Summer Classes

Hi all. My expectations for this semester are to have an interesting and new practical experience. I'm attending to a girls' home and building a project and seminar practice very challenging and motivatingnext to my friend Paulina.

I am taking 7 subjects this semester. My favorite is Philosophy with children. It’s an elective course. The only problem is that the schedule isevery Wednesday afternoon from 14:30 to 17:45. Sometimes I feel so tired at that time that it's hard to be attentiveall the time, but I still enjoy the classes and texts.

Studying in this period of holidays and vacations is complicated. To see my family and friends relaxing and celebrating while I have to do homework and study is discouraging, but my consolation is that this will be a short semester and the last before starting the professional practice.

The other additional difficulty is the sweltering heat, but I try to solve drinking plenty of liquids, and using sunscreen.

My Favorite Place

My favorite place in the city of Santiago is the Padre Hurtado Park (formerly known as Intercomunal Park of La Reina). This park is located between La Reina and Las Condes. Its extension reaches 110 hectares, among which is an artificial lake of 1700 m2, where you can see ducks and fish.

This park is my favorite place because I think it represents a small leak to air pollution in Santiago, noise and stress. It's very relaxing to go to lie on their pastures and watch the lake in the shade of a tree. It is also a very suitable environment for walking pets and spend time with family, as it also has attractions for children.

One of the main reasons why it has become my favorite place is because its near to my house. I can reach it in less than 10 minutes by car or, as another option, take 2 buses that leave me just at the main entrance. All the attractions and the convenience of its location made this year decided to celebrate my birthday there. His quiet ambience made all my friends and family feel very comfortable.

Padre Hurtado’s park is located in Francisco Bilbao street, in the commune of La Reina. It has several attractions. You can ride a bike or cross the park from end to end on a train. It also has a recreational space that has 4 children's pools, playgrounds and extensive green areas. For special days the park organizes events such as “fondas” for national holidays or celebrations with fireworks for Christmas and new year.

The first time I visited it was in my childhood with my father, my mother and my brother. I remember I walked into the lagoon and we went into a kind of pedal boats. My dad bought us ice cream and we boarded on the train.

I recommend this park to all those who want to visit a family atmosphere, clean and quiet, an escape from the stress within the noisy city of Santiago.

Friendship

Hello everyone. This week I'll tell you about my friends. Throughout my life I have met many good people, loving and kind that have given me happy moments, however, not many people had stood by me throughout the years. I remember fondly each and every one, but there’re few that I can consider true friends.

In my school days I had a stable group of friends, we were considered the "nerds" of course, but we never really mattered, we were happy with our whining :). My best friends from then are called Catalina, Luz Marina, Camila and Denise. I have always valued honesty, trust, kindness and dedication of all of them. I think these are important virtues for a long lasting friendship.

I don’t make friends easily, honestly I consider myself a pretty shy person, I can hardly show my personality with new people in my life, but I've been fortunate to meet people willing to enter the long way which means to know me and also have shared their virtues, their love and their time:).

As for me ... I try to be a good friend, I do everything that I can to help my friends when they need it and I care to tell them and show them they can always count on me.

Throughout my life I've had more than one best friend, but the one that has marked my life more deeply is Catalina. We met in college.We were fellow students from the 7th through 4th medium. We had a lot in common, I felt very comfortable and happy with her. When we graduated and entered in college, we drifted apart... We still talk, but it's pretty sporadic, and now we do not have much in common, however, I still cherish memories of those incredible years of friendship.

In college I made great friends and I hope our friendship to last for many years :). Paulina, Makarena, Ada, Carolina and Dario are the people who make my college days more motivating, entertaining and dynamic :D

My Vacation

Hi everyone! Holidays are my favorite time of the year. I love having free time, traveling, going to parties, walking around the city, well ... I love getting up and my only concern is: how to enjoy today? =)

Usually I visit the south of Chile. With my family I go camping to Constitution, near a beautiful lake, which lies at the foot of a mountain and a few meters from a beach and it opens almost every night. We enjoy boating around the lake and up to the river, between the mountains. At night we like to make a campfire to cook something delicious, play guitar and sing around the campfire while eating marshmallows.

I´m in a relationship since 2006, and since then we went on vacation together. There are four scenarios: going out with my family, hanging out with his family, hanging out with friends or be only the two of us =). We like to make the most of the holiday season.

With my boyfriend's family we have visited La Serena, Concepcion, Salto del Laja, Papudo and Santa Cruz, among others. My boyfriend's family has an apartment in Papudo, and we always go in the summer to spend several days there.

I have gone abroad three times. As a child I traveled to Venezuela to meet my paternal family. I visited the cities of Caracas and Barquisimeto. Then, when I was 15, we traveled to Argentina, specifically Mendoza, and my last trip abroad was to Brazil. In one of my sabbatical years, I went with an aunt and my brother to visit Buzios. We toured beautiful beaches, tasted exotic foods in a boat and sailed to a paradise island =).

Anyway ... visiting new places and spend time with the people I like make holidays my favorite time of the year. 

Pictures that I really like

Hello everyone. On this occasion I will talk about one of my favorite photos. Actually I have many photos that rescue unforgettable moments of my life. My father is, among other things, a photographer, and since I was born he took me many photos, slides and videos.

For this occasion I decided to share a picture of my birthday in 2009. On that occasion I made a costume party. I dressed up as Cleopatra and my boyfiend as Julius Caesar. My friends came up with creative costumes. That night was perfect :)

The group photo was taken automatically. The camera was programmed so that we could all appear in the photo. The other was taken by my brother.

I like these pictures because they make me relive a very special night. I shared with people that I love very much, danced, sang, played and laughed a lot.

Actually I always liked taking photos. I have a lot of albums with photos of my friends. Since seventh grade my mom lent me her camera to bring it to school, and I could take many photos to my friends at recess.

In my house has always been a camera, but in September last year I bought my first camera. It has 12mp, a powerful zoom, 4GB memory, it can record in HD and its pink :). I love to bring it in my backpack and use it often.

Years ago, I collected printed photos. However, since 2005, when we bought our first digital camera, we don’t print the photos. Since then, we only store them in a computer.

When I was in school, middle school, I got a fotolog. As I had many photos,  to upload one picture a day wasn’t enough, so I made collages to share several photos into one.

Anyway ... photo capturing had always attracted me. I think it's amazing to save special moments portrayed in a beautiful image.

Childhood

My childhood was pretty quiet, nothing unusual really. I tell you, I didn’t live with my father's family because they all lived in Venezuela. By the side of my mother's family, we were four children between us we had less than two years apart. I was the youngest, and the only girl, so I always received much attention and care.

As a child I wanted to be many things, my first dream was to become a singer. My dad made a wood and foam microphone, and I liked to sing for hours, while my father played songs on guitar.

I don’t remember a single favorite toy. With my brother we transformed any toy into a fantasy to imagine for hours. However, one of my favorite toys was the jumping ball.

In relation to children, I think children today are very different from children 50 or 100 years ago. The social and historical contexts have changed at vertiginous speed. The strong emergence of technology in daily life has changed many aspects of daily life, and has had an interesting effect on the relationship between children and adults and children with the world. And not everything is learned from adults, children now, as natives of the digital age, can teach those parents many new things. Knowledge is not unidirectional.

I think the most important thing we can teach children is respect for others, themselves and their environment. The care of the environment and good relations with others are a valuable legacy for the children of today.

I would love to start my own family someday. My dream is to have twins of opposite sex. Also I would love to adopt a child. For me, three children is the ideal amount.

Technological Devices

For me, technology is a set of tools that, giving the proper use, can greatly facilitate some daily chores. I think the most important contribution of technological advances has been to promote various communication channels, such as cellular telephony, internet, chat programs and even video calls. These information technologies have been of great help to keep people communicated within and outside the country, in real time.

Among the technological devices that I use, I couldn´t choose a single favorite, I have two. The notebook and cellphone.

I have cell phone since 13 years old and notebook since 20. I use them to communicate with my friends and family. Half of my family lives in Venezuela, and I greatly simplifies communication with them through internet.

I use both devices very often, not a day passes without taking up my cellphone or my computer.

I like them because they have many uses. I can work with them for the university, playing or listening to music, among many other things.

I think that life without technology would be complicated in some ways, but, in others, it could be so much simple.

My Free Time

My free time is relative. There are weeks when I have spare time and I can be dedicated to leisure, but there are periods when I feel collapsed.
I spend much of my free time with my boyfriend, sharing with my family and hanging out with friends.
In my free time I like watching TV. My favorite cable channels are the music channels, but I also really like the cartoons and the movie channels. Sometimes when I'm with my dad, I watch the History Channel, Discovery or Animal Planet. I enjoy watching and commenting documentaries with him.
Pets are my hobby. I love animals and when I have free time I enjoy playing with them. I have a dog and four cats.
The next weekend I hope to get out of Santiago, because I feel that I need to escape for a couple of days of stress and air pollution in the capital.
I manage my own time preference always to the relaxation, entertainment and share with the people I love. The truth is that the study is never one of my priorities at the administration of my free time. However, I do not regret the way I order my chores, I feel happy and satisfied :) 

Loris Malaguzzi

Loris Malaguzzi (Italy, 1920-1994). Precursor of a learning methodology called  "Reggio Emilia".
He studied pedagogy at the University of Urbino. At 20 years old he became a teacher, and when he was 25 he joined an ambitious project, which was to join farmers and other citizens outside the educational world,  to build and manage a community school for children in the city of Reggio Emilia.
Later he traveled to Rome to study psychology. On his return he became involved with even greater force in the popular-educational project, and works closely with principals of self-managed schools.
Loris Malaguzzi methodology is different from the traditional. Close to constructivism, but with very specific characteristics. In 1971 Malaguzzi decides to write his first book to share his educational theories with other teachers.
Malaguzzi methodology, known as "Reggio Emilia" is characterized, among other things, to promote the continued development of teachers, the importance of the learning environment, recognizing the contributions of children, providing space for children to express themselves artistically and actively involve families and other community actors in the educational process.
I admire him for his innovative thinking and the way that he recognizes and values ​​the contributions of children. From the first months of life, places them as protagonists of their training. Recognizing them as autonomous agents, whose role is not limited only to learn, but also to teach us a world of new things.

Music

It´s  a fundamental element in my life. I like to listen music on the way between the university and my house, before going to bed and when I'm alone in my room with the lights off, to put a good CD and listen from the beginning to the end.
I listen almost everything. The styles that I like go from pop, folkloric, funk, latin, rock-pop and others. The bands that I hear at this time are: "Los Amigos Invisibles", "Teleradio Donoso", "Jamiroquai", "Illapu", "Los Jaivas", "Spice Girls", "N Sync" ... anyway, I enjoy many styles and artists.
I've been in some live concerts. I was also twice in the Festival de Viña. In the year 2007 I saw the group "La Oreja de Van Gogh" and "Bacilos" and in 2009 I saw "Juanes" and "KC and the Sunshine Band"
Do you know? In my house we have a whole room dedicated to music. There are all kinds of instruments: guitars, keyboards, basses, microphones, even two drums!. Also I always find myself with some instruments scattered around the house. My dad has always encouraged our musical abilities; however, I believe that mine is singing. In the other side, my brother plays all kinds of instruments and composes beautiful songs. I enjoy singing them, and sometimes recording with him.
Music is important for people because it´s a beautiful way to "materialize" emotions, to express them in an artistic way, perceptible for everybody, and interpretable in many ways.