all the way

By Dr.Seuss

adelbethanny — Thu, 3 Sep 2015 12:48:26 GMT

My name is Bethanny. I am 22 y.o student and a self-called traveler. For the last few years, I have taught myself how to travel, how to film, edit and produce a video. It is truly something that I am passionate about; because I am passionate about it, I keep pushing myself to get better and develop my skills. I did research online and tried my best to implement all those things. However, doing all the production without any guidance needs a lot of time and it is very hard to develop my skills with this method. Unfortunately, to develop my skills through an institute/school is not an option, because I do not have the funds for it. Therefore, the scholarship would really help me because this is the only opportunity for me to get some professional help in a field that I am passionate about. I love making my own motion picture, and its always exciting to put everything together and see it all come to life. I am also passionate about film making because it is one of the best ways to show other people what's going on or what lies on the other side of the world. More importantly, doing this makes me happy, and for that reason, I believe I should be chosen for this opportunity.
(The video was taken in multiple countries including Chile, Peru, USA and Taiwan; however I was residing in Chile at that time, so I answered Chile for the location of the video.)

La Piojera (The Flea House)

adelbethanny — Tue, 26 May 2015 13:39:13 GMT

Local treasures are my favorite when it comes to traveling. One of my most memorable is located in Santiago de Chile. It takes the form of a dive bar and is very famous among the locals. They call it ‘La Piojera’.

Even though travelers have found this place on many websites in the Internet, I still consider this a local treasure. Why? Because going inside takes courage and some even decide to not experience it.

La Piojera is Spanish for the flea house; it does describes the place quite well. The place is loud and not exactly the cleanest. Chileans often come here to drink and have a good time, so encountering drunks is considered normal. The bathrooms? Well, let’s just say it’s wiser to go before or after La Piojera.

Reading the description above might not be very convincing for you. Even my first thought when I arrived was deciding whether I wanted to do this or not. Nevertheless, local treasures like these were my gems of traveling. So, after a deep breath, I walked in.

When you enter a local treasure like La Piojera and look different from the rest of the others there, you start to feel self-conscious. Luckily, I didn't feel that for long. The people in La Piojera are quite friendly. I chatted with one musician in the bar; ‘The Accordion Man’ was what I call him in my head. He told me he plays the accordion everyday there and sings to the costumers. Oh, did I mention he has a wonderful voice?

A visit to La Piojera will not be complete without a glass of Terremoto. The Terremoto, which is Spanish for earthquake, is a very famous Chilean drink consisting of fermented white wine, pineapple ice cream, and liquor. It will only cost you around 2000 pesos, which is quite a deal. However, I must tell you to beware. People call this drink Terremoto because it shakes your world around. So, if you plan to continue your day after La Piojera, it would be wise to just order one glass. Trust me, I know.

La Piojera is indeed not for the faint of hearts, but if you are willing to step out of the tourist spots and look for the locals, stop by and grab a drink. I do have a few words of advice though. Going there on weekdays are better because it’s less crowded and chaotic at that time. For my lovely ladies, make sure to bring friends.

To be honest, La Piojera was a roller-coaster ride for me. I was pushed out of my comfort zone, but I’m glad I went in. It’s like what my Chilean friend said, “Not visiting La Piojera means not experiencing Santiago.”

TASTE OF CHAMPAIGN - FOOD FESTIVAL

adelbethanny — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 10:27:10 GMT

Traveling and filming are two of my greatest passions and my biggest dream is to share my travels and adventure with the world through short videos (clips, short movies, documentation, etc). I dream to be an experienced traveler and with this scholarship, I can actually get the proper training and get a good start. I don't have a lot of money since I am only a student and my camera gear is all very simple. Winning this scholarship would mean I can learn from an expert on how to film and get ideas on how to film good quality footage even without expensive and fancy gear.