It just takes a look into his eyes to raise your interest

In this world there are realities that bring unimmaginable among us. The average people of the civilized countries regard surreal as a 1-week vacation on a secluded island, with an all-inclusive vacation package finalized with a return to their normal lifestyle, to their normal jobs and shopping habits. Most of us don't even think of an eventual different world which is actually included in ours whether we want it or not. The poverty of the third-world countries may be brought to our attention in news, but these coverages are only treated with superficiality, sparing the viewer from emerging in a real insight into their realities. There are movies and documentaries based on the horrors which happen at this time in the world, but there the average viewer finds himself into the impossibility of catching up with the superfluity of the data presented.

Has anyone heard of the child soldiers? Their existence will not seem a fact for us, all used to working in capitalism, struggling for a "decent" existence, shopping at the local mall and hypermarket, travelling a week or two per year at a popular vacation destination and having our laptops tied to the neck. There are children whose way of life is killing each other just like a highschool student from London would kill his virtual enemies in Counter Strike.

Since the struggle of gaining their independency the past century, since adopting ideologies like comunism and since fighting for an elusive freedom, countries like Sierra Leone, Angola, Sudan or Uganda have passed through incredible rough civil wars. Due to their exploit by the superpowers, these countries' people are trying to regain independence by turning into rebels. It is perfectly understandable foe wanting them to get the intruders, the colonists out of the country, but why fighting with each other? These colonists have taught groups the taste of money. A whole series of situations and events have brought chaos into these lands. Groups of rebels kidnapping little boys after having them watched their mothers and sisters being raped and their fathers being killed; groups of rebels fighting against their own Government, which is active on the black market, washing money with other countries Governments; groups of rebels wanting to take control by not being very clean themselves. Little boys are forced to fight, suffering brainwashes and being determined to forget or, worse, hate their families, doped to blindly listen to their new commandors. Having passed such horrors, most of them would most likely grow up into fierce warriors, having their mind washed forever. They would keep on killing, making themselves uncounsciently guilty of this sin and many others.

But rebels are not the only ones using this type of army force. Governments do not hesitate in doing the same for constantly having civil wars ablaze. The situation in Nepal may pass as a paradigm to you, I hope. "Thousands of children were recruited by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) during Nepal's 10-year civil war. Children served on the front lines, received weapons training, and carried out crucial military and logistical support duties for the Maoists. Even after signing a comprehensive peace agreement with the government in November 2006, the Maoists continued to recruit children and refused to release children from their forces." (http://hrw.org/campaigns/crp/index.htm)

What is it to be done, you may ask... Should I be ecstatic to find solutions. But basically, there is nothing you and me and our neighbours or friends can do. The hatred will go on, once in a while extinguished by the ones in position to control the situation. UNICEF will continue to supply medical and nutritional help and the UN is making steps further into restoring peace. What's left for us is to sing petitions, make donations or volunteer. But this is what we will do the times that we remember of the situation in third-world countries and how badly they need a do up. We watch Governments spending money on stupid wars in the Middle East, fighting for stealing the oil resources over there, just like it happened with the diamonds in Africa not long ago. We feel rage, we feel pitty, we feel supportive in a way or another, but we will go on being blind witnesses to plans that are so vague to us only the ones who have created them are in matter of clarifying them. Meanwhile, we live. Nevertheless, the majority of us will always be living the same opaque life, driving the same car, fueling it with an oil of whose existence in the local gas station we are unaware of, buying another apartment and dreaming of a penthouse and having no precise interest in dealing the cards of our future. Still, it would be nice if once in a while we helped the ones less fortunate than us. Those child soldiers, daily witnesses to HIV, malaria and shtooting guns are extreme cases whose power of dealing with is not in our hands. But an awake conscience and an interest in a matter like this is always a step further. We must only make understanding of the fact that living in an ideal world has never been more than the shell of our mediocre thinking.

a "Salud!" to Gabriel Garcia Marquez for resurrecting your spirit

Not long ago I discovered that my leisure readings are deeply connected to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I search for any novel that I can find and I am eager to discover a totally different world from the one described in his other writings. The Columbian author lets go of all his "demons" and proudly exploits his latin roots in creating incredible works, books that take the reader into a passionate Universe, dispared from reality, stories that happen in times controlled by human senses, love, divinity and ancient traditions and superstitions. His characters seem to follow the path which it was written for them, never in contradiction with their South American background. The Nobel prize winner succeeds to bring his readers into surreal worlds, that have a positive effect on their psychic. When reading Marquez is like a trip to the Caribbean, as I like to say. Along with his stories, he brings a flow of "corazon caliente", "una vida llena de passion".

I recommend his lecture begins with his autobiography, "Living to tell the tale", for an introduction in his world. Then, the paramount "One hundred years of solitude" is a must-read. Though you may not identify any element of your daily life in it, Macondo will grow as an ideal place to live. By approaching the same style in different stories, Marquez gets to be true nutrition for your spirit. A brilliant storyteller will reveal to you, allowing you to take a bite of every piece of South America: traditions, names, fiestas... a warm lifestyle. A man born with such a prodigious talent: telling tales.

For more elaborate informations, consult http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/

This post is about a clock put together after 10 years or so of research and statistics.I found out about numbers that elude true stories from Ioan T Morar's blog. And, as I've said before, it is a pitty we have all become the puppets of a satellite and a server. I am just a number on the clock at the bottom of my page, and you are another one and so on.

How to understand a text

In the last blog I posted some useful literature reading skills. In this article I want to share techniques that will help students, professionals or anyone trying to understand a certain text that reveals knowledge for their study.


SKIMMING
If you are reading to get a general impression, you should use a skill called skimming. When looking at a book, this will involve looking at the cover, title and contents page, chapter headings, sub-headings, the first and last sentence or paragraph within the chapters.

SCANNING
To search for the answer to a particular question, try scanning. This is the skill you use when finding names in the phone book – let your eyes scan down the page till you see the information you want.
Skimming and scanning are speedy and efficient techniques for getting what you need out of books and articles. Many students think it is cheating not to read every word in a book. Not so. You are cheating yourself when you waste time reading material not essential to your purpose.

READING FOR A DETAILED UNDERSTANDING - USE SQ3R

For a detailed understanding you might like to try the SQ3R method. Here’s how it works:

Step 1. SURVEY Look over the whole text. Check out the headings and the way it has been set out.

Step 2. QUESTION Ask yourself some questions about the text. Why am I reading this text?
What do I need to find out from this text? Does it look useful for my assignment?

Step 3. READ the text. Take some notes while reading. Sometimes this helps to keep you mind on the content.

Step 4. RECITE Stop every now and then and try to put into your own words what you have just read.

Step 5. REVIEW After you have finished look back over your notes and see if you can recall the main the points.

Source:
http://www.ncistudent.net/StudySkills/LearningSkills/ReadingEffect1.htm

The Romanian critic George Calinescu said in one of his writings that nowadays it gets harder for people to read efficientily, if not to read at all; they have lost the essence of true reading and the pleasure of understanding the book. When do we have time to read, anyway? When do we have that amount of time for ourselves when our life seems to be passing at high speeds. The truth is we barely find moments for literature. What about understanding it? Check out below if you want to read effectively. Don't let those pages be blank.

Tips I found on http://academic.pgcc.edu/bookbridge/literature.htm :

The way you approach reading a novel is very important. While reading you must be able to see relationships, perceive the development of character, theme, symbols, and be able to detect multiple meanings. You can reject or accept, like or dislike the literary work, depending on the effect it has on you. It is okay to do so. You shouldn’t jump to a final judgment too soon, whether it is about the character, the theme, or other elements. Remember: People and situations are not always as they appear at first. Be objective because your emotional reaction can sometimes cause unsound perception and interpretation. Keep this question in mind — “Can I justify my judgments based on evidence from the work itself?” To get the most out of literature, you must be aware of several elements in fiction and know how to make inferences. Below are a few guidelines to help you understand..
Characters — people and animals in a story. Examine each character for his or her own unique qualities, behavior, needs, and values.

Setting — the time and place of a story. What impact does it have on the plot of the story?

Plot — the series of events that happen in the story. Make sure you understand the most important events.

Theme — the idea or point of view expressed throughout. It unifies the work.

Conflict — the main struggle between opposing forces. The conflict can be (1) internal, i.e. within a character; (2) between two or more characters, or (3) between one or more characters and some force in the environment.

Climax — the final turning point in the story when the action changes course and begins to resolve itself. Sometimes the character may solve the problem in his or her mind.

Narrator — the person telling the story. Be alert to the tone of the narrator and how it influences your perception of the story.

Figures of Speech — expressions in which words are used to mean something other than what they usually do. For example, “Life is like a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” This is a line from the Langston Hughes poem entitled “Dreams.” What is he trying to say about life?Inferences — to read “between the lines.” An inference is a message that comes across but is not directly stated by the author. You must draw conclusions based on the information given.

Writers of fiction often show what they mean while writers of non-fiction directly state what they mean.

As you read the novel and ultimately complete it, go back and review the elements listed. See if you can identify each element by citing specifics from the novel. Write down that information. Sit back and relax in a comfortable reading chair and have adequate lighting nearby. Make sure you are in a room without distractions for at least 30 minutes.

The experience of writing a magazine.

Many of my acquaintances may assert this is a somehow outdated subject I'm writing about, but I still am pretty proud of what my writing team and I have achieved. Being a journalist is a chore that may bring some to the edge since readers unconsciouslly set their own standards when reading an article. It requires talent and a wide vocabulary to fuel one's talent, and of course a rough documentation on the subject. But, all in all, it requires objectivity. Anyway, I still live under the impression that we lacked objectivity. This spring, Academia Catavencu, a journal in my country, Romania, has given our high-school the opportunity to struggle ourselves into writing a supliment of their magazine. The compulsory task?... Put down in writing whatever bothered us: adolescence, school, the system?!:)) However, and gladly, it did not turn out to be 7 pages of teen frustrations at all. Considering our experience (NONE) we did well.

So, what are the steps of putting together a magazine?

1. Get a team formed of people ready to brainstorm

2. Scoop, sneak, find your subjects

3. Assign a number of subjects to each person

4. Start writing and while doing so make sure you are updated to your colleagues' work.

5. Read your stories among yourselves and find the best output for each article

6. You will need pictures right?

7. Make sure each page represents a different category of subjects, you don't want to make a mess of the general look, don't you?

8. Review and send it to print

9. Wait for your acclaims. haha.

While writing you will also want to promote yourself. Spread the news of your magazine. Make them curious. You don't want people to be surprized by the coming out of your articles, but to be anxious of their apparition.

So go on, I encourage you to find where to write if you feel like writing;)