Fiestas Patrias

Hi Blogheads,

Today I’d like you to write about what you did over Fiestas Patrias. I must admit, I had a quiet time. For me, the most interesting thing out this time of the year is the fact that I get time off work. I’m not a big fan of Fondas so I rarely go, however, this year my wife and her friend Coni talked me into going to one close to my home which was raising money for a Cat Refuge. Actually, as a Fonda it was quite poor. There was some Chilean music playing and Chilean decorations but no Cuecas or people in National costume. They solo wine, chichi, empanadas and anti-cuchos but apart from that it could have been any day of the week, If I think about it, I think the only good Fonda I went to was in Algarrobo in about 2005. One of the reasons I don’t enjoy Fondas is because I don’t eat meat and the other is because, in my experience, in Santiago they tend to be over-priced and over-crowded. Ideally, I would travel out of the city at this time of the year but there are lots of traffic jams and too many drink-drivers. I think the best thing I did was catch up on my sleep and see a few friends so my Fiestas Patrias was more about relaxation than excitement. What about you¿ What did you do?

Write about your Fiestas Patrias.

Say:

What you did

Where you went,

Who you shared,

What typical activities you did (if any).

Mention anything else interesting or important. Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog & on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

Something You Did Last Weekend

Hi Bloggers,

Today I'd like you to write about something you did last weekend. I actually went to a rather crazy gathering to celebrate the birthday of a friend called Pancha. I went with my wife and there were about 15 or 16 other people, mainly Pancha's friends and a couple of cousins, Pancha is a guitarist so she'd organised a mini-concert involving some of the guests. There was a full line up of instruments (drums, guitars, bass, vocals) and so we gave an impromptu concert. We jammed away for about an hour doing versions of songs by The Velvet Underground, Nancy Sinatra and Bob Marley. There were two drummers who took turns. I played guitar and bass, It was lots of fun. I hadn't played amplified music with other people like that for 2 or 3 years so it was nice. The other musicians were really good players and we enjoyed ourselves swapping instruments and styles. Later, one of the guests (an actress) did a sort of mini-comedy set with her taking the role of another character. It was quite bizarre at times but also funny. I hadn't been out socially for at least a couple of months so it was nice to meet some new people and share an entertaining evening.

Write about something you did last weekend.

Say:

What it was,

Where it was,

Who you were with,

Why you did it.

Mention anything else you think is important. Write 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

A Concert or an Exhibition

Hi Blogsters,

So, with the strike officially over, I thought you could catch up on your blog writing. Please try to complete this post BEFORE our next class.

The concert I'm going to write about is when I saw Nina Simone. I first hear Nina in the late 70's. If I remember rightly, my younger brother played me a track called "My Baby Just Cares For Me" and it was love at first listen. A couple of years later, I borrowed a compilation tape from a library (Walworth Road, SE1) called Nina Simone and was hooked on the first listen and I became a big fan. She had an amazing vocal range that was full of passion and emotion, as well as being a classically trained pianist who played jazz and reggae and folk and blues.
The first time I had a ticket to see her the show was cancelled. Nina was booked to play a Jazz club in London every night for 2 weeks I had a ticket for the last night but she became ill and had to cancel. Luckily, 2 or 3 years later in 1988 Nina played the Dominion Theatre in London, and I was there. I went with my then girlfriend and 2 other people and we had great seats in the 3rd or 4th row. There was a very special atmosphere, I think many people realised that not only were we in the presence of a really talented musician but also a true "artiste". She had lost a little of her edge over the years but she still had a spark. I thing the songs I enjoyed the most were "Young, Gifted & Black" and "I want a little sugar in my bowl."
Nina is considered a musical legend who explored different styles and sounds to create amazingly truthful music and I was lucky to have the honour to see her live.

Write about a concert or exhibition you enjoyed.
Say:
Who or what it was,
What you knew about the event before you went,
Where you saw it,
Who you went with,
Why you enjoyed.

Mention anything else you think is important or interesting.
Write at least 250 words. Leave a post on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

Here are a couple of my favourite Nina songs:

Free Post

Dear Fausters,

This week you have a free post. I'm going to write about a book I read recently called "The Book of Strange New Things" by Dutch author Michel Faber. It's described as Science Fiction but only because it's set in the future on an alien-inhabited planet. The story itself is about a Pastor who goes to the planet to spread the word of God. That may not sound that appealing or interesting, however, it's one of the most enjoyable books I've read recently and I tend to read a lot (20 - 30 novels a year).
My brother Colin recommended the book and I found it so entertaining that I finished it in less than a week. The story moves forward in 2 main ways, via the protagonists exchange of letters with his wife back on earth, and the time the Pastor spends with the peace-loving, blob-like aliens. The novel is serious but humourous. Many of the topics under discussion are quite deep but approached in a way that makes them accessible and less complex. The book is about love and faith. Faber wrote it whilst his wife was dying so that obviously affected his state of mind. However, it's not a sad or depressing novel. In fact, the best way I could describe it would be "heartwarming".

Write 200 words on a topic of your choice. Leave a comment on my blog & on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

Something Artistic You Like Doing

Good Morning FAU Bloggers!

Today I'll like you to write about something artistic you do. This could be anything: playing a music instrument, skateboarding, cooking, playing football, drawing Manga characters, making clothes, cutting hair, the list is endless. There is art in everything.

In my case, I think my most artistic expression is through music, and I often like to supplement it with altered images, especially time-lapse videos. I've been making music of one form or another since I was 13 or 14 when I started to play guitar. As soon as I could play 2 chords I wrote my first song. If I remember rightly it was just C and Em7 all the way through.

Nowadays I generally experiment with music. I like to cross genres and styles and I tend to work with a sampler and a keyboard most of the time. I occasionally add vocals or guitar (or both) to a song but not very often. I started messing about with video in about 2011 when I bought a macbook and had access to I-Movie. An ex-student of mine started running an experimental film class and I went along. I had a Flip video camera that was really mobile and user friendly. I started making wacky videos to go with some of my musical experiments. I guess quiet a few of them may seem extremely weird. For example, I have one almost 9-minute epic with an accompanying video of my cat's eyes) (Kat R.I.P). However, there are a couple I really like. For example, I recently created a video for a song I did with the band I played in as a teenager. I used some old live footage of the band and added some bits of "found footage." I thought the result was really good. In other videos I just play around with exposure & colour to get weird effects that complement the sounds. I doubt any of what I do will change the world but I get a kick out of doing it which is the main thing;)

This is the first video I did. The song is a sample of my sister-in-law plus a few other samples and some extra keyboards.

Plus something more recent:)

Write about something artistic you like to do.

Say:

What it is,

How long you've been doing it,

What it involves.

Why you enjoy it.

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

A Family Photograph

Hi FAU Bloggers;

Today I'd like you to write about a family photography that you like. The photo I've chosen must have been taken in about in about 1971 or 1972, or possibly a bit later. I think it's one of the few family photos that includes all eleven of us (my parents plus 8 siblings). It was taken in out living room. The photographer was in front of the window, most probably because of the light. However, I don't know exactly what he was doing that stopped half of us from looking at the camera. My mum, sister Clare (top row, left-hand side),  brother's Adrian (with a crazy grin) and baby brother Gerald (sitting on the floor) are looking at the camera. The rest of us are looking to the right of the cameraman except little sister Lizzie (Elizabeth) who is obviously in a world of her own (and still is!!!). She is staring off into the distance.

I love this photo because it's exactly how I like to remember my brothers and sisters. I love the (now retro) fashion. My two eldest sisters (Terry & Clare) have a definite hippy look while Moria (sitting in the middle) has a "Skinhead" influenced look. I also like how brothers Adrian & Colin are wearing the same shirt, and the twins (Francis & Elizabeth) are wearing smocks made by my mother. I don't think it's a very good photo of me but I love having such a great family and that's what I remember when I see this photo.

At the moment, I don't have a copy of the original, this is a photo of the photo:)

Write about a family photo you like.

Say:

When it was taken.

Where it was taken,

Who appears in the photo,

Why you like the photo.

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on your teacher's blog and the blogs of at least 3 classmates.