ENGLISH LANGUAGE CHALLENGES

Known how to speak, listen or even write in English, as a second language, for me at least, means a lot. This simple tool makes easier to understand and communicate to the world, cause as we all know English became in to a universal language.

At first, when I was little I wasn´t that much interested, till I start to understand the importance of known in it, and how nice pronunciation sounds, I love it hahaha….  So I took it as a challenge and here I am.

Something that i´ve always done is watching movies in the original language, almost every music I hear is in English, and something that I´m good at it is that I have good listening memory for this; So what usually happens to me  is that I know how to speak better than writing. So that´s something I´ve been practicing a lot on this Blogg classes. It use to take me the whole class write like 150 words; and  now I finish earlier and is not that hard cause I start to realize that all we must to do for writing is thinking in English… maybe that sound weird for some of you… but that´s what happens to me anyway.

About my weakness I must say that it`s a little bit hard for me to remember, or better said, to use wisely  the time verbs, I usually makes mistakes with that cause I mix present and past in one sentence. Obviously I ´ve been getting better but is something that´s hard for me.

The pronunciation part is not that hard for me, cause as I said before I have a good listening memory and this class makes me loose more and be more fluid when I´m speaking….

2015 REFLECTIONS

First of all this year run really fast, and as is usual, time´s running out and there´s still so much things to do.

This year is really meaningful to me because this is my last year of attending classes, is my 4^th year of architecture  and it only take 2 more years to finished, so I only need to do my practice, seminary and get my degree license.

  So as a summary this year was awesome because I´ve learn a lot of “details” that have a lot of meaning on my profession, like the special laws, how do great plans and a lot of structural and material relation conditions; which they might be boring for some of you, but those things are indispensable for my future career.

Also this year I decide to take it a little bit lighter that years before this, because I start to realize that I was getting to a serious and stress  person and I´m still a kid, I’m just to young for start to act as a “adult person “ . So I started to go out more with my friends and family, I start taking pauses and free times, even if I had a lot of things to do. And well never stopped dancing and doing what I love. And also learned how to bake different things as “calzones rotos” (sweet fried bread), fruit cake, oats and butter cookies, cakes whit a lot of layers and perhaps this  holidays I´m gonna put all my baking skills  to prove and gonna make a lot of delicious food…. 

FUNNY SITUATIONS

So today I’m gonna talk about funny moments that I’ve been involved in.

I remember this time when I was really young maybe I was 10 or 11 years old; and I was on a school break, the thing is that in that time my aunt was also a student there ( she has only  4 years more than me. So something I always do was go with her and her friends (girls and boys) sometimes when a had nothing to do, so this time they were chatting each other and I took my aunt´s bag and I start to open all the pockets and I take things out and then put it back where they go. And I got to one of this pocket and I took out a “lady soft towel “and I didn´t know what that ting was so I start to looking at and touch it and open it and that was when my aunt´s friends tell her what I was doing and she stop me, and I realize that I’ve done something bad cause she felt really ashamed her friends where all laughing. Of course I don´t understand that after years later and I realize that it wasn´t something that bad in fact it was just a silly and funny situation.

So yes that´s one of all this funny moments or shame moments that I ‘been involved in, maybe in some other time I can talk to you about other…. 

MY BEST FRIEND

MY BEST FRIEND

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Today I feel really excited for two reasons, the first one is that I’m close to get mi Architect License which is cool cause is one step forward to get my degree; and the other thing is that we are also close to Christmas, which I thing is my favorite time on the year, even more than my birthday, and no, it is not for the presents. I love the idea of decorating my house with my family, is entertaining (at least when you´re not busy and watch everyone happy and you´re like shut up I’m stress … hahaha) everything and everywhere looks pretty and shine. 

I also like food, cookies, fruit cake, my grandmother´s dinner, cupcakes and stuff.  Like I know how to bake, I usually do cupcakes and simple cakes; but this year I´m gonna do Christmas cookies whit gorgeous decoration  , also cupcakes, which I always do with Santa and a Snow men face, and to finish a Christmas  fruit cake and I hope they get really nice.

Another thing that I like to do is decorate my nails with a Christmas things, and making decoration elements, choose a perfect gift for family or friends and just enjoy the dinner with my family.

But the only problem now is that I don’t have time for doing all that, because my college semester finish on January 15 … so I´gonna have to erase a few thing on my holiday check list. But whatever … It won’t take my dreams away hahaha…

Hope you have a Merry Christmas …. 

HOW GREEN ARE YOU?

Today’s talk it´s going to be about  how much do I care about the planet  and how big my carbon footprint is ?

For being honest I’m not that much care about the planet cause I´ve always been thinking that I can do more for it, but I must to say that all my life I been taking, little but not least, actions and thoughts about it; and I´m talking about being aware or just have conscience that the earth is alive, that plants are alive and  not everyone remember that, or even considerate that they just assume plants only work for us like giving us shelter in summer, food , a clean air and there is a bunch of other stuff  they do. One of the simplest thing I have always done is never, ever throw garbage to the floor, and yea maybe you must think that is the stupidest thing but let me tell you that if you throw a plastic bag and no one ever pick it up, it would take at least 150 years to degrade.

Some other thing I do is taking short showers, recycle old papers for using them latter (any kind), I don´t smoke (that´s good for me, for the other people and for the planet), I always try to use public transport (it supposedly it´s less contaminant than cars)…. But for being honest I don’t think that I do much, I mean I do easy things that almost everyone does, but I’m   working on it by trying to learn about sustainable architecture design so I can apply that to my future job, that way I would help people with their energy bills and the planet by don´t exhausting natural resource.

MY FUTURE JOB

Right now I’m on my 4° year of Architecture studies, and I only have 2 years left (practice, seminary and titration). So that means that I’m finishing this stage and I must supposed to know what I’m going to do next.

I already know that I want to continue with my career, but associated with a social theme, which is one of the reason I wanted to be an Architect in first place. Cause I’ve always think that if you are living on a house that it is bigger enough , and has a design that has a correct response to people requirements , your life won’t be as f… as it could be. And yes it start in your home.

Just analyze this, the families that live in “blocks” department, sometimes there are 5 person living in a small place, and this place has only two rooms, a bath and the kitchen, they live really tight to each other, and add the factor that the walls are so thin that you can hear everything that’s going on the next room and also the apartment next door, the fight and discussions, loud music, the intime relation and stuff. That really sucks and it will increase you stress levels to the roof top.

Sorry I sidetrack from the initial topic, but it was only for the one of you that don’t understand my decision as an Architect worker. But that’s something I would like to do after I finish my studies.

HALLOWEEN TIME

My topic today is going be “Halloween”… as we are close to October 31 I think is a nice thing to talk about….

I personally love this holiday, and I do it at my way I guess, cause is not something about the real mining of this days …  “It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed believers” (Wikipedia definition)

I enjoy the films that go on tv, the scary one and with cartoon, I like the costume parties, and I also enjoy give candies to kids cause when I look at them I remember when I was little and every time this holidays were coming it made me feel really anxious for the “trick or treat” adventure.

About the type of movies that I like to watch is something more like cartoon thing, and it´s a different to regular cartoon movies, I like the stop motion films, and I don´t really know why , but I like them. A few movies that I remember now that I watch in this holidays are:

Have you ever seen any of this films?

A Journey you would like to make

Hi everyone, this is my video talk about me wishing to visit Egypt , hope you understand it ... :)

Video Talk 

SUMMER PLANS

This is really interesting thing to do, making plans for summer vacations, but it turns out that i´m not good doing it, because every time I try it, something happens and the trip is delated or cancel. I don´t know why, but it happens to me.

So what I really do is start to think first how do I feel, something like, I need to sleep, I need to rest, or I have so much energy that I want to party and travel a lot. Then when I finally get it, I decide with who and where I want to go.

If you ask me today well I feel with energy so I think I will like to go travel to another country maybe, with my family and a friend; but the thing is that I’m out of money, so I would probably go to my grandma´s beach house to get rest and travel near places with my family, and in some moment go there with my friends and sister just to having fun with they just like we like to do, dancing and laughing and eating like if is the end of the world  XD…. I think that will be a great summer time with great stories to tell…

THE BEST HOLIDAYS I'VE HAD

By far my best holiday time happened on September 2013, I took a holiday trip to the south of Chile with a few members of my family , that includes my grandmother, my aunt , a friend an my friend´s mother.

We took an airplane in Santiago and we went straight to the Patagonia, our first stop was in Puerto Natales, and I personally loved it cause it´s a beautiful small town, which is awesome because you can go everywhere just walking. Also the people there is really nice, I felt a really warm welcome there. The weather it´s pretty much as it is regular in the Patagonia, cold and windy.

Then we went to visit La Cueva del Milodón (Milodon´s cave), something i´ve ever wanted to do seems I was very young cause I’m a fan of archeology. This place is a huge rock cave,that creates with the melting of the glaciers that exist there million years ago.

Finally our trip finished in EL Glaciar de Perito Moreno ( Perito Moreno Glacier) in  Argentina. It was beautiful cause you can get really close to the glacier, and you can see and heard the din when a few parts of the glacier break off.

This was a memorable holiday trip, and the best part is that I spent more time whit my grandmother, I recommend you to visit this incredible landscapes if some day you have the chance. 

A CITY I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT

As an architect student I feel really attract by almost every place in the world, every place has their own identity and also their own landscapes. But my whole life I have been attractive by Egypt, as the meaning of being our civilization nest, it contains the most amassing architectural monuments of the world. This astounding civilization is located in southwest corner of Asia, on the Sahara desert.

As my favorite iconic monuments we have the Giza Necropolis and its Great Sphinx, as well the ruins of Memphis, Thebes, Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings. I can´t even imagine how they create this amassing and beautiful sculptures and buildings, and for been honest I don´t believe that they were made by aliens or something like that, but I do believe that this people have the ability, the mind and their very own strong believes, that makes them get this through.

An forthably I have never get the chance to visit Egypt, but when I get the money I won´t think it twice and I´ll take the first plane to get there the soonest I can.

How was this blog experience for me?

This wasn't my first blog experience...I have done it before... always as a school or university work... but I have to say that ... this was the first time I enjoyed to wrote one... and I thing the reason was that I'm an English fan or something...jajaja... and also... cause all the different topics that we must to talk about... and the variety of them... remember your early days... wrote about your passion or hobbies... give an opinion of something or someone...etc..
Mmmmm.... if I have to choose which was my favorite post... mmmm... I don't really know which one was... they were all fun to do... but maybe I would choose the one call  "A photograph "...and I choose this one... cause every time I see this picture... I remember my friends...and how much fun we have together ... on stage...or out of it...

 

And of course... I have my least favorite post... and I think it was my very first post... about a book I recommend... and the reason is ...cause that was the first time I have to write something... in English on the internet... and it has been a long time since I have written something in English...jajaj
The blog I most enjoyed reading... was the one call "Chocolate from a shop"... of Wai Yan ...even when I can't do comments on her blog ( I really don't know why?)... I liked the things she talk about... and also the blog designee... it is like an elegant and female designee...

About this language learning tool...I think it was phenomenal... at first I wasn't that shore about it... but now I can realize ... I'm faster English writer now... and it's easier to do it too... and also it's easier to  understand when someone is speaking English to me...
 I have a lot of fun... and I learn one of the languages I most like... the English language... thanks for everything Simon ... =)!

A TV Show (I watched as a child)

When I was a kid i remember saw a lot of T.V shows with my sister...but i don't have a really good memory... but there's one that i do remember and it was call "The Magic School Bus"...
I started to watch it when i was like 6 years old on Nickelodeon ... well i used to watch all the shows on Nick... but i remember this one...because i learned a lot about everything .... The main plot was about  the adventures of Ms. Frizzle and her class of eight children who are on board of a magic school bus excursion... that can lead them into the solar system, the center of land or within a human body, or any other trip that in real life is totally impossible...The show originated on U.S and Canada ... and kept rolling till 2008 on Latin America...
I used to watch it after school and also on weekends... and there is one chapter i remember and it was call "The human body- immune system"... and they get in the human body trying to looking for a illness... and i learn so much things about it... and it was a fun way to do it...here i let you a part of the total chapter ... enjoyed... =)

A video i like...

History of Rap ( Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake)

I saw this video last week and i liked it a lot... it's a little bit funny and is entertained... and also remember past times ...when i was little... I hope you enjoyed ... and there are more videos like this... you can search it on youtube ... =)

Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? (coments)

This monologue was very interesting... the creativity echoes has been always a theme of conversation nowadays... I'm personally agree with all the comments that Ken has made... One of them is the fact that "creativity now... is as important in education... as literacy..." and when we grow up... this interesting  capability is lost in time... My mother told me that when I was a child... and before I've got a sister... I used to have an imaginary friend or some thing like that... and when my sister born... my imaginary friend was replaced whit her... I always remember that I liked to build "houses" and  create new games and histories with her... and I have to admit that my imagination was  faster and more diverse back then...

 Something else that caught my attention was when he mentioned another fact that happened to me... when you are good at something like art...or music...or dance...and you really enjoy doing it... people used to say that you'll  never be successful doing that  in future... I had a personal experience on that... when I was on school my teachers and parents realized that I was good playing instruments and also drawing or painting... so my father tell my that he would bought me a keyboard but that I must to know that it will be only a hobby... then I grow up a little and I start dancing... I teachers said to my parents that I was talented ... so my mom help me to find a dancing company so I can do what I like... When my father found out he goes so mad... and he told me that I only must to study on school... and be worried about my future and things like that... he said that I must to have good grades if I want to keep on doing that... so that's what I do...and on my first presentation he went to see me... and a few days later he said you can work doing that if you like it so much... and that was the first time he realized that dancing was ok and that if you put all your heart on something you can do it well...

 Nowadays I am an architect student and also a hip hop dancer student... but I also being teaching  hip hop dance... and now my father always tell me that I must work doing that instead of being an architect... that I enjoyed much more... But you know what ... I enjoyed both of theme as equally ... I have two ways to express my self... and tow ways to help or entertain people...

A building i like...

As a second year Architect student... I think I don't have so much knowledge about many great buildings... but I like one architecture office named BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) , is a Copenhagen and New York based group of architects, designers, builders and thinkers operating within the fields of architecture, urbanism, research and development... and today I'm going to choose one project call the 8HOUSE ...which I think it´s a great project....

This is a collective housing... located in Copenhagen, Denmark...Very different to the traditional housing buildings... the 8 House integrates all the urban life elements in just one building... using different layers that coexist ... practically creating a neighborhood   where the suburban life is similar to the life on cities... were the housing buildings and the offices coexist...

This housing has an incredible solutions to a lot of regular problems(  the reason I choose it )that we have today to designed  architecture projects... you have a guaranteed sunlight and a great view for every unit(housing, office or commercial spaces)to the beautiful Copenhagen lake... One important factor is the huge scale... cause it bring a great protagonist in front of the rest of the building context... but at the same time includes the same language of the units or apartments that has the other buildings...

The great thing of this huge an amassing project is that captivates the attention of every person...and it has a lot vantages like jobs... and houses...and a great environment  to develop life... so it has a great acceptation by community... Here is a video of how they develop the project....

A Piece of art...

The next thing i'll talk... it's about a huge piece of art named   "The Terracotta Warriors"

The Terracotta Warriors are a set of over 7000 figures of warriors and horses in real size, which were buried near the self-proclaimed first emperor of China's Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang in 210-209 a. C. They were discovered during construction work for water supply, in March 1974.

The reason I have chosen these sculptures ... beside the characteristics at first sight ... as the large of this work and the amazing detail of each sculpture ... is the history behind it... 

 Burying these statues was believed that the Emperor would still have troops under his command...The Terracotta Army was buried in battle formation on three pits... one mile east of the tomb of Emperor ... Each of these figures has different features and characteristics: mustaches, hair, young, old, ethnic traits different... Heads and hands are molded separately and then added to the bodies... Uniforms also reflect the military ranks to which they belong... Each soldier carried a weapon: bows, spears, swords, etc...

The mystery of the manufacture of terracotta warriors and horses was made in 1989 ... with the discovery of 21 large kilns ... Ceramics was introduced into molds ... and before being placed in the oven ... were recorded 5 sense organs and cooked after they painted white ...

So as you can see ...it required a lot of hard work ... and a beautiful intelligence  and sense of detail... As an architect's point of view... i admire the order and search of perfection on this amasing peace of art... 

A place to eat

i don't consider myself as a person that has a knowledges about types of food dishes ... and i do not know many types of restaurants... but i really like chinese food ... and every time there is a celebration as a gratuation...or a birthday of my parents or grandparents ...or on the mom's and dad's day... my family and i go to a chinese restaurant called "Lotus Flower"... it´s located in Maipú... on the  "Santiago Bueras" subway station ... it's close to Paza de Maipú...

The reason i like chinese food it's cause i love food with a mixture of condiments and vegetables... when my family and i goes to eat there we order...

 Wantan

                                  

Spring Rolls (Arrollados Primavera)

Special Chop Suey ( Chop Suey Especial) and Spring Rice (Arroz Primavera)

            

Tori Rolls (hot sushi)

         

But certainly ... my favourite dishes are the Special Chop Suey and the Tori Rolls... I love the different textures and colors ... for me it's like an explosion of flavours ... 

However... the chinese food that it's served here in Chile ... isn't the real food served in China ... people think that the immigrants created adapting they cooking to ingradientes and local tastes, as do worldwide... The chinese population have different tastes ... even on there own country... in different provinces ... So here we are eating the Chilean way of chinese food... but you know what? i love it... chinese used more exotic condiments as wasabi and things like that ... . I love the Chilean Chinese Food !..... jjejej 

Someone i would like to meet

If i have to pick one person that i would like to meet ... well... there are a lot of people... but i think that today i choose to Adam Garcia..an Australian actor and tap dancer.

I been really interested on Adam since i was like 10 years old... the first time i saw it was on the film " Coyote Ugly" ... and the thing that caught my attention was his goodlooking appearance... and his beautiful eyes ... jejeje...

Later i saw other movies like "The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest"... "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" and "Bootmen" ... on the las the last movie he shows his great skills as a tap dancer ... But it was till last month... when i find out that he was a profesional tap dancer ... and that he danced and  still doing it  in lot of  musicals...  So ... as a dancer... i felt so happy and amazed that he was a good dancer ... He start doing tap on musicals when he was 17 or 18 years old... here is a video of that....

Here he is on a tap dog performance

Here he is on a "Kiss me Kate" London performance, from a few months ago 

I would like to meet him because he is an amazing artist ... and he has a great way to see life and taking choices ... he always says that his way to live is just   throwing  himself at it ... and taking risks and learning from the confrontations that you eventually have in life and hopefully grow up from it  ... So i think that is really nice way to see life and  i have been leaving and learning from that same philosophy that he has... some times you must to throw out yourself in to different adventures and experiences that you couldn't possibly have at home...