Retrospective of my English Class

I thought that after the school I wouldn’t need and I wouldn`t have English classes anymore. Complete freedom. But, The University of Chile was thinking with other point of view, and included in our studies program an obligatory course of English. My experience with the English class in school was really bad, considering the teacher, the methodology, and the education’s quality. My trauma with this matter to threatened my stay in my career (in a hyperbolic sense). But, if I do a recount of these 2 years with the English class I can say that the trauma is to get over.

The first level in the English class was really funny and relaxed, that was like a therapy for the stress in the career. When the second level started the difficulty rose a bit, but nothing really bad. The third level was a bad dream for me; the change of second level to third level was like a hit. The difficulty increased and that was it reflects in my listening test’s marks. But with a retrospective look I think that was necessary for can improve my English.

The work’s methodology is, in my opinion, appropriate. But that depends to the teacher. I think that the incentive for to do the class a bit more recreational and pleasant is really necessary if you considerer the statute of the class, is obligatory. Which is obvious because is the language of the globalized world. If you want to communicate with French person or with Japanese person you must use English. The people whose natural language isn’t English, they must to borrow an idiom that isn`t own of them. I’m included in that group.

I think that the oral practice in class has been very useful. You have the possibility of improve your vocabulary and to practice a real conversation. The themes for discuss with the classmates has been really interesting, related with the contingence political and social. But I think that is a merit of the each teacher. Also, the constantly task of the writings in English blogs is a tool for put in order the ideas and practice in vocabulary and grammar. Finally, the reading has been an element to help me in this class.

If you ask about a negative aspect of the English Class, I can say that isn`t a bad experience for a person whose knowledge of the language was minimum. Maybe, a factor of absence is the idea that isn’t necessary increase the stress of the student with a “bored class”. I don’t think so. The good things that I got of this class exceed any bad experience that I have had.

Camilota's Blog

In the last semester I always visited or commented to a couple of people: Cony, María Antonieta, Camila and María Graciela. When the task was write about the best blog, I wrote about Mary’s blog. But now, I haven´t posted to the same peoples all the times. So, is difficult to choice one blog, because my knowledge about the complete content isn´t deep. I have enjoyed very much post, for example, the favorite personage of Diego and Lucy, I laughed too much. And I read really good contents in Camila’s and Berny’s blogs. I like very much when the classmate’s post express their ideas about contingents themes, like mapuches, not only by the task. But I’m not so serious and I like the sense humor too.

So, I think that the best blog in this semester was written by Camilota. I always read her posts and then I think “this girl is brilliant”; she has lucidity and critic sense. I like very much when she speak about politic themes; obviously, she loves to write about that. When the tasks are more personals, like about a travel, the favorite song, the perfect day or things like that, the Camila’s post are really nice, I remember that I enjoyed very much to read about this subjects in her blog. I think that is very important the visual component too, how Camila decided to present us. I like her background, and the pictures that she adjoins to the post.


Definitely, the post that I enjoyed most was about the career that she would like to study. She said “music”! I knew that she likes very much listen to music, but she never said that likes so much for to study music! Well, I was surprised about that, and then, she said that she didn`t study music because she haven´t talent! I comment her post, and I told her that in music, for to compose, is not necessary to be a virtuous in the instruments, only you need intelligence and creative capacities. And you have that!!!!!!
About the bad aspects.......I think that maybe she could improve her vocabulary, and things like that. I really like her blog. I can`t criticize her!

The Uncle Robert

Well, today, I have to write about the greatest Chilean. It is very difficult for me to choose one person out of the pantheon of the “grandes chilenos” (a quote to that program of TVN). There are many characters important for the Chilean history and culture. For example, Violeta Parra, Salvador Allende, Clotario Blest, Luis Emilio Recabarren, and many others. But, for today, I’ll speak about a popular character; maybe the people in general think that he was only a popular singer without big importance. But I’ll restore their image. Well, I’m speaking of Tío Roberto Parra.
Well, he was born in 1921, and he was the younger brother of Nicanor, Hilda, Violeta and Lalo. And, like Violeta, he had to leave home for to work singing in the Mercado de Chillán when he was a child. I remember an anecdote about he and his brother Lalo (they always were closer) when they joined to a Circus, it broke and they had to return to home without food and money. They arrived to the police, and they question them if they know to sign, and they sang a cueca. All the people were very impressed, then, they come back home in train... This is really nice, because there are the beginnings of the kind of life of these two brothers.
Almost all the people know him by “La negra Ester”, his theatre’s play, inspired in his romance with a “lady” in Valparaíso. But I think that his music is really important. He created the “jazz guachaca”, a mixture of the jazz and the chilean folklore. In this point, is very relevant his legacy to the rock in the 90’. Why? He is in the base of Los Tres’s music.
I think that he was a person that did his life like he wanted. I mean, he left the common life in family, with children, work... He worked when he wanted to eat, or something like that, and he used almost all his time with his music and poetry. I think that I would ask him about all the stories that he lives, in the street, in the field, in the harbor, in the brothel....
I remember that a written said that when he knew Nicanor’s poetry, was amazing. But he changed him by Violeta, when he knew her. And then, he definitely chose Roberto Parra.

*In the picture: Angel Parra and his uncle Roberto (with black suit).

My ideal career

Today I want to write about a career that I would have wanted to study. I think that almost all my classmates have an idea about the career that I would like to study: Anthropology. The questions to answer are: How and when you knew about the career? Explain what do the people that study that career, and Why would you have liked to study this career?
I don’t know when was born in me the tendency toward this matter. I always remember that a friend told me that the work that Violeta Parra did with the peasant, was a work of anthropologist. I said: I want to do that too!!!! Well, the score in PSU wasn`t sufficient, so, here I’m.
When I was in first, second and third year in the university, I began to take part in class in the career. And I began to understand more the work of an anthropologist. This is related with the human and the culture. One of the first definitions of this career that I read is: The anthropology is the man’s study. This is really abstract and general. In other definitions I read that the anthropologist studied the culture. So, for me, the anthropology is the study of the man through the culture.
I think that this career would be perfect for me. The first reason is related with our career. I’m not regretful of to enter in the Art. I like the subject, and is directly related with the culture. I don`t have an obsession by the object, the painting, for example. Yeah, is really beautiful, but for me is only an object. The man or the people that did that work of art are my focus of interest. So, I would study the human behaviour through Art (a part of the culture).
I could do all the things that an anthropologist do (fieldwork, travels), but always related with the art. So, I think that in the future I’ll study a master or the under grade in anthropology. I’ll do it!

*In the picture: Claud Levi Strauss during ethnography' works.

My fictional perfect job

This world is really cruel. The actual system cause that many people are unhappy. The capitalism is terrible because the economics differences and the holding of that situation produce that the poor people always be poor people. When I’m in the bus ride, I always see people that sell candies, necklace, pens, books, etc. And I always think, Are this people happy with that job? Is an election? Maybe that man wanted to be doctor, or actor, or painter. Is really sad to think in this situation but are real and this not going to change in many years.
But today I have o write about my perfect job. I fell in depression when I think in this, because that job no exists. I can invent it, but that job will not pay because in the actual capitalist system the artistic or anthropologist jobs haven’t value, an economic value.
My job would be great; this would be the combination of the entire thing that I love to do, and the best part, that things would be pay. First, my perfect job would be the combination of the anthropology and art. I would be an art’s anthropologist. In my job I would have to travel for study the different expression in situ. In the anthropologist vocabulary this is called field work. I try to follow an investigation line related with the called popular art and pre-Columbian art. That art that isn’t official. I’m interested in this kind of works because is an art deeply entrenched in the people, very different to the art that we can see in the Fine Arts Museum. The people isn’t familiarize with this expression, are alien thing to them.
After of this field work, I would work in my studio (or maybe in the same place) and I would write a book or a paper with the result of my investigation. This book would be distributed in the school, libraries and universities…
I think that I would enjoy this job because is a mixture of the things that I love to do: travels to remote lands, the art’s study, and a theoretic reflection about a matter that I like. Well, this jobs no exits in the “list of jobs” but I could get something like this if I create a project and I to stand it to FONDART. The money isn’t sufficient for the quality and importance of the job, but is ok. I know persons that stand project in FONDART, and they do something that they want to do. This is really cool.
I think that is really important for the development of a person work in the area that he likes. And do the things that really make him happy. Because the people don’t have to live to work, the people have to work the necessary to live.

Violeta Parra, Chilean artist

Is very difficult for me to choose a person would like to meet. I would like to meet characters like Fidel Castro or the “Che” Guevara, or even Karl Marx or John Lennon. But I prefer to decide by a closer person, a kind of person that doesn`t produce fear to meet, somebody like me. Is a historical figure that isn`t recognized as such, I think. She is Violeta Parra.

When I say that she is a closer person, I mean that she isn`t an unachievable figure. This is ridiculous because she is dead, but I try to see it as she would be alive.
I would like very much to meet her. I think that I would visit her in the “Carpa de la Reina” and we would drink a “mate” and we would talk about many things. She would teach me many songs, and she would encourage to compose my songs, and to leave my fears behind.

She is really cool! She was born in San Carlos, and she had to sing with her brothers Lalo and Roberto in the Mercado de Chillan, for to eat. She was really poor and she did many things, like a deep work in the area of the popular music, specifically, the peasant sings. I really like the albums where she recorded this sings. In special I like the “cantos por el angelito” and a very nice song called “Las vísperas de San Juan”. This song is special for me, because it makes me remember my home. We celebrated the San Juan’s day, and this song brings me memories about food, climates, colours, sounds.....sniff!
Other thing that she did was the “arpilleras”, her visuals works. With this works she did an exhibition in the Louvre, the first Chilean artist that had a complete room for shows her works! And, and additional component: she took part in the Communist Party!

I think that I would not ask her about the reasons about her suicide. Because I understand her, I can feel when I listen to the “Últimas Composiciones de Violeta Parra” her feelings. In the songs of this album she used very much the charango, an instrument that in itself show the soul crying.
I think that isn`t necessary explain why I would like to meet her. It has all been said. I admire her.
In the last days I’ve listen to the album called “Composiciones para Guitarra”, and is one of the most striking think that I’ve listen to. She wasn`t a musicians, she was an Artist, in the whole sense of the word.

My perfect day

It’s very difficult for me to speak about my perfect day. I think in my perfect day with a little of fantasy. I mean, that I would like to have ‘the power’ for to be in many places without to spend so time in travels! Is stupid, I know, but I need that strange and imposible situation for to enjoy my perfect day. Because a really good day for me start in my home, in the south of our country.
First, I would wake up with the cockerel’s sing. I would go to the window and I would see the dawn. Then, I would stroke to my two dogs: Parrito and Valiente, and my four cats: Luchito, Chita, Peneca y Pelusa. For breakfast, I would like drink milk of the my father’s cows :).

I would do that strange transportation to Santiago. Here, I would like to visit the Cementerio General with somes friends. I like very much to go for walk to that place. Is really beautiful, in special, the architecture and that environment, with a unique climate, light and colours.
Then I would go to the Quinta Normal, I would walk around the park, and I would eat ice cream. I would visit the museums there, like the Historia Natural Museum, and that museum (i’m not sure about it name) of technology.

In my perfect day I would like to go to buy a bass, a rickenbacker, like the bass of Mccartney. This is a desire that I would include in my perfect day, becuase in my normal life, this cannot be posible.
I would do other that rare’s transportation. I would go to San Fabian, in the Eighth region and there I would ‘swim’ in the stream. And then, almost in the end of this great day, I would come back to my home, that it is in a hill like in Heidi’s history. There, I would sing in the roof of my home, with my cats around me, just before to the dusk.

My perfect day is the joint of all the things that I love. Regarding to the person that would be with me in my perfect day... I think that is a secret! :P.

A day in the life

I think that this is the most difficult post in all the year. To choose my favourite song! I don't know!!!!!!!!!! But I'm sure about the authors of so mystery song: The Beatles. I think that the sense of the harmony, the melody and the content of the song, is very deep in that guys. I did a list with my favourites songs of The Beatles: Lovely Rita, A day in the life, I'm the Walrus, Strawberry Fields, Happiness is warm gun, Cry baby cry, Because and, finally, The End. Now, the difficult part, to choose one of those songs. I think that my favourite song of all times is.....A day in the life.

I choose this song because I think that represent the sense of the psychedelics years of the Beatles, and because is a great song.

I can remember that I liked it to the first time that I heard it. I don't know why. A friend showed me and taught me how to hear the music of the real Beatles (since Revolver until Abbey Road).

A day in the life was written by John Lennon. Originally, he wrote a lyric with a notice that he read in the newspaper. The methodology of work of the Beatles was very participative, somebody wrote a song and then he showed the song to the group, and then they did it the musical arrangements. The composition was a group task. John Lennon showed his creation to the group, and then, Paul McCartney wrote a verses.

In the documentary called Anthology, The Beatles and George Martin (producer) explain how did and recorded the song. Paul McCartney related the part when he and John written the song, and when they decided to include a verse with sexual connotations: “I’d love to turn you on”. In the same documentary they explain how they manage to build a symphonic arrangement to the song, and that part where the clock rings announce when the group must come together and things like that...

I think that what took my attention was the beautiful melody and the John voice, so deep. And then, when I heard the orchestra... all in that song is really wonderful! Isn’t a human creation!

Here there is a link with a video, WATCH IT :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nY0SRsAeaw&feature=related

Latin America

Well, I would like to know the entire world!!! To choose one place is very difficult for me. But I’m going to choose a region of this planet: Latin America.
The reason for this election is simply, is the historical place where I was born and where I live. I feel a special affection for our region, I think that here there aren’t countries clearly different. The frontiers are human inventions, are a fiction. I think that we are one people that were born as a product of a specific historical situation, the colonization.
I would like to know from Rio Grande to the Estrecho. I would travel through it, like the Che! My knowledge about Latin America is historical and cultural, but not very deep. If I could travel by Latin America I really would like to know Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. In Mexico I would visit the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan, El Tajin and Tenochtitlan, and Museum of Anthropology. In Cuba... well, my interest in this country is historical, because here are great characters like Fidel Castro; I really admire this man because he could to release the Cuban people of the USA control. And, in this island there is an interesting cultural mix (like Brazil), and is one of the more ancients Spanish settlement. Brazil is a big place! And their regions are so different! I think that almost all of us would like to do an exotic travel in the Amazonia! But to leave in one piece! In Peru I would know the ruins of Machu Picchu, Sacsayhuaman, and the Cuzco’s city with all their museums and Churches. In Bolivia I would go to the ruins of Tiwanaku and Potosi’s city.
Like a place for to live I would choose Cuba, I think that I would be happy there. For study I would choose Mexico or Brazil, because they have very good universities in the area that I like it: the anthropology, archaeology and the art.
Well, the only thing that I can do now is to save money to do this great trip!!!

*In the picture, a mural by Jorge González called "Presencia de America Latina", Pinacoteca of Concepcion,. Chile.

Mapuches?

I think that for to begin to speak about the Mapuche’s situation is necessary make clear what we understand by Mapuche. Some people say that if you don’t eat ‘piñon’, and if you don’t live in a ‘ruca’ you aren’t mapuche. Others believe in the change and adaptation of the people to the new époques and that if the mapuche live in the city that isn’t a contradiction, and he can be considered as mapuche. But, what do you think???? Is the mapuche, in the currently times a Mapuche or is only a peasant???
For me this is a difficult question, I’m not sure about this. But this topic is very contingent and is discussing in all the fields of the society. And the question before raised is fundamental, because if you say that today the Mapuche don’t exist, that mean that you invalidate all their demands.
In the judge of the mapuche’s people there are interests of power, because to attend to the demands of this people affected all system created by the Dictatorship and keeping by the Coalition and the Piñera’s government.
I think that all the native people of this country feel that since the dictatorship their Human Rights have been violate. Now the violence isn’t only coercive, today the hegemonies use a cultural power for to attack this people. I think that the feeling of cultural death is general.
About the antiterrorism law I don’t know very much, but about the currently success I need to express my meet feelings with the president. How do you explain that the Coalition, in 20 years of government calling itself a left wing government did nothing with this law??? Only the falseness and a dirty consensus with the dictators can produce that. And now a facist comes and says: the antiterrorism law will be changed and we will open a table’s dialogue!!! I’m not sure about the problem will be solved only with that, and if a government of Right can do that.

I think that this politicians doing things that correspond to the contrary ideology is confused for me and all the population.

Rock made it by the woman!

Today we are freeeeeeee! We are in holidays, and we can to write about any thing! In the last month I had the idea of to form a group of girls, a band with only girls, and I’ll play the bass there. But that isn’t the point. A friend said me that I should make me an habitus of bands where the integrants only be girls or where they be an important part. Thus, we began to listen to Patty Smith, Björk, Blondie, Pixies, and the band that will be my topic today: The Runaways.
The Runaways was born in 1975. This band haven’t a real formation, I mean that was created for other person. This person (I don’t remember their name) joined five girls according the product that he liked. Thus, he makes a band with a guitar of base, a soloist guitar, a bass, a drummer and a voice. Two important integrants are Joan Jett in the base guitar and Cherry Currie in the voice. This man got the perfect combination between the punk and the glam with these girls. Joan Jett was a fanatic of the punk and rock: Sex Pistols, Stooges. And Cherrie’s liked David Bowie and all the glam movement. Of this mixture was born a sound and style so interesting.
The punk as movement is very important for the moment. The slogan of the punk is “does it yourself”. These mean that you can play a guitar, bass or other instruments without to be a virtuous. You use the music for to express something real, things that you feel, the problems in your social class. One of the consequents is that the woman takes an instrument and she does it their songs. Joan Jett is the woman that writes the song in The Runaways, she is the brain.
In 1976 the band did their first disc called The Runaways, and 1976 or 1977 they did a tour by Japan. Then Cherry Currie leaves the band. Without Cherry, Joan had to sing too. For many people, The Runaways without Cherry lost their heavy style. But other thing that, without Cherry, the band enters more in the punk became to be heavier.
But, I want the judgement of the public! Here is the link with the presentation of The Runaways in Japan with Cherry in the voice singing the first song of the band “Cherry Bomb” (written by “the man”): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMDn6V7ZLhE. And here is the link with The Runaways in 1977 with Joan as voice. This song called “School Days”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz9JNDlcTgA.
I hope that my classmates say in their comments what think about this band, in specific, the contrast between this two “periods”.

Tusunami marepoto

Today, we have to write about some important news of this year. Well, we could speak about the earthquake, the trapper miners or the thermo electrical plant. The media of communications have done of this news a ‘show’ (in the Chilean sense of the word). For this reason, I’m not going to speak about this, but I`m going to refer to our president: Sebastian Piraña.
In my opinion this is the most important notice, because it is very striking, (due to the historic and political sense of this country), that after 20 years of the “so called democracy”, the people have chosen a person from the Right to govern. In fact, this is the most impressive, that the same people choose to be government by a businessman.
Isn`t the better for the poor people have a Right Government in all the senses. In fact, according to the last survey, the poverty and the differences of income between poor and rich increased. This is a sociological problem about why the people choose a thing that isn´t convenient for them. I think that the almost 20 years of dictatorship and the 20 years with the Coalition of the centre-left did it a “good job” in the people. I mean we have been culturally educated for accept thing as this.
In the press this fact isn’t mentioned, now is most important the miners and the profit that they can to earn with the lives of this persons. The media is so powerful because they have the control of all of that the people see. If they show the famous lives, the people see that. And the worse is that there isn’t a critic sense in the people about that you see and consumed.

The threes bearded mans

Since I was 17 or 16 years old I listened the music of Quilapayún. The last year, in 2009, the group did a tour in tribute to Victor Jara. They played in different places of Chile, and the tour finished with a concert in Teletón theatre in Santiago.
I knew about the concert because I always check in Google the notice of the artist that I like. I decided to go to this concert because it was an only opportunity of to see to great Quila, and interpret song of their early stage. And, I had the money for to pay the ticket!
That concert was incredible! I couldn´t believe that I was listening to Quilapayún in live!!! The event was divided in two parts: first, they interpreted songs of the older albums, when victor was the director of the group. Then, they played a lot of hits of the seventies and they just sounded so perfect, with their voices all together, it was wonderful.
In fact, the show was very emotional because Victor´s funeral was just finished a while ago, because he was buried in someplace else.
I though it was very beautiful to listen at so many instruments at the same time. Like always, they played with instruments of every corner of Latin America! And i was so close of the stage i could almost touch these beautiful instruments.
So, i must say that i enjoy very much this concert, i a hope i will see they again some day. It would be great also that new groups in Chile begin to use harmonies with their voices just like Quilapayun do. I think people doesn´t do that anymore as before.

education.....

This is the first blog in the new semester and today we have three themes for to write: Animal rights in Chile, Education in Chile, Gender and opportunities in Chile. I think that my knowledge about the education isn`t sufficient as to speak about this, but is the subject more interesting, in my opinion. Well, my text will be about the education in Chile.
All the government have the education as one of their principally objectives for to improve. The emphasis is understandable because the education is the most efficient means for the social reproduction.
Things as of the quality of the education and the differences between a private and a public school and the cost are related with the point already indicated. These obstacles look naturals, as a given condition. But, ours life are mediates by the hegemonic group. If you are poor, the possibilities for can improve your life are shatter because you go to the school where the education isn´t the better, the difference with pay college do that enter to the university are uneven.
Is important to consider with critic vision this problem because the view isn`t encouraging: poverty and the differences of income between poor and rich increased according to the last survey.