it is in English, and not in the Old Norse.
ADVICES FOR TOURISTS BEFORE ARRIVING TO A CITY.
In fact everything has to do with getting the right information, so about INFORMATION, things like:
- Try to bring with you a guidebook in order to know in advance and afterwards in situ what you can see and visit in that city: places like main squares, interesting parks, museums and their timetables, main streets, important buildings, how to arrive from one place to another (public transportation), map of the city, etc.
- Your first visit should be to the tourist information to know if, apart from the typical visits, there is something new happening on that moment in the city. For example, if you are interested in theatre (plays, street theatre, puppet theatre, etc); in operas house; in a travelling exhibition being showed at that moment; conferences that you could be interested in; etc.
- Accommodation.- In order to choose the right hotel, search on internet a hotel which is close to the center or at least a good connection between city center and the hotel. Depending on how big the city is, you may go walking which is the best means of transportation! I am not very in favour of this touristic buses, which shows you the city in a couple of hours, but if you don´t have much time it can be a possibility. But the point sometimes is how can I choose a good hotel in the sense of being acceptable and not very expensive? Of course by internet there is a lot of information, some comments of users, but are they trustworthy? We thought it would be a good idea, a good business, to create a website with information about the quality of the hotels. A website independent from the hotel´s website so that every tourist can leave his/her comments on it. This information would be very useful in countries like Italy where tourism is older than here in Spain and for example a three stars hotel does not correspond with a three stars hotel in Spain. Here it is a good one but in Italy is almost sure that it is inferior. People get quiet disappointed about it.
- Language.- The best thing is to know the local language as Sir Richard Francis Burton used to learn in his travellings. When you don´t speak the language of the locals you lose information, knowledge, the local culture and also the feeling of being a part of the city. So try to make yourself understood by using a dictionary or these books made for tourists with useful expressions of the daily routine and even with the pronunciation. Don´t feel ashamed to make mistakes when you talk to people. They will help you for sure. On the other hand, a good proposal for the city council would be to place signs and pictures which tell you how far a location is and their directions.
- Transport.- Be informed about the different public transportation the city has such as trains, buses, underground, etc, and if there is an unique ticket to be used for all of them. You will save time and money!
- Try to bring with you a guidebook in order to know in advance and afterwards in situ what you can see and visit in that city: places like main squares, interesting parks, museums and their timetables, main streets, important buildings, how to arrive from one place to another (public transportation), map of the city, etc.
- Your first visit should be to the tourist information to know if, apart from the typical visits, there is something new happening on that moment in the city. For example, if you are interested in theatre (plays, street theatre, puppet theatre, etc); in operas house; in a travelling exhibition being showed at that moment; conferences that you could be interested in; etc.
- Accommodation.- In order to choose the right hotel, search on internet a hotel which is close to the center or at least a good connection between city center and the hotel. Depending on how big the city is, you may go walking which is the best means of transportation! I am not very in favour of this touristic buses, which shows you the city in a couple of hours, but if you don´t have much time it can be a possibility. But the point sometimes is how can I choose a good hotel in the sense of being acceptable and not very expensive? Of course by internet there is a lot of information, some comments of users, but are they trustworthy? We thought it would be a good idea, a good business, to create a website with information about the quality of the hotels. A website independent from the hotel´s website so that every tourist can leave his/her comments on it. This information would be very useful in countries like Italy where tourism is older than here in Spain and for example a three stars hotel does not correspond with a three stars hotel in Spain. Here it is a good one but in Italy is almost sure that it is inferior. People get quiet disappointed about it.
- Language.- The best thing is to know the local language as Sir Richard Francis Burton used to learn in his travellings. When you don´t speak the language of the locals you lose information, knowledge, the local culture and also the feeling of being a part of the city. So try to make yourself understood by using a dictionary or these books made for tourists with useful expressions of the daily routine and even with the pronunciation. Don´t feel ashamed to make mistakes when you talk to people. They will help you for sure. On the other hand, a good proposal for the city council would be to place signs and pictures which tell you how far a location is and their directions.
- Transport.- Be informed about the different public transportation the city has such as trains, buses, underground, etc, and if there is an unique ticket to be used for all of them. You will save time and money!
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