My English experience

Learning a new language it is an important tool for life, in a professional and in a personal way because opens a world of possibilities. On a professional level, learning English gives the change to be aware of the progress of science, and also the liberty of not depend on the translated editions. For the other hand, on a personal level, English it’s a start for a change of mind because it makes easier the understanding with other cultures.
Knowing the same language puts two cultures face to face, without the needing of an intermediary. In that sense, people can reach a whole new level of understanding thanks to the opportunity of walking out of their imprinted mindset and exposes them to the mores and customs of an entirely different community.
This are the reason why I think that reflect on my experience in the English class of the university has been mostly positive. I have learned new things in terms of vocabulary and grammar and also I have been able to improve my skills in speaking and pronunciation. Actually, I have seen in me and in my partners that English has increased our confidence when we need to read a paper or a book in this language. It is easier for me to understand the song lyrics because of the listening we do as evaluation for the course.
This is an important point; I believe that regardless of subject in question the incorporation and use of technological resources in the activities makes the learning process something much more dynamic, allowing us to understand better and more easily the contents. The fact that technology updates are used in our English class gives the students more ways to learn that just by sitting in front of a blackboard.
In conclusion, I can say that the English program it had a positive aspect too, a very good experience where I could learn many things. I even believe the experience of this last term in English class, was better than the last one because I saw things from a different perspective. I have learned more things that help me on the academic works and maybe someday will help me studying a different culture.
Anyway…English will always be a significant tool for the present and maybe (who knows) for the future.

in Santiago

I’ve lived in two places in all my life: one is my home in Curicó and the other is an apartment here in Santiago. In this apartment I lived since four years when I came in to college, it’s located in Santiago Centro not too far from the university, in a car it takes like twenty minutes to get from one point to the other meanwhile in public transport it takes between 30 to 45 minutes! It depends on the traffic, sometimes might be more!

My neighbors are a senior couple with an adolescent daughter. The women is a little bit strange, there are times it seems she’s not in her apartment but others days she makes a lot of noise, all day long! It sounds like if she were changing all her furniture. In other occasions I’ve heard drills, hammers and sanders since morning until night; sometimes I think she is having a “maniac phase” like it’s called in psychology, because it’s too much!

But not all is bad! My bedroom is great; in there I have a bed, a closet, a writing desk and a stove! I like it because I decorated myself: I painted the walls green and I bought yellow curtains and ornaments. But in all the rest of the apartment there are things to fix...one of the two bathrooms is useless, the kitchen sink sometimes works sometimes doesn’t! So if I could I would change many things of that place. Actually, now that I’ve lived in an apartment I can say I prefer the houses, they are more private. In the future I would like to live in a house in the country or in the south. I would start with a medium size, with a big and beautiful garden with all kinds of flowers!

Painting

Art is important for the cultures because speaks about themselves, their history and their social movements.
I find art an interesting form of expression, I like it very much. Now I visit museum every once in a while, but when I was little I didn’t like art, mostly because I found it boring! But I started to feel interest in this theme when I was in high school, especially when I had a class about it. In that class we learned about the different times and tendencies in art and their biggest expositors.
In that time I was so into art that I wanted to study architecture. I used to draw every time; I went to anywhere in the city with my block, my pencils and I was happy. I still keep some of my draws.
In my art class, I learned about Dali, Monet, Mondrian, Van Gogh, Gris, Matta and Picasso, between several more. I like Picasso (the first picture is one of his painting); he was a revolutionary man, as the precursor of cubism. I love the details in his painting and the mix between colors and shapes.
I don’t have a favorite painter or a favorite painting, but there’s a painting that brings me a lot of memories from high school; it’s the one on the photo down below, it’s a Hans Harting painting a German painter not very famous. That painting is very special for me because in the art class my classmates and I had to selected only one painting and make a copy. We were working in that painting almost all that term, because the copy measured like two and a half meters!
At first I didn’t like the painting my classmates pick, but while we were doing it I started to understand that it wasn’t simple like it seems at first sight. It’s a painting with such a movement, that now when I see it I found it beautiful.

ADHD: new questions about it

For today I had to select news related with my career. Between the news I saw in the internet page the themes weren’t much related with psychology so it took me a while to get what I needed.

Finally, the news I found it’s called: ADHD: genes play a role, but how crucial are they? I liked this news because I want to be a child and adolescent’s psychologist and this it’s a very common theme for the kids and specially the parents. Something that I know about ADHD, that means, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is that many times the parents feels exceeded and the children discriminated.

The news tells that children with this disorder are healthy in a physical way, but have lots of trouble in others areas. For example, they are usually restless children who have difficulty concentrating and problems with the others children of their age.
Recently, an investigation found that their DNA probably has duplicate or missing chunks, what means that they have a genetic condition. This idea breaks with the belief that their causes were the bad parenting and poor diet. But, other professionals propose an explication that includes all this variables and that the results of that study where interpreted in the wrong way and that they actually means that genes play a role and some genetic glitches raise the risk of ADHD.

This new investigation opens a debate about the topic. If you want to read it for yourself go to:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/oct/03/oliver-james-adhd-attention-deficit

Edward Scissorhands

I love movies! Actually, I love going to the cimena; it’s one of my favorite things! From time to time I go to there with my boyfriend. The last time we went was like a week ago; when we saw “Inception”. That’s an excellent movie! I’m waiting to see it again!

Sometimes, I buy movies, but the “pirates” kind because they are cheaper than the originals. One of the movies that I have in my collection is “Edward Scissorhands”…my favorite movie! I love Tim Burton’s movie!

This one It’s about an artificial man named Edward, who is an unfinished creation, with scissors instead of hands. He meets a nice woman who takes him to live with her and her family to the suburbs. There he falls in love with Kim, the teenage daughter of the family. At first, Edward it’s not accepted by the citizens, because they found him extremly freak! But while the movie progresses insteresting things happen.

I have seen this movie so many times that I can’t say how many…I totally recommend it! I think this movie only has good things, for the more that I try I can’t find anything weak about this movie. The story it’s beautiful, the dialogues are very well done and the scenes are amazing! The mix between the aesthetics and the music will leave you speechless! The movie immersed to the audience to a new exciting world. Where the darkness of Edward’s house contrasts with the colorful and uniform of the rest of the town in a delightful way!

I think this is one of those movies that you simple should see!!! You’ll not regret!

A great city full of great places

I live in Santiago since I came in to college. It’s been almost four years since then! But sometimes I still feel like a foreigner. Maybe that’s because recommend a foreigner tourist places to visit in Santiago it’s a little bit hard!

First, if you like history and arts you should go to the Pre-Columbian Art Museum. Where is keep the artistic legacy of American pre-Columbian peoples. It’s an interesting place full of surprises.

Then you can visit the Metropolitan Park is a beautiful place in the Saint Cristobal’s hill. It’s ideal for jogging, mountain bike and have a panoramic view of the city. I like it because it’s a great way of have contact with nature. Also you can travel by cable car!

Near of this place is Venecia! I recommend it because it’s my favorite restaurant. It’s a delicious restaurant of typical Chilean food where Pablo Neruda used to go, so it’s filled with pictures of him. And if you want to know more about him to can visit his house: La Chascona. It’s a ship-shaped house, you have to see it!

Finally, if you want souvenirs. Go to the craft center Santa Lucia, where there’s millions of precious things, since ornaments until hand-woven clothing.

I think a thing you should do when you are getting to know a new place is walking! And while you’re doing that, take pictures of everything you like!

Also, If you are a foreigner tourist to have to be careful with the food carts you find in the street. Some of them aren’t very hygienic! And watch out with the prices! Some people might want to take advantage of you …

And at last…enjoy!!! A new place it’s a new chance of discover a whole new world, with different culture and different people =)

Music, music, music...

Music is very important for me. Actually the name of my blog is the name of a great album!

The first thing I do when I wake up is to turn on the radio because with the music on my day has a better start. When I heard music, I feel like if I had the energy that the melodies contain, so it makes me want to sing.

I have tons of music in my computer. The music I love the most is rock and pop, with all the mixes between them. But I don’t have a favourite music group…maybe that’s because I think it’s too hard to make a choice! One thing that I know is that I dislike some types of music like the tropical.

It has been a while since I don’t go to a concert; I’m hoping to go to see the Smashing Pumpkins in November (that’s if I get the money for the ticket first!). Talking about money…I don’t buy CD’s, they are too expensive, I prefer to download music from the internet.

I can’t pick a song I would like to be…it depends on the day and how I’m feeling. I love music, but I’m really bad at it. I can’t sing and I don’t play any instrument! I want to learn since I was a little girl meanwhile I’ll keep singing with my niece and my nephew!

Without music the world would bitter and dark because without music there are no dance either!