Comment 21

 A funeral is a ceremony celebrated after the death of a person. Usually, funerals are very sad, where all the family members join together and cry for the death of the loved one. In addition, people dress in black and go to a church to pray in honour of that person. However, in some cultures it is not like that.

On the one hand, according to the studies of the cultural anthropologist Kelli Swazey in eastern Indonesia, funerals are raucous affairs involving the whole village. They can last anywhere from days to weeks. Families save up for long periods of time to raise the resources for a big funeral. Furthermore, funeral practices are part of the culture and traditions of a comunity. Some people might find this strange, but for others it is completely normal.

On the other hand, another very interesting culture is the Philippine one. There are many Filipino death traditions, some of them really bizarre. For example, the Benguet people of the northwest of the Philippines blindfold their dead and place them next to the main entrance of the house. In addition, the Caviteños bury their dead in a hollowed-out tree trunk. Meanwhile, the Apayo, who live in the north, bury their dead under their kitchen!

In short, around the world there are many different funeral traditions, some of them are very curious. Besides, the most important thing is to respect all of them; you can be interested and investigate about them, but not talk badly about their culture. In my opinion, there have been very interesting funeral traditions since ancient times, the one that I find most curious is that of the Apayo. Burying your relatives under your kitchen seems quite weird  to me!

Comment 20

 

Black Friday is a tradition originated in the United States and that has been celebrated for decades after Thanksgiving. It is a great event that means a big increase in the economy of the shops. For many years, it has meant a great movement of people for buying gifts, in many cases anticipating the Christmas shopping.

On the one hand, Black Friday is a very good opportunity to get bargains. In addition, many people wait until this moment to buy some item they have been looking for a long time, because they know that it will be on sale. Besides, other people don't have anything concrete to buy, but they like stopping in front of the shops to see the articles and maybe buy something. These discounts are very good for the shops, especially for the small ones because it helps them to sell more. As far as online shopping is concerned, thousands of products are sold at this time and it benefits not only the sellers, but also the delivery services.

On the other hand, Black Friday has disadvantages too. Many times sellers are not honest and make " fake sales " so that we buy something that was actually at the same price. Moreover, Black Friday can cause fights in the shops for buying something. Sir Peter Fahy, the chief constable of Greater Manchester, blamed retailers for the mayhem: "The events of last night were totally predictable and I am disappointed that stores did not have sufficient security staff on duty". Returning to the subject of online shopping, the disadvantages it has is that websites collapse and often products cannot be delivered on time.

In short, Black Friday is a big event where thousands of products are discounted by the vendors. In addition, there are many great discounts of up to 50 and 75%! From my point of view, these sales can be a great opportunity to buy some electronic products, clothes, t oys...

Comment 19

 

Nowadays, technology is becoming more and more advanced. Today's society is advancing very quickly and more and more robots are being manufactured. In fact, it can be said that there is already some kind of robot or tool for almost everything, although, obviously, these robots can continue improving little by little. Moreover, among these robots we can point out a somewhat strange and controversial one: sexual robots.

On the one hand, sex robots have the potential to provide a valuable service for people who are elderly, disabled or who find intercourse traumatic, but they also carry ethical risks, experts say. These robots are a type of masturbation machine that can already be found on the market. Moreover, according to some experts, it can help and be useful in certain cases when people have any kind of problem. People who support this claim that it might benefit from interaction with sex robots are elderly people in care homes, people of both sexes who have had a traumatic sexual experience and men who suffer from erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.

On the other hand, there are people who think that these robots are a very bad idea. They also raise concerns that sex robots could increase the objectification of women, alter perceptions of consent and be used to satisfy desires that would otherwise be illegal. In addition, another thing to keep in mind about these robots is that what will happen if they become very famous. Wouldn't we want to interact with humans any more because it's just easier to talk to the robot or easier to engage in sexual gratification with the robot?

In short, machines are reaching unimaginable limits. Besides, sexual robots are a rather controversial topic to talk about, as many people do not agree with them and demand that they are no longer on the market.

Comment 18

 Nowadays, the world of cooking is immense. There are thousands of different plates and ingredients with which you can cook a multitude of recipes. For some people cooking can be boring and even an obligation. However, for other people cooking is an art and they enjoy cooking very much.

Firstly, it is important to point out that cooking is not easy. There are some recipes that are simple, but gourmet cooking requires a lot of practice, knowledge and passion. Besides, the best chefs in the world started cooking without knowing anything at all about it, so if you like cooking, with effort you can get far. Moreover, in terms of the recipes, you have to bear in mind that the most important thing is to innovate. A very significant feature of famous restaurants is that they cook traditional dishes but with innovative methods, creating a mix between traditional and modern cooking.

On the other hand, as we all know, there is a list made by famous gastronomes where the best restaurants in the world appear. The first place on the prestigious international list is now occupied by the Spanish restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, which has finally become number one after a couple of years of being in second place. The Celler, with three Michelin stars, is run by three brothers: Josep, Jordi and Joan Roca. It has been number 2 for the last two years. It was opened in 1986 and is known for its dishes that combine innovative cooking techniques with traditional ingredients, such as lobster parmentier with black trumpets and Iberian suckling pig with pepper sauce and garlic and quince terrine.

In conclusion, the world of cooking is very big and wonderful. Moreover, it is a great pride that a Spanish restaurant appears in the first place in this list. From my perspective, cooking can be a good way to express your creativity and experiment. However, I am not very good at it.

Comment 17

 

A tattoo is a drawing made on the skin permanently. Nowadays, it is very common to see people with lots of tattoos, and almost everybody has one. Humans have marked their bodies with tattoos for thousands of years. In addition, the designs can be very simple or really elaborate, but they are always personal and have been used as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of torture.

Firstly, the earliest evidence of tattoos on people comes from the Iceman, who is around 5,200 years old, and later on, remains have been found on Egyptian mummies. Over the years, different cultures and civilizations have continued tattooing their bodies and expressing themselves through it. At the present time, some tattoos are true works of art on the skin and many people admire them. Moreover, tattoos are used to express your personality and to differentiate you from the others. Besides, getting a tattoo with a loved person, like with your brothers or best friends is a good idea because it will show the union between you forever.

On the other hand, tattoos have disadvantages too. Some people with diseases like diabetes can suffer consequences if they get tattooed, so you have to be very careful with this. Furthermore, every tattooist is different and tattoos are usually expensive. If you get a tattoo from an inexperienced tattooist just because it is cheap, you won't probably be satisfied with the result. This is why you always have to go to the right place with qualified professionals. Also, another disadvantage of tattoos can be that some people, especially the elderly, do not see tattoos well and sometimes finding a job can be difficult.

In short, tattoos are permanent drawings on the skin that everyone can like more or less. However, the most important thing is to respect the fact that each person does what they want with their body. From my point of view, tattoos are very nice and I think that little by little our society will leave behind the thought that tattoos make you a bad person, because a drawing does not define your way of being.

Comment 16

 

Junk food is a type of food, usually related to fast food, which is high in fat and sugar and very low in nutrients. Besides, frequent consumption of junk food can cause serious health damage and lead to multiple illnesses. In addition, it is very common nowadays to see fast food places or restaurants almost everywhere: McDonalds, Burger King, Telepizza... Therefore, it is very easy to fall into the temptation of eating these menus more frequently than recommended, and unless we are very conscientious with this, it is very likely that we will buy it.

On the one hand, fast food is very tasty. All the hamburgers, fries and pizzas are made for us to enjoy and always want more and more. Furthermore, it is usual to see people going out to have dinner or lunch together for this kind of dishes, especially teenagers. Moreover, fast food is one of the main causes of obesity. This type of food is widely consumed around the world and, as long as we do it seldom, it's okay. In addition, it is very important to remember that a healthy life does not mean that we only eat "healthy food", but rather that we learn to have a varied and balanced diet by eating everything in its right measure.

On the other hand, in agreement with many fitness people and some experts, junk food should be totally eliminated from our diet. According to one study about junk food, it contains so much fat and so few vitamins, that it can create very serious health problems and illnesses. This is the case of a teenager in Bristol, who only ate chips, crisps and sausages. This 17 year-old boy had lost practically all his vision, felt tired all the time, and had to take vitamin pills to get back to normal, even though the damage to his vision was irreversible. This is one example among many others, for the fact that junk food is completely harmful to us.

In short, junk food is not usually recommended, but if you don't eat much, there is no problem. From my point of view, the less junk food we eat, the better. I think eating it a couple of times a month would be a good idea.

Comment 15

 Energy drinks are non-alcoholic drinks which contain stimulating substances that help to reduce fatigue and exhaustion. In today's society, people's schedules tend to be extremely busy and many people don't get the recommended eight hours of sleep. To counterbalance this, many people choose to drink energy drinks.

On the one hand, energy drinks are a stimulant that really works because shortly after drinking them you will already feel very energetic. In addition, it is very common that students drink these beverages during the preparation for their exams in order to be active and somehow " recuperate " the hours of sleep they don't get. Furthermore, one of the most common stimulants is caffeine. "Caffeine is the most widely used drug on the planet and has been used for centuries for its stimulating effects". Most energy drinks contain caffeine, which stimulates the central nervous system, making your body more alert.

On the other hand, caffeine and energy drinks are harmful to health. The consumption of caffeine can dehydrate your body and increase your blood pressure and heart rate. Besides, these energy drinks can become a drug for some people because they contain substances that make them addictive. Moreover, energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster or Rockstar have high levels not only of caffeine, but also of sugar. Therefore, consuming these products frequently can produce serious long-term problems, including obesity and diabetes.

In short, energy drinks are a refreshing liquid that keeps your body activated. Also, although they can be useful in helping us to have more energy while we are studying or working, we must be careful with them because they can also be dangerous. In my opinion, we should consume the less of these drinks the better, choose a healthy diet and rest for at least 8 hours. This way we will naturally have the energy we need for the whole day.