The universal language

English is the universal language. Knowing English allow you to speak with almost any person in the world, at least those who speak English (as their first language of course, or second one) this fact show us how important and useful English is on this days. This is why all schools and universities have it as an obligatory subject on their curricular structures. Giving this fact, I’ll talk about my experience learning this language that for me luckily came pretty naturally.
My first approaching with English was the TV, of course; because the cable TV at 90’s brought lots of new channels and with that, new languages to, so I start watch subtitled movies and TV shows in English. That’s how I get my first vocabulary. Then, at school, they start with English for the kids at 6th grade, so it was pretty basic at first, but when I was leaving school, I can say that I already can speak English pretty good, not so much for school knowledge but for personal skills.
When I get in to university all of us (students) have to give a diagnostic test, and according to our results, we will be at level 1, 2, 3 or 4 of English class. Well, the test was not hard, but I didn`t get to finish all questions cause I lose too much time with the first ones and have no time for the listening an reading parts, so that put me at level 3.
My experiences during level three and then four was ok; I get to write much better and faster, that’s the best of it. Also I learn more vocabulary and expressions. The bad part is that in both curses the students are really unequal on their English levels. I mean, there was some people for example, that have been all of their life on a English school and have a perfect English, or others who can speak perfect for an intermediate level, which is the one that the university provides us, but there was some people that never have contact with the English language before, or that have no skill for it, etc. The fact is that the course was very unequal and the teachers have to adjust to it. With this scenario, the classes, specially the one at the classrooms, turn out hard for everyone.
I think, that for respect to every one of us, students and teachers, it should exists a better way to evaluate students so the English that university imparts it can be actually useful for us: that people who start at level 1, when they came out at level 4 can speak or understand English on a intermediate level, and that people who can already speak, don’t have to take courses that just makes them repeat things that they already know. May be an interview is a better way to determine in which level are we when we came in at first year, even if is a slower process, it may turn out better for everyone.

Animals

Animals are a huge part of our ecosystem so I defiantly have lot of respect for them, but I don’t think I can declare myself as a animal lover comparing myself with true lovers! In fact I have to admit that when I was a little girl I don’t used to like animals so much, I was really afraid of them, even cats! That I now love them… but well, luckily I don’t have that stupid “animals-phobia “any more… ah! But bugs are still my weak point! I really really hate them, especially slugs ones.
Now on this days, I have a dog as a pet, his name is Gazu, and is sort of a Coker type of dog, his really unquiet and his mouth stinks but I love him as well, his now 6 years old so I’ve learn to accept him… his the second pet that I have in life, but the first one doesn’t count cause I was too young and I didn’t like him a lot (he was also a dog).
I have a friend who has the weariest per, he has an Axolotl, that in ancient Nahuatl dialect means “water dog”, and it is not a fish but an amphibian, a salamander actually. It is really weird; they have their gills on their heads!! But it’s also so cute, it has little hands that looks like human ones but in miniature. If I could be an animal, ill like to be an axolotl, like in Cortazar tale…
Talking about some bad things to, in my opinion, most of zoos suck! They’ve no properly space for the animals they have and all of them are in pitiful conditions… there are also some zoos that have more space and are not located in the center of the city, like metropolitan zoo, and there the animal are a little better, but any way, the whole concept of zoos is wrong I think; having animals locked up and away from their natural environments can’t be right! An exception is when they need to preserve some species that are about to extinct, and for that reason makes them born in captivity… another big problem: extinction, but that can be a long theme that it might be for other post!

Green is a nice colour

Environmentally practices are completely good and under no circumstances I’ll mock people who put that issue on the top of their life priorities, like tree huggers, even when it may not be one of mines.
In this matter, there are lots of ways to help the earth, starting from the minimal thing, like stop throwing thing at the street or separate the garbage at home to be able to recycle some things, use the organic trash for other purposes, and dump only what really can’t be re use, or ride a bike instead of using buses, and in the other hand, there are also biggest or most compromised things to do, like join an organization and participate in campaigns and all what that imply. But all of them, from the tinniest little action to the biggest compromise to environmentally friendly practices are for sure better than just sit and watch how the earth falls apart.
In my life in particular, I go for the little things so I try to incorporate every green measure that’s possible for me to do; like riding a bike every time I can, also separate garbage into tetra packs, cans, cartons and plastics, and also the organic wastes (that I use for doing compost for the plants) and also use energetic lights, tray to take really good care when using water and use rechargeable batteries.
A really good idea that I’ve just known are the ecological bricks. These are bricks made of used plastics and that we can make in our own houses. You just have to put all the plastic that gets in to a bottle, and where there are no more spaces between the plastics, then is done! And you take it to an ONG that receives them and transform them into ecologic construction material. What a great idea! Isn’t it? I’ll really like to do this, so I’ll start right now!
I believe that in our city we`re so far from been environmentally friendliest, I see people every day throwing thins to the streets! For example, they eat an ice-cream and the wrapper goes right to the ground! When I can, I always tell them “hey, you drop this” and then return them their garbage! It’s a good measure... people might stop and think about it for at least a second and maybe, just maybe, never do it again... there’s no harm in trying.

Art is everywhere!

Art is, in my opinion, is one of the most important things in the world, and not just because there are famous painters or musicians or any artists; it is that important because any (good) creation of a human been can be considered as art. I mean, even a draw of my own daughter can be a piece of art to me; every little creation is a piece of art for someone in the world.
And that is precisely how I enjoy art, by appreciating it from our own perspective and moments in our lives, for example if I’m happy I think I’ll enjoy more of happy pictures or songs, but if I’m sad, I’ll look for saddest things to see o hear, thing that define me in that exact moment.
But if we have to talk about typical works of arts, well, I don’t visit to museum very much or go to exhibitions of arts that often, but of the little I’ve been, I’ve enjoy them very much, its great see those kind of things personally and not trough a computer screen or a picture, even if they’re copies of an original paint, for example.
My skills in arts are cero if you compare me with people who can play an instrument or paint or draw, I really don’t have that kind of skills developed, but I do admire those who have it, it’s a great gift from life.
I think I’m pretty open about art, but personally, I enjoy much more a piece of art from van Gogh than a graffiti of colo-colo or some stupid thing like that… but I’ve to admit that lately I’ve seen lost of pretty drowns in the street, but not about football team, of course.
Any way, if I had to choose a favorite work of art that everybody knew I’ll choose Nuit etoilee from Van Gogh, I really enjoy that paint!

Cinema

I love going to cinema, it’s one of my favorite activities, I try to go at least once a month, but is not always possible, sometimes cause I don’t have time or there’re no good films to see, and lately also cause I’ve been downloading lots of films from the internet, it’s much easier and cheap.
However, one of the grates films ever I didn’t get to see it at the cinema because I was only 6 years old when it was made. It is Pulp Fiction.
This film is directed by Quentin Tarantino and is really a master piece, before I saw it I heard from it many time but never stopped and see it... so it was only in 2008 that I saw it for the first time (it’s from 1994).

I like this film for a lot o things; first it has a really good script, it actually wins the Oscars, second cause its very funny and the plot it’s great, all twisted and bizarre...I love that kind of films, just like "Fear and loathing in Las Vegas", and last, cause like every Tarantino's films it has a fabulous and accurate soundtrack. it has great actors too.

What makes it better than other movies, well I believe that is for the same reasons I’ve mention before that makes it a great quality movie, in my opinion... because all the sentences we say about tastes are just personal opinions.

Well, saying all this, I strongly recommend you too see it to!!

Santi asgo

Ooh well, Santiago is pretty clashing to me… I’ve always live here, born here, but even that, I couldn’t love it, ever. Of course that opinion has a reason: first, I think that it’s so big that you lose too much, people it to segregated in it, some people for example doesn’t know anything farther than plaza italia, or in the other side, some people has never gone to Lo Curro. That is one of the biggest reasons, or actually the biggest one. But I also don’t like my city because its obviously to pollutes, with noise, smog, trash, bad mood, and on and on, and all that things I believe that trespass our own bodies and affect us really hard.
But not everything is bad, there are some gorgeous places to go here as well, for example, Cajon del Maipo is really really beautiful, specially a place called “baños colina” that is pretty much getting to Argentina! There is all about nature, and the best of all is that it’s only like 100 km away, but still inside Santiago! It is a place 100% recommendable for tourist, I know losts of them that have been there and they love it! Also turist should go to the tipical places, like Cerro Santa Lucía and San Cristobal, the Mercado, down town, etc. cause they have an historical weight that it’s nice to feel it, imagine the past… what I also think it’s great is go to any hill, very high and the look down to the city, especially after rain, it’s so pretty, and also look up to the mountain from the city after rain, it is the only chance you get to actually see them!
Well, I don’t like Santiago but I can’t denial that it has it charm.

Music in my life

Music, for start, isn’t that important in my life, I mean comparing myself with my nearest friends, cause they are really into music; have millions of songs in their mp3s and know lots of artists! But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy music when I’m listening to it, because that is a delighting activity, especially when you are in crowded places with a lot of noise, it’s a way to escape for a little bit.
When someone ask me what kind of music do I like, it’s always hard for me to say an specific artist or group cause nothing comes to my head at the exact moment, but in general I can say I enjoy Latin American music, like Pedro Aznar or Bersuit, and also some united states artists, just like Eddie Vedder, that lately it has been my favorite one. Well and of course some classics of all times like Queen, Beatles and others in that style, beside listen in some occasions some nice classic music (Beethoven, Chopin, etc.) . In the opposite side, when I’ve to talk about those who I don’t like it’s much easier; I hate for example “romantic” music, like “sin bandera” and that kind of groups. Reggaeton in the other side, is something that I never listen to by personal choice, when riding my bike for example, but I do enjoy it when I’m in a party and everybody is dancing around… its fun listen to it once in a while.
I think that it’s why I almost all the time listen to my personal collection of music, cause obviously it has only songs that I like, contrasting with the radio stations, cause even if they’re good ones, in some point they put a bad song on. Beside, the music collection that we do personally it can be much bigger than what we can listen on the radio.
On the internet there’re thousands of music files to download, and I can confess that all the music I got its downloaded from the internet, I never buy CD’s, they are stupidly expensive!!
Talking about my music skills, well, I don’t really have any, maybe that’s why I admire so much people who can play any instrument or sing so beautiful songs. I think about the classics like Mozart or Bach and they have an extremely huge talent! They create works of art that remain in the history of the world.
Music it’s such a gorgeous creation that the world without it I’ll be much more sad and gray. Music is, at last, one of the most beautiful expressions of the human being.