Chile 2010; Myth of the Bicentenary

In this year, Chile celebrates 200 years old of independent life. These began in 1810, when the patriots made the first national junta in opposition to the Spanish Kingdom. Then came the independent’s war, between realist and patriots during 8 years. Today, in 2010, Chile celebrates his bicentenary. For some of the Chileans is a big party to the nation, for others is nothing to celebrate. I think this bicentenary has two senses in this sociocultural context, I mean, that it is a positive and a negative sense.

In first place, the negative sense referred to the ideological function of this celebration to the civil society. I mean that the bicentenary is an excuse to the politics for being legitimized for the citizens or “the people”. The unit, the nation, O’higgins, Carrera … are the words that permitted to create the myth of the bicentenary. This myth hides social problems, for example, inequalities in Education, in work, in the distribution of social product and the social power.

In second place, the positive sense referred to the 200 years of the Chilean people’s history. I mean, more than the history of the heroes, presidents, army, and important events, is the history of the normal people; workers, mothers, students, aborigines, and the poor people. They are the ones who really build this country, and not the other big figures.

The traditional historians have legitimized the first perspective about the nation’s history. They highlight heroic figures like O’Higgins, Carrera, Portales, Ibañez del Campo, etc. For the other side, there are a few historians that make people’s history; his perspective is more focus in the social processes. These last historians belong to the Marxist tradition and the cultural studies, for example Gabriel Salazar.

From my perspective, the real history is the one of social processes. I mean I believe that the history is made for the people and not from particular persons. This last perspective is more ideological than realistic, therefore is functional to the reproduction of the order of the society and the status quo, privileging the powerful figures of all times.

To protect the planet!!

I believe that care about the planet is very important because it is the place we live and we grow up. Neglect the environment, mess up the place we live or full it whit garbage is acting irresponsible and suffer of a short-term view of the mankind and nature

Many people believe that we must to take advantage and produce as much as possible to achieve a society without lacks. Anyway, lacks does not exist because the mankind produce few things, but few people appropriate a lot. If the economic resources were distributed in a better way, then would be a society without lacks. But, as our society is not seeking satisfy needs or lacks but to create more needs to increase the consume, more products are needed. This means that the mankind produce more than necessary and without thinking about the future, but only achieve earnings in the present time.

Even I believe that is necessary to save the planet I don’t have many things about it. For example, I have never participated in an ecological organization or not to go to protests (even I went to one or two). I give my grain trying not to contaminate my life, picking up garbage in the places I have been or I use to be and trying re-utilizing some materials.

Still, I would like to do more things to care about the planet, especially in Santiago, that is a very contaminated city. To solve the problem should be done a better urban planning, improve the public transport system, to restrict the usage of cars and stimulate the use of bikes and penalize the excessive emission of CO2.

Finally, I think that more political forces are needed to solve the problem of pollution, because we must win against those who do not want to change the actual contexts. We must change our practices so in that way we can create a great political movement that can achieve the establishment of laws to protect our future.

Jazz

Ilike very different kinds of music. I enjoy Rock, Jazz, “Tropicobailable” music, “Cueca Brava”, etc. Today I am going to speak about Jazz and my favourites groups, albums and songs in this interesting kind of music.

The Jazz was born in the USA, Lousiana in the first part of the twenty century. His main characteristics are a mixture of various kinds of music and culture. This kind of music integrates African and Latin rhythms and European instruments. On the other hand, the fundamental element of the jazz interpretation is the improvisation. Therefore, the figure of the interpreter is more important that the figure of composer. In addition, the role of the virtuoso is fundamental to create new styles or new genres.

Especifically, my favourite groups are Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Angel Parra Trio, Chick Corea, Akineton Retard and Hiromi Uehara. I attended the last concert of Chick Corea in Chile. This concert was in the Caupolican theater and it was great.

Moreover, I enjoy the music of Hiromi Uehara. She is a virtuoso Japanese pianist and her interpretation is great. My favorite songs are “Time out”, “Deep into the nights”, “Deja Vu”, “Reverse” and “XYZ”. On the other hand, “Another Mind” (2003), “Brain” (2004) and “Duet” are the most interesting Uehara albums for me. In “Duet”, Hiromi play with Chick Corea in the Tokyo Blue Note, is a great concert. I would like attend a concert of the Hiromi, and very much a concert of Hiromi and Chick…Great!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6pgM-NVfWg

Las Cruces

I think that a good place for post-bicentenario is a beach. Specifically, I enjoyed Las Cruces, a beach localized in the central littoral. I believe that great place because is calm and interesting beach. There you can rest, get drunk, talk with your friend, and swim in the sea or anything’s activities.

Despite that in Las Cruces during the year (not summer), is a place very calm and solitary. You can enjoy much in this place. You can run for the beach in the morning, walk and know Nicanor Parra house, fish and recollected seafood, swim in the sea (but is a very dangerous beach, therefore you must have precaution) in the afternoon. And in the night, you can make parties, drunk with your friends, or simpleminded to talk around of a bonfire.

I visit Las Cruces all the summers, because my family have house in this place. Besides, occasionally I visit this beach in the rest of year. Though I can fed up sometimes, I like very much. I recommend this place for to visit in after this long weekend. You not repent.

Bicentenary!!

I think that the bicentenary has two senses.

On one hand, the bicentenary is an excuse to the politics for being legitimized for the citizens or “the people”.

The unit, the nation, O’higgins, Carrera … are the words that permitted to create the myth of the bicentenary.

But, on the other hand, the bicentenary represents two hundred years of history, people’s history.

I believe that the history is not exclusively the histories of the heroes, the politics and militarist.

In my mind the real history is the history of the Chilean people; workers, women, peasant, poor people, students, miners, fishermen, etc.

Because of it, my interest is to celebrated this two hundred years of history as I understand it, and not the other myth.

So, in these national holidays I would like to go to a lot of parties and barbecues. I will like to eat and drink very much during this four days.

In addition, I want to dance in very more parties. Preferentially I would like to dance the Cueca brava, cumbia, “tropikobailable” music, regueton, etc. I am sure that I will enjoy this celebration!

Education, education, education...

Education, education, education… it is an old issues in chilean society. The Chilean society is the most inequality society around the world and his education system too.

But, why education system reproduces the social inequality? Because exists structural conditions that hold up equality of

opportunities to poor people and riches. The rich people can pay

quality of education, but the poor people can´t pay to decent education. Then the rich people have a good profession and good job, and they continue being favoured. However, the poor people don’t to go to university and have bad education and bad jobs, and they continue being the losers.

So, what is the role of the State in education? I think that the State it has to provide the right to education for everybody. Therefore, the State has to provide a quality public education for the people that can’t pay. Consequently, the State should take care of it and developed the state universities. In addition, the state universities should are free with equality access.

Besides, the Piñera’s government thinks privatisation will impose in our state university system. But, the privatized education system not is a solution at the big problem; on the contrary, these reforms were deteriorating more the inequality system.

I would like to visit France, Russia, Brazil and Buenos Aires

I would like to visit many countries. For example, I would like to visit France, Russia, Brazil and Buenos Aires.

Firstly, I would like to visit France because is a very interesting country. France is an important part of culture’s history, polity’s history, science’s history and in general of the western thought’s history.

In addition, it is a country with a beautiful architecture and has a lot of important buildings and museums.

Secondly, Russia is a fundamental country of the twenty century’s history, since the October’s revolution to Perestroika. Besides Russia has a culture and architecture very interesting. In there I would like to visit the Kremlin and the Red Square in Moscow.

In third place, Brazil is a country very happy and funny. I would like to visit Brazil only for going to the parties and carnivals. I would like to go to beach and drink exotic drinks.

And finally, I would like very much to visit Buenos Aires because is the most beautiful capital city in “Latinoamerica”. I love his streets and buildings. Besides, I like the Tango, to dance and to listen.

My First Term

Hi, it is my blog. Welcome to new followers.

My first term was interesting. In first time, in generally I had good califications in my subjects. But I had a problem with Statistics IV; I failed in the second time this subjects. It is a very bad problem, but I very optimist.

In my personal life has occurred some good things, but also bad things. Finally I though that I am very comfortably with my life actually, and I'm a really happy person.

In this second term, I have very many academic activities, but I am motivated. For example, I participate in “Anuario de Investigación Estudiantil” (students research yearbook), Assistantship of Sociology of the organizations, elective in Anthropology, and my workshop of research.

Finally, I hope that this semester is very good in comparation with the others.

My blog's experience

I enjoyed write in my blog. Basically, because I enjoy writing about interesting topics or garbage… Previously, I had a blog called “Vagas divagaciones vagas”. In this blog, I write my thoughts and reflections about experience in the world. Also, a friend and I created other blog called “No estamos ebrios”. This project blog consist in write anything topics but no seriously, in other words, we write idiot things. Finally, the project no functioned.
In my blog to english class, I wrote about my favorite music, the best place to go on winter holydays, Pierre Bourdieu, my hobbies, my experience in the earthquake, my favorite piece of technology, etc. I learned, in relative grades, to write and read in English. This blog helped me for to improve my terribly English.
I think that blogging is a good experience in general and for me. Basically because it permits writing and reading in English regularly. The interaction in English allows developing competences and dispositions respect to the English language. Therefore is a very good tools for the learning English.

The best place for to go on winter holidays

I think that the best place for to go on winter holidays is south of Chile, specifically 10th region. The 10th region of Chile has beautiful places, great towns and cities, and good people. Chile is localized in south of Latin-American, and limit with Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. The 10th region is called “De los Lagos”, and is between “De los Rios” and “Aysen del general Carlos Ibañez del Campo” regions. The principal cities and towns of the 10th regions is Osorno, Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas, Frutillar, Puerto Octay, Ensenada, Angelmo, Castro, Ancud between others.
I went to the 10 region some years ago. I visited a small town called “Río Negro”. But I also went to others places, for example the “Llanquihue” and “De todos los santos” lakes, Osorno and Puerto Montt. etc.
Specifically, my favorite place in 10 th region is “Llanquihue” lake. This lake is the biggest in Chile. This lake has very beautiful landscapes, for example, Frutillar, Puerto Varas, the Osorno volcano, and “Los saltos del Petrohue”.
I think back go to the 10th region, but in this opportunity I want to go Chiloe in specific. Friends and no friends tell me that Chiloe is a great and beautiful place for to go holidays, and I want corroborate in next year. But I not want visited only Chiloe, I went more places and enjoy with my friends.
In generally, I like the south of Chile. I think that north of Chile is very boring and ugly. I traveled to Copiapo three years ago. And, I corroborated that is a bad place for to go on winter holidays.

My favorite piece of technology

My favorite piece of technology is the computer. Basically because is a tool very complete for my request. The computer is a machine that processes of the information, very much information in the small proportion of the time. Therefore the computer permitted do very operations in one moment. For example, reading texts, playing games, talking to friends, etc.
Usually, I used to computer for doing works to university, read articles and books, listen my music, watch films and series, talk to my friends and very much things. The computer is very utile for me, actually is a tool very necessary for very much activities and jobs. But, much dependence of the computers is bad too, or can see film “I am Robot” of Will Smith… ahhaha
I received my computer in the 2002. Well, is very old in the computers time. Because the utile time of the technology is very short. But I made reparations and incorporate new components to my computer, etc.

Music

I enjoy listening music for study, when travel in the bus, or for to relax. I like very different kinds of music. I enjoy listening jazz, rock, funk, cumbia, cueca brava, etc. I like a specific kind of music in the particular context. For example, in a party I like the music dance tropic or regueton, but when I studying preferred jazz music.
My favorites groups of jazz are Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Hiromi Uehara, and Akineton Retard. And my groups of rock are The Beatles, Red hot chili peppers, Queen, Yes, Tool, Dio, and Audioslave. And my favorites groups of cumbia and cueca are Chico Trujillo, Sonora Conmoción, Los Trukeros, Los Chileneros, Los Porfiados de la Cueca and Los Chauchas. I was integrant of Los Chauchas. They are a musical group, and play cueca brava. I danced with them for a time. It is group very great though they don’t a group not very know.
Somtimes, I like watch music videos very absurd. For example, “delfín hasta el fin”, “trololo”, “trigreza del oriente”, and others.

Pierre Bourdieu

Intellectually, I admire Pierre Bourdieu. He is an important sociologist and anthropologist of the second part of twenty century. He was born in 1930 in France; he studied philosophy in the École Normale Supérieure. Next, in Algeria he did very good social researches in a statistics’ center. Then he made an excellent career in the intellectual world. He published many interesting books, for example, “The practices sent”, “The sociologist office”, “The reproduction”, and “the distinction”.
Bourdieu is a very important academic in the social theory area. His contributions are very important to develop a contemporary social knowledge. He made a sociological theory influenced by the classical sociologists, in other words, Durkheim, Weber and Marx. His theory conceived the society as a social space where the people fight for specific capitals, for example, economic capital, cultural capital, social capital and symbolic capital.
I like Bourdieu because he is the intellectual critic of the contemporary society. His work refers to symbolic power, social domination, and cultural criticism. His work inspirits for me.

My favourite hobbies

My favourite hobbies is, in first place, watch tv, films, series, or anything. I enjoy a good film. My favourites films have philosophises reflexion, interesting shociological elements or simples entertainment. For example, I like “a clockwork orange”, “hombre mirando al sudeste”, the watchmen, the hangover, Borat, little miss sunshine, the devils rejects, the inglorious bastards, etc. In second place, one of my favourites hobbies is sleep…jajaj. Sleeping is a guilty pleasure for me. I can sleep in anywhere, in the bus, in the library and including in the classes. Sometimes it is something that I cannot avoid. Of all forms, I think that the people must sleep less. In other words, the people must need three hours of dream to be excellent form… Mmm is very bad idea.

I and the earthquake...

When begins the earthquake in the night of February, I was sleeping in my home. The movement was very hard, initially begins soft but every time more and more hard. I thinking that in this moment the world finishing forever. But not, the world continues. Even this way, our country has hard damage and difficulties for earthquake in the central south area. I was to voluntaries work in the south, specifically in the town of Tirua. Tirua is a town of the Bio Bio´s region, located in the coastal zone. In this place, after earthquake arrived a tsunami and destroyed houses and buildings.

Hi!

Hi, my name is David and I’m 21 years old. I’m studying sociology in Universidad de Chile. The sociology is a social science and studying about social relations, economics relations, politics problems, etc. My interesting areas are sociology of education, politics sociology, economics sociology, and sociology of science. I live in Quilicura with my parents and my brother. I like watch films, listen music, read books, and talking about the life or garbage...