Christmas story III

Os alunos aderiram à proposta dos professores de Inglês e escreveram histórias de Natal.

Agora propomos-te o desafio de as ler!

Oh Christmas!

Remember the time when we turned on the TV and our eyes started to glow from the excitement of the feeling that Christmas time was starting, the announcement of the new toys in the stores and the decoration of the malls. We were kids and the family got together for a night where 'Santa Claus' showed up in the living room and strangely looked like our fat uncle...But it was a night of joy!

You would go to see the lights and the big Christmas tree in Lisbon and eat some chestnuts. It was a cold period but that great feeling of happiness kept us warm. We got hundreds of presents and we decorated the Christmas tree and ate all of the Christmas goodies, it was amazing, wasn't it? It was, but this year it won’t happen for most of the Portuguese families. Last year was bad. Lisbon hasn’t had the famous tree that attracts many families. The country is in crises and it will get worse: unemployed people, lower salaries, prices getting higher, life getting harder, holidays are ending, they are taking everything, even Christmas...

The country is sinking and the best presents aren't toys anymore, but food on the table.

Oh, and me? I'm not even being affected by this but I look around and people are getting desperate and the future is not a bright image. Our future, spending years and years in school, giving everything we get and dedicating our life to this and what do we get for the effort? Unemployment and having to get out of the country because it's the only option, and guess what?

Who is writing this text is a 14-year-old girl, showing nowadays reality, which is sad, isn't it? It's life in Portugal, having to put away our ambitions because the people who “are taking care” of our country prefer not to be loyal to us and trap us.

The joy we had is gone, and yes, this was supposed to be a happy text about Christmas, but things don't always go like we want to and this may open some people’s eyes to start saving money for things that really matter.

I hope that some people would still feel the happiness from Christmas this year, but I know it will only be a few.

Catarina Colaço, Nº3 9ºE

Boas Leituras!