We are not frightened

“We are not frightened” has been the answer of Barcelona to the terrorist attack that took place the 17th  of August at 17:00pm, the terrorists run over 143 people in the Rambles, one of the most tourist place in Barcelona, 13 of these people died and the other 130 were hospitalized in different hospitals of the city.

Citizens from Barcelona and from other countries of the world show their amiability, empathy, altruism and bravery in the most terrifying moments.

People who were in the Rambles when the terrorist attacks started hide in  shops and bar that were closer to them to try to save their lives. During the hours that they were hiding, shop assistants and waiters offered them water and places to charge their mobile phones. Another problem came when the police told them that they could leave because most of the people who were hiding were tourists. This people had their hotels situated in the zone where the police was searching the driver of the van. Some Barcelona’ citizens who lived near the Rambles decided to offer a bed and dinner to the tourists in their houses because it was getting dark and late.

The 18th of August at 12:00am a hundred thousand people went to the solidarity call in “Plaça Catalunya”. They did a minute of silence and they shouted “We are not frightened!!”  Some other people decided to do a tribute to the victims with flowers, candles and messages. One of the most impressive dedicatory was the one made by the police when they arrested the terrorists: “Ja els tenim, descanseu”. It means: we have them, rest in peace.

People from many different countries stood up as one against terrorism. We showed that we have cried because we are sad for the victims but we are not going to let fear control us, we are going to be brave.

SAN FRANCISCO

I’m going to arrive at the international airport of San Francisco at 9 o’clock in the morning and I’ll go to SoMa Streat Food Park by shuttle (the transport will cost me $18) according to Google maps it will take me approximately 25 minutes.

In SoMa Streat Food Park I’ll eat something (the web page says that there is food for $10). The SoMa Streat Food Park is a mobile village offering specialties from Korea, India, Ethiopia, France, Germany, the Philippines and Greece. The trucks also fry up waffles, crepes, eggs and breakfast sandwiches.

Once I’ll finish I will go to the California Academy of Sciences.  I will go walking through the 11th St to Harrison St to take the bus in Market St & South Van Ness Ave (it’s about 15 min walking), then I’ll take the bus to Irving St & 9th Ave (15 min in bus). When I will arrive I will walk 10 min more till I arrive at the California Academy of Sciences. (The bus costs $1.35). The California Academy of Sciences is considered the world’s greenest museum. It’s the only institution of its kind to combine an aquarium, digital planetarium, natural history museum and scientific research program under one roof.

The price for visit it is $29.95. There I will visit the rainforest and other expositions.

After visiting it, I’ll go for a walk in the Botanic Garden and in the Japanese Tea Garden. I will have lunch in the Japanese Tea Garden and I’ll eat the Garden Escape that is $20.95. It includes two Grilled sandwiches served with Organic Mix Greens Salad.

One of the activities that I will do in the afternoon is visiting the Golden Gate Bridge. I’ll take the bus 25 to get there. The travel takes 10 minutes and it will cost $1.35 more. The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the World. It is the world's most photographed bridge and it is 2.737 m long. To cross the bridge I’ll rent a bike in “Bike&View” for $23.04. To return to the other side of the bridge I will take a ferry. The travel costs $12.5.

After doing exercise, I’ll recover energy with a donut and a coffee in front of the bridge in the Dynamo Donut & Coffee. I’ll spend $10.

Planning a trip

The second activity of the afternoon is going to Alcatraz. Alcatraz was once a maximum-security prison that housed notorious inmates such as Al Capone. I am going to take the Night trip that costs $43.25 at 6:30 pm. The Night trip will add an extra layer of chill. The trip includes trip ferry to Alcatraz, audio tour, special tour activities, on-board narration and guided tour.

To finish the day I will go dinner at the Oolong Noodles Restaurant which is near to the bridge. They prepare sushi, noodles and seafood. The menu costs $11.

I’m going to pass the night at the Executive Hotel Vintage Court in the Deluxe Queen Room. The hotel and the breakfast cost $200. To get there I’ll take the bus number 8.

Next day I will take the underground at the Montgomery Station to the airport. It costs $5.

I will spend $365.44

I hope I will enjoy this trip I have prepared some day in the future.

CARVE THE MARK

Carve the Mark is a science fiction young adult novel. It is the first book in the duology and the fifth novel by Veronica Roth. The novel is set in space, it introduces the “current” (an energy that runs through every inhabitant of the galaxy) and it gives current gifts to teenagers once they come of a certain age. The two main characters are Cyra Noavek and Akos Kereseth. Cyra’s current gift is pain.

Passages selected from the book:

I have chosen these two passages because they explain clearly how the process of carving the mark is and how Cyra feels. I really like the part where she says “It was supposed to burn, supposed to remind you that it was no trifling thing, to take a life, to carve a loss”.                                                       

Although her brother uses her as a weapon forcing her to kill and injure people, she knows that it isn’t an unimportant thing doing it. She carves the marks to remember every time that she has injured someone, so that they do not fall into oblivion. I think that she also carves the marks because she feels guilty for it, for passing her pain to other people because her brother ordered her without fighting against him.

I have also chosen the first passage because it explains the meaning of the title of the story Carve the Mark.

The character I choose is Cyra Noavek. Cyra Noavek is the sister of the ruler of Shotet. She is eighteen years old and her current gift is pain. For her, the current gift it isn’t a gift for her at all because she can make the others suffer pain but she also feels it at every moment.                                                      

She is an intelligent girl who has suffered a lot because of her current gift and her family. However, she still has a good heart and she tries to do the correct thing although it includes putting in danger her life. She is brave, strong and a fighter. I really like to read books with main characters like her. They made me feel good and with energy and bravery enough to try to make the world a better place to live.