IS SPORT AS GOOD AS IT SEEMS?

The idea we have about sport has changed drastically over the last few years. Some time ago only rich people could afford to practice some sport apart from football, which was the only one that poor children played on the streets. The ones with enough money to buy some equipment practiced tennis, ski, squash... they were considered to be the exception. However, now the strange thing is not to practice any kind of physical activity.

The image that the media offers us of famous sportsmen who always look fit, healthy and happy, makes us want to be like them, that´s why going to gyms or doing different sports is getting to be more and more popular as a way to lose weight. Of course this has its good side, such as health, or better self-esteem. On the other hand, it can also make us obsessed, or cause psychological disorders such as “vigorexia”, which leads to an excessive practice of sport, as well as stopping eating in order not to spoil the results of our physical efforts.

How can we know when we have crossed the thin line between looking healthy and going over the top? Especially now that summer is getting near and everybody wants to have the perfect body desired by everyone. We must not forget that our health is more important than looking sexy for a few months. Therefore, be clever, don´t punish yourself doing strict diets combined with long exercise sessions, enjoy your time eating, drinking or going out with your friends - it´s much better and within a few years you'll realize you made the right decision.

BOURNEMOUTH 2010

The 19th of June of 2011 we will start our first experience together outside the country, in Broadstairs, England to be exact. For those who have not been in England yet, I would like explain a little bit how it works.

Last summer I went to a campus in a town, Bournemouth, in the south of England. I went to the Bournemouth University campus (BU), because it was the first time I travelled abroad alone and I preferred to stay there rather than with a family. I spent three whole weeks of July there, and they were almost the best weeks of that summer.

We lived in little houses for four which had two floors. On the ground floor we had a bedroom, a kitchen and a small room for all of us. Upstairs there were three more bedrooms and two toilets.

I went with a friend and we stayed together in the house with two more girls, one was from Germany and the other from Kazakhstan.

The first day we did an exam (grammar, oral and expression) to put us in different levels.

A normal day there was:

We woke up early in the morning and had breakfast; then we had some time to get ready before classes or activities. At 12:30 we had lunch, some free time and then activities or classes again up to 18:30, when we had dinner. Then some activities like films, games… and then free time again. At 22:30 more or less we had to be at home, but we never made did it!

We had classes in the morning the first and third weeks, and in the afternoon the second one. We had two different teachers a day, 1 hour and a half with one, a small break of half an hour and another hour and a half with another teacher. All the teachers were native, they were fantastic, and some activities we did there were similar to the ones we are doing here in the high school.

The rest of the time we had activities (sports, games…) with the staff of the campus and free time, when we could go all around the campus, to the houses …

The worst thing was the food. Everything is fried: chips, meat, fish… and it did not taste as good as here, it is something strange, you will see!

Most of the time we were with people from all over the world, it was great, we learnt things about their countries, we practised the language, we enjoyed ourselves a lot.

I hope you have enjoyed the post and you learnt something about England, thank you for reading!