I got asked by my friend Chris to help him out with his college work. He asked if I could make a video for a piece of music he's making, being an aspiring film maker this was a curious offer and one I had to take. When he sent me the piece of music I quickly tried to evolve out an idea and then took upon the task of trying to shoot is as I imagined it.
For the second part of the video I needed a desolate, eerie, quiet area. Struggled to think of an area in Centro like this until I thought closer to home (literally), where there is a huge ruined field situated the middle of a rather intimidating square of houses. As the film all coming together, the realisation of the rich/poor divide proved even more contrasting. This area is around a two minute walk from the house I stay in, when I had to think about where to find a desolate area I only had to look just outside the house. I could have traveled a few miles closer to Centro and found no suitable locations no matter how long I searched.
This is a clear example showing how all the money is pumped into the centre. Although, even in the centre you will find glorious and grand looking buildings, but, with stray dogs running outside the gates and a homeless man making his cardboard home for the night. You will only have to look around the corner and find much less glorious looking building that look as if it's hiding out of embarrassment compared to the great spectacle of a house that is stealing everyone's attention. The divide in this city is far greater than any other city I have seen. I often think Santiago is too big for it's own good.
It was good to get out filming again, needed some practice! Got another film project in the pipelines right now so hopefully I can produce another short film soon.
You can watch the film below.
Sunday 12 May 2013
Friday 3 May 2013
Chileans
Having lived in Santiago for the best part of a year now I've gotten to know the people of Chile quite well. For the majority of the year many of them came across as very friendly, with a glowing proudness knowing they're a Chilean citizen. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a country fuelled with so much pride and nationalism. So nationalistic they find themselves superior to their ancestors - the Mapuche.
On many occasions I've asked a Chilean about their heritage but when I ask if they have relations to the Mapuches they always immediately deny to have any Mapuche blood at all.
I have also found when I speak of neighbouring countries (Peru, Bolivia and Argentina), the replies are mainly full of negative comments. However, if I turn the conversation around and talk of Chile, they will only talk of how great a country it is.
After a while my view of thinking Chile had a friendly proudness, turned into more of a stubborn and angered proudness.
Today, me and James experienced discrimination against us. While James was having a discussion about continents in class about how S. America and N. America are two different continents and the whole class and teacher disagreed with him. This led on to a history teacher coming into the class and addressing that (to his knowledge) America is all one continent whereas N. America and S. America are just sub continents. Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I respect that but I do not respect what happened in the process of this. As a pupil went into the staffroom to get the History teacher, one other teacher said "maybe they should go back to their own continent.". I found this comment unbelievably unprofessional and highly offensive as we had done nothing wrong, and also the fact he/she said this in-front of young students. I don't know his/her motivation towards this comment but I doubt the strong and stubborn nationalism of Chile helped.
*I would like to add that I'm not stereotyping every person in this country into one person, just like any nation there are good/bad people. I have met many genuinely lovely people here and made some great friends. I'm simply referring to the vast amount of people I have encountered here. Sadly, discrimination and prejudice happens in every corner of the world, it can be just the same (if not worse) back home in the UK.
On many occasions I've asked a Chilean about their heritage but when I ask if they have relations to the Mapuches they always immediately deny to have any Mapuche blood at all.
I have also found when I speak of neighbouring countries (Peru, Bolivia and Argentina), the replies are mainly full of negative comments. However, if I turn the conversation around and talk of Chile, they will only talk of how great a country it is.
After a while my view of thinking Chile had a friendly proudness, turned into more of a stubborn and angered proudness.
Today, me and James experienced discrimination against us. While James was having a discussion about continents in class about how S. America and N. America are two different continents and the whole class and teacher disagreed with him. This led on to a history teacher coming into the class and addressing that (to his knowledge) America is all one continent whereas N. America and S. America are just sub continents. Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I respect that but I do not respect what happened in the process of this. As a pupil went into the staffroom to get the History teacher, one other teacher said "maybe they should go back to their own continent.". I found this comment unbelievably unprofessional and highly offensive as we had done nothing wrong, and also the fact he/she said this in-front of young students. I don't know his/her motivation towards this comment but I doubt the strong and stubborn nationalism of Chile helped.
*I would like to add that I'm not stereotyping every person in this country into one person, just like any nation there are good/bad people. I have met many genuinely lovely people here and made some great friends. I'm simply referring to the vast amount of people I have encountered here. Sadly, discrimination and prejudice happens in every corner of the world, it can be just the same (if not worse) back home in the UK.
Tuesday 16 April 2013
21,000 words!
Apparently a picture speaks a thousand words so here's 21 of them, and therefore 21,000 words.
Starting with a rather cheeky hitchhike from Santiago, up to La Serena.
San Pedro de Atacama
Iquique
Arequipa
Colca Canyon
With the group on a 4 day trek to Macchu Pichu.
Macchu Pichu herself.
The beautiful Isla Del Sol.
Travelling up to the beginning of the death road in Bolivia.
About half way down the Death Road.
Lovely little hot spring at the end of the Death Road.
La Paz!
Tiwanaku
Sucre
3 day Salt flat tour.
My camera couldn't do it justice, but, this is the flamingo lake littered with literally thousands of them!
Amazon Rainforest!
Travelling back down to Santiago with a little day stop to chill in Arica!
Starting with a rather cheeky hitchhike from Santiago, up to La Serena.
San Pedro de Atacama
Iquique
Arequipa
Colca Canyon
With the group on a 4 day trek to Macchu Pichu.
Macchu Pichu herself.
The beautiful Isla Del Sol.
Travelling up to the beginning of the death road in Bolivia.
About half way down the Death Road.
Lovely little hot spring at the end of the Death Road.
La Paz!
Tiwanaku
Sucre
3 day Salt flat tour.
My camera couldn't do it justice, but, this is the flamingo lake littered with literally thousands of them!
Amazon Rainforest!
Cusco
Travelling back down to Santiago with a little day stop to chill in Arica!
Tuesday 6 November 2012
Thou shall always be consistent
Yes. I have become one of them hopeless bloggers that gave up after a few posts. I apologise, (just like all the other hopeless bloggers end up doing). Maybe I might start getting back into it, I hope I do!
Anyway, where do I start? Quite a lot has happened since the last time I wrote a post in this little blog of mine. And by quite a lot I mean bloody loads!
I have recently started a kind of scrap book journal thing where I just stick loads of random crap in and hope it makes a good reflective read at the end of the year. Because of this I spent a while trying to figure out events which had happened in the past few months so in theory this shouldn't be to difficult. Key word: "shouldn't".
SOOOO following on from my adventure with the host family to Quisco...
Viña del Mar & Valparaiso!
Got invited down to these places by some Chilean friends for a long weekend! I'll explain this one in pictures I nicked off Facebook. Valparaiso is definitely one of my favourite cities I've ever been too, very quirky, very interesting. Could spend many an hour drifting through the streets.
Met up with Ben & Oli and also Sambo & Finlay in a bar, Valpo!
Weekend in TALCA!
One night we went out to Bellavista in Santiago for kicks and giggles which was all cool and everything, then along that night we made bumped into someone who spoke great English called Pablo! Within a few days we received an invite from him to visit him in Talca. Why not. That very weekend we hoped on a bus and travelled three hours south to the large town of Talca. There's not all too much going on there but it was still very fun and worth gandering down south for! Met a few mountain bikers at a party which is a definite plus, sometime this year might even shoot a little film with them!
First EARTHQUAKE!
Yep, pretty much says it all there. My first earthquake. Very very surreal moment in my life, being thrown off balance by the ground and seeing all the pupils dash under their desks quickly. People crying, mum's racing in to collect their children, etc etc.
Apparently it was just a little one which is fortunate. The only way I can describe it is like your surfing on the ground along with everyone else around you.
Valparaiso, the second.
This time in Valparaiso there were over 10 of us Volunteers. Super fun this time round, even more so than the first Valparaiso gander! Fantastic to see everyone again! Here's a few pictures I nicked from Finlay (soz).
Sitting about Sammy and Finalys house with everyone
Sambo and I on the baloney pointing at stuff cause we can
Apparently touching the big cross at the highest point of the walk does something good to you, people walked away from it in tears of happiness. I on the other hand, just felt a bit cramped, tired and sweaty when as touched it.
English Week!
The school very recently held an English week which was pretty fun! We had to dress up silly and prepare famous short stories and present them with a powerpoint to all the youngest students, they loved it as did we! They also had students singing songs from the three artists; Amy Winehouse, Elvis and Coldplay during the school breaks!
The three stories we chose where Where The Wild Things Are, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk!
Halloween!
For Halloween me and James went to Open Blondie at Club Hipico, unlike anything I've been to before, crazy night! Loads of different areas with all kinds of great music, difficult to explain really! Sadly, no pictures to put up of us there but I have a few just before we set off!
Anyway, where do I start? Quite a lot has happened since the last time I wrote a post in this little blog of mine. And by quite a lot I mean bloody loads!
I have recently started a kind of scrap book journal thing where I just stick loads of random crap in and hope it makes a good reflective read at the end of the year. Because of this I spent a while trying to figure out events which had happened in the past few months so in theory this shouldn't be to difficult. Key word: "shouldn't".
SOOOO following on from my adventure with the host family to Quisco...
Viña del Mar & Valparaiso!
Got invited down to these places by some Chilean friends for a long weekend! I'll explain this one in pictures I nicked off Facebook. Valparaiso is definitely one of my favourite cities I've ever been too, very quirky, very interesting. Could spend many an hour drifting through the streets.
Found a really really cool Van Gogh painted on a building, was going to show it in full to you, but instead here's a picture of us jumping like idiots in front of it!
Meandering about up in Valpo.
Loads of cool paintings on walls and stuff.
Loads.
LOADS.
And obviously a cheeky boat trip.
Weekend in TALCA!
One night we went out to Bellavista in Santiago for kicks and giggles which was all cool and everything, then along that night we made bumped into someone who spoke great English called Pablo! Within a few days we received an invite from him to visit him in Talca. Why not. That very weekend we hoped on a bus and travelled three hours south to the large town of Talca. There's not all too much going on there but it was still very fun and worth gandering down south for! Met a few mountain bikers at a party which is a definite plus, sometime this year might even shoot a little film with them!
First EARTHQUAKE!
Yep, pretty much says it all there. My first earthquake. Very very surreal moment in my life, being thrown off balance by the ground and seeing all the pupils dash under their desks quickly. People crying, mum's racing in to collect their children, etc etc.
Apparently it was just a little one which is fortunate. The only way I can describe it is like your surfing on the ground along with everyone else around you.
Valparaiso, the second.
This time in Valparaiso there were over 10 of us Volunteers. Super fun this time round, even more so than the first Valparaiso gander! Fantastic to see everyone again! Here's a few pictures I nicked from Finlay (soz).
Sitting about Sammy and Finalys house with everyone
(This picture just needs to be seen more)
Rooftop gander.
De Chacabuco al Carmelo! Un Camino de Santidad
This was basically a 27km walk for a catholic reason that I can't really remember/didn't understand. About 80,000 people joined in, getting up at ridiculous times (3:30am for us) all in the name of God. Totally worth it though, been waiting for a good stroll in the Andes! The scenery was incredible but it was the people that made it for me. Everyone was in such a good mood creating a great atmosphere for the whole duration of the walk.
English Week!
The school very recently held an English week which was pretty fun! We had to dress up silly and prepare famous short stories and present them with a powerpoint to all the youngest students, they loved it as did we! They also had students singing songs from the three artists; Amy Winehouse, Elvis and Coldplay during the school breaks!
The three stories we chose where Where The Wild Things Are, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk!
Halloween!
For Halloween me and James went to Open Blondie at Club Hipico, unlike anything I've been to before, crazy night! Loads of different areas with all kinds of great music, difficult to explain really! Sadly, no pictures to put up of us there but I have a few just before we set off!
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