Chile 2010: A year of surprises

Much has been said about the bicentennial year, but what it really means? We are celebrating the independence from Spain 200 years ago? , The classification to the World Cup? , Or the birth of a Chilean nation? There are a lot of different ways of understanding this anniversary, a variety of expectations about how many days would be holidays, but probably in what most people would agree is that it has been a year full of unexpected events.

The presidential election last year, where Piñera was elected, perhaps was the announcement of a change of tune in every way: February 27, a massive earthquake woke up every person in Chile; people were terrified after 2 minutes it took such tremendous natural event, the constructions were tested and many of them failed the test. Especially in the south the chaos reigned in the streets. In fact in the city of Concepción a crowd came to steal any object they could find, beyond food, was stolen refrigerators, TVs and many other things.

After a few months, when the commotion subsided, another terrible accident occurred in the north of the country: 33 miners were trapped after a mine collapse in San José. Immediately began rescue efforts, and after more than 2 months of hard work, they managed to rescue them alive. It was an epic story that became known all around the world: Chile could be a first world country.

However, this series of random events are only the visible screen of a country full of contradictions and problems. Nobody talks about the levels of poverty or social inequity when there is so much going on. The surface it just the pretty face, but under it there are plenty things that are not known or discussed. The politicians are also big entrepreneurs, the social problems that emerge from the bases seem not to matter, and the economic system rules our live, our education and even our mood.

Faced with this reality, how much we can celebrate? Rather than settle with a popular national party, we should be thinking how to make this country a more just, equal and libertarian place to live. After reaching this kind of society we would have something to celebrate at.

Is the Animal Instinct

I consider myself as a huge animal-lover, because since I was a little girl I’ve enjoyed knowing about animals, the different species, which are the predators and the prey, their qualities and characteristics, and ultimately understand the balance of nature. I like all kinds of animal kingdoms, reptiles, such as crocodile, the mammals, such my beloved dogs, and the sea world. Especially I like sharks, I don´t know why, but I found them so interesting, nonetheless I would be terrified if I came face to face with one of them. Actually I enjoy so much of knowing and watching animals, that I recently went to the cinema to see a movie called ‘Ocean’, it was a very amazing movie because the directors, who are scientist, filmed during, I don’t know, a couple of years probably, all kinds of places with a very rich marine fauna. The result was so unexpected that they even discovered like thousand new species.

Now, about my pet history, my first experience was a beautiful rabbit, then I had a little chicken, an Australian mouse and finally my actual doggy!

I have to say that I’m a dog-lover; I think that they have a look of sadness that touches me deeply. I always wanted to have a dog, but my opportunity had not presented until one day I was at the University, and saw a puppy running on the grass, I approach to it because it was so cute, and the girl that was with it told me that she needed to give it away; I love her at the first moment, so I take her home. At first It was a bit complicated because she got sick a lot, and my father wasn`t so happy with having a dog in the house. But finally she grew up as an adorable puppy, and she won us all. I love my ‘Aceituna’! She makes me so happy when I get home!

Green-In-Between

Respect of the environmental care, I think that there are a lot of places where people can learn friendly practices. For example I know a private organization that try to bring up different kind of people to participate in their workshops, it doesn’t matter if you are a grown up man or if you’re a child, the only important thing is that you have the interest to save our planet. There are some interesting and useful courses that can teach you about recycling, home gardens and even solar energy. Actually there is a course that started in my University, and now is running for other young people, and it has the project of going to the San Gregorio neighborhood to teach the residents how to build their own solar panels. This is a great initiative, but is a shame that only private organizations promote green awareness, instead the government as a social and public policy.
About my personal behavior, some years ago my family started to recycling and collecting cardboard, plastic, and any material that can be recycled. But this is even easier when a municipal truck passes every week picking up what has collected in each house, so every Monday we took a couple of full bags.
But apart from that I would like to create compost in my backyard, because I know that you can make a fertilizer with biodegradable waste. Also, in future I would like to develop a plantation of different vegetables, like carrots or tomatoes, but I think that I’ve to wait for my own place to do that.
Another way that I’ve applied to reduce my carbon footprint, is to use my bike to move around the city, sometimes I go to the doctor, to meet with my friends or to make some errands, but is difficult to do this very often because you run the risk of being stolen, the city is not ready to encourage the use of bicycles, and there aren’t places to leave your bike safely. Also, the city doesn’t have a good system of bike paths, so is very insecure.

Art attack

I think that Art is one of the most beautiful of human’s creations, an interesting way of expressing things that maybe you can’t say with words. Besides, the language of Art is above the differences that may exist between cultures and aesthetic concepts, it’s a kind of communication that transcends. I’m not very connected with Art, but I enjoy contemplating the enormous quantity and diversity of artistic works. When I was at school we went to many museums, especially those of us in the art elective. What impressed me then were the sculptures, I remember one made of bronze representing a couple, the man was in a position that, according to my teacher, expressed his infidelity with the woman, she instead was completely handed over to him.

About my skills I believe that I can draw very well, especially when I copy something, landscapes, objects and even faces. Anyway I’m very self-demanding so I’ve never thought that I was very gifted. Clearly other colleagues were more talented than me, but I never really cared.

In relation with my opinion about modern art, I think that is a reflection of the cultural changes that our society has lived, as impressionism or renaissance were correlates with its historical context, the modern art inaugurated by the work of Picasso is the same thing with modernity. Because of that I think Picasso was disruptive on what was already known and classified as art, and he invented a new artistic style, cubism, which is now fully valued. Ultimately he was a tremendous artist, and by the way one of my favorites. I also like the work of Gustav Klimt, in fact I have a painting of him in my bedroom.

I would say that modern art is my favorite style of painting, because it’s not governed by rules, and instead experiences the unknown. The rationale of art is that it stir’s people’s mind and creates feelings of awe and bewilderment. For example graffiti, it blends into the landscape of the city, and usually has a social message that makes you think.

Welcome to Guangzhou

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/06/china-crackdown-african-immigration

This article written by Lin Yi it’s about a southern city in China, Guangzhou, that has drawn thousand of African immigrants in the last decade, in fact the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciencies has estimated that the number of Africans arriving grew by around 30% to 40% between 2003 and 2008.

In recent years this situation has become in a very controversial issue, because the African immigrants, most traders, cheaper than the other traders and with a variety of goods made in the surrounding Pearl River Delta, are victims of prejudice and harassment mostly by police, who pursue them around the streets or even in their own houses. But the common people of China is also very intolerant, despite their important role in the market as clients and sellers, the immigrants feel discriminated in the streets. Mary Ngum – not her real name-, accuses that Chinese people is not mean but ignorant, “they are always talking about colors” has she said.

The popular fear is growing and fuelling the crackdown, for example, problems in obtaining visas by African immigrants are recurrent, the police demand passports from any black faces present and the government tightened immigration controls ahead of the Olympic Games. This has caused that migrants are already leaving Guangzhou for cities with more sympathetic officials.

However there is a positive side, Professor Barry Sautman, based on a recent survey of residents says that about half had a neutral impression of the African community, and far more had a good or excellent impression than a negative one. Friendships are developed.

Films

I really enjoy going to the cinema. Actually I went yesterday to watch a great movie, it's called "The Ghost Writer", directed by Roman Polanski, and is about a guy (Ewan McGregor) who has to write the biography of a very despicable politician, but it turns out that it is not a simple job. He is involved in a dangerous world where he's followed by many opponents of his boss. In the end he discovers a dirty secret and is wiped off the map. I think that it's a very entertaining movie, much worth it.
Other than that, I usually watch movies at home. I buy them near my university and there is a diversity of film genres: drama, horror, romance, comedy, thriller. You can find what ever you want, and it´s really cheap! So as they say it´s good, nice and cheap! I have a pretty attractive collection of the movies that me and my boyfriend bought, so I can see it whenever I want and also I can lend it.

It's hard to decide which is my favorite film, because there are so many of them!, but any way, I prefer movies that are of intrigue, with an interesting story, like "Tesis" or "Shutter Island", also very romantic movies, like "El secreto de sus ojos" and "Before sunrise". If I would have to choose one of them I would say that Before sunrise is my favorite romantic movie, cause it can represent what love produces in ourselves, you can feel the magic around the characters and you perceive the feeling of true love. I never watch the same movie many times, because I think that you miss the impact of it, and finally you can lose the charm, so I watch the movies that I like the most, at separate times. This last movie is about a young man who knows a beautiful and interesenting woman in a train in Europe, they get off the train and begin an unforgettable visit around Vienna. They are complete strangers but immediately fall in love. So, they just have one night to spend together because he is leaving to USA the next morning, therefore the name of the movie, and they spend the whole night touring the streets of Vienna. I love this movie but I have to rate it as just ok, only recommended for romantic souls!.

Dear Santiago

Well.. Santiago is a beautiful city, even though the most of their citizen thinks that is an ugly town. Is true that it has a lot of smoog, and the air is very poluted by buses and factories, but it also has amazing parks, villages and historical areas that remind us the past of the city. That's why I recommend to all foreigner tourist that go to visit the down town, plaza de armas for example, where you can see and feel the reminiscense of a colonial glorius past, over there they can found the antique catedral, the museum and the central area where people, old people actually, gather to play chess, talk about anything or just take a break of the fast pace of Santiago. Is curious that the blocks that surrounding plaza de armas are occupied by immigrants from Peru, who have taken that area like a place where they can express their culture.
Near of there, the neighborhood of Lastarria offers a spot of bohemia and literature, where the people related with theater or any other artistic expression get together to experience this cultural environment, also the tourist might find some stands that sold books or ordinary junk. This are places that reflect the diversity of the people living in Santiago, because the center of the town is a space where you can see popular people and opposite people from high suburbs.
An other nice point which is close of there is the Santa Lucia's hill, which offers a beautiful view of the center of the town and also shows the importance of conserving the natural areas.
The foreigner tourist usually take an enormous bus that passes for all the typical areas, but I sincerely recommend a quiet walk all over the city, Santiago is a city of contrasts, because above plaza Italia you will see all the better communes, but under it is a completely different reality.
But despite of that inequality, there are interesting places to visit, for example the Bellavista neighborhood, where the tourist can go to party, drink some beer and watch the eccentric characters wandering the bars, they could be drunks or crazy but anyway they are a fun attraction.
Finally there is a last place where the foreigner tourist can go to visit, Parque O'higgins is a nice and big park where people can sit on the grass to contemplate the nature, have a picnic or just escape of the rudeness of the capital. Over there you can cycling because is a very big park, or you can elevate kites as whell.
With all this been said I think that Santiago is a nice city to visit, the tourist can observe the beautiful nature, look at the range and the hurry life of our capital, is a contradiction between modernity and traditional practice, but that is the precise feature which makes it so interesting.