CHANGES TO MY STUDY PROGRAMME

This is the perfect topic, for me, to talk about because i'm always discussing with my career friend how frustrated it makes me feel the way students are specifically trained in Social Work. 

Despite the fact that the curriculum has enough theory like anthropology,sociology, etc. I think that in one hand it is good to add this more logical content to know about the different dynamics of society, but it is an exaggerated amount, actually, some students from the major curses complain that they are not practically prepared for the reality they will encounter in the future. This is the main focus of the faculty or departament to make us academics, but besides this it is not the worst curriculum of Social Work, I hope that future students will face different and better courses like analysis data, programs, practices, etc.

The workload is not crazy, the hours dedicated is the one indicated in the study programs. I find it difficult to compare with careers such as law or engineer in that regard. Mentioning again the point i touched before, there are courses that seem to be randomly added being almost extra to extend five years of study, but if it was less of this it would not be considered a real career and a lot of money is involved in this part, so, it could be the same years with courses that really serve for the vocational training.

The faculty of social sciences is not the newest and beautiful, but is has more recent and modern study rooms where we have classes so we do not have to sit in the smaller classrooms of the faculty itself.

 Regarding its technology, this year i didn't have the opportunity to use the faculty computers due to the pandemic, so, i don't have that much experience to have an opinion, but nobody had argued about this.

Finally, the methodology of most of the teachers is good at the moment, this is the least i would change, i always enjoy the classes and learn a lot (but when is mainly in-person).

PERSONAL OPINIONS

1. What is your opinion about legalizing abortion in some cases?
Despite the fact that i fully support the feminist movement and the slogan of free abortion, i think that the fact that these "three causes" are currently in the law of our cuntry, it is a small advance to continue in this freedom of choice logic, so, i support it, but it is difficult to achieve abortion in all cases with the arrival of governments from right.

2. What is your opinion about the Chilean tradition called "mechoneo"?
I remember when i entered university i was scared that this tradition was still a thing, then people told me that it was no longer done, feeling relieved but it was still done in few universities, so i meditate in my head that is a very silly activity and in no case violence is fun. So i fully support the anti mechoneo policy of the university.

3. What is your opinion about tattoos?
I really like them, although in cases where the whole body is tattooed i do not think it is great because i believe that there is a beauty in the body and skin of people. But people who actually do it will look nice anyway. I will get a tattoo soon but because of the pandemic i have postponed it.

4. What is your opinion about killing stray dogs to prevent sanitary problems and animal over population?
I think that this option is valid because it can probably cause the numbers of animal to decrease, but also belive that is already a practice in several countries and there are still population problems. Therefore a more  animal-friendly option is to have policies that regulate the birth of animals by sterilizing them and also public education regarding animal care.

ANIMATED PIXAR CHARACTER

My favourite animated character is Mike Wazowski from the Pixar movie Monster Inc.
Mike is Sulley's best friend and working partner at the Monster, Inc. In the second movie (that it's the beginning of all the continuing movie) they enter university and for the first time meet with his friend but in that time they hated themselves because of their different personalities. As time passes Mike discover that the course it not made for him and for different reasons they end expelled of the Monster Universitity but made his way, taking small jobs to finally work in the company of their dreams.

However, my favourite movie of this character, it's the first film, where he supports Sulley a lot about being the number one scarer as they compete with Randall Boggs, their number one enemy disputing the position. Mike is Celia Mae's boyfriend, you can see through all the movie their interactions and she is a key performer in the last part of the movie. One day while he and Celia where at a restaurant Sulley appeared out of nowhere to tell him that he found a human girl (which is prohibited in the world of monster because of "chemical reasons")

I like him because of his funny personality that make me sympathize or see similarities with me because i'm constantly making jokes with my friends. His interactions with the human girl, Boo, and Sulley always make me laugh no matter how many times I watch the film.

Postgraduate studies

I´m constantly thinking about the future and i don't know if that's good for my mental health (ha-ha), but one of the things i always try to think about it's what  i will study next, the reason i would like to take another step on the academy its because i always see teachers that have taken a PhD in different  countries and they seem to have good results, i mean, earning a good amount of money or taken interesting jobs, maybe in a good position of making choices, but i also had heard about people getting PhD don't find job in years and that is a point to consider especially if i maybe don't have that much money to pay. 

My dream subjet would be a Ph.D. in Social work, but it seems very difficult, so, a Master degree would be nice and i'm planning on that. In both cases the probability of doing that in Chile is high, but to do it in Spain would be very nice because it's a beautiful country and to study in a different place could make me learn more of about Social work in another continent.

I'm not really familiarized with another way that's not day-presential classes, not counting the sad reality of Online classes, so thinking that i will be staying with my parents a long time, thanks to the price of houses and my low probabilities of finding a job i would like to work in the morning and take classes in the noon in the case of the PhD, in master programme would be all day like now.

My Future job

Actually, I am studying Social Work and after one and a half year (despite the ups and downs) i become that the conclusion that is the correct carrier according to my ideals to criticize the dominant ideology, especially in Chile and despite the fact that this is a job at the mercy of the relationship between capitalism and the state I can do something good if I try hard.

The ideal job for me would be a combination between outdoors and indoors, in the line of making polls, work in the field, carrying out methodologies (this could be traveling to diferent regions of the country or complex territory, etc)  as well as an office where I can do research, theories and make statistics about the different social subjects i will be studying. In the matter of money I really don't care that much, but the kind of job I am hoping for is one that pay the necessary and be fair for the years I will be studying.

I hope that if everything goes as expected (under good terms and not another pandemic), to be able to become a magistrate in Social Work here at the Universidad de Chile or at the Universidad Catolica. I would also like to do a diploma in an unspecified subject of research to deepen, which may be related to children.

 I hope to be able to graduate in three and a half years (if the world don't explode) and be able to continue studying and have a good job either in a municipality, something specific from the government, companies, etc.

El Túnel

My favorite book is El Túnel, a novel written by Ernesto Sabato, the text is written from first person by the main character, Juan Pablo Castel who mainly interacts with Maria Iribarne.

The story begins as soon as Juan Pablo constantly meditates on the purpose of humanity, as well as how corrupt society has become. He believes that there is no such idea that could answer all his questions and that becomes the deep sensation of need, the need of someone, just the single possibility of someone to understand his thoughts. It is after this that we see the beginning of this novel when in one of his exhibitions of one painting Maternidad its observed by a woman that take a close look in specifically at the only drawing in the painting, which is a view from the window where an unknown women is seen looking directly at the beach, this amazes Juan Pablo and think that perhaps she could be the person who can really understand him.

This book is very dear to me because it was one of the first times in my life that i took a book out of the library to read and i was not very interested in reading, but as soon as i started reading i could not stop reading it, so i finished it in just two days. The interactions of the characters had very interesting and existential content for my age, that is why i always remember it

My Neighbors the Yamadas

Today I will talk about a movie I have seen in Netflix recently, it's called "My Neighbors the Yamadas". It's directed by Isao Takahana and animated by Studio Ghibli. Maybe you haven't seen this movie, but I think it's different because it's not the typical design or type of film you think when you search for this popular studio. It is still beautiful and very nice animated movie to watch when you are bored, want to see something lightweight or simply laugh.

The story is made up of a traditional Japanese family (I thought that I would not understand for not being Japanese but it was quite the opposite). You will see short stories like comics starring by Takashi Yamada, Matsuko Yamada, Noboru Yamada, Nonoko Yamada and Shige Yamada. (I think it will be difficult for us to remember each name but since they interact always together it's important).

The movie tells daily stories about the Yamada Family, every scene starts with short titles and the animated story begins, it could be about a lost child, the fights we have with our parents or typical marital fights. But the essential point of each story is the humor and to feel identified by the similarities we have every day with our parents (or remember if you already live alone).

I really liked this movie, besides this different way of making a movie for this particular studio (used to make all these films about character growth and mythological creatures). It felt really refreshing, i've spent a nice afternoon seeing what it's like a traditional family and how we are similar despite being from different countries.

 

A COUNTRY I'D LIKE TO VISIT

I would really like to go to Japan because I wanted to go there since when I was a child, I really liked Japanese animation, on this drawn characters you can see the streets and cities of Tokyo and get a glimpse of what is like, this really made me excited and to this day I still want to go somewhere in the future when I work.

Japan got these beautiful shrines, so a lot of people go and pray to the gods, this without counting all the festivals (matsuris) and the gastronomy that you can find in them, I think this part of Japanese culture is beautiful.

I would like to live in there a short period of time because a few of the old people from there haven't adapted to these times of accepting foreigners on the country, and can be hard at times to grt a job there, but to be there for a few months and try to know as many places as possible would be amazing. I would especially like to know the most rural part of this country since it is very quiet in that part compared to the noisy and at the same time explore its landscapes.

Viña del Mar's Trip

My trip to Viña del Mar was the February 8th, 2020, this summer was amazing because I didn't remember going to this place ever (my parents told me a lot of times that I went when I was a child but my memory is the worst). I recall this a very short trip cause we end up staying just two nights, the reason for this was that the grandmother of my boyfriend was very sick so we had to rush to Santiago quick and comfort her or finally know she had a badly treated disease in her stomach, it's clear that all of us in the trip (my boyfriend's family) were really disappointed, you can tell by the look of our faces, but it would be egoistic to be mad about that. 
But recalling the good things, the first day we rushed myself, my boyfriend and his brother to the coast, we had so much just thinking we were going to see the beach (especially me) that in the bus we laughed a lot, talking about silly things or being scared to get lost. When we finally arrived, I take off my shoes, feel the sand on my feet and finally getting in the water. Hours passed, our skins were getting sunburned, we took photos and then we got back home in the crazy buses to the beach (I think that part was the most funny for us, it it was like being in an attraction park). 
To finish this trip we packed our clothes and got back to Santiago where the weather was very hot, but I appreciate that I finally go to a trip with my boyfriend for the first time ever in our 5 years of relationship.

People should be aware of Fast Fashion

Fashion is a topic I am very fascinated about. I can say that clothes are essential to express part of my personality, I like combining styles, looking for inspiration online, see what other people are wearing on the street, choosing the right pattern, etc. Even if you aren't so interested it's an important way of showing part of yourself. If you are wear a lot of Nike t sweatshirt it can be appeared that you like that brand or a t shirt says that you like a certain band. So, as an important part of society, clothing sells a lot. Actually, 62 million tons of clothing are expected to be created each year

Fast fashion are chain retailers who make garments in a short period of time to put in to sell fast in the various clothing racks in retail. The problem is with the word fast, we mean that it's not going to last very long in our wardrobe. They make trendy clothes quick, cheap and disposable.  The brands who make these clothes are everywhere and probably  you already buyed something from  h&m, adidas, topshop, etc. But what I really mean by exposing this information it's the problem with the new way of making clothes.

The average woman is buying 50 new pieces of clothes a year just to wear it a few times and it  ends up not even wearing it and this have a huge cost. Some of the reasons to this are, for example, the bad working conditions in factories that made these clothes, most of workers are impoverished woman in countries like China that pay very low and have few rights.  

Besides this issue, it's one that affects the whole world; the damage that gives to the planet environment. In 2015 textil production created more greenhouse gases than international flights and maritime shipping combined. (The Guardian, Dec 29 2018) The process of making certain clothes like cotton also takes a ridiculous amount of water, meaning that a simple jacket can need tons of liters of water (with synthetic textile its worst). And we aren't even taking a deep look in the problem, what we do with so much clothes? The average American throws away 84 pounds of clothes a year.

What I'm trying to say with this post is that you  should be more conscious the moment you are about to buy clothes and think twice, I'm not saying that you should not buy any clothes, just try thinking, Do I really need this? I love this item? It's really versatile? Am I going to wear it for more than one occasion? could I get easily this second hand instead of retail? Etc.

Make sure you love all your especial pieces and wear them often! Think about all the things that this industry do to the planet and contribute a grain to climate change.