These days, when the media are constantly talking about economic problems and euphorically celebrating the success of Spanish football at the European Cup, I would like to highlight other news, actually scientific news that have been of great importance for humanity, such as the discovery of the Higgs particle.
The truth is that I do not understand much about these extensive studies, but I have read several articles about them with enormous interest.
The same theoretical physicist Peter Higgs, now aged 83, who in the 60s, based on previous work, proposed this theory to explain the origin of the mass and in whose honor this particle is named, said the day the news was made public: “I am extremely impressed by what you have achieved. Congratulations to everyone involved in this incredible achievement and it´s been a joy to live to know it”.
The so-called “God particle”, a boson, refers to the ultimate nature of the components and basic interaction of the physical world. This discovery is not an ultimate target, on the contrary, the beginning of a project to explain the universe.
Cayetano López, general manager of the “Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas” (CIMAT) said: “Yesterday, 3 July 2012, a historic discovery was announced which has been a giant step in understanding the physical world, and surely its analysis will lead us to explore the nature of the universe, its properties and history”.
This conquest has been an immense labor of international research and a contribution that will bear fruit in the future.
I have always admired researchers and the outstanding values that support their work, for example, their patient perseverance, their unfailing hope and dedication, their teamwork ability … , so this event is not an exception.
Science, in any of its specializations, is a path of no return and we must continue to invest in it even in times of economic crisis.
Countries that invest in science are always in the vanguard of development and their citizens will always be the first to enjoy its magnificent benefits.
The first time I came across Poe I was just twelve, so I’ve been a fan for quite some time. I had been reading Chesterton and Agatha Christie, mixing their stories with my compulsory books from school and I liked their cheerful main characters, who could solve a crime without losing their temper. Of course, you can’t simply grow to hate Father Brown or Miss Marple, but let’s face it, they were softies. Therefore, my Spanish teacher thought I could go in for something more challenging and suggested Poe’s famous tales. From the beginning, I totally loved them. And how could I not? As I grew up, I also learnt more about such a fascinating writer and, thus, I began to understand why he has become one of the most outstanding and influential figures of American literature.
To seize what Poe means to world literature, you must at least know what Romanticism was like. Romanticism was a total movement which evolved in different fields, such as literature, art, philosophy or history. What’s more, Romanticism was a way of living, a reaction against an old political and social system on the verge of disappearance. No wonder, since the 19th century it has also been a revolutionary period, full of changes when it comes to history: new countries were born from the ashes of the old ones, the industrial revolution transformed our world dramatically and the ancient established system began to crumble.
Immersed in this chaotic yet fascinating era, Poe was kind of a rebellious teenage punk, who became a dysfunctional adult, but also a brilliant writer, a poet, a journalist, a critic and one of the finest icons of American Romanticism. Born in Boston in 1809, his father abandoned his family and his mother, a theater actress who died at a young age. As an orphan, Edgar was taken in by a rich couple, who earnestly tried to gave him a good upbringing. It was all in vain, as he was expelled from both college and the army. His stepfather soon disowned him because, due to his social status, he didn’t want anything to do with a gambler.
Then, Poe decided to earn his living with what he liked the most (and actually, the only thing he could do well enough): writing. He began to work for various newspapers in different cities, such as Philadelphia, Baltimore or New York. His distinctive style – caustic, ironic, but also smooth and elegant - made him really popular in no time. Nonetheless, he still had to fight against his own personal demons: gambling, alcohol, a depressive personality, an addictive and self-destructive nature ... he was always short of money and often had to depend on others in order to survive. Despite the fact that he was also considered a womanizer, he got married to his cousin, Virginia Clemm, when she was just 13! Although it is said that they had a brotherly relationship rather than a proper marriage, the truth is that he loved her dearly and, just like she gave him some peace of mind while she was alive, her early death, caused by tuberculosis, destroyed Poe’s sanity more than anything else had done before. He finally died just two years after her deceased wife, in 1849. After all this time, the causes of his death still remain unknown.
Burt Simpson confronts the Raven
Even though he only lived for 40 years, he had an intense literary life: lots of short tales, poems, essays, articles, reviews and a single novel ... He could scare, surprise or amaze people, all in just one go! The black cat, The murders in the Rue Morgue, The Tell-Tale Heart or his most famous poem, The Raven, still keep him alive all over the world, and his influence is noticeable on lots of writers who couldn’t escape from its uniqueness. Sherlock Holmes, the timeless detective created by sir Arthur Conan Doyle, wouldn’t have been the same without Auguste Dupin, a Poe character who appears in three of his tales. Even Jules Verne wrote a sequel to his novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. As the world keeps changing, I know something for sure: both horror and crime stories will always be related to Poe to some extent, but unfortunately, we will never be able to overcome him. Nevermore.
I always thought Poe’s life deserved a film which could tell his story, because it’s clearly as exciting as any of his works. By the time being, this is all we have:
The Raven movie is not a biopic nor is it related to the famous poem, certainly not. It is a thriller where a psycho is recreating Poe’s most famous crime stories on his own. A detective alongside Poe himself will try to stop him. Although I don’t know much more about this film – and it could end up being disappointing - I couldn’t be happier with the actor who plays Poe’s role, John Cusack.
Don’t Cusack and Poe really look alike? Well, I’ll surely watch this movie. As a loyal Poe fan, I can’t help it …
The idea to this blog entry occurred to me when Juanjo told me that he had planned to visit Berlin this summer. I thought that I could recommend him some interesting sites and perhaps also to other keen travellers in my class. Furthermore, since I lived in Berlin for two years and I’ve visited it some more times, you will probably appreciate my personal experience, which can contribute to making you realize what the wall meant (and still means) to Germans.
My first impressions of Berlin go back to 1977 when I was still a child. My father had to go to a conference, and we all went with him. I vividly remember when we were standing on a viewing platform near the wall, where we were explained facts and stories about it. I just couldn’t believe what I saw – how could it be possible that there were Germans living on the other side of the wall without being able to see their families and friends in the Western part of Germany? And that terrible security zone where many “republic fugitives” (the official GDR term) were shot to death?
And I don’t know why - maybe the guide left me a very vivid image of him - I cannot help seeing President John F. Kennedy's speech in front of my eyes, and you might as well know the famous sentence “Ich bin ein Berliner”.
What impressed me most were the security measures when you wanted to cross the border: On the way back from our day trip to East Berlin – I still remember the fantastic Pergamon Museum, one of the most worthwhile museums in the city even today - we were held up a long time, for me an eternity, as the officials nearly tore our minibus to pieces in order to check if we were hiding a fugitive!
When I was studying in Berlin in the 80s, it was a “hip” city for young people: students, artists, homosexuals, dropouts, punkers and other tribes who went there because it was the only place where neither the military nor the civil service were compulsory. It was a melting pot but there was one thing they all had in common: They felt that they were living in a special city, and in fact it was; a sort of rebellious, creative spirit was noticeable in each district.
Only when friends came to visit me and wanted to see the East, we endured the border control procedure stoically, made the obligatory money exchange (a certain amount had was due) and walked around to take some photos of the typical GDR cars, the “Trabant” also popularly known as “Trabbi”, took the elevator to enjoy the “must-see” view from the television tower in Alexander Place, the showpiece of modern GDR architecture, and tried to waste all that plastic money we had been given, which actually was difficult! When I try to describe East Berlin in a colour, this would be grey: No adverts, dirty grey buildings, people wearing dark colours, cars in only three different subdued shades; even people’s faces seemed joyless to me.
Going to Berlin from West Germany by car was a one-off experience. You were not allowed to leave the motorway except in the official GDR motorway service areas. Reaching the “island” that was Berlin, you had to place your passport onto a conveyor belt, queuing inside your car and waiting up to … two hours? When it was your turn to stand the harsh look of the border control official, you could finally get your passport back and go on.
Near the border you always felt that strange “big-brother-is-watching-you” feeling. In Kreuzberg district, where I lived, the wall was just around the corner, on the other side of the Landwehr canal. When I went for a run along the canal, it was impossible to ignore the border control towers (I think there are only three left by now) and the official with his binoculars!
However, it was one the best times of my life! Regrettably, I wasn’t there any more when the wall came down in 1989 to celebrate it with the overjoyed Berliners. I also would have liked to see Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” concert, which, I think, took place after the official reunification in 1990. Instead I saw both events from my sofa on the TV screen in Salamanca, but never mind, it was a new stage in my life.
My further visits have been as a mere tourist, and my Spanish friends did what most tourists wanted in those times: to see the wall and take a piece of it with them! As the GDR claimed to have the most fortified and secure “defensive wall against capitalism”, you can possibly imagine how difficult it was to break a piece of the wall. Here you can see my husband and a friend during their attempt.
Berlin’s physiognomy was changing gradually, the wall was torn down bit by bit, and nowadays it’s difficult to find any remaining sections of the original wall. After the reunification, feverish construction works began all around the centre, especially in the heart of Berlin, the “Potsdamer Platz”. This had been one of the busiest places before the construction of the wall, only to become an empty huge piece of no-man’s land in the middle of the “death-strip” and, now again, a bustling place with modern tower blocks designed by famous architects. One of them I’d really recommend is the Kollhoff building. From its top you have a fantastic view of the whole place, and you can also take a look at the outdoor photo exhibition showing its history. By the way, on the ground floor you will find an excellent Italian Restaurant!
As a result of an initiative by several local artists, there is a long section of the wall left, now painted from the Eastern side, the so-called East Side Gallery. We enjoyed watching all the paintings, passing by on our bikes (which is, in my view, a recommendable way to explore the city), and stopping here and there. Between the backside of the wall and the canal you can find some peculiar cafés, “beach” included. Some of the wall paintings you may have seen before.
In my opinion, more pieces of the wall should have been preserved, on the one hand because of tourism, and on the other hand because the wall symbolizes the time of the Cold War. I believe it is also worth visiting the Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, a museum that shows the complete history of the wall, featuring both attempted and successful escapes, but I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never visited it. Finally (this is far too long, I’m sorry), I’d recommend you the film “Das Leben der Anderen” (The Life of Others), which most of you may have seen already.
I hope you find my experiences interesting and enjoy your next visit to Berlin!
A great post indeed, dear Susanne, danke schön! As you can see I've inserted a link to a small clip of "The Wall concert" at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin 1990. Actually, I need to tell you that it was Roger Waters (not the full PF line-up) who staged the big event as he'd already split from the rest of the band.
Then, your lovely story of the "Trabants" reminded me of U2's famous song, One, which the Irish quartet recorded, very suitably, in Berlin in 1991. This below is part of a documentary on the band's album "Achtung baby", where Bono and the guys reminisce the legendary recording process at Hansa Studios. Halfway across the clip you can see them driving a Trabant themselves along the streets of the reunified "one" Berlin. Such a marvellous song! (mind you, Bono was not inspired by Berlin and The Wall when he composed One, but rather by the difficult relationship he had with his won father those days)
First of all, I must say I don’t have a favourite film. How could I? There are so many good movies - as many as bad ones, if you think about it - that it’s nearly impossible to choose just a handful of them. Moreover, some of my classmates have already talked about some of the films I like the most, but I’ve noticed nobody has listed an animated movie, so let me start my selection with an awesome one:
Animation films have a long history, nearly as long as cinema itself, but none has revolutionized its plots and techniques as dramatically as Pixar has done ever since they released Toy story in 1995. Wall-e is another fine example, actually so good that it has been ranked first in TIME magazine’s list of “Best movies of the decade". How did Pixar achieve this? Well, no fluffy animals were used, but instead a robot who falls in love and happens to be the cutest thing in the world! By the way, half of this film is mute. In fact, the main characters hardly ever speak. It doesn’t matter, though, because words are unnecessary to understand this beautiful story.
Next, as regards love stories and magical films, you can’t miss this one:
I’m a fan of Tim Burton - although I don’t like all his films. Big fish is, by far, my favourite. It isn’t the typical rom-com (which I’m not usually very fond of because they tend to be too simple), as it talks about love, family, forgiveness, overcoming problems but, above all, magic. When you see this film, you can both cry and laugh, but it will surely leave an impression on you. It worked for me as much as when, for example, I saw Amélie. Whenever I think about these two films, I can’t help smiling. Isn’t this a good enough compliment? Last but not least, “Schindler's List” also had a big impact on me, although I’ve only seen it once. Not because I don’t like it, but because I can’t watch it again. It’s a tough film, but still a must-see. Filmed in black and white, only a note of colour is left: the red coat of a little Jewish girl. The whole film is impressive, so much so that there are no words to describe it. All things considered (the film’s director, cast, plot, script ...), “Schindler’s list” is just perfect.
This is an interesting interview with the famous director on BBC Wales about the film:
Puri Garcia says:
My favourite movie? Well, let me think … OK, whichever makes me feel frightened! Since I overcame my childhood nightmares I’ve loved horror movies.
Have you ever watched The Blair Witch Project? It is an American psychological horror film, written and directed in 1999 by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez. It’s really horrifying, but without blood or monsters, only with the noises at night and disturbing sticky figures hanging from trees. It is indeed a hair-raising movie!
The film tells the story of three student filmmakers who disappear after hiking in the woods of Maryland to record a documentary about the local legend known as the Blair Witch, the ghost of Elly Kedward, a woman banished from the Blair Township for witchcraft in 1785. It is said that the three students, Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams, were never seen again. However, someone discovered their camera and sound equipment a year later.
The whole movie is presented to the viewer as the recovered footage from the woodland. It is also a reminder that what really scares us is the stuff we can’t see. Any kid can tell you that!
Following the line of my favourite film genres, I should explain to you that my sons love scary movies too, the last one that we have seen was “30 Days of Night”, which is about a town in Alaska seized by bloodthirsty vampires. It was their choice but, from my point of view, it is pretty nasty if you don’t like gory movies.
Anyway, if what you like is to feel panic you should watch “Paranormal Activity”. There is a special scene which could scare you to death.
“1408” is a film that could also make you absolutely petrified. John Cusack plays a writer who is specialized in debunking paranormal occurrences. He checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. After settling in, he confronts genuine terror.
However, my favourite one is “The Changeling”, directed by Peter Medak in 1980. Have you ever noticed the presence of a spectre?
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