Aliens in Iquique!!!

On September 19th there were calls reported to the police station. These calls were unusual because some people told the police they had seen strange objects flying over the coast of Iquique. The police didn’t publish these rare calls because they thought it was a prank. Also, this news didn’t reach the public because people were celebrating September 18th, so they thought some people just had too much to drink. So was it real? Did people see strange objects flying in the sky? Was Iquique visited by these rare beings?

The first sightings of these strange creatures were reported in Mexico. In the ‘50s, an object, like the form of a plate, crashed in a place known as Area 51. Aliens are feared because we do not know anything about them, and also because they do not look like us. They are different in a weird, creepy way. So, did these extraterrestrial beings visit Iquique the night of September 19th? They did and not only flew over the city, but landed.

These flying objects were seen by Juan de la Fuente, an old inhabitant of the city. He has pictures of these beings walking on the beach and a video tape of the UFO flying over Playa Brava beach. So it is true, Iquique was visited by these mysterious beings.

Only a few people had the privilege to see these spaceships up close. They said it was a wonderful experience because it is something that had never happened in Iquique. Now they have a fantastic story to tell to their grandchildren.

So it is real, extraterrestrial beings came and were seen in Iquique. Scientists and investigators came from all over the world and stated this event as a true extraterrestrial case. Now Iquique is officially a city visited by Aliens. So, you have to open your mind, because your home might be their next stop.

Searching for Chupacabras!!!!

Inhabitants from a little town named Camiña, located three hours from Iquique (Chile), are so surprised and spooked because they have found many dead animals and don’t know the cause of death.

During the last few weeks people have known these facts and days pass while land animals and birds continue dying. Different and strange hypotheses have arisen about the cause of death because on all the dead animals, when they have been examined, the specialists have found two little holes on their necks. Supposedly through these holes the predator sucks up all the blood leaving their inner bodies so dry. For that reason farm owners and inhabitants have different hypotheses, but the most renamed hypothesis is about an Alien named “chupacabras” who is the culprit of all the deaths.

This hypothesis emerged because some people say that they have seen an strange animal roaming this town, and one night one of these people saw the “Alien” so close and could see specifically its physical characteristics. The man said that this strange “animal” has big red eyes, a big mouth with two long fangs, four legs which are used to jump to trees and roves. It was a mixture between a big fox and dog but without tail.

In order to halt these deaths a large group of inhabitants go out at night waiting for the predator to catch it, confine it, maybe kill it, finally end the deaths of these innocent animals, and also discover if the inhabitants’ hypotheses are true.

Regretfully so far these people have not been able to catch the strange creature, who still continues killing innocent animals. Even some owners of these animals say that they have offered a big reward for people who catch, hunt, or kill this strange animal, creature, or alien.

Amazing Disappearance of Dragon’s Hill

Iquique, Chile – On the morning of October 4^th, 2007 the city of Iquique woke up without one of its biggest symbols, the amazing Dragon’s Hill. This surprising and inexplicable disappearance has caused great commotion among the community and huge chaos since the entire area has been evacuated and hundreds of families were left without their homes. There is no doubt that this day will forever remain in the mind of every citizen.

Every morning Mrs. Rosa Ramos, who lives at the foot of the Dragon’s Hill, leaves home for her work in Alto Hospicio. But the morning of October 4^th, 2007 was a different morning, “I couldn’t believe it. I thought that I was looking in the wrong direction, but then I realized that it was not there.” These are the words of maybe the first person to witness the event.

The Center of Archeology and Seismology of Mexico was called by Chilean authorities to investigate the strange phenomenon. Until now the possible causes that are being discussed aim at a weakness of the soil that supports the hill due to an underground water formation or possibly by an accumulation of energy because of prior earthquakes that have affected the northern part of Chile. In any case, it is certain that the hill was completely swallowed without leaving any evidence.

The group of specialists arrived at Diego Aracena Airport yesterday at noon and talked to us in an exclusive interview. Dr. Miguel Fuentealba, archeologist, affirms that this event has never occurred before in any other place in the world, “There is no doubt that the Dragon’s Hill has been a central character in the history of the city because it has been in Iquique for more than a hundred years. It’s a place where generations have enjoyed and lived a comfortable life. We will certainly find out what really happened.”

Dr. Guadalupe Ferreira, seismologist, also spoke to us and emphasized the fact that “citizens must be calm because this is an isolated phenomenon possibly caused by a weakness of the subterranean plates in that specific zone. Therefore, it is impossible for the weakness to expand and cause other areas of the city to collapse.”

The city mayor spoke last night and banned the access to the Dragon’s Hill and its surrounding areas until the investigation ends, “The experts will be in Iquique as long as necessary to establish the cause of the event and they will also attend a conference that will take place tomorrow at 10am in the Terrado Suites Hotel to clarify doubts and to explain important aspects related to the investigation process.” Before finishing the interview, the mayor also talked about families who lost their houses and are asking for help, “I am very concerned about the people who lost everything; I promise that there will be a solution for all of them. All I ask them is patience.”

By Rose Marie Kuschel R.

Woman gives birth to three children in public places

I will tell you this story that began in October of 1994 in Rome, Europe. Laura went there because of her work as a chef. One day a guy came into her restaurant only because they wanted to meet the great chef that this restaurant had so when she saw him she fell in love immediately. The next week he came again and asked her if she wanted to go on a date with him. At first she told him that she have a boyfriend but that was not true so the week after she told him yes. I want to tell her story because the most important thing that happened after that date is that now she is married, living in Valparaíso, and she have three children that she want you to know the strange way they came to the world. This is her weird story.
Sofia was born in 2001 in a place called “Molina” near to Curicó, Chile. When Laura knew that she was pregnant the only thing that she thought was: “what am I going to do with a kid?” because she like travel all over the places and her husband is like a little boy too. But as time passed her thoughts changed. She told her husband that they would be parents and he just smiled. As I said before, she likes to travel so they went to the south of Chile with some friends because they wanted to make a video surrounded by nature and the doctor told her that her first baby would born a month later so she decided to go. When Sofia was born she was taking a bath in a lake, she felt a little pain and she thought that the pain that she felt was because she had eaten a lot of chocolate, she decided to get out and she realized that her little baby was coming. Her friends called an ambulance and they waited and waited and the ambulance never get there, her little girl was born there without any doctor or any medicine, just imagine how that was.
Her second child, Felipe, also was born in a place without any doctors, nurses, or medicine, he was born in a helicopter. She was in France because she wanted to see the Eiffel tower, a friend of them who has six helicopters took them and they went there. She doesn’t know what happened to her but her son just was born there and her daughter told her: “Mom why did you have a baby?” she didn’t know what to tell her. She never saw the Eiffel tower because of Felipe.
Then came her third boy, Benjamin, and guess what? He also was born in a strange place. Her husband, Sofia, Felipe, and Laura decided to move to Chile so the place that they chose was Valparaiso. They bought the tickets and took the plane to Santiago de Chile. She was playing with Sofia when she started to feel really strange and she thought, “please Benjamin don’t born here!”. Later the pain went away and nothing happened. They arrived in Santiago and they stayed there for one week because her husband wanted to see the city because he is Australian. Three weeks later they went to Valparaiso and one day they decided to make some pizzas. They went to a supermarket and when she was buying cheese she had her third baby there because the supermarket is located far away from the hospital.
I write her story because I just want you to know how her three babies were born and she doesn’t know were her fourth child is going to born because she is pregnant again. She is 8 months pregnant and next month she has planned a trip to Nicaragua Falls and nobody knows what is going to happen. The only thing that she is sure of is that she is really happy with her family.

Must See Movies

Spiderman 3 (2007)



Director: Sam Raimi
Genre: action/adventure
Cast: Tobey Maguire (Peter Parker/Spiderman), Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane), James Franco (Harry Osborn/New Globin), Thomas Haden Church (Sandman) and Topher Grace (Venom)

Today I’m gonna talk about some sequels that came out these last couple of weeks. Firstly is Spiderman 3 which was released last May and, as predicted, it became a box office hit. In this third part Tobey Maguire comes back as Peter Parker and Kirsten Dunst as spidy`s beloved. Also James Franco is playing Peter`s friend who now became the new green goblin to revenge his father`s death. But what about the villains? Well, every superhero movie has to have villains otherwise it would be extremely lame. If you think Doc Ock was cool you have seen nothing yet. Now Spiderman has to face not one, not two but three villains: The Goblin, Sandman and Venom.

Spiderman 3 fulfills your expectations, it is not a great movie but it accomplishes its purpose, ergo it entertains you. I must say it was below my expectations but still is the best of the three Spidermanmovies.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Director: Tim Story
Genre: Action/adventure
Cast: Iaon Gruffudd (Reed Richards/ Mr. Incredible), Jessica Alba (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Chris Evans (Johnny Storm/Human Torch), Michael Chiklis (Ben Grimm/The Thing), Julian McMahon (Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom) and Doug Jones (Silver Surfer)

This one was much better than the first one. Better story, better character development, way cooler special effects, awesome villain and of course Jessica Alba. The first movie was alright. Every first movie based on a superhero comic book has to introduce the characters and show how they become superheroes, etc. etc. so they become kind of slow; also the directors see themselves very restricted by the studios and basically do the film the studios want. The first movie for the studio, the next ones for the fans.

Like Spiderman 3, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is very entertaining and very funny. Also they have a kick ass villain like the Silver Surfer who is played by the same dude who played the pan and the pale man in Pan`s Labyrinth.. (A little bit of useless information). If you like these kind of flicks you won`t be disappointed, just sit back and enjoy it.

Here are some other sequels that are coming out:

Ocean`s 13: the first two were really good, definitely a “must see” of this winter.

Live Free or Die Hard: the fourth in the “Die Hard” series, starring Bruce Willis, what you can expect from this? A lot of blood, explosions, and the world wide known phrase: Yippie-kay-ya, motherf***er.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: the fifth out of seven Harry Potter films. Harry finally faces Voldermort.

Other movies you can`t miss are: The Bourne Ultimatum, Rush Hour 3, Evan Almighty, Hostel 2, Mr. Bean`s Holiday, Resident Evil Extinction and my two upcoming favorites, The Simpsons and The Transformers.

Also I must recommend you some TV series like Grey`s Anatomy, Smallville, CSI: Las Vegas, Lost, Prison Break and my personal favorite Heroes. And if you want to have a laugh, watch Two and a Half men, The Office, Scrubs and my personal favorite Seinfeld (reruns on Sony).

I must apologize. i know that this article is a little bit late, sorry. Occupational hazzards.

Welcome To The Jungle

People think that living in Iquique is wonderful and that it is the best city to live in. But let me tell you guys that I think quite differently. You might say I’m crazy, I probably am, but I would much rather live in a big metropolis like Santiago than in Iquique. I’d like to live in Santiago because of the variety of places you can visit and the artistic events in the city, and also because of the many downsides of living inIquque. Next, I`ll explain why living in Iquique sucks and moving to the capital city might be a good choice.

Santiago is a huge city with almost 6 millions inhabitants and it is considered one of the major cultural centers in Latin-American. In Santiago and in its surrounding areas you can find a wide range of places to visit where you can do many kinds of activities. Santiago has many historical and touristic spots such as Balmaceda and Armas square, La Alameda, San Cristobal hill, La Moneda, Cousiño Palace, The Municipal Theater, Central Market, and all the museums. We don`t have to forget Fantasilandia. The best thing we`ve ever had here is the Fisa. Near Santiago you have The Andes if you want to ski, Viña and Valpo if you want to go to the beach and other places really close to Santiago where you can hang out.

Santiago is full of cultural activities and events everywhere you go. There are lots of theaters and plays you can go to, tons movie theaters and flicks to choose from, and thousands of musical performances. This may be one of the main reasons why I like Santiago: the music. The best and famous music performers go to Santiago. For example, last August one of my favorite bands nowadays, The Magic Numbers, played in Santiago. They are not very well known and there wasn`t much publicity about the gig so I found out a few days before and I didn`t have the chance to go. Lily Allen, Coldplay, and Dolores O`riordan (former lead singer of The Cranberries) also performed in Santiago and because we`re so far freaking away I couldn`t go.

Don`t get me wrong, Iquique is a great city but it`s just not for me. It has its good things like the weather, the weather, and the weather, but I feel that I need more than just weather. Iquique is really small and has few places to go, we are isolated from everything, the nearest city is about 500 kilometers away, and, of course, the dirtiness of Iquique is a major issue. We cannot pretend to be a touristic city if we are as dirty as we can possibly be. I might sound kind of harsh but that is because I love my city, but we have to work hard to make it better.

If I got the chance to move to Santiago I wouldn`t think twice and I`d move there right away. There are too many things to do and too many places to go in Santiago that I think I would be busy all year long and I would never get bored. About the weather, I’ll figure something out; I’m sure I can find some cheap coats for the winter and a pair of nice shorts for the summer. As my friend Darwin once said: It`s all about the survival of the fittest.

By Mr. War

Why it is a good idea to live in Iquique

It is normal to hear people talking on the news or on the radio about how dirty and poorly organized Iquique is. I agree that those facts are undeniably true. However, we should also try to keep in mind that Iquique is world renowned and widely visited by thousands of tourists every year. Advantages such as the size of the city, its wonderful climate, and the great variety of places it has are all reasons why I consider Iquique a great place to live.

First of all, the size of the city is a great advantage for any person living in Iquique and for tourists visiting the place for the first time. Iquique is one of the few cities in Chile that allows citizens to move from one place to another in a couple of minutes without having to drive a car or wait for a taxi. In fact, a lot of young people prefer walking or riding a bicycle because in that way they get exercise, save money, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. This great advantage also makes it possible for families to practice a more communal way of life because they are able to see each other not only during the morning or at night, but also during lunch time which is something unheard of for most families living in big cities.

Moreover, the climate of the city is a great advantage. People visiting Iquique don’t need to worry about what to wear or if they have to bring special clothing because this city is located in the north of Chile, so it never rains and winters are not extremely cold either. In fact, some people love swimming during the winter season because the water is not freezing like in other cities where certain sports such as surfing are only practiced during summer. This excellent weather also allows people to go out on a cold night and meet with friends in outdoor restaurants or pubs simply because the excellent weather conditions allow it.

Having attractive places to visit all day long is certainly another advantage. During the day people may have the chance to walk along Baquedano Street which was recently inaugurated and is full of excellent restaurants and small stores. Other places, such as the Municipal Theater and the Regional Museum are open every day and are frequently visited by tourists interested in knowing more about our culture and history. Going to Zofri is also a good choice. People usually spend a long time buying delicious chocolates, sampling perfumes, or pricing electrical devices which are tax free. At night people can decide whether to go to a restaurant, a pub, or a discotheque to eat delicious food and listen to good music. The Casino is open all day long and is one of the most visited places in our city because it has a great variety of games and a complete bar which offers a huge selection of drinks. Young people also have the chance to decide where to go. “Sala Murano” and “Kamikaze” are the two most important discos in Iquique, widely visited by teenagers who love dancing. Pubs and bars are another great choice especially for those who prefer a more relaxed place.

I understand that living in a clean and organized city is a great benefit. However, having the possibility to live in a manageable city with excellent weather throughout the whole year and with interesting places to visit all day long is much more important than anything else. As a college student, I admire the people who move to a bigger city to study and live, but as years go by I have realized that I am also proud of my decision because I know that I would never have had all these advantages if I had gone to live in another place.

By Rose Marie Kuschel R.

Quillota

SEPTEMBER 18TH IN MY CITY.


Every year, when September arrives it is time to return to my city, Quillota, located in the fifth region of Chile, near to Viña del Mar. People in Iquique ask me why do I leave when September arrives, and the answer is always the same: because September in Quillota is funner than in Iquique. I´m writing this to explain to people the reasons why I always return there. I return to Quillota because of El Eden Park, the games we play in the city, and because my family is there.
First of all Quillota is both a city and a country side where you have every kind of nature that a citizen needs. For example you can go to El Edén Park, a really popular place there. You have to pay to enter and this Park has all the things that a camp site has, for example, it has tables and barbecues, and you go there with some friends or your own family and barbecue while children play, running all over the Park. This Park also has electricity where people can take their own radios and play some Cuecas and start to dance while the barbecue is prepared. Also, you can rent a horse and ride along the park.
The second reason why I return to Quillota is the popular games. You can buy a “Volantin” which is really cheap, it costs about $200 pesos. Children love Volantin, I think is the most popular game in Chile when September arrives. Also in Quillota, but more specifically in Hijuelas, every year they have Rodeos. I love to go there because my mother has to go every year because it is a tradition for her so I always go with her. In the country side of my lovely city people also play antique games like “La Rayuela”, “Trompo”, “Palo encebado”, “Carrera en saco”, etc. Those are games that people used to play there and they have so much fun playing them.
The last and the most important reason why I always return there it is because there is the city where my family and friends live. With them I can go out to “Ramadas” and we can drink popular drinks like “terremoto”, “chicha”, “linterna con 4 pilas”, and “Vino con chirimoya”. Also in “Ramadas” you can eat “Anticuchos”, “Empanadas”, “Pan amasado”, and “Choripan”, etc.
When September ends and I have to go back to Iquique, I remember all the good memories that I had in my city: the barbecues, the Volantin, Cuecas, and all those elements that make me feel happy when I return to Iquique and can explain how it was there. It makes me feel happy and the only thing that I have to do is wait for the next September and return to Quillota for more fun with my family.

The different Styles in Chilean Teens

Nowadays teens in Chile are constructing their personalities through technology, the media and physical appearance to attract the attention of their parents and the rest of the world.
First of all, what happens with the adolescents of our society and their different styles I think the major problem today is at Chilean teens live practically alone due that parents who, have to leave thier homes to go to their jobs and sometimes teens don´t understand why they are living alone all time. For this reason they search for love in things like, movies, cartoons, games and other friends.
I became interested in this topic because, in our society, everyday new styles of clothes, accessories, new hairstyles and tattoos show up and other things. I think that the different styles are sometimes good but in some case they are very special and too extreme. For example, here there are some of the styles adopted in Chile emos, darketos, boys, visual, pokemos, grungucheros, rastas, jipitecas, pandrosos, cholos, Bullyings, comiqueros, gays, punks, flaytes, skin heads, hackers, rude, goticos, and more and more. Surely some styles could be bad or good for the adolescents.
The issue is that some of these styles affect the relationships with their families, friends and other people. Sometimes some young children have bad behavior in school because they think that nobody understands their styles and life, but they don´t look around them and they don´ t think about why people have a bad opinion about their styles. In some cases, like the emos, the groups are very nice and calm and they believe in the love of all that is good. But on other side are the skin heads and they are bad groups of adolescents because they cause damage to innocent people.
The most important aspect of my essay is that people pay attention to why teens are rebels and why they choose, create, and adopt different styles without thinking of the consequence. Who is responsables? The easy access to the techonology, parents, friends, schools.

True Solidarity

We live in a society where a person is more valued for what he or she has than by what that person can give to others. Nowadays it is more important to have material things, to buy high priced objects to make you a better person. Where has the sense of solidarity gone? You can have tons of things but are you really happy like that? Wouldn’t it make you feel better to give a piece of what you have to the ones who need it the most?

Last week, with great pain, I saw the program Contacto. The program told the story of fraud behind the Niño Agredido Corporation. Every month the institution received millions of pesos in donations to supposedly help children who live in extreme poverty. Of course, this money was never given to these poor little children; this money went directly to the pockets of shameless people that saw an easy way to profit.

Years of deception and fraud to kind hearted people finally ended after the investigation of the program Contacto. Why? Is everything allowed to earn easy money? Even to smash children’s dreams. What is going on with the people of this country? Do we only care about anyone else but ourselves?

This kind of shameless thing just makes people not trust anyone and not give their money out of good will to help those in need. On the other side the volunteers that give their time and effort to help these unprofitable institutions feel anger and deception because they cannot do anything to stop it.

The good deeds don’t catch anyone’s attention and what is even worse is that the bad things overshadow the goodness of what some people do. Where is our sense of solidarity? Once in a while everybody needs help from others and not only in the form of money. Ask yourself are you really happy with what you have? Wouldn’t it be better to give away something of what you have and maybe what you don’t really need. Do not stop believing there are still people of kind heart that don’t need to receive anything in return for what they eagerly give to the ones who need it the most.

Claudia Castro

Own Patriotic Week news letter

In the next two weeks we will celebrate another anniversary of own Chilean Independence. many people are so glad because this activity will last for about five days, so people can rest for a long time.

Many families from Arica to Punta Arenas are organizing their weekend celebration, which isn’t unnoticed this year, because the Chilean congress also approved next Monday September 17th as a holiday, so this means that we will have approximately five days to eat, drink and celebrate the anniversary of our independence. On the other hand, Patriotic families celebrate from the 1st day of September. They use to put the chilean flag on the facade of their homes, also they start to listen to Chilean folkloré like “la cueca”, and from the last days of August begin to plan some their celebration: how many pounds of meat they need, how many empanadas they will cook, and how many litres of “chicha” they will need (Chicha: A chilean drink makes with grapes). Within each of these families, there are the little children which begin to play with the “trompo”, “emboque”, and of course, they go fly kites, These games are so fun that adults also join children’s entertaiment.

In addition, among the Chilean people there are the “Fonderos”, who organized everything the whole year in their “Fondas” (Fondas: A stand where people sell chicha, empanadas, and so on) for the Independence Day, They along with their whole family, become zombies because they work all day long without sleeping, They are just worried about selling their foods and giving excellent service to their customers so the customers leave the “fondas” so satisfied with full stomachs and wishing to come back to this nice and fonda.

Many people are so happy for this holiday week because they will rest and will return to their activities with enthusiasm, but I ask myself; can people rest? They must have in mind the following: To organize this celebration takes almost 3 days; some people have to borrow a loan at the bank in order to buy everything they need; these activities give people a little headache; another problem is going to the supermarket the same day of celebration, so this place is crowded with thousands of people and they have to wait more than 1 hour in a line beside the check-out counter, Then, when finally they buy everything and go to the supermarket parking they have another problem, because the parking is full of cars that want to enter and exist, so people have to wait more time and from that moment chileans are angry and start to wir that this holiday week would pass faster.

I think for many people their days of “rest” will be full of a lot of stress, in addittionm some people will go bankrupt this month, But don’t worry about it, because we aren’t the only ones who will be in this situation, all of our country will have these same problems, so relax and enjoy this Independence day.

DISTURBING NOISES

When I say that weekends are meant for resting and sleeping it is because I think that I deserve it, due to my job as a singer. If I want to spend my weekend doing nothing, there is nothing more perturbing than hearing disturbing noises in my resting place, especially if these come from noisy neighbors, nasty vehicles or my charming family.

My neighbors are one in a million. Throughout entire weekends they have noisy parties that last long periods of time. I do not complain about the parties; my complaint is about the loud noises that they produce, because they sing all night long, shout and make lots of noise, not only during the night, but also during the rest of the day.

With respect to the vehicles, and I refer to racing cars, they do not respect the peace of our lives due to the continuous and annoying noises of motors on the street, without mentioning their horns or loud music speakers. Unfortunately, authorities don’t have any plan to control this situation and of course, the problem still persists.

On the other hand is my “glorious” family. Personally I have a noisy family, and this situation makes me crazy, because their annoying noises don´t allow me to rest in an appropriate way due to my job, especially on Sundays. Their routine begins early in the morning, cleaning and singing -things like mothers and wives do- and I do not complain about that; the problem is that I just want to rest a couple of hours more, but the noise is so disturbing that I have to wake up and join the rest.

Well, this is my life, and considering these factors, I think weekends are made not only to rest, but to lie down wherever you want, even though most of the mentioned factors don´t allow you to. Most of these factors, like nasty neighbors, noisy cars and your own family will continue making their own loud and disturbing noise.

Carlos Tarifeño Rojas

Must See Movies: Pan`s Labyrinth

Pan`s labyrinth (2006)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Genre: Drama / Fantasy

Cast: Ivana Baquero (Ofelia), Sergi López (Capitán Vidal), Maribel Verdú (Mercedes) and Doug Jones (Pan, Pale man).


Before this year`s Oscar ceremony I hadn`t heard anything about Pan`s labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno, actual Spanish title) but when I started to see that during the first half an hour of the show it had already won three golden statues, I said to myself that it had to be one hell of a movie. It took me a long time but finally I managed to get it about 2 month ago and let me tell you guys that the wait was worth it. The movie is a piece of work, a tremendous story and a marvelous cinematography made this movie one of the best of last year.

Pan`s labyrinth amazes you with its brilliant combination and superposition of Franco`s dictatorship in the 40`s and Ofelia`s fantasy world. It is like seeing two movies at once. I must warn you though that it is a quiet raw movie, some scenes can really give you the creeps, like at the beginning of the movie when Captain Vidal violently hits a peasant in the face. But this kind of violence is not unnecessary, it is within context and makes the movie more realistic even when we`re talking about a fantasy genre movie.

One of the greatest achievements of the movie is the portrait of the underworld and its beautiful story about its lost princess. The whole underworld monarchy and the pan story are captivating and they haunt you in ways that you never thought a movie could. The Oscars for make up and wardrobe are well deserved because they make a terrific job with the pan and the pale man (the pale man scene is freakin`awesome).

I honestly don`t know where a man can get such an imagination to pull off a movie like this one. But who is this man? He is the Mexican director and writer Guillermo Del Toro, the same dude who directed El Espinazo Del Diablo, Hellboy and Blade II. He belongs to the same generation of Hispanic directors such as Alfonso Cuarón (Children of man, Y tu mama tambien) and Alejandro González Iñarritu (Babel, 21 grams).

Pan`s labyrinth won`t make you a better person or give you a moral lesson, it`s just a fairy tale about how life is and how we want it to be. It is an incredible sample of how brilliant movies have to be made.

Note: try not to eat when seeing the movie.

Note 2: if you don`t know what a “pan” is, don`t ask me… cause I still can`t figure it out.

Note 3: I don`t know what else I can write here… I’m just trying to complete the one page that is required for the newsletter. Cya.

In The Zone

by Claudia Castro

What do Jennifer Aniston, Madonna, Cindy Crawford and Brad Pitt have in common? They are on the Zone Diet, a new, healthier way of life. This is a nutritious concept invented fifteen year ago by Dr. Barry Sears. This new concept of diet keeps you slim and gives you more energy, mental fluency and the most important of all it slows down the symptoms of aging.

The diet consist of consuming 5 meals a day (three main ones and two snacks) and you must leave a 4-5 hour period between each meal, otherwise the hormones get altered and you leave the healthy zone. Dr. Sear says that this new concept of losing weight is more than just a diet, is a style of healthy life. Because it makes you keep the right weight for the rest of your life.

“After three or four days of starting the diet you can notice more mental fluency; after four days your body energy increases and the desire to eat carbohydrates decreases and also you start to feel your clothe loosen, because the abdominal fat starts to reduce,” Dr Sears says. There are no contraindications to enter The Zone, everybody can start the diet.

Nowadays everybody wants to look their best and the younger the better. Certainly the anti-aging affect is the lure of the zone diet. The hormonal equilibrium oxidize lessens the stress of the cells and therefore it makes the aging process to slow. So, what are you waiting for? Get in The Zone now.

" THE ORIGINS OF EASTER ISLAND"

By Rose Marie Kuschel R.
June 19^th, 2007.

Easter Island, also known as “Rapa Nui,” is located in the South Pacific at 3.600 kms. west of Chile with a latitude close to that of the city of Caldera, located at the North of Santiago, the capital city of Chile. Easter Island is a province of the Valparaiso Region and has a population of 3.791 inhabitants, 3.304 of which actually live in “Hanga Roa”, the capital of the island.

There are several opinions about why this place received the name of Easter Island. Some early settlers called the Island “TE PITO O TE HENUA” meaning “Navel of the World” due to its extreme isolation. Other legends claim that the island was first named “TE PITO O TE KANGA A HAU MAKA”, meaning “ The little piece of land of Hau Maka” because of the small area that is no more than 163 km2. However, it was the Dutch Admiral Jacob Rogeveen who came upon the island on Easter Day in 1722 and named it that way. Today, the land, people and language are all referred to as Rapa Nui.

There has been much controversy and confusion concerning the origins of the first settlers on the island. Some scientists proposed that the first inmigrants were descendents of Peruvian families due to the similarity between Rapa Nui and the Inca stonework. Others have suggested that Easter Island is a piece of land belonging to a lost continent. On the other side, archeological evidence indicates that the discovery of the island was made by Polynesian at about 400 AD. Some legends claim that HOTU MATUA arrived on the island in one or two large canoes with his wife and a lot of other people belonging to their numerous family. Upon their arrival, an impressive and enigmatic culture began to develop. However, recent studies suggest that the island was settled as recently as 1.200 AD. This seems to be supported by the latest information on the island’s deforestation that could have started around the same time. Any earlier human activity seems to be insignificant from the scientific point of view because all those legends are related to a religious belief or to a personal point of view and therefore, don’t have enough scientific background to believe in.

The first missionaries who visited the place in the 1860’s, reported that the island originally had a very organized class system and that the most visible element in their culture was the production of “MOAI”, enormous stone statues that were part of the ancestral worship. All the moai were erected along the coastline to indicate a homogeneus culture and centralized government based on “ARIKI”, the king of the island who had god – like powers. Unfortunately, as years passed the population of the island exceeded the capabilities of the small ecosystem and resourses became scarce. It was necessary to destroy and deforestate large areas of land for agriculture and therefore, the moai had to be removed to provide more space to work the land. As a result, the advanced social order of the island declined into a Civil War and cannibalism. During this time, all the Moai that hadn’t been removed, where destroyed as a consequence of the war and chaos.

Besides those internal problems, the island was approached many times during the 19^th century by Europeans who killed many natives and invaded their territory in such a way that the islanders became hostile for any attempt to gain land and fought with all their strenght to avoid being attacked by foreigner visitors. However, a series of misfortunes continued to destroy almost the entire population during a period of 15 years. In 1862, Peruvian ships landed on the Island looking for people to work in their mines. They captured and killed around 1.500 men and women, about half of the island’s population. With the help of a Bishop from Tahiti, the slaves were finally let free a year later, but most of them had already died of several harmful diseases including Tuberculosis, Smallpox and Dysentery. When they returned to the island, the remaining islanders were soon infected by those diseases and the island’s population was reduced to the point that all the dead were not even burried. Survivors started a new war against each other for the newly available land of the already dead, bringing further famine and more destruction. In 1867, Tuberculosis infected the whole island, killing thousands more islanders. By 1871, around 500 people lived on Easter Island and six years later, there were just 111 people alive. Thankfully, from that day on the island slowly started to recover from disaster.

Easter Island was annexed to Chile in 1888. Since the surviving Rapa Nui descendants were given Chilean citizenship, the islanders were finally left in peace and could re – embrace their ancient culture. With the help of the Chilean Government, the moai were re – erected and now are competing to be one of the new seven world wonders. Recent events have shown a tremendous increase in tourism on the island, mainly because it remains as one of the most unique places you will ever see.

So, if you are still wondering whether or not it would be a good choice to visit Easter Island,never forget that this is the perfect place to enjoy the most wonderful sorroundings mixed with an important historical background that will certainly amaze you.

Your Stars In July...

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)

This is the best time to go out and meet someone unforgettable. Your studies or job will bring you some problems this week. To avoid this, you will have to buy a dozen of eggs put them into the fridge and start eating them once all your problems are gone. If you neglect this warning, your problems will persist. Some studies have shown that the power of cold eggs brings peace and harmony to you.

Fast Foods: coney island hotdogs, bratwurst, pita pockets

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)
Now you have to be aware of your neighbor’s dog. He/she is looking at you as if you were the yummiest bone. Maybe you were a kinky dog in your past life? Your heart is uneasy because it needs to release all the love it has, but there is no person to give it to. Open you heart to that person besides you, maybe he/she loves you in silence.

Fast Foods: bbq chicken, jalapeno poppers, shrimp

SCORPIO(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)

You have to buy new shoes. The shoes you are wearing are worn out and uncomfortable. Your parent’s relationship is not in the best moment, so you have to be helpful in ways to take the pressure off them. Try doing some helpful things for them that are sure to put a smile on their face and remove some stress.

Fast Foods: nachos, potato soup, fish sticks

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)

Your partner loves you, but they don’t always agree with some of your behaviors. You have to think about these behaviors and analyze what is causing them. You may be omitting your past life, which is not a good thing. A good relationship means to know each other, and even to know what each other did in their past. You have to talk with your partner and establish some communications and changes for the well-being of both of you and your relationship.

Fast Foods: supreme pizza, churrascos,pisco sour.

CAPRICORN(Dec 22.- Jan. 20)
You have health problems and you think you are alone in this life, but you are not alone. You have someone far away from you who is thinking about you every single moment. That person loves you more than you can imagine. Your health will be ok in a couple of weeks and everything will be ok once again. You only have to be patient.

Fast Foods: steak/lobster, sweets, chocolate ,chile

AQUARIUS(Jan. 21 -Feb. 19)

Maybe a little time at the beach will be the best thing for all your tension. It’s a good time to be outdoors and to be in contact with nature. When you get back from the beach, try to take it easy and don’t get upset about the little things.

Fast Foods: spaghetti, fried clams, buffalo wings

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)

You are not in the mood to go out. You look tired and in need of some rest. Renting a movie is a good alternative for those cold winter nights. Make a nest with some blankets and pillows and warm cocoa and invite some good company over. Make sure the people you invite are true to the heart and wish only the best for you.

Fast Food: grilled chicken, taco salad, lobster

ARIES(Mar. 21- April 20)

You’re lover had come to visit you from out-of-town. What a brilliant weekend we had with each other. It was off the hook and we needed it, but now the weekend is over and back to our daily routines. Next month, it is my turn to make the trip to visit. It is sure to be another unforgettable moment. Where will we go…. maybe the mountains ...Who knows? Now you will have to save money to pay your cell phone bill, because it’s huge…

Fast Foods: pizzas, hot churrascos, French fries, fettuccini

TAURUS(Apr. 21- may 21)

You have been mean-spirited lately. You will have to improve your behaviors and apologize to those you have treated badly. If you don’t take this warning seriously, you are bound be unsuccessful in your job or school. It’s time to think about what you have done, and decide to change. It’s never too late to change; however, your past actions may not be easily forgiven. Remember Karma…. What goes around, comes around…you being mean to someone only means that someone someday will be mean to you….Think about it

Fast Foods: cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, onion rings

GEMINI (May 22-June 21)

Problems at your workplace are not directly your fault. The problems happened because you took a lot of your time to teach and support the new employees. Your support didn’t go unnoticed with the boss, proving to him your value at the company. Unfortunately, the people you helped turned against you at the first sight of trouble. You have the support of your boss and, most important your family. Remember Karma – what goes around comes around…be nice and people in return will be nice to you… being a jerk can only bring other jerks into your life… a lesson for a future. You will be fine.

Fast Foods: soup, fish filet, walnut salad

CANCER(June 22-July 22)

It’s been a very long time since visiting your friends. Is it because you haven’t needed their help or had a problem they could solve for you? Remember that your friends are people too, with similar everyday problems, like your own. Have you helped them recently? True friends are involved in all aspects of your life. Why not surprise them with a friendly call or visit. Ask them if there is anything you can do for them. Remember Karma…what goes around, comes around….your actions predict future outcomes.

Fast Foods: mystery meat, pudding, jello

LEO(July 23-Aug 22)

Your work lately has been stressful, appropriately so with all the new projects. Your performance and output has not been your best. Your stress and frustration levels are at an all time high, and you are extremely tired. If you can get a vacation now, you need some time to get away and relieve some stress. If you can’t vacation now, then take an hour out of your day at the office, and go to a park, or beach, or water, and just listen to the peaceful sounds, while letting the stress flow from your body and being replaced by calm and soothing feelings. When you go back to the office, you will notice your productivity will skyrocket, thus feeling less stressed. If you continue at the pace you are going now, you are sure to be fired. Make changes before it’s too late.

Fast Foods: spicy burritos, ribs, pizza

Politics

By Hugo Armijo

Politics is one of the most important aspects in which people can be involved. In a sense,

we all create politics in different ways. We can define politics as the process by which

groups of people make decisions. David Easton describes politics as “ the authoritative

allocation of values for a society”. All kinds of groups of people, such as governments,

corporations, religions and others take part in it. Generally we associate politics with

countries and their governments. In Chile we have different political parties, some of them

have left or right tendencies which divide opinions and it is determined in the congress

where Deputies and Senators are identified with their own parties and where, by majority,

the country´s laws are voted or refused. We know that there are good or bad politicians and

therefore, their behavior can improve or corrupt a society.

A good politician is honest, transparent, interested in people and the most important, a

consistent person.

I hope that our country is able to go ahead under good politicians who have a real

interest in people.

Bruce Lee

By Daniel Rodriguez

Bruce Lee, was born in San Fransisco in November of 1940. His mother named him Bruce, because it means “Strong one” in Gaelic. Bruce was constantly getting into fights, and because of that he looked Kung Fu as a way of disciplining himself. The famous Yip Men taught him his basic skills but no long before he was better than the master. Yip Men was acknowledged to be one of the greatest authorities on the subject of Wing Chun, a branch of the Chinese Martial Arts. Bruce mastered this before progressing to his own style of Jeet Kune Do (The intercepting fist).

At the age of 19, Bruce left Hong Kong to study for a degree in philosophy at the University of Washington in Seattle, the same place where he would met his future wife, Linda. He began to teach students who could pay him in order to earn some money. Some of the Japanese schools in the Seattle area tried to force him out, and he had to fight many times to remain there. His martial art school grew, and he soon graduated from the university.

Back in Hong Kong producers were desperate to sign Bruce for Martial Arts films, and it was Raymond Chow, the head of Golden Harvest, who produced “The Big Boss.” The rest, as they say, is history.

On July 20, 1973, just one month before the premiere of “Enter the Dragon,” Bruce Lee died in Hong Kong at the age of 32. The official cause of his unexpected death was a brain edema. Controversy surrounded Lee’s death from the beginning, because some claimed he had been murdered. It was also widely believed to have been cursed, a conclusion driven by Lee’s prediction of with his own early death.

Michael Jordan

By Daniel Rodriguez


Michael Jordan, the best basketball player of all times, was the person who lead the Chicago Bulls to many NBA championships.

He accepted a basketball scholarship from the University of North Carolina, and as a freshman scored the winning basket in the 1982 NCAA championship game against Georgetown. He was selected as the player of the year that season, and in 1984 he lead the United States basketball team to a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Michael left college in 1984 to play with the NBA Chicago Bulls. He finished his first season (1984-1985) as one of the top scorers in the league, with an average of 28.2 points for game. He was also named rookie of the year.

He was the highest scorer of the NBA for seven consecutive seasons (1987-1993). He lead the Chicago Bulls to their first NBA championship title in 1991; after that, the Bulls won again in 1992 and 1993. He also won the All-Star MVP award twice (1988, 1996) and was three-time consecutive MVP of the NBA (1991-1993).

Jordan was also a member of the greatest basketball team of all times, known as the “Dream Team,” where he played with other magnificent players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, and many others.

Jordan announced his retirement in the 1993-1994 season, but in the 1995-1996 season, he returned to the NBA, winning the championship title again, and scoring more than 30 points per game. That year he was named MVP of the NBA finals, becoming the first player to earn the honor four times.