Like every year, november is the most stressful month of the year. In every class we have to do many things in a whisper of time... and that's awful! Anyway, 2009 comes to its end, and I'm so happy to realize that this year was so much better than 2008...

At university, things went very well, specially because I found some new friends: Chuck and Jose, and we had a great time together, laughing a lot all the time... I love them, hahaha. Another important thing was that, there were no strikes, so we had winter and september holidays LOL, and all the classes were very calm because of that. Also, I had many subjects that I loved like Interpersonal Comunication and Problems of the knowledge, because the teachers were very good (Osvaldo Corrales and Raúl Rodríguez respectively).

I thought that Photography would be a good subject, because we would learn how to use reflex photo camera and how to take beautiful photos… but no. I don’t have a pro camera, and the cameras of ICEI always were busy, so I couldn’t practice with them… that was so frustrating. The university should give us (ICEI) more money, and then we could buy more cameras to help students.

English class was the subject that I had all the year, and honestly, I didn’t like it so much. First, the hour of the class was awful: 6 or 7pm, and because of this I arrived very late to my house. Second, I don’t know how I’m doing the “pre-intermediate” and “intermediate” level, because my english level is so low… Talking and writing in english continues being difficult to me, but not to my classmates, so always I was on disadvantage… This is why at this point of the year I’m not very motivated with this class. Nevertheless, this semestre was better than the previous one. Classes were so much fun, because our english teacher (a real gringo, haha) made us play some games and listen to music... the exception was writing in this blog… I’m sorry, but I hate this!

I can’t say that I learned a lot of things at english class, but it was a good experience, and I realized that I really need this language… so I’ll have to take another english class in my future, hahaha.

In summary, this year was very good but also complicated… there was some subjects where I had to study very much, but I’m happy because I had good marks in my subjects (not excellent, obviously). I can say that I like my career, despite everything. If I work hard I will be a good professional.

Now, I’m tired of university… I want holidays!

Bye Bye english blog, Bye bye 2009!

If you’re a foreigner and this is your first visit to Santiago, pay attention, please…

The first thing is to be patient, because this city is too crowded, and everyone walk careless about other people. Also, you have to be careful, because there are “flaytes” (thieves), and they can steal your cameras, wallets, etc. And never trust someone you don't know, because there are some chileans who wants to defraud foreigners, charging more money than usual in services like taking photos or driving a cab, for example.

… but stay calm, Santiago also has good things.

Santiago isn’t a touristic city like Valparaiso or Chiloé, but it has some beatiful and funny places where you can spend a good time with your friends...

1. Bellas Artes Museum/Forestal Park: Both are in the center of

Santiago. You can go there by Subway (Bellas Artes station). The Museum

is awesome and very pretty, there are old and new paintings, and beatiful

sculptures. The Forestal park is perfect if you want to walk, or drive a

bike, because it is a large zone with big trees and child games. In

weekends, you can go there and watch cultural shows made for young

people, like juggling or making people laugh dressed like a clown.

2. Cajón del Maipo: A beatiful and natural place in the south of Santiago. You can go there to camp and to walk knowing the nature. Also you can do extreme Sports, like “rafting” in a river, “canopy” or “climbing”.

3. Plaza de Armas: If you want to know the center of Santiago, go to Plaza de Armas. You can visit the “Catedral de Santiago”, “Correos de Chile” and also there are sculptures, places to eat, paintiers who sell they work and draftsmen who can draw a cartoon of you.

4. San Cristóbal Hill: This hill has many funny places like a swimming pool, a zoo, a mini-park called “Jardín Japonés”, picnic areas, incredibles views of Santiago and a big statue of a Vrigin on top of the Hill. You can go there in a car, walking, on a bike, or in “funicular” (cabins that go up and down trough rails). The other funny activity that you can do is to raise on “teleférico” (cabins like eggs) that transport you form one place of the hill to other through the air (with cables)

5. Mahuida Park: This park is on “La Reina”, the East of

Santiago. Like San Cristóbal Hill, you can go there and do

many things because is too big. But the funny activities you

can do are: Paintball (a “war game” with paint balls guns),

or fly on helicopter (only if you have enough money, haha).

Also you can go to the hint of sled or do Bungy.

If you didn’t like my options, well… search for other touristic guide, haha!

I have two favourite television series: Lost and The Big Bang Theory, but this time, I'm gonna talk about the funniest one.

The main characters are five:

Leonard Hofstadter is a experimental physicist, who recieved a Ph.D when he was 24 years old. He has an IQ of 173, and he lives with his friend Sheldon in a apartment. When Penny, their new neighbour arrives, he falls in love with her.

Sheldon Cooper shares a apartment with his friend and colleague, Leonard. Sheldon is a theorical physicist, with and IQ of 187, and because of this, he was a "prodigy child",and has a master degree and two Ph.D. He suffer of faults of personality: he doesn't understand sarcasm and he hasn't sense of humor. This character with his particular personality, is one of the most important factors in the sucess of this comedy serie. (By the way, because of this acting role, Jim Parsons was nominated to an Emmy Award for "Best Actor in a Comedy Serie")

Howard Wolowitz is a Master in Engeneer, is judish and lives with his mom. He loves women, but he doesn't know how to treat them well. He is a kind of "pervert", because he tries to impress a woman with his strange skills of seduction.. so he never gets a girl.

Rajesh Koothrappali is from New Deli, India, and he has a Ph.D in Astrophysicist. He's normal, except for the fact that he can't talk to women. The solution for his problem is to drink a lot and get drunk, this way he can approach to a girl and talk to her.

Penny is the neighbour of Sheldon and Leonard (who loves her). She is a girl from Omaha, Nebraska, who wants to be an actress, but she only works like a waitress on a restaurant, "The cheescake factory". She is pretty, blond and a little bit silly, but with the pass of time, she will learn a lot of her new nerds-friends.

I think this is a really good serie, because despite its use of so much scientific terminology, the script is so original and funny. TBBT has a good production, though it hasn't special effects because it is a serie of daily life. The clothes are very special, every character has their own style, even in some chapters the clothes are nerd costumes like Flash, Thor and The Doppler effect, the last one is the most weird costume ever.

Memorable scenes with phrases like “I’m the sword master”, “Tonight I spice my meal with goblin blood”, “Who’s Radiohead” and “All I need is a healthy ovum and I can grow my own Leonard Nimoy!” make this serie a topic to talk and laugh about all day long!

If you're sad at this moment, I definitely recommend to you, right now, to watch TBBT... it will make you laugh like a child in a few seconds!

I've been thinking about to what country I would like to go… and I have some options. The first one is Spain, why? Because there I wouldn’t have to speak english or another language, hahaha. I’m sorry, but it’s still being dificult to me.

Anyway, Spain is a country with a rich culture (Architecture, music concerts, history, etc.), so I guess It’s not a boring place… I would enjoy it too much! Also, Spain it’s connected with the other countries of Europe, so it wouldn’t be a problem going to Portugal or France, for example.

Another option is going to England, because I want to be a "punctual person ", and always arrive on time, hahaha. I like England, it has a very good quality of life (maybe expensive, but a good one), so I want to live there. Also, I like soccer, and England (and Spain too!) has really good teams and stadiums, where violence doesn’t exist, and people can go to soccer matches and have a very good time.

Italy is another country that I like. Yes, I have to admit: I love italian food!, so if I live there… I will become a fat girl, hahaha. But food it’s not the only motive, because like Spain, Italy is a country with many interesting places to visit and to take pictures of them, like the Coliseum, the Tower of Pisa, etc… Oh!, in Italy also exists good soccer, hahaha!

The last option that I have is New Zeland, but I don’t know too much about it. The only thing I know is a country with a beatiful places and landscapes.

If someday I visit any of those countries, I would like to study and work there, because I think studing is very important to be a professional. If I have luck, I would like to work in something relationed with journalism or culture, and travel for all the country, making interviews and writing about the traditions and people of the country.

And if I have more luck, I would like to work in a spectacles media, and go to music concerts, and write about it!

I don’t really know about famous photographers, that’s why I chose this photo. It's very personal, and I love it…

This picture was taken by my father, about twenty years ago, and the woman in the picture is my mom :). I like this photo very very much, because is spontaneus and my mom looks so beautiful and delicate like she really is.

My daddy loves taking pictures, and that’s why my house it's full of beautiful photos. When I asked him about this one in particular, he told me: “I love this photo. I took IT in black and white to contrast the shadows and light and highlight your mommy"

He was right!

Hello, happy people!

After a big effort learning how to use this blog, and write in english (i’m such a loser doing it), I’m here to tell you a little more about me.

Like any introduction, I’ll say that my name is Karina Mondaca, and I’m 19 years old. I live in Puente Alto with my parents and my sister, and I love them very very very much (and don’t forget my boyfriend, I love him very very very very much too).

However, there are many other things that I love, like sleeping and eating LOL. Seariusly speaking, I love being Scout guide to educate girls and youth, also listening to music and going to music concerts because I like to feel all the people screaming and the emotion in that. Maybe, that’s why I decide to study journalism: to get acreditation or free pass to every possible concert hahaha.

About english, I can tell you that I like it so much, but it’s so difficult to me :(. I always wanted to study it at an institute or something like that, but the problem is that they are so expensive. That’s why I decide to take this class. I’m sure that studying other languajes will help me to get into other fields that I like too. For example, travel around the world and talk to people there and to know their culture.

… and that’s all for now, ‘till next class if I learn to use this sh*t… I mean, blog.

Kisses,

Kari.