Something you shouldn’t do with your life

is exactly what I am doing.

After having spent most of my Saturday off on the net searching for a new pair of headphones, I have found the ones. Now, this might sound as if I wasnt doing anything with my life, and it would really be true.

Revision time is a tough time when each one of us hides in our own bubble and spend our free time doing different things. I have refused to take my suitcase to where it belongs still and it is sitting right next to me trying to remind me of the times to come. Also, the post-its around my windows are telling me to do work as it is good for me. I have chosen to check Twitter, Facebook and any other site till the need to do work is as high as my feeling of guilt.

For the moment just wanted to share this with the outside world. I do hope you are still out there, as I can see everything just the same from my room, but you never know these days.

Doctor Faustus (teeny review)

Doctor Faustus, the character, conceptualizes a society trapped in between Christian values and the advances of Science (or the traditional Renaissance interest in knowledge). Marlowe, in an attempt to exemplify the “evils” of both, streched the two trends to their own limits. In one case we are presented the devil himself, and on the other case total obssession in regards to knowledge and advancement (the first step to get to a more modern Frankestein). What is most interesting, though, is the reason why an atheist would choose to call the devil and when confronting him he would still consider going a further. Seeing the devil did not overcome his haughtiness and his obssession regained power. The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is overall a race to maximize the potential of those two worlds with no winners but only losers.

A. Laguna

The Treasure of Sierra Madre

The Treasure of Sierra Madre is one of the films that would exemplify the ideals left for Americans to believe in , or hold onto, after the Great Depression. The three main characters in the film show an evolution that would fit in the “happy ending” frame so enjoyed at this time. Cody, Dobbs and Howard are, what could be called, a normal product created out of the depression; young men looking for a life, any life. If anything is surprising about them is not who gets the happy ending but what the happy endings consist of.

On the one hand there is the loved-by-all character of Cody. He is presented to us as a good-natured man and he is during most of the film pushed to the background by Dobbs. The only clear ambition of this character, expressed by himself, is to have a simple happy life with a wife and some land. Interestingly enough the same image appears in the film when he reads the letter of the dead gold-digger. In this instance the dead man seems to achieve the respect that was denied to him before by the other men, which can be seen as the reaction expected from the audience (both to the dead man’s life and, more importantly, to Cody’s future).

On the other hand Howard seems to be a more complex character. Since his intentions are constantly challenged by Dobbs, he remains an untrustworthy character for most of the film. He would represent the voice of knowledge and, with it, not only he leads the way but helps the overall action take off. The turning point of this character happens due to his Sharman-like powers when he makes the Mexican child come to life again. To his Mexicans observants he becomes a magical doctor, a hero to the community. His heroism takes him away from the main action, shaping his new future.

Howard’s decision to remain in the Mexican community can be seen as an easy way out. Mexico is not only exploitable in terms of land but its people are easily charmed by the magical ways of the Americans. And so, the mature man with broad knowledge of land and its particular ways can survive and enjoy Mexico; the young American, whose worries are fewer, belongs in the US. Cody is a less experienced young man, whose future is clearly defined and easy to achieve. The expectations that he sets are easily achievable and highly satisfying; thing that would be most popular for the audience in the aimed timeframe –and an idea that can be reexamined in tough times, like ours now-.

Golddigging is, as Howard explains at the hostel, an individual journey. If not in theory, since the need of a group is notorious initially, but overall personal greed would overcome any basic need or previous friendship. This on its own is a valid metaphore for the 30s crash where many lives were destroyed due to greed. The decitions taken after it are the answers to the desperation and confusion of the time. So, their end is highly symbolic since they both go back to, even if different, communities. They become the admirable members of them teaching directly a powerful lesson to the audience. Not only they keep being honest throughout the whole film avoiding Dobb’s intentions, but also set their expectations at an achievable level. The didactic strength of this end follows metaphorically the director’s goal of keeping the film realistic. And this effort pays off because Howard and Cody become heroes that could prevail over Dobb’s selfish goal.

This film shows the need to go back to a community where you can develop and grow. It is a call for communal unity for the wellbeing of all members of it. Lost fortunes make the most out of the ones that could still go on without them, and for the audience at this time that could mean several things: from losing a life-style in the 30s or not being able to provide for their families to the loss of thousands of people in the wars. The community is the place they could go back to looking for a settled life to proliferate. Even in the classic tragedies –like in the case of the woman that did not belong anywhere, Medea- a basic need grows inside of the wanderers in the border: to choose a side to grow old in and be the hero of.

A. Laguna

If anyone out there thinks love is easy, please contact me!

Aun y todo,  Feliz dia Internacional de la mujer!!

20 Things I Want to Do before I Die

I thought I should cheer myself up by thinking of all those things that for me are mindblowing. So, it’ll start easy by choosing 20 :

1. Go on a horse ride along some romantic park. Not literally on a horse ride but on a carriage. This has to be with a beloved one. I am specific about it.
2. Be able to play and sing a full song “beautifully” to a small crowd. I could sing and play with the guitar anything anyhow, but the point is that it has to sound nice
3. Find a job that I feel comfortable in, that can sustain me and that allows me to get some present or another on particular occasions.
4. Have a family of my own.
5. Get married. In my particular case this is a rather symbolic. Having had a disfunctional family and having felt a bit out of the picture all of my life, I have always dreamt about a day when I can splash out and be all about myself. Being an only child is not as fun as it seems if you dont have anyone to spoil you.
6. Revisit all of those feelings and get over them.
7. Live and work in another continent.
8. Make up my mind about the different religions in the world
9. Relearning French and learning a bit of Dutch.
10. Get a tattoo
11. Live next to the sea and never underestimate it!
12. Have a marvellous cat! and maybe a dog! I’ve been hoping to do this for years now!
13. Have a unique house, designed with my help and built with my supervision.
    
14. Live in a house with very high ceilings and big big windows! And have a super elegant room only for myself to chill.
15. Also, I’ve always dreamt of having a walk in wardrobe!
    
16. Have bilingual (at least) children.
17. Ride my bike to work.
18. I do never want to forget what it feels like to be young, and what it felt like to be on Erasmus.
19. I want to learn how to cook properly
20. I want to be happy
    

It feels good to think of the future

Revolutionary Road (spoilers)

There are many things I could say about it so… Firstly I shall say that it should be watched before, after or when you are having some type of treat. I would advice popcorn, for its proximity, taken the context…

Harsh film, good acting, nice setting and common, oh so common, theme. Usually saying common theme would make you think it deals with something seen too often and thinking of Leo and Kate’s very well known film it would be misleading to say so. “Choices in life”, a common theme in each of our heads. Frustrating oneself, getting up again, confronting the decision and do our best is, on average, what we do every single day. It is on average what people my age spend mind doing hour after hour.

It is to a certain degree funny how art is supposed to move us and make us react (and offers no solution, as there is none). Kate’s character definitely makes your head spin thinking, presumably, of your own issues and decisions in life as her fight continues. As the film keeps going you feel more and more empathetic towards her, but to no good end. Her death symbolizes to me the realisation of the continuous loop of emptiness and acceptance of it by most areas of society.

Even if we live in a time of crisis, the ideals set by a few still rule the majority. I am in no position to critize myself. I simply want to say out loud, though, that even if I feel constrained to be the Dicaprio of my life at this time, I wish some day I have the courage to be the Winslet I (as everyone else) have inside.

As I learned some time ago: “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken”

Should We Be Concerned?

Now, I have come to realize over the last few years that I am no longer part of the targeted audience I used to belong to. This has obviously made me feel, firstly a bit worried about feeling like this in my early 20s, and also concerned as to how to keep track of the new tendencies.

This whole thing started by me wondering how the older generations of my family felt about the most important communication device I own, my laptop (and therefore the Internet). My results were not shocking, the elder could not care any less.

A few months ago when I was teaching I wondered whether mixing my professional online life and my private online life was right…I still have no idea of what is the correct answer for this. I guess that teaching 15 years olds could be the clue to tell me that it is possibly wrong to do so (and best for me to keep away from or get added to facebook or randomly poked).  I also read the other day to my deep discontent that my generation is not a digital-native generation. I knew it before I got to this article, but I had although hoped that not remembering most of my childhood could make an exception..apparently not.

So, I am a non digital-native female who worries about sharing her email address and social networking profile. How does this translate to those I work with? Easy: I picture my parents putting sellotape on videotapes in order to be able to use them again. That was the moment I thought my parents obviously were 100 years old and would never understand the magic of materialism. Now I reckon my students think I am not work a blog-post or a twitter update or a single smilie on msn…

Oh Dear..

LA ESTACIÓN

Esa estación que siempre me ve, qué dirá.
Entro mano a maleta, dos extensiones de mí que en menos de un metro encierran mis ilusiones.
Paso tembloroso, latido firme, vista baja y ánimo perdido.
Entro y mi paso es fuerte, como si al andar fuerte mis esperanzas fueran a cumplirse mas rápido.
Mi corazón va rapido, le pido que me espere pero no hay nada que hacer. Cuando la estación me ve mi corazón no puede esperar.
Vista baja, estoy concentrada y mis ojos no quieren mirar sin ver lo que espero.

Ánimo perdido ambas veces.

Al entrar mi ánimo está como perdido por las emociones que está viviendo.Pienso: porqué he de dejar esto
siempre que le quiero ver, pero lo hago porque así soy yo, y eso es lo que necesito.

Las estaciones son los templos donde mi corazón anida y despierta.

Cuando salgo recojo mi corazon allí, que es donde todo empieza.

Vuelvo y le dejo en la estación, sin que lo sepa, mis sentimientos en una esquina, sin que molesten, pero no me los puedo llevar,
que pesan mucho y yo solo me puedo tener a mi.

La mayoría de las veces la gente en la estación no existe. Cuando estoy ahí puedo llorar, puedo sonreir, reirme, caerme, ¡lo que sea!
porque ahi no hay nadie mas que yo y las dimensiones que mis sentimientos desbocados quieran adquirir.

PARA TI, QUE SABRÍAS QUIÉN ERES SI ME PUDIERAS ENTENDER.

Dreams

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams

for if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

Langston Hughes

I am not afraid to say that I live on dreams. I have always thought that it is due to your context that you rely on dreams. But honestly, I simply enjoy it!

Thinking of my birthday?

For those of us who love shows like Lipstick Jungle, Sex and the City, Gossip Girl… Here there are some websites to get our ideal presents from Why is it that boys always find it so difficult to get us presents? Well, I am sick and tired of it! Here it is, I made it clear: boyfriends of the world, unite and start the search for the perfect Christmas present already! Beware!

http://www.etsy.com

Def the best one!

http://eclecticeccentricity.bigcartel.com/

I personally like that one a lot, but I admit only very particular people might like it

http://www.supermarkethq.com/browse/wear_carry/jewelry

Similar to the first one, but it is easier to find stuff in the first one really

Girls, jewelry and cupcakes always go together