Bad Education ( Review)

Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar
Produced by: Agustín Almodóvar
Written by: Pedro Almodóvar
Country: Spain
Genre: Drama
Running time: 105 minutes



Set in the 70’s in Spain, Madrid to be exact, the viewer inserted in the world of transvestites and transsexuals, and through this strong movie Almodóvar wants to shows us the difficult environment of abused people and abusers that hide themselves in the least expected characters.

“Bad Education” is the 27th Almodóvar’s film. After having succeeded with “Talk to her “ (Hablé con ella, 2002) , Almodóvar tries to do the same, touching all the hearts of his audience with “ Bad Education”, a movie where people are able face passion, desire, love , obsession , and child abuse with its terrible consequences.

The movies starts when Enrique ( Fele Martinez) a famous director is visited by a fishy guy, an actor who is looking for job. This actor mentions he was his classmate when they were children and his first love. Ignacio ( Gael Garcia) asks to be called Angel. He wrote a story called “ The Visit” about both of them and what their experiences being part of a catholic school implied sexual and physical abuse by Father Manolo ( Daniel Gímenez Gacho).

It’s hard for Enrique to believe because he thinks that the Ignacio who just visited is completely different from the real person whom he fell in love with. To make his thoughts clear he travels to Galicia to Ignacio’s mother’s house and discovers that Ignacio had died four years ago , and that the person who was in his office was Ignacio’s little brother.
Enrique feels a deep interest in keep working with Angel and wants him to be the character of Zahara ( Ignacio as an adolescent) just to keep being in touch with him and this way he will discover what Angel really wants. Enrique and the fake Ignacio start a relationship and they finish the script where we can see Zahara blackmailing father Manolo and asking money for all the abuse he received and finally he is killed by him. Angel burst into tears when they finish recording.
A guy called Manuel Berenguer ( Lluís Homar) gets into the set telling Enrique that the movie is very close to the reality because it’s a fact that Manolo was being blackmailed by Ignacio in this period of time. Manolo fell in love with his brother (Juan) , and they started a secret relationship. When both of them ( Manolo and Juan) realize that they both want Ignacio dead , they took advantage of the fact that Ignacio was a drug addict. Juan gave Ignacio an over dose , killing him immediately.

A strong movie that will keep you on the edge in every moment, a movie that strongly hits the church members and really complain about the troubled religious educations that now a days is often questioned.

The Chilean Miami

I love traveling When friends that are living in other places want to start a conversation about what is the best club to hang out in Viña del Mar or what are the best beaches in our country, I’m always in the mood to give my personal opinion or any suggestion. The problem comes when they ask me to give tourist information about my home city. Why a problem? Due to its distant airport and unmanageable dirtiness my city is not the paradisiacal city that people have heard about.

It’s really sad and embarrassing when I have to talk about my city and I’m conscious that I don’t have anything good to say. Besides having good beaches, there is no more to mention to people who are planning to come and spend their vacation after a long period of hard work. But I should tell them what they are going to face the moment they arrive in Iquique. I have to mention the location of the airport which is so far away from the city and already make you feel uncomfortable because you have had a long tedious trip and in addition you will have to face another 45 kilometers to get into the city.
Once you are in the city, you can find the remarkable difference between Iquique and other cities with regards to the city itself: Walls full of graffiti, sidewalks that seem they haven’t been swept in years, dogs running around the streets spreading who knows what kind of diseases that are easily given to children and even adults. To make matter worse, people who come here are able to find an overpopulation of cars. This means that you can find junk cars forgotten or simply abandoned on streets where people walk around. I haven’t even mentioned the garbage thrown on the floor.

It’s difficult to find a guilty party for these uncomfortable situations, and maybe the authorities could have been working to avoid these kinds of problems a long time ago, but they still cannot find a real solution to this. I can say the only way to decrease the dirtiness in Iquique is trying to educate people about all the risk that has to do with garbage in general and not only as an aesthetic problem. Children can learn to throw the garbage in bins and even adults can still learn to acquire culture.
After coming to Iquique visitors never want to come back, because beside of having a long trip, it doesn’t satisfy what they wanted, to have a nice vacation in a real tourist city. Which implies to be clean and prepared to receive visitors from any part of the world?

RAPA NUI

Rapa Nui , Te-pito- Henúa or the belly button of the world as this place is known which is located in the Pacific Ocean and is far away from the continent.
The most important aspect is that we can still find the “pascuense” culture , due to the people who preserve their customs and the “ MOAIS” ( big statues the island owns) that their ancestors built thousands of years ago.
Here you can find the national park “ Rapa Nui” and the most important city
Hanga Roa .
Rapa Nui brings too many people to visit it, people who want to know more of the culture,traditions , archeological sites ,and to enjoy the magnificent natural wonders. Hanga Roa is the only city of Rapa Nui, due to that the majority of the population is located in this city.
This city is located at the western part of the island where you will find banks, the post office , restaurants, hotels, telephones. It has a port where you find a stage with moais on it , at the bottom you will be able to enjoy a beautiful beach completely covered with corals and you will be visit by aquatic turtles.
Hanga Roa is not a cheap place to go. You will need a considerable amount of money to spend a good time over there, which is why people are recommended to bring digital cameras, flimsy clothes, sneakers and sunglasses. In Hanga Roa you will not find public transportation, so you will have to walk otherwise you can rent bikes, motorcycles, cars, and even horses to get a ride.
In the case that you want to get cash, you can get it at the Banco Estado that is open from 8 a.m. up to 1 p.m. where you can get dollars and Chilean pesos.
If you get into an emergency at the island you can find “The sixth police station”, firemen, and a hospital to use whenever you want.
Once here you’ll face a tropical weather with a medium temperature that is approximately 18 ° C. It’s rainy the whole year but May is extremely rainy. Due to that you have to bring lot of clothes, because if you go to walk somewhere you can get wet easily and you will have to return to get changed in any moment during the day.
Time is also important here, because of the distance Rapa Nui has different times. Once you are at Rapa Nui you will have to consider that you are earlier two lhours than Chile continental .
Rapa Nui has only three beaches for lovers of diving and snorkeling to enjoy a magnificent experience.
We can conclude that Rapa Nui is a very interesting place to visit, but you need considerable resources to do it and to take the risk of visiting, because there are many people once there , and they say it’s not what they had expected in years.

Backhand or Forehand?

I would say backhand. It is harder, but once you got it is incredibly effective. But what am I talking about you may be wondering. Well, about the backhand shot in tennis.

A few weeks ago I was watching the Tennis Master Cup at Shangai, where our dear fellow countryman Fernando Gonzalez was participating. It all began quiet well; actually I would say extremely well. “Feña” Gonzalez, ranked Nº 7 in the association of tennis professionals (ATP), started the championship beating the number one in the world and probably best tennis player of all time Roger Federer. The key to winning the match was his regularity in his backhand shots. Unfortunately “El Bombardero de La Reina” (his nickname) lost his next two matches and didn’t qualify to the semifinals. Bummer.

Tennis is probably the sport that has given the most satisfaction to our country. We just have to go back to 1998 when Marcelo “Chino” Rios won the Indian wells Tournament and became the world`s number one tennis player. Never in the history of tennis had a Latin-American tennis player been N º 1. It was an historic moment in Chilean sports. Another historic moment was the last Olympics; Nicolás Massu won two gold medals in singles and doubles. Massu teamed up with Fernando Gonzalez to beat the German doubles team. Gonzalez had also won the bronze medal the day before. It was a brilliant week for them and for our country.

I`ve followed tennis for a while. It is an exciting sport and every time I watch it I feel like I’m on the tennis court playing. That`s probably why I joined a tennis course a few months ago. Just then I realized how difficult it was. I always thought it was easier and when I watched the matches I yelled at the TV, questioning how that player could`ve missed that shot. Now I see why.

Another thing about tennis that has caught my attention is women`s tennis. Years ago women`s tennis was really boring and I was not much of a follower. But since I watched a little Belgium tennis player called Justine Henin I got hooked. She just blew my away. She has such an extraordinary technique that took women`s tennis to another level. She is currently the number one player in the world and I don`t think any player is gonna dethrone her from that position in a while. Another good thing about women`s tennis is that there are some serious hotties in the circuit. I had to say that. LOL.

Tennis has become one of my favorite sports lately. The passion of the game and the rush and excitement that I feel by watching it is just addicting. Now that I’m playing it I know how hard it is but how beautiful and great it could become for me. Next Thursday I have my backhand test but I have to practice very hard because I suck big time. Maybe I`ll become the next Federer, who knows? Everyone`s got the right to dream.

By Nicko

Caburgua

If you`re looking for some place to visit this summer, Caburgua is undoubtedly the best alternative. Caburgua is located in the south of Chile, more specifically in the IX region, 22 kilometers northeast of Pucón. It is very easy to get there. You just have to take a tour there, take a bus, or, if you are driving, just take the international road north of Pucon, take two lefts and you`ll get there. Be careful with those two crossroads or you may end up in Argentina.

Caburgua itself

One of the main attractions of Caburgua is its lake. Lake Caburgua is just amazing. It has an incredible view of the Villarrica volcano, white sand, and warm water. Lake Caburgua is surrounded by great forests with beautiful vegetation and wildlife. Caburgua has three protected wildlife areas: Huerquehue National Park, Hualalafquen National Reserve and Villarica National

Reserve. Near the lake you can find Ojos Del Caburgua. This is a spectacular scene of rapids and waterfalls which you are able to see closely and even go for a swim. The best season to go is summer; from December till March you can find lots of tourism packages and tours. The weather is excellent although you may wanna take a coat because of occasional drizzles.

Tours

One of the best ways to see Caburga is taking a tour. There are various kinds of tours around the zone. Turismo Trancura is one of the best known tourism companies, they are located in Pucón and their tours include many spots like the waterfalls, thermal waters, beaches, etc. Also you can make your own tour, visiting only the places you want to visit.

Accommodation & food

Caburgua has a wide range of lodgings. There are houses and cabins of different sizes and prices to rent. Many of them are located close to the lake and have spectacular views. Camp sites are also a good choice if you`re a little short of cash. Camp sites in Caburgua have all the necessary comforts to make you feel comfortable; another thing is that you would feel more in touch with nature. Food won`t be a problem. You`ll be able to find different kinds of food in all of the restaurants all over Caburgua. The specialties of Caburgua are shellfish and fish.

Caburgua is just the right place to go this summer. You will find peace, a bunch of activities, amazing wildlife, and beautiful landscapes. The people are just great; friendly and helpful in all ways. If you wanna relax Caburgua is the place for you. But if you want to party you also have Pucón just a few miles away. Don`t waste your time figuring out where you are going for vacation; here you have the best of the best.

By Mr. War

IQUIQUE: HISTORY, BEAUTY, AND FUN

by: Marco Ahumada.

Are you looking for a place where you can mix three important meaningswhen you choose a travel destination? Well, these three words are indicated in the title and they are: history, beauty, and fun and Iquique has them all.

If we look at the history, we find that Iquique was one of the most important cities when the pacific war was fought, in which Peru fought against Chile in 1.879. This celebration is part of the city and you can realize if you come on May 21st and you see how people go to "La Boya" the exact place in the ocean where the Chilean ship named "Esmeralda" was sunk by the Peruvian enemy ship named "El Huascar". Before that you can go to the front of Cavancha beach, where you can see the military and students' parade.

Another piece of history is the saltpeter's offices where you can go. Situated 7 kilometers from Pozo Almonte, this place offers us unforgettable views about how people lived in 1.920 because nothing has changed too much, since this place was named cultural heritage site by U.N.E.S.C.O.

Regarding beauty, you will find it if you go through its magnificent coast, where you are able to see many beaches where it is possible to swim, to camp, or just get a tan. In the first group we have Cavancha, the most important beach along the coast of Iquique. But on the south side we have many becahes where we can camp like Caramucho, Chanavayita, San Marcos, and Los Verdes. You can visit all these places for many days living and adventure by itself.

Fun is all over the city, from when you wake up till you go to bed. For example, it would be great to go to the museums - as I said before The Navy wpuld be a good alternative- then eat at restourant in the Mercado Central, whose food is delicious and very cheap with very tipical food from this region. In the afternoon, you can go to Z.O.F.R.I. and buy some - or all- souvenirs, specially perfumes, or you can go and take a walk along the seaside pedestrian street in Las Urracas, Cavancha, and Playa Brava.

In the night, there are a lot of pubs, restorants, and discos where you can visit, and all of them are open till 5 a.m., some places which are very recommended are: Disco Kamikaze, Sala Murano, Bar T, Rincon Pampino, Barsovia pub, Oxigeno Bar, and Siddharta lounge/bar.

If you are still not encouraged to come here, you will miss it, because all of what you read here is true.

AGGRESSIVENESS

More than fifty femicide cases in the current year; more than two hundred thousand abortions per year, seventy three percent of Chilean children are victims of violence by their own parents. Pamela Pizarro, victim of bullying, who ended up comitting suicide, Columbine’s masaccre, and the student whose classmates wrote with a knife on his back the word “homo”, just because he was fan of “Queen” and Freddy Mercury.

These are just some of the cases that have violence as a common factor. It’s because of this increasing and more explicit violence that I wanted to know a little bit more about why are humans so violent.

Since Darwin many scientists have tried to explain the violence from the evolution point of view. Lorenz suggested that it was a natural instinct, a genetic heritage of apes. Recently studies have proved that even among apes, aggressiveness can’t be seen as a mere instinct. Sometimes fights among these animals are avoided, offering food to the other or just ignoring him. For apes, violence is just an option to solve conflict, not the only one.

Not everyone can control rage in the same degree. This is because the brain structure predisposes the person to violence, it doesn’t mean that a person is born aggressive, but it’s that the combination of genetics and experiences, that creates the brain structure to regulate our impulses and aggressive reactions.
Scientist say that “aggressiveness” is proper for animals because they only fight to survive, and their fights rarely end in death, they have a lot of self control, they don’t look for blood, but honor and victory, and it’s no honor if the fighters die or remains hurt to die later anyway ; while “violence” is exclusively human.

There are many categories for aggressiveness in animals, here are the three ones that are being more commonly imitated by humans

Instrumental aggressiveness: The tendency to repeat the aggression when it has been tolerated by the victim and it had a desired result.
This conduct is being seen more frequently in our country against women, many cases end up in femicides. The aggressor realizes that the woman stands by his side, docile, and keeps with the aggression.

Maternal aggressiveness: Which is directed to anything that represent danger for the offspring, and also the aggressiveness from mother to children, which is an anomalous behaviour because it is supposed to exist an inhibition on youngs, to avoid mother devore them as a prey.

Although, lack of space, lack of vitamins or hormones, even malformation on young could lead mothers to mistreat or kill their offspring.
This strange behaviour could be compared to the ones that human mothers have with their own children, refering to abortions, abuse, abandoning, and mistreatment.

Aggressiveness to the foreign: It’s common that every species reserve a special aggression to strangers. When a foreign animals gets close, herd is aware. This foreigner represents danger for young, female, territory, and food, so he would be isolated.
This is what has been called bullying, seen so many times on the news in our country and all around the world. Students have the same reaction as animals with new classmates, who are discriminated because of his look. It doesn’t matter if he/she is beautiful or ugly, thin or fat, what matters is that he is the new one, the different one, so he has to tolerate everyting to like the class.
Many species include in this concept of “different”, to the sick, weak, and old animals, who are systematically attacked by their own herd; this also is terribly imitated by humans, when we send our old people to a home or mistreat them because they are not as active or useful as before.

To have certain explanation of what aggressiveness is, or where it comes from doesn’t allow or justify the shameful behaviour of our kind. Aggressiveness is an instinct given to our self defense, not to mistreat or kill ourselves, even animals control more than us. I say involution would be the solution, but scientists say that involution doesn’t exist, but how can we improve our behaviour?, maybe the solution is evolution, but I think we are going to evolve when we die and a new kind could learn to live better than us. What do you think?

El Bolson, Argentina

This place is a good option for your next vacations here you can find rich nature and good climate, which gives you the opportunity to relax and enjoy its calmness, or you can take advantage of the river and woods and release your adventurous spirit . Its nature also allows the region to have good flora and fauna to produce delicious by-products and craftwork. The warmth of its people won’t let you feel homesick. Bolson also has a rich folklore that atracts and envolves your mystic side with legends that talks about native princesses and dwarves.

El Bolson is a small city situated in a beautifull valley, in the region of Rio Negro, Argentina. In Chile it would be placed between Osorno and Puerto Montt. The climate of Bolson is generally nice. In summer there are long warm days and in winter the temperatures are low, causing rain and snow, which is seized for adventure activities.

This small city offers plentiful nature. Here you can see beautiful natural sceneries, as it is placed in a valley it has a lot of native vegetation in the city itself, and it is sourrounded by native forests. The most common flora are rosa mosqueta, which is a fruit used in pastrymaking and also in beauty products, and Amancay, a typical flower from Patagaonia that even has its own legend. Bolson is at the foot of The Andes Mountains, which, in combination with the vegetation, gives the air that special freshness and results in a very stimulating but relaxing sensation.

This town offers you calm and all the typical flavors of the countryside. On mornings you wake up with the nice smell of breakfast, which basically consist of milk freshly taken from the cow and handmake butter melting in a warm hand kneaded bread with seasonal fruit jelly.

If you go out for a walk to see the town you should go to the Regional Fair to see the beautiful work of craftsmen, writers, and a variety of artists. Get handmade icecream, it doesn’t matter where you buy it, there are few places to buy icecream and all of them are good. Then you should go to have lunch and taste great meat and handmade beer or wine. If you have a craving for sugar you should taste the handmade chocolates and alfajores.
There are a lot of good alternatives for visitors to stay in comfortable and cheap places. You could stay in hotels, cabins, and lodging houses, and because of the kindness and warmth of the people you will feel good in any place you choose. The people in Bolson treat visitors very well, they greet you even if they don’t know you, they will ask if you are lost to guide you or if you need any help, and would also invite you to share a mate.

On the other hand, if you are more active and you are looking for something to help you to release your stress, Bolson also offers you activities like: skiing, cavalcades by the river; rafting, paraglading, climbing, guided tours to the mountain, while having the possibility to stay in nice and comfortable shelters, or woods.

The folklore of the region talk about native princesses and Gods, fairies and dwarves from the woods. These beings can be seen by visitors and local people on cascades when they take their baths, or when they go out to inspect the vegetation growing and the purity of water. People describe dwarves as happy and playing jokes among themselves and on humans. Some assure to have seen them playing with magic energy balls and even say that dwarves have the job to guard the woods and that they go by night to camp grounds and clean all that visitors might leave untidy. They do this to avoid any accident that could put the wood in danger. In case you want to see these beings, people advise you to go with mental peace, an open mind to fantasy, also you should have a lot of respect for nature and children, and don’t be afraid.

In Bolson you could also hear a lot of Patagonia legends, like the one about the lilies, calafate, and Amancay, a flower from this land. The legend says that Quintral was the son of the cacique. The young man was in love with Amancay, but he knew that his father wouldn’t aprove of their marriage. Quintral got sick and Amancay went to see the Machi, she told Amancay to go to the mountain for a flower that grew at its top to give to Quintral. Amancay went to look for the flower, when she got it a condor didn’t allowed her to take it. It was a sacred flower, Amancay explained the situation and apologized to the condor, and he proposed to her to give him her heart and Quintral would get the cure. She thought that her heart wouldn’t be useful if Quintral didn’t live so she accepted the deal. The condor took Amancay’s heart in one of his claws and in the other he took the yellow flower, he was touched by the love and bravery that Amancay had shown. While the condor was flying the blood of Amancay’s heart was dropping on the ground and on the flower. He asked to the Gods to allow him to fulfill the deal and also to make something to remember Amancay’s sacrifice.
Gods aproved the condor’s petition, Quintral got the cure and every drop of blood that fell on the ground became a beautiful yellow flower with red spots, which has become a symbol of unconditional love. Since then if anybody gives you an Amancay flower it means that the person is giving you his heart.

As you may see Bolson is a good place to visit on your next vacation. It has touristic activities all year, good climate, nice people, and all that travelers want to find.

"Bahía Inglesa"

The best place to go on vacation with your family, your boyfriend or alone to be in contact with the sea and relax is Bahia Inglesa (English Bay), which is a dreamy place to enjoy your holidays to the maximum. Bahia Inglesa is a famous seaside resort for its white sand beaches and warm waters. Its name is due to an English corsair who came to its shores in the year 1687, Edgard Davis.

This important national seaside has a variety of accommodations such as, cabins, camping, hotels and rental homes during the summer season. The restaurants are located in the port of Caldera located 6 kilometers to the north of the resort, which to tourists during whole year. This small seaside resort of the III region is located 880 km from Santiago and the nearby port of Caldera. This seaside resort is well known for its white sand beaches and pleasant water temperature. The gastronomy of the place is based on products extracted from the sea, which highlights scallops, sole and albacore, among others. In the southern sector will find the beaches Machas. This beach is located 7 km. south of Caldera in the town of Bahia Inglesa. It is safe to swim, practice water sports, and fish. You can find other famous beaches like Rocas Negras and Las Algas.

In the far north, the Piscina beach surrounded by rocks, has space for swimming. This beach is located 6 km. south of Caldera in Bahia Inglesa. It is safe for swimming and practicing water sports like windsurf, sea kayaking, and swimming.
If you are traveling by car from Copiapo to Bahia Inglesa take the Pan-American Highway to the northwest, for the 66 km. This remote resort is about 6 km from there. In Bahia Inglesa you can find the best extreme sport, and you can practice this all year. The tourists really enjoy this sport.

SoundGarden

The beginning


The band was formed in 1984 by Chris Cornell and Hiro Yamamoto, taking place Chris was the drumer and the singer. On the other hand, Hiro Yamamoto played the bass guitar and later Kim Thayil joined the band on the electric guitar.

The band got its name from an artistic installation known as “ The Sound Garden,”located in the open air that produced terrifying noises when the wind pass through some metal tubes.

This work of art is property of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration), and is located close to the “Magnuson Park”, in Seattle.

First Works

After the first performances of the band they get a deal with a radio station called “Sub Pop” and they signed a contrat with the record company, With the first money they recieved from the new label they recorded their first works. Thanks to this money the band recorded and published “Screaming Life”in 1987, and “Fop” in 1988. In 1990 they threw a compiladed that gathered both called “Screaming life/fop”.

In 1989 the band had their first alum “Louder than Love” with A&M records. After this album Yamamoto returned to his studies and left the band. He was quickly replaced by Jason Everman, who played in Nirvana, but he only appeared in the video “Louder than Life”, because later he was replaced by Ben Shepherd who was converted in to the permanent bass guitarist of the band.

By Romina Gómez Tapia.

San Pedro de Atacama

The lovely town of San Pedro de Atacama is founded in the north of the big “Salar de Atacama” (the biggest salt flat in the country,Chile). It is maybe one of the most beautiful places in Chile.
The town is founded in one of the many oases that are formed from the rain that is produced by the “invierno Boliviano” in the most arid desert of the world.
Because of that it is amazing when you go there and you find, in the middle of the desert, a place with a lot of vegetation, really exuberant desert formed by Chañares, Algarrobos and Pimientos(trees).
In the fields covered by green that seems to come from the rainy regions, agriculture was practiced since Ancestral time, keeping the same methods of crop raising used thousands of years ago. It Is a miracle and the people who are born here gives thanks to nature (pachamama).

Environment

San Pedro is located at the bottom of the “Cordillera de los Andes”, which is 6100 metres high. North of San Pedro, in 40 km away, is the majestic “Lincabur” volcano (5916 m. High), the name means “town`s hill / cerro del pueblo” and it was worshipped by Incas who carried out ceremonies and made offerings in the crater of the volcano.
15 km. Inland you will find the misterious “moon`s valley /Valle de la luna”, which is called this because the shapes and colours of the rocks gives the scenery a moon appearance. If you watch the sunrise in this place, watching how the light change the colours of the volcanos far away, you will feel an intense color red that will turn these moments to a wonderful experience.

High Plateau

High plateau is a big plateau that is located between 4000 and 4600 meters high. The landscape is totally different from San Pedro. Here it is very common to find swamps with water, small lakes and salt flats.
Despite the climate you can also find animals that have adapted and they are able to live on water that contains high levels of salt and arsenic.
The big geologic activity is not just of the volcano, there are the magnificent “Geysers del Tatio” (420 m.). If you want to wach the geysers, the best hour to go is at dawn, so I recommend you San Pedro at half past five in the morning, so you will arrive to “Tatio” around seven o`clock in the morning.
Thermal springs close to geysers will allow you to enjoy a delicious hot bath while you wach the sunrise. Water temperature can reach 54º C.

Finally, if you want to finish the ride in a good way you have to visit Puritama to enjoy an exquisite hot bath. Puritama is a hot river and it is located in a deep canyon.

On the other hand we can`t say good bye without referring to the sky of San Pedro which is a beautiful show during the night, and the milky way is really shining.
Definitely San Pedro has the most spectacular view of sky on the planet.

By Romina G.T.

The Gathering

The Gathering 9 Alums

2007

The Gatherimg started as a doom metal band, but through the years their sound changed to what we know as Trip-rock music.
At the begining in 1989 the group was formed by Rene Rutten, Bart Smiths, the Hans brothers, Hugo prensen Geerlings, Jelmer Wiersma and Frank Boeijen. All of them were an important part of the band because of their differents ideas which gave the gathering a unique identity. Their first musical work was an “Imaginary Symphony” and after that they were well known in their home town ( Oss locality, Holland).

In 1992 they decided to include a female siger Marike Groot for the new album “Always” so she and Niels were the singers. After that work the group decided Niles was not a good vocalist for the style of the group because of his tendency to ward Punk music and that was when they met Anneke Van Giersbergen and she entered to the group.

In 1995 they recorded “Mandylion” the first disc of their new era and then in 1997 they recorded “Nighttime Birds” and started a tour around Holland.
“How to Measure a Planet” was the double disc recorded in 1998 and it is known for its trip rock rhythm.

Since “How to measure a Planet” The Gathering started to work hard making concerts and albums like “If Then Else” and a tour they called “Super Heat” in 2000.

In 2003 they made “Souveirs” and then “Black Light district.”
Since 2003 till now they have taken a lot of tours around the world including Chile, and the last DVD they made is called “A Noise Severe” that was recorded in Santiago, Chile 2007.

By Romina Gómez Tapia.

Sharks in Iquique (onion news)

Everybody knows that Iquique has the best beaches in the country, and it is famous for aquatic sports like surfing, body boarding, and swimming, but the people who play these sports are now in extreme danger.

A man who body boards went to Cavancha Beach today at 9 o`clock in the morning. He saw a strange shape that was leaving a slow shadow in the water. Before he decided to dive in, he got closer to see if it was something unnatural or only a figment of his imagination, when suddenly he couldn`t believe what his eyes were seeing.
That shadow was a shark. A big and frightening shark swimming slowly like the king of the sea, waiting patiently for its breakfast.

Quickly he started shouting... a shark! a shark! and all the people over the place went closer to see what was happening, in that minute a boy that was entering to the water ran to the shore, saving his life. Meanwhile the first boy went to call the coast guard to warn them about what was happening.
They arrived to the place within a minute with the safety equipment in order to evaluate the issue. They spent all day trying to find a way to catch the shark.

However, they couldn`t catch it. So now there is a red alert for the entire population. Beaches of all over the city are closed, and the news is constantly giving us information about the work that the navy is doing to find the shark, but no body knows when the animal will be found.
Authorities believe the alert is true because of the large number of people who saw it, even though they have no idea where it went. Now they recommend to mantain the alert and to take care of ourselves by not going to the beach... and that`s for sure! I think no one would want to go to the beach in these circumstances, if you want to live of course.

Finally the complete population is waiting for breaking news telling us that the shark has already been caught, but what happens if they don`t catch it, will we waiting forever, or in a year will the people forget this and will they begin going to the beach again?, I wouldn`t do that, I think that I would never swim in a beach again during my entire life.

What happens with tourism?. Our city is famous for its beautiful beaches. During summers people from different cities and countries come here only to enjoy the beach, but our beach changed because now we have a dangerous guest swimming around and living in the sea. So you decide if you want to wait, or if you want to enjoy a new summer in Iquique, with a new guest.
It`s up to you!
*If you have any comments, write us.

By Romina Gómez Tapia.

Artistic Activities in Iquique

During the whole year in our city there are different activities and events
according to the specific dates that characterizes us as a city ,
We can find this represented through a wide range of art, for example dance performances, photografic events and music.
Surely you are wondering about those activities if you are visiting our city or if you just want to start a weekend doing something different with a lot of entertaiment ... rigth? So here you`ll find the information about the last month activities and the other ones that coming soon.

Music... We had the Latin American guitar fest, with the participation of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela on the front of the municipal theatre.
The electric Guitar fest, with the two best Latin American`s guitarists.
The beginning of the youth international day with the participation of local bands.
The begining of “Orden y Caos tour” with the participation of Alejandro Silva and “ Power cuarteto”, and also with the presentation of our rock Chilean band “Weichafe” in Bahia Nativa`s Pub and The 10th aniversary of Wolfang Amadeus Mozart academy and its principal orchestra.

Finally, the last event of the youth international day in Pica, with the participation of our local bands “ La veneno”, “Los locos de aka” and “LLama negra”.
Dance performances... I love dance performances and I remember once when the Ballet Carmen of Santiago city was here and I was waiting since very early to watch them. Then, when they started to dance, it was like a magic moment for me, and I couldn`t stop imagining that I was dancing in the play!. A few days ago was the International dance Day and it was celebrated at the Municipal Theatre with a variety of performances represented by the artistic Iquique School “ Escuela Violeta Parra” and it was wonderful. Furthermore, the Latin American “Bafona Company” is coming, and soon we`ll have different activities in September in order to celebrate “las fiestas patrias.”

Last week was International Photography Day and there was a particular band playing a tribute to the spelling progresive rock band “Pink Floid”, with the participation of different authors of the city that made their expositions in the theater. We can also be part of different activities if we visit the Collahuasy Cultural Center that is on Baquedano street. There we`ll always find information and expositions of different authors of our city.

Do you realized so far the importance of knowing the posibilities that Iquique has for Art lovers? For this reson it results very important for us to know what kinds of activities we can find in a city. It was a pleasure to show you the posibilities that you and your family have to enjoy in Iquique!. here there is a link where you can find the information that you need to know in order to go during the whole year to the artistic events that our city has for you.
http://www.agendaiquique.com/ good luck!

By Romina Gómez Tapia

ILLAPEL "PROVINCE OF CHOAPA"

Illapel (IV Region of Coquimbo) is located on a level ground along side of the Illapel River, 60 Km. to the north of Los Vilos and 255 Km to the South of Ovalle. This city is known for the natural places and quiet environment where visitors can rest. The wonderful environment united with the rich gastronomy and friendly citizens make visitors feel in their second home sweet home.

According to its history, Illapel was founded in 1788 in order to benefit the miners. Nowadays, people live on agriculture and small mining.

This city is so active and traditions are emphasized. Illapel is also known by its marked archeological places such as the colonial structures. When you visit our city you will see the “De Armas Square”. In front of it is the municipality, a beatiful colonial building.

But if you wish to dance and spend a funy and interesting night, the Tibidabo Resort is the perfect place. Here you will find a cozy and kind environment. You can also taste delicious and fine dishes and make the dance a mandatory activity. The Tibidabo menu consists of the more tasty fruits of the land and shellfish prepared with the profesionalism of international experience and native gastronomy

If you have family, Illapel has many places to visit, with a lot of vegetation and fauna like the National Reservation. Here you and your children can see a protected area for chinchillas (an animal like a mouse but bigger). They are protected by CONAF, National Forest Corporation. But if you want to know more about this city, in a place named Cuz – Cuz, located 6km from Illapel, you will find the Taucare Workshop with a local craftmanship and products made in the Choapa Valley. You can learn how to do some of the craftmanship also, just by paying a reasonable fee.

But Ilapel is also for the person who wants to rest in nature and breathe pure air. For them we offer a natural area named “Los Mellizos de El Césped”. Its located 50 km to the north of Illapel, where you can choose between camping, huts, riding beatiful horses or just barbacuing with your family.

Another place that you have to know is the “Magic Mirador”. If you want to visit this place the best time is at night, when you can see the whole city. This is a beatiful experience because the view is wonderful, full of stars, and a warm environment which shows visitors that they need to visit this beatiful and spectacular city again.

Where to eat:
Bar Buffet Restaurant
Buin Street # 420
Phone: (53) 521707.

Choapa Restaurant
Pedro Lagos Street #315
Phone (53) 514590

Where to go:
Taucan Workshop
Phone: (53) 525952


Where to stay:
Diaguita Hotel
Phone: (53) 522587

Alameda Hotel
Phone: (53) 522034

Where to sip:
Ibiza Discotheque
Ignacio Silva Av. #270
Phone: (53) 522076

Tibidabo Resort
Ignacio Silva Av. #315
Phone: (53) 522355.

Kary's

A PLACE CALLED MAITENCILLO

Maitencillo is an extensive and long beach located in the fifth region of Chile, near to Viña del Mar. Surrounded by nature, this place is the most famous in the fifth region because every politician, actor, actress, musician, and every famous person from Chile has a big and beautiful house there.
Maitencillo has everything that a tourist needs: long beaches, beautiful places to go for a walk because in Maitencillo everything is so perfect, there are no “holes” in the streets so children can put on their rollerblades and have fun with friends. Also, there is a huge place where people can go and buy some fresh fish and all kinds of seafood that you could imagine. But the only bad thing that Maitencillo has is too much expensive and that is because is an exclusive place where only rich people can have a house and live there.
For example, if you want to rent a little house it costs about $45.000 chilean pesos minimum per day. The other bad thing is that it is too expensive to enter a pub. For example, if you want to go with some friends to share a drink, the price for the entrance in “Porto’s Pub” is about $7.000 per person and just imagine how much a beer costs.
In Maitencillo there aren’t cheap places to stay one night. There is a big Hotel called “Boston” which is about $50.000 per person and the only thing that includes is the breakfast. If you want a cheap place you have to leave Maitencillo and travel about forty minutes by car and visit Viña del Mar, in that city you have everything that you want: good food, a variety of restaurants, malls, supermarkets, museums, and theaters. Everything that you could imagine is in Viña del Mar; beaches are beautiful too but not for swimming. That’s why I prefer Maitencillo, because there you can go with your little kids and swim in the ocean. Also, Maitencillo is really safe because you can leave your things for hours in the sand and nobody will take them and children can play without worries.
Finally, if you want a good, relaxing and safe place for your children and family, go to Maitencillo, it is a really nice and beautiful place, but you have to bring a lot of money if you don’t want to have a bad vacations.

Maca Valencia

ALANIS MORISSETTE THE BEST SINGER OF ALL TIMES

It isn’t weird for me to write about Alanis Morissette because I know everything about her and the most important thing is I know every detail about her songs.
She was born on June 1st 1974 in Ottawa, Canada. She has a twin brother and an older brother who is a yoga teacher.
In 1994 she recorded her first and most successful album of her career, “Jagged Little Pill”, selling over 20 millions records all over the world. Songs like “Ironic”, “Hand in my pocket”, “Head over feet”, and “You learn” made this album became so famous. In some songs of this album, Alanis expresses all of her anger against a man that destroyed her life. In songs like “You Oughta Know” you can feel all of her anger against him, like in the phrases “and every time you speak her name, does she know how you told me you’d hold me, until you died, ´til you died, but you’re still alive.” But she also expresses her love in songs like “Head over feet”, such as in the “don’t be surprised if I love you for all that you are, I couldn’t help it, it’s all your fault.” This album has everything that Alanis feels: love, anger, fear, shame, etc. and is the best album of her musical career.
Then she wrote her second album called “Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie”, with seventeen songs about her rebirth as a singer. Since she wrote “Jagged Little Pill” she said that she didn’t want to make more music because she didn’t know what to write about. She felt depressed because she had no inspiration so she took a trip to India and there, fortunately for all her fans, she found the inspiration that she needed and start to write again.
Then came “Alanis Morissette Unplugged” just right after when this album was recorded she came to Chile and presented her new album and sang songs from her two previous albums.
Then she wrote “Under Rug Swept”, and “So Called Chaos” and some others songs with other artists. She also wrote a song called “Uninvited” for the movie “City Of Angels.”
Alanis Morissette´s career is extensive and has ups and downs, but she became the most famous singer in 90´s. Now we don’t know much about Alanis because she is doing some projects alone, also she had participated in some TV series and some theatre performances but she is the best singer ever.

Maca Valencia

Moon Valley

I bet you live in the complexity of the everyday life in a large city. You are stressed to the last part of your being. All you want is to escape from where you live. So, if you decide to travel this summer, what better place to go than to a quiet place, full of natural wonders. Now, leave everything behind for a couple of weeks. And have a fantastic vacation you will never forget.

The place I’m talking about is the Moon Valley, located 17 kilometres from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. The valley is very interesting due to the rocks and sand formations. For millions of years floods and winds have shaped the desert with marvellous colors and textures. The appeal of the valley is the resemblance with the moon’s surface. You can have an amazing view by standing on top of a dune. There you will appreciate the amazing and wonderful surroundings.

The climate of the region is desert. The temperature during the day is of 75º F and during the night is 41º F. You can come here and see the valley’s indescribable aspects, full of majesty and silence, beautiful and imposing. You can visit this region any time of the year, due to its warm climate. The temperatures allow the visitor to practice outdoor activities while breathing clean and fresh air.

Where to stay during this vacation time? Well, if you are into nature, what better way to spend the night than camping. You will be able to contemplate the incomparable beauty of the moon landscape on Earth. If you are not that adventurous, you can go to Explora Atacama Hotel or La Aldea Hotel, the prices go from $160 to $438 per night.

Where to eat? If you want to try some typical Chilean food you must go to La Casona (Caracoles #195, phone 851 004) or Casa de Piedra (Caracoles #225, phone 851 271). There you will find excellent food accompanied by live music. What to do? Here you can practice different types of outdoor activities, such as biking, mountaineering, sand boarding, and photography.

Next time you have travelling in mind, you must come to the Moon Valley to discover its hidden secrets. To see for yourself why it was declared a sanctuary of nature for its great natural beauty and strange moon appearance. Don’t forget to buy some artisan souvenirs. Then you will have something to remember this wonderful journey.

The Amazing Secrets of a Lost Paradise

When talking about pirates and explorers visiting a lost paradise, you might think it’s a myth or part of a story invented to entertain little kids, because the location and surroundings are full of magic, fantasy, and legends. However, the truth is that many of the settings that appear in books and movies are real places that exist in our world. One of those particular places is the incredible Robinson Crusoe Island.

This remote and almost uninhabited land mass is one of the three islands belonging to the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, located 411 miles west of South America. The other two islands are Alejandro Selkirk and Santa Clara. It was on the Robinson Crusoe Island where the sailor Alejandro Selkirk was abandoned in the year 1705 and had to live in complete solitude for 5 years. This situation lead the famous writer Daniel Defoe to write the classic novel, Robinson Crusoe.

Just as it is described throughout the story, the island is a real, amazing paradise with a rich variety of flora and fauna. In fact, it is estimated that at least 70% of the plant species are endemic, meaning that they are not found in another place in the world. Consequently, the island was declared a World Biosphere Reserve.

The Robinson Crusoe Island is of volcanic origin and has a mountainous terrain with impressive peaks rising more than 1,000m above sea level. Due to the intense erosion, steep valleys have been formed. There is also a narrow peninsula in the south-western part of the island and an incredible beach with temperate and crystalline water where you can swim or scuba dive in the company of a great variety of fish and shellfish.

People wanting to visit this marvellous place need to adjust their itinerary to certain months. According to inhabitants, the best time to visit the island is between October and April because the weather is very warm, there is not much rain, and you will be able to enjoy every single tour and excursion. The ones really interested in getting to know a bit more about the hidden secrets of this place, need to take a 2 ½ hour flight on a special plane from the airport in the city of Santiago. After landing in the island, you’ll enjoy another 1 ½ hours in a taxi–boat that will take you to the only inhabited town called San Juan Bautista, that has a population of no more than 500 residents. It is important for you to know that the plane has a maximum capacity of 8 passengers and that the flights are not daily, only from Monday to Friday, and are subject to weather conditions. However, tickets are not as expensive as you would imagine.

Once on the island, the best place recommended is the Pangal Hotel. It will allow you to rest and enjoy your time with your family or friends in total contact with nature. This hotel was recently opened and has satellite TV, music, and an exceptional dining room specializing in lobster and fish. It also has a big swimming pool and a comfortable fireplace next to the bar. The hotel also has a special boat in charge of taking people to the village and back.

Even though the island is not very big, there are plenty of things to do. Here are some of the most interesting places you can visit during your vacation on the isle.

• Hike to Yunque’s Plateau: It includes a wonderful tour that allows people to see some endemic flora and fauna.
• Hike to Selkirk’s Lookout: You may be able to reach the place where Alejandro Selkirk constantly looked in search of a ship that could rescue him from his eternal confinement.
• Juan Fernandez Lobster Fishery: This island is well known for its lobster. The idea is that people travel on a tour by boat and eat lobster together cooked on board while they enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

• Scuba Diving and Snorkelling with seals: If you are interested, you may pay a few dollars to the only company in charge of teaching you how to scuba dive. The company has a special instructor that gives everybody specific orientation on how to manage your scuba diving gear and get used to the underwater environment. Another interesting option is the possibility to snorkel among a great, big group of fur seals; the only endemic mammal of the archipelago.

Besides all these activities, people can also go horseback riding, fishing, or visit some caves and forts, which are full of history and magic.

Depending on the travel agency you choose, prices can vary. However, it is important for you to know that the best option is to buy your ticket in advance. As a general reference, each ticket may cost $572 from Santiago. The price includes the travel ticket, the hotel, and some excursions. Lunch and dinner are generally not included, but it may be a good opportunity for you to try seafood.

Robinson Crusoe is definitely a place worth visiting. It is a paradise that preserves a wide variety of endemic flora and fauna, it is not excessively expensive, and, most of all, it preserves even today a special atmosphere of adventure and mystery.

By Rose Marie Kuschel R.

The English Gazette`s Music Review

Arcade Fire
Neon Bible (2007)

Probably one of the best albums I`ve had the pleasure to hear in a long time. It is only exceeded by its 2004 predecessor “Funeral”. Neon Bible was released March 5, 2007 and unlike Funeral it had great commercial success which put them on the spot of the music business. Neon Bible received good reviews from specialized musical critics which place the album as one of the best ones of 2007 so far. This Canadian indie rock band formed primarily by husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne created amazing arrangements and beautiful musicianship using a wide range of excellently-played instrumentation which include a pipe organ, a hurdy gurdy, a military choir, and a full Hungarian orchestra. Other Band members include Richard Reed Parry William Butler, Tim Kingsbury, Sarah Neufeld and Jeremy Gara. Arcade fire assembles beautiful melodies and lyrics into this album and they differentiate themselves from any other band nowadays in the music world. Songs like Neon Bible, Intervention, No Cars Go and personal favorite My Body is a Cage depicts the originality and excellence displayed in their albums. Arcade Fire was once tagged as the best-unknown band in the world; now we must say they are the best band we all should know. 4,5 out of 5 stars.

Queens Of The Stone Age
Songs for the Deaf (2002)



Songs for the Deaf is without a doubt the best hard rock album of this decade so far. There is not another album that could match this amazing piece of work. Not even QOTSA following albums Lullabies to Paralyze and Era Vulgaris, are at the level of Songs for the Deaf. This album gathered great musicians that collaborated on the album. This is the case of Former Nirvana Drummer and Lead singer of Foo Fighters Dave Grohl. He collaborated in all the songs as the drummer. Also, Mark Lanegan did the vocals in three of the album songs. Lead singer and songwriter Josh Homme wrote most of the lyrics and the theme of the album was the fruit of their experience in California. Former band bassist Nick Oliveri had a great influence on the album since he co-wrote many of the songs and sang a few tracks in the album. Unfortunately, he was fired from the band and I think that’s one of the reasons why the following jobs of QOTSA haven`t been as good. The powerfulness of the all songs and how catchy they are make you play them again and again. Most of the albums had about five or six good tracks, but not this one. Every single song is ridiculously great. It`s an album to listen to from beginning to end, without stopping. Another characteristic of the album is that all the tracks are united by several radio audio-tracks creating the effect that you are listening to a radio station. Songs like “No One Knows”, “Songs for the Dead”, “Go with the Flow”, “Another Love Song”, and “Mosquito Song” show us how perfection in rock can be achieved. 5 stars out of 5.