My experience learning English at the University

I think that learning English is very important for every student in college. It's a necessary tool not only for communicating with others when we need it, but for using it in different subjects or classes that we have to take besides English. Even though, I love English now, when I was in high school, I just learned it because I had to, and it wasn't much fun because we didn't do many practical activities. In college, I didn't have to take all English courses because I got exempted, but I did want to take an elective or something similar.

When I decided I wanted to take English as an elective, I thought it was a good idea because it wasn't going to be as hard as other classes for me, I could take it as an elective I need for the basic requirements at college, and because I think it's always good to learn new things, and practice English with my peers.

I'm very interested in practing it because I used to be an exchange student three years ago, and it's been quite a while since I don't have a chance to practice the "speaking part." I do talk to people from the country I went to once in a while, but it isn't enough. I think it's good to talk to other people, and to learn with other partners because we lose the fear we have for speaking in other language. It's kind of what happened to me when I was away. I thought I wasn't going to get used to speaking, hearing and writing, but as time went by I realized I got used to it, and I could talk, hear and write as much as anybody who spoke English there. =) And that was an excellent thing to know!

I liked the English class because we were able to give our opinions freely, without caring about mistakes. I think that's more important in an English course than anything. We can also learn grammar, and the general rules for English, but I felt that we did that as we expressed ourselves speaking. And writing in our blogs was very important to complement our knowledge as well. I didn't find boring topics to write about, so it wasn't a "torture" to write here. It distracted me from the other things I had to do for college, actually.

My general reflection should just say that I always want to keep learning English, and that it's always something interesting to learn for me. I need to use it often, and I'll keep doing it as much as I need to. Like I said, I think it's very important in our career, and in the things that we have to do in the future, like studying abroad, or getting another degree in a different country, for example.

For me, taking the class was helpful in all ways, and it definitely gave me something different to do on weekends!

Greetings for everyone!

=)

New challenges in our career

Veterinary Science is a hard career to deal with in all matters. I think we have plenty of challenges and things to change, in order to give our career the value and respect that deserves. On the Technology side, I don't have a specific suggestion for it. In Chile, it's very common to find private clinics everywhere, and it really depends on the veterinarian if he or she wants to have more technology to receive their patients. One thing I should mention is to have a clinic with a better quality and variety of their medical tools. I suppose I'm talking about a big clinic that's organized with enough veterinarians and technology. It's hard to solve this problem because our main concerns as a country have a priority for human problems, so to help animals and to create a clinic with better technology are difficult to afford. And the only thing we can do is to assign money to this purpose (considering how expensive technology is).

About social matters, I think it's very connected to education, because it's becoming harder and harder to be a veterinarian (at least in Chile). We all know that our career is not socially recognized as much as we want it to be. I think this is mainly because there's not enough respect for the career. In comparison to other countries where it lasts 7 or 8 years, here the career is based on five years only. Believe it or not, I think that it does give the career a little bit of respect. Another reason is, like I've mentioned before, that our country has other priorities right now, so everything related to the veterinary area is kind of left out (We need to decrease poverty, education issues, among others).

Chile has way too many colleges in Chile that offer Veterinary Science, and I don't think we need that amount in this country (about 30 or so). In my opinion, the veterinary area is "over studied" here. In the end, this gives us less chance for finding jobs once we're done. A clear solution should have a decrease in the amount of colleges that offer the career, with authorities being more strict, and giving it the importance it needs.

Hippopotamus and other exotic animals on menu at Beijing zoo

The article I read is about a zoo that doesn't allow visitors to feed their animals, but they are encouraged to eat them at a restaurant that offers crocodile and scorpions on its exotic menu. This was reported by the legal Daily newspaper. How could you eat them after watching them in their cages!

The International Fund for Animal Welfare said that "It was inappropiate for zoos to sell such items, and that this is socially irresponsable."

Zoo's purposes should encourage people to love and protect animals, and of course, to know more about them, so it doesn't make sense at all.

Chang Jiwen, a legal expert at the China Academy of Social Sciences is struggling for an animal protection law, agreeing that it is legal for them to do that, but definitely not appropiate and it should be against all zoo missions.

People who have found about this have been giving their opinions online, and disagreeing with what the zoo is doing.

The owners of the restaurant said that the meat they use is from exotic animal farms, and that these animals have been sold from long ago with full approval of the authorities.

Despite all this bad situation, staff has said that they'll check the menu again, which includes a variety of exotic animals such as the peacock, and ostrich egg.

(Dishes cost 10-100 euros).

Finally, the article says that it's necessary to be critical with these situations, in order to make changes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/21/exotic-animals-beijing-zoo-menu

Improving our Faculty

The current situation in our faculty regarding the facilities doesn't have extraordinary things, I mean, we have bathrooms, a library, places to buy daily groceries, and a cafeteria. I must admit that a great thing to have is air conditioning and heaters inside the classrooms. This is something new, though, because students from 2 or 3 years ago didn't have it.

What I think needs improvement is first of all, the cafeteria. It's not really a cafeteria because it doesn't have all the required things that one of those has, and the prices aren't cheap at all. I think we need a new place to eat, or improve the current one. The food isn't always the best either, and you don't have many choices (a different menu that you can choose). And second, I think that we need at least one room for studying with groups, so we can speak out loud. Instead, we use the library for this, and sometimes it bothers others who are studying in silence.

To deal with the first thing, I usually bring my own food from home, and in some cases I just buy a sandwich in the kiosk (stand). Or, the last option is to buy a soup that you can make with water (when desperate, haha). But I try to do the first one as much as I possibly can. To deal with the second thing I think needs to be improved, is to either have a study group on the grass (which is not as silent as you want because you can find people who are trying to relax there, or they're talking about other things, so it gets harder to study), or study silently in the library by yourself, and then sharing with your partners afterwards.

The real benefits that you could get from having a better cafeteria is that you don't necessarily have to bring lunch everyday. I could buy food, if necessary, especially when there's a lot to do, and there's not much time left. And it'd also be cheaper, so it wouldn't cost as much money, either. And the impacts of having a new place to study is that students could study silently in the library, while others can share their thoughts and ideas in a special room for speaking loud. I really think this is important because we've been scolded several times for being noisy in the library. Besides, this can reduce the number of people who want to use the computers, and the ones who want to study only (it'd be less crowded, too).

To start this out, the students must agree with the things we need to improve first, and then move forward to talking to authorities, and organizing the money and possibilites to do it. I think the first one (Cafeteria) is very needed and has been asked by the students for quite a while now.

We know that, in order to make all the improvements we need, we have to organize ourselves as students, we have the right to give our opinion and say what we need, because, in the end, all these things are made and paid for us and our parents (in most cases), respectively.

My favorite animal!

It's hard to decide which animal I think it's my favorite. I've been trying to decide for quite a while now, but I've finally come up with the chosen one, which is the polar bear.

Polar bears (Ursus Maritimus) live in the northern Arctic, and they usually spend their time on ice floes. It's the world's largest meat-eater, and the largest one as well. Their fur is white, with black eyes, and black nose, but actually their very first skin layer (under the white one) is black, so it allows them to soak up as much heat as possible from the sun. They're great swimmers. They can swim for hours and hours at a time over long distances. Their height can reach 2 meters in females, and 2.6 in males, and their diet is based on seals mainly. I've heard something very "wise" that they do when they hunt them. Since their skin is white, but their nose is black, their skin can mimmetize with the snow, yet their nose is a problem, so they cover it with their hands, and that way they seem to be all white to confuse the seals. When not hunting, polar bears are resting or sleeping.

One important thing I should also mention is hibernation. This means to pass the winter in a dormant state. Polar bears don't hibernate, except for the pregnant female. They're not deep hibernators, but enter a state of carnivore lethargy.

I knew about polar bears when I was little, and when I had more spare time then, I'd watch docummentaries, or look at pictures wanting to "meet" them some day. I like them simply because I think they're very cute, and smart animals, and because their enviroment is very unique in comparison to the normal wildlife. I mean, it's probably difficult to handle all the cold and snow there, so their mechanisms to deal with that are interesting to me. Their fur helps them to keep them warm, but they also tend to overheat, so they move slowly, and release the heat through the sites where fur is absent or blood vessels are close to the skin such as nose, ears, footpads, etc.

Finally, and most important, I want to explain why these animals are important to me, and how I'd like to help them.

Polar bears are threatened (vulnerable) animals, and this is mostly humans' fault. A big amount of them are hunted, their environment is every day more threatened by the global warming, and there has been found chemical substances that can cause cancer on their skin as well.

What I'd like to do is start some sort of rescue to keep the species. I'm not a fan of zoos, because I think it tends to limit the possibility of animals to live in their original habitat, but at the same time I agree with them when their intention is to save endangered species. So, the idea is to give them the best environment they can get, and try to save some of them.

Several worldwide associations have been trying to conserve polar bears by protecting their ecosystem, especially the areas of shelter, food and migration. But it's still complicated to control this completely.

Even though, what I'd like to do to help them requires hard work, and it'll probably take a long time, and a lof of money to accomplish goals, I truly believe that, in order to make the world a better place, we need to realize the damage we're making, and consider the urgent need of saving what belongs to the planet.

Attractions in Santiago

If I had to recommend places to visit in Santiago, to whoever wants to come, I'd say that there are some amazing and typical ones you can't miss.

First, I'd go to "Plaza de Armas," which is the main plaza in the capital. It was founded by Pedro De Valdivia, and it represents the birth of the city. Around it, we can found the municipality, historical museum, the cathedral, and what was before the palace of the Royal Court. Some of the streets that would lead you there are: Monjitas, Merced, and Paseo Ahumada.

Second, "Plaza de la Constitución," is another space that has historical roots. It's located besides the Presidential House "La moneda", and in its lands we can find monuments dedicated to important presidents such as Salvador Allende. The metro station near by that you have here is "La moneda."

Third, The Cathedral ("La Catedral"), considered one of the best places to visit in Santiago, it has inside a museum that can get you closer to the Chilean history. Its construction allows us to appreciate the original structure of this cathedral. Besides that, you can also find a library there that tells you more about the building. The transportation that takes you here is another metro station that carries the name of the place where's located: "Plaza de Armas."

Fourth, I'd go to Villa Grimaldi. This is another historical building that was used for interrogation and torture of political prisoners by the secret police during the government of Augusto Pinochet. Its building doesn't exist anymore (their buldings were destroyed during the last days of dictatorship), but the location is currently a National Monument (called a "Park for peace") for human rights, and dedicated to the victims of this cruelty. You can get here through "Plaza Egaña" metro station.

Finally, and in the same line of historical places, I'd recommend a museum called "Museo de Bellas Artes," or Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts, which is not only important in Chile, but in South America in general. In the historical side, it was founded in 1880 (it started with President Aníbal Pinto), and it commemorates the first centennial of the independece of Chile. It's located in "Parque Forestal" of Santiago. The last time I went there (about three weeks ago), they were exposing pictures that showed the history of the country and its progress. I have to say that it was interesting to see the different situations that make us unique, and an irreplaceable country.

If I had to give one more advice to get to know our country better, I'd say that it's indispensable to just go out and walk downtown or to the main streets, because you never know the new things you can find, and knowing our friendly personality, we're always willing to help somebody who doesn't know our slang and peculiarities very well. Although, I must say foreigners have to be careful with their personal and technological objects, in case somebody is not as friendly as I thought =D.

Death Penalty: when is it right or wrong?

To my mind death penalty is not completely from one or another side. I have two different opinions about it, depending on the case we're facing, so I can maybe say I agree and disagree at the same time.

In 2009, countries like China, Iran, Iraq, United States, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, etc. have applied executions several times (In the United States doesn't apply for all states), and currently, there are 58 countries that practice it.

I had heard on the radio that in the US, a few years ago, a man (dad) was blamed for burning down his house with his kids inside. "Fire experts" determined that he was guilty for doing it, and he appealed the case as long as he could, but they put him to death. They later found evidence that would have exonerated him, meaning that they had killed an innocent man. This is one special case in which I wouldn't agree with death penalty. There are some many processes involved that a mistake on following the case can mean as much as the crime commited. This would also be unfair by not being accurate with the case investigated, and in the same direction it'd cause somebody's death. It seems to me that it could be way too harsh on people, and deciding whether that person is guilty or not can become a long and senseless process (regarding this special case, I mean).

On the other hand, I have an economic argument: I think that if somebody is found guilty, and then she/he goes to jail, it'd cost more money to keep them there for the rest of their lives than actually applying death penalty, which it'd cost less in the short term, and it'd take the problem away from its roots. A bad thing about this is when somebody is killed by another person, and the killer doesn't have a chance to regret, reflex, and think over about what has been done. To be honest, not everyone is going to do that, but if somebody killed in a desperate moment, without thinking about it, but being aware of his "normal personality," it could maybe work somehow.

Now, the question would be: when do we have a right to decide who lives or not?

A very controversial question, because many people say we're not God to decide over other people's lives. But what happens to the people affected by a crime that has been done to a relative for example? We all know what the news show about it. I can see crimes in which relatives are angry and upset about a friend or relative being killed when it's completely unfair. And it's true, they feel helplessness about the situation. Here's when I think in some cases it should be applied. To give another example, I can also mention the times when a person has commited the same crime over and over, and absolutely nothing has been done to stop it. He/She goes out of jail easily, and keeps doing the same. It maybe a case in which either the murderer has mental problems, or he/she is normal and responsible for his/her acts, but in both ways, I believe that the person should be analyzed in order to decide if it should be applied or not.

So, my opinions vary one to another. I wanted to write that I do make exceptions to this topic, but it all depends on the effectiveness and truth facts about the case. Unfortunately, in terms of justice is hard to decide what it should be done because it's always the hardest part to know the complete truth about the situation.

Helping in Africa

The country I'd like to visit some day is South Africa. You may think I want to go there this year because of the World Cup, but more than that, I'd like trying to visit countries in Africa in general. I know that South Africa has a better economic situation in comparison to other countries in the continent. In countries like Zimbabwe the situation changes, though. This is a really poor nation that has lost a great part of its economy in a war (1998-2002), and its public administration isn't the best, either.

In a different subject, I've always wanted to meet, and this sounds like I'm a 5-year-old, haha, a cute little animal called meerkat. I know that several studies have been done on this mammals, but I'd like to investigate different aspects, or even new ones about them. Getting to know other animals, and researching about them would be interesting as well. I think it'll be awesome to do some animal rescue there, considering that most of the wildlife live freely in their habitats. This is why attempting this new adventure would mean that I'll have to live there for about 2 years or so. Besides meeting my "new friends," I'd also like to visit poor countries in the continent, so this time I'd rather go to the countries in Africa that need other's people help. I'd like to go there for social activities, help people who can barely survive, give them food, shelter, clothes, etc. Maybe I can do both at the same time I stay there, or perhaps I'll have to go back another year, I don't know. What I do know is that one of my dreams is going to Africa, and if possible do as much as I can there. I'd also go to other countries, like Germany or France to learn another language, but I think that going to Africa keeps the goals I'd like to achieve some day.

Second semester: The new Challenge

My second semester in 2009 was especially different, and complicated to deal with. I had new and harder classes like anatomy, biochemistry, and histology, which were never studied by me before. It was different because the classes I had first semester were more familiar with some of the things I had seen in high school the year before, but of course, more difficult than what I was expecting.

I had a "special problem" with biochemistry because I didn't pass the class :(, so I had to retake it in my summer period. It was something I didn't want to do at all, but I thought it was going to be a good idea, so I didn't have to wait till second semester of 2010, and delay other classes. By the end of October, I was already exhausted. I wanted vacation really bad! I felt like I had to rush for every class, and it made me feel quite stressed to know that I wasn't going to have enough time to study. :/

One activity I really liked was going to Folcklor and dance. It made me release tension, and since I was in Folcklor in high school as well, I loved attending there.

Besides that, I really missed my family, and I wanted them to be with me. I wanted to be able to see my mom when I got home after college, or just hang out with her over the weekend. In December, I was happy to know that I, at least, was going to see them for Christmas and New Year's. Holidays gave me more motivation to keep studying biochemistry, which I successfully completed by the end of January.

Even though, I had to experience new, challenging, and difficult things in my second semester, I can say that my friends in college, and my family (far away) were always there for me to make me smile, cheer me up, or just laugh at something silly. In the end, that's what fills our hearts for the most part =)

The good and bad things about Transantiago

I'm not originally from here, but I remember coming to Santiago for a summer class I took a while ago, and I had the chance to "live" the "yellow buses" experience. I've been living in Santiago since 2009, and the new system was completed in February of 2007, so I was able to compare both systems. Considering that, what I've written below is based on my summer class period and my college life right now. I tend to like the new system, but I also pointed out the things I don't like. Even so, I still think that Transantiago is better than the public transportation we had before.

Pros:

- You don't need money (cash/coins) to ride a bus because there's a new card that's called "BIP," which is safer for the driver (no mugging), and for the people who ride them often.

- In my opinion, it has decreased some acoustic contamination, even though the air pollution remains the same.

- There's more organization with the bus stops, so there's also less problems with traffic.

- Buses have the bus number you need if you go to a different part of Santiago, and on internet, you can also find maps and routes to orientate yourself better.

- If you need to take two buses, or a bus and the subway, you can pay only once if you're taking either of them right after the first one (with the BIP card).

Cons:

- Since there are specific bus stops, you can't ask the driver to leave you wherever you want.

- There's no money that you can pay with, therefore you can't bargain to ride the bus for less.

- Some of the seats are very uncomfortable because there isn't enough space left from one seat to another, and some of them are located way too high for people who have physical difficulties.

- Sometimes, buses don't pass by as often as they should, so it takes longer to get to places.

I think that it'd be a big and awesome change to install some sort of clocks that would tell us when the next bus is coming, and if it's worth waiting for, too. That way, we know exactly at what time we're getting to the place we need to go, and know right away if we're going to make it on time. I don't know how possible it'll be for these clocks to last here in Chile, though. We all know some people can easily destroy them.

About me

Hi, I'm Patricia Jury, and I'm from Calama =). I'm in my second year of Veterinary Medicine, and I've been happy with my career so far. I like being with my family, but unfortunately I'm far away from them. I also love my pet, Kookie, but she's not with me, either =(. I like traveling, and learning new things as well.

I intend to get my blog a little more colorful, and complete by the end of the class.

That's it for now!