English classes

First of all, I have to say that I’ve always liked English because I love music and movies, and there are lots of productions that are made in this language. And I watch movies or listen to music very very often, so I use English a lot and that’s why I like it: because it helps me understand these things.

Honestly I don’t like much English at University because I think we should learn things that are important for us, for every student, and for example, if we all do the same reading it’s hard that everybody get interested about it, because we don’t have the same interests. I know that maybe that’s the idea of the blog, that everyone could write about a personal issue, and I like it… I think it’s great that we could do some “semi free writing”: give our opinions, tell our stories and get to know our classmates. But it’s always the same… so, after some classes it gets a little boring…L But I have to admit that I have learned some words thanks to the activities that we’ve done and thanks to the blog too…

I would like to improve my pronunciation and there are some grammatical rules that I don’t know. But I think this kind of things are learnt when you practice English in topics that you’re interested about. Plus, I have a terrible memory so I don’t remember what are the grammatical rules that I don’t know, I just remember them when I’m watching tv series or doing something like that. So, for me it would help that we could do some listening using tv shows, maybe watching scene movies without subtitles or listening songs that I like –or the entire group likes- and try to translate them. Also I would like to play some games in English, it would be funny :D. For example, I heard that in some class they play “Adivina quien” but in English. I LOVED this game when I was a kid so it would be instructive and moving playing that again. :’)  

Well, English classes are getting to the end… so, I think I would improve these skills as always, watching English movies or tv show, listening to music… and things like that.

'Conversion therapy' for gay patients

Today I’m going to comment about a new of “the guardian”. Well, I choose a new called “<> for gay patients unethical, says professional body” (October 1, 2012). First of all, I have to explain that “Conversion therapy” refers to the therapy that psychologists do to “convert” the sexual orientation of the pacient/client, especifically for gay people to be heteresexual. 
In UK there’s a big mess about it, because the profesional body -it means psychologists and people related to the area- think this is an unethical procedure, because it assumes that homosexuality it’s a mental disorder or a disease that can be “healed”, changed or “converted”. 

They think it’s an unethical way to procede because homosexuality isn’t a disease or anything similar. And also they afirm that this kind of therapy can cause more damage to the person than helping. Instead of this way of looking homosexuality, they believe in an inclusive society that doesn’t judge people because of their sexual preferences. Well, the amazing about this topic is that there were a lot of psychlogists doing this! 

A 2009 survey of 1.300 therapists, psychoanalysts and psychiatrists found more than 200 professionals had tried to change at least one patient’s sexual orientation. The new ends showing that people realized that it’s important to have statutory regulations of the proffesions, to prevent this kind of things. 

 Well this topic compromise directly to psychologists. I think therapy is not and “innocent” thing. In my opinion, if you want to do therapy you have to think a lot about what you’re doing, because Psychology is not neutral, what you do or don't do in your work is related with your own values and your way of understand the world. 

But honestly, this is one of the things i don’t like about Psychology, things like “conversión therapy” occur because Psychology is a discipline with great power in our society. People think that we can read their minds, and tell them what is right and what is not. I think this is very dangerous. Well, that’s it, sorry for my pessimistic posts! = (

Ah!, Here is the link of the new if you want to see it: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/oct/01/conversion-therapy-gay-patients-unethical?INTCMP=SRCH

Voting!

Well, I didn’t vote in the past elections, and I don’t know if I have certain reasons of why I didn’t do it. I just didn’t have to think much about it, I just knew I was not going to vote. It was an “emotional” decision, if you want to call it somehow. But… If I think about it a little more, the first reason I get it’s that I don’t like this political system, and I think the act of voting validates that system in some way. For me it’s clear that politics has nothing to do whit voting once every four years. I think it doesn’t have any sense, voting and then just look how the elected ones destroy our life and even though, they don’t even listen if we not agree with what they are doing. Even worst, they have the “power” to silence your voice!! – or at least they believe they can, and they have police from their side- I know a few people that didn’t vote. They did it for a reason similar than mine. But also, this people are as young as me. So, I don’t know if all “no voting” people took this decision with the same arguments. Anyway, I think majority of Chilean people are disappointed of our “democracy” system and they are disappointed of the politicians too… I think there’re a part of Chileans that are hopeless, and think “this is not going to change”, no matter what we do. But there are others –including me- that are angry with the system and believe there is another kind of politics that we can build with our own hands.

¿The greatest chilean of all time?

Well, it’s hard to think about one Chilean who could be the greatest of all time. I prefer to think there are no heros, but there are groups of people that had made great things for our country. I like history and I’ve read some books written by Gabriel Salazar. In their books he tell us the history of our “pueblo”. Not the history of “heros” who “defined” our destiny. He writes about women “de bajo pueblo”, about organizations of Young people, about country people and so on. He writes the history of the majority of the Chilean people, not the history of a few one, like school used to teach us. Well, I was really surprised when I read about Chilean women. They have always been strong and brave. There were times when they had to take care of their children without a man by their side and they had to work hard to support their families; so, most of the time, they became the principal member of the family. They established community ties… they fight for the people who disappeared during the dictatorship: for their husbands, children, brothers… And so on. I think we have to be proud of our past as women… and we have to keep the strength that has always been characteristic of them and fight for things we think are unfair. Well, I think everyone has to do that, but I believe it’s important to recognize that we’re part of a group that has an amazing history that has been hidden; maybe because they –those who write the “formal history”- are scared of what they -we- can do =).

An unexpected gift =)

Hi! Today I’m going to talk you about a present I received. First of all, I have to say that I’ve played guitar since I was a little child…I really enjoy that. When I was about thirteen years old I started listening to rock music more frequently and started dreaming about having an electric guitar. I told that to my older brother and I showed him which was the guitar that I wanted to have, it was a black and white Yamaha, really cool. One day I got back from school and I walked into my room and ….. THE GUITAR WAS THERE on my bed!!! Also, there was an amplifier, a strap guitar and the cover. I was really shocked! My dad and my brother came and my dad said that that it was a gift for me. My brother had spoken with him before and told him that I wanted one. I didn’t remember what I did after my shocking expression haha, but then I felt really excited about my guitar and started taking lessons. After a few months I stopped with the classes, but I continued playing guitar by myself. I think I played it about two years, and then I cameback to play my classical guitar. And that’s it… maybe it sounds like I was a little spoiled haha, and well.. my father used to spoiled me, but I didn’t like that much. I wasn’t used to receive expensive gifts! Anyway, I gave it a good use while my passion lasted haha… now my guitar is in my house, but I didn’t use it because the ampli is broken… and as I said, I play more my other guitar.

First day

Well, the truth is that I have a horrible memory, so I don’t remember many details of my first day at University, but I’m going to try. I remember I was coming to the fourth floor and it was full of people…I don’t know if I was nervous, maybe I felt a little lost because I didn’t know exactly where to go. I kept on walking and suddenly I saw Katy. Katy was from Arica and we had met in the summer of 2008, because we both came to the summer school (yes, we were crazy for studying at the summer haha). Well, I saw Katy and I spoke to her. Next to her was Carla, a girl from San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, and the three of us started a talk. We got along really well and we were friends during the first semester, but then we started making new friends and we distanced from each other. After founding Katy, I don’t remember anything precisely, I just remember I had a lot of classmates and they used to ask many things to the teachers. Also, I remember the teachers took us to the auditorium and gave us a welcoming speech. Oh! Now I’m not sure if that was in the auditorium or just in the classroom. As I said, I have a terrible memory. That’s it! I’m sorry for not giving more details! =(

My friend Laura

Hi! Today I’m going to talk you about my friend Laura. I met Laura at school, when we were in seventh grade (the same class). At the beginning we weren’t close friends but we got along really well… sometimes we had very interesting and funny talks. We were in second year of the secondary school when we started to talk more frequently because she started a love relationship with my cousin!. At the end of the year, Laura left the city and move on to Valdivia. Then, we tried to stay in touch, so we called each other a lot and we get very very close, in spite of not seeing each other face to face. Since then, we have been best friends; we always chat and tell each other everything! I really trust her. We try to meet at least one time a year, so she goes to Chiloe or I go to Valdivia. The last time we see was in the summer, she spent about a week in my house and we had a great time together. I would like to see her more often… We have many things in common: we have the same sense of humor and we think about life in a very similar way, that’s why we understand very well each other and we can advice the other successfully. :)