A little about my life project.

This time I´m going to talk about my life project, about some plans I have for near and distant future. First, I will refer to my future plans on a personal and emotional level. Then, I will refer to those related to my studies and work. Finally, I will refer to life projects of another nature.

The university has required me great sacrifices, especially in the emotional and familiar sphere. The principal of these sacrifices has been away from my family and friends to come and study in Santiago. Moreover, the distance and lack of time not allow me to travel frequently. As a result, have been weakened the relationships with mi family and friends. For this reason, in short term I intend to finish my studies, back to lands and retrieve last time. That is, spend a long time with my family and friends, without concern for essays or examinations. I want to do the trips that I could not do with them; I want to celebrate the festivities that we does not celebrated together; I want to talk with them about everything that we did not discussed.

About my academics projects, my main project is to finish my studies with good marks, to make a profitable practice in a motivating place, and to prepare a good “tesis”.  In the medium term, perhaps in a few years, I would like to apply for a graduate program abroad. I would like to specialize in political science or international relations. In relation to my work projects I have no thought, but anyway I would work anywhere where I can work on issues of interest to me.

Also, I would like to enroll in a political party. I think the institutional policy must be reformed and the only way is that people participate in it. Also, in the future, I would like to make a long trip, I do not know where, but I think we need some time away from all responsibilities and roles that society expects us to fulfill.

Nothing more to say. Greetings to all.

Southern of Chile. In the background Volcán Osorno.

Free Topic: Living in Santiago.

Today I’ll talk to you about that means for me live in Santiago. I have lived in Santiago during six years. I came to this city for to study, because always I wished study in University of Chile, so I’m here.

I’m from Puerto Montt and when I came to this city I though “It’s so different!” The people were very cold, and distant, many of them don’t saluted. It was so hard used to this lifestyle: accelerated, individualist, hottest. But through the time I learned to appreciate the good things of this part of my country and I founded very nice people, beautiful and interesting places, inexpensive and great restaurants and bars.

But what I like of Santiago is, undoubtedly, its wide range of cultural shows. Theatre, dance, music, opera, zoo, etc. Unfortunately I don’t have much time for enjoy of all activities, but when I can, I like go to museums, libraries and walk around of the historic town. The neighborhood Lastarria, for example, is really beautiful, and it has many stores and coffees. It’s a place very quiet for read a book or takes pictures.

After all, I think that I like so much this city. Every time I travel around the city, I like it more.

Santiago. A view from the Cerro San Cristóbal.

A supernatural experience.

I woke up that morning feeling really strange. I didn’t know exactly what it was but at once I remembered the last night. It was the strangest night of my life. I remembered that I was in the field, alone, walking around of the corn growing of my father. And suddenly I saw an intense light in the sky. The light was so intense and brilliant that blinded me.

Before of these events I was reading about some strangers finds in the town. Some of these events were: sighting in different places, some of those have been described as small flickering lights. Some people also have seen strange drawings in their fields, seems to the famous “crop circles”. I never was interested in this kind of things. It’s typical of small towns that people invent things and fantasy stories. But now, seeing what has happened and my own experience I think that I must start to believe.

That night in the field I felt a deep shiver and I felt that I wasn’t alone… somebody or something was watching me. Indeed I wasn’t alone. That morning I woke up on a stretcher. Around me they were, looking me, studying, they was taking some tests. I don’t know what they wanted; I don’t remember it very well. Now I feel that a piece of me stayed with them, and I’m no longer part of this world.

Anthropomorphic extraterrestrial entity.

Indigenous peoples from Andaman Islands tribe threatened by lure of mass tourism.

Striking news about the situation of the indigenous peoples from Andaman Islands. Gethin Chamberlain, a journalist from The Guardian, reports that it people is threatened by tourism business and the neglicence of who break the rules of the policy of non-interaction established by the State. According to Survival International, a human rights group, the precarious situation of indigenous is due to the lack of commitment from government.

This press release has publicly exposed the situation that is affecting to the indigeous peoples from a jungle reserve on South Andaman. Tour operators, associated with local police, have developed a lucrative bussiness from "human safari". A video shows how female members of Jarawa tribe, a reclusive tribe only recently contacted, are commanded to dance for tourist. Who commands is a police officer who says: "Dance for me...", "...I give you food". Pursuant to Chamberlain tourist threw bananas and biscuits to the tribespeople at the roadside, as they would to animals in a safari park.

Consulted on situation the superintendent of police for South andaman admit they are powerless to prevent some contact between the tribe and the tourists. He says that people should understand the policy of non-interaction and respect the rules. When he was asked about irregularities from police, he admits some officers are breaking the rules: "There may be incidents where our officers are negligent, and we have take action."

Apparently the government has tried to make and effort to protect indigenous peoples. In 2007 established a buffer zone around the reserve, hoping to protect the Jarawa tribe from further interaction will the outside world. But the safaris go on, four each way, dai in, day out. Although the authorities have cut the number of convoys to eight a day. However the supreme court ordered in 2002 close the road completely. According to the government, they will not close the road completely because too many people rely on it.

The great question seems to be: shut the Jarawa off from the world for ther own good, or allow those sho want to make contact to do so?

Dr. Anstice Justin, head of the Antropological Survey of India in Port Blair, thinks the only solution is to keep them apart from outsiders for as long as possible. He says that a "forced coexistence would be total genocide for them." While, Sophie Grig believes in the importance of the right to decide. She thinks that closing the road would at least allow the tribe to decide whether it has contact. On the other hand, the local MP has argued that trying to keep the Jarawa apart is futile.

At last, the future of the indigenous peoples from Andaman Islands is daunting. As pointed out the superintender of police for South Andaman: "Humans will be humans". However the concerns of some organizations and individuals delivers hope.

You can read the entire story in the link below:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/07/andaman-islands-tribe-tourism-threat?intcmp=239. 

                                                   Jarawa tribe Dancing for tourist in exchange for food.

I´m in a room classes. My friends (from private universities) in the beach.

In these days I prefer not to visit facebook. The last time that I did it I read things like these: “The last test and I will be on vacation”, “The latest effort”, “I don´t know what to do on vacation...”, “Tomorrow, I will do nothing but watch TV”. The next week It will be worse. Probably most of my friends will be on the beach! Meanwhile, I will be studying for one of the many tests that we are beginning to take.

I don’t envy them, I just feel cheated. Someone said life is not fair; now more than ever, I give it all the reason! We were mobilized for more than five months, like stoic “postmodern heroes”. And, what we achieve with this? A small adjustment in the education budget, which also will benefit both public and private universities. Further, private university students continued with classes regularly and now they enjoy vacations. And what´s more, the students number of private universities increased by over fifty percent. It´s inusual and shocking! And this is our situation… we still have a whole month of classes, another month doing research work and studying for tests, and finally when classes over, classes start again. Is like a tragicomedy! I just hope that we grant that this summer the temperature doesn´t too high.

Whatever, each Hinzpeter´s ulcer, each new Larraín´s wrinkle, and each Piñera´s white hair still worth.

With four days of Christmas, yours “the ostrich”.

Work in summer isn´t impossible.

¿Everything has an end?

Beyond doubt, it was a fruitful experience. Most of the time I enjoy it. Only sometimes it was tedious, i think because clases were very early and I was sleepy. But I think, in general, the writing is not an activity that may displease someone, it is a fascinating way to socialize that you have in and you want to communicate. While, it is true that communicate in a foreign language is a particular experience. No only one sees limited his linguistic resources, especially when not handled properly the foreign language, but should try to connect to different ways of expression, peculiar to this language. This is extremely difficult at first, but as time passes begins to become easier and more enjoyable. It is a good way to write about everyday things like food, travel, books, music, photos that we like. These are the things that you talk normally and, therefore, it is easier and even useful in terms of learning a foreign language to talk about these things. It is also a good idea to be able to read the writings of other students because you can go looking for different ways to say the same thing. This can be learning new forms of expression that one would not have thought of. It is also good that the blogs are written during class time, as well one takes the time corresponding to perform activities without having to allow extra time. However, it is also in part a problem because the class time is not always enough to write as much as one tries to express.

The topics on which we write were entertaining, although it should have always existed the possibility to choose between two topics, like the time in which we had to choose between a food and a favorite book. Definitely, it was a good experience and I feel I could improve my level ofEnglish expression in some degree.

A part in spanish a part in english.

About social ties in city, between the flesh and stone.

The last book I read was Flesh and Stone: The Body And The City In Western Civilization. It was written by Richard Sennett, an eminent American sociologist and professor at London School of Economics. It`s an essay about the history of body conceptions in the Western civilization. The core is the way in that the body conceptions are linked with city conceptions. In this sense, Sennett points out that the form of the city is crossed by different meanings that articulate senses of human relations. To justify the plot the author exhibits the presence of the body conceptions, its character and the inherent relations with the physical and symbolical form that the city acquires in different places in the history of Western civilization. The sociologist began analizing the situation in the Athens of Pericles, the Imperial Rome and the medieval Venice to end with an analysis of modern cities. The chapter that I consider most interesting is that that analyses the implications of the transition from pagans beliefs to Christianity in the meanings associated to the body and the city in the Imperial Rome. According to Sennett it was a transition from an exalting of “flesh and stone“ to an annullment of the body, that is expressed in a “ pilmigraje in time” of Christianity.  Moreover, the text evidences the differences between the ancient and the modern Christianity, as well as the inconsistency between Christian dogmas and their social practices. Definitely, it’s an excellent essay in sociological terms. Its arguments are clear, fairly convincing and innovative. In addition, the author is one of the voices more important in the field of urban sociology. There's no doubt this is a book that social sciences students and people interested in the sociocultural processes linked to the development of the cities should read.

Title page of the essay.