Esta es la Well CXXII: Diego - Digging my way up like The 33!

[Funkfingers]

If you were empowered to grant Aceman new Gloss/glaze, what would you give him?

[Diego]

What are your thoughts on classical music? Do you have a favorite piece or composer?

Do you have a favorite pair of socks?

Seymour and MJ are coming over for dinner. What do you cook?

I listen to classical a lot less than I should. Don't we all say that?
My favorites are Chopin, Vivaldi and Beethoven. Mozart I've never dug much into and Bach just isn't for me.
Favorite pair of socks? All of those who are blue, black or white and with no patterns for Christ's sake. Can't stand goofy patterns in socks.

What would I cook for MJ and Seymour? Definitely a Chilean food, like some nice Empanadas, or maybe Porotos con riendas (stewn beans with spaghetti, pork sausage and spices).
Not exactly hypocaloric, but awesome.

Hey Diego!

What's your all-time favorite movie, and what do you love about it?

What album have you played more than any other album, regardless of whether it's your favorite? Why do you think it's your most played album?

How important is raising children to you?

Who's (whose?) comedy do you relate to or appreciate the most?

What is the band / artist that you've loved forever but nobody knows about, and you want to shout from the rooftops, "LISTEN TO THIS!"?

Hey I6!!
Not much of a movie guy, but my favorite movie is a toss-up between Pulp Fiction and Revolver. I'll spare you the Pulp Fiction love and go to Revolver which is not that well known; it's a extremely complex movie which got awful reviews everywhere; to me, it just makes you think and help you build a stronger version of yourself.
It sounds strange, but that's how I take it.

My most played album is Metallica's Master of Puppets. Just because I love it and discovered it when I was 12 so it has a timing advantage. But I rarely listen to it anymore.
Nowadays my favorite album are Dogman by King's X, Scenes by Marty Friedman, and the almightly Toxicity by System of a Down.

I really like the idea of becoming a dad someday. However, it's a bit hard to rationalize about it because Chile is quite a ****ed-up country for being young nowadays.
Salaries are poor, job opportunities are slim, blah blah. But it's definitely important for me, it's not a secondary thing at all.

I like some latin comediants, but I relate the most with political American comedy. I love how brutally stingy it can be and you don't find that anywhere else IMO. Love George Carlin, Bill Maher, Bill Hicks and the great, late Patrice O'Neal who wasn't exactly political but was just as awesome.

King's X!!! Nobody grooves and crushes like them at the same time. All their albums and particularly Dogman should be mandatory listen for anyone into Hard Rock, simple as that.

Compared to other places where you've eaten it, how is the chili in Chile?

Mild. Chile isn't exactly a pepper-crazy country like México or others. Our foods in fact are very mildly spiced and very tourist-friendly as a consequence.

[Diego]

So speaking of the title of your Well thread, what was it like in Chile during the mining accident? It was big news here in the States. Was it insane in Santiago? Are any of the 33 currently celebrities? How has that incident changed Chile?

It was absolutely huge. Insane non-stop broadcasting 7/24. In fact I was playing a gig in the south, and returning in a bus with my bandmates when somebody in the bus yelled "THE MINERS ARE ALIVE! THEY'RE ALIVE!"; everyone started clapping and smiling and stuff.
One of the 33 attempted to become a bit of a celebrity, another married a German girl who looked for him over Facebook, some of them became alcoholics, some are dealing with depression. But none's a stable celebrity or anything nowadays. What changed? Not much, really.

You have missed little - Chavez did a right old number on it too. I last visited before he took over, and it wasn't good then either. It's where my B-I-L died in August. But anyway...

Tell us where you would like to travel in the world, and what you'd like to see

You are given 48 hours to visit any period of history; where would that be, who would you like to meet, and what would you like to do whilst there?

My dream goal is to visit Japan. I like the idea that, as Anthony Bourdain said about Tokyo, "For those with restless, curious minds, fascinated by layer upon layer of things, flavors, tastes and customs, which we will never fully be able to understand, Tokyo is deliciously unknowable. I’m sure I could spend the rest of my life there, learn the language, and still die happily ignorant."

I would like to get to know the food, understand a bit the culture which is so different to us, and to travel to places like Kioto.
It's the dream travel destination for me and I'm sure I'll do it in a few years from now.

Jesus, your second question is so difficult. God. I think I'd go back to the 15th century and I'd remain here, in South America. Just to get to see how everything was before being colonized. We've changed the landscapes so much.
But there's so many right answers to your question.

have you sailed around cape horn

Nope, and I wish I did that. I've never been to the far-south of my own country and a month ago I met two girls from freakin' Lituania who've already been there. I felt stupid.

[Diego]

If you were empowered to grant Aceman new Gloss/glaze, what would you give him?

Mojo's Minions.
Just to see him freak out.

[Evan Skopp]

Why is your English so good?

[Great_Kazoo]

And are there other languages you speak/write/read?

[dd12939]

My dad used to spend a lot of time at the copper mines around Calama. Have you ever been up there? I remember the pictures of the landscape were eerily desolate.

[Diego]

Why is your English so good?

I honestly don't know. I picked English up since I was very young (due to HBO and ESPN mostly) and by the time I was 12 I was already speaking very fluently.
That doesn't translate into ease with other languagues though...
I definitely write a bit better than how I speak. Just ask Jolly.

And are there other languages you speak/write/read?

I read a bit of Portuguese and write/speak absolutely none of it. I'm starting to learn some German now.
I'd love to learn Japanese and become fluent in Italian as well.

My dad used to spend a lot of time at the copper mines around Calama. Have you ever been up there? I remember the pictures of the landscape were eerily desolate.

Yup. I've been up there and it's some of the dullest drives you can imagine. Some of the towns aren't doing so well; they haven't reinvented themselves after certain mining businesses went down, like saltpeter (sp?).
They're a bit doomed as well since Chile has such an "unefficient" geographic structure; everything is far away from everything else so all the extremely remote regions (like Calama) have it a bit hard. You get the feel they're on their own.

[Great_Kazoo]

What the history of your musical background? Lessons, self-taught, etc.? Do you play any other instruments in addition to the guitar?

[Chris of Arabia]

What do you do for a living? Is this the same as you studied for, or did life take a diversion? If you weren't doing what you do now, what would you like to be doing?

[DarkMatter]

Why don't you like Santana?

[dd12939]

If you could snap your fingers and master another art form what would it be (different instrument, visual art, etc)

[LesStrat]

Why did you abandon Justin Bieber?

Is it true that he's really Miley Cyrus with makeup?

[Diego]

What do you do for a living? Is this the same as you studied for, or did life take a diversion? If you weren't doing what you do now, what would you like to be doing?

I studied journalism and now I'm an IT analyst. Doesn't pay marvellously well but it's a solid job and it's paying for lots of good things.
Life definitely took a weird path but it's all good.
I'd definitely love to be doing something related to guitar products, or guitars. Or motorcycles! All my favorite hobbies and I'll find a way to blend all of these together.

Why don't you like Santana?

For the same reason I don't like Yanni or Kenny G. Some of his early stuff is badass, but the stuff he's done in the last 15 years makes me cringe.
Way too predictable and tame.

If you could snap your fingers and master another art form what would it be (different instrument, visual art, etc)

Wow, never thought about a fully different art. I'd really love to be a good drummer but even more so, a good singer!
There's no other art rather than music that truly excites me. Architecture, painting, dance, movies... not my thing.
So I'd make my way up to design cars and motorcycles.

Why did you abandon Justin Bieber?

Is it true that he's really Miley Cyrus with makeup?

He wouldn't stop making silly questions.

[daan]

What's it like buying guitars and stuff where you are? I'm assuming the internet helps a lot... We all sit around complaining about Guitar Center, but I'm guessing there isn't a "Guitar Barn" with 654264326 guitars hanging around where you are...

[Grenade]

Cheers Diego! Have you been to the states? Are you in a band? How many guitars do you have?

[NUNOSLASH]

¿Cuándo me vas a invitar a tu nuevo depa?

[SnakeAces]

Are you afraid to turn 30?

[EDX]

cual es tu modelo de guitarra favorito o body shape de guitarra favorito?

[Diego]

I'll answer you all soon guys! Haven't had much time, awfully sorry.