Last class, last post u.u

To start with, I would like to say that this term in language 4 (in this class only, not in the other monday/friday ¬¬!) has been quite fun! I've learnt a lot regarding idioms, expressions, and vocabulary. Also, I've learnt a bit of phonetics and british pronouncing. However, what I liked the most was the freedom of speech we had in our classes, blogs and emails. I think this is the kind of class (meaning planning, activities, approach, happiness, and ironic jokes) I would like to have forever. I really had a great time here, guys C: Hopefully we could meet and do something fun in a couple of weeks, in El Ermitaño ;D I'm really looking forward for that.

I think I'll be using this account for some projects on a magazine during summer, so if you want you could check it once in a while C:

See you guys around!

Love u all ~ <3

Jobs And Happiness...

It has been said that people are unhappy with their jobs due to many reasons. One of them is the hard work and the bad payment the job offers. Along with that, people have to coup with the unequals social and economic aspects of their day-to-day life. For instance, families who want to go on holiday and are not able to do it because they have to work in order to pay the bills (these are the workers whose contracts are constanly being renewed, having no benefits, or even worse, having no contract at all).

Nevertheless, and amazinly as it might sound, Chile is placed as one of the happiest country en Latin America after Peru. Why? Because people know how to take care of their own and they consider that spending time with family is more important than money itself. Also, the social life, the concerts, the movies, and all that, are usually named in the bills. Interesting, isn't it?

The Coolest Job Ever



If a could choose a job that would make me happy, it would be definitely Game Tester.
Game testers have to test video games in order to give their opinion regarding graphics, interaction, logic, and plot of the game. Thus, the programmers are able to fix whatever is wrong and release the video game with no further problem.

If I could get that job, I would be the happiest girl in the whole world! For instance, I have been waiting for Diablo III to be released two years ago, and Blizzard is not giving up yet. They want it to be huge, so they are playing (as usual) with the expectations of all video game geeks and it seems they are going to launch the video game in 2011. That means ANOTHER YEAR of patience waiting... However, the game plays are already upoaded for everyone to see how it works. Those game plays are made by the Game Testers! So they do not have to waint years to play a brandnew game, and they even get paid for playing it! Is not that the coolest thing ever? Nevertheless, I do not know anyone who works doing that. I had a friend once whose opinion was asked in forums, but nothing else.

Diablo 3 - Cinematic Trailer <3

"After Dark" by Haruki Murakami.

248 pp. Registration code: 895.63 M972a.E 1a.ed. c.1

After dark it is not easy to understand, for it has a mixture of reality and the oniric join at some point. Plus, the stories take place in one night following a real timeline.In my opinion, what happens with time is the most important thing in the book, for everything revolves around it.

Firstly, Murakami show us that in just one night a whole life might be changed. This is due to the chances and decisions we take and make. For instance, speaking with someone and let him/her get to know you, could help you understand yourself better as well as it might take you off your routine for a while. On the other hand, if you do not allow this to happen, you could be trapped inside your catch-22 without ever knowing why life is the way it is for you.
Secondly, whenever you take a chance, you have to bear in mind that the consequences it has are not just aim at you, but at the people around you. For example, Eri Asai who was asleep and seemed like fighting between the oniric world and reality never thought about how her family would take her decision of “sleeping and never waking up”. Moreover, never even crossed Eri’s mind to speak with her sister in a way that they could both understand each other.
This is how we also push away the people we love when we feel that the abyss is way too deep to take a chance and walk through it.

To wrap up, I believe that time means everything in our lifes. Therefore, people should not alienate themselves of others with the excuse of having no time. If you are going to take chances, take one that gathers you with those you love, not the opposite. If you are expecting for time to solve everything, all you are going to get is loneliness and alienation.

Favorite Website: Microsiervos

http://www.microsiervos.com

I found this website long time ago because of a friend. At first I didn't liked it very much, since it had plenty of things I just couln't understand at the moment. However, soon I find myself getting more and more into the topics and understanding the ideas of the posts these guys write about.
The website is a microblog and it's owned by three people (Alvy, Nacho, and Wicho). Eventhough, the blog was meant to be just about geek stuff, it ended up to be related to humor, games, books, movies, "little conspiracies theories", and a lot more.

The layout is quite simple. It is just white backgroud and coloured letters with simple logos, links and some pictures.

I visit it when I have time, and there's always some interesting thing to read about.

Education & Open Source: working together.

http://www.linux.com/archive/feature/22950

The type of information I found, is related to software & education. This software is (a big) part of Open Sources projects in education: Edubuntu. Just like the webpage's description says "It provides a software platform that allows educators to spend more time teaching with computers and less time managing them". These kinds of projects are responses to the disaster Windows has provoked in Education, given that there is always a problem with that Operative System. Thus Windows is not for free, and people have to pay licenses and stay updated. Not even mention the part where viruses come into business. In addition, Edubuntu (just like openSUSE) work also with Moodle teaching.

Moreover, Ubuntu (which is the OS of Edubuntu) is one of the easiest platforms for is meant to be used by anyone (especially auto-considered enemies of technology). In fact, people who have never installed software were surprised when installing something in Ubuntu.

In my opinion, when it comes to education, we should consider the importance of technology in the classroom, as well as outside of it. What is more, if you think about it, many schools don’t have computers because they are too expensive. Well, Linux and OpenSource can work in the oldest computers with no problems at all! So, all those computers which are considered as garbage (since Windows don’t run on them given the low memory they have) could be used with Ubuntu. Therefore, the problem of poverty (technically speaking) would be solved. Sadly, everyone thinks that you need to pay for everything related to computers, and if is not Windows or Mac, there’s no chance.

Making changes

As we all saw on the video, making changes, especially small groups, is not something it is done out of nowhere. It is a difficult task, where you have to be completely involve and willing to face all the problems you will find on the way. Nevertheless, if your project is strong enough (like the condom project), soon you'll find support everywhere.

If you think about it, it is amazing what the condom project did to people in Thailand. Indeed, they saved lifes! Eventhough it was so simple to think, no one had considered that just by giving condoms and contraceptives for free, the country itself would be having less poverty. In effect, by managing how many children a family can have, and then start with family planning, people can actually have the control of their own lifes (and future).

So, if we consider that being a small group is not a problem, we could do some great things. But how can we start? Well, there are many groups already that are making a difference in people's minds, creating conciousness, spreading information, explaining things the way they really are, giving pieces of advice, writing things in public places, using art as a tool to symbolize the problems (stencils), and so many others!

However, there is one thing we need to have and it is as simple as be willing to make the difference. It is all in our hands. We are the ones who have the future in our hands. Maybe not economically speaking, but in terms of brain-using. I mean, if people would actually care, things would be so much different than they are today. Just, use your own brain and do not wait until somebody else starts doing something.

The best song at the moment

Long time ago, I was reading this book a friend of a friend wrote and I put on some music this friend recommended to me. So then, the song started playing while reading the best part of the story and the rhythm was following like every detail. At first I did not realize, but later on I felt this weird feeling inside. It was the song! It is by Apocalyptica, and it's called Inquisition Symphony. It does not actually have lyrics, it is just instrumental. But this guys are awesome. When you start listening to them, you just can't stop. I mean, the sound of the cello just makes you feel so damn good! The best part is that it's instrumental. You don't hear a story, you feel it in your bones.

Apocalyptica also plays song of Metallica, but with four cellos. There's no guitar or battery. They make those sounds with the cello.

I leave you this link for you to hear C:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzpJiSjKChE