English Challenges

Hello there, Dear Reader~

This will be the last post in this blog. I must admit that I actually enjoyed posting in this blog... well, most of the time.

This was not my first time making a blog nor will be the last time, I hope, but I think I will be away from blogging, for a long time, so I can focus on improving my drawing skills and my roleplaying skills.

As I said before, it was a lot of fun, writing about interesting topics... also, writing in English helped me to widen my vocabulary, as well to understand better the words I already new (like, in which context we use x word and in which one is better to us y word).

Obviusly, I still need to improve my English... but I think that we never stop improving the languages we learned, so it's okay. Although, I think I did improved a little with spoken English... not as much as I expected, but  half a loaf is better than none.

I guess the only way to improve my spoken English is, literally, speaking in English with a native speaker or at least, someone who speaks it better than me. Oh, and I will, obviously, keep listening to music in English, and watching movies and tv series, as I have always did, because that's a good way of understanding the pronunciation of words from a foreign language.

As I said, I am always using English outside the English class. Where and what for? will you ask, well, I use it while I listen to music or when I sing something in said language (mostly when it's symphonic metal or power metal music), I use English when I watch some movies or tv shows... I even think in english, sometimes. Sometimes, I do speak in english, when I am talking to myself, because I am the only one in my house who have learned the language, so, when I talk to myself, nobody else understand what I say.

I think that talking to myself has helped me a lot with pronunciation, though.

Aaaaaaaaand, that's all for now, for this year...

I would like to thank you, from the deepest of my heart, for reading my (awful) posts. 

Good bye, my dear reader ;)

Changes to my Study Programme

Hello there, dear reader.

Today I will tell you about, well, what the title says... what I would like to change about my actual study programme.

First of all, let me clarify something: I am not really motivated to write about this, mostly because I consider it a boring subjetc to talk about, though it has been a hot topic lately in my career... so I beg your pardon, if I bore you to death.

Well, where were we? ah, right, the changes I would like to do in my study programme... 

I feel like my study programme is kind of fine the way it is, I do not think it needs to be dramatically changed, not at least its compulsory subjects... Perhaps, I change in the elective courses would be necessary.

Let me explain myself: in this four years, I have seen that the offering of electives in some areas of psychology are huge, being more than four or five (if not more than that) different courses for the same approach (like psychoanalysis, where they offer a lot of courses per semester) while in other approaches, there are not more that one or two courses (in humanist psychology, there is one elective course per semester).

 Well, I think that that must change, because I think that is just not fair, for the people who do not want to specialize in the favoured psychological approaches, like psychoanalysis and systemic approach. 

I would like to be able to actually choose electives courses in the area of psychology that I am interested in, and not being forced to choose courses from any area just to have enough credits to graduate from my career. It is just ridiculous that I will be learning techniques and stuff from areas that I do not like or I do hate, and at the same time, I would have not learned a single thing about the are in which I will be working in the future... 

Some people have told me about this that I can "learn on my own" about humanist psychology, but I think that is just plain stupid... if I am wasting five or six years going to an university and paying for it, then I would expect to actually learn something useful there... I can perfectly "learn on my own" about humanist psychology without going to an university, but since I am paying to learn about that subject in an university, I expect to actually do so.

Long story short, I would like to make the offering of elective courses to be more varied, and with a more balanced number of courses per area.

And, that's it, see you next week~

My favourite TV show

Hello there, dear reader!

I don't think I have just one favourite tv show, but there is one foreign tv show that I'm sure is one of the best tv shows I have ever watch: Hellsing Ultimate. 

This tv show is a japanese animation tv serie, based on a manga (japanese comic), with episodes of almost one hour long, made in high quality.

Hellsing is named and centered around the Royal Order of Protestant Knights, whose founder and original leader was Abraham Van Helsing. The mission of this organization is to fight against the undead and any other monster, to protect England and the Queen.

 Hellsing is now lead by Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing (who is, by the way, a character from Stoker's Dracula). 

The main characters are Sir Integra Fairbrook, Walter C. Dornez (Integra's butler), Alucard (the original vampire, Vlad The Impaler) and Seras Victoria (Alucard's vampire neophyte). 

I love this anime because it has a good... no, a great plot, complex characters with elaborated backgrounds, good animation, tons of action scenes, a lot of blood (some people label this show as gore) and black comedy. Oh, and nice voice actors (I personally love Alucard's voice actor).

My favourite episode from this show must be the next-to-last episode, which is named "Hellsing IX" (because is the nineth episode, I guess). In that espisode, we can see Alucard's past as Vlad Tepes and how he lived and died (which is my favourite part from that episode, because it's based in the real  Vlad Tepes); also, in this espisode takes place one of my favourite fights from the show.

I really recommend you to watch this japanese tv show, if you can stand tons of blood and black comedy :)

See you next time!

Postgraduate Studies

Hello there, dear reader

Today I will tell you about the degree course I will take after graduate from psychology.

I, after doing some research about the topic, just decided to take the Existential Humanist Psychotherapy degree, here, on Universidad de Chile. 

I choose this especifici course because of the conception this line has about the human being, also, I like that this line of psychotherapy does not see the patients as "sick", so a humanist psychoterapist does not try to "cure" their clients. Instead, they kind of try to help them to reach a balance, and a state of well-being (and, of course, those therapists also deal with the problem itself that bring the client to therapy).

I have always thought about take a PhD, and it will, of course, be related to my job, but I do not know which one I will like to take or where I would like to take it, I guess I will found out in a couple of years  or more...

I know I will need a lot of money to afford the PhD cost, so I don't think I will take it anytime soon.

I will have to save money from my (future) job if I really want to do a PhD... 

I guess I will do a PhD here in Chile, because I can't afford anything outside the country. Maybe if I get a scholarship I could take a course somewhere else, but I have not thought in a especific country to go nor about which PhD I will take to take...

By now, I guess, I will be more than fine with just the Existential Humanist Psychotherapy degree.

And... that's it.

See you next week! ;)

My future job

Hello there, dear reader.

Tonight I will tell you about my future job. 

Since I am a student of psychology, you may think that I really want to work as a psychologist... well, not really. 

I, actually, want to be a writer and a poet. Since I can remember, I have loved to write fantasy stories... to create whole worlds, with its own legends, mythos, and cultures...

But that's just a dream and a hobby... 

I kind of gave up on all my dreams... and tried to be realist for once in my life, so I chose to study something that will give me some money to live, and not just bills and broken dreams...

I am thinking on working in clinical psychology, with adults, and that's all that I know about the matter. 

I would love to travel from time to time, to keep learning about clinical psychology, or to make some research, etcetera... but... well, I am not really motivated about this...

I just want to work as a psychologist, save enough money to buy a decent house... I just want to have a decent life... even if I have to give up in all my dreams.

I know my dreams won't came true...

But... maybe, just maybe, I would be able to write and publish my stories, maybe I could travel around the world, maybe I will be able to... well, you now, make my dreams come true.

And... that's it.

Sorry for the short post, but... I do not like to talk about this... it's... well, sad to tell you about my broken dreams and all.

See you next week.

My favourite Movie

Hello There.

Since I do not have a single favourite movie, I will tell you about a movie I fell in love with.

"Only Lovers Left Alive" tells the story of two vampire lovers, Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton), trying to survive trhough the modern times, and the misadventures they go through when Eve's little sister, Ava (Mia Wasikowska), decides to pay them a visit.

More than the story, I liked the characters and how they interact with eachother. I loved, speacially, Adam.

He is a 500 years old underground musician vampire, tall and pale, with raven black hair and expressive green eyes. He is romantic (in the old meaning of the word) and he is constantly suffering for the inminent decay of society, while Eva, a pale blonde 3000 years old vampire, is more optimistic about the fate of the world. Since she is quite older than her companion, she has a different perspective about the society and civilization, for she has seen the fall of numerous civilizations, and the rise of new ones where the olders where; it's like she sees history as a cycle.

They kind of represent (to me) the idea of the vampire as sensible, romantic (again, in the old meaning of the word) and self-controlled creatures. While Ava is, in the other hand, a little savage and have poor control (and desire to control) over her predatory instincts towards humans. 

Ava is presented not as a main villain, but as an antagonist, at least from Adam's perspective. I like the way they are in permanent conflict, with themselves and with everything around them.

I don't really have a "favourite" part from the movie... but there is one scene that speaks to me in an emotional level... and it's when [SPOILER] Adam helds a gun against himself, with a single bullet on it (one made from the only material that can kill a vampire, which a I think was some kind of wood).

He kept the gun and the bullet, and he carried it with him... he tried to use it to end his life... but was not brave enough to pull the trigger.

Well, that's it, by now.

See you next time-

Election day

 Hello there, dear reader.

Today I will tell you about the next presidential election and why I want to become a serial killer!

First of all, let me tell you about politicians, let me tell you how much I disrespect those disgusting beasts, those parasites.

They are human beings, but no persons, don't tell me otherwise, because I won't listen to you. They are (the most of them, at least) rich, they have a privileged status in our society and they use it against the people they are supposed to represent and take care for. They take our money and spend it anything but in what it is supposed to be used.

Do we need a shelter? NO! That damned politician needs a new car! despising that that so called person already have like fourty expensive cars, and a couple of yachts.

Do we need the money to help homeless people? Who cares?! The president wants the money for her stupid, pig like son!

THAT'S why I hate politician, they do not care about other, but for themselves, they just take out our money, they sell out our country piece by piece to other countries.

They legislate just for themselves, not for us... they make rules to have even more privileges, more benefits. They do not care for anything besides themselves and their parasite families.

Oh, and let's not forget about the ... electorals campaigns, the ones that are made at our expenses, because they use our very money, the people's money. Or they use someone else money, but not regular money, of course not, they use stolen money, the money which companies and stuff like that stole from us.

The damned electoral campaigns that only bring optical pollution to our streets, and end up turning into enviromental pollution.

Yes, I pretty much despise politicians and think that the only way to get rid of that garbage is... YES, killing them, exterminate them for good.

I do not care if this sounds radical to you, seriously, but I really wish I have enough "power" to kill them all. Obviuosly, not all of them, I would let alive the ones who actually do their job. They are a minority, I know, but they exist.

Those politicians who actually care for the people who voted for them AND for the people who did not vote for them.

The ones that are concerned about the enviromental crisis, the ones that are trying to save our decadent society... and not just save it, but improve it.

The ones that qualify to run for a public position.

People who really want a change for good, and who will fight for it to the last consequences. People who are not there for the money or the privileges, people who will turn said privileges down if that's what is needed.

People who will not live at our expenses, but people who will live on themselves, and make sure everyone else can do the same, that everybody will have a home, health, a job and something to eat. People who will make sure that no one is being oppressed, that everyone is safe...

Or at least, people who will fight against what is wrong.

I know that they exist, but I do not think that they will ever get to be in an important public position, because the piggy politicians will take them down, kill them, or whatever, but they will get them down.

Did I ever thought about run for a public position, did I thought about becoming a politician?

NO WAY.

I do not want to turn myself into those devilish fuc... "persons", for I know what I could do with a great power.

I am not the hero we need, maybe the one we deserve, but no, I won't even try to become one.

I am selfish, I do not care that much for people, nor that less.

I know we need some hero like politicians, but I do not fit into that. And I now I am not shitty enough to become a piggy politician, neither.

But if I could, I would like to make every corrupt politician pay, with their money, their time, and, at last, with their life. Oh yes, If I could, I would make them cry and bleed.

Oh, I almost forget to tell you about the next presidential elections. I am most certain that I will vote, but it seems I will vote null, or something like that. It depends on who is running for it.

So, thats all!

See you next time, and let's hope every corrupt politician suffers and dies before the next presidential elections!!!

Bye~

The best concert I've ever seen

It was November 20th, 2011.

The only thing I can remember before hearing them in the escenary, was that I spent more than 3 hours in the waiting line. 

...And that I was with a friend of mine.

Have you ever heard about Versailles Phillarmonic Quintet? They were a japanese metal symphonic band, one of my favourite bands ever. I have loved them since I heard them the first time.

So. It was october and this friend, Myla, told me about the Holy Grail Tour, the newest tour of this band, and ask me to go with her, just the two of us, together, listening and seeing these amazing guys on stage. The answer was an absolute YES.

We saved money, we buyed the tickets... and then we waited... like a month.

I was ansious and nervous and so excited to be there, with Myla (she has been one of my biggest love intereset since I can remember)... to see them... to sing along with them.

So, the day the concert took place, I was so excited that I could not even think in anything else beside the band and this girl. 

We had to wait like 3 or 4 hours straight, I did not care about that, I was ecstatic.

We talked a lot, we laughed, we waited.

And then...

Then we entered. 

The concert took place in a night club (in Santiago) called "Bloondie", and started around 8 or 9 pm. 

And it was abosolute perfection, from start to end. 

Even though the singer was sick (the poor guy catched a cold just in the middle of the tour), it was amazing.

I remember I almost reach the hand of one of the guitar players (the second guitar player, in fact) and since some stupid girls tried to take me down to the ground, he tried to take my hand, almost desesperately, as I fell back. I mean, I am not exaggerating, he saw I elude like two security guys and jump over a fence to get to him, just to touch his hand, just to see him from a short distance. So he tried to reach take my hand, I tried the same, we both failed and I fell. He smile at me and refused to shake hands with the girls who took me down.

What I liked the most? I could not choose.

The singer Kamijo did the best he could (he refused to delayed the concert, because he did not wanted to dissapoint us), the two guitars made some of the best guitar duos and solos I have ever heard.

I had the chance to get a little closer to my friend.

Everything was fantastic and I swear to all the gods I would go get the vip tickets in their next concert.

I think that it was just too perfect ... 

And it was, they broke up as a band like one year later more or less.

So, there it is, my favourite concert, the best one I have ever atend to... and the last from that band (at least in Chile).

And here you have, some songs from them

Enjoy

A country I would like to visit

Dear reader.

I have always wanted to travel around the world... but there is one country in specific I have always wanted to visit.

But, first of all, I would like to tell you why I want to go there and what I would like to do there. 

Since I was a child I have had dreams about the old times and far away countries, I had dreamt not just about the image that massive media give us about the country, but things I had no way to know without visiting it or studying about it. I just knew things.

I just had these memories.

These dreams.

In one of those dreams, I dreamt about me, talking with a beautiful blonde woman while we where resting under a tree. I knew her, she was my lover. And a dangerous person. The dream took place in the countryside. From where we were, we could see a manor. My manor (in the dream, at least).

Next dream, I was just wandering around in the inside of said manor, admiring the paints. Then I heard steps behind me, so I turned around.

And there she was, a beautiful blue eyed woman, with hair as black as the wing of a raven. When she smiled, my heart felt like it was about to explode. 

I have had a lot of dreams about those two women and about that particular manor. Also, I have had a lot of dreams about that dream self in particular... and that's why I want to go to England and  find the place where that manor is supposed to be and find out if the manor is real or just a product of my imagination. 

But that's not the only reason, no, I want to go there just because I have been always curious about how it is to be there, go there to see the countryside landscapes, go to a pub in London and drink a beer... stuff like that.

Just go there for the sake of it

Earlier I said I knew stuff about the country, right? well, that's not completely true, though. I knew things about how it was to live there, but like in the 19th century or so. I know little of how is it to live there now.

Oh, and I know that is a rainy country. So I really want to go there and find out how it is to live there, drink there, eat there, how is the people, all that stuff.

Sadly, I do not think I will go there anytime soon, because I have not enough money to go there, not even to pay for the plane tickets. 

But I still hope that one day, I will have money enough to go visit the place, and maybe, stay there a while. Not too much time, but enough to satisfied my curiosity for a while...

Well, I think that's it.

See you next time ;)

Welcome

Hello, dear reader, whoever you are. 

I will start introducing myself, so here we go. First of all, when I was born, I was asigned female, so my parents decided to give me a girl's name: Katherine Vanessa. Katherine is supposed to mean "purity" and Vanessa is supposed to mean "butterfly", so giving me that name, they expected to have a feminine and pure girl. Too bad I am no fragile butterfly, nor a pure soul... And I am not even a girl, I never was nor I will be one. I am a trans(gender) boy (not "man", because that word just makes me feel too old and overcharged with responsabilities), so I don't use the name "Katherine" as much as I can avoid using it. I prefer to go by "Kerel" and I prefer masculine pronouns (he, his, him). 

So, let's start again. 

 Hello dear reader, whoever you are. 

I am Kerel, I'm 21 years old and I am currently studying psychology. It's my fourth year in this career, but I still feel like it's the first year. It's been a while since the last time I was for- ... I had to write in english, so I'm afraid I will just mess up everything in this blog entry. I have been avoiding intermediate english for so long that I am actually starting to feel guilty about it, I mean, I had to take it in first year, but I just kicked it out to the next semester... and so on until this semester, and trust me, if I could choose, I won't be sitting here, writing this, because I am not precisely a fan of this language. 

Although, I am acquiring the taste for it. 

 I like to read webcomics in english (well, actually, I have no choice because nobody translate those comics without messing up the story), I like to listen to music in english and to see tv shows or movies in said language. It's not difficult to me to read or write in english, I think I am quite good at it, at least as good as I know I can be with a language I was forced to learn since I was a child, back in the school. My understanding of spoken english, in the other hand, is barely acceptable, mostly because I got used to listen it from tv shows where most people speak it clearly, which is quite different from colloquial spoken english... which sounds like noise to me. 

Also, I have some... I won't like to say problems... but yes, problems, speaking the language myself... I'm afraid I quite ruin the language every time I try to speak it, to me it sounds like I am just jabbering. 

I really hope I will improve my weakness in this language, because I have the feeling I will need to use it in the future... I really, really hope intermediate english will help me to not embarrass myself in front of a native speaker, I do not like to sound stupid while using a foreign language... I have enough embarrasing myself with spanish! 

 Well, this entry ends here. 

Until next time! 

bye bye-