Party

Well, really I don’t know what to write in this post. Cause I’m a very quiet person (maybe too much) and for this I haven't had a crazy or wild party. I could invent something but in this moment my imagination isn’t functioning. So, I will write about the last party that I went, it was three months ago. This was the birthday of my friend Claudia and she celebrates it in The Arcano Pub in Providencia; I went alone as an independent person XD.

Well, I don’t consider this one as a “wild party” but it was a great moment to know new people… and it was funny to stay in this celebration because all the persons were older than me and it was interesting to hear their conversations… there was a woman that related estrange stories and anecdotes.

Also, I remember some years ago, the celebration of the Carlita’s birthday together another (ex) classmates. That night we cooked sushi and we bought other things to eat and drink.

In both opportunities the consequences I think that they weren’t as you imagine (teacher huhuh) because I don’t drink alcohol… my mind was lucid and I can remember everything that happened. I don’t consider that to drink alcohol as a bad thing is only that I don’t like to taste it. So, I prefer to talk, or eat delicious things.

Maybe in the next years I could have a wild and crazy party… but I won’t write it in this blog jeje

Music

I like different kinds of music and groups and for this it is very difficult to decide for one. In general I listen to pop and traditional Chilean music.

One of my favourite pop groups is Mecano formed by Ana Torroja, Nacho y José María Cano, because their songs have a particular sound with the electronic mixes specially in their beginning when they worked together with Hans Zimmer for example.

This Spanish trio, very popular in the 80s, have six cds approximately but also they have records of concerts and material not published. My favourite material is a dvd with a live concert at the end of the 90s because I enjoy the voice of Ana at that time. They separated and nowadays everyone does their own careers as singers but it is not the same.

In my romantic side, I like Laura Pausini. Last year I went to the concert at the Movistar Arena, her vocal quality is incredible and she is very nice.

In the traditional Chilean music I really like Violeta Parra. I consider that she is an important woman because she collected different musical forms through our own country and she showed them in other countries such as France. The contents of her songs refer to elements of our own culture and she does social criticism with this. She was a great artist because she practiced the music and at the same time she was painter and sculptress for example. I recommend you her website: http://www.violetaparra.cl/.

Also I like Congreso because they are spectacular musicians; I attended a concert this year in the Municipal Theatre and the musical quality was fantastic.

Well, I think that the music and his its different kinds are element very important for our culture.

Lastarria

After the Bicentenario weekend and all the movement, food, travels, meetings with family and friends, it would be good to do any activity or visit a place to relax.

Well, I don’t know very well Santiago, but to relax I walk regularly on the Santa Lucía hill and to see Santiago from the top. After going to the hill, it is interesting to go to the neighborhood Lastarria and to go to El Biógrafo Cinema.

I discovered the neighborhood Lastarria when I studied architecture and I drew sketches of the road and buildings. But I knew El Biógrafo Cinema because a friend invited me. Her boyfriend worked in that place and for this reason we can get in for free... huhu. This place is very special because it is an art cinema, and keeps the form of the old cinemas. I know the “cojo”... he is a very nice and interesting man.

In Lastarria you can find many restaurants, coffee shops, arts galleries, cultural centres, museums, and some days there is an antiquefair.

I don’t remember exactly the times that I’ve been to that place, but maybe, at least, ten and the most of the time I go with any friend.

To conclude, I recommend that place because has a beautiful architecture, you can do different activities and it has a great historical value. Also, for its characteristics is an important place in the cultural landscape of Santiago.

To visit this place I think that you should have money, but walking along is also good activity.

The National Holidays

I will celebrate this special national holiday in Chimbarongo. I'm going to be with my family and it’s very important for me because on 21th of September is my birthday, and I will celebrate these days before returning to Santiago.

I think that for this celebration isn’t necessary to spend much money, it’s depends on the person, for example, my family spends money especially in food… my mother cooks tasty empanadas!!

I like the week of the National Holiday to rest, and the possibility of doing funny things such as flying kites. Also I would like to learn to dance cueca.

Regarding to the celebrations of our bicentenary I think, that this isn’t very special because the authorities and the government do a show with this, we can see the use of the image of our national heroes, the monuments, etc… and the creation of an national imaginary based on wrong interpretations of our history, for example, as Gabriel Salazar says, the recent closeness of the monuments of Carrera and O’Higgins as a form of reconciliation has no sense. I think that is funny to celebrate but also it is the moment to do a necessary and real reflection about our country, for example about the situation of Mapuche and the public education.

Privatisation...

I think that the privatisation of the state universities is a problem very important because the education is a central factor for the development of our society. However, in our country this system doesn’t help to create a society with more equality and opportunities for the students with less economic resources.

With the previous years experiences is possible to think that the privatisation will impose in our state university system, and I don’t think that the current president of the government will change this system.

I'm not very sure about the solutions for this problem... maybe it is necessary to do other forms to access university or to find the form to create social conscience about this problem and to put pressure on the authorities to stop the process of privatisation.

I don’t think that this government will privatise the Universidad de Chile. At least four years I consider that it is not sufficient for this, and I imagine that the public tradition of this university and the students' movement will do anything to stop the privatisation. However, I think that this university isn’t public totally because to study here at the moment is very expensive.

Italy or France

I’d like to visit Italy because is a country with an interesting history and beautiful architecture and places to know.

I think that it is necessary live in this place for some years if you want to make new friends or to know more about the characteristics of it society, traditions or style of life.

I’d like to go with some friends because it is funnier and you can share the experience.

Well, at the moment I’m not saving money to go here... I need to finish the university and to find a job. Maybe in the next years I will consider the possibility of going to another country to continue studying. In this case, I think that France would be my election because in this place the sociology of art is more developed than in other countries, and this is an area of the sociology that I’d like to learn.

The first term of 2010

My first term was difficult because I had some academic problems especially with Statistic IV, I failed twice!!

I have some confusions with my decision of studying sociology, sometimes I think that this is a mistake.. but I don’t know.

But, also I lived good things! I participated in an research about the popular poetry and with my classmates went to Portezuelo. This experience was very interesting to learn more about the “payadores” and this is a beautiful place… I really enjoyed it!!

Also, I knew a new friend, her name is Kaitling and she was in a class of rural sociology in a student exchange program. She returned to the USA two weeks ago but we continue speaking.