Hi Blogheads;
Today I'd like to talk about a song I like to listen to at the moment. Music has been a huge part of my life and the one musician who has been a constant part of it is, or, sadly now, was, David Bowie. The song that I can't get out of my head at the moment is "Blackstar", the title track of Bowie's latest album of the same name. It is an amazing piece of work, as good as anything he's done in a 50 year-long career. It is the work of someone at the very top of his game. Bowie peaked as a "pop musician", not doubt, long before any of you were born, yet, he continued to push the bounderies of modern music until his dying day. He died of liver cancer on January 10th, 2016, 2 days after "Blackstar" was released, 2 days after his 69th birthday.
The first time I heard the song was on November 19th of last year (2015). At first, I didn't know what to make of it. I found the video quite distracting and I missed out on a lot of the musical twists and turns. Actually, I'm quite sure that is the type of reaction Bowie would be happy to recieve, to make you think about what was going on through abstract expression. I like this song because, musically, it mixes so many styles and emotions. Pop, Jazz, Hip´Hop, Rock n' Roll, and Electronic combinde to create something new and edgy. Lyrically, the song is Bowie at his best, mixing truth and myth with humour and mystery. The more I listen to the song, the more it amazes me.
So, as you can gather, I'm a Bowie fan. However, I love lots of musical styles and love getting recommendations of new bands or artists to listen to.
Write about a song you like listening to at the moment.
Say:
What it's called,
Who it's by,
When you hear it for the first time,
Why you like it.
Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on your teacher's blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
A Photograph
Hi FAU Bloggers,
Today I’d like you to write about a photograph you took. I’d like to show you a photograph that I took that I really like. I took it in Valparaiso 5 or 6 years ago. It was taken at the exit of El Peral elevator which takes passengers from Plaza de la Justicia up to Paseo Yugoslavo en Cerro Alegre. I’d gone there to give a mini-tour of Valparaiso to some of my family who were here in Chile on holiday. I’m quite a fan of street art when it’s harmonious with the surroundings and when I saw the figure with the birds on his arms I thought it was just what you’d expect to find on “Happy Hill”. I think the artwork has real charm. I especially like the effect from the different sized eyes. I guess I’m proud of the photo, not because of any special technical ability, but simply because I created a better than average image. I use this image as the screen saver on my PC and as the background on my Facebook page. I went back to Valparaiso about a year ago and this figure had been defaced and it was in bad shape. I did however find another piece of art by the same artist. It was on a stairwell in the same neighbourhood. I think it was just the little “little prince” and one bird.
Write about a photograph you took or appear in.
Say:
Where and when the photograph was taken,
What the photograph shows,
Why you like the photograph,
Write at least 200 words. Write a comment on your teacher’s blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.
Today I’d like you to write about a photograph you took. I’d like to show you a photograph that I took that I really like. I took it in Valparaiso 5 or 6 years ago. It was taken at the exit of El Peral elevator which takes passengers from Plaza de la Justicia up to Paseo Yugoslavo en Cerro Alegre. I’d gone there to give a mini-tour of Valparaiso to some of my family who were here in Chile on holiday. I’m quite a fan of street art when it’s harmonious with the surroundings and when I saw the figure with the birds on his arms I thought it was just what you’d expect to find on “Happy Hill”. I think the artwork has real charm. I especially like the effect from the different sized eyes. I guess I’m proud of the photo, not because of any special technical ability, but simply because I created a better than average image. I use this image as the screen saver on my PC and as the background on my Facebook page. I went back to Valparaiso about a year ago and this figure had been defaced and it was in bad shape. I did however find another piece of art by the same artist. It was on a stairwell in the same neighbourhood. I think it was just the little “little prince” and one bird.
Write about a photograph you took or appear in.
Say:
Where and when the photograph was taken,
What the photograph shows,
Why you like the photograph,
Write at least 200 words. Write a comment on your teacher’s blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
A Special Place in Santiago
Hi Blogheads.
Today I'd like you to write about a special place in Santiago that you like to go. Although I don't go that often, I really like visiting La Vega. I only discovered it about 5 years ago and I realised that I spent many years believing that La Vega Chica was La Vega. The first time I went to the real Vega I entered from the west side which is quite seedy as there are a few dirty, run-down "locales" with a few tables and chairs outside that sell litre bottles of Escudo. There is also a big sign telling you the different fines for pissing or defecating in the market. It's not very well lit and on the first impression it is quite a daunting to enter. However, 20 metres further on everything changes and you encounter the hustle and bustle of market life. It's a noisy, colourful place which is full of weird and wonderful sights and smells. In my opinion, the best thing about La Vega is the quality of the fruit and vegetables that you can find, and all at a fraction of the price you find in the supermarket. In the last 2 years more Peruvian stall-holders have appeared and I think this has made La Vega more interesting. What I don't like is that more and more cafes and restaurants are opening which means it attracts more tourists and leaves less space for selling fruit and vegetables. I usually go with my wife. I think the last time I went was during the strike in the first semester. I had lots of free time then (unlike now!).
Write about a special place in Santiago you like to go.
Say:
Where it is,
How often you go there,
Who you go with,
What you do there,
When was the last time you went.
Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 150 words. Leave a comment on my blog and a comment on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.
Today I'd like you to write about a special place in Santiago that you like to go. Although I don't go that often, I really like visiting La Vega. I only discovered it about 5 years ago and I realised that I spent many years believing that La Vega Chica was La Vega. The first time I went to the real Vega I entered from the west side which is quite seedy as there are a few dirty, run-down "locales" with a few tables and chairs outside that sell litre bottles of Escudo. There is also a big sign telling you the different fines for pissing or defecating in the market. It's not very well lit and on the first impression it is quite a daunting to enter. However, 20 metres further on everything changes and you encounter the hustle and bustle of market life. It's a noisy, colourful place which is full of weird and wonderful sights and smells. In my opinion, the best thing about La Vega is the quality of the fruit and vegetables that you can find, and all at a fraction of the price you find in the supermarket. In the last 2 years more Peruvian stall-holders have appeared and I think this has made La Vega more interesting. What I don't like is that more and more cafes and restaurants are opening which means it attracts more tourists and leaves less space for selling fruit and vegetables. I usually go with my wife. I think the last time I went was during the strike in the first semester. I had lots of free time then (unlike now!).
Say:
Where it is,
How often you go there,
Who you go with,
What you do there,
When was the last time you went.
Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 150 words. Leave a comment on my blog and a comment on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
A Subject You Enjoy Studying
Write about a subject you enjoy studying.
Say:
What subject it is,
Why you enjoy studying it,
What you have learnt so far,
Why this subject is important.
Mention anything else you think is interesting. Write at least 150 words.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
An Architect You Admire
Hi Fau Bloggers:
Today I'd like you to write about an architect you admire. Everybody has been talking about Zaha Hadid after her untimely death and I guess she is one of the most high profile architects in recent years. She created some interesting designs but, maybe curves aren't everyones cup of tea. Actually, I'm no expert on architects but I think Gaudi has to be the architect whose work I've most enjoyed. I've been lucky enough to visit Barcelona on a number of occasions, the first time in 89, and it's impossible to visit the city without some reference to Gaudi. His works, the Sacred Heat and the Parque Guell, are more than enough to imortalise the man, the other exhibits are icing on the cake. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what is so appealing about Gaudi's work but it's obviously effective. It's pleasing to the eye but not not 100% uniform. To a certain extent, it's the fact that things aren't totally symmetrical which is most impressive. Actually, Gaudi's architecture seems to share elements of Leonard Da Vinci's design, which is a pretty amazing feat. I think it shares a sense of movement that enhances the visual experience.
Write about an architect you admire.
Say;
Who it is,
What works they are known for,
When you saw the architect's work,
Why you like it.
Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 150 words. Post a comment on your teacher's blog and on the blog's of at least 3 classmates.
Today I'd like you to write about an architect you admire. Everybody has been talking about Zaha Hadid after her untimely death and I guess she is one of the most high profile architects in recent years. She created some interesting designs but, maybe curves aren't everyones cup of tea. Actually, I'm no expert on architects but I think Gaudi has to be the architect whose work I've most enjoyed. I've been lucky enough to visit Barcelona on a number of occasions, the first time in 89, and it's impossible to visit the city without some reference to Gaudi. His works, the Sacred Heat and the Parque Guell, are more than enough to imortalise the man, the other exhibits are icing on the cake. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what is so appealing about Gaudi's work but it's obviously effective. It's pleasing to the eye but not not 100% uniform. To a certain extent, it's the fact that things aren't totally symmetrical which is most impressive. Actually, Gaudi's architecture seems to share elements of Leonard Da Vinci's design, which is a pretty amazing feat. I think it shares a sense of movement that enhances the visual experience.
Write about an architect you admire.
Say;
Who it is,
What works they are known for,
When you saw the architect's work,
Why you like it.
Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 150 words. Post a comment on your teacher's blog and on the blog's of at least 3 classmates.
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