Post 10: English Language Challenges

Since my first English class one year ago, I want to do it well but sometimes English classes get me tired. It’s the subject itself because it’s something that we are forced to do… forced by university. I admitted three years ago I wasn’t interested to learn English but many experiences on internet and sometimes in real life make me realize that it is a very important subject and also is a work tool. If someday I go to foreign countries I’ll need to speak in English; that makes me to have good disposition to learn English, but some days I want to learn it on my way. That doesn’t means that I like to review my notes, I’m very lazy on that.

I think I have a love-hate relationship with English.

For example, to study English while I have fun, I like to watch Yankees series with English sub or some movies that I really enjoy. This is a way to practice listening and learn new words.

My experience at in university was interesting. I never think before that I need to learn it, but now I’m very grateful with this opportunity. Between conversations, quizzes and different dissertations I learn a lot of new words, expressions and of course give me self-confident to talk in English with others. Nevertheless, I think I haven’t improve enough in this two years but I want to keep practice before the course finish.

About to using blogs as a learning tool, I enjoyed it because I have the opportunity to reinforce what I learned before, on interesting topics for me.

Post 9 : My future Job

This topic... I hate this topic xD

 These last three years, I realized that I'm not good at this as I thought. I mean, about to write or to get interesting insights about art. I like everything about the field of art but maybe I should stop thinking that I could become a curator. I think that isn't related to the effort or persistence, I think that only some people have the innate ability to write well,  even if they not tried. Maybe I'm wrong, But for now, that is what I think.

That doesn't mean I'm disappointed with my career. Because if  I don't write theoretical art texts, I could, and I would like too, to get a job related to education area in some museum. That includes heritage area.

I went to two seminars and congresses, and since then I like this area. I still don't know what I need to do for get this kind of job, I think I just need new ideas and create a project. For that, I need to do trainships and internships on museums, an opportunity that we currently have through university. I need it because that will give me experience and I will keep abreast of what is currently done in that area.

But... nevertheless, these are suppositions. As you may have noticed, many of us don't know what to do after getting our degree or what to do with our degree. Some of us will write, other we will work in the museum area. Maybe the best thing that the career give us is that we can do a little of everything (do historical research, be a curator, make museographic projects, etc), and a few of us will be experts if they focus on a specific area.

 I just hope that no matter what my future job will be, that give me enough money to live and be happy with it, even if its mean that I never get having an extra money. But I know that if I work in the museums area, I will always have the opportunity to travel, even if only is to attend seminars.
That's why my plan is also to study English  (though this semester has not been noticed much   :P  )

Post 8 : Ten Guilty Pleasures

Hahaha! is a good topic...

 I have guilty pleasures, like everyone... I'm just going to disclose some of them.

I remember in school I had classmates that love Anime. They called themselves "otakus".

I think I'm a frustrated otaku xD. I like anime, I love mangas but I never admitted that I wanted to be one of them, to dress up as anime character and that kind of stuff...  more than a guilty pleasure, this was a secret, but anyway, today I enjoy read mangas and watch anime, and collects images from them :P

Another one. Since some time ago my sister has bought cereal Trix for my nephew. Every time that I can… I steal  cereal from the cereal box. Well, I don’t steal it but I eat half its contents. Trix is so delicious!!! If I start to eat it, nobody can stop me… maybe my sister, if she catches me.

About music, I don't like every kind of music. But for now I enjoy to listen korean pop. For some people maybe is a silly kind of music because is the music that teenagers girls likes, but whatever! xD I'm not the only one.

I don't think they are guilty pleasures but some kind of proof about ... I don`t know... How prejudice we are, or maybe why we keep it on secret when that things don't really matters.

#7 How green are you?

Recycling truck, La Florida

Hi everyone. This topic is very interesting for me.  Since I was a child I have been interested in this. But today I don’t have the same passion. 

In the primary school I was always alert if someone drop a piece of paper or a wrapper. I never discussed with them for their acts but I just picked the trash that they drop and I let them in the trash can. Also I always waited the recycling campaigns in my school. Sometimes we had the chance to received a prize if we collect some recyclabe materials. Once we went to MIM as a reward. 

In the high school I began to recycling notebooks and notebook pages. Today I continue with this tradition. I don't need to buy notebooks every year because I tried to use every single empty page I found, using  one notebook for two or three subejcts per year. I remember I tried to make a huge notebook with all the pages but it looked very "rasca" xD.

Today in the municipality we have a recycling truck, so I collect recycling things in a bag or in a carton box; every Thursday the truck goes to  the neighborhood :)

Post 5 : A Career-related Article

The last week the internet didn'n't work  and I had headache, so I didn't write anything. I tried to save the information into my pendrive to finish it in my house. But, the pendrive didn't work too. I was so angry! But, that day I went to MAC and to the library... I forgot to write the topic!
Well, I'm here to write it, finally.

http://www.artishock.cl/2010/11/aquellos-siete-dias-sarah-thornton-en-chile/
Is an old news but that article it's interesting. The online chilean magazine called Artishock, did a review about the book "Seven days in the Art world" by Sarah Thornton and her conference. I like her because her  view it's not hypothetical or theoretical: she lived important moments with artists, she interviewed them and then she got her conclusions. She gives us a clear vision about the Art market, the purpose of the gallerists, about art is having a commercial importance over the aesthetic value. She didn't criticize this situation, only discloses the reality of this area. In fact, she pointed out that there are different views and thoughts about art. Like the validation of an artwork: is mere convention. Such thinking was previously expressed by Duchamp,   but Thornton revalidated it in our century.
I really wanted to read that book, because is an other way to understand art.  While superficially the book discusses the current situation of art and its market, in parallel allows us to realize how much has changed the concept of art and artist. They aren't the same parameters and reading this article made me to see that I have a romantic view about art, that is no longer valid today :( .

#4 Artists you admire, and why.

Hi classmates.
 This is the first topic about art that we have to write every week.
 I like them for different reasons: for their techniques, beauty, and topic or because they are controversial.

Apolo y Dafne

Sirena

The first one is John William Waterhouse. I admire his technique; few paintings looks real, like Lady of Shalott. But especially I like it because with his artwork I learned to appreciate the art. I ever read Greeks myths, since fourth grade, and when I saw his art work I’m felt fascinating so I learned more about art and Greeks myths. Even he stimulated me to read about another myths and legends because he painted Literature topics. I think I love almost all his paintings because that reason.  

Lady of Shalott

Miranda y La Tempestad

 Other artists are Sandro Boticelli and Raphael Sanzio. I like them only for their beautiful paintings. They are so delicate to draw and coloring; meticulous with face and hair, they compose the beauty and perfection on women figures. 

           

The final artist is William-Adolphe Bouguereau. I admire his capacity to use simple colors to make beauty characters that looks alive in the picture.   
I realized that all of them are connected in a simple thing...  their pictures represents legends and mythological topics.

Topic

• Artists you admire, and why.
  
• Talk about some of your favorite art blogs.
  
• Do a review of a favorite book.
  
• Your favorite art galleries and museums.
  
• Write your opinion of controversial art and artists.
  
• Write about current art news. 

Post #3 Holidays

My Holidays… I didn’t have had holidays itself. I mean, in the tv you listen that 300 thousand cars go out Santiago, but mi family don’t. I stay here in Santiago doing not too much.

Or maybe not… In summer, almost every year, my mom spent money in our holidays. We were to San Antonio and El Quisco. And we ate fried fish. In 2009 we stop to do it because we don’t have enough money to keep this tradition. In 2011 and the last summer, I went with my boyfriend’s family to El Quisco. But we didn't go to the beach!!  Is very nice to go out to Santiago,  but go to the beach without swimming is …displeasing.

Anyway,the best holidays that I remember was when in 2009, my family and I were invited by a family’s old friend to stay a week in her home in Puerto Montt. We can see the sea and the cruise ship, walking down on the street in a rainy day, go to Puerto Varas and Frutillar; get loss in the railway with tábanos/gadfly following us… Was very funny! I always kept that moment in my memories.

Post # 2 Social media

The social media... I use them. I have Tumblr, Facebook. And a Twitter account without use.

I think the first social media was Fotolog. All have one.It was about pictures.

Since 2008, I use Facebook. I created that account because many of my classmates and friends have one. We usually share photos, activities or outlooks, and our feelings. A share comment was the point.  Now, I hardly ever share my feelings or what I'm thinking, because I don't see the point. I don't think in the same way like 5 years ago. Sometimes I share art news or outlooks but nothing else. But I continue to chatting with my old friends and I met new people too.

Since summer I use Tumblr. It is a different way to meet people (meet in the internet, not in the real life), and I usually upload and share cute pictures or funny pictures, gifs and videos. In this web you can see any picture about any topic, or information and literature. Is like a huge nest where if you are triying to find something, you get it at the moment.
I realized that Chilean people is very popular between the young people. But I do not know why...

I think Facebook is a good idea because is one way to keep contact with friends. But I don't like when the people use this platform for talk about what are they doing each 5 minutes. I repeat, I don't see the point to doing that. But is very successful when you need information about a institution for example because they have accounts too; or when you don't have money to call your friends... because, is strange but is true,  you always have money to pay internet xP...

#1 First term of the year 2012

Hi everyone.
The first term... Well, I learned a lot of new things: museology, documentation, other cultures, etc.

 I loved all my courses and they were a little easy I think, because all of them was introductions about another complex subjects. And I admit, I loved so much Teotihuacan Art. <3 Was complicated at the first but then , when I realized it was very interesting, began to be easy.
 In my personal life, was completely different. My sister was sick, then my mother and my father too, because they were really  worried about her. She was in the hospital for two or more weeks.
When she go out, she was sick again for another two weeks. I had to care to my nephew like a mom. I was exhausted but, thank God, my sister is ok for now, I hope for much longer.

I guess we should appreciate the new experiences even if are not pleasant.

Blog Session 10: Blog Experience

Hi Miss. I enjoyed this activity. Maybe not the entire sessions were fun but interesting. 
As I said before, the blog is a good iniciative because forced us to write and think in English.
" Try to write and maybe you lose, but try again with help and learn" was for me the idea for the blog activity.
I think the Free Topics was the most important topic in the blog. I mean, when you write, or talk, about things you like or you are interesting, maybe you not going to write well but maybe you will strive to do better you can. For example, with the topic before this topic, or when I told about the game called Heavy Rain or about Stephen King book's I was inspired xD because I liked to try to explain the ideas that I like.
 Sincerely,  I don't know if I will continue to write in a blog in English, but a partner show me a good web page. There you can talk with foreign people. I think this is the next step now.
Well, I think the blog is a good idea and should to keep it in the English class.
Bye!

Blog Session #9 : A Free Topic

Hi! This time I'm going to tell you about a differents videos that I really like them.
Are shortfilms. Few months ago, I was obsessed with the animated shortfilm. A lot of those are cute, weird or just funny.
This one is... weird but with an aesthetic and thematic very attractive. "Alma"
Takes only five minutes but is the necesary time to make us understand that curiosity killed the cat ... or left you locked up in another body... like a doll body.
This one remembered me the movie called Dolls (1987 >.< A terror film >.<


This is called Zero. It is about the discrimination, and how the world make it. Is a  teaching of life. In this case the high numbers like 9, are the "best people" (according to who? ¬¬). And Zero is the worse number,  and if we  translate its meaning, that would be the skin color, the nationality or our sexual condition. 
Also, the puppets are lovely! :3


The last one is a  little creepy. Jaulito. 
The first time when I watched this shortfilm, I was like: "Ohhh! What's wrong with the producers!" xD But that doesn't mean that I have not liked, only is confusing.
Only now I can get it. It is about the price of freedom.  Somehow, it tell us how the world works. We believe in our acts as free acts but in the shadow, we are always in a cage because is  a regulated freedom, is not real at all.  Maybe means that, maybe not. You decide.


Bye!

Blog Session # 8 : English Learning

Hi Classmates!

So... about the topic... I think this semester was interesting and innovative.

The blog forced us to write and think in english, being the best way to practice this language.
Read differents topics or heard presentations in TED.com was an interesting one.
One of the activities that I really liked was the BBC learning. I enjoyed because I learned some new words and expressions.

Even so, one of the most difficult topic until today for me has been Listening. Differents accents always confuse me and I try to understand but I need more practice. The British accent is so gorgeous! But it so complicated because I'm used to seeing Americans series >.< and then, I get lost, I don't understand anything. (And I need to say that watching those series, I learned a lot about pronunciation and about understand the conversation according to the context).

 I heard different people to say that they don't have English course and they need them. For example, some careers like Medicine or Speech Therapy not always has it, so I think we should take advantage of this opportunity. Even the engineers do not have it!

But I think this way is not the only way to learn english, but is a tool, maybe for some people interesting or fun, maybe for other people a waste of time, but for me it encouraged me to continue learning English because I see I have improved a lot in two years.

The next semester is the last English course, but I know If we want to learn well, we need practice constantly. And try to don't forget the things we learned!

Is so exciting have a book in the hands and say:  Look! I understand everything!
But this yet not happens to me when I read Dracula by Bram Stoker xD
One day will happen... I hope so!

A Darwinian Theory of Beauty?

First, I needed to read, because the internet didn't work well.

What think about this presentation...

He beginning asking what is beauty and how the people understanding it.

And explain about how our prehistoric lives resound even today. Well... I never think about that.

I think makes sense. But I don't think explain all about how to comprehend the beautiful subject.

Is in the eye of the beholder. And is cultural too. And Darwin explain with our prehistoric lifes.

The natural selection would explain why we choose some things above other things. l mean, good things for us above bad things and the beauty it is about survival nature too. The beautiful things keep the distance also.They (it beauty itself) suggest to try to not destroy it. Is it crazy? I think the beautiful it's only a gift and now it is a element to survive. Or not... It was a element to survive. But I don't know... maybe for the girls with a beautiful body, her beauty it is an element to survive today if they use it as a job, like the models and another jobs... (Sorry, I needed edit the idea... but I keep my last idea xD)

And the beautiful things just are for contemplate. I agree with this idea. And there are similar aesthetics things who like to everyone: the human being have similar preferences maybe perhaps from the beggining of our time.

#6 : Half a Million secrets

Hi class.   I love this presentation! Its examples about how the people using his page just make me want to send a postcard with my secret or just with a little message hahaha!

This presentation makes me think about the people, about the prejudiced. This experiences tells about the people have the same feelings and the same fears.

The last case, about the grandma and her Birthday's song... well,  I identified with the postcard. Everyday, when I get up, I kiss and hug my sister and my nephew, because I think they never come back...  Sad thoughts but that is the reality. 

 Also I like the initiative about the missing photos. Everybody want to get photos back :) They're significant and I'm sure many people would like to have this opportunity.

I visited this website before. It is very interesting. I'm going to look around and try to find another presentations that interest me.

Free Topic

Hi! Yesterday I didn't go to classes but today I'm going to write anyway.
Well, I  wanna tell you about the last PS3 game I played.
It is call Heavy Rain. 


 "Heavy Rain is an interactive drama psychological thriller video game created by Quantic Dream "
This game have 4 characters which interact along the story. They have differents lifes, differentes personalities, and this game have so many differents 
ends according to the decisions you make. I think this game is one of the most dramatic games. Made me mourn a  twice.  Why? Because this story is about to find who is the Origami Killer,  a psycho, no one is sure if is a woman or a men, who kidnap kids and then locks them in a storm drain. In parallel, torture their fathers who have to find their kids before they died drowned.  So the entire story is about sacrifice, love, desesperation and is concentrated in the search of Ethan's son. And the difficult tests that he must pass to find him.
 When my boyfriend played this game, he finished with the Most Happy Ending, but when I finished this game, I did with the Worst Ending. I wanted to kill myself!  Poor Ethan, he suffer for my fault :( .
I reccommend this game, and I hope you will do better than I.

BBC Learning

Hi everyone.

I found the item The English we speak.

I read  the conversation "To catch your eye / eye-catching".  It's about two people talking about how to use this phrase. It's a fun conversation because the girl understand the phrase literally and the boy try to explain what means this phrase. I read another conversations too.

This item let me to review vocabulary and learn new expressions and phrases. Some phrases are: to let the cat out of the bag,  paint the town red, 'To get your hands dirty', etc.
 Link
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/

I read this item too
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theteacher.
It's about expressions too.
And finally, I did one Quiz about Elections, and two Crosswords. The crosswords are very interesting because I remembered some words and learned another. And I work with definitions and descriptions :)

Stephen King :It

Hi everyone, today I'm going to tell you about one of my favorites writers. 

He is a famous writer and differents directors have made many movies about his books.

One of the reasons I like him is because he write about how the ordinary life its turn to the most strange situations and how the people live with this new situation, fighting against its fears.

 I've already read Insomnia, Carrie, Nightmares & Dreamscapes I, Firestarter, Cell. And I wanna read It, The Shining, Rose Madder and Different Seasons.

One of the movies let me know about Stephen King when I was a child was It or Pennywise, the Dancing Clown. I'm not already read the book yet but I've read  in the internet that book is much bloody and macabre that the movie. 

So, let's see. This movie was made in the 90's, it is a tv movie. Its during about 2 hours and half, a bit longer for tv I think, but its a masterpiece. Why? Maybe the effects on the last part of the film are a little... weak but the history and the drama are interesting, fascinating and the mystery about who really is that Clown it leave you  in constant stress.

Well, the story tell about a group of children was attack for this "Clown". How he attack them? With them fears. He showed them very deep nightmares and trying to kill them later. But this group of children escape from him  and from the town where he live. But 30 years later, others kids was attack and died in strange circumstances, so, the group was reunited again to kill him.

The story talk about the childhood traumas and how the people confronting it.
Well, I think this movie is traumatic per se but is funny too, because the Clown is lovely xD. I mean, this character is strange and bad but it have something atractive. Judgue yourself.

See you the next week!

Disturbed!

Well, I've went only 2 concert and one of them was Disturbed. I'm not pretty sure when they came, August 27 I guess. I don't know what is the specific kind of rock music they play. But they have some drums, and guittars, and a good voice ("El Pelao" rules!); maybe repetitive melodies at the beggining, but if you  listen good, you will end up loving them as I. (I hope).

The previous days  was exciting and little stress because I don't have money to go to the concert. But few days before the concert I participate in a contest and... I win! and other people too :)
So, that night, about 9 o'clock the concert began.
They played all my prefer songs *.*
This band make me love the live music, and I hope to see it again if they come back  but its very difficult.
That night I sing, I scream and I jump. Was a great, great night.

Today, I listen the concert in my computer... Draiman, the vocalist, sang not very well, but he did a great performance XD 
WE ARE....  DISTURBED!!!!

About a photo...

Hi! Today I'm gonna tell you about a picture I took 3 years ago. 

It shows the sky at the evening. 

When I had a camera, I usually take photos about the sky because I really love the forms of the clouds and its colors, also the birds, the insects, the flowers... In one word, the Nature.

In this case, I remember this photo was taken one day of September, when my boyfriend and I were together in my house, watching trough the window.  I remember we were talking about stuff... and I saw this, then I ran to my bedroom, took the camera and took it. I  was spellbound, with its color: blue, red, rose, violet, and the whole sky stayed the same color for a while. But it slowly disappeared to turn dark.

Was a pleasant moment because I stay looking this with my boyfriend, who laughed at me because my fast reaction, but who cares :P 

 Also, this picture is important to me because is one of the first pictures I take of sky that I really like it. I think is magical, it's not modified , its just as I took it so is more impressive and hard to think that was real :) Or maybe, I'm the only who have impress with a picture like that, I don't know.

Hi everyone! This is my english blog and I'm gonna tell you about me :)

My name is Nicole Orellana Aedo. I was born in Santiago on  September , 1991.

I have a little family and  at the present, I live with my sister and her son, and my father. But my mother and my brother don't live with us.  I have a dog, called Camote, and a hamster called Rex.

I studied in two schools. The primary school Oscar Castro and  the secondary school Benjamin Vicuña Mackenna. I finishied to study in 2009.

Since 2010, I study Theory and History of Art in Universidad de Chile.

Well, I like write about love stories or about fantasy (I think I have a fixation with the moon, everything I write is relationed with it) and I like read too, but  not as much as I would like. Could you recommend me some book? I need to read something new. 

So, I think its all for now.

 Bye bye.