English Challenges

I think this subject is very important in the University and life... knowing english you can go anywhere! comunicate with any people! it's so useful.
And this class in this year was very fun 'cause de blog sessions. The use of the blog is useful too, because makes you increase your ability to write in this lenguage.
An aspect that I need to improve of my english is the vocabulary and fluency. I think a need to talk more english, because I understand almost all that I listen and read, but the moment that I talk with someone, I began to be lost and confused looking for words that I know to explain but I don't know to say... I think I can fix this practicing, going to places that only speaks in english, etc. so my plan is doing that ¡Travel a lot! I will like to study in other countries, and travel and discover new cultures, and english is very important to comunicate all that I think and I want to say. And well, I like to watch movies and series in english, so maybe I will watch it without subtitles! Good idea...

My favorite English serie. I love there accent!

Outside the English class, I didn't often use the english speaking... only in rare situations like when tourist asks you where is any place, or when a foreigner music professors comes to give us a conference or a meeting in our University.

I will like to continue learning english in other places, is important to learn this lenguage. But I like other lenguages too like portuguese and french.. those lenguage sounds so well. I feel more close to portuguese, because I like brasilian music like bossanova, samba, chorinhos and capoeira. And I went to Brazil once.. three years ago!

I hope, in the future, be a polyglot woman :)

Reflections about this year

New year is comming, so all the stores, channel televisions and people in the world talks about this... just like this english class hahaha. I think I like so much the cycle changes, to pass stages of my life, but I don't like so much this holidays, not for the holiday itself, but I never know what to do, where to go or how to celebrate this party! So generally I go were the wind goes haha and my experiences have not been amazing or unforgettable, like I heard from friends or people around.

This was a difficult and powerful year ( the "Goat Year" according to chinese horoscope, my year) full of ups and downs in all topics of my life, a year to think about my pass and future, a year to make decisions an changes, leave things (important things) to give me time to rest, to travel far from Santiago, to question my way of being, my spirituality, to know my body, do new sports and take it to the edge, and begin a journey to find who I am and what I really like to do (...I still not knowing)... Well... I think this is an eternal search for all our lifes, but this year, I realized it deeply .

I think this kind of years can be used to make deep changes and choose another roads in lifes, make us strong and give us more points of view to make decisions. This year I discover that this sentence is true: "After the storm, comes the sun"

Alex Grey is so eloquent when I try to explain my feelings with an picture hihihi



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Summer Plans

This year I don't  have enough money to make an incredible journey around the world haha so I decided to travel at the same place that I go almost every year: Caburgua.
I went go to Caburgua since I was a little baby... there is my granpa's house, a beautiful and small house in the middle of a hill 600 meters to de lake's beach. This year the "black beach" (Playa Negra) will be closed for repairs , so, all Caburga would be more empty than other years, and that's good for me, because: less people, less chaos, less noise, etc. I mean, Caburga beach will be paceful (I hope haha).

Me and my brother in Caburgua wen I was a little girl

This summer, I would like to be with my boyfriend because last summer I travelled alone (and my bike) to La Serena and Coquimbo. Was an amazing experience, but this your I would be acompannied (:
I think I dont have plans for this journey, I like the improvisation. Besides, around Caburga there are a lot of amazing places to go. Hills, lakes, mountains, parks, rivers, and more. I love Chile's south, so much vegetation,landscapes an his sounds... all full of birds and other animals *o* So I can swim, do treking, run, walk a lot.

I spect to rest this summer, I need it. Maybe I'll take driving lessons or act with my theatre compaing or my children's music trío.... but the other time: rest and enjoy (and eat haha).

Money

How important is the money for me? Well, more than important I prefer to say that money it's necessary, because we need it to buy basic things to live in this world: to eat, to dress, to have health and access to basic rights. But I think the money is guilty of all the wars and tragedies in this world, because it generates hate, competition and greed in people who wants more and more power, without concerned in people's lifes.

But in this post I have to talk about it, so, here we are...

I spend my money in clothes, instruments and musical stuff. I hope, in the future, I would have enough money to bought me a house and travel a lot. If I were millionaire I think would spend it to help my family, travelling through Latin America, study other things (like other musical degrees) and live in a beautiful department or house in Santiago. But always having the necessary to live. No more, no less.

If I ever had to pawn any of my belongings, I think would be my musical stuffs like keyboard or my sound interface because is the more expensive that I have hahaha

Conclusion: money (sell and buy) its the only type of economic system that currently works in our context, so we have to deal with it. Money is dangerous, we help and damage us at the same time. We have to be careful.

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle

After seeing many movies about our world environment, contamination, read articles about our uncontrolled  consumism  and waste, I get consience about this topic. So, in my theatre company began to think how do we help to do consience in my country, through the music and theatre. After a long time we create our stage play calls : "Verdedero Vertedero: una aventura recicable" , a story about a little girl who arrives in a dumping place and know funny characters, she discover that place was a very conscient and clean city but one day, everything change...
This play we create to do conscience about the importance to reduce, reuse and recycle. The escenography and dresses are doing with recyled objects from bottles, woods, cyber-trash, sacks, etc. ( I created the music).

I think this is my education contribuition about it.

In my habits I think I contribute riding bicycle ( a lot!!) and not using plastic female towells (I use fabric towells). Not long ago in my family recycled in separated  garbage cans all kind of materials (glass, plastic, paper, etc) but when we moved out in a smaller house and today we don't have space to put de cans :( .

I think that we live in a unconsience and dirty world , but, I hope that in the future we will be different. We need education about it, and public politics in all countries to make a new culture.

My future job

Well, this is a difficult topic too (like the previous post) because I don't like to think in an especific job in my future, because at this moment I don't know what I want to do in my future. Also, I study music, so the working field is very short in this country and the music is not value like a serious job like other proffessional labors. And, I like other topics too (not only music).

So, a will to talk about an imaginary and ideal future that I want to have, without an especific job.
In my future job I want  work as much outdoor us indoor, the important thing is don't feel me caught in my labor. I will like to travel a lot, know other cultures and landscapes. I will have timer for myself, to read, draw, do sports... learn about my experiences, study other things and open my mind. I want to have an impact to my society and reality, to be a contribution in my context, I mean, give my little contribution in this world to make it more graceful and fair.

There are a lot of things that I want to do! But I can't do everything hahaha so actually I'm in a period to think a lot about it :)

B.F.F.

Wow! It's so difficult to choose a best friend. During all my life I had a lot of different bests friends, and actually I have a lot of friends that are very importants to me. Like Francisca, Micchela and Bárbara we are friends since 8 years ago, ¡or like Melanny since 13 years ago!. I have good friends in my University too, like José, Andrés , Alfonsina and Paolo (the last, my boy friend since 4 years ago). And I consider my friends my mother, father and brother too ( we have very good relationship).

Like you read, I have very nice people who supports me, in the good and bad moments in my life, but if  I have to write and choose one, I think I will talk about Micchela.
We met in 2009 in my school (Liceo 7 de niñas), but we began to be friends in 2010, our last year in that (terrible) place. And was love at first sight hahaha. We actually support each other, in all topics of our lifes, we have a lot in common, we like to go out and walk, talk, visit museums, parks, libraries, fairs, concerts, we like to discuss about politics, society, art etc. We were together in important desicions and moments... well... is a good partner :)

(in Liceo 7 with Micchela, taken by Bárbara)

The country I would like to visit

There are a lot of countries that I want to visit, specially in Latinoamerica. But I have to chose one, so today I want to talk about Mexico.

I would like to visit this country because I am very interested in Precolumbian pyramids (there are a lot in Mexico), in there relationship with the Dead, there culture, historic places, the Frida's Museum, and more.
 
I want to know everything about this country and his cities, not in the touristic way. With this I mean that I want to know there culture and customs deeply, not superficially. I imagine me traveling in bus a lot, walking till being tired, spends hours knowing little and unknowing places... humbly enjoy this country, and respectfully enter to the ancient pyramids.

Maybe in the future I would like to study here, because there are some Universities were are musical careers, but I'm not sure, 'cause I'm insecure about my professional future like composer.

Travelling is something that everyone should do (with company or alone).. Opens your mind, soul and culture. ¡We live in the same world!

Welcome

Hi again!
Well, this is a new stage so I have to introduce myself again.
My name is Bernarda, I'm 23 years old and I study Music Composition (I'm in the fifth year of the career).
I think my weakness in English is that I don't speak fluently, sometimes my mind works faster than my mouth hahaha so, I can express myself, tell stories and say what I feel... but I have to do it calmly and with no preassure, otherwise I make mistakes. And my other weakness is my shortage of vocabulary... sometimes I want to say something but I don't find the words inmediatly! So I start to speak Spanglish.

And my strength is that I understand the 95% of the words that the people say in English. It's easy because I saw a lot of movies and series in English and my ear is used to listen to this language.

I think I can survive if a plane "throws" me in the middle of New York. hehehehe

LEVEL 4 - Second Term 2015

Blogging experience

I will talk about my experience in this blog.
First I cost me a little bit write things without a dictionary. But late I tried to do that thinking all words, even I did slowly. I never had a blog, because I don't like to write in a public website that unknown people read it, but was an obligation in my english class (hahaha).

However I tried to do this well, take advantage of this learning to speak better . Even I have an example: Actually I'm in Bogotá Colombia participating in a Festival of Kid's Theatre with a lot of people form other countries. And one of the people are form Israel and only speaks english, so we have to comunicate with they in english. And I've notice that I have less difficulties to express myself and say basics things and tell stories.

But my writing skills are less developed that my speaking skills, because even I felt a progress. I think is good work watch movies without subtitles and listen to english music.

In the future I will like to include in the future is about: fears, books, places, and spiritual things. And maybe will be good that the blog corrections are in each publish page for knowing our mistakes and correct immediately.

Movies

It's difficult to chose a favorite movie, because there are a lot of amazing and incredible movies from important directors, but I will talk about the movie "The Truman Show" by Peter Weir.

This movie is about a man that lives a "perfect" life in a "perfect" neighborhood  with a "perfect" wife, etc. But one day he began to feel strange things in his normal life... he felt that everyone watched  and controlled him, all people knew his name without knowing him,  and realized that he didn't knew other places that warn't his home, that his marriage and frienships was a fake, (even one day walking misteriously  a spotlight felt down in the middle of an street) realized that his life was part of a television show. The best part is the scene that discover the final of his reality: the wall that

I liked this movie because spite of is a fiction story, a lot of things that happens are like our actual lifes. We are all part without knowing of a economic system that control's us, in our ways of eat, dress, behavior and think. And is a good and interesting movie too (good actors and script).
I like so much this kind of movies, that makes me think over about my reality.

Music

Usually the music is considered an important thing in our lifes, something vital, that make us feel a lot of emotions... and yes! That's right, and is curious that when I tell that I'm studying so "important topic", most of the people didn't know that "music" is an actually serious art too: they considered the music is only a hobby.
And yes, sometimes the music students forget about the real reason that we choose to studying music: when we start to play and fun singing and dancing and was actually a ¡hobby! And late, when we were young started to investigate the types of instrument and music gendres that exists, and we felt a lot of emotions, realize that the music is really something important in our lifes and decided to study music. I that said the music students forget about the real reason becouse sometimes, the university gives you so many courses and no time to enjoy it and really work in own projects.

However... talking about me, I started to listening music since I was in my belly's mum. My family loves music, there are a constant "soundtrack" in my life. The are music for all stages in my life, like Bobby McFerrin, Lambarena, Dave Brubeck, all kinds of Bossa Novas, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Yes, Mauricio Redolés, Fito Paez, Pink Floyd, Nick Drake, Bjork, Bach, and so much more! All this music thanks to my parents and his thousands of cassetes an dc's.
They give me a little piano toy when I was 4 year old, and since that moment I took the music like part of my being.

I don`t have a favorite artist or band ( I hate this question!!) because is so relative and changing... but, if you ask now, comes to my brain: Aca Seca Trío.

FOOD...

First of all: I love food.
I like so much eat and smell and taste all kind of flavors. (But sometimes I regret eating so much, becouse somedays I get very anxious with the tests and homeworks in my University: when I get nervous or sad, I want to eat).

However, I will talk about my favorite kind of food: the desserts... like pancakes, creme caramel, lemon and apple pie, orange cake, raspberry cake, ¡all kind of cakes! etc.

I like to cook too, sweet food specially. Lately I cooked with vegan recipes, becouse my brother is vegan and I like to investigate other ways to make food, and eat other kinds of foods that the normal people don't know.

And my favorite dessert is the creme caramel ("flan") . ¡¡¡¡It's so tasty!!!!! I would like to know some recipe for this... But the dessert that usually I cook is: banana cake ("queque"), and I don't have a specific recipe because I cook with approximate measurements, and I change constantly the ingredients hehehe. Is delicious.

Well... as I said previously, I'm interested in vegetarian and vegan food, so I'm in constantly tasting new foods and recipes. ¡Is incredible the number of vegetables, fruits, rices, and other foods that we don't know!

A person that I admire

Oh... it's so difficult to chose a person that I admire in my field because there are so many amazing people that deserves admiration. But, I have to chose.

One of the persons that I admire is Bjork.
Bjork is an island musician, composer, singer, and producer. She begins doing alternative rock music with the group The Sugarcubes (90'), but late she was experimenting with other styles, like jazz, electronic and experimental music, and begins her solitary career.

She has not only do music and records, also she have a important esthetic, conceptual and performance care in all of her albums, performances, works and videos. She likes investigation too... about all the kind of strange instruments, forms to do many types of sounds, about the nature and its behavior, the new technology and its importance for doing new genders of music, and more.

I like and admire her so much because all that I write before: she is a amazing and clever artist that always grow and investigate in his field to make better and interesting music. 

Realistic Photography 

Today I tell you about my favorite photographer that is Paz Errázuriz. She tokes the photograph on top, that it belongs to a collection of photos called " La manzana de Adán".

Paz Errázuriz is a chilean photographer, born in 1944. She principally tokes black and white photos, and portraits, focused on social realities, poverty and politic. The collection "La manzana de Adán" was token in 1982, when Errázuriz with Claudia Donoso ( a journalist) go inside the homosexual and travestie world, and brothels of Santiago and Talca, in a context that this topics was silent and hide.

I like this photograph because shows a real perspective about other lifes that we dont know.

My pet <3

2 years ago a little and nice kitty cat arrived to my house..

Her name is CaiCai, like mapuche's water deity. She have a strange personality.. is not like the other cats... for example, she is not very loving with humans (I thing even hate humans), she loves to eat if you caress her, she likes so much sleep in my legs... and more.

When we are together, we like so much sleep hahaha and she always is with me when I work in my homeworks or when a play piano she stay in my legs.

Is the first time that I have a pet,  so I learn everyday from her. This has been an amazing experience and I would like to have more cats!!!!

My favorite piece of technology is:

My mp3 player Walkman NWZ-B150, whit this gadget I can listen to music in any place.

I think that I have it since 2010... it's a long time for me, because I always loose or brake things in a little period of time u_u

This mp3 I think was a birthday present, an I use it all the time! I just have to connect the "Walkman" to my computer, and add my favorite music.

I like so much my "Walkman", because allow me to listen music anywhere, and I LOVE listen music! meanwhile I ride my bicycle, I study, I sleep, I read, I eat, I think, etc.

My life without my mp3 would be a little silent, but doesn't mean that would not being music in my life, for that I have instruments, concerts, radio programs, and youtube (hihihihi).

I always loose the lid from my mp3 player, so it's always "naked" (like the picture on top).

About me :)

(I don't like so much talk about me in public web platforms, but this is an exercise of my english course, so I will try to be the most "open mind" possible).

I'm Bernarda, and I study music ( Musical Composition). I started to study music when I lived in Barcelona España, I was like 8 years old.

Actually I have a big and lovely family.

I think I have three important interests: music, children's theatre and feminism studies. About the last one, lately I felt committed with  men's and woman's rights, related with gender problems, like machism, misogyny, homophobya, and more.

Expectations of an new semester 

This is a year of changes.

I begin the year traveling alone in the North of Chile. Yes, alone. Was an adventure, because I had to study the maps of the cities that I went, I met new places that I never saw in my life, and I had to take care of my integrity and security. All of that was exciting and new for me.

The other new change, was a new haircut and a tattoo ( in my back).

In March I started the classes. 

I have 10 courses, so this year I don't have many time to hobbies, sports or recreate activities. Besides I participate in a Comission of Curricular Innovation of Musical Composition, in a Gender Secretary of my Faculty, and I'm part of a Theatre Company like musician and composer.

This quantity of things to do, makes me feel tired, but when I feel like that I say myself: It's doesn't matter, you are doing that you love. 

So, my expectations for this semester (and year) are: giving the best of me in all the things that I am doing, is learning and investigate creative ways of teaching music to little kids, recording a personal composition in a good studio, pass all my courses, and working hard in theater and storytelling shows.

BYE!