My experience in the English classes

My parents and teachers instilled in me the habit of reading a lot of books when I was a kid. As a result of reading more books, I was able to enhance my vocabulary with each passing day. Furthermore, I was inculcating and developing different writing skills such as articles, composition, dialogue and summaries. When I started with the English courses here I had to analyze situations and find appropriate counter responses. For me, this involved a lot of research, analysis and brainstorming which eventually stimulated me to become more analytical. 

In addition, one of my most important learning activities here has been conversation. I made friends in class and we spoke about a lot of things at length. The experience of conversing on diverse topics has been very precious to me as it inspired me to improve my communication skills in English. Another of my most enjoyable learning experiences has been watching TV on my house. Watching English films helped me a lot to improve my pronunciation, accent and speech in English. Besides, English news channels such as CNN and BBC have been very useful in building the foundation of my English language.

For the most part, learning English language has been an interesting and a challenging journey for me owing to all the cycles that I have gone through to achieve a certain level of proficiency in English. What I think of the different ages for learning English is that while children will enjoy when learning is fun, the more mature English learners will focus more on self-development. I think the method applied here with the blogs and the theoretical classes is very complete and complete, and I’m sure that with English as a tool by my side, I can surely aim to reach the high echelons of my education and career.

Holidays in Malaysia

During the semester holidays, my friends and I would like to visit the National Park in Pahang, also named as King George V National Park, which is ubicated near to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Pahang National Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Malaysia. It is known far and wide for its beauty and good conservation.

Once we arrive to Pahang, we want to stay in a motel, because we want to expend the minimum amount of money. To get to the National Park we think the best idea is getting there by jeep, but we read that you can also get there by taking a boat in Kuala Tembeling the most accessible gateway to Taman Negara is either through Jerantut, a 3-hour trip from Kuala Lumpur. The park images on the internet are beautiful, and being there I think, it´s even more beautiful.

One of our objectives is to reach the majestic Gunung Tahan, which is the highest point in the Peninsular Malaysia. The Gunung Tahan classic trail is the oldest and most scenic trail from the area. A return trip on this trail typically takes 6-7 days. On the trail climbers have to trek across undulating ridges and make several river crossings before reaching the foot of the mountain to make the final ascent.

 

Drugs of abuse

Drug abuse is rife in many countries. Billions of dollars are spent internationally preventing drug use, treating addicts, and fighting drug-related crime. Although drugs threaten many societies, their effects can also be combated successfully.

Drug abuse, like for example alcohol, causes multiple problems for countries and communities. Addicts cannot function as normal members of society. Regrettably, they neglect or abuse their families, and eventually require expensive treatment or hospitalization.

However, the menace of alcohol can be fought. A good education I think is the first big step in this theme. Children should to be told at home and in school about drugs and their effects on the body and mind so they know the consequences of their acts when they grow up. However, the main target should be the user: Families and counselors need to talk to children and people at risk. Parents need to look at their children and help them to become responsible. Worthwhile jobs and housing are also needed to give people a role in society.

A Postgrade curse

Since as long ago as I can remember I have always been fascinated by the natural world. That childish fascination has not left me but deepened over the years. This interest has led me to my love of biology, ecology, animal behavior and evolution.  After completing my undergraduate it is my wish to continue studying at postgraduate level in our university and ultimately conduct my own research in this area.

I want to take the magister in ambient biochemistry that the university courses, which have duration from 3 to 6 semesters. One of the themes that are being investigated on this magister is the application of biotechnology in water decontamination.  Biotechnology offers new possibilities to remove the metal ions, using the capacity of different bacteria and other microorganisms to capture the cations in their cell surfaces. The objective of the curse is to develop a bioremediation process for decontaminate water used by industry mining and manufacturing, improving and the decontamination system.

Working as a biochemistry

Becoming a biochemistry shouldn´t be about what the career can give to you in monetary value. Instead, it should be about having the opportunity for saving, improving human lives and serving the public. Biochemistries can imagine a way that could keep people healthy and make them feel better as possible. From small infant children to the elderly, everyone could need a biochemistry discoveries. Sometimes it can be a matter of life and death if medication is not available to the public. 

The importance of a biochemistry is demonstrated by the variety of different fields biochemists are working in today, to help to make the world a better place to live in. By studying biochemistry, I think I would be able to contribute to a brighter future and be part of the exciting new advances still to come. Since biochemistry underpins many of the other life sciences, it allows to specialize in a range of different subjects at a later date, so I don´t have a specific labor camp definite yet. 

Differents styles of music

I love to listen to music, but I am not like other people who often listen to the music that is popular at a time. The part of music that attracts me is the attitude of the writers and the tone, because the songs represent the writers’ mood and feeling. Through the songs people can receive what the writers try to express, so I often listen to Jazz, Rock, and Soul. These three types of music contain different languages but they are all my favorite song styles.

My favorite’s songs are Rock style, for example Freddy Mercury or Bob dylan. Rock is very different from Jazz because Rock is quite noisy. When I have something to face or have to make a choice, I always listen to Rock music, letting the music go through my mind and I can think deeper and deeper.

I often just sit on the chair and do nothing. This happened when I was quite tired or sleepy; for example, sitting on the subway or buses, I do not think or do anything. I do not like to be disturbed by others, I want my own space. And Soul music can help me get away for a while from my busy life.

Our sense of touch

The sense of touch, to me, is a very amazing thing. The ability to feel certain things is easily one of the most fascinating things for me. Sensory receptors are found in many parts of the body including the skin, epithelial tissues, skeletal muscles, bones and joints, internal organs, and the cardiovascular system.

It consists both of sensory receptors and sensory (afferent) neurons in the periphery, to deeper neurons within the central nervous system. In set, the nerve cells responds to changes to the surface or internal state of the body. Nerve cells called "sensory receptors" (including thermo receptors, mechanoreceptors, chemoreceptors and nociceptors) send signals along a chain of nerve cells to the spinal cord where they may be processed by other nerve cells and then relayed to the brain for further processing.

One of the most famous illnesses of the sensory system is the Disconnection syndrome. It´s a general term for a number of neurological symptoms caused by damage to the white matter axons of communication pathways (via lesions to association fibers or commissural fibers) in the cerebrum, independent of any lesions to the cortex.

My Best Holiday

When I was 16 years old, I had an opportunity to visit South Africa with my parents.That was my best vacation in my life, because my father, my mother, my brother and I spent two weeks visiting one of the most beautiful places in the world.  There are several reasons why it was my best vacation. First of all, I like visiting historic place and South Africa have several of them like the Robben Island for example. Since the end of the 17th century, Robben Island has been used for the isolation of mainly political prisoners, one of those prisoners were Nelson Mandela, future president of South Africa. 

Secondly, I like the places where you need to realize entire hours of walking or climbing. The Alexandria Hiking Trail it´s a national park with a 32 km, two-day circular trail. The first day is estimated for around 18.5 km and the second day for 13.5 km. Moreover, the park has beautiful view. I remember that my brother and I climbed toward the highest spot of a hill. It was very steep there and the surface was a little slippery because the day before rained the entire day. On the top of the hill we could see green mountains roll over one another. It was one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen. 

A trip to Australia

I would like travel to Australia because it has an amazing diversity of landscapes: a melting pot of mountains, deserts, coral reefs, forests, beaches and multicultural cities. Most Australians live on the coast, mostly in big cities; In fact, Australia is the eighteenth most urbanized country in the world. Their capital city, Sydney, is a glamorous collusion of beaches, cultural museums and entertaiment places. Australia is very famous for its iconic aquatic, beach and coastal destinations, so I would explore some of the country's best-known landmarks such as the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland and the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.

Also, I would explore its national parks and World Heritage Areas in which you can get up close to their native plants and animals, explore wide open spaces and discover ancient rainforests on the fringe of modern cities.

Australian universities have a great prestige in the entire world. Their publics universities like  the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney and University of Technology Sydney are at the same level of the privates ones like the University of Notre Dame Australia or the University of Wollongong, so the idea of travelling to Australia for study isn´t bad at all.  

Some links where you can borrow more information about Australia, its touristic places and history: 

http://www.australia.com/en      http://www.australia.gov.au/

DNA isolation

DNA extraction is the removal of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from the cells or viruses in which it normally resides. It is often an early step in many diagnostic processes used to detect bacteria and viruses in the environment as well as diagnosing disease and genetic disorders. The ability to extract DNA is of primary importance to studying the genetic causes of disease and for the development of diagnostics and drugs. It is also essential for carrying out forensic science, sequencing genomes, detecting bacteria and viruses in the environment and for determining paternity. One of the most common methods is the Sequencing in witch the operator take portions of, or whole genomes for comparison with existing sequence in the public data base for analyze their composite. A DNA extraction consist in break open the cells or virus containing the DNA of interest and then remove with enzymes or specific chemicals every sustance contained in the cell that`s not the DNA. The extraction of DNA is pivotal to biotechnology. It is the starting point for numerous applications, ranging from fundamental research to routine diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making. Extraction and purification are also essential to determining the unique characteristics of DNA, including its size, shape and function.  

My favourite subject

From very beginning of my schooling day as far as I remember, I have an attraction for Mathematics, I never feel anything boring about this Subject. As my father is an engineer, he always helps me to learn the subject well. Also he teaches me with a great technique of visual representation.

I like this subject because it doesn't need memorizing skill, only mental logic is sufficient, It’s one of the subjects in which anyone can score full marks and overall of marks can be improved. Also I think that is very important that mathematical know is a very common type of knowledge that has greater impact on our day to day life.

In our classes we only learn theorems and laws from math that helps us to solve different problems or exercises that the teacher proposes, which I think is very boring. Our classes could be more interactive with more activities or that kind of thigs, not only calculate on our notebooks contexts that are far from the reality.

   

A scientist to admire

Linus Carl Pauling (February 28, 1901 – August 19, 1994) was an American chemist, biochemist, peace activist, author, and educator, he was one of the founders of the fields of quantum chemistry and molecular biology. Pauling was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954. In 1962, for his peace activism, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This makes him the only person to be awarded two unshared Nobel Prizes. Pauling has been listed among the 20 greatest scientists of all time. His discoveries led to decisive contributions in a diverse array of areas including quantum mechanics, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, protein structure, molecular biology, and medicine. But also he began to circulate a petition among scientists to stop nuclear testing on January 15, 1958, Pauling and his wife presented a petition to United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld calling for an end to the testing of nuclear weapons. It was signed by 11,021 scientists representing fifty countries.

I admire Linus Pauling because he was able to combine science and humanity, creating greats discoveries in a long list of diverses themes and fighting also for an safer and more trustworthy world without nuclear weapons that could create a big damage both to the humanity and the planet we live on. 

Another part of the family

In my case I must say that I was born with dogs in my house, they have always accompanied me, so I learned to live with them since I was really young. I have had a lot of dogs along my life, 7 in total,  of which there are only 3 actually. Their names are Teodoro, Dolly and Amelia and they are all "Whesties" which is an small and white race of dog.
They are very affectionate and always wanna be close to someone of my family, so we are never alone while we move around our house. Also they are very protective and they start barking to any strange that enter into our house or to any sound that they found strange.
I like dogs because I think that dogs wont deceive you, what they shows you is what they feel, so I try to do the same with them, being in the same way.

A piece of story inside an image

My favourite photo I think is the one taken by Julian Wasser for the magazine Time Life pictures in 1965 for the speech of M. Luther King called "I Have a Dream"on Washington DC. I like this picture very much because it represent an extraordinary leader like Martin Luther King and all the people that he inspired in an age of vacuum for their rigths.

After this, Martin Luther King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence and his speech "I Have a Dream" came to be regarded as one of the finest speeches in the history of American oratory. The March, and especially King's speech, helped put civil rights at the top of the agenda of reformers in the United States and facilitated passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

At the end, on 1968 Luther King was assassinated when he was planning a national occupation of Washington, D.C by an man that didn´t liked the Luther King ideas.

Books and films

I think that the book I liked the most is "Siddhartha" written by the German Herman Hesse, about 1951. Siddhartha is a novel that talks about the ancient India, where the protagonists, Siddartha joined by his friend Govinda, decided to abandon their homes and families for start a travel to find the spiritual illumination. I liked this book because it shows a veridical version to understand the life and self-growing.

Likewise, the movie "Interstellar" I find is an epic science-fiction movie. It tells about the Earth from the future, where human surviving is each day difficult. Is in these conditions where an NASA pilot, Joseph Cooper, is sent to explore a wormhole that appears in the solar system. I found this movie is great because it have a good plot, specials effects and actors that combined they created this master piece <3.

I recommend them both, Siddartha and Interstellar, because each one by their own way generated a really good experience reading or watching them.     

 

My favourite piece of technology

Nowdays, the internet has became such a huge instrument for the entire world leeting people share any kind of information that they want. With the internet the entire world enter in a new state of conection that make avalible to stay in contact from almost any part of the planet. For these reasons I think that the internet is one of the most important invents from the actuals times.
In my house we got access to it when my parents bought our first computer, around 2005, when I was just 8 years old.

For use the internet you just need a computer or a cellphone that can connect to other devices at any time, so it´s very easy nowdays to use it.
Today the internet is part of our lifes, so I think that almost everyone use it several times per day, every single day; texting, sending emails or photos, listening to music, etc. So our style of life includes the internet and without it our dairy existence would be different.
Personally, I like the invent of the internet because it allows people to stay in contact with each other, also, it´s a very useful tool for complete works and share information and finally I like it because it´s a great source of fun and entertainment where you can find almost every theme you could like to watch or read, any type or music and a big spectrum of movies and series.
If the internet had never exits, the globalization and comunication would follow differents developments that the ones they are creating now, the world wouldn´t have the fast way to share things that it have with the internet.

Why did I decided to study my career?

When i was a kid, I always wanted to be a geologist or a cartographer because I liked everything related with the process of the minery.
After, during almost the entire period of high school the only career that I thought I could study was engineer, specifically chemical engineer, because my grades in all others themes were too bad or I wasn´t very interested on them. I decided to take the mathematical optional in my college where we had maths around 12 hours per week. Was after one and a half year having this program that I realize that I got tired from math and that I didn´t wanted to study a career related with it. At the beginning I was quite distressed because without the option of beeing an engineer I didn´t know the curse that my life could take.

I told it to my parents and they asked me if I wanted an interview with mi neighbour P. Valenzuela that is a great national scientist that studied biochemistry on U. de Chile to witch I accepted. When I was talking with him he emphasized the idea of studying a career that you like and that full your expectations and that if I liked the chemistry area, study biochemistry was a very good option to choose, so I decided to try it and I started studying biochemistry this year.
Until now, my experience in the university has been really good; the áreas of study are motivating and challenging and my classmates are a great company.

My name is Dario Donoso M. I´m the youngest of two brothers. My brother, Adolfo, is six years older than me and he is an agricultural engineer. He studied in U. de Chile for five years and completed a master degree in U. Catolica for another two years. We both studied in Saint George´s College since the 5 years old, in this place is where I met my actual bests friends.

 In the past year I decided to start studying biochemistry in U. de Chile. I decided to choose this career after that my neighbour P. Valenzuela guided myself to consider this option, because when I was in fourth grade I didn´t know what to study. My fathers; Guillermo and Cecilia, they both where born in Santiago and studied business in U. de Chile where the met and got married. My father now works on telecommunications creating new proyects and innovating in new ways to provide this service in the country. My mother in change, works on a company administering all the cost and beneficts.