Culture Fusion...the beauty of mixing different cultures.

After reading Stepanie's post that also linked me to Sonal's blog about creative inspiration, I couldn't stop thinking of a performer that created the same reaction to me. Being Spanish from my mum side I have a strong passion for the Spanish music and culture in general so when I listen to this performance, a mixture of Flamenco and Arabic sounds, I felt inspired and captured by it! So likewise my blog friend's I thought of sharing this video with you all and see if it also affects you in a way that links you somewhere else...it could become a fun way of starting a creative chain within us all.

Enyoy!

My cruise experience :)

An auditory way of learning...

Searching through the web I found this really interesting website, especially for musicians and singers.
It's a site where you can improve your AUDITORY skills as a way of learning ... as Gardner mentions.
Hope some of you can find this interesting as I did.


http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learnlisteningonline/about/index.asp

1c: Finally my YouTube video!

I made it!!! It took me a long time ... but I couldn't find the inspiration on how to do this task!

I wanted something that gave the idea of what got me to this course and hopefully I made it ( although I exceeded the 45 secs limit ).

Hope you will enjoy it... I used the iMovie application on my Mac and I actually found it very fun and easy to use.  

2a: Reflective Journal Task: first thoughts and attempt to my Journal.

Today has definitely been a productive day. I got a good bite of the reader, even if I already said it is very hard for me and it takes me probably double the time not being written in my language...but I've stressed that enough, I just need to find my own pace and way of learning with my capability.
This is actually something I've learnt today...I was finding it a bit hard t analyze and engage everything I was reading (learning) so I decided to start my journal and also use it as a tool to clarify my thoughts and understanding more writing along the way...

Mentioning Gardner's different ways to engage learning...turning experience into learning and VAK learners, I straight away realized that KINESTHETIC was definitely one of the way of learning I use the most soon after VISUAL (looking then repeating the dance move)... although I soon after noticed that this is true is if I think of myself as a dancer , I would use my body to start learning a routine, then helping me with AUDITORY as a sound correspond to a movement therefore it's a stronger way to help me remember the steps. But considering myself an all-round performer ( or at least having trained to become one ) if I think, for instance, of my way of learning a song I use LISTENING as my strongest way of learning. I did find very useful in college the use of a dictaphone or my phone, where I would record notes and harmonies of a song to then go home and have them there for me to listen to and help me with the learning process. So I figured that depending on the source of learning, I decide a different way to achieve that.

Since today I've written a lot and my brain is starting to not work, I only wanted to write about what today I felt more interesting and gave me more material to reflect on things.
I would keep going on with my reflections as I go further deep into the reader.

Happy Woman's day!

MIMOSA~ the symbolic flower of this day~

Hi BAPP fellows!

Yes, today is WOMAN'S DAY here in Italy, I don't think you celebrate it in the U.K., do you?  So I just wanted to give to all the women in this course, students and tutors, a big "YOU GO GIRL!"... hope the boys won't take it too personal! ;P

For me it's definitely a day of Reflection, I did research why we celebrate this day, unfortunately it has become a day about consumerism as flowers and small gifts are given to women on this particular day, but I think the story behind it has to be remembered and honored.

So how is everyone getting along with the course? I've just got myself through the Reflective Reader and I've found it very interesting so far...true thought it' s taking me a while as sometimes I have to go back and re-read some parts, it does take a longer time as English isn't my first language...I hope not to fall behind schedule!

I'd love to know how the campus sessions went so far and if you could give some tips on what came out and what you learnt at the end of the day. I'm trying to see if I can make it to London for the last campus session but if not I would love to be filled in as much as possible, I know they have been very useful for some if you so far.

Also I would love to get to know in you person rather than just knowing you behind your blogs...

Another of my question is how are you getting along with the actual portfolio? Have you started drafting already or you are keeping this task to later on?...Just trying to figure out if I'm in a good place or not sharing thoughts with you all...

Get in touch! I would love to confront me with your work...

Have a nice reflective day everyone!

Survey on 'How Internet and Web 2.0 technologies affect different people'

So as I mentioned on my previous post  1B: Professional Communication Technology Reader: first thoughts... I've started a small survey asking some friends and family their opinion about Web 2.0 technologies.

These are the 3 simple questions I asked:

1. Do you use Internet? If yes, everyday or occasionally? How?

2. Do you think Internet and its tools are a good or a bad thing? Useful or un-useful for your everyday life professionally and personally? ( consider social networks such as facebook, twitter,etc...)

3. Do you think the use of Internet is easy?

These are the first responses that came up so far, showing the differences between different users and generations:


AMIRA: friend of mine ~ receptionist of a hotel 
1.  Addicted, she uses regularly in her everyday routine, she communicates with people close and far away.
2. Good thing if well used with balance and rationality. She thinks Facebook is good to look up at news, it's a cheap way of communication with everyone and everywhere; Useful to use it as a safe place to ask things sometimes embarrassing to ask ( to friends or new people met..), Useful to find rare books...She uses it for her job so is a constant tool in her everyday life.
3.She said it's very easy to use because she uses it and she is not cut-out for technologic stuff.


NICOLO': a friend of mine ~ Junior Researcher at the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome, and PhD candidate at the Department of Politics and International Relation, University of Kent.
1. Immoderate use of Internet, everyday, 10 times a day for work...plus few wasted hours on FB.
2. Fundamental for his job AND personal life. But he would prefer to reduce its use in his personal life.
3. Easy to use being raised in the 'Digital Era' and for its frequent use. He said that to him, the use of Internet and Web 2.0, comes NATURAL.


ANGELA: my mum ~ a professional masseuse ~ currently studying Chinese Medicine ~ living in Tenerife, Spain
1. Daily use, checking email, current events, researches for work and health, and to keep in touch with friend and family (skype for instance).
2. She thinks these are beautiful tools and also very dangerous, depending on its use, it can become a drug likewise TV and mobile phone can be...( she asks What did we do before the invention of cell phones?!? )
The good thing is that you are the user and you decide the use you want to do with it ( free will ).
The bad thing is that people with problems and socially outcasted can hide themselves behind the screen and it can become dangerous.
She also said that as a test we should all ask ourselves how long can we stay "off-line"...my answer,as for today, is maybe 1 day..!?!
We should use our own judgment and intelligence not to become too addicted.
For the social networks she has the same point of view...but another good example she used is how the web communication of today has being used with what's happening these days in Tunis, Egypt and Libya where people listening to each other's laments over the internet, found all together the strength to react, not feeling alone and weak anymore.
Internet unites people with same ideals, like GreenPeace and other world-wide associations, knowing what's happening on the other side of the world and having the possibility of participating in the front line. Internet unites countries, you can chat or play card with someone in Russia for instance...
What she things is bad is the loss of privacy, without paying attention with social networks like Facebook and Twitter, we can put informations of our private life accessible to anyone, things that now your employer can see and that you would have never spoken about before. This is a danger especially for young people.


3. She explains that it's definitely easier to use for young generations and that there are different levels of accessibility. Young people can take advantage of the web studying and researching...but she believes that is definitely more complicated, for instance, for elderly people but they could just learn basic tools such as the use of emails, and it could actually be a benefit for them keeping their mind active.
It's hard to move with the pace of technology but it surely helped us to develop different ways of creativity and give us more freedom.
She explains that she personally took a life change decision (moving back to her original country after 30 years) also thank you to the technology tools we have nowadays, thank to Skype we can keep in touch and see each other,something that 10 years ago wouldn't have been possible. 
INTERNET as a window to the world always open...
The last things she recommends is not to make it indispensable in our lives as, for instance, there is a possibility that the communication system could eventually be affected and damaged by radiations and suffer of a complete black out.


Read this interesting BBC's article on how web tools can monitories catastrophic disasters and how the solar system can affect our communications. 


After reading and considering these people's different opinions about Internet, social networks and web 2.0 tools in general, I can see more clearly what previously emerged in my thought process, I can understand better how technology and social networks are part of everybody's life and affect the daily routine of many. 
I found it very interesting to compare how people with different jobs, age and interests use the same tools to get what they need but in different ways...Skype, Facebook purely to stay in touch with people or to get to know more about others, group of interest and what's happening in the world...
What do you think? Would any of you would like to participate at my survey answering the questions?

Foreigner in my own country?

Ok! So now, while I wait for all my friends and family to give me their opinion about my last post, I can share with you some of my latest worries and feelings...thank you also to Paula that suggested me to do so.

As you may know I'm Italian and I've recently come back home after living almost 4 years in London and 10 months on a cruise ship after that.
So I suddenly found myself in a totally different situation working ways, something I wasn't used to. I'd gotten very into the everyday life in London and I knew how to find auditions, jobs in general, dance classes, shows...I was constantly moving for my career and it was natural.
But here the situation is slightly different...I've straight away started to audition for Italian Musicals, which is something that isn't in our culture so very new and therefore it's hard to get a job...not that it was easier in London, but there were more opportunities and the quality and organizations of things was way higher.

I was surprised on how meritocracy is something that isn't that important, anybody could walk into the audition and try, even without having any type of training.This really upsets me as I was competing with people not even knowing who Sondheim is and how to warm up their voices...of course in the end who had talent would get the job but being the MUSICAL THETRE scene such a small world still, you can see that the same people that had already been working with the companies, would in the end get the jobs. I'm sure they deserve it, but very often I felt a strange feeling of injustice that was different from the time I would feel sad after not succeeding at an audition in London purely because I wasn't good enough for what I was auditioning for or I wasn't the right person they were looking for.

So I've started feeling in the wrong place and wondering wether I should go back to England or not...but is it possible that I need to flee to another country in order to get a job? Shouldn't it be easier here in my own country and speaking my own language rather than being considered more abroad where it's harder for me as a second language speaker? The language will always affect my auditions competing against British performers, especially where singing and acting are involved BUT did get jobs before...

These are some of my thoughts lately...it's also very hard to understand if this course will help me for my future life here, but I know it would definitely help me for my career in the U.K.
Is any of you in my same or similar situation? I would love to share your thoughts and feelings, maybe knowing other people's choices will help me finding mine. :)

1B: Professional Communication Technology Reader: first thoughts...

Technology and Web 2.0 tools a positive things for everyone? Pros and Cons

I have to admit that after reading the Professional Practice Course Reader, Professional Communication Technology, few things came up to my mind, and they weren't exactly all positive thoughts.

As an addicted internet and technology user, I definitely see the Web 2.0 tools as pro thing...While I was reading started thinking of how important web communication, social networking and media tools are consistent and very important in my everyday life:

I log onto Facebook regularly, I check my email several times a day, I send cv for castings, I keep in touch with my far away friends via Gchat, Facebook and/or email, I'm always online on Skype and I'm constantly checking my favorite websites, such as Youtube and Google to always be updated with what is happening nowadays and to research for new music on Sheetzbox for my auditions ( an absolutely amazing website for finding sheet music, I hardly recommend it)....

But for a second I decided to read the document from a NON-technologic/web user's point of view and see how what I was reading affected me. 

I found myself feeling a bit lost, because if I wouldn't know about Facebook and other social networking, or Skype or Internet in general and how to navigate it, I would feel a bit overwhelmed and confused after reading, for instance, Gruber's feel about it.

The way internet and its contents are constantly moving faster than the reader, and the fact that it's hard to keep up with technology if you are not an everyday user but only a person that uses the Internet very little, I think it is a tool that can become hard to understand and therefore it becomes hard to see its benefits.

This has to do with the fact that even us, as young generation, weren't born with the invention of Internet but we definitely grew up in it...but let's think of the previous generation (our parents) that didn't grow up with computers and Internet and that suddenly they find themselves to live in a world of technology communication and that have to keep up with it.  Of course there are exceptions, I could quote my mum, she is an Internet user and a very technologic person ( she actually taught me a lot about it ) but in general, if not for work or studies, this generation have a way more difficult time to learn as fast as our generation does and probably don't have the time and don't feel the need to do so for their everyday life.

So my question is: 

Is the Internet a too complicated tool for previous generations and should become easier to navigate, or is it just something that isn't fully integrated with all ages and social classes in our society? Where can we find the middle point where everybody can benefit of Web 2.0 pretty much at the same level? 

To answer this question I've started a survey within my friends and family of different ages, works and social backgrounds. 

I will soon post the results and what I learnt from it... until now I would love to know if someone shares or objects with my latest thoughts.

:)