Thursday 29 November 2012

On blogging

The post I enjoyed writing most was that one about places to eat, in which I wrote about the korean bakery & cafe 'Había una vez'. It brought back many pleasant memories, because I've only visited it with the people I love the most. And I love their food the most aswell, expensive as it is. 

The post I enjoyed writing the least was the one about 10 things to do before one's death. It made me think too much, and I always collapse under pressure, so it was a bit stressful for me to picture some things I had to say. In a way it was good though, because one tends to live too fast, not paying atenttion to the most important things in life. 

My favourite classmate's post is Bastian's 'Syd Mead'. It went on this kind of art I had never heard about before, and had never seen either. Yet it was interesting, educative even. I felt like seriously searching for it, and studying some pieces just for the pleasure.

I think the one with the most atractive blog is Natalie. There's this special vibe about the background image, the transparencies, the typography she choose... and the fact that is doesn't bother me that she used one type for the titles and another one for the text, each quite different from each other. It works, somehow, specially because the font for the text is a nice one for reading. 

What I enjoyed about blogging was to write about things I like, or lived, or wish, or think. It was also very compelling to get to know my classmates through their posts, because sometimes a random conversation doesn't get the most interesting details about people. 

I don't think there was something  I didn't like about it. It's different that I felt a bit impatient while waiting for my classmates to update their blogs when mine was ready, because I needed to post a comment on theirs. Yet, I had other things to do when the teacher told me to. I admit sometimes I was really worn out (after the intense conversation sessions) and just wanted to finish my blog and leave, but it was bearable after all.

I appreciate this experience greatly. I enjoyed it, and improved my writing (I think I was good before, but I learned quite a few things!)



Thank you all. May we meet again.



Thursday 22 November 2012

A nasty hideout known as Tumblr

I could expend my entire life in Tumblr.

The first time I visited it was some time around last year, when my best friend (the same one that gets me into new music styles and korean places to eat) started spazzing about it. I didn't listen to her at first, but after a  few days I couldn't help but join, because I noticed many pictures of my favorite idols were posted there first and in better quality.




Tumblr is about many things. One can either post a quote, a written conversation, pictures, gifs, videos, audio or text walls. It has a system of liking other people's posts (by clicking the heart icon) and reblogging. So one basically could never post anything of their own, but have towns of posts in their tumblr blogs (as in my case). One can also follow other people's tumblrs and be followed  too. 

There are many different kind of people in Tumblr, but I'm in the side where there are only girls, mainly over their 20's, who love to read, are a bit socially awkward (and/or forever alone), enjoy movies and comics, and are crazy about fanfiction.

There are tons of golden posts in Tumblr; I would recommend it mainly because it is a good balanced mix of art, lifestyles, entertainment, lots of laughter and porn in some cases.  



Michelangelo is sublime

I fell in love with Michelangelo Buonarroti when I  was in high school. Specially with two of his works: the statue of David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

We had this arts teacher who tried to balance our free style homeworks with history of art. We went through the renaissance and I was way more dazed by Michelangelo's work than  by master Da Vinci  (and we know they had some sort of rivalry over who was the most brilliant one).

The history of how the Sistine Chapel ceiling was painted makes me shiver. Michelangelo took 4 years to finish it, painting over 300 figures. I can hardly believe he could extend his greatness to the entire work, although it's  pretty obvious taking in count that he was an extreme perfectionist. It makes me sad that a little time after he finished that ceiling, someone (I think it was a pope) ordered another (terrible) painter to cover the character's private parts with random pieces of cloth. He was later named 'Maestro Braghettone' for this infamous work. 

And as for the statue of David... it's just as amazing. Michelangelo rathered do sculptures than painting (he differed with Da Vinci on this point aswell) because he though sculpture was a superior form of art, since it's in 3D and paintings are only in 2D. Hence, he said it was simplier, and therefore, inferior.

The thing about the statue of David (and all of this statues, really) is that it... alive. I feel like it's just as alive as I am. Besides, he didn't make it proportional; he made it in a certain way that it seems right looked from downbelow. Otherwise, it looks deformed. I think that's just genius.


Bridget Jones's diary

The first time I watched 'Bridget Jones's diary' was when I was 12 years old or so, back when it was released. Everytime we went to our country place in Curacavi we'd rent a few movies to pass the weekend. I had watched the trailer and, since I love comedies, I decided to give it a try. It turned out really good; I liked it and I enjoy it every single time I catch it on the TV again. 

This is a romantic comedy  about 'a British woman is  determined to improve herself while she    looks for love in a year in which she keeps a personal diary', based in the homonymous novel by Helen Fielding. 

The screen version was starred by Renée  Zellweger as Bridget Jones, Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver and Colin Firth as Mark Darcy. I loved the job they all did (not to mention the minor parts, which were just as great), and I admired Renée's effort, since she's from the United States, yet she pulled out a nice british accent. I  don't know why they didn't choose a british actress (well, the rest of the cast IS british...), but this movie really got me into her other movies. 

I strongly recommend this film if you like a good laugh to sarcastic situations and a main character's intrinsic silliness. 

Here's the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQdy98B1nf0

Saturday 27 October 2012

10 things to do before I die

1.- I want to finish writing my epic fantasy saga.
2.- I want to publish my books, be famous and earn tons of money.
3.- I'd like to feel like a designer someday, soon. I mean,  because I don't want to start working without feeling like one.
4.- I REALLY want to be better at drawing. I guess I need to practice a lot more, there are tons of thing I still have to learn.
5.- I would like to keep playing music, and perhaps join a band as a hobby.
6.- I want to travel to some countries: Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Korea, U.S.A, France and England, por example. I seriously hope I can accomplish it.
7.- I want to give my mother a good life. She's not quite young anymore, but I want to pay her back for everything she's done during my entire life.
8.- I want to get married and have children. Though I'm still wondering whether I can cope with that family life style or not.
9.- I want to pay the university credit, and to survive meanwhile.
10.- I want to age well, long enough to see my children build their own lives, and long enough to accomplish everything else.

I hope we can all go do all the things we want before our time comes.




Thursday 18 October 2012

VAMPS in Chile

VAMPS  is a japanese band formed in 2008 by Hyde, vocal in the legendary band L'arc~en~Ciel since 1991, and KAZ, guitarrist in Oblivion Dust. Their bassist and their drummer are not listed as part of the band, I'm not sure why.

I have been in love with Hyde and his music since I was about six years old (no kidding), when I used to watch the anime series D・N・A² with my older brother and its opening song was L'arc~en~Ciel 'Blurry eyes'. I fell in love with his voice first, and I didn't get to see how he looked like until a few later, when I became an otaku and searched for pictures of the band (not that he looked really atractive in that video anyways).

So two years ago, when my friends started spazzing on Facebook because Noix Producciones announced he was coming to Chile with VAMPS, AND they managed to release their album named 'Beast' in Feriamix, AND they were going to record the concert to make a DVD as part of their world tour (where Brazil and Chile were the lucky ones in South America), I didn't doubt to buy my ticket. It was just for tribune, but it was worth not having to deal with the crazy chicks killing each other at the V.I.P area, right in front of the stage.


The concert was held at Teatro Caupolicán, in San Diego street. I attended with two of my best friends. It's always the three of us anyways, we're like the most hardcore ones in our group of friends (all J-Rock and Hallyu stans).






It was really good, even though Hyde kept trying to sing in a harsh style and sometimes his voice would sound out of tune, but it was ok, because we were too happy to see him live.



Eventually the fangirls started screaming for the other band members aswell, but Hyde owns our hearts by far. Besides, all asian artists learn some spanish so they can say a couple of things to us, such as 'I love you all', but Hyde learned how to say 'I want to eat chilean people'. He also faked an orgasm... or at least I think he faked it. We all left the Caupolican with huge smiles in our faces.

I hope he would come with L'arc en Ciel soon. I will buy an expensive ticket if that ever happens!



Thursday 11 October 2012

Habia una Vez - Korean wonders

Había una Vez is a korean bakery and cafe in Antonia Lopez de Bello, Patronato. There's one in Providencia too, right outside the Pedro de Valdivia metro station, but I like the one in Patronato better.



I found out about it because my friends and I are into hallyu (korean culture fever), so we often visit Patronato's korean mini-market searching for new marvellous stuff (I like their K-Pop related food goods, their aloe vera drinks and their pizza flavoured snacks).

One day, about two years ago, my best friend came from Patronato saying there was a new korean cafe we should visit. I was curious, so I joined her on a different ocassion. I was amazed by the fantastic concept of the decoration, which had a fairy tale feeling.


Then, I fell in love with their cakes and their food. After we sat down, I was even more seduced by the excellent branding job they did: everything had their logo printed, and they had (still do) a customer card to win points each time one makes a purchase. Those points are printed in the card as pesos, which is great, because eventually one can exchange the points for a beef croquette or a few macarrons (yes, the french sweets).




I go once a month, or once every two months, because it's not exactly cheap to eat there. The average amount is about $ 4.000 per person (though I bring my own drinks and only buy beef or chicken croquettes or sandwhiches, so I only spend like $ 1.000~$ 2.000). The price is worth the quality and the great experience, though. I'd rather go to Habia una Vez than to Starbucks, for example.

The last time I went was last week with my best friend; I spent all my money because we found new great stuff in the korean mini-markets, and we had some exclusive hot dog braids at Habia una Vez. My friend also bought soju (korean licuor) and a green tea piece of cake.

Once I get my next PAE, I'm going to spend it there!
You should go too! Here's their website --> http://cafehabiaunavez.com/home/