What a experience!

Dear Friends:

Chile is, once again, living hard times. A strong earthquake hit the territory in which 80% of the Chilean population is living.

Totally unexpected, the movement became more powerful after 30 seconds of shaking. At this point I was very scared in my 7th floor apartment. The building was making loud sounds, and the light went off.

20 hours after, I am very happy to say: My family, friends and I are all save and well.

The episode affected a big piece of territory. Santiago was not the most affected city. Now, looking at the pictures on the internet, I am more impressed. It looks like some pictures of cities hit by war.

I am posting a few pictures which I took from different sites. Many cities were fallen apart. Anyway, Chilean people are strong people! I know we will be perfectly able to restore our country. Some pictures might be just shocking, at least they were for me.

Bueno, una pequeña nota en español; una experiencia que nos ha dejado a todos pendientes de cualquier movimiento, ruidos, etc.

Y tras un largo día, me voy a descansar un poco; ya habrá tiempo para más post.

Saludos!

2010

Aunque llevamos encima cerca de cinco semanas, los cambios para Chile se hacen sentir. 2010, es un año que promete pasar a la historia, no solo por el comienzo de una década, sino por los procesos socia

les, políticos y económicos que están modificando el panorama nacional en su proyección interna como hacia el resto del mundo.

2010 es el año en que celebramos el bicentenario de nuestra independencia; un evento que no ha dejado de explotarse política y (a Dios gracias) culturalmente desde hace varios años. Este año ha sido esperado como la fecha en que nos volveremos (aparentemente, de misteriosas maneras) una mejor sociedad.

No puedo dejar de reconocer, los esfuerzos de la clase política (de los años 90) por levantar desde distintos flancos el "nivel" nacional. Búsqueda de una mejor educación, menos desigualdad social y desarrollo de la cultura han sido consignas que, han sido llevadas como objetivos generales durante los gobiernos de las últimas dos décadas.

2010 es el año en que pareciera llegar el cambio. Y es que a pesar de los errores del pasado, de la falta de visión nacional, y la serie de disputas políticas por ejecuciones administrativas públicas de dudosa calidad (que se han y seguirán sucediendo), estamos ante resultados que pudiendo ser mejores, no pueden dejar de ser nombrados:

El ingreso de Chile a la OCDE, marca un claro ejemplo de estos procesos que han ubicado a nuestro país en una posición, de avance nacional para el contexto latinoamericano.

La llegada de la alternancia del poder en la política; tras 20 años, una coalición de centro derecha asume el control del ejecutivo. Acompañado de una visión más técnica que política, podría aprovecharse la oportunidad de desarrollo que, históricamente, pareciera que hemos una vez cada cien años.

El desarrollo del interés nacional por la cultura. En expresiones poco vistas en nuestro país, las actividades culturales han desarrollado una motivación importante durante el último tiempo. Donde grandes obras teatrales y artísticas han sido blanco de masivas concurrencias y crecimiento de la audiencia.

Son estos algunos ejemplos de relevancia nacional, símbolos de un proceso mayor que podría acercarnos a nuestro potencial como sociedad y cultura.

Sin embargo, este desarrollo está adscrito a una serie de temas pendientes. Creceremos (como grupo humano) si y solo sí somos capaces de incluir en este trabajo nacional, aquellos aspectos que han sido foco de dificultades y/o que no han logrado adscribirse al tren del progreso:

Avances pendientes en la disminución de la pobreza y desigualdad socio-económica, crecimiento en calidad de la educación pública, implantar un modelo que maximice la igualdad de oportunidades, desarrollar un país inclusivo con las culturas aborígenes, impulsar una ascendente calidad de vida para todos los habitantes de nuestra extensa geografía nacional y asumir el control de la destrucción ecológica nacional.

¿Seremos capaces de crear un mejor bicentenario para nuestra generación sentando base para las futuras? Quizá, esperar a que esta nueva oportunidad sea aprovechada para dar el salto a la anhelada industrialización (ser un país "desarrollado") no sea suficiente. Lo correcto es aprovechar, desde nuestra propia posición, las posibilidades de crecimiento en conjunto con los grupos sociales que nos acompañan en una mirada interna, para avanzar juntos hacia un mejor país.

I have been thinking over and over about the hard relationship between germans and immigrants. Every country should at least consider migration, as a subject gaining importance in the world. One becoming smaller and smaller. People trying to get into Germany, Spain, the USA and many others left home looking for a chance: a new life, better universities, work oportunities and so on.... Migration becomes also, a cultural matter to be consider. How are countries reacting to this on going process? Lots of aspects involved like education, healthcare and cultural integration. As important as it looks like, is already being consider by authorities in many countries.

There is another important subject related to cultural exchange wich has not been take care of as it should. This is not produced by migration nor diplomatic relationships, but cultural activities and productions. Let me ask you something: Which were the tools used by the USA, in order to became world wide known? If we let the, military and economics movements out of the frame (just for a second), the cultural aspect becomes an outstanding issue. Do I even have to mention the power remaining on Holiwoods productions (or the music bussines)? I don’t think so.

Chile (I imagine the hole Latin America as well) is becoming every day destiny of massive productions, modifing cultural paradigms and structures. Emo, Punk, Skinhead (and others) are tendencies wich literaly “landed” here a few years ago, but now there is a new process taking place in my country. Called (by the press) “The silenced ‘japanization’ of chilean teenagers” has been spread all trought middle class. Impulsed at first by comics as well as anime, now fashion and music (specially rock and JMusic) are the hit.

Is this a results of an asiatic cultural move? Is this other step on their way to the top of the nations ranking? Meant to be or not, the results are on plane sight: Young people are more intrested on oriental languages and the asiatic way to think. In short term to be consider, the ‘new’ oriental concept is inn. How will chilean society react is something we are about to discover.

A month ago... looking for the next one!

A month ago.... I was in Berlin. I was having a great time. I traveled almost worries-free to the seminar, trying to escape a little bit of my duties as a student, trying to meet new people, etc. (I already explained myself in the last post).

There is something what is kind of bothering me, anyway. It’s not the reasons why I went to Berlin nor the things I did back there, but how my perspective of the world (and myself) changed because of this trip. From one week to another, I rediscover the feeling of having an entire world to work on: Lots of people who really want to do MORE, people actually doing things. I was so concentrated on my daily routine (study and sports) that I did not noticed this until some days ago: so... what am I going to do? I’m not sure yet but lets start by keeping this blog up to date, taking part (again) on family bussines (will see how it works... jeje), and who knows, perhaps start a little project...

A month ago I was discovering Berlin: an unknown city in a Country away from home. Perhaps I could start to rediscover Santiago: taking advantage of this new perspective of life and the coming up spring :-)

Saving all the nice memories from my “Berlin adventures” I prefer to ask myself:

Where am I going to be next month?

Berlin: Expectations, Rewards

When I recieved the invitation to apply for the EMLA seminar, I was having quite a hard time trying to stay focused on my work (as student). So I became very exited just thinking about travel to Germany once again. I wanted to do anything different to my every days activities but travel just for make some turism was not an option for me.

After I decided to go to se seminar, the time started to go faster and faster so I did not have the real oportunity to think deeply about the hole travel until I was seated on the plane, heading Europe (I was a few hours in Atlanta). I started to put my thoughts in to order: after some hours and many coffes, I was pretty clear about the way I was going to face the following two and a half weeks in Germany:

1. No worries about the stuff in Chile

2. Let's meet new people!! (and everything what implies: points of view, backgrounds, etc)

3. Let's have some fun!

4. It would be great to get in touch with people working on NGO.

5. Get an update about the way Germans are seeing Latinamericans

6. Visit some friends living in Germany

7. Enjoy the lifestyle of Germany (Wurst essen, Bier trinken, Die Bahn, etc)

8. Try to take a little bit of a break of my duties as student.

I'm sure at that time I was thinking about much more things, but this should be the most important ones....

I have to say, my expectations were completely fulfilled, considering that the people at the seminar were very nice to each others.

I had a really good time in Berlin and Germany, and no one can change that.