Charles Dickens' 200th Anniversary: an Everlasting Legacy.

Two hundred years ago, precisely on the seventh of february 1812, was born in Portsmouth Charles Dickens, one of the most important novelist of all times. An infinite writer, responsible for some indelible pages and characters. He was an exceptional witness of a tumultuous period, which was characterized by social inequility, poverty, misery, sickness, child labour, and injustice. In this context, Dickens shaped his words as a mirror of this reality. “There is nothing so strong or safe in an emergency of life as the simple truth”, the said.

Staunch defender of the poor, Dickens embodies a breed of writers concerned by social reform. Prolific and brilliant creator, he published many of his writings serially, in monthly instalments, which along with the uniqueness of his characters, and the everlasting reality of the arguments, contributed to his popularity, which still remains. Hence, some of his novels and characters are part of mankind cultural legacy.

From the very beggining, the movies have been no stranger to this legacy, and there have been many film adaptations of Dicken's works. Some of them are masterpieces, which are always worth watching again. The great English film director David Lean, directed two superb and unforgettable adaptations, authentic visual poems: Oliver Twist (1948) and Great Expectations (1946). Here you can watch the last one, at this right time to commemorate Charles Dickens' 200th Anniversary.

Helping Link : 'Great Expectations' with Spanish subtitles.

Walking Inverted

Down the street came a weird collection of people. Some of them were striding, and other sauntering. I thought, as did most people, that it was a dream, but it wasn’t. Such was the fuss that the procession caught the attention of all passers-by. There were, in the group, people of all ages: the older hobbled, the younger marched, and even there were those who from time to time crawled, hopped and did a somersault. Never had I seen this before!

Seldom had I had the opportunity of seeing such a thing, so that I rushed to the street. No sooner had I reached the crowd than they started to swagger, swinging their shoulders, and trotting to and fro. Under no circumstances was I to miss that amazing show. Only after elbowing thought people could I see a man shuffling and sliding on the place. Some masked figures bowed and waved their hands at times; others seemed to be drunk, and stumbled, rolled, and fell headlong.

Little did I expect what happened next. Somebody crept behind me, and suddenly sprang up making strange gestures. He nodded, took off his hat, and from nowhere appeared a white rabbit. I started in surprise. Never had I enjoyed myself more! And the smiling man bade his good-bye, giving me a bouquet of flowers that he took out from his sleeve. Should I have been allowed, I would probably have spent all the evening there. But a slap on my wrist brought me back to reality. It was my mother and I was five. I'll never forget the first time a circus came to my village.

Sports: All That Glitters Is Not Gold.

In reference to the latest news about another massacre in a football match, I have felt like looking into the role of sports in our current society. Last Wednesday, there were over 74 deaths after a football match in Port Said, in Egypt. There have been more than 1.500 violent deaths related with football until now (Report: 'Timeline: Soccer Stadium Disasters'). All of this makes one wonder about what is wrong with sport.

Being more precise, we should refer to professional sport. In many ways, sports are shown as something desirable, noble, and pretty appropriated to shape youngsters. And to some extent, that is true. But rarely do communications media present a balanced view of the issue. After all, they are not to cut the branch on which they sit, as professional sports have became a flourishing and very lucrative industry. What is more, they are thought to be one pillar of the neo-liberal mass media, trying to alienate people with this easy and passionate entertainment. Sport is like a religion in its ability to move the masses. As a result, football occupies more time in the news than economy or politics. It is the usual talking point, and the reason why people mobilise, more than anything else. All things together, football –and other major sport events- are a powerful weapon to control society, and they perfectly know it.

Carrying this issue one step further, it is worth mentioning that some social and behavioural researches have challenged the idea that sport is a positive influence on athletes, spectators, and the world as a whole. Immediately some images come to mind to support this idea: hooligans; battle fields between football supporters; fascist and racist cells embed within stadiums; etc. One of the most striking things is how presumably educated citizens turn into brutal hooligans, and even so does their children. How dreadful!

According to the mentioned researches, sports brings out the worst in people, both fans and athletes. Consequently, the growing appearance of doping and other expressions of corruption in sports are threatening its credibility. Besides, it does not improve character or help to develop virtues such as fair play and respect for opponents. And what is more, sport doesn’t make you happy. Spectators as well as athletes have higher than normal levels of stress, anxiety, and hopelessness because of their engagement with professional sport. In conclusion, if we consider all of this, it seems that sport is losing its shine and allure.

Find Your Motivation

Finding your motivation is a key point to achieve a satisfactory life. But it’s a tricky matter, as there can be an ample range of possibilities. Although one thing is for sure, that everyone need a motivation, or you would be aimless. Generally speaking, I believe that motivation is concerned with doing rewarding things, something that goes with your core principles and targets, so that they bring you satisfaction and self-assurance. In most cases, this is easier to be said than done, as we have to face with difficulties and situations difficult to overcome.

The shortage of time and money, our family, or our job, are some examples of things that we haven’t usually chosen. They can be a blessing or a curse, but I firmly believe that we can always hurdle our barriers. Most people find motivation in their family, especially in their children. Without any doubt, this can be the reason for a life, but not always is possible, and is it enough? I believe not. Above all, it is a question of  be yourself. I mean, live your own live, rather than doing what others expect of you, always in your job, in your life, whatever it is, as much as you can. I know, it’s easier to be said than done, but that is the way.

First of all, you must know who you are, what you want in life, what your core principles are; and them be absolutely self-confident and proud of yourself. After that, it is just a question of choosing the proper alternative. I have it clear that I love travelling, meeting people from all over the world and enriching myself with their life experiences. I also want to improve my job career options. And I like learning foreign languages. Consequently, I chose to enrol in this C1 English course, despite being quite demanding and difficult to me to catch up with it. Notwithstanding this, I am enjoying it a lot and, regardless the final upshot, that is my motivation.

Motivation: Autonomy, Mastery, Purspose

My Historical Event: The French Revolution

As usual, Wikipedia offers concise and accurate information, in spite of the attemps of economical “Great Powers” to eliminate these free sources of knowlegde. Then, here goes a brief definition of one of the most important historical events in human history: The French Revolution.

“The French Revolution (French: Révolution française; 1789–1799), was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a major impact on France and indeed all of Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years. French society underwent an epic transformation as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside. Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy - of monarchy, aristocracy and religious authority - were abruptly overthrown by new Enlightenment principles of equality, citizenship and inalienable rights.

The French Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the Estates-General in May. The first year of the Revolution saw members of the Third Estate proclaiming the Tennis Court Oath in June, the assault on the Bastille in July, the passage of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in August, and an epic march on Versailles that forced the royal court back to Paris in October. The next few years were dominated by tensions between various liberal assemblies and a right-wing monarchy intent on thwarting major reforms.

Historians widely regard the Revolution as one of the most important events in human history, and the end of the early modern period, which started around 1500, is traditionally attributed to the onset of the French Revolution in 1789. The Revolution is, in fact, often seen as marking the "dawn of the modern era". "Thousands of men and even many women gained firsthand experience in the political arena: they talked, read, and listened in new ways; they voted; they joined new organizations; and they marched for their political goals. Revolution became a tradition, and republicanism an enduring option." Some historians argue that the French people underwent a fundamental transformation in self-identity, evidenced by the elimination of privileges and their replacement by rights as well as the growing decline in social deference that highlighted the principle of equality throughout the Revolution. The Revolution represented the most significant and dramatic challenge to political absolutism up to that point in history and, despite its failures, spread democratic ideals throughout Europe and ultimately the world.

Before You Die

We all know that our time is short. Then, why on earth don’t we do everything we can to satisfy our expectations? Tricky response. An article I have recently read can be an eye-opener to us. It is about the conclusions reached by Bonnie Ware, a nurse who worked with terminal patients. She asked them about the things they more regretted in their lives, and this was the top five:

1.- Not having lived your own live, rather than what others expect of you.

2.- Not having spent more time with family, rather than working so much.

3.- Not being brave enough to express true feelings.

4.- Not having had more contact with friends.

5.- Not having allowed themselves to be happier.

To some extent, I’m afraid that the results are quite familiar to all of us. At least, it is my case. Now, the difficult thing is being brave enough to break our chains, and  move forward to achieve them.

The famous movie “The Bucket List” treats about this, although the point is to not postpone our decisions until too late. Of course, each one has their own list, but you can enjoy checking your achievements in one of the hundreds of  “bucket lists” that you can find on Internet:

Bucket List Test:  bucketquiz

And if you are feeling further interest, here you will find a complete website with 50 impressive proposals to do before you die. Swim with dolphins, see the Northern Lights, drive along Route 66 in USA, or skydiving, are some examples. Were we to succeed in doing all of them, we would meet with plenty of satisfaction.

50 Things To Do Before You Die

Go for it!

Mandela's Way: Lessons On Life

I must admit that I only had a general knowledge about Mandela, so that his book has broaden my mind about this historic figure and his impressive struggle. If I had to describe him, I'd say that Mandela is a natural leader. One of those gifted humans that seldom come up to give light to all mankind. In a few words: leadership, commitment, human values, endurance, and humility, could be appropriate to describe him.

He is man made by himself, and all the hard circumstances and extreme situations he had had to face. He had to do a lot of sacrifices, and in most cases the man had to give way to the leader. But his core principles, commitment with justice and equality, and empathy, allow him to endure 28 years of imprisonment and, instead of fall down, he became stronger and wiser.

This is what I take from him in terms of my own life. Besides, I have relished the fifteen lessons on life, which are related in a very entertaining and appealing way. I strongly agree with most of them, and I believe that are pearls of wisdom.

I share Mandela's ideas and thoughts about how we must face life. Our society wrongly makes us believe that a courageous, brave man must not have fear, but Mandela teaches us that fear is a natural, and even desirable feeling in some circumstances. The point is learning to overcome it.

Another important point is that, even in the most extreme situations, it’s no use of having an outburst or an impassioned response. If you lose control, them you lose the situation. So, Let´s be calm, as Mandela would say.

I haven't been called to be a Leader, but even in our ordinary life, we need to take risks. Passivity and resignation is not the way. Of course, it is not about being reckless, but cautious.

I firmly support the idea that it's necessary to have some core principles. Of course, a good ones. Although we will be sometimes in deep trouble, this principles always would lead us to a satisfactory end.

It's worth to take the ubuntu approach, which expresses the idea that people are empowered by other people, that we become our best selves through unselfish interaction with others. This is just the opposite of our occidental model, characterized by extreme individualism and competitiveness.

In the same way, we are taught to choose only between two options: yes or no, black or white. It’s the deliberate vision we are indoctrinated to avoid thinking of alternatives to the mainstream. But Mandela’s African background allows him to escape of this unique thinking. He would say that it’s never as simple as yes or no; that there are no simple answers to most difficult questions. Logically, he thinks that every problem has many causes, not just one. In the way he sees the world, there is no one interpretation. Both may be correct.

Going on with his lessons on life, we can see that Mandela is a man of sincerity, not a man of maybes. So, as I think, there is no space to hypocrisy or false words. You must know that the price of not saying no now makes it even harder to say it later. There are some decisions that may benefit from delay. But if you are delaying or avoiding saying no because it is unpleasant, better do it right away and clearly. You will avoid a heap of trouble in the log run.

Love makes the difference. I couldn't agree more with this. There has been little room for love in the life of a revolutionary and a prisoner, but Mandela never gave up on love. And love helped him to resist, although it was often a source of pain rather than solace. He could be defined as a pragmatic romantic. To him, loves is the most important thing. Without love a man can not have a complete life.

In conclusion, we can take a very wise lessons from this book, which can make our life better. The point is if we are brave enough to apply them. I'll do my best!.