Ecosurf trip

"We all come from the sea, but we are not all of the sea. Those of us who are, we children of the tides, must return to it again and again, until the day we don't come back leaving only that which was touched along the way."

-Chasing Mavericks

As cheesy as the previous quote may seem I continue to find it true, there must be a biological factor that makes the ocean so incredibly attractive despite its many dangers. That's probably the reason why I returned to the ecosurf trip (I went for the first time on sophomore year), and even though it was the same trip with the same guides, the experience was different. I returned with a much more serious vision of surf. The first time I was there to have fun with my friends but this time I decided to really put an effort into the sport, and it payed off. I definitely improved my skills and even won the surf competition at the end of the trip. 

Although, the most important thing I learned is the importance of taking a break. Despite the fact that half of the trip I was in physical pain (be it muscular pain, sunburns or bruises), I was relaxed the whole time; I didn't mind getting up at 8 in the morning, I would've woken up earlier if it had been necessary. There was no stress, my only worry was not falling of the board and trying to avoid waves crashing on me. Senior year is a stressful year, there's college applications, IB exams, and in general loads of life-changing decisions to be made. This trip helped me come back with a refreshed outlook and renewed priorities. Sure, getting into a good college is still important to me, but I realize that I want to have a good time while doing it. I plan to continue surfing and hopefully continue to improve, I'm glad to have found a sport that allows me to stray from my day to day routine and have some time off to relax. 

What it means to be "latin"

Growing up, ethnicity was never something I thought about, at least not my own ethnicity. I knew that some people where white and some people were black, and most people fell within a range. This didn't really matter though, spending all my life in an international school made me look past skin color or even accents, I became a third culture kid despite the fact I've spent my whole life in the country I was born in. The first time I was confronted with my own ethnicity was during a standardized test; I had to fill in a bubble according to which group I belonged to, as if being born in the southern hemisphere could somehow lower my abilities. Until then, I had never considered myself a "Latina," I was just a person. I didn't identify with the mental image I had of latin people. That was when I realized that my own ethnicity had been so stereotyped I could no longer see myself in it.
I am not mexican, I have never been to Mexico, and having tacos to me is as foreign as having sushi. I have lived a privileged life; I go to an expensive private school, I traveled to Europe on my fifteenth birthday and have an apple computer. Honestly, I identify much more with a rich white kid than I do with the typical latin woman stereotype. I am no where near close to the characters J Lo represents in her movies, I am not a struggling tan skinned woman who happens to meet a wealthy white man who will introduce me to a world of luxury, I do not suddenly switch to spanish rants when I get angry; I'm just as capable of being mad in english.

It's true that my life is very different from that of the majority, there is devastating poverty all over the continent and I am blessed to have been given so many opportunities, but ethnicity has become a matter of economic status rather than the color of my skin or even the culture I belong to. I take pride of my roots, of the mapuches who fought against the spaniards and then the mestizos who fought for their independence. All of them have shaped the way I see myself and the lens through which I view the world, but this runs far deeper than what is shown in TV. In that sense I suppose I do consider myself a latin woman, but the word has lost its original meaning and become the image of a victimized culture, the image of poverty and illegal immigrants. I am not a victim, like media tends to represent me, I am strong and independent despite the fact my country and continent have often been abused by others. I am resilient, and this is the Latin America I identify with.

Biodiversity in Punta de Choros

Chile's national reserve "Pingüino de Humboldt" is composed of three islands located in the regions of Atacama and Coquimbo: Isla Chañaral, Isla Choros, and Isla Dama. From the aforementioned, only Isla Damas is open for tourists to explore, and only with a restricted set of rules. This reserve is the home to approximately 80% of the world's Humboldt penguin population, along with other species such as the bottle-nosed dolphin, sea lions, and the occasional whale, or "cachalote". In other words, Punta de Choros is a national treasure when it comes to biodiversity. This is were I will be traveling for week without walls.
The ecosurf trip goes beyond teaching the basics of surfing, it allows us to learn about the environment while actually exploring it, rather than sitting in a classroom and having someone show pictures in a powerpoint. Aside from this, the trip also has a cultural focus, since we will also be sharing with the local people. Punta de Choros definitely presents a completely different reality than the one at school. Being able to share with the few people living in the town will surely be a humbling experience and a an opportunity to give something back to society.

Publicity and Revolution

A revolution by definition is a violent political and social change, often times accompanied by propaganda in order to incite the people to join the cause. Because of its inherent social qualities, it makes sense that nowadays, in the era of information, social media is used to promote revolutionary ideals. This was true both in the case of the student movement in Chile and ISIS in the middle east, as extreme as both examples may seem.

Two years ago, in the New York Times, an article talking about Camila Vallejo (the leader of the mobilization in Chile) was published, highlighting mostly how good-looking she is and even calling her  "the world's most glamorous revolutionary." As indignant as it may seem that a intelligent woman is once again reduced to her appearance, it is true that her good looks have helped Camila popularize the student mobilization. Her charisma, green eyes, and characteristic nose ring managed to awaken an entire country's revolutionary feelings, not only with regards to education, but also in other pressing matters such as Hydroaysén, a hydroelectric plant that was supposed to be installed in the south of Chile.
Social media was crucial when spreading the image of the young revolutionary, marches and "cacerolazos" were organized through Facebook, her opinion along with that of hundreds of others were spread through platforms like twitter, until there was no one in Chile who could say they hadn't heard about a girl named Camila Vallejo.
Even though in comparison to ISIS these protests were pacific, the presence of violence particularly towards the end of the marches was undeniable. Fourteen year-olds where gassed with tear gas and arrested, often just because they didn't leave before the "encapuchados" came out and started causing havoc.
Meanwhile, in the Middle East, jihadists from ISIS are also taking advantage of the widespread of social media. So far, four journalists have been murdered on tape. Anyone  with an internet connection can search ISIS on google, and a beheading is sure to be one of the first thing to show up. The way the Islamic State has managed its public affairs and spread their message is the proof that no publicity is bad publicity. And this negative public image is not all of it.
Vice news, in their documentary about the Islamic State, walk around the Syrian border with a sort of "public manager" who was in charge of handling the external image that is given of the IS. This appearance is the one that attracts new members, especially young children, nine year olds who vow to kill infidels and establish a muslim caliphate because they have been brainwashed by an incessant flow of media supporting those ideals.
Clearly the student mobilization has made a much more positive use of social media in order to spread their ideals, but there is no doubt that in both revolutions this form of communication has had a decisive role in the successful diffusion of revolutionary ideals.