A country I would like to visit

I would like to visit many countries really, especially to study for a year or two. However, today I’m going to write about Argentina, because I want to travel there very soon.
Argentina is well known for the meat. People say that there is the best grilled meat ever. Also, this country is known for the dance, called tango, which is a very theatrical couple dance. Personally, the most interesting thing is the chocolate, because people say that the chocolate is very tasty, especially in "alfajores".

Well, talking seriously, I think that Argentina is a good place to go, because it is an example to Chile in many ways, especially in education. In that country, the education is free in all levels, even the university. Is interesting to think, because Argentina is a poor country (in relation with Chile), and they have free education. It would be an interesting theme to study, and to tray to replicate here in Chile. Personally, I’ve heard that Psychology is a well known career there, and I would like to study there a semester or some like that.

If I go there in November, I would like to assist to a Congress of Human rights, organized by "las mujeres de Plaza de Mayo", an organization who cares about human rights. Also, I would like to visit my brother, who has been living there for two years. He went to Argentina, because that country cares about the culture and arts, at least more than Chile. So, he is studying "música y dirección orquestal".

Finally, if I decided to live for a long time there, I think that I would specialize in my career, because the people here in Chile are similar – because of the language, the culture, etc- and Argentina is a really good place to live.

First Term: Good and Bad points

As far as the academic life concerns, the first term of 2010 was very interesting, but exhausting. I think that one of the most important good points in this topic, is that I’m getting closer to my interests areas, because in first year I had a very general education in social sciences, and very superficial as far as Psychology. So, I am satisfied with my subjects, the reading material, and almost all my teachers. The subject I liked the most was “Teorías y sistemas Psicológicos”, where I learned the basis of modern thinking, and also of Psychology. On the other hand, there were some teachers who I didn’t like, principally because of their methodology. I have to say that they are experts in their areas, but perhaps they aren’t good at teaching.

Well, my academic life was very well in the first term, I passed all my subjects, and I practiced sports too: I did “acondicionamiento físico”. Basically, it was exercises at gym and running. I think that it was a good idea to take it like an obligation, because now that I don’t have to take more sport on obligatory basis, I don’t have (or don’t make myself) any time to do sports, and that is a bad point of this second term: I can’t do any physical activity, besides walking. As far as my personal life, I think that it is the big contra in the semester, because I haven’t learnt how to make compatible the university with my family, my friend, and my boyfriend yet. However, I think that in general, my first semester was very good :)

Second term, 2010.

my blogging experience

First of all, I would like to talk about the importance of learning English. I think it is a useful communication tool, especially because we are students, and we need to get updated knowledge, and the main investigations are from USA and other countries that publish their works in English, because it is a common language. Nowadays, learning English is almost a must. English isn’t a need just for we have to read documents, or papers, or articles in English, but we have to talk in a fluent way, in case we want to travel to another country to get specialized, or travel, or anything we want.

Talking about this blogging experience, I think it has been a very good way to improve my fluency, and learning some words and expression typical of English, so I don’t talk in a Spanish English anymore, or that I try, jajaja.

About the topics, I generally like them, and I think that they are a great help, because if they were really boring, I Think that I wouldn’t learn many things. The blog that I think was the most useful for me, was one about the earthquake, because I had to talk in past, a thing that have been always difficult to me. Also I have to admit that there were some topics very boring, like technology, or festivities. Nevertheless, they always were in agreement with the classes. I think that writing this blog have been a useful experience, because writing is an important thing about English, and learning in this way is much more fun for me that writing in a book, or things like that. In the other side, I think that writing this blog on internet makes us acting deceitful, because we can find all the word that we need on internet. But, I think that that could be a help too, because we can learn vocabulary, but not grammar. That thing we learn writing blogs and going to classes.

Finally, I would like to say that Blogging have been a good way for me to learn English, but I fell that in this year we could practices more about talking and pronunciation, but that I think that we would learn in the next level :).

my future

I haven't thought very much about my future yet, I only have an overall view of it.

I hope to work in what I'm studying, which is Psychology. I don't know yet in what specifically, because I haven't decided in which area I'm going to specialize. All I know, is I wouldn't like to work in an office. I would like a more relaxing job, with flexible hours. I would like to work in some public place, I think, although it may be badly paid, but I think that there are the main problems of Chilean people, and the people who really need help, and many times they don't have any chance to receive that help. Also, I think it is a very good opportunity to get real knowledge.

Before working in a steady work, I would like to travel, to get specialized, and I would really love to work in other country to know how the people are, what their main problems and disseasesare, etc. Furthermore, I want to live in a house, not in an apartment. I hate apartments, because I think there isn't any privacy, and I hate the idea of not having my own yard, for example.

in relation to my sentimental and family life, I would like to live with my boyfriend with whom I have been for four years. I dont want to have children, but probably I would change my mind in the future. I would like to learn many things in my life, like getting other degrees, or whatever that keeps me active. It is because of that that I would like to have a flexible hour job, so I can dedicate my time to other things, like making any kind of handicraft, or studying gardening, or whatever that I want. I really hope to be able to use my time in rewarding activities, and not to be thinking in earning money only to pay bills.

in spide that I don't have a concrete idea of what I want for my future, I know that I want to feel that my life is gratifying, and because of that I'm studyng Psychology, because it is the best way that I find to feel I'm useful to other people. Also, it is a degree that can not only be used to work, but to learn about myself and how I can get my goals.

My favorite festivity

I think my favourite festivity is September 18'th, not much because what it commemorates, but for its lenght: there are four or trhee days often to relax and spend time with family and friends.

I enjoy this festivity because we are all toghether in my family, and often spend it at my grandmother's house. We gather in a barbecue, for example, and my grandma always bakes empanadas, which, in my opinion, are the best empanadas in the world!. I like this festivity, because my grandma spoils us very much. Also, I like it because we can go to places where we can play typical games, like rayuela and palitroques. Last year, we went to "parque Inés de Suárez", and there was an educational farm, a fair of handicrafts, and many demostrations of our typical dance, "cueca". Another typical thing in this festivity is the circus, and I think that Chilean circus is very particular. I really don'l like it very much, especially when they use animals, because I think in Chile the circus animals don't recieve a good care.

I like this festivity very much, because I think people are happy during those days. It's nice to see families with children going for a walk and stuff, but I hate the celebrations that involve animals, like rodeos and cock fights.

One thing that I have never done on September 18'th (and never in my life) is riding a horse, and I think that date will be a good day to learn, or to take a walk.

criminal laws

Personally, I disagree with Capital Punishment, although probably the criminality will decrease, but because of fear to be killed, not because of any change in people or anything else. That’s why I think it isn’t a good way to approach the problem of criminality. I think Capital Punishment is an easy way to draw society responsibilities apart from the problem, because there would be instant results, and the government could save a lot of money, and time to rehab and reinsert criminals into the society. I think that is more important to worry about why the criminality has increased, but attack the causes, like social inequality, lack of education, etc. I think that education is the main tool to decrease criminality, because it is the best way to create social mobility, the main cause, I think, for criminality. Especially in Chile, there is a big problem with education, and I think that is a very important thing to worry about.

I think that the government has to reinforce the support of children in Schools, for example, to improve their social nets , to avoid that they become criminals.

unfortunately, I've been visctim of two crimes, one pick pocketing and one mugging, when two men came to me and asked for an address, and then they told me that I had to give them all my money and celphone, mp3, whatever, because they had a knife (which I never saw, but I belived them). It was a very bad experince, because since then I can't trust in peolple when they are strangers.