The end is close

Today I'm going to talk about the things I've done and what it’s left to be done in this year.

Many things have happened in my life this year, like having new classes, meet new people and travel out of the city. But, the things that mark this year as one of the most contrasting were the death of two of my pets. The first one was my dog and her name was Didi, she died in January 1° because of her age and the second one was Mac, the dog of my nephew. Mac died the last Saturday because some stupid taxi driver hit him. My brother loved him and is suffering a lot because of it.

On the other hand, this year I had to do my monograph and it was so liberating delivers it, because, with all my friends, we were so stressed and full of other things to do. It is gratifying watch how your hard work gives its results, but despite all the essays and homework we had deliver we still stressed until the years finally ends and, even then, there will be one awful week of exams.

What I am really worried about it’s for the end of the courses, because I can’t fail in any of them. My bachelor grade depends of my approved courses. But well, somehow I will pass the year, one way or another I will survive.

An important event I would like to highlight is the travel my friends and I did a few weeks ago. We went to Concepción for a physics anthropologist meeting and we learned about many projects and research related with the area. It was really interesting and stimulating because someday, we will have to do the same and this kind of experiences may be used for our future jobs.

This photo was from our trip. 

Bye bye :D

Food and Eating Habits

Food is necessary to live, but this doesn't mean that all of us have the same eating habits. For example, many friends of mine are vegetarian but I’m not, which doesn't mean we can’t eat together or something like that. The only consideration I have when we have lunch together is not to offer to them something with meat.

With the life style I have and because the university, I don’t have much time to lunch, so fast food restaurants are favorite places to lunch. Besides, sometimes I’m a little late for class so saving time is my priority.

For that reason, my eating habits are not appropriate and my mom is always telling me that I have to eat healthier, more salad or less fried food. I don’t read the nutritional information because is too boring and tedious, however, time is precious and read that information haven’t care me before.

I think fast food shouldn't been sold in school cafeterias, because all the damage it can provoke in children health, more when they don’t know what is better for them and they just bought what they like above healthy food. We need to care about children and their weight because in the future those problems may lead to other consequences.

I've always care about my weight but not in an extreme way, so I have been on many diets but, even if I want to follow it to complete the goal, the time I follow the diets are just for days and not something more prolonged. My resistance is not too strong, so I give up quickly. 

Dreams

Hi,

Today I'm going to talk about dreams. Dreams are remains of all our actions that we did, specially, those recently actions that had an important sense to us. Also, when we keep thinking about something or someone, these thoughts kept in our minds and come-back when we are asleep.

I don't remember my dreams usually, but when I do, the images came to me as pieces of a story that, sometimes, seems foreign to me.

When I'm dreaming, my dreams included to my family and friends, there are few times when people I don't know appear in my dreams. 

I have daydreams almost every day. I always thought in the possibility of built a new world or things like "what if...” or something like that. Sometimes, my daydreams escape to new ways of thoughts, I mean, not always my dreams are related with real life and the topics looks like a fairy tale than anything else.

In my opinion, dreams are the first step for new ways to build our life. Without dreams, all our existence will be boring and will have no sense, of course, we don't have to allowed that our dreams lead our life entirely, but a little of those thoughts may inspire us and, with this inspiration, we can get almost everything we want.

Green Planet

Take care about the planet should be one of the most important topics in all kinds of research. Where we live it's, in fact, the priority, because, without a place to live we cannot exist. 
People don't understand yet, at least in Chile, how important is that we think aiming to a different perspective and how far we most incorporate in our life style these thoughts.
I haven't incorporated practices like recycle in my daily habits, probably it's because of my childhood and how the habits I'd learn until now have influence in how I related myself with the environment.
Also, one of the things that we should do to start to recycle is put different trash can to different kinds of trash, I mean, one for plastic things, one for paper things and one for other kinds of waste, but, in my family, this ideas just last a few days, maybe with a little luck, a couple of weeks, because, sometimes all of us forgot about what trash can is for the different wastes.
I would like to incorporate more friendly practices in my life to take care of the planet so, one of the practices I would like to try is using a bike instead a bus or a car. One of the reasons I haven’t tried this is because I live to far from the University so, with a bike I would need training, because I’m not a sports person, so I would get tired too quickly.

Finally, I would like a society worried about the planet and raise awareness about the important of our future and our children future.

Books and Reading

Hi everyone,

Today I'm going to talk about books and readings stuff. 

When I was a child I just read school books and even I didn't like to read at all. So, mi mom read to me out loud while I was stay next to her sleeping. After of many years I start to read by myself, because I went to the cinema to watch a movie and then I find out that the movie was based on a book. This is why I asked to my mom if she could buy the book for me and, despite I thought that I will never finish of read the book, after all I didn't used to read and, generally, I giving up  quickly in this kind of things, I read the book in one day.

Many years has past and, since then, I have read many, many books, which is why I don’t remember how many books had been up to now exactly. Besides, I pretend to keep reading many more for all that left me to live.

As I said before, I never was a “good to read” person and this is one of the reasons I don’t use to read heavy going literature. I want to change that,so, I am trying to add any book I think it could be interesting, to my “future reading list”, mainly, texts related with anthropology or that kind of topics.

What I like to read the most are fiction books, now that they allow me to escape of the reality for a moment, in the end, that’s what it’s about, enjoy a reading and not just research through it, even if is one of the most important “use”.

I don’t have any favorite author, but I have one which her stories had caught me and made me stayed late at night. Her name is Jeaniene Frost and she has created one of my favorite characters. This character is from a book called “Destined for an early grave”, which is one of my favorite books too, and the name of the character is Cat Crawfield.

One of the books I had read recently is “Lucky one” from Nicholas Spark. I really enjoy reading this book, because how the author write the book keeps you interested in the story, so I couldn't separate from it for too long. For this reason I take less than three days to read the book.

This book is about a Marine who find a picture of a women and this pictures became in his good-luck charm. So, Logan (the Marine) goes in her search through all over the country to express his gratitude. And I would recommend this book to my mom and my sister because they always, almost, read what I recommended to them.

Skulls

Roman skulls found during Crossrail dig in London may be Boudicca victims.

By Maev Kennedy

The Guardian, Wednesday 2 October, 2013

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/oct/02/roman-skulls-crossrail-london-boudicca

During a construction work for crossrail, were found 20 Roman skulls deep on the ground. These skulls tumbling out of a crossrail tunnel surprising to all of the workers in there. Also, even if the archaeologist were expecting findings, because the crossrail is placed in the biggest archaeology site in UK, these skulls are from Romans victims of Boudicca's revolution. The possibly victims of Boudicca's revolution were decapitated and slug into the river, which is why they were found at the banks of the long-vanished river Walbrook, nowadays, a crossrail, on their way to attack Londinium (present London) itself.

As a way to explain this amazing discovering, Jay Carver, archaeologist on the project, says that the Walbrook washed away a Roman cemetery upstream, which is why there were found in clumps. This fact might happened soon after they were buried, so the river could drag the skulls.

The skulls weren't the only discovery in the site, also has been found mammoth bones and Black Death victims to Victorian crockery. The archaeologist are expecting to find new Roman skulls when they work there the next year.

This new discovery has bring to archaeologist an important piece to rebuild the history of London and reveals fascinating aspects of its past. If there were found skulls that they never thought they will find, it is possibly then, that other fascinating remains could be discover and take part of the long, long past of UK.

ANIME!!! :D

Hi everyone!

Today I'm going to talk about Japanese animation or anime.

I don't know exactly what it is anime, I just know that it refer, as you can notice, with Japanese animation. This kind of animation has a quite unique drawing which has big eyes simulating occidental features. Also, the topics related with anime are varied, so it can goes from historical to magical themes.

One thing that define Japanese animation is that the Japanese culture always take part of the stories, which makes me think how strong are their traditions and, also, the myths and old stories about their past remain through time.

It is long time ago since I watch anime, so I don't have a favourite one, yet. But, I can say that are a few that mark my childhood. "Inuyasha", "Detective Conan" and "Escaflowne" are three of them, certainly it have to be more, but I just remember those. I like, from these anime, their drawing, in first place, because I always pay attention to that aspect, also I like the stories behind the anime. What are the leading characters looking for and why are they doing that, how they met each other and how their relationship develops.

As I said before, I watch anime since a long time ago so, probably it has influence my life in one way or another, anyway, a thing I certainly can make sure is that since I start to watch this kind of animation I got interest in Japanese culture, their history, their myths and the popular stories that rounds for all over the country.

I love music of, almost, all styles, but by soundtracks I have a particular weakness. This kind of music makes me remember episodes I watched and sometimes, I related with aspects of my life that can brings me good memories. Generally I download many soundtracks of many anime and movies to listen themes over and over again.

Finally, I don't remember the first anime I ever watched, but probably was one from a TV show names "etc...". Personally, I don't have an specific topic for anime that I like. I like to try different things.

Egypt or Japan?

Hello everyone, 

Today I'm going to talk about a country I would like to visit.

In my childhood I always loved different countries and different cultures, so, travelling it seems as something good to do in the future and as an idea that became in part of my plans.

The countries I would like to visit are two; Egypt and Japan. The first one, because its history, its archaeological rest and its pyramids, among a few other things. All the stories that has been told about those places and its beautiful scenery caught me since I heard them. 

On the other hand, I would like to travel to Japan, a country that have been suffer a lot (as many others), but that has revive and has become in a big power. The beautiful gardens and scenery that are in there makes all your fantasies seems possible.

Currently, the only thing I want to do is travel to some places else, even if that place isn't Egypt or Japan. In every place it is possible to learn some things that could make a change in your life.

If I was in one of those two countries I would like to visit restaurants, travel around the typical places and buy many characteristics stuffs. Also, I would like to research about stories that goes around the people who lives there, myths, legends, etc.

If I had the money for the plane ticket I would go to study to another country and learn about its past and make some anthropological research and explore places unknown.

Well, those are my favorite countries; I'm confused about what of those two countries choose right now.

Do you like some of these countries? Or do you prefer another one?

Television

Hello everyone!

Today I'm going to talk about television programs and stuff.

Personally, I don't like Chilean TV, because its topics are usually related with gossips, sex and famous life. Also, the movies are, mainly, about sex, drugs, infidelity, etc. 

Programs with those contain, even if are not interesting, many people watch them because they considered funny or there is nothing else to watch on TV. 

The people that is in charge of TV programs doesn't care about what's informative or interesting, they care about how many people will watch those programs. They work for an audience that is used to non-sense shows and gossips programs.

The TV is a great instrument to spread information and to be informed, but, when the magnates who control all the media, manage what kind of information goes out, the population stay under their control without even notice it. The TV is a dangerous tool.

About Chilean TV I'll change the kind of programs that are show off and, with that, instill in children of all ages cultural programs and informative topics that also can be funny and interesting.

Even if I think that Chilean TV is not really good and the necessity of cultural programs is urgent, the TV serve as a way to distract from all stressing things that happens outside, so, TV shows about solve crimes and detectives helps us to think about something else, even if is for a short moment.

My Ideal Job

The most of parents want for their children is a job with a good payment. That is because they want for their sons and daughters the best, and a life with no problems and bad moments caused by money are the best wishes they could ever had for them.

My mom always encourage me to study a health career and I thought I want that too, but at the end of the day, working in a job like that wasn't what I really want for me.

For me, working in a close place, without natural light just light bulbs, is not pleasant. Besides, many others factors that have influence on the way that I can do my job, like the most important, vocation. This idea gives you the most relevant impulse to do a good job and continue with it.

I would like to work on open places, been on the place where the facts happen and the activity is on top.

Field work, like the anthropologist do, is the best job that could ever exist. Taking samples and work on a laboratory, even if I told I don't like that kind of places, work on it and in open places is a good combination. 

I would be good in this kind of job because the most important to do something is that you like it. Nothing else.

I don't know the possibilities to get such a great job like this, but I will take my chances, because I don't see me doing something else.

English IV

Second Term 2013

Post number 10. The Last Post.

Hi everybody, this is my last post, so I'm going to talk about my experience using blogs.

This was my first time using this "tool" and I have to admit I like it, because, to write about something, no matter what topic it's about, you have to put all your imagination to get readers lost in the post.

At the beginning, my writing skills wasn't too good, but now, far  from be excellent, I get better in this.

Practice is the best way to learn how to do something and to learn to write, speak, listen or read in English, practice is the best option to get best results. Therefore, to beat one of my worst weakness in English skills the thing a have to do over and over is write.

I would like to include in blog sessions some vocabulary that helps us to write post. Many times, I fall short of words and a vocabulary could be a good way to review those words that otherwise we won't use. Every topic has different words we use repeatedly, but those words don't come to my mind quickly and when this happens, is frustrating.

Finally, I would like to say that one thing I would like to write about is cars. I love cars, luxury cars like Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Audi TT, Hyundai Genesis, Mitsubishi Eclipse, etc.

My dream is to buy a  Ford Mustang (Viper or GT, I have to search for the difference yet), but it's just a dream. 

I hope had a salary that allows me to eat.

I'm going to let you with a photo of a beautiful car.

I love it! 

See you soon.

Best regards.

Trees.

Hi everyone, this time I'm going to talk about trees.

I really like trees, even I have one tattooed on my back, it's a cherry tree with pink flowers.

The trees are very important to us, because, without them we couldn't survive. The oxygen we use to breath is produce by the trees (mostly). They are, also, an important piece to keep our air clean from pollution, but trees can't do this job all alone, they need our cooperation to keep our environment clean. 

Ancient cultures considered trees as symbols of life and knowledge, as the Celtic culture. They had put this figure in many symbols of their culture. One of these symbols is the Crann Bethadh, representing the world of spirits. As they obtain everything they need from nature, for them, this was very important and, therefore, they respected, crossing difficulties between villages.

Now and despite how beautiful they may be, humans cut them down and doesn't care about the impact they may have on the environment.

People need more environment awareness and need to be more careful with nature before we get worst pollution problems.

My Favourite Subject

Hi, today I'm going to talk about my favourite subject.

Since I can remember, the subject that I enjoyed the most has been English. When I was in the school I always had good marks in this subject, at difference with others subjects, also, that can be the reason that I would like to learn different languages (the first experiences with anything can help you choose one way or another).

The teachers are a very important part in the teaching of any subject, so, when I was in primary school, my teacher taught me to like this subject, maybe because of her way to do it. Sadly, my last years at the school, my teachers of English weren't in their area. I mean, they can know a lot about languages and stuffs, but if they can't put all that knowledge in some good ways to teach, his job isn't complete.

Now, and after to pass almost 3 years without a subject related with languages, English return to be my favourite subject.

In class we strengthen our weakness making exercises, writing, reading and speaking with our classmates, sometimes finding more difficult than others times. For example, the content when I have to put all my ability are "past verbs". Something I always found complicated.

Well, I do my best.

Best regards to everyone!

Bye bye.

Didi. The best.

Since I was a little girl, I like take photograph of scenes, animals or to my family in some family meeting. However, I'm not with the camera to everywhere taking photos of everything, though I have a friend how loves takes photos from us at the parties, at the university, at every place on the condition that she has her camera.

Now, I'm going to talk about a picture I like. It's a picture full of colors, as you can see, with a little dog (well, little in comparison to big breed dogs), her name is Didi, like the little sister of Dexter, and I had her since I was like six or seven.

She died this year, in January 1st, because she was too old.

I like this picture, because in there appear the best company I had for long years.

I took this picture few years ago (I don't know how many exactly), while she enjoy the sunshine after some cold days at the front yard of my home. I remember that I took many pictures with she in the same position, but this was I like the most, because my shadow, caused by the sunshine, doesn't appear in the grass next to her. At least, it was not too much obvious that I was standing right there.

I have many others pictures of her, at other places of the house, but, together another photo, it's what I like the most.

With nothing more to say, I wish you like my post.

See you soon and take care of yourselves. Bye bye. 

THUNDERSTORM

As now it's a free topic post, I wish to talk you about Thunderstorms.

I love the rain and the wind waving the trees, even more when is night time because the mix of all of it is amazing.

Mostly, the rains doesn't come with lightnings, thunders and thunderbolts, but the time this happens the sky seems beautiful with all this lights and sounds. 

The lightnings and the thunderbolts light the clouds in the sky, the first with a powerful flash and the second with this branches shaped lines followed by the unmistakable sound of the thunder. There is a reason for this and is that the light travels faster than sound so, when we see the sky shine we can be sure that a second after, there will be a loud noise hitting your ears.

Nowadays, few peoples are afraid of thunders (mainly), that was a concept of years ago when the "young ladies" hide in their beloved's arms. That is old fashioned.

To me, go to bed with these background sounds it's the most fantastic experience you can have in rainy season (overreacting again), well, at least it's nice.

So, with nothing more to say, I leave you with a picture I took yesterday while I looked at the sky.

It is not the best picture but, it's not easy chase a thunderbolt.

See you soon.

Best regards to all of you!

A big relation with a little thing.

Hi everybody!

Today I'm going to talk about my favourite piece of technology.

Almost my entire life, the technology has played an important part in it; computer, cell phone, camera. But, there is one thing without I can't live. Well, that's too much, but, since I had one of this, the way I have lived my life has been totally different.

The piece of technology  I am talking about is an mp3 player.

The first time I got one was for Christmas, many years ago (I don't know how many exactly) and it was a present from my mom. I loved since I saw it because the mp3 player gave me the posibility of listen to music as long as I wanted (well, as long as the battery lasts), where I wanted and, the most important, the music that I loved and wanted. Now, I have a red one that my parents gave me as a Christmas present a few years ago. It's a Sony Walkman and I love it.

As I have been saying (I guess), in the previous post, music has represented an important part of my life giving, for any moment, the possibility of calm down or "guide me to beautiful places" in difficult moments. So , with this, every single day or every single trip to the university isn't boring (so much) anymore.

Every moment of every day when I'm alone, in the subway or in the bus, the music its the best company I could have, so I use my mp3 player every time I can. Sometimes, my mom gets angry cause' I don't listen her, but I love listen to music to much to stop.

Well, this was the post today. See you soon.

Bye bye and best regards!

This is a picture of my beloved piece of technology without my life would be boring and senseless again...I'm being a little dramatic, but at least, my life would be too much boring to bear.

Gregory Bateson

I don't have a person to admire yet, cause' I didn't have the time to implicate with all the important exponents of the carrer. Nevertheless, one of the authors that have made me remind him is Gregory Bateson.

The first time I've ever listen his name was in my antrophology class in bachelor, last year, when we were talking about "Double Bind Theory". 

Bateson studied balinese culture, specifically raising practise in balinese childs. This topic stays in my mind because the method used in their practises are completely different to ours.

So, I will talk about Bateson's life. He is an english anthropologist, social scientist and linguist who was married with the anthropologist woman, Margaret Mead. One of his first research where in New Guinea and Bali, also, he was the founder of Palo Alto Group in 1956, California, where are made many research related with the psycologist field like family studies about Systemic Theory.
About his perspective:
Gregory Bateson was interested in the relation between objetcs, in its context and not in isolation. He had a creative thought that make, for the people that use this kind of reflection, think in a different way from the usual.

I hope you had enjoyed this little bit of this intellectual post.

Best regards.

Cooking memories

Well, hello everybody

Today I will talk about those moments when we miss someone and we start to remember the things we did with them, like play video games, comment some book that was read by the two of us, making some sport, listening some favorite music band or cooking just for do something together.

I like cooking, specially sweet things like cookies, pies, cheesecake and all that kind of oversweet food. I like cooking for my family in those special days like "mom's day" or "dad's day", for Christmas and for New year's too, because I love see them enjoy a family moment with a sweet breakfast or a great dinner.

Generally, I cook by my own, but some times my brother wants to eat cupcakes or muffins so, he came to me offering his help in the kitchen, or, my sister wants some doubt with some cooking way and I help her, but now, she knows more than me in the making of lunch meals cause', she has to learn to cooking for his son. Now, I have to ask to her how I cook some plates like "porotos" (even if I don't like it to much) or "cazuela".

I guess, when I left my home and go to live by my own, one of the things that I will going to remember will be those when we cooking together and when my family enjoy the sweet things that I did for them.

Someones will wonder themselves why I like to cooking?, some feminist persons may don't like that stereotype of kitchen women and some chauvinistic persons  will strengthen his opinion that the women has to be in the kitchen (fools), but the reason that I like do this to much is because when I was younger and, for vacations, with my family leave the city to go with my grandparents, my grandmom cooked cakes, apple pies, sugar flowers (for cakes decoration) and many, many other things that when I cook, I remember those lost and missed days wishing that could come back to present.

Cook a lot, and don't mind what others think.

Bye bye!

His voice, like a silk on your ears.

Hello everybody,

Today I will talk about a band that I really like. The name of the band is Alter Bridge and it is composed by four members, one of them (and the one I like) is Myles Kennedy. He is the vocalist of this band and also, he's the only one who was a member of other band before they created this one, the other three were part of a band called Creed.

I really don't remember how I got to listen to them, but I knew that in the first moment I heard them I was caught by the music they created.

The voice of Myles is so soft and strong at the same time that it gives him the possibility to impress the audience.

They haven't visited the country, but once, Myles came with Slash (the ex-guitarist of Guns and Roses) on April 2010, to sing and play with him. They played at "Teatro Caupolican", and I went to see them and hear their music. His voice sounds awesome and I was really happy that night, screaming and singing out loud.

Alter Bridge, as a band, has composed 3 albums- "One day remains", "Blackbird" and "AB III"- and now they are in the process of writing the next one that will be called "AB IV".

I´m to excited waiting for the album. 

About their music, some of their songs talks about hard feelings and the lost of someone you really care, like the song "In loving memory". It talks about the death of Mark Tremonti's mom (Guitarist and leader). That is why I like this band, because, not all the feelings we have are pretty and nice, so, we need to stand up and calm down sometimes. And what else is more relaxing than to do it with a nice song like the one they play.

Their music is a kind of rock and metal mix, but I'm not an expert judging types of music so, I'm not pretty sure. All I know it's that I love them and their music.

This is a picture of Myles (on the left) and Slash (on the right) in their concert here in Chile took with my cell phone.

This is a video of one of my favorite songs. It's calls "White Knuckles" from their album "Blackbird" and this song talks about the moments when we feel that nothing is going right and everybody around us don´t understand us so, for that reason, we have to be strong and face it all, because only the strong survive.

So, I hope you'll enjoy watching this video.

See you soon!! 

This is Me

I'm Daniela Hernández, but my friends call me Dani. I was born on january 11th in Concepción, Chile and I lived there until I was 2 years-old.  Since then to now, I've lived in Santiago and studied here too, that's almost my entire life, so, I even don't remember my childhood in Concepción, I just remember the few weeks at the year that we spent on vacation in my grandparents' home with my family. 

The rainy morning days were the best part, because, we stayed at home with a comfortable fire and eating deliciuos meals prepared by my grandmother.

Perhaps I will return to my childhood town to stay in there for a while, but maybe, I'm not going to get used to that kind of calm life.

Here, in Santiago, the changes are around all the time. I studied in three different schools, being the last one, named José Abelardo Núñez, where I studied for more years and I graduated in there. Also, my parents got divorced and, with my mom, we moved to another house, being now just the four of us, my mom, my twin sister Claudia, my youngest brother Felipe and me.

Right now, with 20 years-old, studying a Bachelor degree and taking classes in the Anthropology carrer at the University of Chile, with my family living in the same house, my dad came to live with us again and I'm thinking to get a job.

I love going to concerts of my favorite bands. Recently, I went  to the concert of The Killers in the Movistar Arena where they were playing. It was fabulous and exciting, but what I really feel sorry is that a missed the Lollapalloza festival, losing the opportinity to watch Pearl Jam playing at the stageand sing with Eddie Vedder and all the fans in there.

Also, I would like to travel for many countrys and learn many languages like japanese, latin, greek, french among others. Meanwhile, to lose myself in another world, I read fantasy books of all fantastic kind.