Experience in the Storytelling.

Tuesday, November 28th, 2023

Participating in this activity has certainly been a very nice experience. 

Through this blog, I’m going to tell you a little bit about my experience working on the storytelling activity.

The story that we had to narrate and dramatize was "La Ziguanaba" by the great Salvadoran author Salvador Salazar Arrué. In this story we can find the main characters fishing in a river, that’s why we decided to go to Ilopango's lake (Apulo) to record the video of these scenes.

When we arrived to the place where we were going to record, we found a great obstacle: there was a lot of noise in the area. There was music and many people around, because it was Sunday and it is a very visited day by tourists. 

However, we are UES students and nothing was going to stop us haha, so we managed to find a kind of risky solution but that was going to be very useful : we paid a boat trip to a small island in the middle of the lake to be able to record in silence. And this is where we found another obstacle: there were also people on the island, so we headed to another place near the area where we were finally able to record. In my case, I was Pedro, the main character, and I needed a net to fish, so we could find a kind gentleman who lent us a net to use in the drama.

After an hour, we finally managed to record all the scenes of the narrative and arrived safely back at the lake shore. 

As we returned home, we began editing the video, joining all the parts, including the bloopers from the recording.

In conclusion, I would say that I really enjoyed this experience because we had a lot of fun recording the drama of the story, but especially because my colleagues and I could meet again after a long time without seeing each other.

Experience creating the Short story

 Tuesday, November 28th, 2023

Writing a story is not an easy task, especially if you don’t use your imagination. 

Talking about my experience writing a short story is not as simple as you might think. To begin with, my teammates and I, thought a lot about what gender and what topic our story would be. It was not so simple as we all have different ideas, but in the end we managed to reach an agreement and ended up writing about a story related to time travel.

We all thought it was a good idea, however we had our doubts, since when talking about time travel we could find obstacles in the development of history.

In the end we decided to start writing on that subject, as I came up with an idea that would deal with the story and began to use my imagination while writing. 

I felt like a professional writer as I wrote my ideas, and of course my colleagues also completed the story with their own original ideas, including specific details about the setting and the characters, and also reviewing some detail regarding the spelling and grammar of the writing.

In addition, we reviewed every detail of the story, especially that it contained the main parts of the plot so that the ideas had coherence, and finally with an end where the conflict was resolved.

When it comes to describe it in words, it sounds easy but it was not, since you have to take care of every detail of the story and explain the reasons of each situation.

Finally, after having the story ready, we split the story to record the audio of the narration, which was the easiest part to do.

In my personal case, I think that this activity could be worked better individually since although 5 minds work better than one, sometimes each person has different ideas and for that reason it is difficult to agree when elaborating a group history. However, I think it was a very nice experience that we all enjoyed, especially those of us who like to read and imagine every scenario of the story.

Garden of Madness

 Once again, I didn’t know what to write on this week’s blog, however I was thinking that I would like to share some stories about the concerts I have attended in the past few years.

I consider myself a big fan of electronic music, because since I was a child I listened on the radio and on my computer the music of famous DJs and classics of the electronic culture such as: Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto, Avicci, David Guetta, among others.

I think every fan of electronic music dreams of going to the biggest festival in the world: Tomorrowland in Belgium.

However, when we grow up we realize that it is not as easy as it seems as it takes a lot of money for that adventure.

In my case I have always been realistic and dreamed of attending less expensive concerts and festivals.

And it was in 2019, when I first went to an electronic music concert. It was exactly on April 4, 2019 when the Djs ambassadors of Tomorrowland: Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike were present for the first time in El Salvador. 

 To be honest, I wanted to be in the front area because I wanted to really enjoy my first concert, so I paid for that ticket which was called "Garden of Madness". I think the name says it all.

It was an incredible experience, the concert lasted 4 and a half hours. I ended up without a voice, with leg pain, but you know what? it was absolutely worth it. I enjoyed jumping, dancing and singing all the songs. It was totally insane!!

Then, seven months later in November of the same year, there was another electronic music concert in our country. This time the English DJ Jonas Blue, along with the Dutch DJs "Firebetaz" were going to perform on the same stage.

Of course I wasn’t going to lose that opportunity, so once again I went to another concert.

The same 4 and a half hours of dancing, screaming and madness were repeated that time. It was another exciting concert and I enjoyed it very much. 

 After that year, we all know what happened all over the world, so because of that the concerts were suspended for two years. However, in 2022 an unexpected news

appeared: A new electronic music concert was about to happen. This time the Dutch DJ Martin Garrix would come to El Salvador. I was in shock, because he is one of my favorite DJs of all time. So I was definitely going to that concert. 

Some of my friends wanted to attend the concert with me, and they enjoyed it as much as I did. This time the concert lasted exactly 5 hours, and although my phone was almost going to break, it was nice to come back after a while to enjoy such an incredible event.

Before I finish, I want to tell you that next month there will be another electronic music event, but this time it will be in Guatemala. 

It will not be just any event, as it is one of the biggest festivals in the world called "Ultra Music Festival", and it will certainly be an unforgettable experience that I will not miss for sure. In a month I will be uploading pictures and videos on my Instagram stories, but if you want to join me, I will be more than happy that you do.

The impact of a click: the culture of immediacy

September 30th, 2023.             5:26 p.m

Last week during my free time, I was watching some videos on YouTube, and I found one that caught my eye. Here I share the link.

The video mentions that in our current society, or "in the digital age", we are immersed in a culture of immediacy as never before. From instant message response to food delivery in minutes, our society increasingly values immediate satisfaction.

However, this culture has not only brought advantages, but also consequences. In this blog, I will share some effects of how immediate is affecting our communication and consumption, as well as our mental health, interpersonal relationships and our ability to appreciate the value of waiting and effort.

One of the most notable effects of this culture is the constant anxiety. That’s why the title of today’s blog is "the impact of a click", as the need to get instant responses in our digital interactions can lead to overwhelming pressure and a sense of always being "online". 

Sometimes we do not want to make the least effort to get something, on the contrary, we want to get things quickly without "moving a finger", for example some people order food at home in a restaurant that is close to their home, instead of going there. 

In addition, the culture of immediacy has caused patience and waiting capacity to disappear altogether. We’re used to getting what we want instantly, from buying the latest phone to shopping online.

This can make it difficult for us to think for ourselves, as well as to appreciate slower and more thoughtful processes, such as book analysis or solving complex problems that require time. At this point, we can mention the famous A.I that we find easily on the internet, which have reduced the ability of people to think in our current society.

In conclusion, I believe that while the culture of immediacy offers comfort and efficiency in many aspects of modern life, it is crucial to be aware of its consequences. Finding a balance between instant gratification and appreciation for slower moments is essential to our mental health and overall quality of life.

It is important to bear in mind that reflection and patience remain valuable virtues in a world that often moves quickly due to new technological advances that do not stop spreading on the planet.

Some thoughts about the COVID-19 pandemic

September 24th,2023.       6:51 p.m

It is amazing to think that three years ago, the whole world stopped. Who would think that for a while people would be afraid to go out? Who would have thought that tourist places visited by thousands of people a week would close their doors indefinitely? I don’t think anyone. 

Talk about the COVID-19 pandemic is not an easy thing to do, I think that if we do so, it would take a long time, but I don’t want to write about something that we all know.

On today's blog, I would like to share some thoughts based on my own experiences during this tragic situation.

I believe that most people suffered a lot during this pandemic, not only because of the disease itself but also economically, socially and also in something as important as mental health. 

In the city where I live, Ilobasco, many well-known people lost their lives. Other people closed their businesses permanently due to the lack of income during the lockdown. Some others tried to take their own lives caused by anxiety, others suffered abuse in their own homes, and many more difficult scenarios were experienced during that time. 

In my personal case, I think it was my mental health that was most affected during that time. I was afraid, but beyond the fear of infecting myself, it was the fear that my family would be infected, especially my two grandmothers, because of their age and it was very difficult for their bodies to resist that disease. In my family, one of my cousins was severely affected by Covid-19. He was admitted in the "Hospital El Salvador" for more than 15 days, he could not breathe and was not conscious, however, thanks to God, he was able to recover and become a survivor of this terrible virus.

You will probably wonder if I also got Covid-19, so let me tell you that the answer to this is affirmative. In October 2021, I was infected by Covid-19, but thank God it wasn’t serious. In my case, as I said before, this disease affected me more my mental health than physically. The only symptoms I experienced were tiredness, headache and loss of smell and taste. However, spending 15 days locked in my room, without going out or seeing anyone, was the most stressful of the situation. I could not stop thinking if my family was also infected, it was a desperate anxiety. Thank God no one else in my family was infected, and we could continue with our lives in a normal way.

 Perhaps this situation was not so complicated for me and my family, compared to many other people who suffered much more because of this disease, but despite that, I thank God for protecting us till this day. And for all my colleagues and friends who are reading this and went through hard times, illness or some loss during this pandemic, I want to wish you a lot of strength and a warm embrace, because we’re still here alive, and that’s why we have to be grateful for that.

September Memories

 September 17th, 2023.                 7:15 p.m

In today's blog, now that we are on September, I would like to share some anecdotes related to the Independence day of our country. 

It is kind of crazy to realize that eight years ago, I first participated in the Independence Day parade. This happened in 2015, when I had the role of carrying the flag during the September 15 parade. The tour lasted for about four hours, making its way through the city's major streets before concluding at the municipal stadium. I remember I was so tired and I promised I would never participate again. 

One year later, in 2016 I broke that promise, and once again I participated in the parade, but this time as a member of the school

music band. I played the trumpet and we were practicing for three months all the songs that were going to be played in the parade. I really enjoyed that experience because in September, the Ilobasco Festivities (Fiestas Patronales) are celebrated, so there are more parades in which we participated playing.

Later on, In 2017 when I was in high-school, I didn't want to participate in the music band because I didn't have enough time for the practice sessions, but some of my friends

convinced me to participate, and I did. In fact, It was a little more difficult because I didn't have free time since I spent the entire day, the whole week at the institution. However, it was a fascinated experience that I will never forget. Here I share one picture of me and my cousin after the parade.

Finally, in 2018, my last year at High school, I participated one last time in the music band because I wanted to play another instrument. This time I played the French horn, it was similar to the trumpet abut the sound it was like a trombone, and it was a

little bit bigger than the trumpet. I remember it was a memorable experience not only because it was my last time, but we were also considered the best music band in the city, and we played in some parades in other towns nearby.

I think it’s always good to remember all those wonderful experiences every year. This past friday, on September 15, I attented the parade, because my younger brother also participated in the school music band playing the trumpet, and it made me feel nostalgic because some years I also was there, and I began to think about how fast the time goes, and that only the memories remain.

This is a message for you

Jesus replied: you do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.

John 13: 7

Two nights ago, I found myself wide awake like a night owl, scrolling through Instagram reels because I often find it difficult to fall asleep early at night. So, I was there alone in my bed, when suddenly there was a video that really caught up my eye. It said at the beginning: "Do not go to sleep before watching this video". 

Surprisingly, it was a Bible verse, the one at the beginning of the blog, and I could realized how powerful was that message for me.

Just to give you some context, in this chapter there is picture of Jesus washing his disciples feet and Simon Peter ask him: “You’re going to wash my feet?” he seeks to resist what Jesus is trying to do. Jesus looks at him and says, “What I am doing you don’t understand now, but afterward you will understand.”

The message here is that sometimes we pass through difficult situations, and we ask God why this kind of things are happening, we are so confused about our situation and we say: "I don't want to be your best warrior, Lord" jaja. 

However, I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, sometimes it is kind of difficult to understand and assimilate every tough situation, but at the end God's plan is perfect.

As human beings, we get too caught up in our lives and focus on ourselves that we forget that God already has things taken care of. We worry about every little thing in our life, for example: what are we going to eat for dinner?, or where are we going to live next year?, or even what other people think of us. We spend too much time worrying over things that are out of our control.

I’m not here to talk about religion, I have a thousand reasons for God to stop loving me and yet he still loves me. Instead, what I am actually doing is to share this God's message with anyone who is reading this. Probably you are facing some difficult situations now and you don't know what to do, you are feeling sad, anxious, hopeless, so keep in mind this:

This bad moment is not going to last forever, remember that seeds grow in the dark, for an exquisite wine to be made, the grapes have to be crushed, and it is exactly what happens with us. God’s plan for our life will always bring us good things in time.

"You don’t understand now what God is doing with your life, but afterward, one day, you will understand.”