Hi people! I'm sharing some information concerning PARALLELISM. So "What you see is what you get". Here it goes:

Individual Essay

Live and let live

“The unexamined life is not worth living”, Socrates said. His words reflect the importance of looking inside of us. His ideas were backed up by his disciple Plato, who has taught us that we must have the necessary courage to go out of the cavern of our own ideas and thoughts and from the comfortable zone we have created for us. “Yes, I am alive”, you may say. But are you brave enough to ask yourself and examine your lifestyle? What am I living for? Which are my goals in life? What helps me to do this is ‘Up’, the 3D computer-animated Walt Disney Pictures’ film, directed by Pete Docter in 2009. At this point, you may wonder how it is possible that a film for children can contribute to improve the quality of adults’ life.  Yes, definitely. ‘Up’ shows that life is worth living.

Having a goal in life is an anchor and a helm. Some elderly and middle-aged people just sit and wait for the inevitable end. But Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old widower, decides to go to South America on a last adventure. By attaching thousands of helium balloons to his house, he escapes from the possibility of being sent to a retirement house and tries to fulfill a promise he has made to his wife.

By caring about someone else, people can be happier. Carl has been mourning his wife. According to APA (American Psychological Association) to face the death of a beloved relative or friend is one of the most terrible pains you may suffer. Fortunately, there are several things that a person who is going through that stressful situation can do to relieve the pain. One of them is to help other people. In doing so, you will not only use your time but will help yourself to feel better. That is what Carl does, without noticing at first. Due to the fact that Russell, an eager boy scout, is trapped in his flying house, both, Carl and the boy himself, get profit from their company. They also help at least two animals during their journey: an exotic bird, which Russell calls Kevin, and Dug, an obedient dog, which has been mistreated by his former owner. At last, as an extra reward for caring about each other, Carl can visit Paradise falls in South America and Russell gets a medal for helping the elderly people.  

‘Life is an adventure’ is one of the messages that the film conveys.  A handwriting note that Ellie, Carl’s late wife, wrote in their book of photos states: “Thanks for the adventure. Go and get some more”. That encouraging advice helps Karl to realize that he has the possibility to carry on with his life and at the same to enjoy pursuing new goals.

As a conclusion, I can say that although Karl is a bit reluctant to grip life, he is able to improve it, not only by making new friends, but also by fulfilling the promise he has made to his supportive wife. Pay attention to Socrates’ and Plato’s pieces of advice. By watching ‘Up’, you can examine your life and get out of the cave. Perhaps you are not what you wanted to be. Go for it. You are not done yet. 

Question tags.

Question tags are short questions at the end of statements.
They are mainly used in speech when we want to:
confirm that something is true or not, or
to encourage a reply from the person we are speaking to.

Question tags are formed with the auxiliary or modal verb from the statement and the appropriate subject.

A positive statement is followed by a negative question tag.
Jack is from Spain, isn't he?
Mary can speak English, can't she?

A negative statement is followed by a positive question tag.
They aren't funny, are they?
He shouldn't say things like that, should he?

When to use the article "the"

• The definite article “the” is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or particular. 
• “The” signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group. 
• Notice the difference:

We live in a small village next to the school. (The school in our village). 

Houses are expensive in that neighbourhood. (All houses in that neighbourhood).

Follow your heart…

“Heidi”, the well-known story for children, was written by Johanna Spyri in 1881. This book was one of the most read around the world. It highlights innocence, human values and love of nature. There are many versions in films and TV programmes. In 1937, the book was turned into a film in which the famous actress Shirley Temple plays the role of Heidi, a little orphan girl. And the first animated cartoon of Heidi was released in 1974. It was designed by the Japanese Zuiyo Eizo and ZFD, a German company, and directed by Isao Takahata.

Heidi cartoon is a sweet girl who lives with his grandfather in the high mountains faraway from the noisy and populated cities. Although “Heidi” seems to be a harmless TV series, it portrays a simple set of values which might offer an alternative lifestyle that brings the status quo into question. She  leads a quite simple life full of important values such as love, freedom, simplicity, authenticity and happiness. This type of life contrasts with the lifestyle of the big cities, where those values are underestimated because people pursue expected standards of behavior to be socially accepted. Ostentation, luxury, vanity and appearances become the rules. Thus, in the city there seems to be another legitimate lifestyle.

Despite living almost a whole life without regulations, Heidi learns that there is a standard behaviour expected from society, when she must leave the Alps in order to take care of her friend Clara in the city. However, she feels entirely uncomfortable with the imposed social constraints that she encounters within the urban areas, where she can hardly live. As one of the main characters, Clara appears in the story as a disabled child since her early childhood. While living in a luxurious mansion, she leads an empty and oppressive social way of life, totally different from the one Heidi has.

Regarding Heidi , she is very sad and oppressed when staying at Clara’s house, but when Clara goes to the mountains for the first time, she discovers a magnificent and gorgeous scenery there, and besides, she finds out a feeling of comfort and a sense of identity and uniqueness. Both girls feel quite happy as they are in the high hills, to the extent that Clara overcomes her serious illness because she is able to do away with some rules and regulations.

“Heidi” series  shows that it would be possible to live a great life with different kinds of values, by comparison to those which are proposed by modern- day society where these moral principles would appear to be a natural choice. The question is: might it be possible for us to change the model suggested by the actual system in order to set free from social constraints? It depends on us!

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An essay, by Andres Lema & Mariana Alamos

Unfit fitness

“It makes me immensely proud to know that I’ve made a contribution to Japanese football.” Those words belong to Yoichi Takahashi, the creator of the manga Captain Tsubasa. And that phrase seems  to be relevant when we confirm that the influence of his creation made the national football team of Japan not only debut in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, but also qualify for the following World Cups ever since. Such influence is credited by the constant growing of football popularity in Japan. That is why, the manga and especially the anime, which was created two years later, have been regarded as the correct prescription for increasing football’s motivation in that country. Moreover, that influence has crossed oceans and cultures due to the fact that the anime has been translated into several languages and the Japanese names adapted to a more occidental lifestyle. In Latin America, the anime is known as Super Campeones and the main characters are Oliver, Bruce, Steve, Benji and Andy. But can we find side effects in a worldwide famous programme? Harmful effects, such as parental pressure over children, focus on winning rather than on participating or painful training seem to have been outshined by the beneficial effect of the anime.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), overweight and obesity in the under-twenty-year-old Latin-American population range from 20% to 25%, i.e. 1 out of 4 children or adolescents has one of these affections. WHO points out that junk food and lack of physical activity are the main contributors to overweight and obesity. That is why some may not agree on paying attention to the negatives aspects of the anime, such as extreme competition, and just celebrate that a TV programme encourages physical fitness. However, we consider that Captain Tsubasa promotes unhealthy competition.

The role of parents is really decisive because they exert pressure over their children in subtle and direct ways. Tsubasa (Oliver) is obsessed with football, his motto being “The ball is your friend". His obsession is backed up by his father, who is usually absent as he works in the navy. Still, he sends a former professional Brazilian footballer, Roberto Zedinho, to train and make his son a sport hero. Tsubasa's mother is his first fan. She supports him daily but she doesn't correct her son when he doesn't do his school homework or doesn't inform her where he is.  She wants Tsubasa to become a football star, too. But she is not the only example of parental oppression. Ryo Ishizaki, best known as Bruce, is one of Tsubasa's mates. His mother is always at the stadium watching his matches and madly shouting to her son that he must be the best. In one episode of the anime, it is raining heavily and Ryo Ishizaki's mother is allowed to be around the bench and offers her son and his football mates some tea to prevent them from getting flu. Her son and his mates will not feel ill, but his opponents will in the following chapter. What mother will allow her child to face a storm and give a hot beverage as if it possesses magical properties? Parents in the anime drop unnoticeable but strong hints about how a champion must behave and suffer.

The main characters are able to perform amazing but at the same time impossible dribblings and passes. To achieve that perfection, the players must train harder than their opponents do by being exposed to extended training periods. And when all the players, struggling for breath, are allowed to go to the changing room, Tsubasa continues practicing his 'Drive Shoot'. Due to his determination and stubbornness, Tsubasa masters this technique. During one match, he makes a plea to the coach to continue playing, even though he has a badly injured shoulder, because he has promised to himself to perform that shot in that match. Would a couch put his best player at risk just for a promise?

Throughout the whole anime, it is clearly showed that losing is unacceptable and that successful footballers can show off. These situations are portrayed by different characters, for example, by Kojiro (Steve), who is famous in Japan for his 'Tiger Shoot". He is able to perform this powerful shoot from the mid-field and to break the opponents' nets. And he boasts about this ability, encouraging other footballers to compete against him. But ironically, when Kojiro becomes a member of the Japan Football National Team, he is expelled by the coach alleging that his shots are too weak, so Kojiro cannot be accepted in that team. He will not be allowed to be a member of the team unless his shoots are strong enough to go through a sea wave. Another conceited character is Genzo (Benji Price), an excellent goalkeeper, but at the same time an authoritarian vain boy. He is not only admired, but also praised and respected for having such negative qualities. Although Genzo mistreats his mates and does not accept 'losers' in his team, they love him and feel that they deserve being mistreated because Genzo is someone superior to them just for having some football skills.

"My heart is still beating" says Misugi Jun, Andy Johnson in the Spanish version, who is holding his chest while he reveals his mates and opponents he suffers a heart illness. That is why he has never played for more than 15 minutes. During an important match, he decides to play the whole game even though his decision may cost his life. His friends, coach, manager and even his parents, who are watching motionless from the galleries, support his decision. He plays the entire game and of course, he does not die. All his friends and opponents express that it has been an honour to have been chosen by Misugi Jun to watch him almost sacrifice his life on the football pitch.

Although the anime has encouraged some talented Japanese footballers, for instance, Sotaro Yasunaga and others from around the world, such as Zinedine Zidane, Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta, we shouldn't turn a blind eye to the adverse effects the manga fosters. The match between "No pain, no gain" vs "Healthy competition" is still being played and broadcast. So far, the former is beating the latter. But the questions are:  which of them are you going to support? Are you going to let your children enjoy the anime and be exposed to negative influences and wrong values?

There´s more than meets the eye

It’s a rainy Saturday evening and you have to do something interesting to calm your children down. Follow my advice and do not hesitate to play Shrek on your TV screen. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, and based on the book under the same name, this movie was on the big screen in 2001 and it seems to be current happily ever after! Not only your children but also you will be captivated by this amazing and catching story of a green ogre who has to carry out a mission to get his land - poor and dirty indeed, but his land at least! - back. Accompanied by a casual friend, a funny and garrulous donkey, he marches towards his aim-- to rescue Princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a huge dragon.

So far, it seems to be another typical fairy tale love story, right? It may show a hero riding a white horse who defeats a villain, or contain the typical strong, brave, smart and handsome prince who saves a beautiful damsel and provides a wealthy lifestyle to her. But have you noticed I mentioned an ogre and a garrulous donkey? Let me tell you, as an adult you are, that this fantastic story of fairy creatures breaks all common stereotypes and rules in fairy tales.

For your surprise, as well as Fiona’s, the hero of this love story is Shrek. Yes, the disgusting but lovely ogre who doesn’t know anything about manners. Shrek breaks all royal etiquette rules. For example, when he goes to the bathroom he uses newspapers sheets, instead of toilet paper, to clean himself. Candles? Who needs to buy them when you can take them out of your own ears? Being nice? Not Shrek. He is always shouting and scaring people to be alone in his marsh. He is rude and rustic, but heroic enough.

Let me tell you that Shrek rescues Fiona twice, from the dangerous dragon and also from Fiona’s pretender, the selfish Lord Farquad. And as it usually happens in fairy tales, Shrek should have kissed Fiona to wake her up, although she wasn’t asleep, with the first kiss of true love. Instead, he shakes her and speaks to her rudely; not exactly as Fiona has been dreaming of. As Fiona says, “I’m waiting a knight so bold to rescue me [...] This is our first meeting. Should it not be a wonderful, romantic moment? You could recite an epic poem for me. A ballad? A sonnet! A Limerick? Or something!”.

 What´s also interesting about Shrek is the fact that he is not ambitious. After finally marrying Fiona, he decides to go on living in his pond instead of living in the royal castle highlighting once again his rustic personality.

          In most fairy tales, the prince fights the dragon in a heroic battle and kills it. In this way, he then becomes the hero. Of course, this is not the case. Shrek’s evil dragon is a female and she strangely falls in love with the donkey, clearing the way for Shrek to go and find Fiona without making much effort. This disappoints Fiona. She complains and says that leaving the dragon alive is not right. Later on, we will see that the dragon and the donkey are now a beautiful and odd couple. The evil creature is now their new best friend.  Can you believe it? At last, this short and fat donkey is better and more courageous than the brave, healthy and white horses that always appear in the fairy tales.

        Many princesses are often shown as well-educated, well-behaved, formal, delicate, weak, naive, and with no fighting skills whatsoever. But doesn’t it look a bit strange to see a beautiful thin princess acting in a way in which usually do? Fiona doesn’t really behave as princesses should.  I can tell you that since she has been captive in that high isolated tower, she has learned to defend herself and adopted some manly characteristics. How does she dare to let that noise come out from her mouth? “Better out than in,” as Shrek and Fiona assert. That kind of attitude is usually performed inside-doors, but Fiona is a tomboy. She also fights against other men and her delicate female appearance does not stop her. It reminds me of someone else… She is very similar to Shrek, isn´t she? That’s because there’s something you still don’t know… Fiona has been cursed with a spell and when the light of the day goes away, she turns into an ogre!

By the end of the movie, Shrek goes to stop Fiona and Lord Farquad’s wedding. He is eager to tell Fiona he is in love with her. Promptly, dusk approaches. She is so tired of hiding her ogre image that ends up revealing it to everybody in the church. Finally, they kiss and Fiona becomes an ogre forever due to that first true love kiss, showing that true love has nothing to do with physical appearance, actually.

 What is also relevant is the prince who is supposed to marry Fiona. We are accustomed to see princes who are handsome and charming. However, Lord Farquad is a short, thin and body-hairy man with a bad temper and very selfish, indeed. He just wants to marry Fiona in order to become a king.  What a pity for Princess Fiona! He is neither the lucky one nor the hero in this film. And he doesn’t know about happy endings since he is eaten by the dragon before he gets married.

   To put it in a nutshell, you have to acknowledge that this movie, my friends, is a clear example of how to exterminate all the possible fairy tales clichés. It actually works and makes you feel part of the story. You! A common human being can also be part of a fairy tale. This amazing story allows everyone to see how stereotypes and rules exist only to be broken. It encourages people to think in a different way. There’s more behind the images you see. Different is good and fresh. Believe me! It reminds you that there’s more than meets the eye. And your children will learn it, too! 

Written by Barletta Mariela, Morilla Maria Cecilia and Veneziale Agustina