I like Santiago

I do not like Santiago. I am a boy of Los Andes, a lover of his city. I hate our capital, the streets spewing cars and people always paranoid and angry. If I had to advertise a city, Santiago would not have it. In fact, I would de Los Andes, but never of that horrible concrete jungle who, with love, I call Mierdópolis. Anyway, he asks the class, so I must.

In Santiago, I do not do many activities. Mainly, I go to the supermarket, college, work and home. But my favorite activity is to go to the terminal on Friday afternoon or the day it is. It is time to travel to my beloved city and never see the capital for days. Moreover, the places I visit are not many. The main square is full of thieves, Paseo Ahumada is full of people and in the middle ... Well, the center is the center.

If I had to say things that I find good in Santiago, I would say that when I can, I visit bookstores, La Moneda, go to the movies and see good movies. You can find anything, because it is at your fingertips. I like malls, my college, my campus and cultural centers. But what I like most of Santiago commune in the district are high. What more, my God! Since I am a fan of the Catholic University in football, I go to San Carlos de Apoquindo Stadium in Las Condes. I am enjoying seeing a place as nice as this, with blond children, three-story houses and four cars of battle and extremely beautiful women. It's wonderful!

However, when eating, Santiago is a great option to do so quickly. Where you can find fast food. If not the supermarket, Chinese food in Providencia Avenue Monckeberg makes delicious fries, plus the Bravissimo ice cream (if called) or places like that. To eat better, the restaurants of the Barrio Brasil satisfy my desire.

My interests in Santiago are few because I find that this city has no culture. It's just repetition of thousands of other things that you do not know. The good thing about is that it serves to buy cheap clothes, as Trustees, have airport and bus terminals, subway to get to "walk" and malls to visit. I would go to the Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Library, the Cine Arte Normandie and theater, along with more football and basketball (only when they play my favorite teams, which together with the UC, are Trasandino and Liceo Mixto, both Los Andes). Spend more time with my family without worrying that assault me or someone yell in your face, or at least have good transport and drivers calm. Something that I do, but much more, no.

Come to Santiago, the place of smog and our beloved capital. The spend well. Are you bored like me, maybe not, but if you want to dance, smoke drugs and have sex, can so ... Unless you're over there.

Chile bicentennial year... So, what?

Chile has a birthday every year. But it made the difference. The Sept. 18 held the national bicentennial, when our country celebrated, laughed, cried and set goals for subsequent years. Chilean government spent $69 millions for this fest, where everybody participated in Ramadas, taverns and parties. Some are drunk and fought for days. People of businesses closed for two days and all just steps protested. So, is there been so important to worry about an event, particularly, we celebrate forever? How relevant to celebrate 200 years under conditions in which we live?

Chile has a range of poverty which, while not as high as other countries, reflects the reality of unequal people. It spent millions of dollars on parties, external communication strategies, vision of the country where they invested in form but not substance. The government was responsible for publicizing the bicentennial. Although it was a period full of joy and alcoholism, love and hate, military parades, festivals, kebabs and pies, people are excited about the date and wanted to pass as God intended. At the same time, many poor people lived on the streets in search of the debris that it left them bicentennial.

In many Latin American countries was celebrated bicentennial year: Perú, Colombia, Argentina y México. Our founding fathers found others ways to create a special and united continent. They wanted teach us that everything about this region was our, but, now, each one is separated from de others. Anybody in Chile understand that our country could have celebrating bicentennial year without poverty, social assistance and, principally, achieving to national development through the respect and equality. For example, Chile has 13 per cent about poverty level (more info, check here). Chile had changed. It not like before and all bicentennial year preparative show it.

What good is having a big party if you can not take that money on important issues such as overcoming social problems? The real cause in one celebration is say that something is good, in order, fine. Can you imagine how many things could have been done? Too much!! Well, we wait a Chilean change or Latin American change, where everybody enjoys all together. Tercentenary year should be main goal for what is coming in the future.

Booooks!!

Although I don’t read many books for myself –which I want to read–, it like to me. It can be a bit strange what I say, but, I like academics books, that give me to read like homework. When I arrived to university, I don’t liked read. I found that books don’t serve to learn difficult class. I hated it!! However, over the years, books is converted in very important something to me.

I read essay, novels, theory of the mass media, books about analysis of the social communication. It was funny!! Books very interesting for develop my knowledge. In fact, one of my desires is writing a text about it.

Between books I had read I found one that I like too much. It became my favorite book. Politics and Society, by Antonio Gramsci (in the photo), talk about the relationship between State and civil society, place where ideology is manifests. Gramsci notes that the population adds many ways to front at life, always linked to the power of the dominant superstructure. A best seller of the human thought.

But, I began to read when I was a child. Who didn’t read Papelucho? Everyone must to do. It was my first book that I read when I was 6 years old. The Papelucho collection I have completes, because the school demand me. I like it. It’s a great book that students have been neglected by Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.

World of the books don’t stop. I have two authors that I to consider favorites: Gramsci and Francisco Coloane. I like to read books to Garcia Marquez or José Luis Borges, but, I don’t leave Chile for anything. Francisco Coloane wrote The last sailor boy in the Baquedano, who relates the journey of a child looking for his lost brother in southern Chile. It’s a great book to great Chilean novelist.

Whit them, I can say that books are my life and my passion. To analysis books from little stories, they are a way to express different views of the world. I really enjoy whit them.

Few, but good!!

The enviromentally friendly practices aren´t so relevant for me. But, like a few Chilean boys, I try to protect my world. And I say few, because I think there aren´t enough instances where people can learn these practices.

If the Chilean people want to learn about it, they must read newpapers, watch specialized TV shows, listen to the radio and, principally, research by Internet. It´s very difficult, almost impossible, to find these practices in schools, because I believe that we need a change of perspective about the situation. For example, there are few universities where they teach us ways to improve the environment.

I had incorporated recycling in my habits. I try to use just one bag when I go shopping or buy something, I occupy twice or many times anything that I can use. In my family, my mom fixes utensils to prevent throwing them away before the time. Also, for not contaminating, in Santiago I live near the university, so always I walk to come to class. In Los Andes, I do the same, more there, because it is a little city. My parents too. When we can, we use the bike.

Althought I want to help the environment, I am not a member of eco-organizations. I think that if someone wants to join these causes, they should join with responsability and not half way. Also, I don´t believe them. Don´t ask me why, but I believe that people can do something very important about environment without being part of these organizations.

More than plantings trees or belong to eco-organizations, I would like to propose forms to environmental care. Always we see how the people burn forests and kill animals, even ourselves throw away garbage in the streets and nobody does anything!! There is where we must put our hands and change the world.

However, to reduce my carbon footprint, I walk, I turn off the light when I don´t use it, I try not to contaminate. But, our society and, specially, Santiago, need to learn more about it. For that, I request that all channels and the government turn this issue into a national issue.

Chelsea's Zhirkov eager to punish Spartak for goal dig

Chelsea want to classify as quickly as possible to the second rums of the UEFA Champions League. Next wednesday, the London team will face against Spartak Moscow on a new date in group F.

This match will be important for Yuri Zhirkov, Chelsea`s Russian defense. He start his career in CSKA, rival team of Spartak of Moscow. Has always been with the team by identifying, so this game will be taken as a personal battle.

Zhirkov made it 2 -0 at Moscow´s Luzhniki stadium, his first goal since moving to Stamford Brifge in July 2009. This caused that Spartak's billionaire owner Leonid Fedun to quip: "Zhirkov shoots like this once every five years. Unfortunately, it happened in our match".
For that, Zhirkov responded with tranquility: "I've read these comments by Mr Fedun and want to prove him that he really underestimates me".

Like he´s a defense, it is very difficult to make goals for his team. However, that does not stop to make the score when his team needed. Generally, the goals of the defenses are headers, but Zhirkov converted from the corner, shooting him one of the best date.

The next match will be playing in London, in the afternoon. The "blues" must win the match to can near to the classify, because Chelsea have 9 points and Spartak is a second place with 6. If Chelsea reach the three points, would be the first team of the group F in the Champios League. If you want know more information, go to this link.

Kusturica and Miyazaki

One time I was reading one text by Slavok Sizek about culture serbia and the multiculturalism. There appeared one movie that Sizek analyzed: "Underground", by Emir Kusturica. I start my search about this film director and I found "The Time of the Gypsies". It was the more great and fantastic movie that I watched.

This movie told the story about a gypsy family from Yugoslavia, full of magical powers, which occupy a series to address social problems living belong to one of the poorest areas of the site. Like never I´ve seen, this movie entertained me much and with it I learned that the movies were my thing, especially Kusturica´s films. It was there that I realized that all the movies that there are great achievements, but the art film, it was my passion.

I have my check list of movies that I like it. My first five are: Citizen Kane, Cinema Paradiso, Where is my friend house, Wall-E and The Time of the Gypsies.

However, the films I like are those who talk about culture, identity, things that do not appear in all movies. For example, Europe and Latin America are that I like the way of demonstrating this issue. Join this, one a good movie must work with good colors, pictures and good details.

Between the Asian movies, I like Chihiro, Naucika, Porco Rosso, Ponyo, Totoro and The Mononoke Princess. They are animations by Hayao Miyazaki, my other favorite film director.
Kusturica and Miyazaki could associate, because together, they will work miracles.

But, althought I don´t think that have bad movies, there films that I don´t like. The terror movies, demoniac and gore movies, don´t like me. I preffer other films that show good stories and not blood. Inside of good movies, they are the so bad movies... You know!!



"Time of the Gypsies" Trailer-1988

The great Doc. Martin

I don´t like many tv shows. In fact, when I do "zapping", sometimes I watch programs like Californication, Dr. House, 24 (all them are so funny!!) But, one day, with my parents, I used the remote control until that we found an a program that like us: Doc Martin.

Doc Martin is a ver flemathic britanic doctor that lives in a little town in England. He meet an pretty teacher called Louisa, who fall in love with him. He is a very unpleasant man, but, even if one don't believe it, he have feelings (hides in his hearth). Louisa and Martin have a love relationship, where each one must to promise eternal love. However, wiht the arrival of a former girlfriend of Martin, things even more worse.

I like it because is a similar TV show than Dr. House. Just that´s an english version. I think that it´s a perfect reflect with them: the english people. So, it´s very funny and "atipic". It is different of other TV shows for many aspects: it show one culture that we don´t know, is a critical program about social and economic level in the country, between others things. The sensation that leave me doesn´t compares with 24 or Fresh Prince, Alf or Disney TV shows, for example... Althought they are differents.

Well, I feel good. Wiht the adventures of Doc. Martin, I found something that I wanted from was a child. I laugh, I enjoy with every silly that say. It´s is a serious TV show, but, is impossible contain one´s laughter. Doc. Martin like us to all family members.

Is obvious that my favorite character is the Doc. Martin, one doctor that nobody would having to visit, but, everybody want having like a friend. Louisa not be left behind, because besides being cute and sexy, is a great woman.



If you can watch it, tune Film and Arts every wednesday at 11 pm... Soon, the new season!!!


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