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.