I just remembered a very good moment with my brother. When we were around 7 or 8 years old we used to live with our parents in a very small tawn in the coast of Spain. Our house was just in front of the beach and me and my brother enjoyed go to the beach by own self in the morning until the lunch was ready. As we were so young and we didn't have movile phones, we used to go with our walkie-talkie to the beach so we could communicate with my mother. It was a big adventure for us :)

Some Spanish expressions I would like try to show you some Spanish expressions but it’s a difficult task because the literal translation doesn't make sense in English. “Estar más liado que la pata de un romano” Literal translation: I'm more busy/rolled than leg of a Roman. We usually use this expression when we haven’t any time because we’re very busy or when we’re confused. But in my case I use this expression with the second meaning. The word “liado” has two meanings here: to be busy and rolled (because Romans wore sandals tied to the leg). This expression it’s good for me in this moment because I'm confused writing this essay! "Estar al loro" Literal translation: to be the parrot. Its meaning like keep one's eyes on something or be careful with something...watch around you. I think the equivalent in English is ‘to be on the ball’ "Ser más agarrado que un puño" Literal translation: to be more tighter than a fist. This expression is very difficult to explain but we use it to say that someone is stingy. "Cría cuervos y te sacarán los ojos" Literal translation: raise crows and they will peck out your eyes. It means that if you are raising children or helping someone maybe will give you the cold shoulder when they are grown up. "Más feo que un pie" Literal translation: uglier than a foot It is a comparison and we use this expression to say someone is very very ugly. "Mucho ruido y pocas nueces" Literal translation: much ado about nothing. We use it when something seems to be very interesting because there is a great uproar but in the end it isn't anything special. Or when somebody speak a lot but don't say anything. "Ser más corto que las mangas de un chaleco" Literal translation: shorter than the sleeves of a vest. In this case 'short' makes reference to 'few intelligence'. We use this expression to say someone is silly or not understand something quick. The joke is that a vest doesn't has any sleeves. If you get understand this and you think you know the equivalent expression in English...please let me know!!

To live in a ship Imagine if you could take your house with you and go around the world. That is possible if your house was a ship, a caravan or if you was a rich person with a private airplane and houses for everywhere. In my case I only have money for a tent but I would like to live in a ship because I would like to travel without road and can have a nap in deep sea. I'm an illustrator and I would like to have my studio inside the boat. So it should be a big ship and to be stable for not shake my pulse. I would like to put my work space in front of a big window and other table on the deck with an awning about it. The ship could have a sailing ship with a small powerboat for go to the coast easier. I would become my boat in an ecological house. I would try to travel with windy the majority of the time, to have a motor which works with solar energy and some mechanism to desalinate sea water. Also I would fish my own food. Inside to the ship would be a big room which works like a living room, kitchen and studio. The bedroom would be in a second floor, in a platform piece connecting by a stairs with the living room. Only a bed and a small piece of furniture in the bedroom. The bathroom wouldn't be too big and in a different room. Would be great to go for every port in the Mediterranean and to know the life in every place.

Adverbs This is a exercise to see the difference between a text without adverbs and a text with adverbs. Without adverbs: Every morning I get up at 6.30 am because I start my work at 7 am in the kitchen when I make the breakfast for kids. They eat and go up stairs for get dressed. The girl gets dressed in her room and the boy in his room as well but he need my help to put the socks on. After that I help them to brush the teeth. If everything it's ok they are ready at 8 am and they have time to play until 8.30 am. About this time I start to call the kids from the hall because it's time to go to school, but they want to continue playing and they replied and told me that is not time go to school. We are in the street at 8.40 am but I don't know how because is very difficult go out home every morning. With adverbs: Every morning I get up at 6.30 am because I start my work at 7 am in the kitchen when I make drowsily the breakfast for kids. They eat quickly and go up stairs for get dressed. The girl gets quietly dressed alone in her room and the boy grumpily in his room as well but he need my help to put the socks on. After that I help them to brush the teeth. If everything it's ok they usually are ready at 8 am and they have time to play until 8.30 am. About this time I nicely start to call the kids from the hall because it's time to go to school, but they want to continue playing and they replied and grumpily told me that is not time go to school. We are in the street always at 8.40 am but honestly I don't know how because is very difficult go out home every morning.

Supermarkets Usually I don't need go to the supermarket in England because the family with I'm living do the groceries always. But sometimes I have gone to the supermarket close to my house. The most important difference is the price, to do the grocery in England is more expensive than in Spain. Although some supermarkets are more expensive than others and I think this is one of most expensive. What strike to me most is that in England there are many kinds of tea but there aren't any herbal tea in supermarkets. You must go to others kind of shops more specific...I find this very annoying! In general I miss many food, in Spain there are more kind of products. For example, the majority of cheese here is cheddar and not much choice. I miss chorizo, jamón, morcilla, mortadela...English bacon can never replace them!! Is the same with legumes...and there isn't tomato sauce (not ketchup)!! I can't find a good mature cheese but I can buy cards in the supermarket to congratulate somebody for his new change look!! English people love to give cards for everything. In this supermarket there are a big shelf full of cards. Furthermore, supermarkets in England are how in Spain. The same offers, the same questions "do you want bag?" "Do you have a membership card?" ...

Meet people It's very interesting to meet people from different countries because you can know different cultures and points of view. Sometimes we think our mores are the best in the world when we don’t know other places or we haven’t interest for know different lifestyles. We should care our culture and be proud but without feeling superior to others. People into the same country are different too and is interesting speak with people who live in the north and with people who live in the south about themselves and about the others. Even though it's hard to admit, stereotypes are sometimes true but no always. I think people are people, everywhere is the same. So it's important be open minded. People are people - Depeche mode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErnMC7xokQ8

‘The Weather’ is The Topic I have lived in some cities and the most important difference between them is always the weather, because the character of the people is related with this. I’m from Seville but I studied in Madrid and I worked in Bilbao so I have lived in the south, center and north of Spain. Seville has a Mediterranean climate, that is hot summers and warm winters. In Spain people say ‘Seville has a special color’ because the weather is sunny almost all year. But in summer is too hot about 40º C. People in my city spend a lot of time in the street but if it's raining the streets are empty because people are not used to watch raining in Seville. Usually little rain but is strong. People in Seville have a cheerful and open character because the sun brings happiness! Madrid is in the central plateau so has a continental Mediterranean climate, that is extreme weather with cold winters and hot summers. It's usually to see snow three or four times a year and you must wear scarf, gloves and hat every winter morning. It's exciting see to snow but be careful if this morning you want to take the train or underground because everybody are going to do the same and will be impossible get to work on time. In summer the weather is hotter by the pollution...the city is on fire!! People in Madrid is nice and is a cosmopolitan city so it's difficult to find someone from Madrid of several generations. Like in Seville, the people spend a lot of time in the street but more busy. Bilbao is in the north of Spain and has a warm oceanic climate. People say Bilbao is a gray city in spite of to be surrounded of green mountains but precisely this is the problem! When the clouds go to Bilbao get trapped between the mountains and the wind can't remove them. So the weather in Bilbao is always rainy...your rain coat will become your best friend. People in Bilbao es very nice and spent a lot of time in the street as well. The rain it's no a problem for them because always there are a bar near to refuge and eat some 'pintxos' with a good wine and a good friends. Sunny days let it see a nice city with a lot of colors and the people is more happy. The conclusion is Spanish people love spent a lot of time in the street with or without sun :)