Brazil

Greetings! Today I’m going to talk about Brazil and the world cup. I know Germany will win the cup; it is the best team ever!

But… I have big troubles with this world cup. Maybe if I explain to you, you will understand.

Brazil is the largest country in South America. Bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and bordered by all countries in this part of the American continent except for Chile and Ecuador. It is the world's largest Portuguese speaking country and it belonged to Portugal until its independence in 1822. It has an enormous population: 190 million people approximately and everyone knows how to play football soccer (just joking).

Politically, Brazil is a federal state, in fact, is a federal presidential representative democratic republic. And the head of government and of the state is the President. 2010 was elected the current president Dilma Roseuff.  However, Brazil was unable to solve their biggest problems related to delinquency, poverty, violence and corruption disrupting the quality of life of people who lives in slums, the famous “Favelas”. Also, the executive power was unable to control the economic crisis and all the problems about representation. In this controversial context, Brazil was chosen to host the World Cup in 2014 creating a lot of chaos, killings and protests thanks to the number of implemented measures that were catastrophic for the people and their lives, like tax hike for public transport, “cleaning people” in the favelas and destruction.  In my opinion, I have to admitted, I like a lot the world cup even thought is a big mafia by FIFA and contributes to the "bread and circuses" to keep people busy while important things are decided. Besides the major problems that affect most of countries thanks to neoliberalism are forget. For Brazil, it is very harmful and awful. It was the worst choice. People are suffering a lot and that destroy the essence of football soccer (also the existence of FIFA does it too and the fact that girls cannot play the world cup ¬¬).

That is all, hope you like it.

Goodbye!

Claude Lévi-Strauss

Greetings! Today I’m going to talk about one of the most famous anthropologist in the world: Claude Lévi-Strauss.  He is the father of structural anthropology and anthropology of kinship.

First I must say his theories are not my favourite ones but he deserves all the respect of the world, he had an amazing mind and his ideas provoked a big revolution in anthropology, especially in the field of mythology and kinship studies.

He born in 1908 in Brussels, Belgium but he grew up in Paris. First he studied law and philosophy but he only continued with the last one. He took part in a mission to Brazil and there he did his first ethnological investigation.  These experiences gave him the opportunity to do more researches in this field and a chance to prove his skills in a lot of complexes areas of the human being: Kinship structure, the savage mind, mythology, linguistics, etc. He thought that savages mind works in a rational way, despites of the prejudices of the occidental mind about the primitive stage of these cultures.  Also he said that all the myths in the world have the same structural function, in fact, all the myths can reduce in only one but it has different forms. Another famous theory is about kinship and the importance of the incest in the transition to the nature to culture stage.

He wrote a lot of books and he sets the principles of modern anthropology with his structural analyses and theories.  He died very young –sarcasm- with only 101 years in October of 2009.  I like him because his way to analyse all this things is very impressive, and when you read him (if you understand something! Is almost impossible comprehend what he is saying!) you can realize the significance of his work in social science.

That is all! Hope you like it! See you soon…

Goodbye!

My favorite movie

Greetings! Today I’m going to talk about my favorite movie.  It is a very important movie to me because it represents part of my twisted childhood, I first watched in 2005 I think, in my house. It is called “The Nightmare before Christmas”(1993) directed by Henry Selick and produced by the famous Tim Burton (He isn’t the director but people usually think he is). Also the music was made by Danny Elfman, a talented composer and singer. In fact, in the movie he provides the singing voice of the main character.

The Nightmare before Christmas is one of the first stop motion film (This means that the characters and the scenarios were made in real life with a lot of materials and manipulated objects, but they appear to move by they own thanks to a sequence of photography’s).

What is this movie about? The plots centers in a Halloween world and in Christmas world.  Cute citizens (vampires, monsters, creepy dolls, witches, etc.) work all the year to prepare the scariest holiday ever: Halloween. They have a leader, “The pumpkin king” who is the king of the town. His name is Jack Skellington and he is a living skeleton.  He is tired of the same routine every year and one day in the graveyard he gets into the wood and he finds a portal to the Christmas world. Fascinated with all the things that he saw in that new world, he returns to his world and tries to create his own Christmas usurping the role of Santa, provoking a real chaos in both worlds.

Why do I like the movie? I love the esthetic of the film, the cuteness and love in the characters and the entire plot.  This film taught to me a lot of beautiful things about fears, dreams and the true meaning of love. Exceptional soundtrack too!

I really recommended … hope you like it!

OMG THE BEST PICTURE EVA!

Greetings! Today I’m going to show you the best picture ever! It’s a “selfie” taken by me with a notebook two years ago. I think it was in vacations, I don’t remember well.  The best of this photograph is not the photo itself, the funny thing is what happened to this picture after being taken… But not that fast! I’m going to tell you in a minute everything you need to understand this magic moment…

What is this about?  You may ask. Well, my friends and I wanted to participate in the cast of the Hobbit (The new Peter Jackson movies), but we needed to send a picture of us characterizing the main character of The Lord of the Rings (A Dwarf called Gimli, an Elf called Legolas, a Human called Aragorn and a wizard called Gandalf) with all the costumes and stuffs. We didn’t have enough money for that, so we used our imagination to find a solution.

That’s right! The magic of MS paint (the virtual program) strikes again! We “photoshopped” the picture and we created the most beautiful art work, worthy of an Academy award (Best visual effect, make up, soundtrack (?) and motion picture of course). But our art was misunderstood and we were humiliated (with many memes). However, with our magical powers we took revenge and now we controlled all the industries of Hollywood and Photoshop… Actually not, we don’t care about the trolls and until today we expect Peter Jackson to respond.

(None of this is real, but please don’t tell to my fans)

So, this is the story of my favorite picture! Hope you like it! Enjoy

To Hogwarts! (Places I'd like to visit)

Hello wizards and witches! Today I’m going to talk about THE place I’d like to visit. Please take a sit and enjoy this magical journey to the best place in the world (or fictional world if you are a “mature”-boring- person). That’s right; we are going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a British school for magic students created by J.K Rowling for the Harry Potter’s books.

Where is Hogwarts located? Well… if you are a wizard/witch you can find this huge medieval castle somewhere in Scotland (but if you are just a muggle –non magical person-… sorry, you will never be able to see it)

Why do I want to go there? Is obviously. I am a witch and I want to learn new magical spells, create powerful potions, transform things, and defend myself against the dark arts…

Just kidding... Actually, it  is a beautiful place, with a loch called The Black Lake and a dangerous forest with magical creatures called The Forbidden forest. Also it has extensive grounds and other outbuildings, like Hagrid’s house. But the best of all is the full size Quidditch pitch! (Quidditch is the most important sport in this world).

I would like to go with my best friend Camila, because she is the best witch in the world! She has a powerful nordic dragon and a time turner. Indeed... we must go soon to Diagon Alley to buy our list of supplies: a lot of potions, a cauldron, spell books, a wand, and owl, our tunics, etc. before school starts (We were admitted in Hogwarts this year J)

We are going to travel in September 1st (that day the classes begin) but we need time to arrive early, because we have to take a plane from Santiago to London and then we have to board the Hogwarts express from platform 9 ¾ in King’s cross station. The train leaves at 11 o’clock so, we can’t be late! The train leaves us in a town near Hogwarts called Hogsmeade. If you are and old student, you have to take a carriage pulled by Thetrals (a magical invisible horse) but if you are in your first year, a key’s keeper will guide you to a boat and you will be able to cross the lake. Both ways will take you to the entrance of the castle. 

So this is it… I hope to see you there too! Maybe we will be classmates! I would like to be with you in the same house (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin).

Goodbye! Finite Incantatem!

Post 3: Technology!

Greetings!

Today I’m going to talk about technology!  My favourite electric-metal-whatever thing is my iPod.  It is a portable media player, an artefact used to store all the music you like most.  In my fourteenth’s birthday (almost six years ago) my parents gave me a little box with a blue IPod inside. I was so happy!  Since then, I use my iPod almost every day and every hour until now. When I must go to the university, most of time I have to walk a lot, so this peculiar technologic thing is my only company. Also when I have to study or when I can’t get any sleep at night (sometimes I need to listen a lullaby to calm myself down and go back to Morfeo’s arms) … I can say my IPod helps me when I’m sad or tired. Funny, don’t you think?

I like it because it is small, portable, resistant (is the first delicate object in my life that I still keep it barely intact) and adorable, yes adorable… like a cute piece of blue metal. Easy to handle and it has a cool interface. 

Life without my iPod would be so boring and terrible (not joking). I can’t live without music L… not any kind of music (in that case it wouldn’t be a problem not having and iPod) is MY music what I need. And it is all there, in that piece of metal full of cables and electricity. Can you imagine?

Maybe my iPod is old and probably useless nowadays (it is an ancient version of apple’s iPods, one of the first ones I believe) but it is important to me, one of the best presents I have received! 

No more to say… See you next post!

Invincible! (Second Post)

Greetings! This day I’m going to talk about of my expectations for this new semester. It seems to be more difficult than the past one and you need to know why…

I am studying anthropology, and it’s my second year… I love my career but this semester I have six subjects (the past semester I only got five) and one of them is a true nightmare… I’m talking about statistics, a sort of mathematical chaos. It is too awful for me. So I need to do a lot of exercises every day to improve my skills on that area (If I work hard I will have the chance to pass the course… I think). I’m a little bit too obsessed with marks and studies in general so I’m working really hard this semester J but it’s okay, big rewards awaits for those who gives everything to do their best.

Also I am teaching assistant of two courses!  It is madness but I think is a great challenge and an opportunity to help other people with their courses. Besides, is a chance to learn how to teach and prepare the classes. I’m not very good at that but I hope to improve soon J. On the other hand, I really hate correcting  tests and put marks (but i have skills for that)… so I’m trying to be nice with the new students! After all they are in their first year.

Well… I didn’t take optional subjects or extracurricular activities, because my time is limited. In fact, I’m trying to do some sport to be in good shape (Like a perfect circle…oh, but it is a kind of shape after all, no?)

So, this is my semester… I think i will die.  However, it will be an amazing experience! After all is what I choose.

Tell my family I love them! Goodbye!