Talking about someone's blog

Today's assignments is to criticize someone's blog. I don't why but I better just do it. Ok, so I chose Camila Viteri's blog. Shocked? I don't think so. When I chose it I had the impression that I wouldn't be the only one to choose it. Now I'll explain why.

Camila's blog is called "Laaaou" and is the only one that has a design. I think it is quite artistic and creative of her because she made her blog "cute" and herself. Now, it's not just an English assignment but her own blog, representative of her personality. I don't know why she named the blog the way she did but it's also a creative way to do it. I'm comparing it to my own blog that's called "this is for the english class"; ok, not a display of creativity, I know!

If I hadn't had to do this assignment maybe I wouldn't have read all Camila's posts. Now I did I actually liked them. You can tell when reading the posts that she knows her English very well. Moreover, she writes in a relaxed way. Even if I like her writing because it's friendly, I'm always hoping for, I don't know, a joke maybe. I don't know Camila's personality, but since her blog's so personal and creative I would hope to read posts more like everyday talk; not trying to sound good for the teacher but to show her real English because I can see it's good.

So I read the posts. I felt that we have similar taste because of the piece of art she chose or the website she always visits. Actually, that one is my favourite post, the one about our favourite website. I haven't seen the website she chose yet but I surely will. By the sound of it I think I will like it because I'm always browsing for new stuff to make my life easier or just losing time in front of the computer. Whatever, the thing is that it's a kind of website I would enjoy.

So, balance. I'm looking for balance in this critique. Is there anything I didn't like? Is there something that could be improved? Well, not really. I like a lot her favourite website because I felt related to her situation of browsing to find a solution to something. I liked the post about Stonehenge because I really like archaeology too. I liked the Rodin she chose because it reminds me to my favourite sculpture: psyché ranimée par le baiser de l'amour.
Iwould say that the colours are not my favourites. I don't like grey and I really don't like yellow, but that's just me!

In conclusion, I like very much Camila's blog. I feel we have many things in common, and I admire the fact she has a beautiful design. However I do think her posts should be more representative of the way she is and talks to people.

I'm loving it

What a nice change to talk about art! I'm no expert on the matter, but I really like it. In fact, I feel very interested to study for example art's history. But let's get straight to the point. I chose an artist I like very much: Wassily Kandinsky and the painting I chose is called "Yellow, red, blue" (1925). Kandinsky was born in Russia and he's one of the first creators of pure abstraction in modern painting. Music had a big influence on his work. I first heard about his work on an art's history class in 2006, here at the University, when I was in Bachillerato. Then, last August, when I visited Paris I was in a store inside de Pompidou Centre looking for a poster to take home, and I saw this painting and loved it. I got so obssesed with his art that later I bought a book that compiled all his work.

I like Kandinsky because, to begin with, I like abstract art. I don't really like realism or naturalism for example. I like to see a painting and to try to find a meaning, to look for a shape. I like that it's like a dream, that it's not obvious. I guess I feel like getting into the mind of the creator. I specially like this painting because of the colors and the meaning of the situation when I first saw it. When I first arrived to Paris I thought that the one thing I wanted to buy for myself was a poster of a Kandinsky painting to hang on my wall. When I went to the Pompidou Centre my last day in France (hopeless that I wouldn't find what I wanted) and saw this painting, everything changed! I left that store with a huge smile on my face.

That's it. I hope you like it too! =)

A random article I found

I found on the website of The Guardian an article (actually, it's more like a piece of news) called "University to investigate drinking initiation ceremonies" about initiation ceremonies in Gloucestershire University. This article was written by Anthea Lipsett, and she explains that a secretly-filmed video was sent to the BBC showing some students with plastic bags over their heads vomiting because of drinking alcohol. Moreover, the guy leading the action was dressed like a Nazi. According to the author, these ceremonies are held by students from sports clubs, and they make the new students drink, obey orders and go through different initiation tests. University authorities declared themselves against those kinds of activities saying they are dangerous and violent. They claimed that the university "takes bullying and intimidation very seriously". Student spokesmen also said they were against it, and that those practices didn't tarnish the image of the university; those who intimidate and do weird rites are a minority. The majority take their studies very seriously and that's the external image of Gloucestershire University.

I think this article is interesting because there are initiation rites, on the first year of university for example, in many countries. It's a way of getting yourself in and being accepted. To me this article is worth reading because I think those kind of activities are unnecessary, cruel, humiliating and should not be done. I think it's good that not only the University's authorities declare themselves against it but also the students themselves. You may have an initiation ceremony where you can have fun and meet new people, but not drinking until you faint or doing nasty things.
The whole initation matter is very interesting because you always want to be accepted and sometimes you go too far.

If you want to check it out go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/02/students.highereducation