TAKE A ROLE? Can I say? - I'd like to thanks my husband, who took a relevant role in this whole process. How would you say it?

There is no need Can I say? Can I use OF after need in these sentences? - There is no need of another option. - There is no need to change our minds. - There is no need of your opinion

Day 30 - End of the Challenge For the last 30 days, I have been participating in a 30-day challenge. The core of the task was to work on the languages each one was learning, but also to do something in group which is always more fun and motivating than doing it alone. Today, that the challenge is closing, it’s time to look back and assess what I’ve gained and what areas I need to reinforce. The positives are that I could catch up with my English studies after not having done much in the past 2 years, and to my surprise, I’ve continued to improve in spite of not having worked on my English actively. Another thing that makes me close these 30 days with a smile is knowing that I never took the challenge lightly, quite the contrary, every day I spare some time to write something meaningful to me. In fact, if I had written something quickly just to keep up with the challenge, now I’d be quite dissatisfied with myself. As for the aspects I need to take more seriously; Punctuation. In this regard, most of the feedback I got had to do with punctuation. Hence, this August I’ll put myself to study what relative, dependant, and independent clauses are. I admit that for many years I’ve proudly refused to even consider studying that aspect of grammar. However, since I’m looking forward to the C1 certificate, I have to make peace with the idea that English in this regard is different from Spanish. For example, in Spanish we have more freedom when writing, punctuation is also more intuitive than regulated. Besides we don’t have anything called “run-on sentences”. That’s why in Spanish one has the freedom to write long sentences, and also to use plenty of adjectives to describe the same thing. In conclusion, I’m the one who has to adapt to English grammar and not the other way round. I would also like to learn another language, consequently this next 30 days I’ll allocate some minutes of my days to write in French. I have a simple goal: 100-word paragraph daily. Luckily I have engraved in my mind, the first time I wrote a paragraph in English, it took me the whole afternoon. I assume that with French I’ll have to go through the same agony.

Day 29 - Life is a Dream Life is a Dream is the title of the famous play written in the 17th century by the playwright Calderon de la Barca. Since the first time the play was performed on stage, it immediately became a resounding success, enchanting to all the audience equally, from the royalty to the plebs. As its title suggests, the motif of the play refers to the idea of our material existence as a mere illusion, something without substance. In this sense, some scholars have connected the author’s ideas with some oriental beliefs, more specifically based on Hinduism and Buddhism world visions. Other major themes of the play are the ideas of destiny and free will. In this regard, the play introduces the audience to a King who is also an astrologer. The King predicts that Segismundo, his firstborn when crowned King will become a tyrant, a despot, a King who will oppress his people mercilessly. To prevent this scenario, the King, influenced by what he had seen on the stars, decides to incarcerate his newborn, as a measure to twist destiny’s arm. Thus, the conflict of the play lies in discovering how free we are to choose our destiny and also how real is the world that sustains us. The play has remained for centuries in the canon of Spanish literature, and it continues to be read at schools all over Spain and Latinoamerica. Not only by the profound topics that it covers but overall because of the way in which the play is written. In this regard, Life is a Dream, is written for the most part in soliloquies, which are long pieces of texts that actors have to learn by heart. In this sense, many verses in the script have transcended the play and have gained a place in everyday speech. Among the most transcendental monologues, the ones recited by Sigismund are the most recognized, especially those in which he rambles on his illusory perception of reality. One of these memorable scenes takes place when Segismundo after returning to the tower that has kept him for decades prisoner, comes round from his drowsiness just to realize that everything he had experienced was only a product of his fantasies, that nothing was real, just a mere illusion.

Day 28 - Waiting for Godot The title of this text refers to a famous play written by Samuel Beckett. Beckett wrote this play when he already had fame and recognition from his peers, but the play came to cement his talent. Beckett also wrote other notable pieces, however, Waiting for Godot remains the main milestone in his prolific career. The play was written in French, a language that Beckett spoke perfectly, in fact, he lived in Paris most of his life to the point of identifying himself with the French culture. To this day, Samuel continues to be one of the main referents of the “Theatre of the absurd”, a term used to talk about those plays whose plot is unclear, bordering on absurdity, comedy, and also with tinges of realism. A great example of this style of theatre is indeed Waiting for Godot. The play revolves around two middle-aged men, a pair of friends who are in the middle of nowhere. As soon the play begins it’s clear that both characters are lost, they don’t know where they are, or where they come from, let alone where they are going. In this sense, the play mirrors the ageless philosophical questions Who am I? Where do I come from? and Where am I going?. In fact, the author intended to replicate on the stage these existential questions by using the irony of the absurd, so that the audience can relate to the characters in an indirect way. As for the script, Beckett resorts to illogical dialogues that reveal nothing in regards to the characters’ backgrounds or motivations. At this point, the play is sublime because even though the spectator can understand nothing about what’s going on the stage, it’s still possible to relate to the dialogues, sentiments, and agonies of the characters. Perhaps, this is due that we the same as Vladimir and Estragon live our lives without really comprehending why we are here, or what is the sense of it all. This is precisely the point of existentialism, and this play portrays this internal crisis masterfully. Nonetheless, Beckett always refused to answer any question related to the meaning of the play. He used to say that the play was there to be interpreted by each spectator according to their beliefs. For some, Godot refers to a God that would come to give meaning to their lives, for others Godot is just a supreme reason that keeps them alive. Whatever the case, the play is fantastic.

Day 27 - Globetrotters When asked about their most cherished dream, many people always reply that they want to travel the world, see different cultures, and have adventures. However, only a few accomplish this dream. Some would excuse themselves saying that life got in the way, either in the form of marriage, children, or a job and that because of that they had to put their dream aside. Others would blame their lack of money, and others would say that they don’t have the courage to chase their dream. Whatever the reason, in many cases the dream of traveling the world remains on the back burner for years until it is eventually forgotten. Nevertheless, there are other sorts of people, more of a dreamer than the rest. They, driven by their ambition to broaden their horizons, at some point in their lives, decide to make a change and start over. These cases are scarce, and because of that, they are also very inspiring for those who aspire to the same freedom. You can see them cycling around your city with their fully-equipped bikes, traveling in pairs but most probably on their own, or, in more extreme cases just wandering the world on foot. One of these cases is an Argentinian man in his 60s, who after grabbing a couple of items, set out to roam America by foot. He started in Patagonia and is actually on his way up to Alaska. What at the beginning was seen as madness ended up as a life lesson to all those who have followed his journey. An adventure that has been full of determination and also of the kindness from those who have helped this man along his way either with food, accommodation or with a simple ride. Another case I like is an Argentinian woman who began traveling when she was 22 and continued for the next ten years. During all that time she used to write a blog describing her experiences and thoughts. She would always emphasize how traveling had changed her as a person and would encourage other women to do the same; to leave their fears aside and travel on their own. Personally, traveling the world is not something that moves me, but what I do admire and what I would like to integrate into myself is the courage that these people have to go against the current and do whatever they want with their lives.

Day 26 - Looking for Similarities Why do I like reading? It’d be nice to begin this story by saying that this is a habit that I discovered in my infancy, but that would be far from the truth. To be precise, my passion for reading started five years ago thanks to a friend I met online. At that time we got along very well, but I always had the feeling that we had nothing in common, and since he had shared with me some of his hobbies, I tried some, just to see if we could find some common ground. He loves sci-fi, but since becoming myself a fan of Star Wars was completely out of the question, I decided to give reading a try. Again, I immediately ruled sci-fi out and settled for novels. My friend told me that among his favorites was Jim Harrison and Murakami, but since finding books of the former was impossible, I fetched one of Murakami’s books. The chosen one was “Norwegian Woods”. I don’t remember the plot very well, but I do remember that I found it quite absurd, almost for teens, so it was difficult for me to relate to the characters. I finished it though, and I ran to tell my friend my thoughts about his recommendation. However, he only listened to me and didn’t say much. At that moment I realized that contrary to what I had thought, reading wasn’t going to be the glue I was looking for to hold our friendship together. Therefore, I just kept the habit to myself but without trying to impose any author or book on him. Today, we remain friends and as different as we were five years ago. However, thanks to him I've discovered a bunch of Latin American authors I knew nothing about, even Chilean authors I hadn’t heard about before. Every time my friend gives me a book suggestion I take it, and I admit that most of the time I like them. That’s how I’ve learned that even though two people can be complete opposites of each other there are still some mysterious things that can hold a friendship together. Unfortunately, we do have something in common and that is our inability to help each other with our native languages. I just have no patience when it comes to helping someone to learn my language, and he is of no use in everything related to helping me with my English.

Day 25 - SNAIL MAIL Are you bored? Maybe you are still in lockdown with nothing to do. If so, then I have the perfect pastime for you to try during this quarantine. It’s quite simple, the only thing to do is to grab a pen and paper and start writing. This trend is not new, indeed it has been around for ages, but nowadays it has become an oddity due to social media. However, there are still some romantic souls keeping this pastime alive, these are people who enjoy the pleasure of handwriting and who appreciate receiving a letter by post. There are different categories of snail mail, some people are lured by the idea of collecting stamps, postcards, coins, and all kinds of souvenirs from around the world. Others lead by their creative side, are enticed by the DIY aspect of snail mail, which by the way, entails making envelopes, preparing the paper, and why not, making small gifts for the other person. These sorts of people seize the opportunity to send a letter as an instance to pour out all of their artistry. Lastly, are those who simply enjoy the process of expressing themselves through writing, and therefore, they cherish having someone with whom correspond by letters. Regardless of the motivation, for me, sending and receiving a letter is one of the most simple and at the same time priceless acts of love. Just think about all the time and energy that it takes. First to find the materials, then to organize one’s thoughts in a piece of paper (in fact, writing just a page can take hours!) Then, to take the letter to the post office, and finally, to wait for weeks or even months for a reply. For all the mentioned and more, snail mail is an art, but a type of art that needs to be performed in pairs. In this sense, having a good partner is critical to maintaining the exchange and the interest alive. For those who have someone waiting on the other side, then half of the work is done. However, for those who don’t have anyone to write to, there are some options, such as websites devoted to snail mail where people set up a profile in the hopes of finding the right fit.

Day 24 - Dream of a Ridiculous Man “I am a ridiculous person”. This is the opening line of this enthralling short story written by Dostoievsky. By short, I mean that reading it takes up to 50 minutes. Fifty captivating minutes that may change your perception of the world. The story takes place in Russia, where a middle-aged man known among his acquaintances as a weirdo, as someone strange and ridiculous, unfit to live in society. Tired of constantly being left aside, and having no hope for the future, makes up his mind to end his life. One day, he is walking around the city thinking about his resolution, when all of a sudden, a little girl comes up to him begging him for help saying that her mother is dying. Due to all of her sobs, he can barely make out what the girl says, but he does grasp that in her despair, the girl went out to the street looking for someone to help her. However, this man wants nothing to do with her or her problems, so he pushes her away, and goes home. After this episode, he arrives at his room and sits in front of his gun, thinking about what he is going to do next. However, something is bugging him, something that deters him from continuing with his plan. Everything points to that girl, and he realizes that all that scene had moved and awakened something inside of him. Something that made him aware that his heart wasn’t as cold as he had thought it was, and thereupon he begins to question himself and his relations with others. Thus, in the middle of his confusion, he sits down to clear up his mind and resolves to postpone his suicide until he can put his thoughts together again. Exhausted, he finally falls asleep. However, to his surprise, he awakes in the middle of his dreams, noticing that he did commit suicide, that he is inside of a coffin, and also, as if that wasn’t enough, that he is being buried alive! At this point, he loses his temper and starts to scream for help, deeply repented for what he had done, for having killed himself! But, just when he is giving up all hope and overcome by remorse, a mysterious entity takes him out of the coffin and takes him through a journey around the universe.