Our "Summer love" story

Read the 4th and last part of our "summer love" story, written by the Romanian team.


Sometimes life perplexes situations and leads to misunderstandings! Be open-minded!


Click here to read all "Summer Love" story. A very imaginative story, written by our students, narrating attitudes and consequences in our life, related to sexual behavior.

Analysing answers in questionnaire for young people

Our questionnaire for young people was answered mainly in two schools of two partner countries: one school in Greece and another one in Portugal. Schools from other countries that are in this project are late in this subject. So, we’ll analyse data we have at this moment. In future we can come back and compare information we have now with data from other countries.

Data we have got with this questionnaire don’t allowed us to take statistic conclusions, but, in spite of that, it’s relevant information about sexual attitude of young people of our schools.

We’ve got 83 people answering our questionnaire; 63 are from Portugal and 11 from Greek students. The rest came from several countries (even if them all are students in our greek school); we are not going to analyse their answers now.

People who answered questionnaire in Greece are older than in Portugal. In fact, 82% Greeks are 18 years old or more (4 male and 3 female); Portuguese people with that age are 13% (4 males and 4 females).

Now, let’s analyse some answers of this group (aged 18 or more), comparing answers in Greece and in Portugal.

All these Greeks think that «having sex with somebody I'm in love is (or is supposed to be) (...) wonderful and/or normal behavior»; one of them thinks it is also exciting. In what concerns to these Portuguese people, 7 in 8 think it is wonderful; 5 think it is also exciting; 4 think it is also healthy; 4 say it is also safe.

So, all answers in both countries express an attractive attitude on this topic.

Let's analyse the question «having sex with a strange person, just for adventure, is (or is supposed to be)...»:

· Greeks:
It’s «stupid» for 2 females; the other one says it is «wrong»; it is evident these females have an attitude of rejection towards this topic.

Males don’t agree in this subject: one says it is «dangerous»; other says it is «wonderful, normal behavior»; other says it is «exciting»; and, finally, other says it is « normal behavior, dirty, dangerous».

So, we can say males are more confused about this topic: some have an attitude of attraction; others an attitude of rejection.

· Portugueses:

It's «Exciting» for 4 of them («exciting» and nothing more for 2, both males; «exciting and dangerous» for 2 females).

Other 2 females think it is «stupid» in one case; «dirty, dangerous, wrong and stupid» for another female.

This way we can conclude female have a different attitude concerning this topic: they give a more negative semantics on it.

In fact, we think that «exciting» is a positive meaning; although, there is no female giving this topic simply that meaning. 2 of them are in what I call a psychological conflict (the ones who say it is «exciting and dangerous»); remaining 2 females think it is something clearly bad and because of that they say «dirty, dangerous, wrong and stupid».

Males think differently: only one male have similar bad semantics associated to the topic (he says it is «dirty, dangerous and wrong»); remaining 3 give good values to it: it is «exciting» for 2 of them; it is «normal behavior» to the 3rd.»

9% from Greece and 30% from Portugal says, in question nº5, «Having sex with a strange person, just for adventure, is (or is supposed to be) (...)dirty»; in Portugal are mainly girls who say so (12 girls and 7 boys).

As we can see, there is a lot of meaning in the answers of our questionnaire. It should be a hard task to analyse everything and post it here. It was possible to go deeper in the lessons in witch we thought and discussed upon these data.

Now I invite everybody to go on with analysis in the post bellow. Some interesting conclusions will be then possible.

Love expressions from Portuguese students

Love always chased me

Everything went so fast, I had found myself in the doors of youth in just a glimpse. I was twelve years old when I found my first great passion, it started as a mere joke but it evolved to a great complicity, he went from just a friend to my best friend, everything was so perfect: I wanted to be with him, liked being with him, had butterlies in the stomach while I was with him; I remember with great joy all those moments I went through.

In the past fifteen – almost sixteen – years of my life, love always chased me. This feeling never came alone, it embraced me with happiness, sadness, success, failure, anguish, pain, accomplishment and obstacles, always causing me to become uncomfortable

In my path, despite of its shortness, I have suffered, fought storms and lived through greyer days. In those days my feelings are of predominant anger, in which I just want to forget that love exists, I mean, live through all my life, leaving this feeling that sometimes causes me such anger, behind. Generally, when I find myself in the middle of these storms, when love isn’t successful, I just want to lock myself in my own bedroom, grab a pillow and listen to a song that actually makes me feel a little bit better. In those days, the grown-ups like my parents or any other adult that is my relative, never helped me in these situations, that love, is this gigantic problem. Maybe they didn’t help because they didn’t want, or maybe they actually didn’t really understand what I was going through. The people who probably helped me the most in these situations, in the course of my life, were my close friends, since they were the ones who know me best and could see how I really felt, sometimes. It’s not easy to define and understand what love is, but the way I see it, to love is to live, because
while we are in this trip so-called life, we need love to live, and we can almost never leave it aside.

B.
(10º A)

My second great passion came little after the last one, he appeared to be a great friend, and without even noticing, I suddenly had a crush. We spent a lot of time together, he knew all about me, and I knew all about him, but since we I had finished a long story not so long ago, we decided to keep still and become very special friends, it worked out pretty well, even today, and since the summer, he is my best friend, and the only person that can make me laugh when I’m cranky.

Since then, I have been quite a flirt, I never let myself get too much into the same guy, since I’m scared of getting too much into him and suffer because of it. Probably I often confuse good friendships with passions, but I don’t really care, at least while I still have my friends around their love is the most important and the most unmissable, they are the ones who complete me, which means, my mood, my joy and my sillyness, without them I could never be what I am today. I call it a friends love.

Poem «Hart break/ It happened to me»

Poema «Quebra do coração/Em mim aconteceu»

The Blow of the heart

Broken heart

Happened to me

In a land of nostalgia

Everything died

I was a pawn of fate
That a passion lost
In the middle of my way
My love disappeared

After the disgust
No one consoled me
I lost my life
And nothing left for me

Now I move on,
And forget everything

I’ve got hope

Of a new beginning

Anónimo (10º A)

The blow of the heart

Part of me, today, doesn’t make loves.
Passions arise. Fade without ever having life.
It is as if the heart had been hit by a breath, and not
with the blow of the heart.

It becomes difficult to overcome a day
when the love is not reciprocated.
It’s difficult to pass;
but in my course everything stands and everything hides,
with embarrassment or perplexity
caused only by a breeze;
The blow of the heart

Revolt.
We feel it when we need someone
that belongs to other eyes;
other lips;
another face,
We feel it when we can’t live, see, touch
this blow of the heart

Old people do not care.
They say that it’s only niceties of the youth
But, young like I am,
I give it considerable importance;
It could be a mistake but all I feel is true
I feel it like a whirlwind,
that takes walls, doors, shutters and even hearts.
And not as a mild

Blow of the heart.

10th of May of 2010
Filipe Ferreira

What is your sexual attitude?

Here is our questionnaire about sexual attitude for young people.
Clik here to answer.

Questionnaire for young people - analysis

Today I prepared a different lesson to analyse results of questionnaire we have now. I did it with two classes of mine (my dear students of 10ºth level) and with Patrícia Cataludo (my college of Physical Education and Teacher Director of one of this classes). We have done it in the Library of our school.
I am glad with this different teaching experience. Together we were able to analyse results we can find in our questionnaires, compare them with our expectations and with our own values and believes, and specialy discuss on all that information.

It is a good thing to see that these young boys and girls have a good sense of responsability; it's good to see they try to be free of pre-judjements and they look at one eachother as a person that have the same dignity they want for themselves. It's good to see men and women giving eachother a treatment in equal conditions.
I'm sure that, in gender relationship, this is a generation to whom justice is more effective. I'm very happy because I can work with so special young people. I have almost 50 students in this 2 classes, and they are all good boys and girls! They are socialy healthy people!

Working with such people, we can say it's good to be a teacher. In this situation we believe our work is useful.

Speaking about subjects we discussed:

• biological and cultural conditions of sexual desire (how can culture we get change the way we face our sexuality? how can bilogical elements like sexual hormones change the way we behave sexualy?);
• differences between sex and sexuality (this concept is associated with feelings, values and everything that makes sex become love);
•  values associated to have sex with someone somebody is in love versus values associated to have sex with a strange person (data from questionnaire are realy interesting in what concerns this question);
• equality of gender  in what concerns to sexual behavior (data from questionnaire are realy interesting in what concerns this question); .

Everyone in that lesson seemed to be interested, everybody left with the idea that people of their own age think in a similar way in what cocerns sexuality (at least people from Portugal and also people from Greece; other countries don't have enouth data to take conclusions with a minimum consistency).

Congratulations to the students who were in this intersting lesson; thank's to Patrícia Cataludo for her support.

Jorge Rocha

Sexual education in Portuguese schools

Portugal was a pioneer in the connection between health promotion and school. In 1901, it had already been created the Scholar Sanitary Inspection, mainly focused in the controlling of epidemics and endemics.

With the passage of time, school's role has been transformed, and it is no longer just a place where knowledge is transmitted; is now faced as the domain of education broadly understood, including in this concept the citizenship promotion, involving deepening of the sense of personal and social responsibility. It is in this context that the education for health in schools is framed, a goal which has won great strength in the educational projects of the Portuguese schools during the last decade.

Associated to health education appears sex education as one of its many facets, in an approach that has been the promotion of health in the broadest sense, involving the physical, psychological and social well-being. Thus, in the year 1999 a law, which strengthens guarantees regarding reproductive health was published; in 2000 it was attributed to the schools the role of integrating strategies to promote sexual health not only by organizing activities to develop curriculums, but also activities to complete curriculum, always requiring a school-family relationship.

The Portuguese legislation foresees the sex education in a school context, in primary and secondary school, and is embedded in the educational programs for health, along with nutrition, physical activity and the prevention of harmful consumption and violence in the school environment.

Only in 2005 the government made mandatory the inclusion of health education in educational projects for each school. Later, in August 2009, was regulated by law of Parliament, the requirement for planning specific time in the curriculum for sex education. Until publication of this law, approaches to sex education were not universal or regular, depending greatly on the willingness of teachers in classes and teams of draft health education. The law of August 2009, reaffirms the need for sex education arise from the complementarity of roles between family and school on behalf of existing conceptions of pluralism in Portuguese society. Already in April this year the Government set out the content to be addressed in sexual education. These are long and variable depending on the course. Are distributed across all years of primary and secondary education.

1st to 4th year deal, among others, topics such as:

• The notion of body and harmony with nature and the social and cultural environment;
• The notion of family;
• Differences between boys and girls;
• Body protection and limitations on abusive approaches.

In the 5th and 6th grade, new topics are introduced, such as:

• Puberty and its defining transformations;
• Sexuality and gender;
• Human reproduction and growth;
• Birth control and family planning;
• Menstrual and ovulatory cycles;
• Maltreatment and abusive approximations;
• Ethical extent of human sexuality.

Between the 7th and the 9th grades, those topics are recalled and new ones are introduced

•  STD (sexual transmitted diseases) and its impact worldwide;
• Motherhood an fatherhood in youth;
• Voluntary interruption of pregnancy, meaning and consequences.

Between the 10th and 12th grades, knowledge on the previous topics are deepened, focusing in ethic approach to human sexuality. Other topics such as:

• Initiation in sexual relationships in Portugal and in the European Union;
• Pregnancy and abortion rate in Portugal and in the European Union;
• Contraceptive methods, its safety and reasons of improper contaception.

Our "Summer Love" story

Maria wrote in our facebook page:
"Mistakes of the past follow you and can change your life for good....

Read the 3rd part of our "summer love" story, written by the Polish team. The imagination of the authors is great. Congratulations!"

Now, Romania is taking the lead!

Click here to read "Summer Love" story.

WHAT IS YOUR SEXUAL ATTITUDE ?

Our etwinning questionnaire about human sexuality is considered an important part of our project, in order to develop sexual education with students.

The questionnaire is a result of several contributes. It is based on Jorge Rocha’s and Maria Sourgiadaki’s work on a questionnaire of Maria João Alves (leader of PPES in Escola Secundária Henriques Nogueira) and on a sexual education guide, approved by the Greek Ministry of Education. Finally, there are some questions suggested by students.
We are asking for completely honest answers.Your opinion is important so that we get information from your sexual attitude to analyse and discuss upon it.

The whole process of getting information and its use will be controlled by this etwinning project team, which gives you guarantee of confidentiality and anonymity. Data will be statistically processed in an aggregate way.

Soon the questionnaire will be available to be filled, either by students or by adults (with the appropriate adaptations).

A trip in Easter and Valentine's day by chat

.
On April, 29 I had my first conversation with our polish friends: teacher Milena, Patrycja J. and Patrycja K. (students).

First of all we talked about ourselves: who we were, what we were doing at that moment and some other personal issues. After that, we talked about Easter traditions in our countries. I said that in Portugal we usually eat chocolate eggs and small animals (we all agree that this is a cruel tradition). Our polish friends said that they go to church and they take some food with them during this period.

Then we talked about Valentine's Day traditions. In both countries this is a day dedicated to people who are in love, not only for their boyfriends/girlfriends but also for their friends, parents...we can show our love through many different ways! Related with the topic of love, we talked about marriage «habits» in our countries. For example, in Portugal people from the same sex can get married but they cannot adopt children. However, homosexuals aren't allowed to marry in Poland. We spoke about the influence of these rules to societies.

Then, teacher Jorge Rocha, from Portugal, joined the conversation and we talked about the visit to the mountain that our friends were going to do.We had a small conversation because me, Patrycja J. and Patrycja K. had tests in the following day, but I really loved to be in the chat with them, they are incredible and very nice people!

Now I hope to talk with all our friends, from other countries too, to discuss new ideas and go on with this Trip =)

Alice Martins - 11ºA

Sexual education in Romania schools

In Romania it is legal to speak about the sexual education in schools but we don’t have teachers who speak about because law does not approve. In the High Schools it is absolutely ok to exist some people who are interested in learning students about this problem. Appropriate sex education might therefore have a major role in preventing some sexual problems in adulthood.

Sex education can help to:

• prevent the spread of sexual diseases;
• prevent unwanted pregnancies;
• by preventing unwanted pregnancies, prevent unnecessary abortions;
• learning to form responsible views on own sexual behavior;
• encourage resistance to group pressure to engage in unwanted sexual activities;
• understanding the difference between male and female views on romantic relations;
• understanding that sex is part of the normal life of most adult people (at least in some stage of their life), and not something which need to be associated with feelings of shame and guilt.

Without sex education, young people will learn about sex from porn movies, which give a distorted view of sex and human relationships. It is best to start sex education as early as possible, in simple ways, and then learn more each year. In that way, the children will feel that this is just natural common knowledge, things they have "always" known.

In Romania, I mean in the High Schools there are not teachers who teach you about the sexual education. I think it would be a good idea to exist teachers to speak and teach you what to do from a young age (14-15 years old). Some schools offer no sex education, since it remains a controversial issue in several countries.

Taught properly, sexual education and development could easily become part of any other scientific course of study like Human Biology, Human Behavior, Human Anatomy or Health. More importantly, perhaps if administrators present a more dignified and academic approach to the delivery of sexual education, complete with test and grades, it may just impress upon the children that they should view sex a serious part of their human development rather than a recreational activity.

Results of recent polls have estimated that less than 7% of the population does not believe that sexual education should be a requirement in schools. This is 93% who are in favor of this subject matter as a part of the regular curriculum. However, there are pros and cons that must be considered by parents when dealing with sexual education classes that one would not have to consider with a less controversial topic such as math or reading. In general, a parent needs to be aware of his or her own family or religious beliefs and values and know their child’s intellect and maturity levels.

Our "Summer Love" story

Maria wrote on our facebook page a summary of our collaborative story:

"Arthur and Elizabeth, Manos and Christine. The stream of time is leading them there where love is hidden. Feelings and thoughts, emotions and reactions, sexual behavior in time and places without borders. End of part 2, written by the Greek team. Poland, take the lead!"

Click here to read "Summer Love" story.

Sexual education in Poland.

Certainly we have sexual education in Poland. It’s very important in every teenager’s life. It learns us ‘how to survive addesence’ and ‘how to set up home’. First of all we have this subject I 4th class in primary school (we’re about 10 years old). We learn things about our first period, changers in our body and behavior. We also talk with teachers about our family, housework and things, which are important in adult life. Later, we have sexual education in high schools, when we’re older and more mature (but sometimes there are some exceptions ;)). We learn new things, for example: about having a baby, methods of contraception, we also listen things about being a good person and having good life in the future. Sometimes in high school we hear the same news as in Primary School. In my opinion sexual education in Polish schools I good, but I could be better. Authorities should make professional trainings for teachers, who will keep this subject. They also should prepare the program of teaching. If they make it, teenager’s sexual education will improve, so they’ll be better prepared for being an adult.

Patrycja K.

Collaborative creation of «love story»

On Friday, April the 16th, the portuguese team who created begining of «love story» talked with Maria (our greek partner) by chat. This photo report that moment...

To see more photos click here.

The Greek team is "travelling in space and time"

On Wednesday April the 14th, we gathered in the library and talked about the love story that the Portuguese team started and how we could continue it. There was an amazing brainstorming about it and we finally all agreed on the plot of the Greek part. We started writing!!

As you can see, we had a great time!

.

Mantinades: the way Cretans express love

A mantinada (in plural: mantinades) is Cretan rhyming couplet, typically improvised during dance music. Rhymed Cretan poetry of the Renaissance, especially verse epic Erotokritos, are reminiscent of the mantinada, and couplets from Erotokritos have become used as mantinades. Mantinades have either love or satire as their topics. They are invariably composed in dekapentasyllabos verse and are often antiphonal, i.e. a verse elicits a response and this leads to another response and so on.

The word is derived from Venetian: matinada, "morning song".

Most Cretan teenagers love traditional Cretan music and use mantinades to express love. You can find mantinades written on their books, inscribed in their desks or written with markers on the walls.

One of my students (17 years old) recently attached a mantinada on my facebook wall. I dedicate it to all of you, students from Europe:

ΚΟΜΜΑΤΙΑ ΝΑ ΤΗΝ ΚΑΝΟΥΝΕ ΤΗΝ ΕΔΙΚΗ ΜΟΥ ΑΓΑΠΗ...
ΘΑ ΖΕΙ ΝΑ ΣΕ ΞΑΝΑΓΑΠΑ ΤΟ ΚΑΘΕ ΤΗΣ ΚΟΜΜΑΤΙ...!!!!!!!!!!!!

It sounds like

Komatia na tin kanune tin ediki mu agapi (g sounds as y in yes)
Tha zi na se ksanagapa to kathe tis Komati (th sounds as in think)

And it means

Even if my love would be broken into pieces
every piece of it will live, to love you again

If you follow this link, you can listen to a cretan song with mantinades as lyrics, performed by a well known young artist. You can see how traditional cretan music is performed nowadays and even watch a cretan dance. That’s what happens in cretan weddings’ celebrations!

Alina Soare From Romania and her love expression

Love is a feeling of love for a person of the opposite sex or a sense of affection and admiration for something or someone.
Love is like a wave, you lose, and you have another master, not yourself. William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet ''surprises'' this stage of love: Romeo Juliet replaces names with monikers ''mistress'' and ''holy''. For Romeo, Juliet is the icon that he is pilgrim worships Him.
Love is strong border limited life derives its power from generously and people dedicate hard. The connection between two souls is also holy, eyes other trigger certain chord in the heart, which vibrates not only the power of memories which animates them.
Love implies reciprocity of feeling, a certainty of pleasure that no one and nothing can affect them. She lives only as long as it believes are eternal and those who love truly believe their love alive and beyond the grave. It is eternal search than what is eternally beautiful and true, that love. It is a temple of all, a place that expects a steam desire is a paved road to eternity a way that involves compromises that sometimes exceed the power of understanding.
But one lie destroys that trust, which is itself under some souls love.
Lover feels as it blooms into something that is not there, I feel alive for the beloved.
The man is and can be viewed as an entity one. But it is and should be seen as a point of intersection of multiple and divers set of relationships and interactions. The system is so closed, and open to correlate with the world and survive.
Love is a theme existing in all literatures of all time. They shall give particular importance as a fundamental human experience, which differ depending on age, sex, social status, faith, historical era or cultural affiliation. Thus, the theme is widely circulated and circulates in the whole system of literature, is both work and in the great writers of the age, in the vision-specific genres: epic, lyric or dramatic.
Love is addressed in literature from different angles, over time there are different ideas or current ideas on love.

The three main aspects that of love, both in Romanian literature and in the universal are:
1. Love the initiation
2. Love the passion
3. Tragic Love

Mihai from Romania and his love expression

Hi, my name is Mihai, and I would like to address some words to the one that I consider my soul mate. Her name is Maria and from my point of view she is the most incredible and beautiful person in the world. .... You charmed me ever since you walked up to me and said your name, ever since your friend has introduced you to me. You were my sunshine when I was overwhelmed by darkness you knew how to make me love you more and more. When I was sad, angry, or even crazy your eyes calmed me, filled me with hope and confidence. I dedicate all the love songs to you and all the heat from my heart to your arms because you blow my mind when you look me into the eyes. I have loved you since I met you and I love you now, and I will love you in the future with more and more passion than ever.

Your soul mate Mihai, I love you from all my heart, my sweet little angel ....

Education beyond books

Let's see what is going on in Greek schools

Sexual Education In Greece

Next activities

Our next four activities are:

1- Sexual education in schools
Each country write a post in blog about legal situation concerning sexual education at schools: Are there any law forcing sexual education at school? If yes, in which terms? Who are sexual educators at schools? How old must students be to have sexual education at school?

2- Love expression in our students
Each country publish in blog posts where our students express their love for someone.

3- Our students in a chat
Our students will speak in real time about traditions concerning Valentine's day and Easter.

4- Making a story
Our students make an imaginary trip where they create characters that get evolved in a love story. It should be possible express values that are acceptable in sexual behavior: how to face early pregnancy, IST, homosexuality; when is the right age to start sexual life; how important is fidelity; how important is love in sex; respect to the ones who want to live in sexual abstinence; etc.
Portuguese students are finishing the first part. After that Greek partners will continue it.

Identity and differences in human life

It's a nice experience our students can see that every culture, even being different, has a basic identity. If it's true everyone is different, it's also true that differences are not the most important. The essencial point is: we have similar emotions, feelings and the same logic reason. So we can communicate and live together. That's Europe!

In this trip in space and time we will find human substance under every culture of group, specially in what concerns to gender relationships.

Romanian poem about love - Mihai Eminescu

TRECUT-AU ANII……….

Trecut-au anii ca nori lungi pe şesuri
Şi niciodată n-or să vie iară
Căci nu mă-ncântă azi cum mă mişcară
Poveşti şi doine, ghicitori, eresuri

Ce fruntea-mi de copil o-nseninară,
Abia-nţelese, pline de-nţelesuri –
Cu-a tale tale umbre azi în van mă-mpresuri,
O, ceas al tainei, asfinţit de sară.

Să smulg un sunet din trecutul vieţii,
Să fac, o, suflet, ca din nou să tremuri
Cu mâna mea în van pe liră lunec,

Pierdut e totu-n zarea tinereţii
Şi mută-I gura dulce-a altor vremuri,
Iar timpul creşte-n urma mea….mă-ntunec!

THE YEARS HAVE PASSED……

The years have passed like clouds o’er hills and dales
Nor will they e’er return to us, in truth,
For I’m no longer charmed as in my youth
By superstitions, riddles, fairy tales,

Which brightened up my forehead as a child –
Half understood, with hidden sense inwrought;
Vain are your shadows into which I’m caught
Oh, magic hou’r, the evening twilight mild.

To wrest a sound from my life’s yesteryear
To thrill my soul one more time with my rhyme
Upon my lyre fingers vainly spin;

All’s lost within my youth’s now distant stir
And mute is now the honeyed mouth of yonder time
Time grows upon me...darkness sucks me in.

Translated by Andrei Bantaş, a student from Romania

How would you like to spend your dream winter holiday?

My dream winter holiday.
I hate winter so my dream winter holiday can't be in Poland. I want to go on the trip around the world, but I want to be alone. It will be very interesting but quite dangerous. I will visit a lot of countries, museums, see a lot of monuments but I wll have only 2 weeks, because later I have to go to school.
First of all, I will go to Africa. I will not visit Europe because I think that another continents are more interesting than Europe, so Africa will be first. I want to see kangaroos, snakes and a lot of dangerous animals. I want to spend sunset on the desert, for example, Sahara. Sunsets are beautiful. Next I will go to America. I will spend few days on the Cariby. I will swim in the sea, sunbathe etc. I love it. Antarctica will be the next continent. I know, I wrote that I hate winter and it's true but I would like to see Eskimos ! They are very, very interesting. I want to see how they can live with very low temperature. I want to see igloo and I want to sleep in it , but I will spend about 2 days in Antarctica because I hate winter.
Next, I will go to Sydney, Tasmania, Kamczatka, Japan etc. I will do a lot of interesting things so my dream winter holiday can't be boring. I hope I will experience holiday like this.

Patrycja J.

Polish poem about love.

Powiedz mi jak mnie kochasz.
- Powiem.
- Więc?
- Kocham cie w słońcu. I przy blasku świec.
Kocham cię w kapeluszu i w berecie.
W wielkim wietrze na szosie, i na koncercie.
W bzach i w brzozach, i w malinach, i w klonach.
I gdy śpisz. I gdy pracujesz skupiona.
I gdy jajko roztłukujesz ładnie -
nawet wtedy, gdy ci łyżka spadnie.
W taksówce. I w samochodzie. Bez wyjątku.
I na końcu ulicy. I na początku.
I gdy włosy grzebieniem rozdzielisz.
W niebezpieczeństwie. I na karuzeli.
W morzu. W górach. W kaloszach. I boso.
Dzisiaj. Wczoraj. I jutro. Dniem i nocą.
I wiosną, kiedy jaskółka przylata.
- A latem jak mnie kochasz?
- Jak treść lata.
- A jesienią, gdy chmurki i humorki?
- Nawet wtedy, gdy gubisz parasolki.
- A gdy zima posrebrzy ramy okien?
- Zimą kocham cię jak wesoły ogień.
Blisko przy twoim sercu. Koło niego.
A za oknami śnieg. Wrony na śniegu.

K. I. Gałczyński

This is a poem about love. The narrator tried to illustrate the amazing feeling of love. He decided not to write “I love you so much” as it would be too simple. Instead he wrote a beautiful poem. It’s very romantic. He said that he loves her in the sun , and in the light of the candles, in the hat and in the beret, when she sleeps and when she works. He loves her so much in every moments in their life. I will translate a few parts of this poem:
- Can you tell me how much you love me ?
- I can
- So ?
- I love you in the sun, and in the light of the candles
I love you in a hat, and in the beret.
I love you in a big wind on the road, and on the concert.
I love you in the elders, raspberries, clones.
I love you when you sleep, and when you work.
(...)
I love you in the taxi, and in the car. Without exceptions.
In the end of the road and at the beginning of it.
In the dangerous situations, and while being on a merry-go-round.
In the sea. In the mountains, in the rubber boots and barefoot.
Today. Yeasterday. Tommorow. In the day and at night. (...)

Patrycja J.

International day of woman

Comments on the post:

Maria said...
This is one of the best tributes I've ever read, about woman's day!Jorge, allow me to add a few words.If women today, in western societies, are receiving legal equality with men and the freedom to chose their destiny, it's because of the full-of-self-judgement questions that first Greeks imposed. At the time of history when keeping women at a lower position was a distinguishing aspect of every society, Greek philosophers dared saying something revolutionary: that females must be equal to males, that if society acts differently then it develops half of its potentials.In ancient Greek litterature (written mainly by men) many women appear to provoke the misogynist stereotypes. Do you see what was going on? The writers themselves were questioning their own prejudices!How many stereotypes and prejudices are there today, especially in what sexuality is concerned, that we have to reconsider???
March 9, 2010 7:26 AM

Ana Marta Carmona said...
I think that what my teacher posted here is a very good tribute to women and being a woman myself, I recognise that there were many women who have been abused and killed so that I could be in front of this computer writing this, I mean, so that I coulld have my own freedom, which I love and without it I couldn't do half the things I do now! All we can do concerning the other women who are abused right now in the other side of the world is to be brave and hang in there because there will be a time when you can also have your freedom and, who knows, maybe one of your daughters can talk to us about the experience of their mothers, how they were chased, how they were hurt, and contribute the development of their society.
Love,
Ana Marta Carmona, 10.º B
March 10, 2010 8:58 PM

Maria said...
Dear Ana Marta,While reading your comment, my mind instantly drifted away to a book I have read.“Never without my daughter” , a true story, that took place in Iran, of one woman's struggle to keep her child and win freedom for them both.…and then another book came into my mind…“Patience stone” . For far too long, Afghan women have been faceless and voiceless. The writer, a man, Atiq Rahimi gives face and voice to one unforgettable woman in Afghanistan–and, one could argue, offers her as a proxy for the grievances of millions…it is a rich read, part allegory, part a tale of retribution, part an exploration of honor, love, sex, marriage, war.Literature has the great privilege of being able to record human experience and share it, from the very source of it. You read and you enter the mind of the writer, his/her heart and soul. Sometimes it’s very difficult for us to imagine how much some people suffer, how much they are suppressed and are deprived from freedom of choices. If we manage to imagine, then we can understand, not only them but ourselves as well.Open up your minds! Read… and meet the real world. Explore the mystery of human relations…
March 11, 2010 9:40 AM

Anonymous said...
I do believe that men are responsible for a lot of mistakes. I also believe that women see the world differently. In fact, I think that in a few things women are much better than men.But the truth is: women are nothing but people. People with personal feelings, thoughts... More than the condition of women or men, are people. And should be respected in that condition.So the International day of Woman, more than a day to remember how victims or adorable we were or can be, should be the day when men (and some women too) think how strong we were, are and will become. It's the best day for those people think that they should take us seriously, because one day physical strength will no longer matter, and by history and genetics women are much stronger psychologically.Above it all, this is the day to remember us that we should respect who is around us, despite different race, sex, age, options of living... This is the day to remember us that we should first of all improve ourselves, in all possible ways, doesn't really matter if you're man, woman or someone that socially chose to be both.
March 11, 2010 11:23 PM

Conceição said...
Hello everybody. Hi Jorge! Your vision of women´s day it is a very beautiful one.I am a little late on the comment but sill I would like to share my vision of this celebration day.What about:- the countries were women still seen as inferior? - the men that still don’t aloud the women to express themselves? - the societies that practice female genital mutilation?I think it is about time to really and seriously reflect on these issues.It is time to think of the historic but actual meaning of the celebration.
March 13, 2010 5:30 AM

Jorge Rocha said...
Hello, everybody!Conceição is right driving our attention to that issues. I would like to see my students here making comments about such issues and relating them with concepts we have been thinking. Students of 10th level can think about it in relation of «etnocentrism, cultural relativism and interculturalism» and in relation with «Values» and its role in «Human Action»; students of 11th level can think relation between those topics and central values of our democracy (liberty, equality and fraternity.
March 13, 2010 1:53 PM

Maria said...
Lets not just talk, but act as well.Take a look at this site: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/926134765?z00m=19830371
March 13, 2010 8:34 PM

Here we are! March, 8th. International day of Woman.

In a project like this, whose motive is to think sexuality and to educate our students in such an important field of human life, I must post some words under this topic.

Sexuality is very important because it can be the most deep experience experience in life of each human being and because it’s the source of life. We mustn’t forget it. And we must face it without prejudices – it is part of life, it is natural and it can be the best of life, but only if everyone can live it in a complete human way. This complete human way of living requires good thought and good emotions, that requires respect for the way of thinking and the way of feeling of everyone that is evolved. It must be this way. Really, because we are talking about a social relationship, it’s essential that each one is pleased. Otherwise, it’s a bad relationship and shouldn’t be tolerated. For a long... long time women all over the world have been submitted to violence because this basic rule was not respected.

Millions and millions men, Christians, Muslins, Jewish and members of other religions or without religion were violent with their women. Men have hit women. Men have stolen their freedom, arresting them in their houses that are prisons in silence. Men have raped them. Men have stoned them, and have burned them and have killed them. There are so many situations every day in every place in entire world that, in this particular subject, we must say our history is tragic!

I think we are facing the prove that human life, and life in general and life of universe has no sense of justice. In fact, women are the source of love and they’ve always been submitted to violence. It’s nonsense, isn’t it?

The life of each one of us starts in a love act of them. To refer the situation they and our fathers give us life, they use to say they make love, that is different to say they make sex (I think this is a typical way of male expression). It is not just a difference in terms, it’s different in semantics.
After, they carry us in their bodies, and they take care of their nutritional behaviour because of that. After they carry us in their arms and take care of our education. And, at the same time, they work and they are wives and they take care of our houses. Wou!
In spite of this fantastic performance, too many times they receive back carelessness, insensitiveness and violence.

While women take care children, educate them, men are making war… and they say they are superior then women because they make more dangerous things… like war! It’s stupid!

We should look at Human History: it’s a sequence of wars. It's an History of blood! Empires against empires to dominate more and more territory, to dominate more and more richness, to dominate more and more men and women. Always to dominate, never to cooperate (happily Europeen Union is an exception that is growing based on reoson, not on arms; based on cooperation, not in fight).

How could our Human History be if it has been done by women, if we have been a matriarchal society? A society made with their words and not with brave men muscles, with their kindness and without males testosterone?!

In this international day of women, I want to say I’m pleased for all the long way West societies have run in order to put women side by side with men… our society became so much interesting because of that!

Sometimes, when women get power, they make the same mistakes men used to make: they use power in the same aggressive way men usually do it. That is the antithesis, and that is wrong. I hope they get power in women way of being: the power that leads with sensitivity and thought and not with muscles. Muscles are an attribute of basic nature, not an attribute of human nature.

My closing words are kisses and flowers to all women, with a deep wish they teach world to get right balance between thought and feelings. I hope they can teach us how to be educated in thought and specially educated deeply in emotion. In fact, more important and more difficult than educate thought is to educate emotion and that is basis of a good personal and social life.

Jorge Rocha

When eros inspires

Comments on the poem:

Jorge Rocha said...
Hi, Maria! Congratulations because of this idea publishing this poem. It has the smell of greek deepness. I also loved the picture.
March 2, 2010 10:36 PM

Filipe Luna said...
Such an amusing poem. I am one of professor Jorge's students, And I must say your poem is quite awe-inspiring. I would like to thank you for sharing such knowledge with us.
March 3, 2010 10:25 PM

Jorge Rocha said...
Hello, Filipe!It's good to see you making this e-trip with us. Now we are traveling in space; soon we'll travel in time. I hope you can help me to go far away in this adventure.Jorge Rocha
March 3, 2010 11:23 PM

Filipe Luna said...
I see... I will do my very best to help develop this project, just call me if anything is needed, I can help with any translations needed for example.
Estou a ver... Eu vou fazer o meu melhor para ajudar a desenvolver este projecto, se for precisa alguma coisa basta chamar, posso ajudar com as traduções por exemplo.
March 4, 2010 12:29 AM

Maria said...
Hi Filipe! Nice meeting you!Hey Jorge, I like the fact that collleagues of yours are joining the project. It means something!!!!Since you like my post about "Erotocritos", what about telling you about the poetic way Cretan teenagers express their love nowadays?
March 4, 2010 5:20 PM

Filipe Luna said...
It would be most kind of you. I would be sure to read it, and so would be any of the followers.
Seria muito simpático da sua parte. Eu iria ler de certeza, tal como iria qualquer um dos seguidores.
March 4, 2010 8:54 PM

Jorge Rocha said...
These are nice words! And a beautiful image. I also like design of greek words, even if I do not understand their meaning.Jorge R.
March 8, 2010 8:50 PM

When eros inspires

Observe how Eros works his magic spells,

And how all love-sick mortals he compels.

He quickens their desire and gives it might,

And teaches them to wrestle in the night.

He cheapens gold, to blemish he gives charm.

And to the weakling lends a warrior’s arm;

He makes the coward dare, the sluggard race,

The awkward he endows with every grace.

Love made Rotokritos to hold his ground

And to defy the ten who gathered round.

From EROTOCRITOS (lines543-552)

Vizentzos Cornaros (16th-17th Century)

Γρικήσετε του έρωτα θαμάσματα τα κάνει

κ' εισέ θανάτους εκατό, όσ' αγαπούν, τσι βάνει.

Πληθένει τως την όρεξι και δύναμι τως δίδει,

μαθαίνει τσι να πολεμού τη νύχτα στο σκοτείδι,

κάνει τον ακριβό φτηνό, τον άσκημο ερωτάρι

κάνει και τον ανήμπορο άντρα και παλληκάρι,

τον φοβιτσάριν άφοβο, πρόθυμο τον οκνιάρι

κάνει και τον ακάτεχο να ξέρη πάσα χάρι.

Η αγάπη το Ρωτόκριτο κάνει να πολεμήση

με δέκα, κ' εις τον έρωτα ολπίζει να νικήση.

Some days ago, a young student (16 years old) came into the library (where I work) and asked me if I had the book of "Erotocritos". I was a bit surprised by his choice. I told him: "Hey! Did you fall in love and you want to dedicate some poetic lines to your girl?" He smiled and nodded "yes"....

Isn't it astonishing? Emotions stay the same through the years, the centuries! Words that manage to capture these emotions can stay immortal.

EROTOCRITOS: The world of this work is the ideal Greek world of friendship, pure feelings, authentic Greek traditions. It is the world of the beauty of Athens and Crete which is "the throne of virtue and the river of wisdom."
The language of this work is authentic Greek and Cretan, a synthesis and conscious effort of the poet to express lofty human feelings and values with simplicity, directness and truth.
Erotokritos has been characterized as a masterpiece of the Greek language which unites the magic of myth and a deep understanding of everyday life. It expresses the "threefold ideal which is bravery, beauty and wisdom." A work rooted deeply in authentic Greek traditions, humanity, true feeling and pure love for life and freedom.

Camões - Poem about love

Noémia, the portuguese teacher of our students Said:

"My first contribution to the theme it's a poem, and about love - what else? Poet? Camões – he leaved in the XVI century, but he knew and experimented all you can get from life and love!

In English:

Let Love devise new ways, new wiles

to kill me, and new forms of disdain;

he´ll take away no hope of mine,

since he can´t take what I don´t have.

Look at the hopes that hold me up!

See how precarious my defenses!

For I, not fearing reverses or changes,

am tossed by the sea, having lost my ship.

Though disappointment can´t exist

where there´s no hope, there Love has hidden

a bane that kills and remains unseen,

for he placed in my soul some time ago

I don´t know what, nor where it was born,

nor how it got there, nor why it aches."

Click here to read in Portuguese

Benjamin Franklin High Scholl

Let's go to know our Romanian students school. It's a great school.

Bejamin Franklin school

Hello From Romania

Our friends from Romania sent us a presentation of his country and capital town.

Click to know Romania

Click to know Bucuresti

Our school, land and country

Let's go to know better our school, our land and our country.

Henriques Nogueira school

Here we are!

Hello, from Torres Vedras, Portugal!

We are portuguese travelers and we want to do this trip very much! :) It'll be something special. We are very excited, because we are sure we have a lot to learn with our partners in so different countries!
Here we are to start our trip.
So, let's go! Click here to meet us!

In Portuguese/Em Português:
Olá, desde Torres Vedras, Portugal!
Nó somos viajantes portugueses e queremos muito fazer esta viagem!:) Será qualquer coisa de especial. Estamos muito entusiasmados porque estamos certos que temos muito que aprender com os nossos parceiros de países tão diversificados!
Aqui estamos nós para começar a nossa viagem.
Vamos a isso! Clica aqui para nos conhecer!

Hello Maria from Greece

Wellcome Maria. It's a big pleasure to have a partner from Greece.

I really loved your presentation - it was a wonderful trip arround beautiful and historical Greece, and it was great to do it with you!:) Oh, I was almost forgoten: you work in a nice school!

Now we join in our project six european countries: Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Poland and Romain.

About this, José Said:
"In English:
Hello Maria, I'm Jose, one of the portuguese students that will be participating in this project. Welcome!
Now in Portuguese:
Olá Maria, Eu sou o Jose, um dos estudantes portugueses que vai estar a participar neste projecto. Bem vinda!"

sunny greetings!

I am a new partner!

Click here to meet me!

Maria from Greece