april 2022
voices MAGAZINE FOR ALL YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
Editorial
Едиторијал
Oh, April! The month of rebirth and re-awakening – look at those trees and flowers! After a surprisingly long winter, we can enjoy the sunny and warm weather again. Can you smell the new adventures in the air? Finally, we can say bye-bye to winter coats and enjoy outdoor activities. Hiking to Vodno every weekend? That sounds like a plan.
Ох, април! Месецот на повторното раѓање и повторното будење – погледнете ги тие дрвја и цвеќиња! По изненадувачки долгата зима, повторно можеме да уживаме во сончево и топло време. Можете ли да ги помирисате новите авантури во воздухот? Конечно, можеме да им кажеме збогум на зимските капути и да уживаме во активностите на отворено. Пешачење до Водно секој викенд? Тоа звучи како добар план.
Today is April fool’s day, but totally serious – a new edition of Voices came out! You can take our latest issue and enjoy reading various interesting stories while chilling in nature to feed your soul. Our Voices family grew significantly, so we are ready to rock your world with new spirit and energy. If you want to become a better person, check out our topic of the month. Ferran, a VET student from Catalunya, decided to share with you secrets of self-improvement. You can trust this guy. He is a living inspiration! Still not convinced? So, maybe you love learning new things? Here you go. Read about Catalan culture, ways to differentiate Asian languages, or spot deepfakes. All of that spiced up with a bit of psychology, music, and books – something suitable for everyone. Take the best of this spring and enjoy! Aleksandra Kanasiuk
Денот на шегата е , но тотално сериозно – излезе новото издание на „Воисес“! Можете да го земете нашиот најнов број и да уживате во читањето разни интересни приказни додека се разладувате во природа за да ја нахраните вашата душа. Нашето „Воисес“-семејство значително се зголеми, па затоа сме подготвени да го размрдаме вашиот свет со нов дух и енергија. Ако сакате да станете подобра личност, проверете ја нашата тема на месецот. Феран, студент по стручно образование и обука, реши да ги сподели со вас тајните за самоподобрување. Можете да му верувате на овој човек. Тој е жива инспирација! Сè уште не сте убедени? Значи, можеби сакаш да учиш нови работи? Еве ти. Прочитајте за каталонската култура, начините за разликување на азиските јазици или забележувајте длабоки фејкови. Сето тоа зачинето со малку психологија, музика и книги нешто погодно за секого. Искористете го најдоброто од оваа пролет и уживајте! Александра Канасиук
VCS DIRECTOR: Nikola Stankoski
VOLUNTEERS: Jolanta Ciopcińska Lucile Guéguen COORDINATORS: José Rodrigues Andrej Naumovski Aleksandra Kanasiuk Goran Adamovski Anniina Niemi Goran Galabov Jasse Heikkilä Selina Niemi Laura Camps Munoz Ewelina Chańska Ferran Mortes McLellan
EXTERNAL WRITERS: Camila Novak Dafina Veselinoska Marija Marinkovikj TRANSLATORS: Kristina Stamenova Dora Arifi PROOFREADERS: Elen Wright-Stead Edward Stead
DESIGNERS: Selina Niemi Lucile Guéguen Jolanta Ciopcińska José Rodrigues Aleksandra Kanasiuk Ferran Mortes McLellan Anniina Niemi Jasse Heikkilä
CONTACT: Volunteers Centre Skopje Emil Zola 3/3-1, 1000, Skopje +389 22 772 095 vcs_contact@yahoo.com www.vcs.org.mk
VOICES magazine is coordinated, designed and created by ESC and local volunteers with support of Erasmus+ program.
content
VOICES April 2022 - issue 4
topic of the month 4 22
Self-improvement; unlock your full potential
Ferran Mortés
Личен напредок: Како да го искористите вашиот потенцијал
Феран Мортес
music 6 8
The King of Music
José Rodrigues
Don’t EXIT
José Rodrigues
culture 10
The fascinating Catalan Culture
Laura Camps, Ferran Mortés
reportages 12 14 16
Too much, too soon, too little
8
Aleksandra Kanasiuk
Can we believe in what we see?
Jolanta Ciopcińska
Chinese, Japanese, Korean... What’s the difference?
Lucile Guéguen
18 20 24 26
Books as our friends
Marija Marinkovikj
How and why to make a lifestyle change
Anniina Niemi
History of a red headscarf
Aleksandra Kanasiuk
Librat – si miqtë tanë
Marija Marinkovikj
opinion 28 30 32
16
Is your glass half-empty or half full?
Jasse Heikkilä
Сакам да учам
Дафина Веселиноска - Дафне
Stop dieting, start eating Camila Novak
COVER: Mayur Deshpande |Unsplash
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VOICES - 3
topic of the month
SELF IMPROVEMENT unlock your full potential
Self improvement is a personal process where the individual begins by being self-aware and by doing so, he sees who he really wants to be, and most importantly, sees who he is capable of BECOMING.
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he main goal is to become the best version of you. There are many challenges in life; finding the right studies, getting a job, doing this and doing that. I can assure you; the real challenge is discovering who you are and finding your purpose in life, and the real answer comes from within. The rest will come to you naturally by simply being internally at peace. As a result of being self aware you are able to analyze your habits and
Be better today than what you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today. - Lorenzo Snow
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transform them into good ones. For instance, getting enough sleep, training, eating healthy or simply having a positive mindset towards your day-to-day tasks will always bring all sorts of benefits towards your mental health, self esteem, motivation… Sometimes one can easily feel like they have no control over themselves, almost like a leaf blown in the wind. That’s why it’s crucial to take it step by step when starting something new, especially
when one has never worked on perseverance or being self-disciplined. We focus too much on the results and not on the process. By focusing on a goal, one must be able to build a bridge between where they are and where they would like to be. Make yourfirstlittlestepbyincorporating a new habit into your daily routine.
тема на месецот
Getting up early, but also getting enough sleep:
Getting out of your comfort zone:
This gives you the chance to start off your day gradually, spending time with yourself and focusing on yourself. Many people think that they need to sleep more than their body actually needs.
This can be done in many ways. It’s very recomended to try something new everyday, like a little challenge. It can be from cooking something, meeting new people, going somewhere you’ve never been before, listening to new music… By doing this, you will disconnect from your usual routine, and you will then probably approach your responsibilities and priorities with a different perspective.
Our body can get through the day with just 7 hours of sleep. And even for some people, less than that. So if you are feeling tired later on in the day, the best thing to do is to take little breaks and rests throughout the day.
Stretching: On the other hand, stretching has many benefits when it comes to the physical side of our body. Although in many cases, when one is stressed, his muscles tighten up and by stretching, the tension is relieved and he is able to relax. It also prevents future injuries, corrects posture, flexibility, improves sleep… Overall it’s an easy and effective habit that prevents you from becoming a cardboard box when you get older.
Meditation:
Movement:
Drinking water:
This is a moment just for you, where you can connect with your inner self and forget about all external factors. When one meditates, he is able to calm and relax his mind, therefore it’s easier to align it with his emotions.
Working out/exercising is essential for keeping a healthy lifestyle, since it benefits you in so many ways, from disease prevention, weight control, improves mood and mindset, boosts energy and promotes better sleep.
It is very common for work to lead to anxiety, depression or stress. The main cause of it is the fact that we let ourselves be mentally consumed by work and all the negative things that come along with it. That is the main reason why people begin meditating. It is proven that if one is capable of properly meditating consistently, it can prevent future illnesses and diseases.
There are many ways you can workout, not necessarily by going to the gym. You can swim, practice a sport, go for a run, go cycling… A lot of people link exercising with suffering or self-obligation, like going to work. It is important to approach this habit with an open mind and to think of it as a moment of fun and disconnection.
It might seem obvious because it’s a need, but many people forget to do so. From the moment you get up, your body needs to hydrate again after sleeping. An average adult needs to consume about 3 liters of water per day. Drinking enough water comes with many benefits, like skin care, promotes weight loss, helps you think… Ferran Mortés Sources: CDC: How much sleep Heathline: 12 benefits of mediation
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music
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THE KING OF MUSIC
музика
The music industry has a lot of people with success, but many don’t know what happens backstage, unique in Rap and pop, where you see the singer. Producers are responsible for every music they sign, and when you talk about music producers, the first top-of-mind name is Dr. Dre. Besides the music production, Dre is also a rapper, entrepreneur, and responsible for Eminem’s success.
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ndre Young, the actual name Dre, was born in 1965 in Compton, California. His success in music started in 1986, with the creation of N.W.A., as one of the rappers, but we already did almost all the production in N.W.A singles and albums until we left the group. We early knew how good he was in production and in 1992 cofound with Suge Knight, Death Row Records, the best record label for hip-hop artists in the L.A. area in the 90s. Dre in Death Row worked in tremendous success, such the debut album of Snoop Dog – Doggystyle with have the unforgettable hit "Who Am I (What's my name)?" after was time for 2Pac shine with "All Eyez on Me." During that time, we also released two albums of their one, one of them in 1999, that have its biggest successful hit, "Forget About Dre." In 1998, Jimmy Iovine showed pure gold to Dre, a kid with a massive talent for rapping, but no one, what's to sign with him because he was white by the name of Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem. Dre, after listening to a few seconds of Eminem, returns the call to Jimmy and tells him to bring that kid to the studio. Dre plays just a few seconds of music, and M starts rapping. After that studio session, he signs with them just on the first day in the studio on in own label – Aftermath, a division label of Interscope, something that doesn't happen in the music industry. Like we know another colossal success with releasing The Slim Shady LP in 1999, the
single that makes Eminem the RAPPER that is nowadays – "My Name Is," and the rest is history. Besides those big names in music, Dr. Dre also works with names like 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Rakim, The Game, Mary J. Blige, D12, and Akon. If you don't count with all the awards he owns in the music industry, we can say that this year, Dre achieved one of the best goals in his long career, performing in the Halftime Show of Superbowl 2022 with the best artists that he works. Dre. isn't a genius to be a great producer. He also improves the way we listen. In collaboration with Jimmy Iovine, they create the Beast by Dre. Headphones. These headphones combine style with good quality sound gear, something that didn't exist at the time they were created, and make other companies do the same. José Rodrigues Sources: Britanninca: Dr. Dre Wikipedia: Dr. Dre Discography Rolling Stone: 10 Things We Learned from Dr.Dre/Jimmy Iovinne Doc “The Defiant Ones” Rolling Stones: Dr. Dre “Detox” Netflix: The Defaint Ones Flaticon: Georgy & Freepcik
VOICES - 7
music
The EXIT music festival happens every year in the city of Novi Sad on the first weekend of July for three days. This year, you can expect notable names in the music industry like Boris Brejcha and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, the biggest music festival in Serbia and one of the biggest in all Balkans.
Don´t EXIT 8 - VOICES
музика
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his year EXIT is nominated for the BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL in the world by the NME (New Music Express) Awards, one of the most recognized media covers in the music, film, and culture industry. They have already won 2x "The Best Major European Festival" by the EU Festival Awards and the "Best Overseas Festival" at UK Festival Awards. The recommendations got for the world's best events from huge newspapers like CNN, BBC, and The New York Times. In 2021, they made history of being the first major European festival to happen since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic with more than 18.000 people attending in the four days of the festival, something that Billboard considered historic when almost all the celebrations were postponed, they say "Yes, we are going to make it," Dusan Kovacevic, founder CEO of Exit, in an interview to Pollstar he can't understand why in some countries they allowed sports events but music isn't, in kind of joke Dusan say's "The virus likes music, but don't like sports" to say that for him they are the same thing. Everyone that wants to attend the festival needs to prove they are COVID-free, recover, or vaccinated prior to getting the wristbands to
participate in the festival. To make things easier, they provide free rapid tests to the locals that want to attend the festival, and the foreigners could use the negative test they take to enter the country (only for the 4-day ticket). They have huge names, without disappointing the fans, like David Guetta, Amelie Lens, Charlotte de Witte, and Robin Schulz, even with last-minute cancelations. David, from Spain, last year’s participant at the festival, says that at the beginning, he and his friends felt a little strange knowing they would go to the festival after a long time. In the middle of a pandemic, something that was “forgotten” due to the hype of the trip and the strict control, they pass to enter the country. At the festival venue, they were given a feeling of safeness, and proof of that was, a few months later, he went again to another music festival. This festival is a mustgo if you are into Electronic Music more in Techno style.
The location (Petrovaradin Fortress) gives a unique vibe to the festival, with aa lot of stages to choose from that you can enjoy for 12h straight if you can handle that. If not, you have rest areas that are calmer with less noise so that you can recover. A plus point to this festival is the staff that is very helpful and ready to solve any problem that you have quickly. We can say that the realization of the festival was a kind of throwback to her primordial editions, that was a kind of a protest to government policies. This festival arouses interest in Macedonia, where many young people go to Novi Sad every year. Agencies organize tours, but individual trips are also popular. David from Spain, who was in Macedonia last year, took the opportunity and “jumped” to Vojvodina for a couple of days. José Rodrigues Sources: EXIT Festival: About us Billboard: EXIT Festival Serbia, Dance Recap Pollstar: Video interview with exit CEO duan kovaevi Festicket: EXIT Festival welcomes 180,000 fans as first major european festival to take place this summer Q&A with David Valero Flaticon: Freepick
VOICES - 9
culture
The fascinating Catalan Culture Catalunya is located in Spain. It has a population of 7.5 million people. It is rich in culture and radition; unique food, language and special festive days. You might have heard something about catalan culture before, but if you haven’t, these are some examples of the most common festive traditions that you should know. Castellers “Castellers” (human towers in Catalan) is a Catalan tradition that’s been ongoing for more than 200 years. Different groups known as “colles castelleres” gather at local festive events and they build human towers. There are many different types of “castells”, depending on the amount of people that participate and the levels that form the tower. Each tower has its own unique name. For example, A tower formed by 1 person on each level is called “pilar”, or one with 4 people in each level is called “quatre”. The world record for the biggest tower was set by the Castellers de Vilafranca in 2012, where they traveled to New York to perform what was never seen before; a 150 people tower, with 8 levels of four people. There are different groups with different uniforms all across Catalunya, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. All groups from different places gather and build the tower they have previously prepared. There is a lot of community and teamwork… That’s what makes it possible and so incredible!.
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култура
Correfoc The “correfoc” is a game or show that takes place in the streets of cities and towns, where the goal is to avoid the pyrotechnics used by the “devils”, in Catalan we call them “Diables”, and the imaginary and mythological beings who are represented. It is an event celebrated primarily in Catalonia, but it has also spread to the Valencian country, the Balearic Islands and the north of Catalonia. It has its roots in the “Ball de diables” already documented in the twelfth century, but it was not until the twentieth that it took its current form. If you want to be part of the "colla de diables" you need a certificate that you can use and enjoy pyrotechnics correctly The term “correfoc” arose in different parades of “Festes Majors” or popular celebrations of Catalonia, as an improvised manifestation of the people, dragons and devils who acted running, jumping and dancing together under the fire, with a traditional percussion rhythm . In the 80s and 90s, it spread across the geography of the Catalan countries. The “bestiari de foc” is a group of figures, bodies, corporal and artificial elements with a zoomorphic appearance that use pyrotechnic devices. Generally, these fire beasts have fantastic features, with dragons being the most common.
Gegants A “Gegant” (giant in English) is a large traditional popular human figure designed to participate in celebrations and public festivities. A hollow structure is carried by one or more people wearing a suit for the character they represent as they dance to the beat of a piece of music. Giants are usually representations of medieval tales and characters, such as princesses, princes, kings, queens… but there can also be other types, such as peasants, mythological creatures, shepherds…
These characters usually go out on public holidays or on public holidays in the form of a parade to have a little party in the village. The parade is a festive event where several giant associations walk through the village with live music, which is usually with drums, tambourines, “flabiol’’ and “gralles”.
Ball de gitanes The “Ball de gitanes” (gypsy dance in English) is a traditional dance in Catalonia and Valencia that began around the 18th century. There are two types of dance, the one in the Vallès area and the one practiced in some towns in the Valencian Country and in other areas of Catalonia, especially Tarragona and the Penedès. There are usually one or two rows of dancers in pairs. The castanets (“castanyoles” in Catalan) are also played (not in a flamenco way) to different types of songs. Each village has their own distinctive tune which they play.
The Sardana The Sardana is a very traditional type of dance in Catalonia. It is known for its particularities; people form a circle by holding their hands and they point their feet in the middle by following the song’s rhythm. This normally takes place on local festive days, in the center of the town’s square, where people gather around and are free to join. The music they use for the sardanas is very distinctive; it is composed by some wind instruments called “la fabiola de gralla” and the “tamborí” (little drum). Ferran Mortés Laura Camps
VOICES - 11
reportage
Too much, Too soon, Too little
It was the night. I was coming back home by car with my parents. As a little girl, I was sleeping on the back couch. A big wham and jolt woke me up. I was shocked because I didn't know what had happened. My father got out of the car. I was crying and screaming because I thought he would die. But fortunately, it wasn't anything serious. I even forgot about that event. But 24 years later, I was coming back home by bus. It was the night. I couldn't breathe and wanted to get out of the bus immediately. Unconsciously I developed a pretty massive panic attack. It was a form of trauma response.
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s human creatures, we often perceive some complicated emotions as unbearable and unwanted, so we try to avoid them. But every emotion, no matter how difficult – has an essential role in our lives. Our nervous system is doing everything for us to survive, and the role of the hard emotion is to protect us. When you are angry, it might mean that someone crossed your boundaries, and emotion signals that you have to react. We feel emotions in the body, not in the brain. Not working through emotional disturbances from the past might increase the temperature of current emotions because our bodies remember past traumas.
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Our brains don't like surprises. Every unexpected event for which our nervous system cannot be prepared may be perceived as traumatic. The brain wants to keep us alive, no matter at what cost. It doesn't care about the quality of your life – the most important is that you survived. When it is trying to protect us, it might cut us from hurtful memories or even cut out feelings in some parts of our body. But then, suddenly, even after years, you still can experience the same or intensified emotions. Especially when your nervous system perceives the situation as the same danger you've experienced before because of
some triggers (stimuli that affect an intense emotional state. In my case, it was traveling by night). According to Sabina Sadecka, the other trauma definition can also be: too much, too soon, too little. Psychologists often talk about childhood trauma, so let's use the same example. When you're a child, you need someone to take care of you, but for whatever reason, your guardians will give you too little supervision in a long period – it can be traumatic. When you have to deal with unbearable events like war, natural disasters, or accidents, it might be overwhelming for your nervous system. That can be too much to deal with. For children – also too soon, when suddenly they have to take care of their family. Now, a little bit of neuroscience. A general director of the brain is the prefrontal cortex. It estimates, plans, and solves problems. It connects inner and external stimuli and regulates impulses and emotions. Amygdala is a central fear system in our bodies. It collects non-verbal signals, especially those negative ones, and immediately sends an alarm to other brain parts. Pounding heart, shaking body, and will to run. Fear. Who likes that? Imagine standing at the cliff's edgeautomatic response will be adrenaline rush – like an alarm "you are in danger, you have to run." It's called fight or flight response — the tension of the muscles increases, as well as blood pressure and blood sugar level. Our body prepares the move to protect us. The main problem occurs when the tension becomes not regulated. It makes no difference to our brain that the danger is not real; for instance,
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when you see a flood on the TV, or your negative thoughts influence you. The stress response happens unconsciously. When you decide about your action, the amygdala sends memories with the same emotional charge to the prefrontal cortex to ease the process. However, it often supports fast and emotional reactions. Hippocampus's primary role is memory and the learning process. It stabilizes the functions of the amygdala. When the amygdala is sometimes irrational, the hippocampus says: "whoa, hold your horses, buddy, is it a real danger?" When the situation is perceived as safe, it stops the amygdala and stress reaction. When you see a snake – your amygdala sees danger, but your hippocampus can recognize that this species is not dangerous, so you don't have to worry. Hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex have to cooperate. Otherwise, we have a problem. When we cannot escape from a difficult situation, our brain goes to the overstimulation zone. It disorders our functions of logical thinking and the ability to speak. Overexcitement can be beneficial when it comes to danger, but when symptoms last for a long time, it may lead to numbness, exhaustion, and dissociation from the physical body. There's a question- why do some people develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), but others do not? It depends on the resilience of the brain.
Resilience is a term borrowed from physics – resilient material can absorb energy because it is pliable. Still, it will release the energy after some time and return to its default form. Our brain also has such ability. Imagine a situation when someone will steal your wallet. It will affect a resilient person emotionally, but eventually, the emotions will cool down. Resilience is a set of skills necessary to protect our brain against overstimulation from stress. But no worries, even if you are not resilient from nature, you can learn it. Neuroplasticity gives a chance to those who experienced trauma or are not resilient to stress. Neural connections can be changed to create new, more adaptable pathways to develop better coping mechanisms. When it comes to trauma, time doesn't heal the wounds. In fact, the opposite. These are the things that have to be worked through therapy. But when you want to improve your resilience, you can start here – with scientifically tested self-help exercises.
Self-help exercises you can use in a situation of excessive stimulation: • • • •
Progressive relaxation Breathing exercises – (f.e. diaphragmatic breathing) Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) Thought field therapy
Aleksandra Kanasiuk Sources: Podcast: Sabina Sadecka - Nice about trauma: About trauma and resilience Glenn R. Schiraldi - The Resilience Workbook: Essential Skills to Recover from Stress, Trauma, and Adversity
VOICES - 13
reportage
Can we believe in what we see? 14 - VOICES
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Nowadays, it’s easy to put words in someone’s mouth. How? Just with deepfakes, which are the specific kind of synthetic media. Tools supported by artificial intelligence that allow creating compelling images, audio, and video hoaxes have become so familiar and accessible that they are a severe threat to celebrities or politicians and all of us.
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he concept of fake news is already well known to us - it is false information shaped in such a way as to arouse emotions, be digestible and easy to pass on. Deepfake, on the other hand, introduces an informational lie to a higher level thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), images and recordings are created that look as realistic as possible but have nothing to do with reality. Why is it called deepfake? It’s a made-up word coined from a combination of the words “deep learning” and “fake”. To make a deepfake, a video maker changes one person’s face and replaces it with another, using a facial recognition algorithm and a deep learning computer network. Who can create the deepfakes? Everyone from amateurs to academic and industrial professionals, visual effects studios and movie producers. Have you seen Queen Elizabeth II dance on the table while delivering a Christmas speech? Or have you listened to Kim Jong Un’s lecture on democracy? Deepfake technology is often used to create convincing yet entirely fake video content and can be exploited to manipulate facts. Learning algorithms can create messages that are very difficult to distinguish from reality. They are easy to share, and they can spread panic. That’s exactly what their creators might want. On the other hand, deepfake technology brings possibilities to multiple industries, from marketing to museum and education. Deepfakes can save time, and time is money. In
the movie industry, deepfakes can help with editing video without the need for a reshoot. They can also help to recreate the past and bring history and art to a broader audience. A great example is Dalí Lives, the initiative of the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. Using the machine learningpowered video editing technique, the museum visitors could learn more about Salvador Dalí by interacting with… Dalí himself. Fears over the malicious use of deepfake technology bring us the question of how to detect them. It gets more challenging as the technology improves, but some deepfakes with poorer quality can be pretty easy to spot for us. Pay attention to the face, audio and lighting. Does the person blink enough or too much? Do their eyebrows fit their face? Is someone’s hair in the wrong spot? Maybe the skin is too patchy? The lip-syncing might be wrong, and the voice does not match the person’s appearance. Do eyes have the fitting reflection? You do not need to become a deepfake expert to distinguish what is real from what is fake, but you should remember one rule. Think before you share. The spreading of fake videos may have irreversible consequences.
Today’s wars do not just take place in reality. No less important battle is fought on the Internet: for truth and reliable information. Deepfake is just one of the examples of the synthetic media phenomenon, which is driven by ever-improving AI and the growing possibilities of 3D graphics. More than ever, we need to be more vigilant about what we trust on the Internet, whether we want it or not: technology is a double-edged sword. Jolanta Ciopcińska Sources: YouTube Channel 4: Deepfake Queen: 2020 Alternative Christmas Message YouTube Represent Us: Dictators - Kim Jong-Un MIT Sloan: Deepfakes, explained The Dali: Dalí Lives
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reportage
Chinese, Japanese, Korean...
What’s the difference Chinese (traditional / simplified) 中文
自行車在沙發後面。 自行车在沙发后面。 Zì xíng chē zài shā fā hòu miàn
Japanese 日本語
自転車はソファの後ろにあります。 Jitensha wa sofa no ushironi arimasu
Korean 한국어
자전거는 소파 뒤에 있습니다. Jajeongeoneun sopa dwie issseubnida
Meaning: the bicycle is behind the sofa. Sources: Lingualift, How To Tell Written Chinese, Japanese and Korean Apart
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?
While the four countries may be close in proximity, the Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages are entirely unrelated to each other genetically. Even without speaking any of the three languages, there are ways to tell them apart... So let’s learn about the differences and unique features of the three languages!
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C
hinese 中文
The Chinese language is written using only Chinese ideogram characters. Also called “Hanzi”, Chinese characters combine a very delicate and beautiful series of strokes derived from calligraphy techniques. There are two different versions used across the world: - The traditional script is used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. - The simplified script is used in Mainland China. Some characters were simplified by reducing the number of strokes. Yet, not all characters have changed, and many have remained the same. Although they are written differently, corresponding characters in Traditional and Simplified Chinese are usually pronounced in the same way. Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language. The language has five tones: four basic tones and a fifth neutral tone. Each tone usually conveys a different meaning, each character is one syllable, and each character has one of these tones.
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K
apanese 日本語
The Japanese has the highest official scripts in
OREAN 한국어
language number of the world.
Written Japanese is the combination of 3 different sets of characters: - Hiragana is a syllabary consisting of 48 base characters composed of curved lines. The Hiragana script is used to form the grammar of the sentence. - Katakana is the second syllabary consisting of 48 base characters. Unlike Hiragana, the Katakana script is primarily used to write words that have been imported from other languages. - Kanji is a system of symbols that represent words or ideas. The system mainly utilizes characters borrowed or adapted from traditional Chinese. Most words written in Kanji have different pronunciations in Japanese and Chinese. For example, 車 (“car” in both Chinese and Japanese) is pronounced kuruma in Japanese but pronounced chē in Chinese.
The Korean language is written in a style of writing known as Hangul. Its connection to other languages such as Chinese and Japanese is unclear. Modern linguists generally classify Korean as a language isolate. Developed in the 15th century, Hangul is now known as one of the most scientific writing systems in the world. The Korean alphabet is “scientific” since its letters correspond to the places of articulation in the mouth. Hangul uses 24 basic letters and 27 complex letters grouped into blocks. The Korean language is easy to recognize due to the many circular shapes and the vertical and horizontal lines used in Hangul. Lucile Guéguen
VOICES - 17
reportage
I Books as our friends Books – an incredible art style that has been around since the creation of society itself. Starting from the simple cuneiform and colorful pictograms found on clay tablets and walls of ancient buildings, mysterious scrolls, scraps of pages contained in simple bindings and slowly evolving to wonderful masterpieces both in appearance and in the beautiful content they hide within themselves. Books have allowed humanity to pass down the knowledge and wisdom accumulated during all of history and has even withstood the test of time by continuing to reside in our homes despite the more contemporary and convenient means of education and information that exist today.
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18 - VOICES
репортажа
Y
es, the internet and the computer could provide easier access and a nearly infinite amount of data, but there is nothing like running your hand through the wrinkled spine of a book that has told its story a thousand times. There is nothing like taking it out of its shelf, settling in a cozy chair, opening this masterful work of art, and being hit with that distinctive smell of the pages – comforting and even seductive. On those pages – words. These endless combinations of black symbols hide entire worlds in them. You start reading, and the book begins telling you its secrets. It introduces you to fantastic places, thoughts of people that have long passed away, wisdom gathered from generations and generations of undetermined authors, and even cheeky love stories and silly dramas. Indulging oneself in the company of a good book means indulging in the peace that we create around us while we slow down in this modern world that always seems to be rushing off to somewhere. More often than not, we find ourselves in this progressive society where a whole new religion grasps our dedication like nothing has ever before – the cult of the screen. Being available to us in many shapes and formats, media throws us deeper into the rabbit hole by bending reality and making us waste hours looking at the unrealistic representation of everyday lives. Often, we are exposed to endless arrays of images and videos presenting a reality that only exists on the staged sets of people that earn their living from telling us what we should like and fantasize about – a perfect body, huge houses, exotic vacations, the newest gadgets and millions of other pricy material possessions. And in all of this unnecessary stress and storm of flashing colors and noises, we find ourselves reaching for the extended hand of our oldest friends – the ones that taught us our first words and first numbers. Such numbers comforted us with stories in the quiet nights when we would cuddle with our parents in the coziness of our beds, the ones that taught us about the art, the history, and all of the seemingly unexplainable things happening in this world. While technological advances and digitalization play a pivotal role in the advancement of our society, we should never forget where it all began – simple scribbles on pieces of paper and our whole history carried on the back of that old and wrinkled spine. Marija Marinkovikj
VOICES - 19
VOICES - 19
reportage
How and why to make a lifestyle change
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репортажа
There is talk around the world about healthy living and how important it is to maintain good daily routines. However, it is not relatively as easy as what is said in newspapers and on the Internet. Lifestyle change is a big challenge that requires finding the right tools.
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nfortunately, money also affects a little bit, making a lifestyle change. It is more difficult for students and those living below the poverty line to make life healthier because good proteins, berries, and decent snacks pay off. Because, unfortunately, money determines decisions in our lives, it would be essential to know how to make a budget for meals that also include healthy options. Inexpensive, healthy alternatives are, for example, a salad with olive oil, egg, and tomatoes, and that’s an easy way to make good healthy food. Instead of expensive berries, you can eat a snack of apples, bananas, or even sweet peppers. Considering healthy foods is vital for many areas. The body feels much lighter and better when you don’t eat fatty portions all the time. Of course, food also affects the brain and alertness. Constantly eating heavy food causes fatigue, and the flow of thoughts can also become a heavy lift, and you might be feeling tired all the time. It is also worth making changes to your lifestyle because it affects how you are doing with everyday life. The more energy you have in the body, the better you can do at school/work. Daily life feels more effortless when you have good energy and power in your body. While diet is a big part of well-being, there is much more to building a healthy everyday life. So daily life involves many aspects, and it is sometimes difficult to remember to take care of all of them simultaneously. People also need stress-relieving factors, such
as spending time with friends or family, reading, being with animals, or watching movies. So it’s essential to get to know yourself a little bit and think about the right stress relievers for you and remember to stick to those moments. In addition to diet and stress relief, it is also good to exercise a little bit. Gladly there are so many forms of exercise that everyone is sure to find a suitable activity to enjoy. Movement can occur in nature by walking, jogging, in the gym, in sports, in the free time playing football with friends, or even in the swimming pool. There are so many different movement styles, and there is not just one right way to keep you moving. Good routines and lifestyles can accomplish you to do some great things. It pays to focus on your lifestyle and make life as pleasant as possible for yourself. But when you do that, your state of mind remains clear and will be more open. Anniina Niemi
VOICES - 21
topic of the month
ЛИЧЕН НАПРЕДОК: Како да го искористите вашиот потенцијал
Личниот напредок е процес преку кој поединецот ја развива самосвеста и на тој начин сфаќа каква личност сака да биде и, што е уште поважно, согледува каква личност може да постане. Самосвеста може да ви помогне да ги анализирате сопствените навики и да ги трансформирате во добри. На пример, доволното спиење, вежбањето, здравата исхрана или дури и позитивното размислување за секојдневните обврски, можат многу да придонесат за вашето ментално здравје, самодовербата, мотивацијата...
Понекогаш човек може да се почувствува како да нема контрола над работите, како лист носен од ветрот. Секогаш кога започнувате со нешто ново, важно е да одите чекор по чекор, особено доколку досега не сте практикувале упорност и самодисциплина. Понекогаш премногу се фокусирате
Денес бидете подобри од тоа што бевте вчера, а утре бидете подобри од она што сте денес - Лоренцо Сноу
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на резултатите, а не на процесот. Преку фокусирањето на целта, морате да изградите мост помеѓу местото каде сте и каде сакате да бидете. Во продолжение прочитајте кои утрински навики можат лесно да се вклопат во вашата рутина:
тема на месецот
Рано будење, но и доволно спиење
Напуштање на удобната зонаv
Истегнување
Ова ви овозможува постепено да го започнете денот, да си посветите повеќе време себеси и да се фокусирате на себе. Многумина сметаат дека треба да спијат повеќе часа отколку што навистина му е потребно на нивното тело. Кога се работи за одмор, важно е да се знае дека на телото му е доволен сон од 7 часа во текот на денот. На некои пак, им е потребно и помалку. Доколку се чувствувате уморни подоцна во текот на денот, наместо да дремнете 1 час по ручекот, можете да направите мали паузи за одмор.
Ова може да се постигне на многу начини. Препорачливо е секој ден да искусувате нешто ново, да си поставувате мал предизвик. Тоа може да биде готвење, запознавање нови луѓе, посетување места каде никогаш не сте биле, слушање нова музика... Ваквите обврски можат да ви помогнат да се „исклучите“ за момент од вашата секојдневна рутина, но и да им пристапите на обврските и приоритетите од поинаква перспектива. Нека ова ви биде можност за мал одмор со што ќе му дозволите на умот да го живее моментот и да заборави на обврските кои ве чекаат дома или на работа. Ова пак, се надоврзува на следната навика.
Медитирање
Движење/вежбање
Пиење вода
Ова е мигот кој ви припаѓа само вам, кој ви овозможува да се поврзете со вашето внатрешно „јас“ и да заборавите на надворешните фактори. Кога медитирате, вие сте во состојба да го смирите и опуштите умот, па затоа е полесно да го усогласите со вашите емоции. Вообичаено е работните и домашните обврски да доведат до анксиозност, депресија или стрес, па оттука следува најчестата причина зошто луѓето почнуваа да медитираат. Докажано е дека можат да се спречат болести со редовно и правилно медитирање.
Вежбањето е од суштинско значење кога се работи за здрав начин на живот со оглед на многубројните придобивки кои ви ги нуди, како превенција од болести, контрола на телесната тежина, подобрување на расположението, зголемување на енергијата и подобрување на квалитетот на сонот. Не мора да одите во теретана бидејќи постојат и други начини за вежбање. Можете да пливате, да спортувате, да возите велосипед... За многумина, вежбањето е слично на страдање или нешто што самите си го поставуваат како обврска, како одење на работа на пример. Неопходно е со отворен ум да ѝ пристапите на оваа навика и да ја сфатите како момент на забава и опуштање.
Можеби ова се чини очигледно со оглед на тоа дека се работи за основна потреба, сепак многу луѓе ја занемаруваат. На вашето тело му е потребна хидратација и тоа веднаш откако ќе се разбудите. Возрасно лице треба да консумира околу 3 литри вода дневно. Постојат многу придобивки од пиењето вода кои благотворно делуваат врз кожата, губењето на телесната тежина, мисловниот процес...
Од друга страна, истегнувањето може да биде многу корисно, особено кога се работи за физичкото здравје. Иако, во многу случаи, доколку сте под стрес вашите мускули се стегаат, па така преку истегнувањето се намалува напнатоста што може да ви помогне да се опуштите. Згора на тоа, истегнувањето може да спречи идни повреди, да го коригира држењето на телото, да ја одржува неговата флексибилност, да го подобри спиењето... Се работи за лесна и ефикасна навика која ќе го спречи вашето предвремено стареење.
Феран Мортес
Превод: Кристина Стаменова Извори: CDC: How much sleep Heathline: 12 benefits of mediation
VOICES - 23
reportage
It happened in the middle of one summer night. 2:13 a.m., she was fighting for every breath but couldn’t manage. I was just beside her, couldn’t move, say or do anything but let her go. To the other, better side, when there’s no more pain. After eight months of fighting, we lost her. She left me only a red headscarf and a pair of sunglasses. 24 - VOICES
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C
ancer. It was like a hit, straight in the face with an iron fist. This diagnosis heard one of the most influential people in my life. From the beginning, we knew the tumor was that big, so there was a slight chance she would survive. We had nothing but hope, but it was too late. If she had told us about alarming symptoms a few years earlier, the outcome might be completely different. But now I’m here in a foreign country, writing these words and trying to collect a thousand thoughts in my head. Her death changed me entirely, and ironically, I am still here, thanks to that. Still, remember a call from my sister. I was sitting at work. She cried and asked me to go to the hospital because doctors told us we had to say goodbye. I lost my breath. I sat next to a wall on the floor and felt completely numb. I said that I had to go and drive home like crazy, barely seeing anything because of tears. Hospital. She came to after an hour-long epileptic attack, still shocked; she took my hand and begged me to take her home. We bid her farewell three times since that situation. No one gave us hope anymore. The worst was observing how she suffered from pain.
All her life was a struggle. She was always hard working and helpful and went through many losses, pain, and loneliness. There was no place and time for entertainment. But the time never came. One of her biggest dreams was to see the Baltic Sea. We didn’t make it. That was when I realized that all the signs on earth showed that I might end up bad. There were two options – to bid them farewell again, this time to the world, or live life to the fullest, by all means. I owe her this. She wasn’t as privileged as I am. Her death was the most critical wake-up call I’ve ever experienced. I felt terrible having so many possibilities, and I didn’t have enough courage to do anything. Maybe if we swap our lives, she would use my life better? So I took the pair of sunglasses and the red headscarf with me. I decided to show her, with my eyes, the world she saw only on the TV. We saw the Atlantic
Ocean, woods in Latvia, Donau River sitting on the bench near Budapest Parliament. We pet Turkish cats met at the corner of some of Istanbul’s streets. And now I want to show her Macedonia. She will always be with me, wherever I go. Even though I am an atheist, I prefer to think she is my guardian right now. I still don’t know what I am looking for in life, but I don’t want to waste more time. I wanted to end with not cliché things. But cannot. Life is freaking short. If you see any alarming symptoms of illness in you or your loved ones, go to the doctor before it’s too late. Please.
Aleksandra Kanasiuk Image: Flaticon.com
VOICES - 25
reportage
Librat – si miqtë tanë
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репортажа
Librat – një stil i jashtëzakonshëm arti që ka ekzistuar që nga krijimi i vetë shoqërisë. Duke u nisur nga piktogramet e thjeshta kuneiforme dhe shumëngjyrëshe të gjetura në pllaka balte dhe mure ndërtesash të lashta, papiruse misterioze, copëza faqesh të ngjitura në lidhëse të thjeshta dhe dalëngadalë duke u evoluar në kryevepra të mrekullueshme si në pamje ashtu edhe në përmbajtjen e mrekullueshme që fshehin brenda vetes. Librat i kanë mundësuar njerëzimit të përcjellë njohuritë dhe mençurinë e grumbulluar gjatë gjithë historisë dhe madje i kanë rezistuar së kohës duke vazhduar ende të qëndrojnë në shtëpitë tona, pavarësisht nga fakti se sot ekzistojnë mjete më bashkëkohore dhe më të përshtatshme të edukimit dhe informacionit.
Ë
shtë e vërtetë që, interneti dhe kompjuteri mund të ofrojnë qasje më të lehtë dhe një sasi pothuajse të pafundme të dhënash, por nuk ka gjë më të mirë sesa të shfletosh shtyllën e rrudhur të kopertinës së librit i cili e tregon historinë e tij mijëra herë. Nuk ka gjë më të mirë sesa ta nxjerrësh nga rafti, të vendosesh në një ulëse komode, të hapësh sërish këtë vepër arti dhe të ndjesh atë erën e veçantë të faqeve – ngushëlluese dhe madje joshëse. Në ato faqe - fjalë. Këto kombinime të pafundme simbolesh të zeza që fshehin botë të tëra në to. Ju filloni të lexoni dhe libri fillon t’ju tregojë sekretet e tij. Ju prezanton me vende fantastike, mendime njerëzish që kanë kaluar prej kohësh, dijen e mbledhur nga breza e breza autorësh të panjohur dhe madje histori dashurie të guximshme dhe drama qesharake… Të kënaqemi nën shoqërinë e një libri të mirë do të thotë të kënaqemi me paqen që krijohet rreth nesh, teksa ne ngadalësohemi në këtë botë moderne që gjithmonë duket se po nxiton për diku. Shumë shpesh, ne e gjejmë veten në këtë shoqëri progresive ku një religjion krejtësisht i ri e ka fituar përkushtimin tonë si asgjë më parë – kulti i ekranit. Duke qenë e disponueshme për ne në shumë forma dhe formate, media arrin të na hedhë thellë në vrimën e lepurit duke e shtrembëruar realitetin dhe duke na bërë të humbim
orë të tëra duke parë paraqitje joreale të jetës së përditshme. Shpesh, ne jemi të ekspozuar ndaj një sërë imazhesh dhe videosh të pafundme që paraqesin një realitet që ekziston në skenaret e njerëzve nga të cilët sigurojnë jetesën duke na treguar se çfarë duhet të na pëlqejë dhe çfarë duhet të ëndërrojmë - një trup perfekt, shtëpi të mëdha, pushime ekzotike, pajisjet më të reja dhe miliona gjëra materiale tjera të shtrenjta. Dhe në gjithë këtë stres të panevojshëm dhe stuhi ngjyrash vezulluese dhe zhurmash, ne e gjejmë veten duke zgjatur dorën e miqve tanë më të vjetër - atyre që na mësuan fjalët e para dhe numrat, ata që na ngushëlluan me përralla në netët e qeta, kur përqafoheshim me prindërit nën komoditetin e shtretërve tanë, ata që na mësuan për artin, historinë dhe të gjitha gjërat në dukje të pashpjegueshme që ndodhin në këtë botë… Teksa arritjet teknologjike dhe digjitalizimi luajnë një rol kyç në përparimin e shoqërisë sonë, ne nuk duhet të harrojmë kurrë se ku filloi gjithçka - shkarravitje të thjeshta në copa letre dhe e gjithë historia e mbajtur në kurrizin e asaj shtyllës së vjetër e të rrudhosur të kopertinës së librit. Marija Marinkovicj Përkthyese: Dora Arifi
VOICES - 27
opinion
Is your glass halfempty or half full? Positivity – How it affects your life How you answer this old but still reliable question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic – and it may even affect your health.
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abriel Andrade from the National Library of Medicine "Positive thinking suggests that to accomplish good things and pursue happiness, human beings must constantly have positive thoughts and prevent negative thoughts from entering their mind." Did you know that people with a positive attitude have a slightly smaller chance of getting a heart attack or other coronary disease? Some studies have even shown that personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your physical and mental health and well-being. With a positive attitude, you will less likely have lower rates of depression and stress. When facing a health crisis, actively cultivating positive emotions can boost your immune system and counter depression. Positive thinking has so many benefits example. You will be more creative, handle stress, and have a longer life span. These are just a few examples. There are many more things that you will achieve with a positive attitude. Positive thinking doesn't mean that you can ignore less pleasant situations in your life. Positive thinking means that you approach unpleasantness more positively and productively. It would be best if you tried to find at least something positive in almost any situation. And positivity doesn't instantly appear in your life. You will need to change your attitude and have a talk with yourself.
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I'll give you a few examples; you spill half a water bottle on your clothes. Okay, it's not a good thing. Usually, people would swear, and it may ruin their day. But with a positive attitude, you can think example like this; alright, my clothes are a bit wet, but they will dry up, and it was just water, so it doesn't leave any marks on my clothes. So, try to find at least something positive in most things, and it will change your whole attitude to a more positive way. It will affect your entire life in a better way. You will start slowly noticing that you enjoy almost everything at least a bit more than before. You can see always two sides from things, example: “I've never done it before.” or “It's an opportunity to learn something new.” “It's too complicated.” or “I'll tackle it from a different angle.” At some point, you will start seeing the whole world from a different, more beautiful perspective. The world is full of opportunities! You have plenty of time to decide what you want to do in your life, think wisely and do whatever you like. And you can always change your job or school, even the country where you live.
мислење
Jasse Heikkilä:
“I have my own experience of depression and overall bad mood. Those two years of depression were probably the worst time in my life. I lost interest in my favorite things like sports and found it hard to do homework and easy tasks. For me, the cure was just being forced to do more things and leaving outside of my comfort zone and apartment to meet friends and spend time with them, watch hockey games, and find new interests. And of course, when I found a job, it helped a lot too because I had something to do on weekdays, so I wasn't just lying at home. So I suggest that you try something new like reading or playing volleyball, it will probably be fun!”
Because we have been talking only about positivity, we should talk a bit about other emotions. For example, if I get into a fight with someone, my anger, and other emotions might control me to the point where I can't think about anything else since my feelings defeat my common sense. Or maybe when you are stressed because you have so many things to do on the same day and you will be kind of paralyzed because of all of the things, it can be hard to be positive.
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful
Accepting those bad feelings will be part of everyone's life, and they are occasionally unavoidable, so you should think of ways to make yourself feel better. It depends on what you like to do. Maybe you should eat your favorite food or go home to chill and watch Netflix. It's up to you. We cannot control the things that happen to us, but we can control how we deal with them. So don't focus on the problem. Focus on the solution. Jasse Heikkilä Sources: Better Health: Negative emotions James Clear: Positive thinking Hopkins Medicine: The power of positive thinking WebMD: Positive thinking overview
- Albert Schweitzer
Ferran Mortés
“From my experience, I have to say that I used to feel a lack of motivation back in secondary school. I used to arrive home after school and take long naps after lunch. It was an overall feeling of “what’s the point?”. So, when I finished school and started doing things I enjoyed and felt passion for, I started to see that my life wasn’t pointless and that I was not doing what I enjoyed the most. After a few years of focusing on my passions, and myself, sports and traveling, I have grown and learned so much. The things I used to hate doing like cleaning, doing homework, reading, and other day-to-day tasks, I have even started to like by just simply approaching them with a positive mindset.” VOICES - 29
opinion
Сакам да учам Сакам да учам
30 - VOICES
Кога ќе ја кажам оваа реченица, добивам чудни погледи од луѓето, проследени со реченицата: Е ова прв пат го слушам. Но, зошто? Што има толку чудно во тоа една средношколка да ужива во учењето? Зарем тоа мора да е обврска која се извршува со цел да се има некаков успех во иднината? Обврска, која мора да се заврши за да може да се излезе и да се забавува? Само на тоа ли се сведува учењето? Каде е желбата за знаење? Љубопитноста и нагонот за дознавање работи?
Сакам да учам мислење
С
осем разбирам. Цел мој живот од почетокот на прво одделение па с`е до пред неколку месеци, јас не учев од желба. Впрочем, можеби интересен ќе е за вас фактот дека јас не сакав ни да научам на читам. С`е што сакав да правам беше да си играм. Го гледав училиштето како досадна обврска, како и повеќето од нас. Но, од време на време, ќе ми се зажелеше за нешто особено што го учевме да го знам. Сепак, немавме слобода во тоа, се учеа само одредени работи од таа тематика и само оценката се вреднуваше. Често единствената цел не беше ние учениците да научиме, туку да ја добиеме светата бројка, петката. Па, така, воопшто не е чудно што вака гледаме на учењето.
Не знам зошто, но еве, во второво полугодие од мојата последна година како средношколка, почнав да откривам колку многу всушност јас сакам да учам. Не за оценка. Оценката е само дел од задоволството да имаш нешто научено. Впрочем, оценката може да се сфати како некој вид на валидација за добро научениот предмет. И реално, убаво е чувството со свој сопствен труд да добиваш петка после петка, а притоа да уживаш во процесот. Ова не е само мое мислење. Листав на Pinterest, кога налетав на многу постови со тематики во фазонот на: craving academic validation. Ми се допадна таа идеја. Ништо во животот не е сигурно, но нашиот труд е. Покрај с`е, како што Маркс вели: човекот е суштество на практиката. Значи, што и да се случи во мојот живот, можам јас с`е во еден миг да изгубам, но знаењето, вистинското знаење, не можам. Има нешто многу моќно во тоа сознание.
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Многу сум благодарна за оние наставници и професори, кои навистина се залагаат за тоа да не научат нешто, а не само да пишат слаба оценка за ненаученото, или едноставно да не оценат. Но, некако, како малку да се. Може да се каже дека дури на крајот на моето задолжително образование сум ја сфатила, барем за мене, суштината на овој образовен процес. Одиш на свето место(барем такво место треба да е училиштето, а често не е), таму има возрасни, кои се експерти во одредени области и со љубов ти предаваат знаење (вака да беше, ми се чини сите ќе сакавме да учиме), потоа ти учиш посветено, тоа не значи цел живот да ти е учењето, туку нешто главно, стабилно во животот и потоа, покажуваш што си научил, се доусовршуваш во тоа заедно со врсниците(а не стравуваш за оценката). Веројатно си мислите: ова е убава замисла. Можеби е само убава замисла, а можеби ја има и во некои приватни училишта. Секојдневно сум разочарана од реалноста на нашиот образовен систем. Не не учат на и од љубов и симпатија, повеќето од нив само гледаат да не оценат, понатаму тоа остава последици со тоа што нас ни се одсакува да учиме, иако тоа сметам дека е во нашата природа. Не може ни саглам дискусија да се спроведе на час, без да има умилкување или зборување само за да се зборува(за плусче) без да се кажува нешто, а тоа е жално. Сепак, јас почнав да го правам мојот дел од замислата, од оваа страна, па можеби доколку еден ден се најдам на другата страна, ќе бидам една од малкуте образовни лица кои се залагаат за овие идеали и кои ќе ги поттикнат децата да помислат: сакам да учам! Дафина Веселиноска - Дафне
VOICES - 31
opinion
I’m on a diet... always
Stop dieting. Start eating.
32 - VOICES
How often has someone told you, “I need to go on a diet?” The probability that it was more than once in your lifetime is enormous, am I right? And you’ve been there too? That’s great! Why? The reason why it’s great is not the fact that you’ve gotten to this point of neglecting your health, but the point that you’ve realized the need for change. It all starts with a thought, after all.
мислење
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aying attention to what we put on our plates is the first step to a healthier life. Even small changes in our eating habits could reduce the risk of catching infections and diseases, strengthening gut health and immune system, which is now, more than ever, the number one concern. Immunity is in high demand in the era of the worldwide pandemic. Let’s look into the word DIET a bit closer. What’s the first thing coming to your mind when you hear it? Weight loss? Restrictions? Negative connotations? Probably yes, and that’s very 20th-century meaning. But there’s more to it — the overall way of eating, the food choices, and habits. In conclusion, we’re all dieting, and we’re doing it constantly. All. The. Time. Some of us, without even knowing about it. The key to success is finding how we are doing it, which will suit us best and be maintainable for the whole lifetime.
Eat or pass
for the fourth year. Meanwhile, other popular diets, including the ketogenic diet (“keto”), modified keto, and the Dukan diet, landed toward the bottom of the Best Diets Overall list at Nos. 37 (a tie), and 39, respectively. That shouldn’t make you buy the lifetime supply of feta cheese, olive oil, or chickpeas, but it might be a good indicator of what to pay attention to. Study shows that the Mediterranean diet is winning in many categories, namely Best Plant-Based Diets, Best Diabetes Diets, Best HeartHealthy Diets (tied with the Ornish diet), Best Diets for Healthy Eating, and Easiest Diets to Follow. All the abovementioned shows there’s something that works about this particular diet. So what’s the solution then?
Forget about the labels
My solution might disappoint you, but there’s no one solution. I can only highlight things that are worth trying.
Don’t demonize foods! Forget about good or bad, healthy and unhealthy, cheat meals, and clean eating. All of these labels have very harmful to our psychology. Things that are forbidden make them more wanted. Eating things that are ‘bad’ or not sticking to the ‘healthy’ diet feels like a failure and creates a feeling of guilt.
Educating yourself in the subject would be one of the most important things that you can do. Completely free options are listening to podcasts about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, or fitness, following specialist on social media, or reading articles on the subject.
Losing weight and reaching your goals in a short time might be a desirable solution, but what happens next? Jojo effect? We gain weight again; most people go back to the beginning, still searching for a quick fix. Others drop their towels and embrace the failure. That brings nothing but harm - a bad relationship with food, eating disorders, not to mention other side effects like social anxiety, obsessive thoughts, even depression.
Remember to take all the information you are getting with a pinch of salt. There will be many confusing things, but give yourself time and don’t panic.
Let’s reach to the wisdom of others. U.S. News & World Report just released its top diets for 2022. The winner? (Drumroll, please.) Out of 40 diets, the Mediterranean diet is No. 1
Try out things that you think will work for you. As with everything, be mindful and don’t go all in. You’ve heard that intermittent fasting is amazing, and you want to try it? Great! Start with a short fasting period. Does it feel good? Keep going. If not, then don’t starve yourself for the sake of completing the 16hrs window. Do what serves you. Think about adding foods to your diet. Maybe instead of telling yourself that you won’t eat chocolate anymore, say: “I’ll eat one new fruit a day.” You may discover your new favorite snack. You might decrease the amount of chocolate you’d typically eat.
Food for thought
Searching for the one and only should be taken more seriously than just swiping left and right on the Internet, picking the most promising picture. They say the best diet for us is the one that we can maintain. No matter how cliché it sounds, it just makes sense.
What's the best choice then?
with tools useful after your contact or plan expires.
Suppose you want to expand your diet knowledge and have some spare cash; hire a nutritionist, or sign up for courses and seminars. These options are a bit more expensive, but the suitable investment pays off in the long run. Working with a dietitian helps you understand how your body works, balance your meals, understand calories, your energy needs, and the basics of nutrition; therefore equips you
The truth is that eating is the one thing that we all do. We cannot go without it. The rules about it shouldn’t be too strict. We need to enjoy it as well. Finding the perfect balance isn’t easy, I’m afraid probably impossible, so we should quit the pursuit of perfection, stop dieting and start eating. Camila Novak Source: Every day health: Diet and nutrition – Best diet plans Mediterranean
VOICES - 33
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