PC/IT Use - Games statistics

Nowadays computers are an essential element in the everyday life of humans. The Comenius project as aforesaid is about leisure time activities. These statistics are therefore aligned with the PC and consoles concerning the free time response. We, that are Stefan and I, have suspected before carrying out the survey that the computer is a technological medium very often taken advantage of. The survey confirms this view. So and now the facts!

Our survey deals with modern information and communication technology. We have noticed that for many young people the computer is very important and is a part of everyday life.
Each of 39 asked students uses the PC at least in school or at home once a day. It isn´t only used for homework and studying, but also for chatting with friends, listening to music or for playing a game.












Almost every student spends about 2 hours a day with his little companion - this is already much time. However, this has also many advantages, especially for the later profession.
It is a positive point of the survey that there is much less interest in computer games. The trend fades, that one meets friends in the community at weekends and plays together games.


With the results we are convinced that one can´t remove the PC from our weekday any more. Many people wouldn’t like to do without it. The habits and needs of the people changed very much and will continue to change very much. In future we will be even more dependent on computers and internet. We are curious what awaits us. Perhaps star wars becomes reality soon.
by Dennis and Stefan (copyright picture: Dennis)

One week in Belgium - two German diaries

Torben:
Our great trip began on Tuesday. We took the train via Cologne to Brussels. We arrived in the afternoon so we had the afternoon for checking in in the hotel and going into a restaurant with the teachers.
Brussels is an amazing city with an high rate of chocolate shops and places where you can buy french fries. Our second day in Brussels was also interesting because we saw some sights of the Belgian capital like the Atomium.Later we went via Liège to Aywaille to meet our host students. This was the decisive moment, my first contact to the Belgian students.
First the circumstances were confusing because Lisa's host student was ill and Sophie had already two students. So Sophie and her family had to share their house with three guest students. But everybody was nice, a good premise for getting along with each other. The communication was no problem because everybody was able to speak English only to start a conversation was a thing we had to come across. Sophie's family was very nice. She has a German step mother that made the interactions way easier. Her father is in his free time a clown for ill children in the hospital. Sophie's sisters were also very nice but I didn`t talk a lot to them because they spent most of the time during our visit at the home of their mother.
My time in Belgium was coined by great conversations with great people. I never made a bad experience with Belgian people and I was impressed by the politeness of them. Talking to Belgian people gives you the feeling of being an interesting person, I like that.
Torben

Hendrik:
Tuesday, the 20th of October our Comenius team took a train to Brussels and we arrived there in the evening. Our Comenius team had the following participants: The 4 students Olesja, Lisa,Torben and me and also the 4 teachers Mrs Holzinger, Mrs. Janoschek, Mrs. Spielhoff and Mr. Braun. Mr.Braun has the intention to move to Brussels soon and therefore he was able to show us the most important sights of this town. On Tuesday evening we took a walk to the Grand Place which used to be a place for market traders to sell their wares. Today there a lot of restaurants, pubs and the town hall, which is like the others a magnificent building on this square. Close to this place is also the Manneken Pis, which is also an attraction, but I still don’t understand why. Everywhere in this town are chocolate stores where we bought pralines, which is a speciality of Belgium. Later we went to a pub called “mort surbite”. There we drank the Belgium beer, which is also famous and we got to know that they produce in Belgium fruit beers.
On the next day we visited the Atomium which is a monument built for Expo 1958, visited some European institutions and on the same day we took a train to Aywaille where we met finally our host families. Florence , my hostsister and her dad picked me up there. Florence has got three brothers and one brother who still lives at home. His name is Benoit and he was very nice. Unfortunately her parents and Benoit were not able to speak English and so we had to communicate in French, which was kind of hard. I was only able to understand them when they spoke slowly. Florence was already in Bremen and she stayed at my house and so we already knew each other.
On Thursday we went to school with a bus and it took one hour to get to school, because my host family lives in Tilf which is about 7 km away from Liege. When we arrived at school in Aywaille, we studied the first two hours English with the other host students from Spain and France. Later we had a little ceremony at the town hall. The director of the school welcomed us there. After a mime show the boys played soccer at school and in the afternoon I went with Benoit through the town in Tilf. It’s a little town with a lot of nice stores. In the evening we met Clara in Liege and there we went to a Belgium pub, where they had over 2000 different types of beer. On Friday we met the other participants of the project at the movie theatre and we watched the movie Looking for Eric by Ken Loach. In the afternoon the Belgium teachers and students showed us a folk dance, which is in my point of view kind of funny, but still interesting. In the evening we had a barbecue with our host families and the teachers. The food was very good and despite that it was quite interesting to speak with the other students about their life.
The last day, the dad of Clara took us for a ride on a boat in Liege and later I went with my family to the fair of Liege.
All in all I can say that my family was communicative, open-minded and interested about my life in Germany. The exchange was a good experience.
Hendrik

One week in Belgium – a multicultural experience

The first day in Belgium we spent in Brussels. It was very impressive to walk through the old part of the town and its streets. It was quite hard for me to walk so much, because it was very exhausting after spending half of the day in the train. But I enjoyed the good atmosphere between teachers and students.
Late in the evening we got to the hostel and I was very happy to fall on my bed and to just sleep.
The next morning we had get to up early, because there was another day filled with activities and visits. (Sorry to the teachers, that we were a little bit too late)
It was interesting when we were in the ‘Atomium’ but it was more interesting being in the European Commission.
It was great to hear about the activities the men told us about. But at the end of our visit it was too much information, so that I couldn’t keep it all. Fortunately we had the possibility to take some magazines and papers, which gives us much information, too.

But the whole day I was looking forward to the moment I would meet my host student and her family. I am very happy, that I could spend my time with THIS family. They were all very lovely and we talked a lot, so that I felt, that I really belong to this family.
It was truly a multicultural experience, because first I had the feeling being in France because of the language, second it was the fact that I had the possibility to talk to the host father in German or English, third we had at one evening Chinese food for dinner.
It was a lot of fun, talking during the dinner with the whole family. The father often spoke to me in German and then went on talking with his daughters in German as well. And the same situation was when he talked to the girls in French and than started to talk to me in the same language.

I enjoyed all activities we did in school, like learning the folkloric dance or just joining in the tournament, which I won together with a French teacher (the funniest thing at all was to play with and against him). But the best was being in my host family and talking with Clara and her sister. I was surprised, that we got so close to each other. We (Clara’s family and me) did a walk through a part of the Ardennes and visited the castle of Hazer.
We talked about dreams and plans for the future, about boys, families and great
experiences we had in the past.
from the left: Sara Line, Clara, me and Zoe (my host sisters)








Time passed too fast, so I was very sad about the fact that I had to leave the family. I got a present from the little sister of Clara and I was tearful because she showed with this attention that she liked me a lot.
I also got close to Clara’s friends and it was a lot of fun, spending the time with them in school and at the funfair. We laughed a lot and I was VERY HAPPY, that we had no problems with communicating.

To sum up, I would like to say, that I will never regret to join in the COMENIUS Project and I’m very happy that the choices of the families for us students were made so well. (Thanks to Mrs Holzinger and of course to the Belgium coordination!)
Olesja

Belgium in October

The exchange started on 20th October 2009, we took the train, that means 7hours till we arrived in Brussels.
Torben, Hendrik, Olesja, Mrs. Holzinger, Mrs. Janoschek, Mrs. Spiehlhoff and Mr. Braun went to a nice cafe in the Belgium capital. It´s called “ Mort Subite” ( in Englisch that means sudden death).
We saw there a lot of the nightlife of Brussels and the Belgian people e.g in the cafe. the way they talk, they often use their hands and speak really loud.
Wednesday 21st October 2009 we met our host families. But to be honest I was a bit confused on this day because a girl called Sophie told me that I´m staying at her house and not at Lara’s house .
When we arrived at Sophie’s house, Torben also stayed there, Sophie asked us if we are hungry: Of course we were hungry!
All the time during this project Sophie was really caring and asked us if we were hungry, thirsty or something else to make us feel comfortable.
My opinion is that Belgian people are really openminded and really friendly, they like to talk and are really interested in you as a person.
My host was first a bit shy, because she had to talk English but after two days we talked about almost everything.
Furthermore Belgium people are really polite. I made the experience that people like to know new things about different cultures.
Sophie’s dad has a big social engagement, on few evenings in the week he works as a volunteer in a hospital as clown. Usually he is a realtor.
Now I want to use the chance and say again thank you for the great time and the experience we shared.
Lisa Katrin

Minutes of the Comenius Conference in Belgium 21st to 25th October 2009

PARTICIPANTS

Aywaille (BE): Collette Franck, Sophie Defise
Chateau du Loir (F): Valier Baraile, Stéphane Duarte, Patricia Guitton
Ourense (ES): Elisa Álvarez Fernández, Almudena Alonso García, Carmen Babarro, Amparo Vázquez Vivas
Bremen (GER): Andrea Holzinger, Christian Braun , Christel Spielhoff, Irene Janoschek
Portugal: Eléuterio Santos

AGENDA

Ø meeting in Spain

Ø next activities

MEETING IN SPAIN
Elisa Alvarez pointed out that 19 March 2010 will this year be holiday in Spain. This usually means that most families spend the weekend with their family in the countryside. This might cause problems. The host families will be informed. Belgium can arrive on 17 March and can stay until 21 March. Germany and France are easy on arrival dates and will arrive on Tuesday. Elisa explained the advantages of the airports Madrid and Porto and said it would be possible to arrange a minibus from Porto and back when contacting her before.
The number of travelling students is fixed (4 students by partner), not so the number of teachers.

NEXT ACTIVITIES

Belgium
is going to research production of «tools» for leisure activities (like musical instruments or sports equipment), looking as well for older local productions.
France
will focus on the subject “dancing”. Within that they plan to research history of dances and regional aspects.
The positive aspects, such as basketball, horse riding, swimming, dancing, going out and shopping, will appear in a photo report.
They ask for a comparative with the other partners.
Spain
School has just started and further proceedings have to be worked out, but they plan to work on local festivities as magosto, carnival etc.
Germany
The participating German students are now in their courses for their final exam (Abitur). The project has to be organised as an extra-curricular activity which cause troubles as students have different timetables and already many afternoon lessons. Some students still work out a questionnaire on computer use, others a personal insight into their leisure time. Problem is furthermore that most students are not in the participating teachers’ classes any longer. So future results can not be safely promised.

Thinking of the presentation of a collective work or final product, for the meeting in Spain the partners arranged that the travelling students will prepare 2 to 3 regional activities (dance or games) that they will have to explain so that they can be practised by all, and presented to the others as different workshops.

Furthermore we decided on an exchange of handmade Christmas cards. Teachers and students are asked to send them to a partner.

Referring to the final report, Andrea Holzinger remarks that there is a common part that we should work out together. She points out as well that we should not forget to mention the item of “evaluation”, e.g. how was evaluated?, feedback from pupils, opinion polls, written communication of personal experience, etc.

by Andrea Holzinger and Elisa Álvarez

PS: Germany will ask students to send at least one to a partner and one to the German coordinator to check their work. The Christmas cards could as well be displayed in the meeting in Spain.

4th Meeting in Belgium COMENIUS 21st - 25th October 2009

PROGRAM 4th MEETING IN AYWAILLE COMENIUS – 21st to 25th October 2009

Profile Samuel

Hi!

My name is Samuel, I’m 15 years old and I live in a flat in Ourense with my mother, and I have neither brothers nor sisters.

I’m a nice and friendly person who really enjoys going out with his friends, watching good films, reading, and listening to music, I specially like bands like Arctic Monkeys, Bob Dylan, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, Franz Ferdinand…

In my free time I also go swimming and I do sport, I stay at home and I chat with my friends or surf the internet while I listen to music, or sometimes I just sit around at some café with my mates.

I really like travelling, and I’ve really enjoyed visiting foreign countries, both with my parents, and on school trips; and I suppose that’s why I ended up joining the Comenius Project, so that I can get to know more people and their cultures. I think it will be very interesting and I’m looking forward to go.

Survey about teenagers’ leisure activities through several generations

Survey about teenagers’ leisure activities through several generations


A survey about leisure activities through several generations was carried out by the students of 3rd TTSed in 2008-2009. they asked a sample of 80 people[1] about what activities they did when they were teenagers, how long they lasted and how much they cost. They also wanted to know how satisfied they were with doing those activities.

The results show four major trends: increase of outdoors activities, diversification of sports and cultural activities, increase of the cost and time devoted to leisure.

These evolutions are naturally related to the changes in Belgian society. In 1936, workers got one week paid holiday, 2 weeks in 1955, 3 in 1963 and 4 in 1975 thanks to the union fight. The weekly worktime is limited to 40h. So, there’s time for work and time for pleasure.
Moreover TV appears in households in the sixties. It proposes new cultural models, often inspired by the United States (e.g. soaps) and broadcasts live sports events, which aroused vocations among the youth.

Thanks to the economic growth that prevails after WWII, men and women can work, buy goods and leisure activities and offer them to their children during the holidays or even during the schoolyear. Everyone has to blossom out, so reads the new credo of our society.

As the consumer society is constantly creating new needs, we can measure the gap between the grup activities of the elder generations and today’s individual activities.

Activities
Age: 20-35 y.
Modern dance, guitar, musical theory, singing, drama, Swimming, basketball, football, horseriding, tennis, gym, martial arts, Youth movement, going out, ride on a motorbike, …
Duration : 1 to 6h/week often 3-4h/week
Cost: €30 to €150 a month (but €600-€700 for horseriding in winter
Satisfaction level: -Rise of the general culture and sociability
-Problems: arguments with parents about driving over, violence on the fields, alcohol abuse

Age :35-55 y.
Parlour games, doll, cinema, ballet, piano, accordion, reading, TV, Basketball, football, bike, tennis, horseriding, judo, swimming, gym, Youth movement, party, chatting with friends, walk the dog
Duration: ± 10h playingEvery Sunday 2h/week for sports
Satisfaction level: - lack of sports training
Parlour games and riding a bike are the favourite activities.
Complaint about corporal punishment by ballet teacher

Age: 55-70 y
Cinema, reading, music, youth movement, visiting the family or friends, parlour games, playing at the farm with animals, Ball games, fishing, hunting, …
Duration: Every Sunday, 4-5h/week
Satisfaction level: Walking not so funny because parents there, No pocket money, Men were aggressive

Age: 70-85y
Porcelain dolls, playing with brothers and sisters, parlour games...
Bike, footing, gym, football, tennis, Brass band, trumpet, Party, youth movement, knitting, sewing, work at the farm, …
Duration: On Sunday
Cost: 50 cents for the cinema
Satisfaction level: No pocket money, Few free time because had to help the family, look after the youngsters, Only one doll (price), Proud to be helpful “We were happy this way”, Problem: cigarette

Age : < 85 y.
Reading the Holy Bible or prayers, Cinema, Visiting the family, Hoop or top.
Satisfaction level: Not much money – family was poor, Cinema with the family,…




[1] Distribution of the questioned generations:
- 21 people from 20 to 35y. (9 m. - 12 f.)
- 30 people from 35 to 55y. (15 m. - 15 f.)
- 12 people from 55 to 70y. (4 m. - 8 f.)
- 16 people from 70 to 85y. (8 m. - 8 f.)
- 1 person over 85y. (1 f.)

Journey to the past

We have many possibilities to spend our free time nowadays. I asked my parents, how it was when they were young.
Lots of you wrote about youth free time in our century. Let’s have a look how it was for my parents to live 35 years ago.

The country my parents lived in is to be found on the map under Russia. It is named ‘Kazakhstan’. The school times were quite different from the times we know in Germany.
The students had days where school began 8 am and finished at 2 pm. On other days they had to be in school from 2 pm to 5 or 6 pm.
After they came home, they did their homework and then they had free time.

When my parents were between 5-10 years old, they often played games on the street like hide and seek, different ball-games, catching each other or just playing with their pets on the street or in the garden.
When they got older they met their friends at weekends, after they had done the work at home. This was to feed the pets like chicken, dogs and cats, to help to weed the garden or just harvesting the vegetables and fruits in the summer.
Furthermore they went to the city or hiked through the mountains nearby their town. My parents also went to church on Sundays and other days in the week.

When they had holidays it was also different to the holidays we know. They had holidays -one week in the spring time, three month summer holidays, one week in autumn and two weeks in winter.
In the summer holidays they spent their time with doing a mini job to earn money or joined summer camps, organized by church or the town. Often they visited the grandparents and helped them in their gardens.
If my parents travelled they just visited relatives in Ukrainia. But most of their time they spent with their friends enjoying their holidays.

I’m very glad that I have more free time than my parents when they were young and that I don’t live in a time where I have to do so many jobs at home. I think that the best of our time is the possibility to travel so much, my parents didn’t have those opportunities, so I’m happy to live today.
by Olesja

Computer (Ab?)Use - A Survey

We created a survey about the computer use by students in our age. We had 8 questions to find out the habits from young people. We were surprised about the results of some questions and others were like we expected. These were the questions:

Computer use - questionnaire:

1.How long do you use the computer a day?
O 1 hour
O 2 hours
O 3 hours
O 4 hours
O more than 4 hours
2. What do you use the computer for?
O For school
O For messaging
O For games
O For listening to music
O For shopping
O For illegal sites
O To get information from all over the world
3. How much money do you spend for the computer in a month? (pc games, internet connection and equipment)
4. Which games do you play on the computer?
O Action games
O Strategy games
O Gambling
O Killer games
O Board games
O Fantasy games
O Brain games
5. Do you have any health problems like…
O Eyesight problems
O Sleep disturbance
O Headache
O Psychological problems
O Overweight
O School problems
6.Have you ever found your love on the internet?
O Yes
if yes, how often?
O No
7.Have you met your chatting partner in real life?
O Yes_______ times
O No
O By chance
8.Can you live without a computer?
O Yes
O No
O Difficult

23 pupils filled in our questionnaire. Most of them use the computer for 2 – 3 hours a day for messaging and for school. This wasn’t like we had expected. We thought that most would tick 4 hours and we didn’t think that all students use it mainly for school. Despite the good intention some of them have already health problems like headache and eyes problems. This result was as we estimated.
One question really surprised us. Nobody had found his/her love in the internet, but we don’t believe it.
Likewise the next question of our survey. Our thoughts were that many pupils met their chatting partner in real life. The results showed us that twice as many pupil never met their chatting partner, as the pupils who did.
Frightening was the fact that almost all students are addicted to or at least cannot live without the computer. Regrettably our speculation came true.
In most cases our hypotheses were right. Although it was interesting to analyse the survey.

by Jessica, Melanie, Hümeyra and Irma

Visit to Bremen : two Belgian diaries

Our travel to Bremen

I think we were all waiting for this travel, but I was also a bit doubting, at the same time. I was afraid the family would be very different from my family and I was afraid not to be able to communicate with them.
When we arrived, I felt very excited and only wanted to meet my pen-friend. I realized that it was good to have contacts with her before the travel, it made things easier. She spoke to me as if I was one of her friends and it made it easy for me.
Of course, I was very disappointed not to be allowed to sleep in her family, as her sister was sick, but, at the same time, it was a good occasion to meet Hendrik. We understood each other very well.
In the beginning, it was not very easy to be in an unknown country, in an unknown family.
I was afraid to speak English and felt alone. But, it was soon over and I adapted easily and, in the end, I was able to speak, even if it was with a lot of mistakes. I think thee activities were good (sports, free time, visits…) and it made the contact easier. Everything was well organized. I really enjoyed the trip, I could meet many new people and we all liked it very much.
I want to thank the teachers, the organizing committee and all the families very much for this nice experience.
Clara Pastor

I really enjoyed this trip. Everything was well organized to welcome us. The first day we did a boat trip. Our correspondent was very friendly with us and good contacts were made on the very first day.
We have activities such as football, volleyball and climbing. This trip allowed me to improve my English and discover another culture and other people. I spent great moments with other partners and I had the chance to meet the project launcher. I’m really happy to have participated in this project and I am very happy to have seen the Werder Bremen team even though I have unfortunately been unable to attend the mach. I keep wonderful memories of good times.
In short, the Comenius project was for me a good way to improve my English and to spend good moments with other people. I really enjoyed participating in this project; I have an excellent memory of those moments.
François Capitao Martins

Leisure activities: several aspects / Simón Vázquez

BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT

We are living in a world with many opportunities for young people, but we are living in a world with many risks and dangers too. Both factors are different in the past and are different now because of different ways of life, different societies, different technologies and in consequence different leisure activities. These facts mark an appreciable difference between us, young people of nowadays, and them, young people of our grandparents’ generations. For example, when they were young, going to school was so difficult, and people who study a lot were respected by another people and classmates, today this is totally in an opposite way, it seems as people who wants to learn make their classmates laugh. In the past having food to eat was a great lucky, Nowadays people throw food regardless of hunger in the world. These and many other differences are due to a consumer society, which is moving very fast, in which our life quality is growing but undiscovered troubles are growing too.

GOOD AND BAD LEISURES ACTIVITIES.

Free time are the hours, minutes or seconds which we are not working or studying and we can enjoy them in very different ways. Nowadays, teenagers have many different ways to spend their free time, but they often take the wrong ones.
A good way to “enjoy” free time, by many teenagers, with future suffering, is for example BOTELLON when every weekend’s nights millions of teenagers meet in public places to drink alcohol irritating the neighbours and acting like vandals. BOTELLON is very popular regardless the terrible consequences.
Another way how some teenagers spend their free time, fortunately only a few teens take this way, is the way of BULLING. These people enjoy hurting helpless people. For example these “people” choose a weak and alone boy, and they hit and attack him cowardly.
Fortunately all young people don’t take the wrong way. Many teens go out with their friends enjoying a sunny afternoon or they go to the cinema, or they play videogames in a cyber or they go to the library or they read comics. Although these last leisure activities are done by freaks, this is said by some people who sponsor the ignorance.

MY LEISURES ACTIVITIES AND MY FREE TIME.

In Ourense, we have the advantages from a small city but also it sustains in a great way our necessities like a big city. For example, there is no beach, but there are TERMAS CHAVASQUEIRA, near the river, which are very popular in Galicia and Spain. Also we have many and great cultural offerings at AUDITORIO MUNICIPAL, at CASA DA XUVENTUDE or at TEATRO PRINCIPAL. There is one possibility which you can make a show with another people if you join to one of popular drama groups like I did it.
I’m in different drama groups which I spend my free time but I go out with my friends too. One of these groups is EL OBRADOIRO DE TEATRO DE LOLY BUJÁN. I have learnt so much from Loly, She is a great actress, director and also she is a great woman. She gave me the power and courage to create my own film group two years ago. This group has given me great moments of happiness but also very sad moments.
The group is called ATCC [Asociación de Transmisión de Conocimientos Cinematográficos]. It’s composed by young people like me who loves the film world or only wants to spend their free time in a funny way.
We make short films, as SUEÑOS REALES, or another that are being filmed these days, as TI TRANSPLANTAS, which promotes organ donation among young people. Also, we film video clips for groups like SIN MOTIVO or NO SENSE. We are collaborating now with COMENIUS PROJECT, and soon we are travelling to Portugal to expose our works. Last winter we made LA CASA DEL TERROR: EL PSIQUIÁTRICO NÚMERO 8 at CASA DA XUVENTUDE and it was so successful. All tickets were sold out and people came from all Galicia.
We have our own web site [http://www.producciones-atcc.jimdo.com/] where we show all about us and our projects.
Also I spend my free time reading books, surfing on internet, writing my own histories, and learning English while I see TV series subtitled, with voices in original version.
At last I’d like to suggest everybody that they can spend their free time in a productive way because FREE doesn’t mean that we can do all what we want, so we should respect others. I’d like nowadays teenagers to take a look around and ask themselves...

... Should I do what is RIGHT or what is EASY?

Pictures taken by Simón Vázquez.

by SIMÓN VÁZQUEZ LÓPEZ, 1º BACH B

Rockeye 2009 - Photos & Press release of this event

Here are some pictures of our ROCKEYE 2009 - Rock Festival.

Here are as well some examples of the echo this event got in our town:
La Región, 23-05-2009

Bremen - Das Viertel

As already seen by some of you in Bremen. I would like to show you in a very personal approach the district I live in and like very much.
Enjoy!
by Ányos
(movie created by Ányos Szabo and Jan-Hendrik Hahn)

Interview / Antía Salve

Things have changed a lot since the past to the present, and the ways to have a good time and spend our free time too.
There are a lot of young people who spend their free time watching TV, playing videogames or just doing nothing, not realising that there are many more things to do.

INTERVIEW

I asked a 24 years old girl, María, to discover what her opinion about that change is and what her leisure activities were.

1. Did you have much free time when you were about my age?
No, I didn’t have much free time, because I had a lot of lessons in the morning, and in the afternoon, every day I went to an academy.
Also the time I was at home I spent it studying.

2. What were your hobbies?
Going out with my friends, going to the cinema, to pubs, parties. Besides, in summer holidays I went to the beach or to the pool and sometimes I practised aerobics in a gym.

3. Did other youngsters enjoy doing the same things?
Yes, because I shared the activities with may school friends or local neighbours.

4. What did your parents think about it?
My mother liked me having fun, but some days she told me off for not arriving on time and she didn’t agree with some of my friends.

5. What is your opinion about the way young people spend their free time nowadays?
I think that the youngsters don’t spend their time in a good way. Especially the kids, because their usual activities are to stay at home, watching TV or playing the videogames.

6. Haw do you think that this could change?
In my opinion, they should take activities in the open-air like sports: basketball, volleyball. In this way, teenagers would be at least with company and not like a lot of them, alone in their houses.

7. What are your leisure activities now?
Although I have to work, I have time for going swimming to a gym and going out with friends.

CONCLUSION
In my opinion, people some years ago spent their time having fun in a more healthy way.
Because nowadays the teenagers make activities individually at home, instead of carrying out other hobbies with different people and in different places.

by Antía Salve Bouzo, 1º BACH C

Abuse of Alcohol - Binge Drinking

During our course studies we worked out different presentations on the topic abuse of alcohol. E.g. we thought of places where the so-called binge-drinking (excessive drinking) takes place, researched statistics and damages caused by alcohol. This is what we we found out about the topic and presented during the meeting in Bremen:

Meeting points to drink in Bremen
First we tell you something about the “Discomeile”. The “Discomeile” is a street near the main station, where you can find many different discos and bars. Examples for discos are “Stubu” and “La Viva”, they promote themselves with free entrance up to 11 pm. At “1€ Bar” you can get every alcoholic drink for one euro.
Each disco has their own discopromotion´, for example “Tequila Party”,where you can drink the whole night tequila for one euro. Another one is “It’s your birthday”, it means, if you come with eight friends you all get free entrance and a bottle of vodka for free.
Furthermore in Bremen there are also special events where many people drink a lot of alcohol:
At the “Freimarkt” (big fairground happening once a year and lasting for 2 weeks) is a “Bayernzelt” where many people sit in and drink liters of beer.
The carnival parade is another one. There you go with different wagons through the city and also drink a lot of alcohol.
During the World- and European championship many people met at the “Domshof” in the city centre of Bremen to watch the match and enjoy the great atmosphere. There public viewing of important Werder Bremen matches (e.g. German cup final) takes place too.
A Northern German tradition is the “Kohlfahrt”. The adults go with a little wagon, play games and drink quickies, in the end they go eating.
Last but not least many youth celebrate house parties, these are meetings just to drink, where everybody brings some alcohol with them. Often they play drinking games, mostly with cards and cubes.
by Christopher & Jennifer

Statistics of Binge Drinking
Our topic was statistics of alcohol abuse. The first statistic of our presentation was “binge drinking among students of university of Stuttgart”. There is information about the students and their behaviour regarding alcohol cosumption given.
The interviewed students are undergraduate women and men, so we can say that men drink more often than women.
On the one hand most men say they drink excessively 1 or 2 times in a week. On the other hand many women say they never drink alcohol.
The second statistic was “beer cosumption in Germany” and the interviewees were over 14 years.
It shows that most people said that they never drink beer but it can also be seen that more than a quarter of the interviewees consumed beer either every day or several times a week.
Our last table was “patients at hospital with alcohol poisoning 2000-2006”. It shows that the number of patients at hospital has constantly been rising.
During our work with this topic, we also came across the consequential damages. They are for example that your liver and your brain gets severe damages. Your body suffers from underfeeding and is toxicated. At that stage when you don’t give your body alcohol you are subject to detox syndrome.
by André and Anna-Lena
statistics taken from:
www.destatis.de, www.uni-stuttgart.de

Finally you had the chance to see a movie made by Dennis and Stefan capturing the topic of alcohol abuse and an alternative to it. This is the result:
(Song 2 not by Blur, music used is under no license and was provided by Medienzentrum Nord Bremen)

Meeting in Bremen - host students' comments

photo taken by Janin

3RD Meeting in Bremen - Comenius - EXCELLENT!!!
Dennis
It was a very good week for me. You got to know new people and we did a lot together what has strengthened the communal spirit. After initial problems we finally talked more what has helped to get to know each other better. Anytime I would participate in such a project again.
Leif
It was really Fanny!
Stefan
So far a well organised project with interesting and likeable participants from a different culture.
Hendrik
Awesome!
Ányos
Last week was very exciting and it made a lot of fun.We need our corres back and miss them very much...
Janina and Charly
Last week was very funny and I got more confident in speaking English.
Janin
The week from 12 May to 17 May was very interesting. It was fun to get to know new people from different cultures.
Melanie
This week was interesting and educative. I liked it very much.
Jessica
A big attempt to have fun with four different cultures and to get to know each other better.
Olesja
The visit of the partners of the Comenius project was very interesting for us and them and they learned much about Bremen. They were all very nice and we did our best to make them feel comfortable.
André
The meeting in Bremen was a huge success that I won't forget in my lifetime because I got to know exciting cultures and people.
Anna-Lena
The week was very educative for me as I got to know different people and their different culture.
Jenny
I liked the week with the Comenius partners very much because I was able to get to know very many nice people from other countries and further more was able to improve my English a little.
Christopher
Spanish easygoingness met German hustle and bustle what led to some nerverecking situations but provided as well the opportunity to brush up or enrich English language skills!
Tobias
(missing ones will follow)

Minutes of the Conference in Bremen

PARTICIPANTS
Bremen (GER) : Andrea Holzinger, Christel Spielhoff, Christian Braun, Frauke Eitmann
Aywaille (BE): Collette Franck, Jacqueline Vanstalle, Sabine Rennotte
Château du Loir (F): Chrystelle Capdecomme, Stéphane Duarte, Flavie Menager
Ourense (ES): Elisa Álvarez Fernández, Raquel Pato Lorenzo, Carmen Babarro, Pablo López Díaz

AGENDA
- Final meeting in Spain
- Meeting in Belgium
- Travelling students
- Intermediate report
- Other

Final meeting in Spain
Andrea presents the fact that it would be very helpful to agree upon the dates of our last meeting in Spain in 2010, taking into consideration all the problems we have according to final exams, evaluations, holidays, etc. After several proposals, the final dates for Spain are the week from the 14th to the 19th March 2010, as further on it will be impossible to arrange a convenient common date.

Meeting in Belgium
The headmaster of the Belgian school sets a fixed date for our stay in Belgium that should be from 21st to the 24th October 2009. As the partners seem to agree, these dates are accepted, even if it implies to reduce our stay for one day.

Travelling students
As there are more French students in Bremen as expected at the beginning, Andrea Holzinger tells us that it would be a reward for the German host students to take them on future travels; so she asks for the possibility of finding hosts for almost two more students in Spain. Elisa Álvarez answers that she will look for a solution and thinks that there won’t be any problem.

Intermediate report
By June 2009 all partners have to submit an intermediate report and there are several items that should be almost similar.
The item related to “Problems” should include the following points:
- Finding dates for common meetings: holidays, evaluations, etc.
- How to work out topics, workshops, etc. regarding our project in lessons? No relation with the different curricula.
- Difficulties in finding hosts
- The whole project’s coordination is strongly influenced by the restrictions of some school headmasters
- Money coordination

Other
Colette Franck presents her problems with our blog as they have worked out different booklets talking about the negative and positive aspects of leisure time [she presents a copy of each of the 9 booklets for each partner]. She asks for a way of putting these results on the blog.
Elisa tells that by means of an internet tool called SCRIBD (www.scribd.com) it is possible to publish several digital formats on the blog.

by Elisa

Third meeting in Bremen - May, 12th to 17th 2009

PROGRAM 3rd MEETING IN BREMEN
COMENIUS – 12th to 17th May 2009

With thanks to:
Werder Bremen, Bremer Sport Club, Wassersport Verein Woltmershausen, Europaschule SZ Utbremen, Europa Punkt Bremen, Jakob Bieger, Susanne Otzen, Könecke Fleischwaren

Young people and their leisure time / Andrea Caldas

Young people, when we have free time, want to have fun, but how can we have fun? Are these the same as in the past or we have got different ways of amusement? These are some of the topics we are going to speak.

Our parents and grandparents also had fun when they were young, although we don’t believe it. This is true and we can know if asking them.

If we ask them about what they used to do in their leisure time we can discover things like, for example, that they didn’t play computer or video games and watch TV either. It’s obvious because these ways to have fun weren’t invented until the beginning of twentieth century and just a few people had access to them at their homes.

Other thing which can impress us is that the majority didn’t use to go to the cinema or visit museums and art galleries. Visiting these places was so expensive for many families. Most normal activities were walking, going to the park, riding bikes with friends, playing football, reading books, writing or painting for example.

The young people who lived in the country used to have fun doing activities in the nature like going on a picnic, going fishing in the river, walking and spending time with family helping them with the country works.

Nowadays young people also do activities like these but less than in the past because in the last years new ways of amusement have come up. The best examples of this fact are electronic games, which have revolutionized the world of game. Don’t worry if you are alone, you can play with a computer; Besides, today exits internet and with it we can play, shop, make or meet friends . . . all these things only by surfing the internet. Neither can we forget mobile phones. Today it is strange that a teenager hasn’t got one.

Currently go into the cinema or museums isn’t so expensive as in the past, now everyone can go to the cinema at least once every three weeks.

The world of music has changed too. With the new technologies (mp3 for example) and internet we can listen and create music wherever and whenever we want.

It’s also usual that in the place where we live there are sport centres or sport activities. Doing them we can make or meet friends and chat with them.

Besides all these new ways to have fun we can also do the activities which our parents or grandparents used to do.

In conclusion, nowadays there are more activities for free time than in the past.
All these leisure activities, past and present ones, have in common it main function: have fun; although their ways were so different. The majority of the activities that our parents or grandparents would do were in company, with friends (playing football, going to the park, spending time with family...).Nowadays it is very common to have fun alone. You can surf the internet, create and listen music, play in computer games or watch TV... you can do all of these with or without friends.

Other difference is the price of this new way of amusement, it can be expensive. Electronic games can be an example of this. The last “Play Station” cost about 600eur and then besides you need the video games to play. Each one cost about 70eur.This is a really unnecessary expense which not all families can allow.

In my opinion the best way to have fun is doing all activities which I love doing always with my friends or family, never alone, so I prefer the leisure activities in the past. These are, the majority, cheap and when I practise them I have a lot of fun with friends. I love walking in the town with my friends, shopping, playing sports with them, hiking, dancing, skating in the park or going to the cinemas once a month on Fridays.

Of course I like relaxing while I am listening to music and walking alone in the nature, in the country.

To sum up leisure activities have changed since the past until now. Each person must decide what the most enjoyable leisure activity is to him or her to practise it and have fun a lot because amusement is necessary and not everybody enjoy doing the same, we are different.

by Andrea Caldas León, 1º BACH-A

Leisure time abroad / Leila Lulad Buzaid

In my country Western Sahara a lot of people live in the countryside and others in city. I had never been there, because I am a refugee in Tinduf, but my grandmother told me about everything. So, I asked her about her free time and their leisure activities.
On the one hand, a game called Arah Dama, and on the other hand, Sig Kruro.
They told me that they are the funniest in the world.
In Tinduf where I live in summer time, we don’t have any places where you can meet your friends, but you can go to their houses; we also have games like football, pinaga, volleyball or we spend a lot time with our family.
Also we watch TV, dance and listen to music.
Nowadays there is technology and progress, but I agree with my grandmother, our popular leisure activities are the best, because you can play them wherever and whenever you want.

PINAGA
1. WE DO TWO GROUPS.
2. WE PAINT A CIRCLE AND BUILD A TOWER WITH STONES
3. ONE PERSON HAS TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CIRCLE WITH A BIG STONE IN HER HAND.
4. SHE HAS TO THROW IT AND HIT THE TOWER.
5. WHEN THE TOWER FALLS DOWN, THE PERSON WHO HAS THE STONE AND HER GROUP HAVE TO PICK UP THEM ALL.
6. WHEN THEY HAVE ALL THEM, THE SECOND GROUP CAN PLAY.

by Leila Lulad Buzaid, 1ºC BACH

Personal approach to bad and good habits / Laura Bouza

These days most teenagers are spoiled and have some unhealthy and bad habits. This may be because of social influence, I mean, everything that people talk about as it was seen on TV, heard from other people, read in newspapers and all the media. They can also get these bad habits from their friends and family; they see people around them doing it, so they should do the same, shouldn’t they?

In my opinion, this rule and thought isn’t a good example to follow. We’re all aware that each day more and more children want to buy the newest game console, computer or any electronic device. At the same time, sports and cultural activities are more and more abandoned. Most teenagers are reducing their hobbies only to surfing the internet and playing computer or video games. To me, it seems a pity, because they are losing the time they could spend with family or friends, or even going to different places such as the cinema, parks, sports centres… There are a lot of enjoyable activities that are being forgotten, for instance, writing or reading, which for me, is the most enriching and fun activity in every way.

Of course, all these novelties I have just named have a positive side too; or better said, almost all of them are good but, like everything, used in a logical way, without abusing of them. As the saying goes, “Everything in moderation”. If we only do these activities, which don’t include any physical exercise, relationships with other people or a learning experience, what will happen with the rest of our skills? What is going to keep them working correctly and try to improve them? My advice is that everyone should make an effort not only to centre their attention on one of them and try to mix and conserve both.

Maybe things should be different, but centuries are passing and society is changing constantly. However, although we can’t make society change totally, we are able to modify the situation a little if each one contributes a bit.

I’m sure no one would like a world where the most important things are machines and electronic advances and where people could be considered “robots” without any feelings, emotions or other ambitions in life. This is not the world a child, who has the most innocent imagination, would dream of. Everyone has to take part in this work if we want to see the dream of our childhood come true.

That is why each person has to start trying to change their own habits. Despite the fact that the older people are, the more difficult to adapt habits, it is never too late to take up doing new activities. For example, activities that you hadn’t time to do before or you simply didn’t think of, such as playing any sport or instrument, singing, going to the beach, reading, sleeping… Maybe they are more relaxing and you enjoy them much more than using machines.

If we start correcting the problem, then we will be able to tell other people what he best thing for them is and maybe someone will copy these good and healthy habits. By doing this, we will at least be helping in a small way, which is better than nothing.
In conclusion, we should always do our best to improve and change things we don’t do well: activities which teenagers do in their free time are one of them and we can prove we are able to modify them!

by Laura Bouza Romero, 1ºA Bachillerato

Julie, profile to Ourense 2010

Hello,

My name is JULIE. I’m 16 years old. I live with my parents and my brother in Belgium. I’ ve recently started to play the guitar, since September 2008 . I love going out with my friends. (Movies, at the home; …) I LOVE music, but from different styles: rock, hardrock and hardcore. If you don’t know them, I'd let you hear when we meet.
I join in the Comenius project because I would like to travel abroad, know your culture and your lifestyle and learn your language. I love having fun and discovering new things.
Julie DECHESNE

Kelly, profile to Ourense 2010

Hello,

My name is KELLY. I was born on 6 th of August 1994 and I’m 14 .
I’ m portugese. I really miss my country. I have brown hair and brown eyes.
I have a brother. His name is Dylan. I have a wonderful family. I love dancing.
I have a dog. I’m really happy to join in this project.
Kelly MARTINS

Jérôme, profile to Ourense 2010

Hello, my name is Jérôme, I am Belgian and I am fifteen years old. I have two big passions: like diving and what I prefer is theatre! Later, I would like to be an actor…
I go to the institute saint-Raphaël. I live in the country in a small village near Esneux, in Fontin.
I have many animals: hens, rabbits and ducks. I had a guinea pig which was Punky
(because of his small wisp).
We also have a kitchen garden which I very much like to look at in spring!
I‘ve traveled a lot with my brother, my sister and my parents. We’ve been to Italy, to Portugal, many times to France and sometimes to the North Sea in Belgium. I also left Europe and our continent to cross the Atlantic Ocean to Canada! It was very nice, landscapes were magnificent and the inhabitants of Quebec were very nice.
Here is my portrait.
Jérôme WATHIEU

Ella, profile to Ourense 2010

Hello,
My name is ELLA. I’m 16 years old and I live in SPA with my mother, and I live in ESNEUX with my father. At my mother’s, I have one sister and one brother, we live in a house in the forest. I have a horse which stays in a riding school 200 meters next to my house. My mother plans to open a shelter for 24 persons. Every Monday and Wednesday run in the athletics club and I sometimes make competitions. My sister is ten years younger than I. My mother works at home she has got workshop, she makes sofa’s for a shop in SPA. My father is an artist, he makes tables, lamps, chairs, … My two houses are in the country, I don’t like big towns I prefer living in a small town with not too many people. I love nature!!! When I am older, I would like to work in the field.
Ella PORTIER

Teenagers’ leisures (Belgians' survey)

Teenagers’ leisures (Belgians' survey)

Children usually choose their leisure activities according to their parents’ schedule and to the cultural values they inherited from their family. But what about teenagers?

A survey carried out among 300 teenage (from 14 to 18) students of our school enables us to set up the following table. The students were asked to choose from a list ten activities they regularly practice and to classify them in order of preference.

Teenagers 14-15 ans
1. meeting friends 2. going to parties 3. going online 4.watching TV 5. listening to music 6. doing sport 7. going shopping 8. going to the cinema 9. playing computer games 10. going for a drink.

Teenagers 16-17 ans
1. going for a drink 2. playing sport 3. meeting friends 4. playing computer 5. going online 6. watching TV 7. listening to music 8. going shopping 9. going to the cinema 10. reading magazines

Teenagers 17-18 ans
1. going for a drink 2. going to parties 3. playing sport 4. meeting friends 5. going to the cinema 6. listening to music 7. going online 8. watching TV 9. playing computer games 10. playing instruments

It’s obvious that their need to socialise and to have fun grows according to their age. Teenagers not only go to pubs or clubs, but also to sports halls (basketball, volleyball, dance…) and sports fields (football.).

Conversely, as they acquire autonomy, they tend to turn away from passive activities. Watching TV, for example, which comes 4th among the 14-15 year-old, gets the 6th place among the 16-17 year-old and only the 8th place among the 17-18.

The CRIOC - « Centre de Recherche et d’Information des Organisations de Consommateurs » (Centre for the research and information of consumers’ organisation) – interviewed 2642 French-speaking Belgian teenagers and observed that one teen out of four answers ‘sport’ when asked about what he/she likes doing. 54% of the girls and 80% of the boys from 9 to 18 say they do some sport in their free time. 80% of the 10-year-old children do sport against 45% of the 15 year-old. At 16-17, the percentage rises to 60%.
According to our survey, boys are more fond of sports but also more painstaking than girls. They like doing sport until they get exhausted and aren’t afraid of danger.
15-year-old girls seem the least interested in doing regularly sport. Sports teachers often complain about their lack of motivation!

Modern dance is the most practiced sport (among girls!) in our area. It can undoubtedly convey a positive image to others. It is at the same time an individual and collective activity, combining sport with culture. What’s more, it makes them feel free.
Horse-riding and basketball come next, which is no surprise as we live in a semi-rural area, teeming with basketball clubs.
We also notice that the interest for group activities lasts longer than for individual activities, as dancing.

The survey by the CRIOC, which was published in September 2008, also points out a difference between leisure activities for ‘the rich’ and activities for the other social classes.
75% of the teenagers from the so-called ‘higher social classes’ do some sport (and, to a lesser extent, play a music instrument) against 51% in the ‘lower social classes’.
As far as computer is concerned, it seems to attract younger teenagers (14-15 year-old) who classify it in the 3rd place, more than the 16-17 year-old and the 17-18 year-old who place it respectively in the 4th and 9th position.

The teenagers’ media world (TV, video games, radio, MP3, computers, cell phones…) is of course very rich. Through chats and exchanges, computer has become a good means for self-assertion and socialisation. The youth rules aver the ‘computer world’, which explains why parents often give up controlling its content.

Most of the young people interviewed reckon they get headaches and sometimes feel dizzy, they also complain about smarting eyes after having played (worked?) too long on the computer. Some of them ‘play’ for three or four hours running. Others admit they spend the night playing and even dream about it during the day, which makes it impossible for them to concentrate in class. All the teenagers claim they feel aggressiveness towards the one who interrupts the computer game.

Another means for self-assertion and socialisation is the cell phone, called ‘GSM’ in Belgium.
Four young out of five owe one. At school teachers have to punish teenagers so that they keep their phone in their bag, away from any temptation!

Survey from the CRIOC, among 2642 teenagers
Percentage of teenagers (9 -18 year-old) who do this activity:
1. Watching TV (96 %), 2. Listening to music (92%), 3. Watching DVD’s (88%: girls 92%, boys 84%), 4. Playing sport (67%: girls 54%, boys 80%), 5. Visiting an amusement park (64%: girls 45%, boys 83%), 6. Playing video games (63%: girls 44%, boys 82%), 7. Having a drink (62%), 8. Clubbing, going to parties (46%: girls 51%, boys 41%), 9. Visiting museums, exhibitions (29%), 10. Joining a youth movement (28%: girls 24%, boys 32%),
11. Playing music, an instrument (24%).

The young people’s nights out
We live in a mostly rural region: consequently, our young people have different types of going outs than young people in cities: neither clubs nor discotheques.
Every year, our school organises a party for our last year’s students and all the young people join in. As a result, young people essentially meet at those parties, or private events on Friday or Saturday nights. They usually dance alone or in until 3 or 4 in the morning.
Except for some private parties which require smart clothes, the young people don’t need to dress up. Yet, girls wear more and more sexy clothes.
At those parties, where young people from the age of 13, 14 usually go, alcohol is a must-have. And sometimes, it goes too far: the aim is to be drunk as fast as possible! It’s the English “Binge drinking”: the young drink a mix of alcohol and energizers in order to “hold” as long as possible … the adults try to supervise those parties with consciousness-raising campaigns against drugs and alcohol. Moreover, policemen surround those events, where hundreds of young people go.
The young people’s favourite music is still techno and RNB, which is not very favourable to communication: it allows them to be united in trances which sometimes go too far.
Some young people from this region also go out in town: they go to the centre of Liège in “Le Carré”, where they can find a lot of cafés which are open all night long, they go back home in the morning… there’s an important animation in that neighbourhood, especially during the Saint Nicolas’ student party, at the saint Toré, another student party which takes place at the end of the exams. By the Pupils from the “Social Sciences” option - Belgium

Putting our leisures into words and images (Belgium)

Putting our leisures into words and images (Belgium)
Every pupil of the “Social Sciences” option answered to a questionnaire. The aim was to describe their feelings, to explain what they did during their leisure and what they thought about it. We illustrated the results of this survey with pictures and drawings then we created small books. Here are the texts published in our albums.

When I drink too much…
At first, I feel light, free. I laugh, I cry. Then I feel dizzy and fuzzy. I talk no sense and I see the others laughing. I tell everybody that I love them. I go to everybody’s arms. Sometimes as well, I have red eyes and I want to map people. In the washroom, I sit next to the loo and I feel horrible. I am afraid to fall on the floor or to be raped. At the end of the party, I can’t walk anymore and I vomit. When I am thinking, I tell myself I shouldn’t drink.

When I watch TV too much…
Sometimes, I watch TV all day long. I sit comfortably in the couch or in my bed.
I eat pizzas, crisps in a plate. I argue with my brothers if they disturb me. I have a headache, my eyes are aching. I feel tired, I yawn. I think we are living in a crazy world. I mistrust other people. I find myself ugly and pointless. When I am thinking, I am ashamed of having done nothing else all day.
When I play too much computer…
I play 3-4 hours without stopping, sometimes during the day or at night. I am hypnotized and I can’t stop playing. If someone interrupts me I get angry. I am excited. My eyes blink, they are aching. I have a headache and sometimes I feel dizzy. I can’t sleep well, I have nightmares. In the classroom, I feel weak and tired, I think again about the game pictures. When I am thinking I tell myself that I should meet people. I am afraid of becoming addicted.

The Basketball, it’s my life !
I like the team spirit. I train like an NBA player. I like the atmosphere created by the supporters. I feel proud when we win. I feel good. My brain creates endorphines. I forget my failures when I play. I commited 5 fouls. I have to stay on the bench. I respect the players, the coaches and the referee. I’m afraid when there is a free throw. I’d like to play like Mickael Jordan.

The theatre and me
I like making people laugh and clowning around. I can exploit my comedian talent. I have sereval personalities when I play.I strengthen my self-confidence. I forget my worries. I have to memorise my lines sometimes, it’s hard !!! The faces, the expression and the articulation are important.It’s a very good listening exercise when you play with a lot of people.
I have to take the others’play into account to adapt mine. I want it to become my job.

The dance, it’s fun!
I do some streching to avoid having cramps. I have to assert my style, be creative. I always have to check the beauty of the position. When I dance, I feel like carried by the group’s energy. I don’t see the time. I forget everything when I dance. I wear casual clothes. When I don’t manage to do the steps, I ask myself questions.
I am afraid of hurting myself and having to stop dancing. I really would like to make it my job.

The horse-riding
When I’m on my pone , I feel free and confident. I’m happy when I ride. I use my body to guide my horse. I develop the muscle of my back and my stomach when I ride.
I go over difficulties. I like competition. I respect the animal’s rythme, I learn patience. I have a friendly relationship with my poney. I also have to take care of the stables.
I would like to look like Eric Lamaze, the Olympic champion.
by the pupils from the 3 rd“Social Sciences” option

Coming soon ...

ROCKEYE 2009
Rock Festival, 5th edition

23rd may 2009
at 17 o'clock
at the IES AS LAGOAS in OURENSE

Young people nowadays / Laura Bouza

These days most teenagers are spoiled and have some unhealthy and bad habits. This may be because of social influence, I mean, everything that people talk about as it was seen on TV, heard from other people, read in newspapers and all the media. They can also get these bad habits from their friends and family; they see people around them doing it, so they should do the same, shouldn’t they?

In my opinion, this rule and thought isn’t a good example to follow. We’re all aware that each day more and more children want to buy the newest game console, computer or any electronic device. At the same time, sports and cultural activities are more and more abandoned. Most teenagers are reducing their hobbies only to surfing the internet and playing computer or video games. To me, it seems a pity, because they are losing the time they could spend with family or friends, or even going to different places such as the cinema, parks, sports centres… There are a lot of enjoyable activities that are being forgotten, for instance, writing or reading, which for me, is the most enriching and fun activity in every way.

Of course, all these novelties I have just named have a positive side too; or better said, almost all of them are good but, like everything, used in a logical way, without abusing of them. As the saying goes, “Everything in moderation”. If we only do these activities, which don’t include any physical exercise, relationships with other people or a learning experience, what will happen with the rest of our skills? What is going to keep them working correctly and try to improve them? My advice is that everyone should make an effort not only to centre their attention on one of them and try to mix and conserve both.

Maybe things should be different, but centuries are passing and society is changing constantly. However, although we can’t make society change totally, we are able to modify the situation a little if each one contributes a bit.

I’m sure no one would like a world where the most important things are machines and electronic advances and where people could be considered “robots” without any feelings, emotions or other ambitions in life. This is not the world a child, who has the most innocent imagination, would dream of. Everyone has to take part in this work if we want to see the dream of our childhood come true.

That is why each person has to start trying to change their own habits. Despite the fact that the older people are, the more difficult to adapt habits, it is never too late to take up doing new activities. For example, activities that you hadn’t time to do before or you simply didn’t think of, such as playing any sport or instrument, singing, going to the beach, reading, sleeping… Maybe they are more relaxing and you enjoy them much more than using machines.

If we start correcting the problem, then we will be able to tell other people what he best thing for them is and maybe someone will copy these good and healthy habits. By doing this, we will at least be helping in a small way, which is better than nothing.
In conclusion, we should always do our best to improve and change things we don’t do well: activities which teenagers do in their free time are one of them and we can prove we are able to modify them!

by Laura Bouza Romero, 1ºA Bachillerato

Leisure activities of young people / Irina Fernández

I think that there are many leisure activities to choose nowadays, so young people can do many different things when we are not at school or doing schoolwork.

For example, if you like sports, you can practise it on your own, such as swimming, walking, going to the gym…; or you can go painting; if you enjoy going out with your friends, maybe, you’d like to go to the shopping centre or to the cinema; and if you’re the kind of person who likes staying at home, you can take advantage to read a book, to surf the internet or to watch TV.

From my point of view, all of these activities are good because some of them help you to be fit and healthy, and others are better to develop your mind, so you’ll be never wasting your time.

However, there’re other activities, such as get drunk or destroy the urban facilities, which, I believe young people (or other people) should never do.

To avoid such negative activities in young people, I think that positive activities should be promoted by the governments, making campaigns to show their advantages. These campaigns can be about the environment respect, showing to young people that in their free time, they can look after woodlands, help to clean rivers, parks, gardens…and improve this way, our life quality; or governments could also invert in public libraries, sports facilities, schools of music, wifi-areas… to provide places where young people can spend their time in a good way.

In conclusion, young people can do a lot of things in our leisure time, but it would be better if we choose a positive one, because it will be good for us, and our future.

by IRINA FERNÁNDEZ FERNÁNDEZ, 1º C BAC