Writers' Corner #24

I am glad I picked up the courage to move to a country thousands of miles away from the stability of home.                          

 (Xitao Chui, Singapore, studying at the University of Glasgow)

Have you ever thought of studying abroad?

Studying abroad is a very popular activity nowadays.

I would love to travel to another country and study there. If I studied abroad, I would have the chance to learn new words, practise accents and, most importantly, learn about the fascinating culture of a specific country.

I have an extreme passion for the U.K. and specially London, but in honour of my favourite actor - among other reasons -, I would choose the Republic of Ireland. Ireland is such a beautiful place! Yet, it is extremely underrated. I would choose Dublin, not only because of the influencers that were born in the city, but also because of its beauty and grace. The language wouldn't be a struggle for me because I can speak and understand Irish English (the local accent and vocabulary).

Still, the great difficulty I would face is money as I can’t afford it. I could participate in the Erasmus programme , but for me it wouldn’t be the same feeling.

If I ever studied in Dublin, I would probably never leave it!

Lara Pires, 10º M

S. Valentim

Dia de pensar e escrever os afetos.
Hoje, escreva uma carta de amor.

Writers' Corner #23

I am glad I picked up the courage to move to a country thousands of miles away from the stability of home.                                                 
(Xitao Chui, Singapore, studying at the University of Glasgow)

Have you ever thought of studying abroad?

I would like to study abroad. I think it would be a good experience for me to grow up, but my mom wouldn’t really  let me go.

If I had the chance, I would go to South Korea because, in my opinion, it would better fit/suit my objectives. They have good artists there and they are growing in the fashion industry. I would learn a lot of things about their culture and history, which would be good for one of my favourite hobbies - writing.

There would be some difficulties, though: I would be far away from home; I would have to learn more Korean; and, the most difficult thing, I would have to accept a different culture.

In conclusion, it would be very beneficial, but, at the same time, I think it would be too much for a teenager.

Beatriz Pereira,10ºM

Writers' Corner #22

Living in a multicultural society takes time. It’s a long educational process.

(Jeresa Hren – Women’s Leadership Conference)

As everyone knows, a society can’t become multicultural in the blink of an eye. It’s simply impossible to get everybody on the same page about diversity and multiculturalism.

As such, the transformation to a multicultural society is a lengthy process. Some people might not agree with it at first and heavily oppose it, and this is mostly why it takes so long.

In order to solve this, all we need to do is educate these people about the benefits of diversity. If we do the educating part first and then the leaders of the society slowly implement policies to promote a more diverse society, it should, with time, culminate in an overall bigger acceptance of multiculturalism by the general population.

However, this transition doesn’t always happen smoothly. In fact, there are nearly always some sort of conflicts that happen between different ethnic groups, which is, of course, an undesirable scenario. Because of this, it’s vital that virtually 100% of the population agree on moving towards a diverse society since it is clear that we can’t build a multicultural society by pure brute force.

In conclusion, transitioning into a globalised society is a very long process that sometimes takes generations to happen due to the drastic changes it causes in people’s lifestyles.

Luís Pereira, 11ºF

Concurso Nacional de Leitura - Fase Municipal

É amanhã! Desejamos boa sorte a todos os participantes!

Writers' Corner #21

How important is music in your life?

In my opinion, music plays a very important role, not only in teens’ life but also amongst all generations. For me particularly, music is one of the most important things in my life.

My love for music started when I was a little girl. My dad (and later my sister) has always encouraged me to know a little about music - mostly rock -, not only for the pleasure of listening to it, but also because it’s really important to have some general knowledge. Music is so important for us that one of the family traditions is to go to concerts together – me, my mom, my dad and my sister. Music is also present in my hobby, which is playing the drums.

In conclusion, I think we should all enjoy the great things that music gives us.

                                                                                                               

 Mariana Costa, 10ºK

O Livro do Mês #5

O Japão é um Lugar Estranho é a história da viagem do escritor Peter Carey a Tóquio, com o seu filho, Charley. Com doze anos de idade e apaixonado por manga, Charley anuncia ao pai que quando for grande vai viver na capital japonesa. Partem então os dois em busca de autores famosos de livros de manga – a banda desenhada emblemática do Japão, com personagens de enormes olhos redondos e expressividade exagerada – e dos mais importantes estúdios e criadores de anime – os desenhos animados originados em obras de manga (e vice versa). Pelo caminho, percebe-se que estamos todos “Enganados acerca do Japão” – e é esse o título original do livro (Wrong about Japan): nada é o que parece, o estrangeiro mal consegue aflorar a superfície desta cultura hermética regida por regras rigorosas que determinam tudo, do modo de fazer o chá à profundidade das vénias. A cada interpretação, o “estranho” percebe que nada percebe do Japão. Do primeiro ao último dia. À espera da imagem tradicional de quimonos e templos budistas (que também existe, mas sob a forma de ilhas), o encontro com Tóquio é o choque cultural com uma modernidade ordenada e tão característica que permite aos seus habitantes viverem como personagens de manga ao fim de semana. Encontramos anjos e demónios, mulheres vestidas como miúdas e homens como bichos fofinhos.  Porque durante a semana, a vida não se parece muito com a manga colorida e movimentada dos livros.