To end 2009

No podiamos terminar el ano sin visitar nuestro lugar favorito...el dia estuvo espectacular. Un calor barbaro, sin viento y el agua hermosa. Habia bastante gente, pero bueno era de esperar ya que es super temporada alta pero asi y todo no fue insoportable. El viaje como siempre es tan lindo que nunca siento ganas de llegar rapido. Me encanta cuando se divisa el mar por primera vez y se ve ese color turquesa tan caracteristico de la Great Ocean Road...al verlo siento una frescura inmediata aun sin tocar el agua. Estuve todo el dia con migrania lo cual no me dejo disfrutar al 100 %, pero al estar ahi todo se hace menos doloroso...en el 2010 pensamos mantener la tradicion de visitar Lorne seguidito...es nuestro segundo hogar (ojala pudiera ser el primero). Espero que pasen un muy lindo fin de ano y que el 2010 sea un ano generoso y saludable para todos...

We couldn't finish the year without visiting our favourite place...the day was spectacular. Hot, no wind and the water was beautiful. There were lots of people there which was predictable since it is peak season, but it wasn't intolerable at all. The trip there as always is so enjoyable that I never feel anxious to get there. I just travel content looking at the scenery out the window and thinking of ways to describe it. I love it when I can see the ocean for the first time and the turquoise colour of the water makes me feel an immediate freshness, like I've just been bathed. I had a day-long migraine that got in the way of a 100% enjoyment, however just by being there everything is easier and less painful. In 2010 we will continue our tradition to visit Lorne often..it is, after all, our second home..if only it could be our first. I hope everyone has a nice end to the year and that 2010 will be generous and healthy for all...

Avatar 3D

Aca estoy con mis anteojos 3d despues de ver la pelicula Avatar. Mis expectativas eran muy bajas, me imaginaba tipica pelicula de James Cameron y esta bueno cuando uno va al cine con bajas expectativas porque es muy dificil desilusionarse. Me encanto la imagineria (no se si se dice asi) o sea toda la parte imagenes...un lugar hermoso pero bien alien, donde existen cosas hermosas y originales...los alien tambien me gustaron: bien disenados, bastante diferentes y muy creibles. La pelicula es visualmente exelente, sumado a eso el efecto 3d fue re especial. La historia super tipica y bien americana...los humanos hambrientos por el dinero quieren destruir el habitat de esa gente para minar el planeta. Uno de ellos se involucra con los alien para infiltrarlos y termina enamorandose y defendiendolos...nada nuevo, nada original, pero vale la pena por lo visual, tan bien hecho...todo el tiempo pensaba "me encantaria estar ahi y sacar fotos".

I just saw Avatar 3D. I had very low expectations: a James Cameron movie...didn't expect much, but I suppose that the good thing about going to see a movie with very low expectations is that is very hard to get disappointed. I loved the imagery of the movie, very well created the effects of an alien planet...similar in some ways to Earth but yet so different, so many original creatures and so well done. The movie is excellent in terms of visuals and the 3D effect really added to it. The story very typical and very american: the hungry materialistic humans want to mine the planet and destroy the alien's habitat. One of them infiltrates the alien tribe and becomes one of them but in the process he changes, falls in love and the rest is history....it is a really well done movie...the whole time I was thinking "I wish I was there to take photos".

I made it!

I made it to the city on my bike! I am beyond happy...I haven't yet written about my new discovered ailment. I recently found out (with a lot of physical and emotional pain) that I have arthritis in my right hip, apparently a really bad case of it, according to the doctor. I haven't yet put my feelings down in paper, I suppose I am still trying to come to terms with it. I know I should be happy that the pain was arthritis and not the "c" word, which I must admit crossed my mind, but it is still a very hard thing to have to endure from a young (relatively) age. So I cried a lot when I found out, a lot. I parked my car outside work after visiting the doctor and cry for 20 minutes before I gathered the courage to walk to my room and face my friends...it didn't really mattered that I had composed myself because I broke down again when I told them...I don't want to have the operation (hip replacement) I really don't... call it fear, call it pride, call it a need to be whole...I don't know what it is and I know that is not the end of the world, but it is the end of a lot of things. Things that I would like to be doing, that I might have plan to do in the near future, or simply the end of "me without arthritis". I don't mean to sound catastrophic or pesimistic, in fact, I do feel optimistic that if I put the effort that I need to put in I may be able to still do all those things that I planned in some corner of my mind. Today it feels like the beginning of it. I have been put on this medication (an anti-inflamatory) that seems to have been working. I haven't had bad pain in the last 3 nights and the days are also better, so I am quite cheerful. Today I drove with my bike in the back of the car to the end of Riversdale Road and the beginning of Swan street and parked my car. I met Ric and Anton and I rode the rest of the way to Southbank. It wasn't much, but it certainly was a lot more than I thought I would be able to do 2 weeks ago when I wasn't able to stay sitted for more than 15 minutes without feeling pain. So it is a great day today and I feel like celebrating.

Despues de Navidad

El 26 de Diciembre es un dia raro aca en Melbourne. Es como un feriado y todos los negocios grandes abren y hacen liquidaciones asique esta todo el mundo enloquecido comprando y comprando (como si hubieran comprando poco para Navidad). Yo esquivo todos esos lugares porque ya para ese entonces no quiero ver un negocio ni a distancia. Nosotros nos fuimos a tomar un cafe pero en vez de cafe tome un "cafe helado" porque tenia calor. Es rarisimo Melbourne despues de Navidad porque la mitad de la poblacion se fue de vacaciones, asique por un lado esta bueno porque no hay nadie aca pero por otro me da ganas de no estar aca tampoco. Otro ano que para variar no planeamos las vacaciones y ahora nos quedamos sin lugar en ningun lado asique iremos dia a dia viendo que hacer. Ayer tambien empece a leer mi nuevo libro que me trajo papa noel: Visual Poetry un libro de uno de mis fotografos favoritos: Chris Orwig. Por lo que lei hasta ahora me parece que va a ser un libro inspirador que me va a dar mucho entusiasmo y muchas ganas de sacar fotos. creo que inconcientemente por eso lo queria tanto para inspirarme...

Beautiful Christmas Celebrations

Que rico que estaba todo en Navidad: la picada, la pavita, las patas de cerdo y cordero, las ensaladas y los postres. Tambien estuvo lindo celebrar y pasarla bien, reirnos, recordar cosas del pasado y hablar del futuro. Cantar y contar chistes, brindar y abrir regalos. Lo unico feo es que tanto preparar y se pasa muy rapido...en fin una postal de nuestra navidad.

Everything was delicious on Christmas: the antipasto, the turkey, the lamb and pork's legs, the salads and the desserts. It was also very nice to celebrate having a good time, laughing, reminiscing about the past and talking about the future. Singing along, drinking and opening presents. The only bad thing is that so much preparation and just like that...it's gone....anyway just a postcard from our Christmas.

Feliz Navidad

Feliz Navidad 2009! Nuestra foto familiar anual. Para aquellos que preguntan porque Fugui no esta en la foto es porque ella no quiso entrar a casa y ni siquiera le intereso abrir su regalito...Our annual Xmas shot (2009) for those who ask why Fugui is not there is because she chose not to come and not to open her xmas pressie.

Xmas Spirit

The house is now being filled with the spirit of Christmas...after a very emotional end of year celebrations at work I am now ready to think about my family and xmas. I got many many pressies at work from students, parents and friends and I love looking at them for a few days and enjoy the warmth of the messages in the Xmas cards. It makes me feel a little better.

I had a crap year and despite the success of university I am left with a bitter taste which I hope the new year will wash away. I'm finally on holidays and that is the treat of it all. Sleeping in and resting is all I want to do now, I'm sure I will want to go to the beach too...but there is time for that. Anton is on camp with friends, the house feels weird without him. I miss him but I'm glad he is having a good time.

La casa se va llenando del espiritu navideno...despues de un final de ano muy emocional en el trabajo ahora estoy lista para pensar en mi Navidad con mi familia. Tengo muchos regalitos de alumnos, padres y amigos y me encanta ponerlos bajo el arbolito y mirarlos por unos cuantos dias y disfrutar de la calidez de los mensajes en las tarjetas. Me hace sentir un poco mejor. Tuve un ano de mierda y a pesar de mi exito universitario (aprobe 6 materias) me queda un sabor amargo que espero el ano nuevo destile. Al fin estoy de vacaciones y ese es el verdadero regalo. Dormir y descansar es todo lo que quiero hacer. Seguro tambien voy a querer ir a la playa pero para eso hay tiempo. Anton esta de campamento con sus amigos la casa se siente rara sin el, pero me pone muy contenta que la este pasando bien.

Xmas

Bueno, aunque todavia no me siento con el espiritu navideno por lo menos arme el arbolito. Tampoco puse mucho esmero por falta de tiempo asique estoy deseando que termine esta semana porque empiezan las vacaciones de verano y puedo dedicarme mas a cosas de la casa. Estoy muy cansada y ya podrida del trabajo. Me imagino que a todos les pasa lo mismo, es gracioso como la gente tiene pocas pulgas en esta epoca y poca paciencia. Hoy sali a comprar regalitos para la gente del laburo. Mi amigo Patrick se va a otra escuela y eso es bastante triste porque lo voy a extranar y siempre pasa lo mismo se van los que uno no quiere y los que uno quiere que se vayan jamas lo haran.

Well, even though I still don't feel the Xmas spirit, at least I put the tree up. My friend Beatrix critisised my tree, I explained to her that I was born in a poor country and couldn't afford a tree so I am used to having twigs. Seriously I like it like this. I must admit that I didn't really put a lot of effort in it, I am tired and can' t wait to this week to end, cause I start my holidays. My friend Patrick is leavin, that is really sad cause I am going to miss him. Why is it that those who I want them gone will never leave? and the ones I like have to go? Life is so unfair!

MRI (resonancia magnetica)

I had my MRI today. It is very hard to relax whilst you are in the machine and there is very little room all around you. I found out I wasn't claustrophobic. I tried to think of something to distract me so I closed my eyes and imagined I was on an escape-pod from a big starship that was about to blow up and the noise of the MRI helped with that fantasy....but I didn't relax. Not at all.

Hoy tuve mi resonancia magnetica. Es muy dificil relajarse mientras estas en la maquina y hay muy poco aire alrededor tuyo. Descubri que no soy claustrofobica. Trataba de pensar en algo que me distraiga, cerre mis ojos y me imagine que estaba en un tubo de escape de una nave espacial gigante que estaba a punto de explotar. El ruido de la resonancia ayudaba bastante con esta fantasia pero asi y todo no me pude relajar. Para nada.

Exhibition

Well it all seems so faraway now and I feel like I can finally breathe a little better. The exhbition was a success today, all the photos were on the wall ready to be seen, to communicate, to express a whole lot of different moods and stories. It was a team effort and one that I feel proud to have been a part of. I am very proud of the students and all their work and effort and I am also proud of myself for seeing this right through the end. It makes me really happy to be able to share what I know with a whole group of young people who now possess the basic understanding of seeing life through the lens of a camera. Well done!

Bueno finalmente el gran dia paso y puedo respirar un poquito mejor. La exhibicion fue un exito, todas las fotos estaban colgadas y listas para ser exploradas, para comunicar, para expresar un monton de ondas y de historias diferentes. Fue un ezfuerzo de grupo y uno del que me siento orgullosa de haber formado parte. Estoy muy orgullosa tambien de los alumnos y de todo el trabajo y esfuerzo que pusieron. Tambien estoy orgullosa de mi misma por haber llevado esto hasta el fin. Me hace muy feliz podes transmitir mi conocimiento y compartiro con un grupo de gente joven quien ahora posee una nueva habilidad: la de ver la vida a traves del lente de una camera.