by Ivete dos Santos
At first, our vacation was going to be a car trip from Sarasota to San Francisco. My husband and I had spent a couple of weeks planning this trip when I suddenly asked him why not go to Europe instead. At that moment, he and my children were reluctant, but after a few days the whole family was involved with this idea.
We planned each detail carefully. My husband decided to take a family cruise as well, which was a great idea, because our children would meet other teenagers. The trip was planned, the luggage was packed; Europe, here we go! We began our trip in Prague, a beautiful and colorful city, with a lot of bridges, historical monuments, and my two friends Eliska and Lucie, very good hostesses, who introduced us to some delicious typical Czech food.
After three days in Prague, visiting museums, castles, churches, good restaurants, or just walking around, we took a train to Budapest, an amazing city with its history, good food, well preserved monuments, and nice people. If we had had more time, we would have stayed there for a few more days; however, our River Cruise was waiting for us – a splendid ship, excellent food, nice and efficient crew, wonderful tours, in which the organizers mixed not only cultural, but fun activities as well.
We visited the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, where I saw Dutch soccer team defeat Brazil, while my family was having fun rafting. We went to Vienna, an impressive city, with amazing palaces, monuments and churches. I really loved such a historical city. We visited the beautiful Salzburg, the stage of the story The Sound of Music. We also visited Durnstein, a small but not less important city. We rode a bike from this city to Krems, having The Danube River and the mountains as scenery. After that, we continued our trip to Passau, through the Wachau Valley, one of the most beautiful views I’ve seen in Europe. We finished our cruise in Regersburg. In Munich, we took a train to Venice, Italy, a very impressive and romantic city, with its Canals, San Marco Square, etc. Two days there and with a rented car, we went to Cinqueterre, a harmonic combination between the sea and the hill, with breathtaking views. No museums, no churches, but the sea. Swimming was a refreshing activity in those hot sunny days. Two days there and we went to Tuscany: Florence, Siena, San Giminiano, Cortona (city of the movie Under the Tuscan Sun), Arezzo, which city was set a part of the movie The Life is Beautiful, etc. Each corner had a lot of history and culture, good food, and the unforgettable sunset that followed us amid the roads.
Finally, we went to Rome, an open sky museum city, where, if you liberate your imagination, you can be transported through time and guess what really happened with Julius Cesar and others emperors in those times, the Vatican and its Sistine Chapel, the coins and a wish in the Trevi Fountain…every place worthy of a visit.
Definitely, it was much more than a vacation trip. I am sure that we learned a lot during the month we spent in Europe, and it was a lesson for the rest of our lives.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
A Little Girl Who Needs Desperately To Believe…
by Ivete dos Santos
I am an eleven -year -old blond girl, tall and thin, with blue eyes. My name is Barbara but everybody calls me Baby, a nickname that my brother, whose name is Sam, gave me when I was a little baby and he, who is two years older than I, couldn’t call me Barbara.
I live with my parents and Sam in a comfortable house, where I have my own light green bedroom .This place used to be my sacred place. When I was sad with my mother, I went there, when I was crazy with my brother, I went there. When I had some secret, I hid there. After learning how to read and write, I began to write my ideas there. .. Sorry, I forgot to mention that I love to write and I always put my thoughts on paper. It makes me feel better. When I grow up, I will be a writer, but I don’t like to talk about it with my brother because he always says that I don’t know how to write a good story, which is true, so far; however, I am studying hard and have read a bunch of books to get ideas and inspiration. Sometimes, I open my dictionary and, at random, I choose some new words. I am aware that if I do this, I will improve my vocabulary and prepare myself for my first novel. Definitely, I will be an artist, and I think I will be a singer, too.
I used to be very happy and very energetic, too. My parents always said that I was the sunshine of our house. I love my family, and I know they love me, too. We have a tight-knit relationship. It made me feel more confident, and I sang loud my favorite song, ”What a Wonderful World.” My neighbors liked to hear my songs. Since I was four years old, they used to ask me to sing for them. I really believed that I was good at music.
Remembering my past, I know I don’t have anything to complain about because I had a good life. I was an A student… actually, sometimes, I got Bs in math, but I don’t think it will be a big issue for a singer and writer, will it? My family and I used to go to my grandparents’ farm on our vacation. How beautiful it was there! The stream with its cold water and fish, the cows, the very peaceful fields and their birds, the rooster that in the dawn woke us up with its song. And the smell... I still can feel the smell coming from the farm after the rain, the smell of the plants, and the delicious smell from my grandmother’s kitchen, which announced to us that it was time to eat. When was the last time we had gone there?
It was a good time, and still will be. I trust when my mother tells me that I will be fine, but what I feel right now is a weakness, apathy, and a huge irritation although I try to control myself. However, the worst thing is my mute mouth. I am not able to sing anymore. The minimum noise makes me crazy. I must be patient, I must have faith, but I have to confess that I am losing everything, I am becoming ….what is the word? I learned it a few months ago.. ag...agnostic! No, I am not! I must believe in our Church, because my mother told me that without faith, no healing, and I trust her…My mother, how I miss her, such a nice and dedicated mother. Why did she and my father have to go so far for praying? I need them close to me, I need my mom’s hands in my hands. Come back soon, come back…
Before my parents’ trip, Sharon, who is a nice neighbor, had told my mother that I should have gone to a hospital, because my disease, whose name is diabetes, is easily controlled by medicine, but our Church doesn’t believe it could be right. I tried to ask my mother what that means; however she told me it would be too complicated for children to understand, and that I only have to believe in our Church, which has sent a good practitioner to heal me, who stays with me and prays, but, so far I am not feeling better. I know it could be a sin, but I can’t stop thinking to myself why drugs are not good for this illness. Why do only practitioners from our Church have permission from God to heal? If medicine can cure, it is because God allows it, isn’t it? Doctors should have God’s hands, too. It makes sense for me, but I am only a stupid child who insists on asking difficult questions. I have to stop it, I must believe! I have to struggle against these bad thoughts… I am feeling very weary and I am losing my strength. Everything has changed drastically in my life in a short time. My bedroom, my beloved bedroom, which was my divine place, and used to be clear and bright, is completely different now. Although every single thing seems to be in its own place, it is not my room anymore. It is a dark, silent, humid, and strange place, where people come and go anytime. They have stolen my paradise.
“Sam, please, tell me that I will be able to be a writer..tell me you were only kidding me when you said I will never be a writer…please… where are you? Wh are you not with me? Where is everybody? I only see a man here…who is he? I’m so lonely and scared…. And the weakness..I need water..I m feeling like a very dry plant . I need you here, Mom! The birds, my math quiz, my pen, my dad, the unforgettable smell of the ground after raining, the rooster…Is it still able to wake me up? When the sunrise will come again?”
“Where is everybody, I hardly held my pen…and right now, it is the only good thing I have close to me…my room, my beloved bedroom, I used to be very happy, but now only darkness, sorrow and a deep loneliness…”
I am only a little girl who needs desperately to believe…
But I can’t anymore…
I am an eleven -year -old blond girl, tall and thin, with blue eyes. My name is Barbara but everybody calls me Baby, a nickname that my brother, whose name is Sam, gave me when I was a little baby and he, who is two years older than I, couldn’t call me Barbara.
I live with my parents and Sam in a comfortable house, where I have my own light green bedroom .This place used to be my sacred place. When I was sad with my mother, I went there, when I was crazy with my brother, I went there. When I had some secret, I hid there. After learning how to read and write, I began to write my ideas there. .. Sorry, I forgot to mention that I love to write and I always put my thoughts on paper. It makes me feel better. When I grow up, I will be a writer, but I don’t like to talk about it with my brother because he always says that I don’t know how to write a good story, which is true, so far; however, I am studying hard and have read a bunch of books to get ideas and inspiration. Sometimes, I open my dictionary and, at random, I choose some new words. I am aware that if I do this, I will improve my vocabulary and prepare myself for my first novel. Definitely, I will be an artist, and I think I will be a singer, too.
I used to be very happy and very energetic, too. My parents always said that I was the sunshine of our house. I love my family, and I know they love me, too. We have a tight-knit relationship. It made me feel more confident, and I sang loud my favorite song, ”What a Wonderful World.” My neighbors liked to hear my songs. Since I was four years old, they used to ask me to sing for them. I really believed that I was good at music.
Remembering my past, I know I don’t have anything to complain about because I had a good life. I was an A student… actually, sometimes, I got Bs in math, but I don’t think it will be a big issue for a singer and writer, will it? My family and I used to go to my grandparents’ farm on our vacation. How beautiful it was there! The stream with its cold water and fish, the cows, the very peaceful fields and their birds, the rooster that in the dawn woke us up with its song. And the smell... I still can feel the smell coming from the farm after the rain, the smell of the plants, and the delicious smell from my grandmother’s kitchen, which announced to us that it was time to eat. When was the last time we had gone there?
It was a good time, and still will be. I trust when my mother tells me that I will be fine, but what I feel right now is a weakness, apathy, and a huge irritation although I try to control myself. However, the worst thing is my mute mouth. I am not able to sing anymore. The minimum noise makes me crazy. I must be patient, I must have faith, but I have to confess that I am losing everything, I am becoming ….what is the word? I learned it a few months ago.. ag...agnostic! No, I am not! I must believe in our Church, because my mother told me that without faith, no healing, and I trust her…My mother, how I miss her, such a nice and dedicated mother. Why did she and my father have to go so far for praying? I need them close to me, I need my mom’s hands in my hands. Come back soon, come back…
Before my parents’ trip, Sharon, who is a nice neighbor, had told my mother that I should have gone to a hospital, because my disease, whose name is diabetes, is easily controlled by medicine, but our Church doesn’t believe it could be right. I tried to ask my mother what that means; however she told me it would be too complicated for children to understand, and that I only have to believe in our Church, which has sent a good practitioner to heal me, who stays with me and prays, but, so far I am not feeling better. I know it could be a sin, but I can’t stop thinking to myself why drugs are not good for this illness. Why do only practitioners from our Church have permission from God to heal? If medicine can cure, it is because God allows it, isn’t it? Doctors should have God’s hands, too. It makes sense for me, but I am only a stupid child who insists on asking difficult questions. I have to stop it, I must believe! I have to struggle against these bad thoughts… I am feeling very weary and I am losing my strength. Everything has changed drastically in my life in a short time. My bedroom, my beloved bedroom, which was my divine place, and used to be clear and bright, is completely different now. Although every single thing seems to be in its own place, it is not my room anymore. It is a dark, silent, humid, and strange place, where people come and go anytime. They have stolen my paradise.
“Sam, please, tell me that I will be able to be a writer..tell me you were only kidding me when you said I will never be a writer…please… where are you? Wh are you not with me? Where is everybody? I only see a man here…who is he? I’m so lonely and scared…. And the weakness..I need water..I m feeling like a very dry plant . I need you here, Mom! The birds, my math quiz, my pen, my dad, the unforgettable smell of the ground after raining, the rooster…Is it still able to wake me up? When the sunrise will come again?”
“Where is everybody, I hardly held my pen…and right now, it is the only good thing I have close to me…my room, my beloved bedroom, I used to be very happy, but now only darkness, sorrow and a deep loneliness…”
I am only a little girl who needs desperately to believe…
But I can’t anymore…
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Editorial: A Terrible Accident
Richard Jouven
09/28/2010
I am going to speak about an immense catastrophe in the USA. It was in the Gulf of Mexico, with the oil platform five months ago. We know about this story, but I’m sure, with the new technology it would have been easy to avoid this. During five months all the oil was going everywhere, so it was a disaster for the environment like the fish, and also it’s devastating for the fishermen. In effect, more than five million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. For example, the oil is in Florida now and it’s not finished yet. The oil is like a liquid, so it can stay on top of the water and can travel everywhere in the world. When I arrived two weeks ago in Florida, I saw the oil by the plane and it was very strange; the color was brown. In my opinion, we don’t talk enough about this story. For me it’s really terrible, because maybe in ten years we are going to find the problem and where the weakness of this problem was. I repeat: with the new technology, we are not able to find the mistake. So it’s for that reason that the authorities of the USA didn’t speak so much about this case now, because they know that they made a mistake. So now we would like to know if we can pump all the oil that spilled, and if not, what will the world be like in ten years?
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