"La Batucada JGM"

A "Batucada" is a group of people who play many kinds of drums and some other instruments. They almost always have been seen performing in the streets, like in protests or just playing for fun in any corner. In "La Batucada JGM", the members belong to the same university campus, Juan Gómez Millas, but they all study different things. Some are from Film and Television, others from Anthropology, Psychology, Journalism and Science.

In this and other Batucadas, is essential to have some structure, where each person plays only one instrument and has one function. To keep the order they have a kind of orchestra conductor. In the case of "La Batucada JGM" the orchestra conductor also plays the snare drum. The others functions are performed by many different drums. They have a "Zurdo Nº 1" and a "Zurdo Nº 2" which are the drums responsible to keep the pulse. "Zurdo Nº 3" follows a little more complicated rhythm, "Repiques" and "Timba" plays an extremely harder rhythm, and they have a "Chocalo", which sounds like a lot of tambourines, which play a harder rhythm too.

To perform without mistakes, or with a few, the Batucada practice twice a week the rhythms and the signals indicating this rhythms. Although in times it is hard to learn new thing, always the member have a really good time, practicing as much performing in the streets bringing more joyful moments to the marches.

A photograph

The bright side of photography, even though I don't believe that it has a dark side, it is that we can always portray anything anytime. In this case I want to show a photograph taken by Gabriela Solis, a high school classmate who now is studying in Campus Antumapu of Universidad de Chile.  

In this photo you can see a young man playing the drums during a street protest. Notwithstanding he is injured, he can not stop playing along the entire route. This photo, taken in November 2011, at which time all the country was pending and concern about demands of the students' movement, shows the persistence and the uncontainable strength of Chilean students, which still lasts by these days (at least I should like to believe that).

I like this photo not only because it is a really good one, but also I play the drums in protests, trying to bring people a lot of noise but with a little rhythm so that our demands may be heard from far far away. I thank Gabriela for immortalizing this moment.

The outline of the photography said: 

"El grupo Chin chin tirapié acompañaba con su música en las marchas. Este joven tocó durante todo un trayecto, a pesar de tener una lesión. Noviembre 2011"

People help people

In recent times, two severe natural disaster has happened in Chile, the earthquake which had seriously affected the north zone of the country and the fire disaster that took place in Valparaíso city, located in the country's Fifth Region. Notwithstanding of past tragedies, notwithstanding the ineffectiveness of the local and central authorities to planning the cities or supporting the reconstruction, the people have decided can't keep quiet. 

For the city of Arica, in the north, Bolivian students are delivering aid, handing out bottles of water and tending to people who needed help. In all regions of Chile the help are being organized to bring to both places volunteers and all types of inputs. In the hills of Valparaíso the removal of rubble and the general cleanup has already started, and many people wants to help. Collection points are in every school, every university, every neighborhood council, every community organization and all of them are receiving construction material, water, medical supplies, hygiene supplies, towels, blankets, baby and adult diapers and others basic needs products (about the clothes, they are grateful but they don't need more clothes, because they are completely provisioned) and everybody have helped in one or the other way.

About how it have been the help, I think and I hope that in this case the people will not only be present a week or two, in this case the people will not rest until both places are up again and all the affected people can leave the tragedies behind.  

My useful piece of technology

If I wanted to talk about my favourite piece of technology, I think I will choose the refrigerator (maybe because what it contains), but in this case I will talk about my computer, my useful piece of technology. I don't really think that I'm in love of my computer, but I must admit that it makes my life so much easier. I recived it about two weeks ago because the one that I had was taken by the nice people who enter to our house the last month and take every technological things and another things of value. I certainly think how lucky I am, because if we don't have an uncle who works in an auction houses, we would take years to recover all the thing. To reduce the expenses we used the savings that we have to buy new mattresses, jaja. Maybe the next year.

I really like my new computer because is faster than the last one but I still do not understand windows 8. I use my computer almost every day mostly to study or work. I also use it for watching films or TV series online, I can listen to music and watch videos on youtube too. I think it will make no difference in my life if I lose again, because I can always ask to borrow one to some friend or came to the university. 

My expectations for a new semester

In this semester I take four subjects of 2^nd year of Psychology, one of 3^rd year, English level 3 and a CFG, what means a course of general formation that the University provides. The one I take calls “Más que una pasión: el fútbol como cultura”, what it want to say "More than a passion: football like culture". From this course I don't have many expectations, because when I went for the first class I don't find what I'm looking for. I had hoped that the course dealing with political, cultural and social issues taking football like a educative tool, but instead is like a meeting of hooligans or football fans. But well, we will see what happens. In any case, this course is in the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, just where my sister study Industrial Design so at least we have lunch together on Tuesdays.

In extracurricular activities I participated in a student magazine of Psychology with classmates of different grades. Our expectations for this semester include bringing more people who like the idea of a critical psychology and publish a new number. In the Batucada, where I play a drum, we want to practice more days a week to play better rhythms at the protests. Furthermore, in the Tutorials Program of Bachillerato, another organization where I work, we are just starting to plan the sessions of the semester.

With Las Malezas, my sport, cultural and social club, want to successfully complete the project of have legal personality an organize different kinds of activities for our neighborhood.

So, my expect from this new academic period is to pass my subjects and have a good time doing the rest of thing I like to do out of the classrooms.