Environmental friendly

Being environmental friendly is something that sometimes stresses me, because I know that all that I do is not enough to help our planet, and more when I think that sometimes I’m so tired or it’s more comfortable being environmental unfriendly. Although I try to do things, like take all the milk cartons or put the bottles on the bottles bank, but to do that I need time that sometimes I have not, so this is something that I don’t usually do. So bad!! But there are more easy ways to be environmental friendly. I’m always turning off lights and disconnecting house appliances to save energy, and as I haven’t car I go everywhere using metro or the bus; and I enjoy it so much that maybe I will never buy a car!!! Even that I must recognize that there are things that I don’t do and this is not just my fault, like separate the rubbish, because even if I do they take the garbage all together. Beside, as I live in an apartment sometimes is more comfortable to take rubbish all together, or use the elevator because I live in the 9^th floor.

I’m concerned about environment, and I think the most of the people do the same. The problem is that there is not a lot of information or education about how to be environmental friendly. I know that is common in most of the people to recycle bottles, milk cartons and tins, but Chilean government don’t promote enough about environmental friendly activities, because in Chile the environmental problem is not considered so relevant, just see how they approve energetic projects that could contaminate and destroy more than they could help. I think this is a problem where all society must act, from our individual activities to more organized things, for example activities where you can learn about composting or recycling. And most important, I think that government must do more about it, not just in mass media propaganda, that isn’t too informative about environmental problems in Chile and what we can do to reduce it. Besides they should promote it in a more empirical way, like making more containers where you can put milk cartons, bottles, etc. And they must finance or approve more environmental friendly projects, thinking about development not just in an economic way but in a social and environmental way too.

Santiago

To talk about Santiago I must say first that I was born and lived in Calama, at second region, so I came from desert weather. I came to live at Santiago when I was 18, so maybe that could affect my perception about the city, making it different from those who have lived here during all his or her life. Also I must say that I haven’t lived in other cities or countries, so I have not other places to compare about living in Santiago.

Although I used to visit Santiago sometimes, live at the city is something very different. At first I was scared of get lost, because I didn’t know about names of streets, and especially because nobody had a clear idea of the rout of Transantiago!! So, one of my first impressions was the idea of a chaotic place. Besides I thought that Santiago was a big and complicated city, it takes a long time to arrive to places. I didn’t like to use subway because there was always a quite crowd, and about using buses, I think people was just beginning to become accustomed to Transantiago. In spite of this, my first year at Santiago was very nice, maybe that’s because I lived with my uncle at La Reina, in a very quiet and safe place. I liked to walk around there because the trees, especially in autumn, or go to visit places like Forestal Park, or Cerro Santa Lucía or San Cristobal hills. Besides, my best friend also came to live here, so I wasn’t alone; and I met very nice people here, my new friends.

In general I think Santiago is a nice place to live: there are many beautiful places and buildings, and I have to admit that in Santiago is where all happens: concerts, theater plays, and more; something that is not very usual in other regions of Chile. But I have to say that I hate pollution and acoustic contamination. I also dislike the fact that everyone is always stressed or hurry. I think people should take more relaxing their life, and authorities must do something about the contamination, all for make Santiago a better place.

Greatest Chilean ever!!

To decide about somebody who could be the greatest Chilean of all time is very difficult, especially because there are some many anonymous Chileans that have done a lot of important and significant deeds and besides that, is because of this people that we have an idea about what is to be Chilean, I mean, they represent the “Chilean identity”. Some examples of this anonymous Chileans are: the original people from Chile, rural people who work the land and that have created the image of “huaso”, people from the working class, especially miners or fishers, and more; everything that comes to your mind when you think about Chilean people. 

For all this things I think the greatest Chilean of all time is Violeta Parra. I think she’s the greatest because somehow she represents the Chilean identity, expressed in arts. She was a poet, musician, singer, painter; she made sacking, and a lot of other things. And in every one of her creations she expressed all this anonymous Chileans deeds and ways of lives. When you hear Violeta Parra’s songs, you realize how she integrate sounds from aboriginal people and how in her lyrics she is talking about Chileans, and also she is denouncing injustices and expressing her politic compromise for make a better society, because she was a very compromised and politic person. I think somehow she’s talking for those who have not voice, and she was listened not just in our country (maybe too late); she was also internationally recognized: She exposed her sacking at the Louvre!! 

Other thing that I admire from Violeta Parra is the fact that she was a self-learning artist. She didn’t study at university all the things she knew, so maybe that’s why her art is so human and warm. And because of it I think we could say that she was a visionary and an avant-garde person, and the greatest Chilean ever!!

Chinese zodiac

I’m thinking about to become a superstitious person today. This morning I heard about Chinese zodiac in TV, and by coincidence (or destiny?) this is the topic of the blog. Well, by chance or not, we are going to start Chinese year and about Chinese zodiac this is the year of the Dragon, so this year is my year! 

According to description of Dragon in the website, people who have born under Dragon sign are very independent, risky and passionate in all they do. Besides, it says that Dragons can be possessive and ambition persons; and they prefer to be alone, because they work better and are more successful by their own. About me, I agree whit the most of the thing that it says about us: I think that I’m a very independent person; I always try to help other but never ask for help and I’m very passionate in all the things that I do, even if this makes me fell exhausted. 

About the things that it says about careers and job, I agree that we prefer careers where we can express our creativity and where we lead. Maybe that’s why sometimes we feel unfulfilled about our careers or jobs, and we get exhausted very easily. And talking about relationship, I agree whit the website’s description: I won’t give up my independence. Finally, about Chinese zodiac I’m an earth dragon, so I’m more rational when I have to take decisions and I’m a level-headed person. 

I really agree whit Chinese zodiac in a lot of things. I think I believe in zodiac and astrology stuffs, like astral chard. I think there must be some relation between our lives and the universe because stars and planets are part of our environment, so they must have a bearing in our lives and character traits.

Drug-driving law

The British government is evaluating the possibility of set up a law against taking drugs and drive. For doing this, the Department for Transport is assembling a panel of experts, composed by academics and scientist, to decide different aspects about this law.

The idea of a drug-driving law comes up after lasts figures that show a large increasing in fatal accidents involving drug use during the last decade. Some figures show that around 30% and 50% of road accidents in lasts years are related to use of drugs like a contributory factor. Besides that, there are many cases where drug -driving is combined whit drink, but without a drug-driving law only drink-driving is penalized.

But one of the problems about this law is how to proof the use of drugs in drivers. Some experts suggest applying a roadside drug tester kit, something similar to breathalyser. This “drugalyser” works whit a saliva tests that can detect illicit substances presents in some drugs. This is already being used in Australia, but there are some limits related to its use: some experts mention that drug tests can be positive even one month later the use of drug, so it will be more difficult to judge if drivers are whether using drugs or not.

Besides that, the use of a roadside drug tester kit will means to establish an universal drug level accepted, and that’s contradictory in case of taking about illicit substances, like most of drugs are.

Other point that will be evaluated is to apply this law to motorists.

Finally, the panel will meet in spring for evaluate this and other points, and to decide if this law could rules or not in Britain. What do you think about this law in Chile?

(Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jan/04/law-drug-driving-roadside-tests )

Christmas

I think I’m not form a normal family. We never celebrate Christmas like the rest of the people. First, we never make a Christmas tree or decorate house for the holydays, and we don’t get crazy buying gifts, we just make some little presents. What we usually do is go to my aunt’s home –she’s more “Christmas spirit”-  and spend a very lovely night whit all the family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and more) and share a simple meal and open some gifts. But the most important is share with all my family this celebration.

But this year was different. Maybe it was the worst Christmas ever. First, I spend my Christmas in Santiago, far away from all my family. I thought I could spend it whit my brother, but he was in Chiloe. So I was just with one of my best friend because she could spend it with her family neither. So, we made a simple meal and was not for Christmas, we we’re just hungry. Then we talk about “the real sense of Christmas” (in an ironic way) we conclude that it is really a cruel celebration. Just think about it: Jesus was born in a crib, because nobody helped poor Maria. And thinking well, a crib is a dreadful place to born, because that maybe it is very unhygienic place. I think people forget about it, and dedicate just to celebrate buying gifts, so we are part of a cruel society since Jesus was born to now.

Well, but maybe we just thought this because we were sad and upset because we were far from our family, and next day we had to study or make stuff for University and Monday classes again… It wasn’t a nice Christmas, but New Year will compensate it :)

How language transformed humanity

Mark Pagel talks about language as a tool to communicate and make possible the cooperation between humans. According to that, language would be the main reason of the evolution and adaptation in human beings, because is thanks to language that we developed the ability of social learning; this is the ability from learning from other’s experiences. So, language allows us to communicate and share information and knowledge. And this is very important to avoid what Mr. Pagel calls “visual thief”. So, we don’t transfer information by stealing from other’s experiences, but we use language to make agreements. But I would like to mention that the possibility of agreements is not always possible, and in that case rises conflicts between humans, and that seems to need “other kind of languages” to resolve. So I think Mr. Pagel is showing just the idealistic and simple part of the language in human history, omitting the different conflicts, wars and more; just because language is a tool, but is a tool useful (or manipulated to be useful) just for some of the humans, the ones that holds the power. So I would like to ask if you think that language is a “democratic” or egalitarian tool?

This last is also related with the possibility of “One world, one language” that is also mentioned by Pagel. Because if language is not egalitarian, that means that there is one language more powerful than others, a “hegemonic” one. And besides to be the verbal language (Mr. Pagel doesn’t talk about other kind of language) I think that it would be the language of those who has the economic power to control and impose their language until makes it the universal one. But now I just know that Spanish language is very powerful too, especially for its ability to change and evolve, so I don’t think it could disappear under English.