Job offer

 Making decisions is crucial in our lives, and it might define our future. During my last year of college, I had to make a big decision in my life. After an internship, a company offered me work for them in a real job, but I was still doing my final project to get my undergraduate degree. I had to choose if I wanted to work at that company.

When I was in my last year of college, I had the opportunity to do my internship at General Motors, a car assembly company. Besides, I was developing my thesis to graduate from college. These two activities were stressful and exhausting.  In the morning, I was in my internship and in the afternoon I used to have meetings with my thesis partner at college.  We had planned that by the end of my internship we would focus on our project full time, because it was complicated and required a lot of research.

When my time at the company ended, they told me that there was a vacancy to work there. I was excited and worried. I was thinking about it and then I decided to reject the offer because of my thesis. At that moment, I believe that there was not enough time and I had given my word to my partner about the time we were doing our project.

This is one of my biggest regrets because working for General Motors can open doors to other big companies. Right now, I am working in an academic field, but I do not feel fulfilled. I would love to work in a company that is focused on automation, like a big factory. Nobody knows what will happen, and anybody can certainly predict. But maybe if I had chosen that job, today I would be working somewhere I really like.

Life is made of decisions. Now I know that every opportunity that appears I must take it. I have to take the risk and be opened to new experiences. It is important to enjoy the journey and learn from mistakes. 

Travel partners

“You don't really know a person until you live with him, travel with him or do business with him.” I could prove through my own experience that part of this quote is true. It happened when I traveled to Europe with a good friend of mine. Of course, the trip was outstanding, but some things happened differently than I planned.

It is common belief that friends are one of the best travel partners that exist. That is why I decided to plan a trip with a friend whom I will call John. This journey started in Spain, then Italy, next Germany, later Czech Republic and finally Netherlands.  The first days were incredible. John and I had did many activities that I had planned before we traveled to Europe. I was getting to know new places. I was stunned because of the wonderful views and the imposing buildings I found in every city.

Yet not everything was tickled pink. We had a rough couple days on the half of the journey because we did not agree on what to visit or where to eat. I had scheduled many places to see, like museums or traditional restaurants, but those places, in Jhon’s view, were not interesting. This situation put me down because I felt that my opinion was neither valued nor appreciated enough. We struggled to find solutions, but it was really difficult and also frustrating. After that, we decided to go one’s own way during the trip. However, I could enjoy the last countries by myself even though John and I were separated. To be honest, I am still thinking that it was the best decision for us because I visited many more places that I would have not seen if I continued the trip with John. The trip ended and we did not talk to each other. 

Unfortunately, it must have been a couple of months before John, and I could talk again as friends. We both have strong personalities, and we are also proud at times. Now, I know that being too proud can negatively affect the decisions I have to make. For this we had problems during our trip. But it is true that he is a good person, and his friendship gives more good things than bad. Therefore, despite the drawbacks we had, today we are still friends, and it makes me happy.

Lastly, I consider that in order to choose a good travel partner, it is crucial to find someone who either wants the same things as you do or likes the same kind of tourism. Otherwise, problems may arise if people do not know how to deal with those circumstances. However, I also learnt that, even though you plan everything, you should be able to adapt to new situations. We are all different and it is important to respect their opinions and find solutions when issues appear.

The others - summary

 “The others” is a horror film that occurs after the Second World War. Grace lives in a big house with her son and her daughter, waiting for her husband. The children suffer from a strange illness called photophobia that causes them to not be exposed to the sunlight. Because of this Grace has very strict rules imposed to protect them. They live by candlelight, with every door or window closed.

One day, Grace decides to hire three new servants. She gives them all the rules in order to avoid dangerous consequences for her children. They could die if there is just a little sun ray. Then it starts unexplainable problems like the windows opened or the piano started playing by itself. The children even said that they have looked to weird people that had never been at the house. Grace tries to find the cause of the problem. They start to think that there are ghosts at their house.

The film takes a shocking turn when it is revealed that Grace and her children are dead. The intruders are actually the new owners of the place when they came to live at the house after Grace died. Grace thought the intruders were the ghosts that she needed to protect herself and her children from. But it was the other way around. The reason that the intruders opened the window was not that they wanted to kill Grace’s children. It was because they must have been fed up with the incessant opening and closing of windows by the ghosts inside the house.

 The intruders are trying to exorcize the house. But the movie ends with Grace and her children staying at the house while the intruders leave it because of the problems with the ghosts.

Carnival during pandemic

 As far as I’m concerned, free days on Carnival are ones of the most fun every year. However, because of the coronavirus pandemic and the lock down suggested by the government, this year was completely different than any other year. Carnival is important in my city Guaranda. It is, as many people say, the major party. The mayor used to plan a lot of events like free concerts and parades. Unfortunately, there was nothing during 2021. This was the right decision because health is first priority.  Therefore, I did quite different activities during the carnival long weekend.

On Saturday, I had a barbecue with 4 friends of mine. I spent the afternoon buying the food we are going to need. Because the house we had for our barbecue is in the countryside of my city, my best friend picked me up in her car. Once we arrived at the house, we started to cook and listen to music. We could share a great time with my friends.

As my family knew that there were no events on Carnival, we had decided to do a little family reunion to cook some traditional food, dance and sing together. Sadly, my uncle and my cousin did not have time to plan it, and we had to cancel the meeting.

However, we received a call from a distant cousin. She was so kind, and she invited my family to her family reunion. It was perfect. We came to the reunion, and we received a lot of love. We were comfortable and welcoming. At any house in Guaranda, especially on Carnival, people love to share food, as much as their guesses can eat. During this meeting, it was the same. We ate from the beginning to the end. They gave us fritada, chicha, mote and soup when we had just arrived at the house. The best part was when we played carnival with my cousins and sisters. We took some bowls with water and got wet. After that, they gave us more food: coffee and chigüiles. These last ones are a kind of wheat dough involved in corn leaves. The reunion ended and we were back at home at midnight! 

Coronavirus pandemic has had terrible consequences, but also has taught how to improve our relationships and find the way to overcome difficulties. Despite this unusual carnival, it was really fun. I spent an outstanding moment not only with my close friends, parents and sisters, but also with distant family.

Windmills

I never imagined visiting the famous windmills in Netherlands. I have always considered this place as my favorite in the world. Fortunately, I had the chance to travel to Amsterdam two years ago. When I arrived there, I did not doubt it for a second, and I took a tour to the countryside where the windmills are. My dream came true! 

Since I knew I was going to visit that place, I was so eager. However, it was a mix of emotions because my travel partners did not want to come with me to the windmills. Therefore, I had to travel alone in a foreign country. As any other amateur traveler, I was extremely nervous. Yet, I took the risk. Luckily, everybody, local people, tourists and tourist guides, were extremely kind and hospitable. They were always willing to take a photo wherever I asked for. That was amazing.

At the beginning, I believed that there were two or three windmills, but I was wrong. When I got there, I noticed that it was a whole park with traditional colorful houses and a lake. It was stunning. From a distance it was already possible to see the sails of the windmills turning slowly.  It was a serene image. This amazing open-air museum, besides historical windmills, has walking routes, boat tours, and shops where people can find either souvenirs or food. There is nothing more Dutch than cheese, clogs, and tulips. They are the most popular handicrafts and souvenirs that are sold. Cheese was tasty with strong flavor, but I also tried a home-made hot chocolate that helped me a lot with the cold weather. It was simply perfect.

However, windmills are the main attraction. These are imposing on the outside and bigger than they look in photos. But inside them it is a completely different world. Even though they are more than 200 years old, they have a complex system of moving parts where oil, flour, spices, and pigments are milled. These windmills were crucial for the industry development in this area. In this attraction, it is also possible to climb up to the deck through small stairs. That is a bit difficult, but it is worth it. On the top, people can enjoy an outstanding view and see how colorful windmills are distributed around the lake.

To sum up, it was a worthwhile experience where I could visit an incredible place as well as meet amazing people. I could learn more about Dutch culture. It was rewarding because it was something that I have always wanted to see. Now I know that travelling alone is as good as travelling in group, specially to places like these windmills. I can not wait to travel again. 

ABOUT ME

ANDRE

I am an Electronic Engineer from Ecuador. I was born in Guaranda, a city on the center of Ecuador. Because of my studies I had to travel to Quito 10 years ago. Today, I live in this city, and I love it! I had the chance of not only study here, but also find a job. I have always been energetic and charismatic.  

During my whole live I have done a lot of activities like practicing sports like basketball, football gymnastics, or dancing. However the activities I enjoy the most are cooking and traveling. I did not like to cook, but when I had to live alone I discover that cooking is a surprising way to clear my mind. I actually thought to study to become a chef. As I said, traveling is another interest of mine. I always wanted to travel to another country, and when I had the opportunity to do it, I confirmed that it was my passion. I would like to travel again.  

Professionally, I would like to reach a master degree in a another country. However, one of my dreams is continue traveling and knowing a lot of places and cultures. 

All the worthwhile experiences in my life have taught me a lot, such as patience and adaptability, but of course, I still have many things to learn.