The last post

My experience with English was very strange, I started studying English on another university, then I dropped it, and now I'm bring back together with this languaje. It've been a little bit hard this semester, I had to miss many classes because of another classes that are too much demanding, and that's a problem with our career, sometimes we have to quit in order to pass the "important" classes and don't get behind schedule. Probably that's the worst of learning English at university, is not considered a priority so we can't dedicate the time that is required when you are learning another languajes, so you can't practice by talking or writing. And that's why I think that the use of blogs became important in the development of the classes, is a constant exercise, and after a certain time you realize that your English has improved, for example now I think and write faster, so the ideas comes clearly when I have to say something. Also it have been a lot of help for my work, I have to deal with many turist and foreigner people, so when they ask me about a topic, is not that hard formulate a clear  an easy answer for them.  

The things that I leave for the future are work on my pronunciation and try to improve on my vocabulary, probably next semester I will take a XX Century Music class that is give on English, so that's my opportunity to continue with the practice. Meanwhile, I tried to keep using English by reading a lot of blogs and interesting texts, and also listening to music and trying to follow the lyrics... sometimes I try to sing a little bit, but I think that the sound of my voice is not very delightful, so that kind of English practice is set aside for the shower time.

2014: A great year

It's time to think about this year, and I realize that this have been a good year. My last year was awfull, I miss a lot of clases and almost got rid of the career, so this new time was perfect, even if I have to spend another year in the university.

When I started 2014, I decided that I won't let me feel bad or being self-destructive with my work, also I decided to not get stressed and take everything with calm. Probably that last thing wasn't that way, because this year I started a lot of proyects that get me busy the most of the time. First semester was more relaxed, but this second period it's being crazy and full of experiences, for example, on the last month I worked on a play, I've been working with Complejo Conejo on a couple of workshops and interventions and have been worried about the university matters. Sometimes time is not enough for do everything, sometimes I had to lose some classes, sometimes I had to gave up to some grades because I was runing out of time, but to me it doesn't matter because it've been great experiences, with good and bad results.

Also, this was, and still is, a funny year, going to many places that I didn't know (like a place in the south called Gorbea), and going to very good events, as Lollapalooza or the last Queens of the Stone Age concert in Santiago.

When I have to think about bad things on this year, probably the most sad and terrible was my dog death on January, he was 12 years old, and get very sick one day and then he passed away, I still miss him when I arrive at home in the afternoons :(

On drugs

Talk about drugs. Is not easy, specially when you live in a country that allow and deny a lot of things that are completely contradictory. To me, talking about the case of cannabis, it would be fair for all let it use for medical treatment, and if you want it to use for recreational purpose, is your decision, is not a dangerous drug and if you raise it in your home, it would be free for the purpose that you want. 

And I think that is the problem in this case: cannabis is free, pills and medical treatments not. Everything here is about an industry, the pharmacological industry, receiving and giving money to governments and political parties, and in this way make people think that marijuana is bad, so go and buy an expensive medicine, full of synthetic components, and you can get better.

Once a lady from work told me that her aunt was diagnosed with a tumor, and after a very bad time on chemotherapy, she started to drink cannabis tea. After a couple of months, her doctor said that the tumor was smaller than before, and she felt better, everyday drinking her tea. That reminds me about another case on children with epilepsy that are on cannabis oil treatment, and how their parents where so happy about the results, but at the same time they have to fight with another people who think that they where commit a crime. 

To me the real crime is horrify people, make us feel that the only solution is what the principal industries say, instead of teach us to use basic and natural recurses, make people pay for our health, make people live in a constant illness is the crime here.

Green life

I'm not consider myself a green person, I'm not very connected to nature, but still try to make efforts that can change a little bit the situation that we live today in our planet. When I was a child, I lived in a house that had a very large backyard, so we used to made compost with the organic garbage, like tomato peels or leaves, in order to fertilize our plants. Now, on my current house, we don't make compost because is a smaller space, but try to separate our garbage when is necessary.

Another thing that I started to do time ago is dump the kitchen oil in plastic bottles after we make fried food, because dump it to the water is bad and very complicated to process. In some places you can sell that oil and then it is used as green fuel.Also, when we have things that we don't use anymore, but are still in good condition, we gave it to another people, so they see if can fix it or sell it.

Probably the biggest contribution that I can do is recycle. Before I enter to the career, I didn't have much conscience that everything have a second life, but then working in theater projects I realized that nothing is disposable when you have to build an scenography or a costume! So you can save the planet and your pocket recycling materials of an old model, like paper or cartons.

The Night of Id

Thinking about extreme/weird/awkard experiences, I remember once I went to a party with my friends in USACH, called "La noche del Ello" (Night of Id), it was organized by the psychology students. My friend Gabriel studied there, so he invited us to party and have a nice time...but things became something more than "nice": the Id was released!

I remember that me and my friend Vero arrive, and the first thing that we did was buy some beers and a choripan, then we start dancing with Gabriel and their Friends from university, then another friend arrive with her friend and in that point I started to lose the number of people that were there. The place was crowded, the DJ was really bad and the music sounds awful but everybody was dancing, probably because the alcohol was very cheap, so I could see Gabriel doing his famous dance steps(that are actually terrible), Vero flirting with an Argentinian guy, and me drinking beer and dancing some cumbia villera. 

The thing is that in some point of the party, I started to feel really bad and sick in the same moment that Vero disappeared with the guy, and Gabriel, that was very drunk, didn't know what to do, so he decided to lay down me on a bench. I was so wasted that I couldn't stand or talk, I remember a boy who started to drink wine from a box near to me, and a girl that started to argue him that the wine was mine(???) so he could not drink it, that he was a bad man that not deserve to drink wine from other people. A couple of minutes passed and we decided to go home...and don't remember much about what happened after that, but there is a picture of the moment:

Kodak moment

Hungry in Santiago

Everytime I go outside to eat something with my family or friends, I tried to go to places that offer different types of food, like exotic food, or new restaurants. The good thing is that in the last years, lots of restaurants had opened in Santiago, and many of them have international food.

The first place that comes to my mind is "Speed Sushi", a japanese restaurant with nice people and perfect food, and the most important, perfect prices! Before I went there, I tried japanese food but it wasn't a good experiences, so when I got introduced to Speed Sushi, I was very surprised and delighted. The rolls are so big, and tempura rolls, my favourites, are perfect. And one of the best part of all is that is near the city center, on Angamos Street #304 (near FAU)

Another place that becomes in one of my favourite is an arabian restaurant specialized on shawarmas. I went there last week, and on the first bite I was completely in love with the food, big portions and good price. I didn't know it, because is a new place near the university (on Rosas Street, between Teatinos and San Martin Streets), some friends went there before and also think that the shawarmas are delicious! I tried one filled with falafel and vegetables, but the next time I will try one with meat.

Besides of this new places, I always visit whit my mom a chinese restaurant on San Antonio Street, around the corner of Santo Domingo Street. Is our tradition go there when we have something to celebrate, or if we want to eat outside, so is a place that I really enjoy and reminds me nice moments.

Dream Jobs

Thinking in future job's is very stressfull for me, what I'm going to do is a complete mystery, especially being a Theater Designer. Our career is open to many posibilities, but the field is too small even with the amount of Theater's Festivals that exist nowadays in Chile. Something that I am really aware is that I wouln't work in an office, stuck 7 hours doing the same thing everyday, that's why I'm studying a non-conventional career, eventhough is not easy to find a good job.

Something that I would love to do is work in something related to music (as I said in previous post), the other day my boyfriend show me some videos of the backstage of NIN's concerts, and how they make the lights effects and the concepts of their shows, and I was very excited because I thought that someday I could make something like that!

Another thing that I found very nice and funny to do is shop window design. On my current work I always try to organize the merchandisings and suvenirs in the way that look more atractive for the customers and turist, is a fun and stimulating work, and today more and more stores design their shop windows carefully and more professional. For example, film director Sofia Coppola designed the windows of some Louis Vuitton stores, and the results were beautiful! So I think that's a good option if I want to create different things.

The best of all

It's hard to choice the best concert that I've ever had! Every year I tried to go at leat one concert, and there are always amazing experiences, sometimes because the band, and sometimes because the company and the situation was really cool. So, instead of make one choice, I would do a little list of my 3 favourite concerts of all times!

3- Pixies at Maquinaria Fest, 2010: I went with a friend, and I remember that we buyed the tickets to some guy outside Club Hipico, I had to see Pixies there, and was a beautiful and amazing experience. There was the original formation playing, and after that tour they announced taht Kim Deal(the bass player) was not anymore on the band.








2- Lollapalooza Chile, 2014: That was a great experience, great company, and great bands. I had the opportunity to see the 31 Minutos show, and almost cried! Also, I see the Nine Inch Nails and their show was mind-blowing specially because the lights effects, and Pixies with their new bass player. Another great show was Soundgarden, just amazing the way they played and how they sound that night.

1- Lollapalooza Chile, 2013: That year I went with my best friend and was an experience that we always remember! Franz Ferdinan played that year, and I remember that we finished all sweaty and trying to survive between the people, and at the same time singing along all the songs. Pearl Jam played that year too, and was just unbelievable.

The Future

The question about what I'm going to do after graduating is not very common on my life, and that's why I never know what to say when I'm asked about.

Sometimes I think that I could start another career or study on another country, or travel around the world knowing different people, sometimes I think that I'm going to workin something related to Design, but quiet and relaxed, and sometimes I think that I'm going to continue the things that I started between the university years. Probably that's the first thing that I am going to do, and honestly I don't have any problem with that.

For example, today I'm working with my friends of Complejo Conejo, and would be great continue with them doing funny stuff and trying to improve in every presentation. Also, I'm helping on a musical proyect, doing the image of a rock band, working on their logo and pictures, and thinking on future music videos. Both proyects are really interesting and I'm really into them, I would like to continue in the future working on, and if something go wrong, there is always an opportunity to do the things that you like.

The English Blog

The end of the semester is near, and it's time to make some conclusions. Today we have to write about our experiences being a blogger for the English Class.

I think it was a nice experience, tough I usually did not have much time to write on it, or I just simply forgot it. Was very interesting comeback to write in english too, when I was studying English Literature I used to wrote a lot of papers or little essays in this language per week, so do it again after 4 years without practice was great.

Writting helped to keep more organized my ideas, and talk on the classes is easier because I don't have to think about the grammar or vocabulary before say something; also read in english several blogs about different subjects was very usefull, speacialy if I wanted to learn more words or english expressions.

I really don't know what to include for future experiences, probably to read more, or write twice a week on the blog would be great for the practice, but as everybody knows, the time on the career is gold. 

If we keep using the blog for the next semester, I would like to write about our favorites movies, food, songs, or places that we like, also write about funny experiences on the university, holidays or parties, like "What was your best/worst hangover and how you get it". It would be hilarious to write and read about that.

Free Post 3: Concerts!

Hi everyone!

Once I told you that I really love music, I enjoy listen to my favourite bands on the radio, but watch them playing on a stage a few feet where you stand, is just amazing! My first concert was Fenix Festival on 2007, there played The Killers, my favourite band on that time, and since then I promised to myself, at least once a year, go to some concert in Santiago.

Keep that promise it has been very dificult, the reason: the prices. Although Chile became a popular place to produce this kind of events, the prices are completely insane! "Cancha Vip" is probably one of the most stupid and abusive concept ever made, and seems to be a complete sacrifice to see your favourite band playing the song that you have been listening to since highschool. So, working hard and saving money in cofee jars and piggy banks, it was possible go to many concerts and festivals like Maquinaria and Lollapalooza, most of them in company of friends.

Probably one of my favourite moments is when you are waiting for the band, and 5 minutes before the show starts, you can feel the anxiety on the air, you're waiting along with hundred of people that love the music as much as you do, and when the lights go out, you now that all the sacrifice you made, completely worth it.

Julie Taymor

Today I'm going to tell you about a female stage and film director: Julie Taymor.

I knew about her work 2 years ago, when in the Design Workshop we were talking about classic drama nowadays. Taymor, an american artist, filmmaker and theater director, is famous for her work on Shakespeare's plays and films bassed on them, also for her work directing Broadway musical The Lion King, and films like Frida and Across the Universe.

 


Julie Taymor's work is very important as a referent on stage design specially for the use in her plays she of mask and puppetry on the stage as costume, changing the way we see the actor's body and this, at the same time, change the stage space. The use of this elements was an oriental influences because of her studies in oriental countries, specially in Japan, where she directed the Stravinsky's opera Oedipus Rex.

I really like her work because throughout the course of her career she had created an aesthetic and her plays and movies have an author's concept very recognized.

Free post 2: Birthday celebrations

Hello! Today I'm going to talk about birthday celebrations because soon will be my best friend Verónica's birthday, and that remember me a lot of situations along the years we know each other.

My friends and I always celebrate with special afection her birthday, because she is the first of the group on "getting older", and since we were on the school we use to do something funny on these dates. When we were on highschool, our celebrations were always after classes, with cake, cookies, nachos and soda, having a nice time, really naïve compared to the following years. Because you know, we all grown up and beers and tequila start to enter in our lives, and the celebrations were until the next morning. I remember the first time that me and my friend Susan get drunk on the 18 birthday celebration of my friend Gabriel, we started to drink and then talked all-night long about stupid stuff, laughing a lot and feeling very dizzy at 5 a.m.

Another thing that we used to do was surprise parties, that were really funny to organize, altough sometimes the surprise didn't work so well. Once, for Susan's birthday, she found us on the street with bags full of things for her celebration! Gabriel started to talk about school and homeworks, meanwhile the rest of us were running to the house and prepared everything really fast. Then she arrived and get surprised after all, because did not notice the bags.

Bella the cat

This is a picture of Bella, my boyfriend's cat.

I took it this summer, one day that we were in his flat, and she decided to claim her petting time! She came to us very loud, because we were watching some Youtube videos and not taking attention to what she was doing, so she jump where we were lying and pass over my laptop, and the she stood by my side waiting for attention.

I remember that we started to say that she was the most beautiful cat on the planet and that kind of things, and she was delighted! Is so ladylike, and always taking too many liberties wherever she is, as cats always do.

I really like this picture because it was like capture her essence, the right picture in the right time. Probably in the future I will look at this image and remember her with the same curious and atractive gaze, waiting for some nice word and all the love that she deserves.

Free post 1: My new job

Few weeks ago I start working on a little artisan shop in Patio Bellavista as a seller, there I have to attend turist and chilean people who are walking around the place and offer handmade products like paintings or little figures that people buy as a souvenir from Chile.

It's a very nice work, tough I have to stay in the shop all day along, I always have something to do or just let time go by waiting for public.

It became a great experience, specially because I had know a lot of people from different places, most of them from Argentina, Brazil and USA. My favourites are brazilean people, they are very kind and always buy something with no problems or asking for discounts. And the worst are argentinean and french ladies, the first ones are always talking really loud and asking for discounts, and the second ones always think that everything is so expensive, and after touch everything, they walk away. Also I like see japanese people there, because after drink chilean wine the become really funny and chatty.

There is something that I really enjoy of working there, and that is the little wooden cats. My boss loves cats, so he always have thing related to them, and people love cats too, so they are very popular in the shop, sometimes there are people who buy these cats according to their faces, like "oooh, look! I'm gonna take this one with the weird face", one day a group of spanish tourist decided to get a lot of cats because they tought that these figures had junkie faces! That was a funny day.

A nice beginning (OK not)

This semester have been not that stressful as another years, but still had happened to me unpleasant situations. One of them was at the beginning of this years, when I had to write a few request letters to the faculty and teachers asking for their support on the continuation  of my studies in the University of Chile, and explaining my situation of being an student and working on the same time. The thing is that, at least on the career, everything was OK, but the problem was with the Studies Secretary, Ms Miryam. She is always having problems with our application forms, or being late answering our questions related to the faculty or scholarships. This years was not the exception, I needed to have an answers to my request before the beginning of the classes, and my letters were send on December, so I was very worried and a little bit angry for the situation, and some of my classmates where on the same, waiting for the official answers and all the formality done.

Finally, me and my classmate had our paperworks ready, and we all could start going to classes being sure that we were OK with the faculty, but put on question the work of Studies Secretaries and the administration, because is not very nice from the University have the students in that kind of situations every time that you need something to solve.

Technology!

Hello hello!

First of all, I have to say that I'm a complete mess with technology, I always have problems with computers and cell phones, I never play games like nintendo or playstation, and I don't understand why everyone goes crazy when a new Iphone comes out. To me, it would be perfect if all come back to old Nokias cell phone.

But the thing is that we are in 2014, and technology became really important, nowadays my favourite piece of technology is my laptop. I bought it 2 years ago, when my old computer stoped working. It was awful, specially because it happened on november and my last exam's blueprint and photoshop drawnings were there, also old pictures from de school and lots of music and movies that I carefully downloaded along years and years...So Viejito Pascuero came early that year! My mom and I had to broke our piggy banks and finally I was able to finish my exams.

Now I use my laptop for everything, it became very important on my life(altough my love-hate relationship with technology is not the best), as a design student to do homeworks, and in my free time to have fun watching a new episode of Game of Thrones!

Great Expectations

Last year was a hard time for me, especially 2nd semester, I was feeling very uncomfortable with the career, missing a lot of classes, and also I was working in a nightclub as a bartender the weekends, so finally I failed different subjects and ended up really tired about everything...

...but now things are going better.

I decided to take some subjects, just the necesaries for the semester, as theatrical theory or latinamerican theater, and use the rest of my time doing other things. One of them is work on a group called Complejo Conejo as a designer, it's very cool because we always do funny things in the city, and a couple of time we worked in big parties like Open Blondie or Mysteryland.

Probably the best thing that I learned from those experiences, is that it doesn't matter if you are loosing a year or things are not going well, because always will be a way to learn the stuff that you like, so in this year I prefer enjoy, all my expectations are about have a great time in the university, obviously I don't want to fail another semester, but the idea is not going mad with the subjects and finish, again, like this:

kill me please

That's all! See you next time :)

Hello world!

Hi everybody, it's time to introduce myself!

My name is Andrea del Carmen Bustos Pizarro, and forget about the "del Carmen", just call me Andrea. I'm a 23 years-old chilean woman, and I was born on september 5th 1990 in Santiago, where I live currently with my mom.

I studied on a catholic school in Independencia, and in that place I met 3 of my best friends. Then, when I was 18, I studied a full year English Literature on the Universidad Católica, but it wasn't work so I decided to gave up. After that I tried a year working in a shop and finally, in 2011, I enrolled in Universidad de Chile, where I'm until today studying Theatre Desing.

There are lots of things that I like, as photography and art, but today my favorite is music. I love music! Sometimes I use to take a little time on my day to choose a band and listening a full album of their career, it's very relaxing and always reminds me episodes of my life. Also, I like going to the movies and watch the films in big screen, but sometimes that is a problem for me as a student 'cause never are money enough, so most of time I watch movies online.

So there is a little bit of me, what about you?