Chile 2010

Introduction.

Every New Year party, chilean people celebrate thinking that next year will be a good one. But this year has been a difficult year for chilean people: the earthquake ans tsumani in February, snowfall in the south of Chile during the winter and the miners problem in the north. But Chile has very strong people and I’m sure that the next New Year party we will celebrate with the hope that 2011 will be a better year than 2010.

Chile in 2010.

We start 2010, the bicentennial year, with big parties along our country and the people celebrating and thinking in the september's parties. A lot of people were in their holidays when occurred the most terrible event of the year: the earthquake and tsunami, which caused the dead of many people and the destruction of many cities along our country. The reconstruction of this cities perhaps may happen in the coming years, but the people who lost their family never will can recover their internal peace. Chile was seen in the world as an united and supportive country.

The other big notice in 2010 was the miners accident in San Juan mine. For months, this was the more important notice (leaving behind everything related to the earthquake...), which fortunately ended with the 33 miners alive. Again, Chile was seen in the world as a big country, and showing men who was able to live in bad conditions, but with the hope of millions of people waiting for their rescue.

There are another "annual problems", as crime and economical problems. We hope that 2011 will be a better year than 2010 and these big problems can be controled... It's difficult, but it's not impossible...

Conclusions.

I love my country and their people. I admire the force of thousands of people who have had a terrible year, but who have been able to continue with their lives, even helping at other people. I hope that 2011 will be a more quiet year that 2010 because Chilean people need tranquility.

My thesis

I'm working in the Biotechnology Laboratory in INIA La Platina, but my thesis is part of a proyect of CEAF, in INIA Rayentué. It name is "Construction of a Prunus avium genetic map for identification of QTLs associated to characters of interest in juvenile stage". Prunus avium is the scientific name of sweet cherry, an important exportation fruit for the chilean economy because there are a big number of commercial orchands in our country which are producing this fruit for send it to Europe, Asia and United States.

The basis of my thesis are DNA analysis, or analysis of variations in specific DNA sequences of a poblation of sweet cherry trees ("brother trees"). The first activity of my thesis was to collect young leaves from adult cherry trees for DNA extraction ("mother and father trees"). I did the extraction last week... I'm very happy because is a big step!! Now, I'm waiting for the collect of leaves from small trees, in december. The next step is PCR, or DNA amplification, for the visualization of DNA variations among individuals.

DNA analysis are a very important molecular tool. We can construct genetic maps, which are being used in Molecular Breeding, an area of Breeding which allows to obtain new varieties using molecular markers (for identification of variation in DNA sequences). There is little information about genetic maps in cherries (only 4 maps have been publicated until this year). The goal of my thesis is to construct a new genetic map for a future use in identification of genes responsible of characteristics of the tree and fruit.

This kind of thesis is not a tool for direct help to students or people. It's only the inicial step for a large work in sweet cherry breeding... but... someone has to star the work....

Environment

Environment is a very important theme in our society because cities are being affected for pollution and water contamination, for example. This problem is not present only in big cities, but it's a problem in small cities in the countryside where people use fireplace in winter and it causes air contamination. Another big problem in the countryside is the water contamination because big companies release waste at ditches and rivers, and the water is needed for agricultural labours.

Children learn about enviromentally friendly practices at schools. In the most of this places, children have containers with colors for deposit diferent things: green for glass, yellow for plastic, red for tetra pack and blue for paper. But the problem is at our homes, where we don't continue with the task of recycling. My son and I keep tetra pack and he leads them to his school, but in a lot of opportunities, we forget our task. I think that my contribution to recycling is to use paper and save it until I can give it in some place where the paper is used to recycling.

I don't have a car, then I use public transport and my legs. In this moment, public transport is not a solution for contamination because there are a lot of old buses circulating for the cities, and this is not a problem only in Santiago. I have a bike, but it's in Rengo, where you can use the bike with less fear than in Santiago (fear at cars, buses and offenders...).

I will work in Molecular Breeding in sweet cherries using molecular markers. Greenpeace supports this technology because it can be used for to select plants in early stages of development, and like a tool which would helps the traditional breeding, without to produce genetically modified organisms.

The 33 group

On August 22th, just a month ago, a big notice was shown by every TV channel: The 33 miners were alive!! I was in my grandmother's house, and all my family stopped their conversations because the notice about the miners was one of the most important for those days. I traveled this Sunday from Rengo to Santiago and the people spoke about the notice in the bus and subway. Many peoples lefts in their cars, showing flags of Chile for the cars' windows.

I think that the miners' life is very hard. They work for very long time in the mine, without opportunities to see their family, with low wages and long working days. The 33 miners are men very brave, who work in the mine because is a familiar tradition or because is the only option of work at that place (and this must be the most likely option). Their actual "life" in the mine must be very hard, although the authorities have been everything possible for help them. A lot of people visit their families (artists, musicians), but I think that the most important people are Psychologists in this moment, because they are very sad and tired and need their professional help.

Their return at the surface will be dangerous, because they must travel 700 mts in an uncomfortable possition. I hope, like all chilean people, that they can be rescued without big problems, and they will be the most importante gift for their families at next Christmas.

Bicentennial Celebrations

I love this month, because starts the spring and we have days in which we can eat, dance and rest, if it is posible. This year is more important, because Chile celebrates 200 years from it Independence (or the First Goverment Sesion) and there is a special ambient. In some places, all houses have a chilean flag, which is not habitual another years. At the school, childrens are preparing dances or representations about tipical zones in Chile, which they will present next week.

There will be many celebrations in Santiago, like National Stadium inauguration this sunday or a big light show in La Moneda next week. I won tickets for the musical "La pérgola de las flores", in a mall, which is considered one of the celebrations of the bicentennial. I think that will be a lot of different parties and events along the country.

In Santiago, a tipical place to eat, dance and drink (for whose who are interested) are the "fondas" in Parque O'Higgins. In my case, last two years I was to San Fernando, near of Rengo, at the official "ramada" with my sister, friends and cousins. It was very entertaining because is a place where you can go with your family and friends without problems. It's probable that this year we'll go to San Fernando again, to continue the tradition.

Now, the question is: Who know what we celebrate on September 18? This is not the problem in this moment, because the people is interested in to celebrate, and in to say "Viva Chile!"

An ideal country....

One of my best friends is from Cuba and she lives in Chile from 1998. She loves her country and she invited me because both need a nice holidays, but we don't have any time..... and I don't have money (this is the most important problem, jejejeje). She talk me about her family and about the Cuban people, which are very funny and happy. I'll like visit this country, but in winter there, because in summer, they have high temperature and humidity... That is not nice...

Another friend is doing her PhD thesis in France and she says me that I have a bedroom in her appartment. I'll like travel to France and to know another countries, like Spain or Italy. Maybe, in the future, I'll visit at my friend... who knows...

But I think that I need to know Chile also. I have visit only some cities in our country, like La Serena and Valle del Elqui in the north, and Concepción, Valdivia and Puerto Montt in the south. In the O'Higgins Region, where I came from, there are beautiful place that I don't know... Maybe I need start for visit my region, because is more cheap that a travel to Europe or Cuba, jejejejeje...

My work

I'm a biochemist, and I work in INIA La Platina, in the "Biotechnology Laboratory". From next year, I'm going to work in INIA Rayentué, in Rengo, in the "Fruticulture Advanced Studies Center (CEAF)". I'm part of a group of students who are doing our thesis in themes related to Prunus ("stone fruits").

In CEAF, I'm part of the Genomic and Breeding Areas and I'm going to work at Molecular Breeding in sweet cherries. Breeders (people who work in obtaining new varieties) are interested in the use of new technologies which give them the opportunity to know some characteristics of the tree or the fruit in early stages of development of the plant. My thesis is focused on the use of DNA from leaves and its analysis with molecular markers. These ones are DNA fragment which give us information about differences among plants, and they are very useful in Molecular Breeding. For example, we can detect plants which will produce big and sweet cherries, or that will be resistent to viruses or bacteria, although these plants are young and have only one pair of leaves.

I think that my work is very interesting and we will obtain very useful information for breeding in swett cherries, which are an important fruit for the Chilean economy.

Now, level 4...

Welcome to our new classmates! The previous group was very entertaining and I hope that we are a good group also. I learned a lot in the course, but I must improve the "listening tests"... I need more practice.

Last semester we wrote about various topics.... trips, a photo, movies, etc. Maybe this semester we can write about our family or friends, or about what we hope for our future... An important theme in september is the Bicentenary and the Chilean culture, our traditions, our foods... Maybe we can write about this topics, because we can give our opinion about the people in different parts of Chile, if we have traveled for our country... I love our country :)

Blogging experience

This is my first blog. Some friends have one, but I was not interested in having a blog because I prefer to write mails to my friends when I need to say something. Also, we have Facebook now, in which you can write comments and your friends can write in your page, and the program sends you an email advising that your friends have written. The blog don't have this function and I don't know when someone write a comment in it...

Blogging has not been entertained because is difficult to write in English, and it takes a long time... but I prefer write in this blog instead of the listening tests... I have improved my English during the course, and the blog has help me because I have written about different topics, then I need to use vocabulary. My favorite blog was the one in which we write about a photo. In this opportunity, I wrote about my friends.

The advantages of blogging in the English class are to write in this language in a format more atractive that in a Word file and that our classmates can read our comments. The disadvantage are the misunderstandings. I love to speak and write... but in Spanish... I think to write in a blog in English can cause problems, because you can write something and you can be misunderstood (as in a comment that I did in Guillermo's blog and José did not understand).

The problem with the blog is that you can't copy a text from a Word file, in which you can write in English and to count the words (in the blog, you can't count the words and the tasks must be a certain extension...). I hope to keep improving my English because it's very important in our area and it will be necessary for our trips in the future.

Important photographs :)

I have a lot of important photographs, in which you can see my family, my son or my friends... In this oportunity, I decided show you a photograph from last year, of my "almost family". It was taken in december, in Luis' house, my leader at that time. That day, Luis invited me to lunch with his family, but he had a surprise for me, because he invited those who worked with me in the laboratory. We were all very happy. Two weeks later, I stopped working with them. That was a very sad moment...

There are two of my best friends in the photo: Agnes, at my right, and Mirka, at my left. They have very different personalities, but both are very inteligent and very good friends. The other people are: John, Luis, Nury, Loreto and Elizabeth. All they are very nice and important people for me, because I worked for 4 years with some of them. Nury, who is behind me in the photo, is studying Biochemist from this year (Luis, Mirka and me are biochemist... and we told her :"¿Are you sure?" She says "Yes, I'm sure. I like your work in the lab"...). We had many good moments in the lab, like birthdays, because the group was very unified.

I was to the lab in April. Now, I'm a visit for they, but we continue with a great friendship. Facebook keep us reported. I hope to see them again soon :)

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution

In his presentation, Sir Ken Robinson talk about the importance of a revolution in Education

He says that the world is divided in two groups: people who don't enjoy that they do, and people who loves that they do. The problem, is that the minory of the people is part of this group. Education dislocates very many people from their natural talents, then they can't use it and they must work in areas that not always are interesting. Also, he says that Education systems are building on the model of "fast food", where everything is standardized. The problem is that human talent is tremendously diverse, then this systems not uses the diversity.

Sir Robinson speaks about passion, and about the importance of to do the things that we love to do. He proposes to move to a model that is based more on principles of agriculture, and he speaks about "human flourishing", related to the human development.

To finish, Sir Robinson recommends to use technology, combined with the talents of teachers, to revolutionize Education, because it is needed to the future of children.

This is a very important theme in Chile in this moment. A big problem is that a lot of teachers don't love their work, then they are unable of to encourage at their students. I think that the theme of to do that we love is very important, not only in the school period, but during our life. If we are happy, we can be able to encourage to our sons, in a work which must be accomplished with the school.

Trips

I went to the USA in March, 2008. I traveled with Bioscan's company major. This was my first trip in an airplane (9 hours...), and it was a very funny experience, but we were in Miami airport for five hours without a little tour for the city... Next, we went to New Orleans.

In New Orleans we participated in "the Pittcon Convention", in which you can find a lot of chemical and biotechnogical companies. We work during day but we went out in the night for knowing the city. I'd like travel to the USA again, to another city. I have friends who live in San Diego, California. They have invited me for visit them next year. It could be a very good experience...

All my trips han been related to my work. I went to Concepcion in 2008 and 2009, and I worked with proffesors and students from University of Concepcion and University San Sebastian. The better of this trips are to know people (and the food!!). I'd like travel to the south of Chile again... I need vacations and Puerto Montt, Valdivia or Chiloe are very appropiated places to rest...


I'd like travel to Cuba in the future. One of my best friends is from this country, and she speaks about it, its beachs, foods and people and I think that this trip could be very fun!

It's probable that we need to travel in the future to other laboratories in other countries, such Spain, France or the USA. This trips will be really important!!

Movies

I don't know about cinema directors... The last time I went to cinema was last year... As you can see, movies are not an important part of my life, but it's not because I don't like them, but I don't have any free time... Really, I have only a few hours during the afternoon and night in which I must do other things... and if I have some free time I prefer to sleep...

At home, the last movie I saw was "Up", which is a beautiful movie about a boy and an old man who travel in a house using balloons filled with helium, and they have a lot of problems. It's a very nice movie, because it has very sad minutes, but also it has very funny parts and it gives us a message about friendship.

Last year I saw "P.D.: I love you". Like my friends told me, the movie relates a very sad, but very exciting movie about love and death... My eyes were very irritated after seeing the movie... because I cried a lot...

My son, Vicente, likes movies. I have seen movies with him like "Shrek" 1, 2 and 3, "Ice Age" 1, 2 and 3, "Cars"... As you can see, I have only seen infant movies in the last time...

Important web-sites

I think that, in this moment of my life, Pubmed is my favorite web site (if my friends read this, they say me that I need vacations...). Pubmed is a very useful web-site from U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health. In this web-site you can loock up information (cientific publications) not only about heath, but about differents areas in Biology (microbiology and virology in humans, plants and animals, for example).

You can loock up the information using key words, and the web-site give you a lot of papers. You can choice some documents (PDF) and you can download them to your computer. If the paper is not disponible in Pubmed, GOOGLE is the next favorite web-site! Some people publish their papers in their university's or laboratory's web-site, then you can access to the papers from this sites.

In the university, a professor gave us tasks about different topics. He always said us "search it in GOOGLE!!". This was our favorite sentence during our years in the university... and now I remember this sentence every time I need something (photos, papers, dictionary...).

Another important web-site in this moment is Google Translate... I need it help...

Animals

I don't like cats because they sometimes destroy the furniture in the houses. My best friend, Sandra, loves them, and she has two cats in her home, who sleep with her in her bed.

I like dogs. The last dog that we had was Niño, a little brown dog who died when I was 18 years old. From this time, we have not a dog in our house.

My grandfather has a horse. He works with the horse in his orchand. My son, Vicente, loves it and he likes give it grass. Vicente was to to the zoo in summer. His favorite animal was the lion.

I like listen birds when they sing on the trees. It's very nice to listem them and to close the eyes because it's relaxing.

I think that animals are a very good company for some people, especially when they live alone. In some building, the people cannot have animals. This is the idea in the building where I live, but some people have dogs and cats.I don't have problem with this, while they don't annoy me.

There are some people who have exotic animals in their houses, like snakes and spiders. I hate them.

Is Catholic Church in crisis?

This theme is not easy for me, because I'm catholic and I have participated in several groups on the Church. I have an uncle who is priest, then you can understand why this question is difficult to answer.
I think that the Catholic Church is not in crisis, but it's facing a bad moment because the people don´t know what to think (this is my problem now). I don´t know all the histories that are emerging in this days because I have not seen TV this week. I have heard comments about abuse, but I don't know details. The problem with this notices is that the people can think that all is bad, but it´s not true. There are many people who work without problem in the Church, but it´s terrible to think that some priest are not clear in their sexual inclination and they use their authority doing much damage...
Many people I know say that is very important to rescue the laborious work done for many priest who they are have know along their life. With this "earthquake" in the Catholic Church, priests like my uncle must show that the vast majority priests in the world are working without hurt people.

Post 3: I love music :)

Music is very important in my life. In my family there are many amateur singers, and I like to sing, too. My father plays the guitar and he taught me when I had 12 years old. My son, Vicente, loves the music and in his school he is learning a lot of songs, then he sings to me every day (and I'm very happy with this). My father has recordings of him and me singing in our home when I was 5 or 6 years old.

I like music in English and Spanish. In English, my favorite singers are Joss Stone and James Blunt because this music is very nice and "soft" (I don't like "strong" music, like hard rock because it causes me a headache...). Joss Stone has a very powerfull voice, and I would like to listen to her someday in Chile (or in England, or in another country, who knows...). James Blunt was in Chile in January of 2009 in a tour with Elton John. My sister and me were at the concert in Movistar Arena, in Santiago. We were very happy because he sang all our favorite songs.

8,8 Richter in Chile!

On February 27th, I was in my parent's house, in Rengo. I was sleeping with my son, Vicente, and I was to the bathroom five minutes before the earthquake. To start the earthquake, the lamp's light turned off. I didn't move from my bed during the earhtquake. Vicente didn´t feel the strong movement, fortunately, and he awoke in my parent's bedroom, ten minutes later.

My sister, who was in her bedroom wih her daughter, looked how moved my grandfather' car in the yard... and she was very scared. When the earthquake finished, my sister and me were to our parent's bedroom with our children.

The house didn't have problems, fortunately, but my department in Macul, Santiago, has some problems, but they are not serious.

It was a terrible experience... but in my department, it could be worse because I live in a fifth floor...

Something of me

Hello! My name is Verónica. I'm 29 years old and I'm biochemist. I have a big family (for example, I have 35 cousins...) and I live in Santiago with my son, Vicente, my sister and her daughter.

I worked for four years in a Biotechnological Company, where I learned about Molecular Biology. In 2008, I went to New Orleans, in USA, where I needed to speak english. From this moment, I believed in the need of an english course in my life...

This year will be... intense.... I need to give order to my life because I need to study alone, and I need to study with my son... But I'm happy because the PhD program is a new experience in that I hope to learn about Agronomy (I never worked with plants) and to travel in the future.