This time I would write about my master's thesis. Actually, about one of the writing I raise. My thesis deals with Latin American testimony (non-fiction writing). I'm going to study a Hernán Valdés's (Chile), a Miguel Barnet (Cuba) and a Carolina Maria de Jesus's (Brasil) book. I'm going to approximate the last one.

Carolina Maria de Jesus is a destitute black woman who lives in one of Sao Paulo's Favela, Canindé. She and her three children live at a shack. She was born in a Brazilian city-Sacramonte. When her mother become widowed they moved to the village and then they went to a city. Finally, Carolina migrated to São Paulo when her mother is dead. The Carolina's life restricts to gathering papers, tins and begging in some food factories. She lives in extreme poverty: she wakes up to have water and some foodstuff. After have breakfast, she goes out to raise money for dinner and then she leaves the shack to have money to prepare supper..She does like that every day.

Carolina is needy and unmarried. Both agents are not propitious. In Brazil in the fifties the single mothers were not acceptable. Beyond, Carolina was an extraordinary dweller in the favela: she was literate, she used to listen to music on the radio and to write a diary. She markedly differs from others dwellers, she doesn't like gossipping, fighting or drinking alcohol.

The publication of her diary was possible due to a reporter- Audálio Dantas. The first diary achieved success, nevertheless, it did not brighten Carolina's life conditions. The Brazilian politics even took advantage of her, taking pictures with Carolina during the presidential campaign. However, they did not help people from favelas. There is one more factor to consider: only a certain part of her diaries (she wrote about thirty five diaries) were publicised and surely there were some reasons to public this one and not others.

Clicking this link, you can see a video in which the character plasticine. The video is in Portuguese. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TuEcEB5CcQ

What do you have in Inside out?

In Christmas time I had a chance to see Inside out, a animated comedy whose premier was released in June last year. The main character is Riley- about a ten years old girl who lives in Minnesota with her parents. Riley is a lively, enterprising, outgoing child. She is a ice hokey player and she really enjoys training it. She has a great circle of friends. But what does differ this animated comedy from others? It is something creative-we can see what controls the Riley's mind. There are four emotions: Joe, Fear, Anger and Sadness, who constitute the rest of the cast. These emotions function like a Railey's headquarter. Fortunately, Joe usually takes the helm :). We have not only the possibility of observing Railey's mind, but also the parents' mind.

However, the family had to move to San Francisco due to father's job. At this moment, the girl's behaviour has changed. Joe does her best, but she has gotten lost and winds through the mind.. Railey is overwhelmed with a new environment...

I consider this comedy a good way of spending a family or friend evening. On the one hand it points that we can control our emotions and our mental state is a conscious decision. It reminds me about ability to focus on the present moment, what is the premise of mindfulness. On the other hand, we should know all emotions we can feel. The adults should teach the children that feel fear or angry is normal, but they have to be able to cope with them.

Why is worth playing board games?

For some months I have irregularly played board games with my family and I have liked it more and more! I'm involving myself in this entertainment. At the beginning I was quite stressed when I saw a sandglass, however, with each game I'm thinking less about it and I try to concentrate me on the task. We usually play Activity, Jungle Speed, Tabu or Dixit. There are so many kind of games and I know only few.

We can compare Activity with Polish game which is- erroneously- called „pan” or „paronomasia”. However, this game is more elaborated: you can choose if you want to draw, to show (to mime, without sound and pointing objects) or to describe a banner. The rest of your team has to guess it.

Jungle Speed, we can surmise, consists in reflex and speed. When your playing card has the same pattern like your opponent's card, you have to take the totem. The person who does it first, win.

In Tabu you have to describe a term without words you have on the playing card (tabu). During one minutes you describe how many concept you are able and your team guess them. Time pressure makes you tell gashs because the only thing you procure is that your time guess the term you have on the card.

I have played Dixit once. This game consists in connotation. You see a card and you say your connotation (the most difficult as you can), the rest of players have to vote the card with your connotation. If they are right, they score points.

There are many benefits of playing board games. They point out that it is right manner to spend time with family and friends. Even children get benefit of it: they can move the counter, throw the dice and count. Board games let learning something new, boost memory, require concentration and patience, stimulate creativity, teach you strategic thinking, to accept losings and enjoy winnings. I consider it is a great manner to spend tiem not only with your peers, but also for intergenerational company. I strongly recommend that you try it! :)

More benefits of playing board games you can find clicking on this link: https://staroversky.com/blog/the-benefits-of-playing-board-games.

 Culinary education

In September a new law went into effect. The law concerns food at tuck shops. According to the act, is banned selling some foodstuff, like carbonated beverages, crisps, salty snacks. Interestingly, the name „tuck shops” involves what they sell at. However, in Polish, it doesn't. We just call it, literally, „shop at school” or „scholastic shop”.

The law has been ordains in order to prevent the childhood obesity epidemic and contain it. According to data, the index of obesity is constantly increasing. Although, in Poland the numbers aren't so high comparing with other countries, our position isn't a credit to us.

At the beginning, I considered this law so radical because I care my nutrition (or I think so ;)) and from time to time I eat a candy bar, but after reflection, I decided it is a good solution. Nowadays, there are more food temptation than when I was a child. Many parents work all day and they haven't time to cook or say that they can't do it. However, I know people who prepare their meals in the evening for the next day. I was doing the same when I was in Granada. Now it's more difficult because when I spend all the time out of the house I haven't possibility of reheating it (you can read my post blog about microwave at university). The specialists highlight not only the quality of meals but also the importance of the way of eating (e.g.in company).

We mustn't forget the parents are responsible in the first place for their children thus the culinary education can't limit to theoretical and practical workshops at school, but all school community (parents, teachers, school employee) should be involved in this long-term project. From infancy we should learn children good habits because it has impact on their all live and all society. In Polish we have a proverb which says what youth is used to, age remembers. I think there isn't more appropriate words to comment this issue :).!

You will find some information about this topic in this page:http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/obesity/data-and-statistics

 Christmas time

Last week I had a chance to participate in a collection for charity. A charity worker chose one family (a grandmother who breeds a granddaughter). All students and academic workers could bring food product, toiletries, clothes or objects that could make out grandmother and granddaughter passion, like singing. I remember this kind of event for I was at school. Over the years I've attempted to a greater or lesser extent to help- I was buying some sweeties or some basic foodstuff. This year it's my  last year when I'm a student, for this reason I wanted to get involved more seriously. That's why I felt obligated to provide cosmetics items and some detergents. Others bought clothes, boots, food (like rice, flour, pasta...). Inclusively, we collected so much products, the charity worker could prepare 27 packages! The family's gotten them.

  This sort of action (in Poland, one of the most known action is The Noble Box Project)

gives me hope that people can unite and help. Together it is easier!

You can visit the website od The Noble Box Project: http://www.szlachetnapaczka.pl/en

SHOPPING MALLS

Since some moths taking a tram, I can observe a building of a huge shopping mall which will finally be called „Posnania” and not „Łacina”. The construction site is pretty norm. There is so much illumination and worker's bunkhouse. The total surface will achieve more than 200 thousand square metre. It will seat three hundred commercial places. This centre will be the third of the biggest shopping malls in Poland. Its building has causes polemic. There are many voices that Poznan is a flooded city and with the highest average shopping centre fallen on one dweller.

Some politician and one port of Poznań's community have been against this project. I am one of them. I consider at Poznan and Posnania will be located nearby an one big centre (Malta). The supporters point out location of Posnania and that it will employ 3 thousand of person. Nevertheless, I ask me a question: will be viable? Recently, I have realised some shops have their residence too close (e.g. some clothing shops are set at the same street on Polwiejska). Besides, it has a social impact. It influences on people the pressure of buying and can continue with a lifestyle change. Many people and more adolescent will spend their leisure time in shopping mall. If I could decide, I would built a park instead.

You will find the list of the biggest shopping centre worldwide, clicking on this link: http://list25.com/25-largest-shopping-malls-in-the-world/5/

Nowadays, we hear pretty a lot about ecological foodstuff. There are a full range of these products on the store shelves. Recently, shops with eco, bio or organic products have sprung up. All of us have become a specialist of nutrition. However, how does it work? Which product can be tallied such ecological commodity?

http://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/product.html

First, if we see on the packet a label „ek” or „bio” it doesn't mean this product, effectively, it it. Buying, we have to examine the tally. If it is a bio product, it has a certified logo with twelve stars, what form an European certificate. What does it mean that a product is eco? The are so many factors, including, conditions of farm (the kind of forage, the prohibition of fertiliser, hormone and antibiotic using).

http://www.tanc.org/reading-food-labels/

The other concept frequently used is a term „a good food”. Nevertheless, it is meaningless for specialists. In fact, it means nothing cause for each organism other product can be healthy.

Having reflected, we can write that a demand for this sort of commodities comes from a need to come back to previous (traditional) customs and to reject an undue development or is it a new trend in order to realise benefits?

You will find more information: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/downloads/logo/index_en.htm