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.