The bicentenary: A Big Performance

This year marks 200 years since the “independence” of Chile. The Chilean historian Gabriel Salazar expressed about this topic: “Se ha construido una verdad mitologizada, una memoria y discurso oficial acerca de estos doscientos años, que oculta las profundas dificultades que ha tenido el desarrollo de este país y los conflictos profundos que no han aflorado a la superficie.” (http://saladehistoria.com/wp/2010/09/14/gabriel-salazar-y-el-bicentenario/) The word Independence means not-dependent; that is a person, or people who can decide by herself or by common consent, without subordination, his own life. So, I think it’s necessary stop and think… what are we celebrating? Is our society independent?

In the present essay I argue that we are not independent yet on the most important account of our life. Why? First of all democracy system is not working. The sociologist Manuel Antonio Garretón called it “formal democracy”. That is the democratic system is not real, is something like “dead letter”. There are many obstacles to practice citizenship. For example there have always been many topics we are not deciding, starting by the constitution. That’s the fundamental tool for decide how we want to live. And we don’t decide it!

Following this, the second reason why I think we are not an independence society is because there are many powers in fact restricting our life like big conglomerates of power with economical interests. One of these conglomerates is related with means of communication like radio, TV, newspapers. These means, more than help us to know what’s happening in Chile has made an excellent work of disinformation. They cover up the lots of social problems and social fights that are happening.

Finally, these social problems placed the Chile of the bicentenary next to Chile 100 year ago. Problems like poverty, insecure jobs, ghetto neighborhoods, social exclusion, and poor education for example make me question the real sense of this celebration.

In this bicentenary there is all a performance, and there is all contradictory. Someone can explain me how it’s possible that in the 18, we suppose celebrate the “roto chileno”, the popular world, and in the 19 (one day after) we are celebrating the arm forces. The institution who has massacred in many opportunities popular groups?

Summing up, there is nothing to celebrate. We are not independent. We are a society with a false democracy system, with many powers in fact restricting our life, an injustice society with many social inequalities. The bicentenary is, like Salazar said a myth, a construction. And this celebration is hiding the historical and profound conflicts of our society.

Money, money, money...

Talk about money usually it’s inconvenient. All people want money, need money and use money for accede to the majority of activities, hobbies and practices we do: but especially for people who have money, like most of people in this faculty, that’s a secret! And it’s not very nice talk about it: so people develop many practices in base of different types of capitals but don’t’ talk about it.

Our society it’s full of an economical thought; It’s a practice which has become a pattern, It’s a type of rationality who it’s part of many of the interactions in the occidental society. Even people who denies de economical thought, or the importance of money is playing the economical game. For example “are crishna” in Chile: they live with a few things, and they consider negative have a lot of money, but most of they have had money in their pass, and until they are moving related with a economical logic denying the importance of money or things.

One of the principal problems of the topic is not the money by itself; it’s the sense, which people have, that they need have every time more, and more and consumer for be socially valuated like people they want to be.

Ok. But talking since my place, Who much money it’s important in my life?: today it’s very important, but no have money, or have things socially values (nice clothe, or expensive things), I really live with a little of money but today I don’t feel that need more. Today form me is very necessary and important save money, or generate capital for in a few years more can realize many projects: this projects are looking for become a contribution for the creation of a better world, but they need money for start!

Well how it been saying: money it’s important in our society, and we need change our mentality for down the money of the pedestal, and placed it in the right location.

Education

In my experience, education it's in a bad situation in our country, and in the occidental world in general.

There is an extraordinary evidence of human creativity, this extraordinary capacity it’s truncated in the meantime we’re growing up. The society accepts the idea that we born, we grow up, we have a job useful and productive, we have children, we work all the life for having more and more things that we don’t even need, and then we die and we have to pay for do it. That’s life is it, this idea have become common sense. It’s very difficult for a person take the options that nobody is offering…“don’t be musicians, don’t’ do art”…. And the education had a very important, or the most important place in this topic. By means of education we are accepting what things we can do, and what we can not... The fact that separated disciplines exist show that we are understanding that phenomena in the world are given separately, and it is not true. Everything is related to everything. It does not mean that we should not separate them analytical to study them, but not from an alone discipline.

My opinion about education in this faculty is pessimistic to; I believe that the education in our faculty, or in the career of sociology it is in general bad. Surely because I believe that the career is bad

Why? The topics are very out of date… The big debates are it brings over of social classes and structures socially, I don’t think that’s wrong, but it’s necessary included many other topic that today are transcendental for the development of a new paradigm.

Well, good points are related with some teachers... there are some teachers who are not very popular in students opinion, but I think Developing interesting ideas and discussing good topics related with other areas too.

The 60s New York arts scene: a revolution in dance

The 60s in New York was for art, very similar than 1920 in Paris when a big group of artists; choreographers, painters, writers and musicians reinvent their art forms and founded a new way to see and practice art. In 1962 in New York Yey Rainer, who participated in the movement of 1920, whit a small group of experimental choreographers, founded de Judson Dance Theatre. This group was shaped not only by members related with dance; musicians, poets, visual artists, conceptual artist, and of course dancers and choreographers. This group was something like a community; they worked, travelled and lived together collaborating and influencing each other. The resolute was a big surprise, and changed the idea of art shows and the typical relation of artists and public.

One of the first ideas was extending visual art into performance and they created Pelican, their debut. It was an extraordinary show they mixed circus arts, acrobatics, whit music and dance. The next show was named Move: Chorographing You. This new show was presented at London’s Southbank Centre. This installation was created by William Forshyte and made its spectators become dancers, they too swing and clamber thought gymnast rings. It was a fascinating performance.

This movement was foundational in arts; planted a new concept between body and space, expression in art, relation between different areas of art and between public and artist.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/oct/12/new-york-60s-arts-scene

Léon, The Profesional

There are so many good movies! I think I can’t say what movie it’s my favorite. But I will speak about a movie that I sow last semester and I really love it. It’s named Léon, The Profesional . It’s a french movie directed by Luc Bresson. The principal actors are Jean Reno and Natalie Portman (Natalie Portman looks very young in this film).
The plot It’s really simple, talk about a men who is a great hitman or cleaner. Hhe lives his own life alone in an apartment , do his work, spend his free time nourishing his plant (he describe it as his best friend) and watching old musicals in the cinema . Some day Mathilda, a twelve years old girl, arrive to his life…I can’t tell what happens later, you must see the movie.

Really, is not a popular movie but I think it’s a master piece! The characters are so good done; the details of the movie are fantastics and touching . The wonderful of the movie is how it’s made, how the things happens, the rhytm of the movie is perfect and without realize it you are completely involved in the movie.

I strongly recommend it!

This is the link where you can see it online!!!!

http://the-professional-film.blogspot.com/

Parents adopting more open attitude to alcohol, drugs and sex

A UK study reveals that parents adopting liberal positions with regard to drug, alcohol and sex.

The study shows that a third of parents you agree with your child from experimenting with cannabis, because they consider it an inevitable stage of growth of their children.

Regarding alcohol, the study shows that most parents is agree with their children drink at home occasionally since age 13. In fact, a quarter of Londoners recognizes that allowed their children to drink from the age of 10.

As for the consumption of drugs and alcohol, parents are more liberal than mothers.

Regarding the sexual orientation of their children, parents are liberal, because 75% of parents stated that no problems if your child would be gay. But there are differences between fathers and mothers, as mothers are more open to address this issue.

Frank Furedi, a sociology professor at the University of Kent, argues that parents today are more liberal, because they make every effort to give their children the freedoms that they never had when they were young. In that sense, today's parents understand that their children have the right to expermentar to find their way in the life.

Santiago is not my favorite city, it's true that I was borned and raised in this place, but also it's true that santiago it's a noisy city, polluted, and its transport system is difficult and slow.

Anyway, Santiago had some fun and interesting places to visit. Now, I'm going to recomend for you some places to visit in Santigo, If you are going to Santiago can not miss the following places.

1. Salsoteca Maestra Vida: It's the place to dance salsa oldest Santiago. This is my favorite place because it's very fun and diverse, as people are varied You can go take a drink and dance salsa. Is in the Barrio Bellavista is a neighborhood for fun.

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2.Las 4 y 10: I strongly recomended this place!!! it's amazing... It is located in bellavista. It is a small bar, with small tables lit by candles. Adorned by cultural cartels, photographies, paintings. Every night they touch live music, specially trova. You have to visit it if you want to pass a nice night with some frends or your boyfriend

3. La Chimenea: It's placed in valentin letelier. It's a small club with music and good food. There are night of salsa, tango, cueca. If you want dance and eat good, come to this place!

4 Bar las Tejas: The best in terremotos!!!!!Restaurant of food and typical Chilean drinks. Seemed to the Piojera, more sheep and and without tourists!

5. Las Naciones: Sheep and nice place. Las Naciones it's located next to "Plaza de la Constitución" In Santiago. Good in chorrillanas! I liked this place because you can go there after cultural activities in the centre of Santiago.

Well I hope you liked and visit this places!!!

Bye!!!!

These are places I can recommend,

Good luck and have fun