Piece of New ~

Hello classmates (: , today I am going to talk about a  tradition that, to me, it’s terrible. Annually, thousands of girls are subject of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Indonesia. This tradition consists in “cutting off part of the hood and/or tip of the clitoris with scissors, a blade or a piece of sharpened bamboo”. The Islamic institutions that perform the intervention explained that this is realized to control the women’s sexual urges. This proceeding involves physical and psychological risks to the girls that undergo this.  In a country like Indonesia, which is considered by geopolitical standards like a “superstar” in Asian region, the world’s fourth-largest country and most populous Muslim nation of 240 million people, it results weird that a tradition like FGM is legitimate, above all this is not an obligatory practice for the Islamism.  Today, most of Indonesian hospital offers a pack to the parents for newborn baby girl, which includes the costs of childbirth; the ear perforation and the genital mutilation.  If parents didn’t take this option, there are foundations that do the intervention in schools, disguising this like a party for the girls.

I choose these piece of new because, to us and for medicine’s eyes, the female genital mutilation it’s a barbaric tradition, but like the news says, to the Islamic people it must be perpetuated, so I think anthropology must try to understand the reasons why they try to preserve this and try to get a solution that conciliate both opinions.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/nov/18/female-genital-mutilation-circumcision-indonesia

Hombre mirando al sudeste~

  Hello everyone! The movie that I’m going to talk it’s called “Hombre mirando al Sudeste”, it’s an Argentinian drama movie, but it also includes elements of science fiction.  The movie was filmed in 1986; the director is the Argentinian Eliseo Subiela. The movie tells the story of Rantés, a man that appears in a psychiatric hospital saying that he cames from another planet to investigate the human stupidity, because this is the only human weapon that the people from his planet doesn’t know how to fight.  The character of Rantés is performed by Hugo Soto, and the doctor who tries to help he it’s perfomed by Lorenzo Quinteros.

I saw this movie when I was in a class of cinema in a cultural center.  I enjoyed it because, being the principal character a man that says that he is an alien, he does a critical to the society, the mistakes that humans do, and he does it because it’s like an external agent. I like it too because all the music it’s composed by Pedro Aznar, and also I like the fact that the director relates the scenes on the movie with pieces of others artists, reproducing paintings like “the lovers” of  Magritte, or sculptures like “la pieta” of Miguel Angel. This movie it’s also important to me because when I came back to my home after the class, I told my mom that I have saw this movie and she tells me that this was also one of her favourites movies, and she saw it with my dad when they where boyfriends, so it’s a pleasure that I share with my mom (:  

Greatest Chilean~

Hello everyone!. There’s a lot of Chileans that I admire, like Juan Carlos Bodoque or Alberto Hurtado, but today I’m going to talk about one that I have heard about since I was a child, because my mom admires him a lot, and now in university we are studying his life and deeds in detail. I’m talking about Clotario Blest.

He was the father of syndicalism and worker’s organization. I think that Clotario’s deeds are important because he was conscious that being organized was the best way to confront the employers and to fight for what workers want to obtain. I think he was a personification of consistency and commitment with his cause, to build a better country, more fair to everyone. He lived his commitment with his cause every day of his life. He was a pacifist, admirer of Mahatma Gandhi, and he achieves to combine the ideas of social fighting with his catholic faith. Was a critic of political parties, being a defender of the political and social movements.

He defends the idea of “direct act”, which is understood as the resolution of troubles for the people, without waiting that the government does that, or forcing the government to respond. He also takes part in other political activities, like the defense of Human Rights during the dictatorship in Chile.

If I could ask anything to Clotario, it would be something like “¿What we have to do to change this situation?” or “¿How we have to organize ourselves? I think he was some of those persons that came only a few times in history to do great things, and are full of   knowledge. As I said before, I have heard about Clotario since I was a child, because my mom admires him a lot, and now I know more about him and I admire him too.
I also think that my mom is one of the greatest Chileans of all time. Bye!! :D 

Presents! :D

For my seventeenth birthday, my brother came to my house with a giant box; the box was very big and very pretty. When I opened the box, it was full of candies. There were chocolates, biscuits, all the candies that you can imagine…and more. I loved it because ¡I love the food! ¡I LOVE IT A LOT! I love to eat, and I love candies. I remember that the arsenal of candies was so big that I was eating candies from that box during two months. My brother gave it to me because he said that my seventeenth birthday was my last birthday as a child, because the next year I will be eighteen and I will be “an adult”. Now, I preserve the box in my room, and there I keep things like pictures, plain tickets, recital tickets and things like that, is my “box of memories”.

Well another present that I received has been the surprise birthday parties that my friends have planed for me, I talk in plural because it wasn’t ONE surprise birthday party, they have organized THREE surprise parties, and the most incredible is that they have been consecutives, and for none of them I have ever suspected anything.  I suppose I am extremely absentminded. Well, the three surprise parties have been THE BEST! I love my friends  :D ! 

Language ~

Hello! Well, I have to talk about the ideas developed by Mark Pagel in his speech “How language transformed humanity”. I think that the most of the time, we don’t think about how our language is a power tool, as Pagel says, it’s the trait that makes possible the cooperation between people, that makes possible the exchange of knowledge, the learning and because of that, it makes possible the progress of our specie. We owe to the language the existence of the culture. At the same time, Pagel talks about the language and the construction of identity, I think the language put barriers in the exchange of knowledge but at the same time it built cultural identity, so more than a conscious determination to protect knowledge, I think language is an expression of cultural mentality, it reflects the mentality, preferences and habits of the group that belong to. For example, the Chileans have a different form to talk the Spanish that the Spaniards or other Spanish-speakers, that sometimes doesn’t understand what we say, and we supposed to talk the same language. I think my form to talk form my identity as individual and as a Chilean because of that, because it shows how I appoint my reality, it’s the expression of my form to see the things, and what things I see daily. 

National Holidays

Hello ! (:
This year, my celebration of National Holidays was more familiar and relax than last year, it was good but also a little boring sometimes, so I think the National Holidays of the last year were better. The last year, my family decided to celebrate the National Holidays in Santiago, because we usually travel to Ovalle or Coquimbo to see my mom’s family. So, in Santiago, I was with my friends Samuel, Tomás, Ignacio, Josefina, Isidora (another Isidora, not me) and Francisca, and we decided to visit different fondas and places that where typically Chileans, so we went to “La Piojera” and drink terremotos, to the National Stadium’s fonda , and also visit another three or four fondas in different places,like Parque O’Higgins, Parque Inés de Suarez,etc. It was really fun, we dance cueca (none of us knew how to dance it, but we just did it), cumbia, rancheras, everything. We also did barbeque in different houses. I remember one day in a fonda, a friend tried to climb the “palo encebado”, he was a lot of time trying it and failing, it was sad...and ridiculous at the same time, so we were laughing until we get tired and then, we decided to help him, so between all the friends we lift him and my friend was happy because his dream came true, cheating, but he did it, so it’s fine. In fact, I think he didn’t remember it, because probably he was drunk. Bye :D ! 

Last Semester~

Well, the last semester was, at the beginning, really hard. I have to came back to the routine of the study and wake up early after almost five months of vacations. It was my first semester in the university, so I have to get used to mew methods and habits of study (because I didn’t have them when I was in school).
So I learned how to use better my time. Talking about knowledge, I learned a lot of new things because now I have subjects that are totally new for me, for example Archaeology, and even the subject of Anthropology, like ethnographies and all that things. I didn’t make a lot of sport activities, but one day, with the girls of my class, we arrange a female game of football, it was very fun! In fact, today we did it again, but this time against the girls of journalism.

The last semester I spent my time with my friends and family, visiting them, because I didn’t have much time to see them with the studies (this was a problem of last semester).  
It was a good semester, my family and friends are really good, so I thinks it everything alright (:

Videos :)

Hi everyone! Today I’m going to tell you about some videos that I found on internet.  The first one I didn’t found it really, friend sent it to me because it’s so funny. She told me that the girl who appears in the video made it because Justin Beaber (I hate Justin Beaber) was making a contest t for his fans, the girls have to change the lyrics of one of his songs and make a video singing it, for that reason this girl made this video.  I like this video because the girl is really funny, her expressions are incredible, and she really seems like a psychopath girlfriend. 

The second video it’s a parody of Hollywood’s horror movies, it’s called “The Horribly Slow Murderer whit the Extremely Inefficient Weapon”. I don’t remember how I found it; I think it was an evening that I was bored in my home, alone, without plans, just watching random videos on YouTube. I like it because it seems like a trailer of a normal movie, but when it winds on you realize that it’s a joke, the murderer of the film use an inefficient and unusual weapon to kill his victims, and the supposed movie it’s full of the classic clichés of the movies that are producer in Hollywood.  

Finally, I leave you with a bonus. My sister shows me this video and I really LOVE IT! It’s amazing. I’m a dance lover and I’m always looking for videos of dance crews and choreographies, well, this is particularly incredible, not just de choreography, but all the work beside the show, the making of. The coordination between the lights of the costume, the music and the dancers, it’s just amazing.

Goodbye! (: 

Correction :)

This is the original post of Isabella

Hello everybody:

Today I’m going to talk about my career and his contribution.  I choose this because before I study another career: architecture. And obviously I’m not happy whit this, a focused my motivation in the anthropology, because in the several architecture areas, the patrimonial and conservation Is my favorites.  Furthermore I believe that the anthropologists can contribute to the society in a rich form, understand the non visible structures of society and culture associate that.  And maybe the anthropology can be become in an excellent tool for building the future based on the tolerance and respect of the cultural and biological diversity.  

My favorite topic is the archaeology, an is the mention that I will choose the next semester.  I have some doubts about the mention, for example how difficult the papers are, level organization required to the career, spaces relaxed and I of course the advantages and disadvantages at the moment to create useful knowledge to understand the society,  in general a lot of questions about this! The career is beautiful, include an interdisciplinary approach and mix to exacts and inexact things, study the complex system that the human ever create anymore.

Well I hope this post I have been nice for you!

Bye 

And here is my corrected version:

Hello everybody:

Today I’m going to talk about my career and his contribution.  I choose this because before I study [T: I studied] another career: architecture. And obviously I’m not [T : I wasn’t]  happy whit this, a focused [λ, NA: so I focused] my motivation in the anthropology, because in the several architecture areas, the patrimonial and conservation Is my favorites[S/P : the patrimony and conservation are my favourite].  Furthermore I believe that the anthropologists can contribute to the society in a rich form, understand [λ: because they understand] the non visible structures of society and culture associate that [WO: and how culture is associated to that].  And maybe the anthropology can be become [( ): can become] an excellent tool for building the future based on the tolerance and respect of the cultural and biological diversity.  

My favorite topic is the archaeology, an [S: and] is the mention that I will choose the next semester [(): choose next semester].  I have some doubts about the mention, for example how difficult the papers are, level organization required to the career, spaces relaxed [? M: spaces to relax/ spaces to be relaxed] and I of course [( ), P: and, of course] the advantages and disadvantages at the moment to create useful knowledge to understand the society, in general a lot of questions about this! The career is beautiful, include an interdisciplinary approach and mix to exacts and inexact things [WW, S/P: mix the exact and inexact things], study the complex system that the human ever create anymore [? M].

Well I hope this post I have been [( ), C: this post has been] nice for you

Bye 

Languages, photography and capoeira :)

Hi everyone!

Well, I always wanted to learn other languages, because I love different languages and to know about another cultures, and in the future I would like to travel around the world and talk with people from all places. I was considering take classes of languages in the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities and validate it as General Formation Courses that I have to take during the degree.

I also would like to learn about photography, because I love it. Once I take classes of photography but I think it was not enough, so I would like to improve in the technique and the composition.

When I was in seventh grade, I started learning capoeira, it was very enjoyable and it was also a great sport activity, but I left it because I was doing too many activities aside the school and I don’t have enough time. If I consider it, I don’t think that I would have any future with the capoeira, I was horrible, I am not flexible so I was on the floor all the class because I fell every five minutes. It would be great to know about capoeira, but I think it wouldn’t be possible to do it, because I don’t have the skills to do a mortal jump or anything like that. Goodbye everyone (: 

Anthropology~

Hello! Well, today I will tell about why I am studying anthropology. I always knew that I wanted to study a humanist career, but not like the typical careers like laws or psychology, so I started to find out about different careers, and finding information about each one, I decided to study anthropology, because it seems to be very interesting. I think professionals in this area contribute to society through the effort to understand the different mentalities of different groups and cultures, and using that knowledge they try to improve the life conditions of the people, but from the idea of what they consider like a better lifestyle, not what we think it’s better for them. This is what I want to do, because I think that a real vocation always involves a social purpose.

For that, I think that professionals in this area need to have the skill to interact whit people, to comprehend how they think and live, an needs to puts in the others place to understand the other’s situation, mentality and culture (because  this is essentially what anthropologist do).

My favorite subject is ethnography, which is being with the people in their own environment, looking their activities and behavior and being part of that, participating whit them. I also like biology and how it is related with the different cultures, the different genetic information and even the running of the cells, it is incredible!  

But I am just in the first year, so in the future we will see how it really is. (: 

My family

Hello everyone! , today I am going to talk about my  family, because I can talk about any topic that I want to refer, and my family is the topic that I know the best. Well, I live with my mom, mi sister, my grandmother and my cat. I really admire my mom, since she was young has been a hard-working woman, she left her house in Ovalle when she was seventeen , and came to Santiago to study, far away from his family. I also admire her because, since my dad died, twelve years ago, she has to go ahead with the responsibility of being mom and dad at the same time, but always keeping alive the memory of our dad. I think that my mom is a very strong woman.

My sister is fifteen years old, we are like friends, we share everything (but sometimes we fight because she steals my clothes) and we tell everything to the other. We also go to parties together, because we have friends in common, so we are like a pack: “the Lea-Plaza sisters”.

My grandmother is the best, she came to live with us when my dad dies, and since then she takes cares of me and my sister. She was a teacher, so when we was little girls she help us in our homework and teach us math (the Lea-Plaza sisters are horrible in math).

I also have a brother, he is 29 years old. I love him, he is tall and looks like a serious old man, with his rough  look (when my friends met him usually are scared, but then they realize that he is nice). With us, his little sisters, he is so affectionate; it’s like a teddy bear… a giant teddy bear.This is a picture of me and my sister (L) .

  

Hello! Today I’ll tell you about the websites that I most enjoy to visit.

I usually visit sites to find information for studies, but this is not really something that I enjoy to do, so when I have time to relax and visit any site that I want, I use to visit the website of a Chilean caricaturist, Alberto Montt, the website is www.dosisdiarias.com , I like to visit his site because his cartoons are very funny and also he make an analysis to the people and the society. For the same reasons I also like to visit the site of an Argentinean caricaturist called Liniers, his website is http://www.porliniers.com/ .

I discovered the site of Montt because someday I saw one of his cartoons illustrating an opinion in a blog and I found it really good, so I wanted to know more about his work. In the case of Liniers, I discovered it for a friend who shows me a book of Liniers and I found it great, but I didn’t have the money to buy a book, so I decided to look for his work on the web.

Also, when I have time, I like to look for the work of a street artist that I really like; it’s called Banksy, who is recognized as one of the most important street artist. He do graffitis and another artistic interventions…he painted the wall that divides Jerusalem! Is very revolutionary and daring, he launch a fierce attack to the society through his work. This is his website http://www.banksy.co.uk/

Finally, I like to visit Facebook to be in contact with friends, and Youtube to see videos and listen to music.

Bye everyone! Here I leave you with Banksy’s work.

Hi classmates!, today I’d like to tell you about Los Bunkers. I really like this band because they have a social message in their songs, they show how is the Chilean society (they are Chileans), and I think that this is really important because is an opinion about how the people that lives in this society see the things that happens in our country. They play rock, but I don’t know how to describe specifically their style. In the last time, they launched a tribute album to Silvio Rodriguez, and they also have made covers of Inti Illimani’s songs. These artists play a style of music that it’s different of the style of Los Bunkers, but this band  play it well too.

I think that it’s important that Chileans know about Los Bunkers and about another Chilean musicians, because they are really good, and they are representing and showing our country to the rest of the world by means of their music .My favorite song of this band is “Canción para mañana”, it’s beautiful and reflects the historic memory of Chile, it talks about the militaries and the hope in a better future. It’s melancholic, but it’s also nice and encouraging. :) 

Bye! :D 

Hi people!

Today I’m going to tell you about this picture. I took it when I was on vacations this summer with my family in the Iguaçu Falls. As you can see, the picture shows a girl’s hand trying to touch a butterfly. I really like it because I think it represents the relationship between the nature and the man, because when you see the Iguaçu Falls you think that the nature it’s so powerful and majestic, and it is, but when you see in the middle of that something delicate and fragile like a butterfly, you realize that the nature is powerful and delicate at the same time, and because of that we have to take care of the nature and be responsible with the environment. I also like it because when I took the picture I was having a great time with my family, in a wonderful place, surrounded by the beauty of the landscape, so it makes me remember great moments. I think it’s a nice picture, I like it a lot, the colors are pale and you can see some details of the butterfly.

Finally, I like it because I love butterflies, they are lovely. (:

Bye!

My Camera

My favourite piece of technology it's my digital camera. It was a gift from my mom because I love to take pictures and in that time I was in a photography course. I used to have another camera, but my mom gave me this in december of 2010, when I was going to make a trip with my highschool classmates. I use it a lot, not everyday, but regularly, when I have time to go out and take pictures, or when I'm hanging out with people, there's no week that  I don't use it. I like it because I love to keep the memories with this visual back, with a photo you can remember a lot of things, places, people and situations, and see how the people change with the time. Without my camera, there wouldn't be funny pictures of my friends or photographic record of important moments. Life without my camera would be very bored, and there would be a lot of moments that I wouldn't remember.   

P.S : That's not my camera ... but i'ts a nice picture of old ones (: .

Hi everyone! Well, I'd like to tell you about my visit to the Iguaçu Falls, located on the border of Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones. I went there in February of this year, and it was an incredible trip. I went there with my mom, my sister and my uncle. We visit firs the argentine side of the falls, where are located the waterfalls, we took a boat that gave you a trip of the Iguaçu river. In the boat, they show you the falls and let you take pictures, after that they gave you the order to put the things that you don’t want to get wet and your valuable stuff, like digital cameras, in a diver’s bag that the crew gave to you, then the boat became to get closer to the waterfalls, but keeping a reasonable distance for security reasons, and when they came closer to the falls, immediately you get wet, in a matter of seconds, because the force of the waterfalls it’s so big that it makes water splashes in all directions. The next day we visit de waterfalls but in the Brazilian part, which is more panoramic, to take pictures of the complete scene of the falls, from the front. I loved to visit this place because the landscapes are incredible, in this place was filmed the movie “The mission”, but what you see in the movie is nothing compared with being there, it’s just unbelievable. Well, not for nothing this place is considerate one of the New World’s Wonders of Nature. 

P.S: I took that picture (:  .

Hi everyone! :) , my name is Isidora Lea-Plaza and I'm from Santiago, I study Anthropology at Universidad de Chile (it's my first year). I like to read, watch movies , eat ( I LOVE TO EAT! ) and go out with my friends. People usually says that I look like Violet from "The  Incredibles". Bye, see you soon (: