Chapter 5: Wales

WYSC was a very important event in our lives. It brought us together and for the first time, we weren't just classmates, but friends.

At the beginning it was quite confusing. We got in touch with our exchanges quite fast,but for some of us things didn't work out well. I was lucky, and I got my host family soon. My exchange was a lovely Welsh girl. Not everyone was that lucky. Some people didn't know who they were staying with. The organization of such an event was really difficult, because it wasn't just Spain, but lots of more countries which needed host families in a tiny quirky town: Llangollen.

Somehow, the school year went quite fast, and suddenly we were there, in Liverpool's airport, with its yellow submarine at the door. I remember getting to the school, meeting Charlotte (My Welsh exchange) and arriving at the house. Everything was lovely, pretty and just green. All was extremely cozy. I loved - and love - every single detail from her house. Samara's room was in front of mine, so if we needed each other's help we were steps away from the other. But we didn't have much time to enjoy our rooms, because we were busy either with trips or contests.

We won the drama contest with our Bernarda Alba's performance.  I was Adela, and I still remember my part. We did it in English and somehow it ended well. Perhaps, what I liked the most, was the very moment before going to stage. We were surrounded by girls from different countries, rehearsing in their language. It was special.

Saying goodbye was the hardest part of our trip. I fell in love with that country and its people. I had a bond with the family and I liked them a lot. I didn't want to leave. I had met awesome people and it was painful to let go. We had a party in a huge field. We had dinner and live music, but somehow everyone knew that it was the end. We cried a lot. I think our tears brought us together. We realized that we had more in common than we thought.

Wales was special for me because it was the first time that I traveled on “my own”. I talked in English with English people and I had to defend myself. Of course, and most important, I met one of my, literally, best friends. I met Charlotte 4 years ago, and since then, we have kept in touch. We have gone on holiday together, she has come to Seville and I've gone back to Wales, and this is just the beginning of our friendship. We have sort of grown up together and now I have two families: My Spanish and my Welsh one.

Chapter 4: The Art Of Cheating

Cheating can turn out to be a dangerous adventure. It does not just happen in the the test. It has a preparation, a process. Almost tenderly, the cheater prepares his cheat-sheet, because his future luck depends on it. The cheater feels different emotions during the process, and as an adventure, those emotions change.

Before cheating, you are worried, scared and most of all, anxious, because you know you'll be asked something you haven't studied. Your hands have own life, and write as fast as they can in a tiny illegible hand writing. Fear gets somehow forgotten when all your focus is on the information you need to copy somewhere.

While you are cheating, you are paranoid. You have chills down your spine and cold sweat covers your forehead. You feel observe. You are under pressure. If you are lucky, you'll have in your cheat-sheet all the answers needed, but on the contrary, if you aren't... you'll have to suffer and struggle to answer something. If you are on the second case, you better pray.

After cheating, your whole body is relaxed. Everything looks brighter. Even the sun shines if it's cloudy! You can feel remorse, but eventually, it fades. The end of cheating itself is when you give your test to your teacher, and a big smirk appears on your face. If you have cheated well, you won't be caught.

See? Cheating is like falling in love. You feel tons of different emotions at the same time. It is difficult and obviously risky, but with good luck and a bit of wit, you can get a good mark in your test.

Chapter 3: Classmates and Friends: Ana and Andrea

It's funny to think how 6 years ago I hadn't met my best friends. My former “friends” weren't like them. I didn't spend hours talking on the phone with them. I trusted them in a different way. They weren't true friends. And sometimes it's just luck. Friendship just comes along.

I met Andrea just before high school. It was in 2006's summer. I went to her swimming pool with another girl. We were talking about high school and suddenly we realized that both of us were in the bilingual group. She was really nice and I liked her from the very beginning.

For the last couple of years we've grown a lot together. I know I can phone her and talk nonsense, because I'm sure that she'll listen to me. She's always been there for me. I know I can rely on her, and can cry on her shoulder. She also knows that she can cry in mine. Sometimes I feel that she's too vulnerable and that I should protect her. And when I'm almost decided to help her, she surprises me into one of the bravest girls I know . She's loyal, funny, witty, intelligent, lovely, strong and a treasure that everyone should have in his/her life.

Ana is... Ana. I adore that girl. She's one of the greatest girls I know. I can't remember how we met. We didn't become friends immediately. I was kind of jealous of her. She was pretty and funny.- She is still pretty and funny, don't get me wrong.- I used to cry a lot those days, and I guess I wasn't the type of girl you'd like to have as a friend. But see,m at the end we did become friends.

You cannot realize how special Ana is until you really know her. I'm always amazed by her. She is so different from the rest of people I know... She doesn't follow people, but people follow her. She's made me realize that old films are the best, that being yourself is very important and that you never have to lose your smile. She's very loyal, funny, intelligent, witty, stubborn and just lovely. I'm lucky to have her in my life.

I think everyone has something that makes them special. I guess I'm special because I have these two wonderful friends. They are everything a girl would like to have. I'm honored to be their friend. And this is a thank you to them, because my life wouldn't be the same without you.

Thank you, girls.

Chapter 2: Teachers: Miss Celis

Isabel Celis, also known by Miss Celis. She's been the only teacher that has been by our side these 6 years. From the very beginning she's been quite strict. I guess it's a good thing, but back then, when high school was a really new scary thing for us, that was kind of terrible. But if I have to give her an adjective, it'd be absent-minded. Who can't remember her saying “where have I put my glasses?” or keys, or books, or papers... She's also funny. We laugh a lot in class.

If something about her has marked our lives, it's her “red cards”. We couldn't talk in Spanish in her lessons, but anyway, we did. Our punishment was that red card, which basically meant extra homework. We stopped speaking Spanish. It wasn't worth it. Doing tons of homework at home wasn't very funny.

Her lessons are different. We don't usually do the same. We can do some exercises from the book, but we also read news on the net. We do some listenings and readings. We have also done some lyric's songs. In my opinion, we learn a lot. Speaking just in English has improved our listening and speaking skills.

Miss Celis is a very active teacher. Although she isn't paid for all the things she does – She keeps telling us that.- she's the whole time organizing something new for the school. She prepared our trip to Wales and that fantastic week called WYSC and the exchange with The Perse School. She made possible the impossible. At the beginning, almost half of the class couldn't go to Cambridge because there weren't enough host families, but she managed to find a solution so... we finally made it!

Personally, she has had an influence on me. She has helped me when things hadn't been good. She worries about her students. She has supported me with my writing, and I cannot be grateful enough. She's a wonderful teacher and a fantastic person. We, the bilingual group, have been lucky to have her by our side. I don't think we'd be the same group without her, because in the end she's been our tutor all along.

After these 6 years we'll never forget her “Sorry, but life is hard”.

Chapter 1: My Earliest Memory

I can still remember my first day. Maybe not the whole thing, but the beginning. I'm glad I can. My first year, generally speaking, is a bit blurry, yet this memory is clear in my head and I easily replay it in my head. I feel like it happened yesterday.

15^th September, 2007. My first day at high school. I was worried, like any other kid. I felt old - Even though I can tell that I wasn't-  but not ready. I had the feeling that this new building meant a new life, and I was happy with my former one. I liked my school, and friends. I didn't mind not going out until late. I didn't mind being a little girl. I've never wanted to grow up fast. So in that moment, when I went into that small, old, white building, everything changed. It was my first breaking point at life. It was a big step. I wasn't a child anymore, but a teenager.

I cannot really remember the classroom, because in the end it's not the place but the people what makes the first impression. We had to sit by our surname. I knew some people from my school, but none of them were my friends. I knew their faces and names, but not their story. So there, in the middle of the classroom, confused and scared, was a girl that happened to be me. I sat next to a girl that was really tall. I'm quite small, so she looked to me way older. I was nervous. I wanted to make friends easily. I wanted to be accepted. As if life was a puzzle and we need to find a place to fit.

She looked at me, with those  honest  big brown eyes, and smiled at me. She was as scared as me. It may look stupid, but I just said “It is hot today, isn't it?”. It was the wittiest sentence I could say. She smiled, glad that I talked. And we became friends. With that stupid sentence. Carmen. I haven't seen her in 3 years, but that's another story.

Elena Morillo García 2ºBarchillerato A

Do you think you should change your job once you've reached the top?

 I believe that, once you have reached the top of your career, you should look for a new job. Success us only found is risks are taken.

Sometimes, your job may get under your skin. Stress starts to affect you in a lot of ways, even if you do not realize it. A new job means fresh air.

You may be good or just your job is good. To prove yourself how skilled you are, you have to try to do something. Coaxing success seems difficult, but once you do it, pride will make everything look better.

Routine, as harmful as it may appear, can turn you into a different person. In a new job, you just can change your personality. You meet new people and face new challenges.

To sum up, you should never keep doing what you do if you have done your best. Taking risks is the only way to really find success. Keep struggling for a better thing, and as Steve Jobs once said “Stay Strong”.

A typical holiday in Sevilla: Corpus Christie

The Corpus Christi is a very popular holiday in Seville. Celebrated 60 days after Sunday of Resurrection. It's a very special holiday in the catholic culture.

The Corpus Christi started to be celebrated back to 1473. But it didn't get important until XVI century. The cathedral in Seville kept the tradition of taking out a procession made in silver that represents the body of Jesus. It parades around the city, that gets decorated just for it. On the balconies, people wait to see it parade.

People all over Spain and South America celebrate this holiday, but in each place it is different. They parade a sculpture that represents Christ's body, but it is unique in each city. Besides, it is celebrated in different days. In Seville it's on Thursday (this year the 7^th June) but on other places it takes place on Saturday or Sunday.

I have never been to the Corpus Christi parade. I really want to see it because I have been hearing about it since I was a kid. I'm really curious to know what it looks like and why it is so special.