Naranja Lázaro

2010: The year of absoultly stupid journalism (and stupid people that believe all of that).

2010-11-17T14:41:00.005-05:00

It began with and earthquake next was the Football world cup, and after that the miners trapped underground. On the other side; Piñera was elected (that was a real bummer), and there where real conflicts with the Mapuches. Last September 18^th was the 200 anniversary of Chilean Independence, so we are living on the so celebrated, annunciated, and proclamated bicentennial year, and this was the year where I’ve seen more stupidity and sensationalism. That makes me wonder what bring us to make this year so absolutely ridiculous.

It was an end-of-the-summer night and I was thinking of going back to Santiago and to my classes at the university. Suddenly the ground began to shake, and in a few seconds that became into a really strong earthquake. I didn’t have phone and electricity for four long days, so I was not aware about anything that was happening with my friends and in the country in general. The only things I knew were that there was no bread in the whole city (Rancagua), and a bottle of water coasted 5 hundred pesos. After that I finally got electricity and when I tuned on the TV… I shocked. I couldn’t’ believe how the news were showing the country, but not because of the damages, I talking about two things: The strong nationalism promoted, and the sensationalism that only helped to create collective panic. I strongly believe that all that panic was created by the media, not because of the violence, because that violence was a product of the same chaos and terror found by journalism.

After the earthquake, Chile was going to play at the Football World Cup and, mainly because of that nationalism created by the media; Chilean people began to act stupid again! Everyone buoying EVERYTHING with a Chilean flag on (I’m sure that if there were Chilean flag toilets, people would buy them). I couldn’t believe even how people could think about making Bielsa a saint!

August, and the last thing that makes me think about the stupidity of Chilean people. Ok, I don’t have anything against the miners trapped. I’m glad that they’re out of there and alive, with their people and families, but come on! People celebrating that on Plaza Italia? Miners considered celebrities? Miners waving at an audience before hugging their wives? Miners ON THE TELETÓN? Piñera as the new national hero? (Iiiiuuukkkkk)

I don’t know… I simply believe that this year we showed to us and to the world how stupid we can be. And how blind, I mean, all this notes on the news, all this stories repeated over and over and over again. And real matters? Where they are? They are on at least 5 minutes on the news, not more. And I’m sure that the media is commanded by the government for their own good. I’m glad that I’m not like the people that believe everything that journalism shows us on TV, I’m glad that I can think critically about the national situation, even if I’m not have very much knowledge. I only hope that more people would see that.

My words are empty!

2010-11-10T20:40:00.004-05:00

It’s always hard for me to write about anything! And now, we have to write about writing and words, and I find it harder.

After I learned to read no one could stop me from reading! Uff… I remember reading every book I could find in my house. I read The Chronicles of Narnia when I was six, and my mother didn’t believe me until I told her all about the story. Maybe is not amazing, but in that time I felt so proud of it. Then, when I was ten, I read The Lord of the Rings and I felt stunned. Everything in that book was marvelous, and when I was reading it I could felt the smells, the sensations, everything.

So I read a lot until I was around twelve, and then… I became a lazy and boring teenager. I only read the book for school in that time, and I began to write a bit, but since I was not reading any books that inspired me, I stopped writing as well. After that I enter to the university, and not even here I read something. I absolutely hate reading articles, technical things, papers, studies and all that kind of shit.

But I’m not going to lie… I have read fictional things; I have read a few books that I’d really like and the last five months I have fell in love with reading again (I still don’t like to read shit for my classes). And I think that it’s all because of a boy that I know, that have lend me some books that he thought that I would like, and after reading them I must say that he was right. He lent me some Raymond Carver novels (that are novels composed of short stories) and were really good; simply and true as life. All Carver’s stories are about normal but sad things such as alcoholism, broken hearts, couples at the end of their love and lonely people.

I thik this type of books are the ones that I like the most, because are short stories that I can read when I take the bus to go to the university, or in boring classes, or in my bed when I don’t want to study or I can’t sleep. And those simple stories are the best ones, because are like life itself (or my life maybe), where there’s not a lot of things happening.

The following video is a song from a movie that I really really love (I mentioned it in a past entry, it’s called Chungking Express), my favorite I think, and has nothing to do with books… but I was listening it while I was writing.

It's getting greener

2010-11-03T17:05:00.003-05:00

I think that in this day, being green is a trending thing. I mean, whenever I turn on the TV I see Angelina Jolie being green, or any famous face of the entertainment industry. But this is an excellent way to turn catchy the being green thing, because many people consider those people as role models. For example, music bands that I really like are really into the green style of life, and are not really big and famous bands (I’m thinking in Grizzly Bear, for example).

Now, if I have to answer how green am I, I have to say that I’m green only when I remember that we have to be green if we want to stay in this planet. And I, as many other people, don’t usually remember that.

I think the way that people can learn about practices that are good and helping to the environment, is through environmental education. If people never encourage their children to be aware of the problems that are affecting our planet and our lives, the schools must do that. When I was in my last year of school, my school assume a role in this kind of environmental education, so, my generation didn’t received that, but all the younger generations were, and they’re going to grow up knowing about how to help the planet doing little and simple things.

I do a few things to help the environment in my day to day life. For example, when I go to the supermarket, I only use the plastic bags if I have to, and only those plastic bags that are biodegradable. Also I use to recycle throwing the trash in separated trashcans.

A useful thing that I usually do, is riding a bike when I go to the university. It’s fun, relaxing, and most important; good for my body. Using a bike I don’t have to spend money and also I don’t have to use a car that causes air pollution. I remember a time that me and my siblings use to recycle paper, making new paper sheets from old newspapers. I haven’t join eco-organizations because I thing that we can only help our planet with the right environmental education, not by giving money to those organizations.

Santiago is one of the most polluted capitals in Latin America, and I think that in the whole world. We can’t revert that, and if we do something about that, the changes are going to be visible in years, because the damage is too big. The thing is that there are not a lot of things that would help to defeat the pollution. The city is so big that we can’t encourage people to use bikes or the subway (because it doesn’t have the space). But we can recycle, and avoid using warming devices that causes damage to the air in winter. I think the biggest problem is the bad education about this issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puph1hejMQE (a Grizzly Bear music video that I like, and I think it has to do with all this in some point)

The 4.5 Tatami Ideologue

2010-10-25T15:39:00.003-05:00

I’d try to write about my favorite TV show as a child, but I couldn’t put into words what it meant to me back then. So, I decided to write about a TV show that I saw recently. I was thinking first to write about Lost (the only TV show that long that I’ve follow for such a long time), or House M.D, but finally I thought about the last TV show that I saw.

I’m not sure of called it a TV show, because I didn’t watch it on TV, and I don’t think it’s transmitted either, not in this country. It’s called The Tatami Galaxy, and is an adaptation for a Japanese novel called the same way. It’s directed by Masaaki Yuasa, the same director of one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen: Mind Game.

The story is very complex and I think I’m not gonna try to explain it. I’ve seen the show two times and still get confused sometimes. Basically is about a college student and the time he wasted in different student clubs with his friend Ozu, who always encourages him to do immoral or stupid things to get something. The protagonist is also in love with another college student named Akashi, that I particularly like because she is terribly afraid of Moths, and so am I.

Well, that is a really easy explanation of what happens on the show superficially, the true story is so much complicated, and what makes this TV show special is not only the great and complicated story, also are the different techniques used to make the animation.

It highly recommended, so if you can, watch it! I have all chapters that are only eleven, and its one season, so if I know you and I don’t dislike you, I can loan you the whole show.

Forever Nielsen

2010-10-25T11:37:00.001-05:00

The star of Naked Gun and Airplane! Just passed away last Sunday at the age of 84, in an hospital in Florida. He died of complications from pneumonia, surrounded by his wife and friends.
Nielsen is best known for his role in Naked Gun as Lieutenant Frank Drebin, and with his death he lefts behind a career of over 60 years.
He was born in Canada and served in the air force and had a job as a disc jockey before studyun acting in Toronto and New York. His first movie as an actor was The Vagabond King, aired in 1954, and later, for the first 30 years of acting, he build his reputarion playing authorities. In the 80s he was known for his famous roles in Airplane! and Naked Gun, his most famous movies.
In Airplane! Nielsen made famous his line "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley," winning fans among the younger generation. Then, the creators of Airplane! create Naked Gun, where Nielsen had the role of his life in a fun movie full of critisism and double sense. In the first one, Lieutenant Frank Drebin scrubbed the birthmark from Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev's head. There was a sequel (Naked Gun 2-1/2), and a thirth movie (Naked Gun 33-1/3), where Lieutenant Derbin try to avoid a bomb attac in the Academy Awards.
In 1996 Nielsen appeared in Spy Hard (like Die Hard) and in 1998 appeared in Wrgonfully Accused (parody of The Fugitive). One of his last movies were Scary Movie 3 and 4, where he played the role of the president of United States.
Nielsen also did serious movies, because like he said: "I didn't want to go ahead and be pegged for doing only comedy, although comedy is burgeoning,(...) I'd like to see how far I can stretch and keep on doing 'dumb and stupid' (comedy) and drama and if possible be accepted at both. There's a line with an audience you can't always cross over. Sometimes, they only want to see you being funny."
(I choose this article because I grew up watching Leslie Nielsen movies every weekend, and I’m really sorry for his lost)

Wellcome to Chungking Express

2010-10-18T11:32:00.004-05:00

So, something about movies… I’m studing filmaking so it should be easy for me to write about them, but it’s not easy at all. There are so many movies, directors, styles, that it’s impossible to write about movies in general. I like a lot of diffrent movies, so I can’t say that I have an especial taste (and maybe I have no taste at all), every movie has something special that other movie can’t give you.

Well, I decided that I’m going to write about a director that I really like. His name is Wong Kar Wai and his movies are some of my favorites. My first aproach to his films was when I was in 1rst year of university and our teacher made us watch In the Mood for Love.

Was such a great movie! Really beautiful in all ways; the music was perfect, the camera was too, the performance were just the best. That day, I decided to know more about that director of such amazing movie.

That summer after 1rst year I watched his firsts movies, and one in particular catch my eye: Chungking Express.

I think I can say that Chungking Express is my favorite movie and there are a lot of reasons why. The story is very simple and all the technical elements give to the movie an especial thing. I like the dirty and moving camera, the dialogs, the music, everything. I started even think that Asian dudes were sexy (because Tony Leung is just perfect).

I think I’m not going to continue explaining why I love this movie, because you will have to watch it to understand me. Those who have watch it, I hope it had the same effect on you.

I like Wong Kar Wai bassicly because I think that if in some future I actually do films, I’m going to use his method: just improvisation without a clear script, and create the movie while I’m filming it. (This is because I’m too desorganizated, lazy, and I absolutly hate planning!)

Hellooooo Nurse!

2010-09-30T17:28:00.006-06:00

Wow, I think I have a very very poor television culture... And all because of my parents that never let me watch television for several hours. I remember me watching Samurai X and my mother turning off the television because of violent content hahaha, which sucked because that was one of my favorite cartoons.

My real favorite one I think was Animaniacs, I watched it when I was around 7 years old, and it was awesome just because it has no sense! All was insane and that didn’t matter because all I was doing while I was watching that cartoon, was laughing.

The cool thing about it was that it was not only about the three Warner Brothers Jacko, Wacko and Dot, because there were other cartoons in the same program (like Pinky and Brain), and all cartoons were ironic and funny. I probably didn't understand the irony of the show when I was seven, but when I grew up I found it funnier ‘cause I understood all that Animaniacs was about.

I think the show was brilliant. A few years ago I download all episodes and I still think it’s great! One of the thinks that I love the most is that you don’t know and never gonna know what the heck are those creatures called animaniacs, the Warner brothers.They just ''are'' and I love them.

An Italiano, please.

2010-09-07T20:35:00.005-06:00

I'm from Rancagua, so I don't know interesting places here in Santiago, but I don't know fun places in Rancagua either (because it's probably the most boring city of the country). The only thing left to write is the little and few things that I like to do in Santiago, where I spend most of my time.

I like to walk while I’m listening music that I like, so in Santiago you can always walk with your headphones on. Personally, I like to walk around the center of the city, I like the crowded streets and the movement of it, but just in that area of Santiago cause for example, I absolutely hate Providencia, it’s cleaner, but it’s boring and I don’t like people there.

If you get hungry, you can go to any of the little places that are specialized in Italian Hot Dogs, my favorite fast-food. My favorite place is Come y Calla, on Marcoleta street, where the most little of the Hot Dogs has a 22 cm. bread (and the price is the same of a normal size one).

Well, and that’s all that I do in Santiago when I’m not at the University. You can also do the same things without headphones, with a hand on your hand having a conversation, or just nice silence.

Icelandic

2010-08-31T22:48:00.001-06:00

bjartar vonir rætast
er við göngum bæinn
brosum og hlæjum glaðir
vinátta og þreyta mætast
höldum upp á daginn
og fögnum tveggja ára bið
fjarlægur draumur fæðist

I don’t know what the heck that means, but it sounds beautiful. And the sounds, the impossible to understand lyrics, and the beauty of a cold place it’s what it makes me to wanna go to Iceland so bad.

Some people say that Iceland is one of the countries that gives the best bands to music industry, but I don’t think so. I only like one Bjork album, I don’t like mún very much, and Emiliana Torrini doesn’t make me interested.

Near five years ago, my brother asked me to please listen to this band that he had discovered. They were called Sigur Rós, and their music sounded so clear and sort of cold and sad. Then I discovered that they were from that little country near the pole called Iceland, so I thought that clearly their music resembled all that Iceland was, even if I couldn’t and still can’t understand none of the lyrics (and that’s the beauty of it).

A few years later, I saw a documentary about Sigur Rós playing in different little places of Iceland, and it was so beautiful, and the music and the landscapes were perfectly matched. I thought “I just wanna live there”.

I don’t know if I would do something useful in Iceland. If I’m able to go there sometime in my life, I’m probably going to spend most of my time quietly enjoying the cold air and the beautiful places. I would go to Iceland to do nothing, to have endless vacations, to forget of all that it makes me idiot, and to be alone (yeah, maybe I’m sort of a loner).

My first term of 2010

2010-08-23T17:16:00.007-06:00

It’s hard to talk about last term because I probably have the worst memory of all my classmates.
My year began with strange situations, like on New Years eve’, when I ended up in emergency room because of a food poisoning. That was the first important thing that I learned this year, not to mix sushi with wantanes. And then summer was boring the most of the time.
I started the first term of my third year in college and as I was sure that it was going to be, I felt very disappointed by most of the classes and subjects. I assume that I’m just boring of all that includes studying.
One of the fun stuff that happened was that me and the girls of my class decided to join the female baby football cup. I fell a lot of times but I felt happy to do some exercise, because I hate to move more than necessary, and playing football I was having fun.

Mmm... I'm trying to remember what else happened last term. ¡Ah! I remember. We had to do a short film to the most important subject of the term, and I did direct sound and sound editing. The final work was far from being good, and I didn’t do a very good job, but I realized that I like to do the sound of the films, so I felt that I was going somewhere in my career.