Trinity University: Sebastiantag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/trinity/Sebastian//2812009-05-04T22:40:31ZMovable Type 3.34The Final Stretchtag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/trinity/Sebastian//281.102022009-04-30T22:07:33Z2009-05-04T22:40:31ZWell, after a long blogging absence, there is definitely a lot to retell. In my previous posts I talked about being part of a movie and organizing the International Banquet, not to mention the Opera production. These two consumed my...Sebastian
Well, after a long blogging absence, there is definitely a lot to retell. In my previous posts I talked about being part of a movie and organizing the International Banquet, not to mention the Opera production. These two consumed my life, and that's the reason for my absence. This entry will be dedicated to retelling my adventurous path as actor, producer, and singer (talk about multi-tasking!).
Well, principal photography finished about two weeks ago, and I couldn't believe it! About 70% of my free time was dedicated to the movie. It was very rough, especially knowing that while most of my senior friends were partying at Howl at the Moon every Thursday, I filmed in a dirty garage. We ran behind of schedule in our morning scenes, so we had to schedule two extra filming sessions during the week at 7 am. So, my schedule for the last two weeks of filming was Thursday to Saturday: morning workout scenes at 7 am and night/event scenes from 8 till midnight, plus afternoon shots on Saturday from 2 to 6. Sunday we had afternoon and night shots as well. I was so busy and sleep deprived that I quickly fell asleep during several shots where I had to "pretend" I was sleeping. There were also some scenes where water was involved. By this I mean, I had to be bombarded with water balloons (one of which made an unfortunate landing in my crotch, without exploding), railed with Super soaker fire and get cold water dumped on me from a bucket. I guess a movie about fraternity pledging has to feel like you're actually pledging one. Although I still have to go and do some voice recording to dub into the movie, but the hard part is done.
Yet my glee was short-lived since the International Banquet came a week after I was done filming. The stress before the event was quite nerve-racking, to be perfectly honest. Making sure the performers had everything they needed (microphones, stands, chairs, etc.), finalizing a script for the MCs, making sure all the tables and decorations were setup, as well as the silent auction items; lots of pressure for an event that has grown to be very important for faculty, staff and students. President Brazil and VP Michael Fischer were there, so we were obliged to deliver a spectacular show. In the end, things went pretty well. We had varied performances, from traditional Vietnamese dances, to Salsa-Belly dancing fusion. We even had 16 performers on stage for a grand final act: an Indian dance based on the Slumdog Millionaire end credits dance. The crowd was very pleased about that one. We also took some time to thank President Brazil for his contributions to the international student body at Trinity. Thanks to him more of us can attend Trinity and his vision for internationalizing the institution made many of our stories possible.
Yet, the last haul was the Opera. As part of the Opera Workshop class, we put together the first full opera production at Trinity: Die Fledermaus (The Bat). This is a comedic opera where Dr. Falke (me) plays an embarrassing joke/revenge on his friend Eisenstein. Eisenstein played a joke on Dr. Falke several years ago, and so Falke's revenge includes embarrassing him before his wife and the prison director, at a rich prince's mansion full of distinguished guests. Before I was done with filming rehearsing for the opera was not very productive, since I could only go to Sunday rehearsal's, which were very short and progress was slow since not all cast members were able to get there. Nonetheless, the two weeks before opening night (last Friday) we rehearsed almost every day to memorize our lines and polish the acting. I think the best run we ever had (including dress rehearsals) was on opening night. The crowd was laughing enthusiastically and we got a standing ovation at the end. It is very fulfilling to have complete strangers come up to you and congratulate you for your performance, even a couple of days afterwards. Today I say I'm very glad I was part of it, but had you asked me a week ago, I would be cursing myself for making that choice. It paid off the effort.
Well, I promise to have two more posts within the next two weeks: one full of pictures from last month craziness and a final blog post before graduation. Yes... btw... I'm graduating in two weeks. Crazy. I'm sure all the implications of it haven't hit me yet, but when I do, you will probably have a tear-shed blog in front of your screen. Hahaha... just kidding... or maybe not.
Lazy timetag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/trinity/Sebastian//281.94592009-03-10T07:21:22Z2009-03-10T08:01:14ZI'm staying in the dorms for s short time in San Antonio, while everybody else is enjoying their Spring Break in any other part of the world. My friends have gone to Houston, California, and some of the folks I...Sebastian
http://www.sporcle.com. Yeah, that's my nerdy way of spending my long free day.
The down side of having too much spare time is that I totally misuse it. I could be looking for possible jobs after graduation, fine tuning pending applications or studying a little bit for my upcoming midterms next week so I don't have to cram and pull an all-nighter later on. Instead, I just dragged on with my day wasting time on the internet. I usually complain that I have no time to clean up my room or go to the gym. I had a whole day to do that and my room still looks like a disaster zone and the only sore muscles in my body are my slightly flattened buns. I still have two more days here before I head to South Padre and hopefully bid farewell to my last college Spring Break with a epic, booming Hurrah... but the next two days will drag on too slowly.
For what it's worth, I caught up with some movies I wanted to see. Watchmen wasn't that great, Slumdog Millionaire was touching and Che was also alright. I was surprised that some parents brought their 5 or 7 year old kids to a Sunday at 10pm show of Watchmen. I think they believed it was just another superhero movie, and then had to cover their kids' eyes and ears when Dr. Manhattan tried to pull a "multi-some" and when Nite-Owl and Miss Jupiter culminated their "business" with a fireball over the Hudson river. Funny as that might sound, I think these cheesy, yet quite graphic scenes in the movie would only create premature "curiosity" in those kids. I would be dialing the shrink if my kid was still awake during Rorschach's bloody, rampaging flashbacks.
I might be exaggerating, but parents, don't complain about your child's odd behavior if you don't even take the time of noticing the capital R next to the movie title before buying the tickets.
I also did some accent research (though unfruitful) for my character in my friend's movie. As I said in the previous post, I'm Marco, a foreign kid that doesn't entirely know what's going on during the movie. I also happen to be Argentinian. James, the director, didn't care much about the amount of accent I could put into my character, but I'd really like to experiment with that. Bogota-Colombian accent is very neutral, and although my accent is still noticeable, it's not evident in most of my lines. The truth is,The good news is I can do a decent Argentine accent. The bad news, I can do it Spanish, but not in English. Browsing through several youtube videos about Argentina, I couldn't come across one that had someone speaking English with the desired accent. I guess I can keep trying to think in Argentine Spanish and then translate to English while talking simultaneously, but that's really hard and sometimes I feel I'm just mixing up accents and end up sounding terrible.
Anyway, these are the two thoughts I could string together at this late time of the night. I'll probably end up posting again about the randomness brought about by boredom. Bis spater. ]]>
Back from my hideout...tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/trinity/Sebastian//281.93962009-03-05T02:25:37Z2009-03-05T04:02:08ZWell... it feels like ages since I've written in this blog. If you have been wondering about my prolonged absence, it's not only because I tend to procrastinate (although I cannot deny it has something to do with me slacking)....Sebastian
Well... it feels like ages since I've written in this blog. If you have been wondering about my prolonged absence, it's not only because I tend to procrastinate (although I cannot deny it has something to do with me slacking). I started off my semester with a very relaxed schedule, with tons of free to hang out with my friends and such. It's my last semester at Trinity, so... it should all be easy going right?
Well, being the workoholic that I am, I once again decided to bite more than I could chew, and got involved in a bunch of stuff. I'm the International Club president, so I've been planning the greatest event we hold every year: the International Banquet. This event is basically the celebration of the diversity international students bring to Trinity University. Student performers dance and sing on stage to give the audience a little piece of their culture, while they enjoy a delicious meal based on recipes from all around the world. We also have a silent auction of items from abroad donated by international students. It's basically awesome, and one of the few formal events hosted by a student organization that get the privilege of having the University President in the guest list. This has obviously come with a lot of work and responsibilities: planning performances, what will be on the menu, publicity and all the tiny, gritty details that make your hair gray sooner than it should be but still make the event what it it.
Also, one of my close friends who graduated several years ago decided to become an independent film maker. He asked me to audition for a role in one of his movies and I got it! It's very exciting to be in a movie and play a very fun role. The catch is that every Thursday through Sunday I got to shoot the movie, including early morning scenes during the weekend. And by early morning I don't mean college early 10:30 am, I mean be ready on location at 6:30 am both Saturday and Sunday. It sucks, I know, but a cliche may as well serve to explain why I do this... no pain no gain.
Going off with my acting skills exploration, I also decided to do the Opera Workshop this semester. These last two days we had a master class where we learned about diction and singing techniques incorporated to dramatic expression and character impersonation. We're putting up 'Die Fledermaus', a comic opera by Johann Strauss. I play Dr. Falke, a man who is plan his revenge on an old "friend" to get back at him from a prank played on me in the past. I'm very calculating and manipulative; devilishly malicious without being evil. I'm pretty sure this is going to be a blast once we start rehearsing the acting part of the opera (so far we've focused on the music).
Anyway, this is my quick update for you. I'm glad I don't have any big tests or papers for the rest of the week, and I'm more than ready for spring break to start. And although I know I'm the king of broken blog promises... I'll try to put up those long-forgotten pictures and maybe update you on more fun stuff.
Taiwanese Puppets Awe Audience, Breathe Fire!tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/trinity/Sebastian//281.89342009-02-04T01:45:54Z2009-02-04T04:38:43ZYes... they did breathe fire. Real fire, like....... real real fire. Sorry... my language skills have not yet fully recovered from the shock I had last week at a Taiwanese puppet show. This story actually started last fall, when my...Sebastian
Yes... they did breathe fire. Real fire, like....... real real fire. Sorry... my language skills have not yet fully recovered from the shock I had last week at a Taiwanese puppet show. This story actually started last fall, when my voice teacher, Chia-Wei, asked me if I was still involved in the International Club. What he wanted, was International Club to co-sponsor the Taiwanese puppetry show. Several other organizations from Trinity and the San Antonio Community had already contributed to bringing the Happy Puppetry Company from Taiwan to have their show on campus. Shortly before I assumed the presidency of the club in December, we agreed it would be a great idea to donate some of our budget money to bring the company.
Probably one of the best decisions ever. This show was not like anything I've seen before in my life. The puppets fought between each other and against a puppet tiger just like you would see it in a Chinese martial arts movie. It was incredible. The first part of their show focused on the fight scenes and martial arts stuff: jumps, twirls, kicks, karate chops, sword fights and tiger bashing.
For a short clip on how it looked like: http://youtube.com/watch?v=v-VlgTdz6cw
The second part was even better. The story here is a bout the Candlelight festival, so you scroll through several characters going thorugh their daily activities and the festivities. One of the puppets actually wrote "LOVE" on a little piece of paper, after striking a matchstick on fire to light up his desk candle. The Old Man also used a matchstick to light his pipe and smoke. He actually inhaled and exhaled smoke. It was astonishing. The puppeteers were able to do amazing feats like balance pots and twirl plates on the puppets' heads. They could also make them juggle with fire and BREATHE FIRE!!!!! (Can you tell I was blown away about the fire?). Unbelievable! Incredible! The show was also accompanied by a small ensemble of traditional instruments, which made the whole show even more enjoyable. Definitely something to check out if you ever have the opportunity.
Christmas Oddisseytag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/trinity/Sebastian//281.84792008-12-28T21:05:56Z2008-12-28T23:16:40ZI must thank whatever God or Gods made my arrival to Bogota and my survival of that hateful week possible. Why...? Here's why. There's two possible scenarios during finals week. Scenario 1: my finals are scheduled with appropiate timing so...Sebastian
I must thank whatever God or Gods made my arrival to Bogota and my survival of that hateful week possible. Why...? Here's why. There's two possible scenarios during finals week. Scenario 1: my finals are scheduled with appropiate timing so that I spent a healthy amount of time studying for them. Let's say I have one final a day... so I can spend the whole day before reviewing the material and taking my finals with enough sleep and relative confidence. Scenario 2: my finals are all clustered together... leaving me prone to all-nighters, endless cramming, puffy eyes and constant energy drink consumption. I decided to buy my plane ticket to go home a day before finals ended, confident that (worst case scenario) I would have to move one final early. Everything was set for Scenario 1 (a calm relaxed finals week) until I found out that I had to move my Wednesday and Thursday final to Monday (I flew on Wednesday). I had another final and a take-home test due on Tuesday. That means... two days per final with five completely free days before my first final to prepare for the final cluster of doom ahead. If I were an organized, diligent student, I would've balanced my leisure and studying time during those 5 days so that I wouldn't have to cram or deprive myself from sleep....
Well... I ended up in scenario 2. After going salsa dancing Wednesday night, to a friend's birthday Thursday night, Christmas shopping on Saturday and procrastinating on facebook and youtube all Saturday.... I started cramming on Sunday. By Wednesday morning, I had totaled 5 hours of sleep in a 72 hour span. I was obviously exhausted, but I thought I could sleep enough on the plane ride back home so I could regain some energy.
I landed on Chicago after a good two hours of sleep on the plane to San Antonio. I headed to the gate for my next flight which was delayed 15 minutes due to icy weather in Boston, from where the aircraft was coming. I had a two hour layover at Miami so I had no worries. 15 minutes became 30... 45... a full hour delay. Timing was tight , but I thought I could still make to my flight to Bogota. Right before we take off, the ground crew discovered thay had forgotten to load our luggage onto the plane. It took them another full hour to load everything. I obviously couldn't sleep the whole flight... knowing that I had 15 minutes from the moment I touched the ground to catch the next plane. Once on the ground, the aircraft had to taxi for about 10 minutes until the gate assigned to it was cleared, and another 5 to open the door because "it froze". The flight status was delayed 15 minutes... so that compensated for the time lost on the ground... and I ran... ran like there was no tomorrow. I got to the gate but my flight had left already. A bunch of other passengers headed for Bogota argued with the airline agents for awhile, until my Christmas miracle happened, the plane was coming back from the runway to pick us up. It was the most relieveing news ever! I could hardly sleep on the plane due to adrenaline still running through my veins. My suitcases didn't arrive with me to Bogota, of course, but I was grateful beyond any boundaries of being able to make it.
My parents picked me up at the airport and a bunch of friends were home reeady to welcome me back. We celebrated till 3 am. At 6:30 am sharp I stood up to get ready to go the US Embassy. I had to renew my visa during the break since it was close to expire. The visa process is another oddissey itself, but to make things short, I had to sit around 8 hours waiting for my damned visa to be approved. By 1 pm that day I was delirious with exhaustion, laughing to the most ridiculous things and losing my marbles one by one. Thank god I was able to sleep 16 hours that night.
It's recommendable to cram and survive a terrible finals week, if the cost of feeling you will collapse any second doesn't exceed the benefits of the spare time you earned. I think I don't completely regret doing what I did... I enjoyed my free time... and I definitely think it's almost a miracle I'm back in Bogota. I will go to Cali during the Feria they celebrate every year, and later on to Quito to visit my Ecuadorian friends from Trinity. Later on, back in Bogota, I will meet some of the alumni from Trinity in Bogota. Apparently there are 3 American alumni there... so it will be an eventful break. More of that on my next entry. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Going out with a bangtag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/trinity/Sebastian//281.82462008-12-03T16:46:28Z2008-12-03T17:21:05ZThese past two weeks have been filled with great news. First of all, I was nominated to receive the Who's Who in America's Colleges and Universities award. A handful of senior at every university are selected for nomination, their profile...Sebastian
Who's Who in America's Colleges and Universities award. A handful of senior at every university are selected for nomination, their profile reviewed a faculty and student committee to give them the award. Many of my friends say I have a lot on my plate all the time, but I guess this shows that it pays off. I haven't written my application yet, but I'll try not to procrastinate on this one.
I've become a chronic procrastinator since I returned from Thanksgiving break. I only have a presentation due Thursday, and I've been "working on it" (and by that I mean wasting my time on youtube and/or facebook) since Monday morning. It's bad, pretty bad. But anyway, I digress...
I also won three awards from the Study Abroad Photo contest at Trinity. I won the first place in the Landscape and Abstract categories and the third place in the Architectural category. My Landscape photo also won the Best in Show award! At the end of next semester it will be permanently displayed in Upstairs Coates with all the previous winners. Maybe this will be my excuse not to donate the $20 for the senior gift since I have a cooler legacy on campus than a signature on a brick (j/k).
The senior gift is a donation of the graduating class to the University for a scholarship fund. Each senior is asked to donate the year of his/her graduation; in my case $20.09. This goes to a scholarship fund for the incoming class next year. You also "buy" the right to sign one of the bricks on Murchison Tower. Permanently displayed pictures are much cooler, but again... I digress...
Last but certainly not least, my brother back in Colombia has finally received his first produced song. He wrote a very cool song and showed to his guitar teacher, who owns a recording studio. He loved the song and asked my brother if he'd like to record it. Of course he accepted and I now have in my iPod one of the catchiest, greatest songs ever. He has made me really proud. He's accomplished one my dreams... writing a song that's decent enough to be produced. I'm quite challenged at composing and my parents don't do any music, but I'm glad my brother had this breakthrough in the family. I'll post a link sometime so you can listen to his song. I've been playing it over and over again for two days straight. Mmmm.... I just realized he's been helping me procrastinate by listening incessantly to his music. ]]>
On Stagetag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/trinity/Sebastian//281.78012008-11-02T22:44:27Z2008-11-04T22:26:51ZTwo weeks ago was the busiest time I've had in a long time. Not only did Songs for a New World open, but I also performed on Trinity Idol 6. OK, so here's my love-hate relationship with Trinity Idol. Last...Sebastian
Exit Sebastian
It just blows my mind that the song I put the least effort into was actually good enough to impress the judges; couldn't believe it for a couple of hours. After auditions ended I got a email confirming that I had made to the Trinity Idol event the following week.
Well, now I had to find a way of making my performance a great show. I decided to call Jonathan and ask him if he could play the bongos for me at the show. I wanted to have a second guitar helping me, but my friend Wladimir was out of town during the time I was planning to rehearse the songs, so I relied solely on Jonathan to do the percussion. Monday before the show (which was Tuesday), Jonathan texts me and says he's too sick to come to rehearse that day and probably even to perform the next day. I had to call Wladimir and ask him if he could play with me the next day. Fortunately he was able to learn the song well in less than 24 hours. Problem 1 averted.
Problem 2: I borrowed a guitar from another one of the contestants so I could play standing up (my guitar has no strap). Wladimir would play my guitar and I would use the borrowed one. I picked up the guitar an hour before sound check was scheduled and realized this guitar had metal strings. My guitar has nylon strings, which are much softer on your fingers than metal ones. Wladi and I rehearsed that entire hour and by the end of it I had a huge blisters on my fingers. They were so bad I was afraid they would pop in the middle of the performance that night. Fortunately nothing like that happened but it was a very stressful 24-hour time span before the show.
Performance went well, although my solo's were flaky (the blisters messed my touch badly) and our coordination was affected by the nerves Wladi and I had, but overall it was a decent performance. I was able to engage most of the crowd into a song that they hadn't heard before and probably couldn't understand the lyrics, but I was very happy to do it. According to one of the judges, I had a great stage presence and I told the crowd with my attitude I was in control; this was the first time I ever heard one of those, so I was very satisfied. Didn't make it to the final three, but it felt great to perform to a large crowd once again.
SFNW rehearsals were taking most of my time that week, too. Every night we had 3 hours dedicated to the musical. It was very hard to cope with my other responsibilities, but it was able to manage. SFNW is just a song cycle where each song tells a different story. It's a very interesting work and the music is great. I really enocurage you to listen to it. I had three solo songs plus the opening and ending songs, in which all the cast performed.
Here's the full cast on the closing number.
I was three different characters during the show. After the shows we received a lot of positive feedback from the spectators, and even from some faculty that attended! I enjoyed performing for it, and overall I think it was a very positive experience. The only time I had performed something that combined acting and singing was Opera Workshop last year, and I had a very short part. Having three instances where I was the focus of attention most of the time was terrifying, but at the same time thrilling. Here are the pictures (finally I'm posting with pics again!)
This is me doing the Christopher Columbus number, imploring for a sign cause I'm lost in the middle of the Atlantic with a worn down crew and ship.
This Meaghan, impersonating a woman so desperate for attention that tries to fake a suicide attempt jumping off a building, ultimately failing at both getting attention and faking such attempt. Great song!
Here's Ashley either singing one of the transitions or I'm not Afraid of Anything.
This is Taylor's character in Stars and the Moon. She's looking for a man that will give her a life of luxury, and after remembering the affairs she's had before marrying such man she realizes she'll "never get the moon."
Yours truly as a Pirates fan; basically I tell my father's story and my story in parallel. My dad fought for his dream's and failed miserably, and to avoid that kind of failure I decide to leave my fiance, played by Sarah (on the right), without even saying goodbye. I'm such a bastard!
This is Mrs. Claus bashing on her husband... or Ashley just beating Paris on stage. This hilarious take on the traditionally merry couple, where a Russian Mrs. Claus complains about how she has become irrelevant to Santa's life and even Rudolf seems to excite him more than she does. One of my favorites from the show.
Here's me during King of the World. This song is a praise to my former glory and a plea to be released so I can "live my given destiny", with the sad realization at the very end that all of that is gone.
This is Sarah's performance of a girl "with the promise of the world inside of [her]". Lots of similes with Virgin Mary, since it's Christmas Lullaby afterall.
Sarah and Paris in I'd Give it All for You, one of the romantic songs, where two long-lost lovers find each other once again. Very sweet song.
Here's Taylor once more in one of the most moving songs of SFNW. She's a Flagmaker; while the War of Independence rages on, she does what she knows best to keep her from insanity:sowing a flag.
That's it for now. I hope these pictures and my short descriptions encourage you to listen to the music and go watch any performances near you. And please, take a few seconds and comment on our blogs... it really helps to get some feedback from our audience. Thanks, and bis gleich!]]>
Popping the Bubbletag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/trinity/Sebastian//281.74562008-10-07T16:22:04Z2008-11-02T22:44:22ZBefore I wrote this entry, my mood was out of control. I was usually seen on campus with a more-serious-than-usual face and sometimes I growled inadvertently. Don't get me wrong, but at least I wasn't biting or kicking and barking...Sebastian
This would never happen in Spain!!", -*cough*cough*yeah right*). We got off at the final stop in about 10 minutes (long enough for Ry to applaud the efficiency of the system), and walked towards the Blue Star Brewery.
On the way we saw many tables selling all kinds of handcrafts and T-shirts, bands playing on the streets, mimes that yelled at the people on the other side of the street (?!?!?!), and of course, people campaining for one or other candidate. There was a jazz band playing at the Brewery's parking lot, but due to crowdedness we decided to go inside and enjoy ourselves. The result of the night was positive: 3 pitchers and 3 King James in the company of good friends.
Saturday night, I crossed another thing from my to-do list: Oktoberfest at Fredericksburg. It reminded me a lot of Arbeitstag, back in Freiburg during May: Bands playing, beer and food everywhere, people hanging out at the tables drinking beer or dancing in between getting another beer... did I mention there was a lot of beer? I mean, what better way of spending an evening than eating Bratwurst and drinking authentic German beer? Seriously, drinking Franziskaner Hefeweizen was pure awesomeness pouring down my throat. It was like rewinding the tape back to the good ol' days abroad. Everything that night was great, except the fact that they played the Chicken Dance song three timesdue to popular demand! I mean, the Chicken Dance isn't that great to ask for it every hour. We need to come up with something better than polka and chicken dancing for this events, seriously.
Overall, the weekend was phenomenonal. Plus, I'm not growling anymore (although I am still kicking cats off my balcony). Sunday was the first rehearsal for Songs for a New World. I'm crossing another item from the list with that. I'm really excited about it and I'll have pictures about it next time, as well of pictures of Oktoberfest... and Budapest... and Prague... and all the other pictures I haven't posted up yet... *sigh* I'm such a slacker :(]]>
On Returningtag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/trinity/Sebastian//281.71082008-08-26T21:22:30Z2008-08-26T21:23:18ZWell, well… a lot of time has passed since my last entry and it has certainly flown by. I’ve been to several Central European countries and several cities back home in Colombia and I got a bunch of stories from...Sebastian
Well, well… a lot of time has passed since my last entry and it has certainly flown by. I’ve been to several Central European countries and several cities back home in Colombia and I got a bunch of stories from all those places. I’ve travelled often with my family. From an early age I was trained in the wonderful art of positioning your body for comfortable backseat and airplane seat sleeping. I’ve learned to let my body go slowly into deep slumber to the sound of a motor, as well as one quality some friends say I have in excess: patience.
The process for returning to school has become, again, a test to my patience. I’m sitting at the Dallas Airport doing the most necessary activity for cheap fare travelers like me: waiting. No matter how well planned my flight itinerary is, I always end up stuck three or more hours in an airport. I guess the bright side is my improving skills playing Solitaire. Yet, every trip back and forth from the US to Colombia has become easier with time. I’ve taken advantage of my “sleeping skills� and gladly missed out on on-board features like Penelope or Horton Hears a Who! Certainly, many times I’ve had the feeling that the pilot makes a detour here and there so you can enjoy the torture of viewing such things.
Landing is another adventure, although it appears it has improved with time. Either the airport authorities have learned how to make customs and immigration process faster or I have just become more resilient to the never-ending lines of passengers with that unbearable smell of pressurized cabin sweat. It is finally your turn at to be checked and questioned by the DHS officer. I try my best to be nice and amicable by greeting him with a warm “Good afternoon, officer� so things go smoothly. “Buenas tardes�, has been his disdainful reply for the last three times. Luckily, I’m a Colombian citizen. Therefore, “random� checks are more random for me than for most travelers. I’ve learned to pack as lightly as I can, so that the poor sniffing dog can get his cookie faster and I don’t miss my connection.
Well I’m about to board my plane, to finally arrive to San Antonio. Although this little rant might indicate I’d rather stay back home, I must confess I’ve missed Trinity. I look forward to meet all the friends I left behind and the prospect of new acquaintances. It’s my last year, so I better make the best of it.
Bitter-Sweettag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/trinity/Sebastian//281.60112008-04-16T12:33:47Z2008-04-16T17:25:00ZThe following is a Facebook note I wrote a few days ago. I thought it might be suitable for a blog entry as well (I edited it a little bit for clarifying purposes): "I finally got to see the whole...Sebastian
The following is a Facebook note I wrote a few days ago. I thought it might be suitable for a blog entry as well (I edited it a little bit for clarifying purposes):
"I finally got to see the whole documentary produced by two major media sources from Colombia about the country's last 25 years of history. It was hard for me not feel shaken, angry, depressed, and ashamed. Colombian history is a one of amorphous conflict and unconventional players: a failed state, numerous insurgent groups, drug traffickers, and politicians of all varieties, all battling in a contest for power. The inevitable result of such contest... the loss if innocent lives.
Some of you might have seen my Facebook status ("Sebastian is wondering how is he going to clean up his country's mess if he can't clean the mess in his own room?"), which alludes to my desire of changing my country for better someday. While the images ran through my computer screen, I felt great pressure on my chest, tears pushed against my eyelids and my teeth gritted. Before writing this entry, the fact that these powerful emotions ran through my body by watching the documentary made me realize the strong urge I feel to change the world (I have given myself the luxury of using this childish, foolish cliche, and I apologize). This realization made reminisce to several experiences I've had in my travels to Europe.
Berlin and Auschwitz have seared a mark on my heart and brain. Auschwitz has undoubtedly changed me, since you can still feel the horror from the past looming on the fields. The thousands of lives tortured, exploited, and thrown away in ashes out of the chimneys still scream the injustice committed upon them. During my visit to the Birkenau section of Auschwitz, I couldn't stop thinking about the many victims of kidnapping, trapped in similar camps under the same treatment the Nazis gave to their prisoners in the Colombian jungle. The empathy with the horror and despair of a family being transported to Auschwitz was also the empathy with the soldiers, policemen, and civilians "muriendo en vida" in the jungle.
Berlin has a different story. For me, Berlin is a monument to German history. Every inch of the city whispers a story from the past. From the Neue Wache, to the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate to the Berlin TV tower. Every building has a story tell. The Monument to the Murdered Jews draws my attention in a special way, since few are the monuments initiated by the civil society that remind you of their greatest failure rather than their greatest victory. The Wall is a scar to the city's face, that reminds you constantly that there was something wrong in the past. Yet, Berliners got over it, they teared it down. A walk around Zoologischer Garten reveals a vibrant city, ready for change, evolving, moving with the trend. Berlin is living history. It reminds you of the tragedies of the past, while it moves forward. It's constantly evolving, and that's the beauty I see in it. History is in the back in your head, so you may avoid the pitfalls from the past.
And now I come here, to this desk far away from home, pondering about my role in this gargantuan task. I compare the effects of the documentary on me to the combined effect of Auschwitz and Berlin. History is important, it makes you realize how bad things can be, so you can avoid being back at that place. There are many reasons to strive for a better future. There is hope, and hope was something had been numbed out of me during my time in college. The last part of the documentary stressed the many aspects in which Colombia has really improved and the reasons Colombians have to celebrate. No matter how dark the times are, in Colombia there is always a reason to smile and enjoy life.
At this point I forgot what the whole point was of writing this note. I just had to express myself somehow. It might have turned out to be an idealistic piece of crap, but I end on a positive note. I've regained some hope. Hope to fight. And the mess in my room has been cleaned up."
Budapesttag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/trinity/Sebastian//281.58782008-04-08T13:37:55Z2008-04-10T14:30:21ZTwo Sundays ago, I headed out on the last week long field trip for my study abroad program. Our destination was Central Europe. In one week we visited Budapest, Krakow, and Prague, and met with different government officials and NGO...Sebastian
We then headed to the Castle District. The Castle was built during the Hapsburg Empire, and it is breathtaking. The Palace now houses several museums and it is huge. Unfortunately we didn't have much time to walk around because we had to change into our formal attire to go to the Parliament meeting. However, here's a small sample of what I saw.
Later that day, we went to the Hungarian Parliament. It's one of the largest governmental buildings in the world, and certainly the landmark of Budapest. We began our visit with a short guided tour through the premises of the Parliament, but that day we couldn't visit the debating chamber since there was some political unrest. One of the Ministers was being dismissed due to a scandal and the current governing coalition is very likely to collapse. In any case, some rooms were off-limits for us since some meetings were being held to discuss how to approach the situation. The building itself is a monument to the Hungarian pride, due to its grandeur and the fact that it was built with raw materials coming exclusively from Hungary(with the exception of Swedish granite columns).
The building also houses the Holy Crown jewels, items that every king had to wield during their coronation and then return to the Treasury.
After the tour we had a meeting with two parliamentary aides from the European Issues Comission, who discussed the implications of EU accession for Hungary. As a transitioning economy, Hungary has had many challenges in its history. The change to a free-market economy brought many destabilizing economic factors, and overall it is the "poster-child of everything that could've gone wrong" (to quote the lecturer) among the new EU member states. Their most important challenge now is to comply with all the requisites in order to adopt the Euro. They are the only candidate country that does not fulfill any of the criteria, and the current economic environment doesn't yield any optimistic panorama.
After the meeting we had a boat cruise on the Danube River. The tour took place at dusk, so we got a view of the Budapest from both daylight and nighttime. One of the most beautiful experiences ever, accompanied of course by Strauss's Blue Danube.
After that we had a small dinner at nearby pub, and went back to the hotel. The night was not party friendly since it was Monday, all pubs were closed, and we had to wake up at 7 am to go to our next meeting.
The meeting was with an researcher from the American funded NGO Freedom House. This body researches the development of freedom in the former soviet states. Of course, Hungary is part of it. He highlighted many of the challenges of a transitioning economy. It caught my attention when he mentioned that since his branch had the label "Freedom House...Europe", he didn't have a hard time as his colleagues in Turkmenistan, where the organization was directly linked to the US (although both branches are).
Afterwards, we went to the House of Terror.
The name can be misleading, but actually, it isn't. Let me explain myself better. The House of Terror is not a haunted mansion, or anything of that sort. It is the building where the Hungarian Nazi Party had it's headquarters and later the Communist Party. It is now a museum talking about the oppression people were subjected to during the time. Now, the name is not misleading, because the whole exhibit excels at manipulating your psyche to creep you out. There's creepy music in every room, they play with shadows and lights to give everything a creepy look, except for the most shocking part of the building. You take an elevator that descends very slowly into the basement, while a screen shows an interviewee explaining how the people who were against the regime were executed in that very same basement. You get out the elevator, and the basement is basically a small prison. You walk down the prison cells and then you come to the room where all the gallows are. At the end of your visit, you have a very dark display of iron crosses dimly illuminated with red-colored lights. The place pushed the "terror" thing a little bit too much for me.
This part of the trip was a good start on the rest to come, overall. The weather was great and we were there in an interesting political time for Hungary. Coming up, more excitement and some depression, since Krakow, Prague, and Auschwitz were also part of the field trip. ]]>
Mitfahrgelegenheit... or why you should be a good co-pilot...tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/trinity/Sebastian//281.55002008-03-23T21:23:07Z2008-03-23T21:56:22ZMy plan for Easter was to visit a friend in Berlin. The last time I came here with my study abroad program he was back in Colombia, so it wasn't possible to see each other until now. To get to...Sebastian
My plan for Easter was to visit a friend in Berlin. The last time I came here with my study abroad program he was back in Colombia, so it wasn't possible to see each other until now. To get to Berlin, I used a means of transportation I'm not used to, nor very comfortable using.Yet, being young and adventurous, why not given a try?
What I'm talking about is called Mitfahrgelegenheit. People who are driving from one city of Germany to another post their info on a website so that other people who need a ride there can call them. I was not very comfortable with the idea of riding with a stranger, especially after I told my parents of my plan and they almost flipped out. However, Juan, my friend in Berlin said it was completely safe. So I asked Vera, one of my Freiburger friends, to call these people for me, since my German is still not that good and having things clear setting up these things is vital. I got a round-trip from Freiburg to Berlin for 75 euros. I had looked into buying a train ticket about a week ago, but because I waited for so long to book it and it's Easter, the cheapest price I could get was 163 euro. The difference was abysmal. Also, the train ride takes 6 hours, while the ride take 8 (theoretically). The balance tipped in favor of the Mitfahrgelegenheit, so I took it.
I met the people who were riding with me on Good Friday morning in front of the Hauptbahnhof. Thomas was the driver, and he signaled me to sit up in the front seat. The other three girls knew each other, so they had taken the back seat already. Half an hour after we departed, an uncontrollable lethargy began to overcome me. I tried to be a good co-pilot, struggling to stay awake, but it was pointless. We made a bathroom stop and switched drivers to Anja, one of the girls seating in the back. We had short conversation about what was I doing in Germany and her summer plans in South America, when sleep started firing all its artillery to take me over, again. I surrendered shortly afterwards. Every now and then I opened my eyes, but for short periods of time. However, I noticed the signs on the road said Karlsruhe and Munich.
My brief knowledge of German geography made think that we might be going the wrong way, since Karlsruhe is only an hour away from Freiburg (we had been driving for 2 hours at this point) and Munich is to the southeast of Germany, while Berlin is Northeast. I dismissed my worries and thought maybe they knew what they were doing. I was a study abroad kid that barely knew the language and surely knew much less about driving in Germany.
The next bathroom break we made Thomas and I stayed inside drinking some coffee while the girls were outside smoking. I asked him how long would it take to get to Berlin, and he said probably 5-6 hours. According to my math, we had been driving for 4 or 5 hours already, so we couldn't be just halfway to Berlin. The reason, Anja got lost. While Thomas and I slept, Anja had taken a wrong turn started driving BACK to Freiburg!!
The rest of the ride was uneventful. I got to Juan's house safe and sound and without any complications, except the 2 hour delay on the road. I guess the lesson to be learned from this is not to fall asleep in when you're shotgun, or seat in the back. And if you think things are not right...you might always know better than a local stranger.
Warten....rücklauf!!tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/trinity/Sebastian//281.54502008-03-19T15:46:04Z2008-03-19T16:34:49ZI believe so far I have given you a very fragmented image of my European adventure/study abroad program. Since two days ago I completed two months of living in Germany, let me give you an overview of what has happened...Sebastian
have to participate, I can weigh my political skills (hehe).
After that intensive phase, I had my first field to trip to Berlin and Riga. Berlin I wrote about, Riga is still missing its entry (coming soon). The field trip lasted 5 days, a little bit less than regular field trips (which last a whole week). When we came back, we started all other academic classes. Mine are two Econ and one PoliSci. A few weeks later we went to Geneva for 3 days, and visited the UN Headquarters (UNOG... and also mising its entry). The weekend after we had an optional day trip to the Swiss Alps, where I skied for the first time ever (this trip also missing its own entry). A week after, we had our second field trip to Luxembourg, Brussels and Paris. Luxembourg and Brussels have their own entry, but no pictures, and I still haven't written about Paris. I'm travelling to Berlin this Friday to visit a friend and see all the things I missed in my last visit. The last wekend of this month I head out for Eastern and Central Europe, that is: Budapest, Krakow, and Prague.
So... if my math is right I still have to write about Latvia, Geneva, the Swiss Alps, and Paris, and upload pictures of Luxembourg and Belgium. I think it is also necessary to give you some more insights about German daily life in general. All that before I head on my next field trip. Fortunately I don't have that much work next week. Workload abroad has been more than what I expected, and feeling I'm half of the time on vacation doesn't help that much. Anyway... 5 more entries to come and some pics. Auf Wiedersehen!]]>
Through the Heart of Europetag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/trinity/Sebastian//281.52272008-03-03T17:20:43Z2008-03-03T18:07:57ZOne of the things I love the most about this program I'm attending is the fact that I get to travel and learn a lot at the same time. This last week was our second field trip around Europe. My...Sebastian
Beerfest. The Stiefel is a boot-shaped glass from which you drink the beer you order. There is a 20 euro deposit for the glass, but it is a enjoyable experience, especially if you start taking roles from the movie.
My time in Brussels was also special for two things besides sightseeing... which you can easily get now from the Internet: waffles and music. I am not one of those people who drool uncontrollably at the sight of chocolate, neither a dessert freak. However, I would do anything for those waffles. Belgian chocolate has been the most delicious experience so far. Your hands will get dirty, your face will drop chocolate all over, but it is worth it. You can't say you have been to Brussels if you haven't tried the awesomeness of the a Belgian waffle. Brussels also has the Musical instruments museum, which houses one of the largest musical instrument collection in Europe. The neat thing about this museum is that you're given a set of headphones with your ticket. Once you approach any particular instrument, the headphones catch a designated signal start playing music with the instrument right in front of you. The highlight of my visit was the glass harmonica, a 17th century instrument that looked like a huge glass shell seated on a desk. Based on the same principle of sound used when you rub your finger against the edge of a wine glass, the glass harmonic produced really quirky sounds. However, the music selected by the museum curators made the instrument a remarkable discovery for me.
Next Paris.... but that is a subject for another entry, since Paris is..... well it's Paris. I had promised pictures for this entry but my camera's memory card decided to stop working. The pictures for the whole trip are lost... or at least that is the case for now. And my camera cable came in today with the mail. So... yeah... technology is hating me now. Other entries do have pictures now though. So check'em out!]]>
Berlintag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/trinity/Sebastian//281.50332008-02-19T12:04:23Z2008-03-11T15:58:11ZHmm.... how do I start telling what has happened this last two weeks? Well, first we've had two field trips already (and by we I mean the people from the study abroad program), so we've been to Berlin, Riga, and...Sebastian
I must confess that I have a very unusual fascination with the Brandenburg gate. There's just something about it that makes me feel greater. The beauty of its Neo-Classical architecture and all the historic events that have taken place around it add to its appeal. Napoleon and Hitler marched through it to make of statement of their power, and it still remains as reminder of the division between East and West Berlin after WWII. It's a powerful sight when you take this into account.
The Reichstag was larger and more beautiful than what I had imagined. The Coppola at its top provided a very beautiful sight of the whole Berlin, and it's certainly a landmark.
This is a mirror structure inside the Reichstag's Coppola...look closely and you can see my reflection in the middle of it.
I also visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. This monument has a very versatile psychological effect on its visitors. I had the chance to visit it both at night and during daytime. Before explaining my impressions, I should describe the monument a little bit. The monument is basically a city block covered in concrete slabs of varying sizes and heights arranged more less in a grid. The ground slopes up and down and it resembles waves at certain points. Some people say the place resembles a graveyard, and to some extent I can agree. This is how I felt on my two visits:
The night we visited was rainy, and we all started walking into the monument carelessly. The sound of the cars passing through the highway nearby was still audible, and the street lights shone some light onto us. As we walked further and further, things got darker and quieter. It was creepy, very creepy. Catching a glimpse of someone else waking around the corner made me feel very vulnerable; like someone would jump me any moment. The center of the monument was obscure and silent. On the ohter hand, the morning experience was completely different. The sun shone brightly, kids jumped from slab to slab; the place seemed more like a park than anything else. However, there was still a grim feeling to it.
This is a short version of how was Berlin. We only spent two days in Berlin and the main purpose of the visit was to visit the German Ministry of Economics and Technology and the German industry Federation. There, we were briefed on what they do and what were their specific agendas. The lectures were really interesting, but I had to write a paper on them so I'm done talking about that for some time. Plus, I gotta go to class :s. More trip stories to come! Bis gleich!
Another pic with the Brandenburg Gate... daylight view and with some friends from the program... ]]>
Here's the full cast on the closing number.
I was three different characters during the show. After the shows we received a lot of positive feedback from the spectators, and even from some faculty that attended! I enjoyed performing for it, and overall I think it was a very positive experience. The only time I had performed something that combined acting and singing was Opera Workshop last year, and I had a very short part. Having three instances where I was the focus of attention most of the time was terrifying, but at the same time thrilling. Here are the pictures (finally I'm posting with pics again!)
This is me doing the Christopher Columbus number, imploring for a sign cause I'm lost in the middle of the Atlantic with a worn down crew and ship.
This Meaghan, impersonating a woman so desperate for attention that tries to fake a suicide attempt jumping off a building, ultimately failing at both getting attention and faking such attempt. Great song!
Here's Ashley either singing one of the transitions or I'm not Afraid of Anything.
This is Taylor's character in Stars and the Moon. She's looking for a man that will give her a life of luxury, and after remembering the affairs she's had before marrying such man she realizes she'll "never get the moon."
Yours truly as a Pirates fan; basically I tell my father's story and my story in parallel. My dad fought for his dream's and failed miserably, and to avoid that kind of failure I decide to leave my fiance, played by Sarah (on the right), without even saying goodbye. I'm such a bastard!
This is Mrs. Claus bashing on her husband... or Ashley just beating Paris on stage. This hilarious take on the traditionally merry couple, where a Russian Mrs. Claus complains about how she has become irrelevant to Santa's life and even Rudolf seems to excite him more than she does. One of my favorites from the show.
Here's me during King of the World. This song is a praise to my former glory and a plea to be released so I can "live my given destiny", with the sad realization at the very end that all of that is gone.
This is Sarah's performance of a girl "with the promise of the world inside of [her]". Lots of similes with Virgin Mary, since it's Christmas Lullaby afterall.
Sarah and Paris in I'd Give it All for You, one of the romantic songs, where two long-lost lovers find each other once again. Very sweet song.
Here's Taylor once more in one of the most moving songs of SFNW. She's a Flagmaker; while the War of Independence rages on, she does what she knows best to keep her from insanity:sowing a flag.
That's it for now. I hope these pictures and my short descriptions encourage you to listen to the music and go watch any performances near you. And please, take a few seconds and comment on our blogs... it really helps to get some feedback from our audience. Thanks, and bis gleich!]]>
Later that day, we went to the Hungarian Parliament. It's one of the largest governmental buildings in the world, and certainly the landmark of Budapest. We began our visit with a short guided tour through the premises of the Parliament, but that day we couldn't visit the debating chamber since there was some political unrest. One of the Ministers was being dismissed due to a scandal and the current governing coalition is very likely to collapse. In any case, some rooms were off-limits for us since some meetings were being held to discuss how to approach the situation. The building itself is a monument to the Hungarian pride, due to its grandeur and the fact that it was built with raw materials coming exclusively from Hungary(with the exception of Swedish granite columns).
The building also houses the Holy Crown jewels, items that every king had to wield during their coronation and then return to the Treasury.
After the tour we had a meeting with two parliamentary aides from the European Issues Comission, who discussed the implications of EU accession for Hungary. As a transitioning economy, Hungary has had many challenges in its history. The change to a free-market economy brought many destabilizing economic factors, and overall it is the "poster-child of everything that could've gone wrong" (to quote the lecturer) among the new EU member states. Their most important challenge now is to comply with all the requisites in order to adopt the Euro. They are the only candidate country that does not fulfill any of the criteria, and the current economic environment doesn't yield any optimistic panorama.
After the meeting we had a boat cruise on the Danube River. The tour took place at dusk, so we got a view of the Budapest from both daylight and nighttime. One of the most beautiful experiences ever, accompanied of course by Strauss's Blue Danube.
After that we had a small dinner at nearby pub, and went back to the hotel. The night was not party friendly since it was Monday, all pubs were closed, and we had to wake up at 7 am to go to our next meeting.
The meeting was with an researcher from the American funded NGO Freedom House. This body researches the development of freedom in the former soviet states. Of course, Hungary is part of it. He highlighted many of the challenges of a transitioning economy. It caught my attention when he mentioned that since his branch had the label "Freedom House...Europe", he didn't have a hard time as his colleagues in Turkmenistan, where the organization was directly linked to the US (although both branches are).
Afterwards, we went to the House of Terror.
The name can be misleading, but actually, it isn't. Let me explain myself better. The House of Terror is not a haunted mansion, or anything of that sort. It is the building where the Hungarian Nazi Party had it's headquarters and later the Communist Party. It is now a museum talking about the oppression people were subjected to during the time. Now, the name is not misleading, because the whole exhibit excels at manipulating your psyche to creep you out. There's creepy music in every room, they play with shadows and lights to give everything a creepy look, except for the most shocking part of the building. You take an elevator that descends very slowly into the basement, while a screen shows an interviewee explaining how the people who were against the regime were executed in that very same basement. You get out the elevator, and the basement is basically a small prison. You walk down the prison cells and then you come to the room where all the gallows are. At the end of your visit, you have a very dark display of iron crosses dimly illuminated with red-colored lights. The place pushed the "terror" thing a little bit too much for me.
This part of the trip was a good start on the rest to come, overall. The weather was great and we were there in an interesting political time for Hungary. Coming up, more excitement and some depression, since Krakow, Prague, and Auschwitz were also part of the field trip. ]]>
The Reichstag was larger and more beautiful than what I had imagined. The Coppola at its top provided a very beautiful sight of the whole Berlin, and it's certainly a landmark.
This is a mirror structure inside the Reichstag's Coppola...look closely and you can see my reflection in the middle of it.
I also visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. This monument has a very versatile psychological effect on its visitors. I had the chance to visit it both at night and during daytime. Before explaining my impressions, I should describe the monument a little bit. The monument is basically a city block covered in concrete slabs of varying sizes and heights arranged more less in a grid. The ground slopes up and down and it resembles waves at certain points. Some people say the place resembles a graveyard, and to some extent I can agree. This is how I felt on my two visits:
The night we visited was rainy, and we all started walking into the monument carelessly. The sound of the cars passing through the highway nearby was still audible, and the street lights shone some light onto us. As we walked further and further, things got darker and quieter. It was creepy, very creepy. Catching a glimpse of someone else waking around the corner made me feel very vulnerable; like someone would jump me any moment. The center of the monument was obscure and silent. On the ohter hand, the morning experience was completely different. The sun shone brightly, kids jumped from slab to slab; the place seemed more like a park than anything else. However, there was still a grim feeling to it.
This is a short version of how was Berlin. We only spent two days in Berlin and the main purpose of the visit was to visit the German Ministry of Economics and Technology and the German industry Federation. There, we were briefed on what they do and what were their specific agendas. The lectures were really interesting, but I had to write a paper on them so I'm done talking about that for some time. Plus, I gotta go to class :s. More trip stories to come! Bis gleich!
Another pic with the Brandenburg Gate... daylight view and with some friends from the program... ]]>