I love dance!!!

I do a lot of activities in my life, and sometimes, I think to study psychology is a hobby too! But, one of my favorites ones is the dance.

I went to my first lessons when I was 14 years old, at the school. My maths teacher was Arabian descendant and she danced very good, and she gave lessons a full year and I lost just one class because I was sick. In this time, I fell in love with this dance and I worked very hard, because it was difficult, but I thought that all elements in this discipline were beautiful and I needed to learn. I learned basics steps and movements, and then, I began to use the veil.

After this year, I couldn´t take lessons until university, but I never gave up the practice.

Then, when I was studying psychology, I went to flamenco lessons, and then I discovered the tribal bellydance style and I began to practice this new kind of dance too. This style is a mix of different elements of bellydance, flamenco, Indian dances, hip hop, and other dances, and has a more ethnic and tribal esthetics. I have danced this style 4 years, going to intensive seminaries and regular lessons; I have learnt to use veil, sword and finger cymbals.

Today, I´m a tribal bellydance instructor at the university, teaching this style to students in the science faculty workshops. I participate too in “Raks Gothique”, a gothic tribal bellydance company during 3 years. I´m very happy with this activities, but the present year I have to do my professional practice and I will have not enough time!!! I´m very worried about it… I can´t imagine my life without dance!!!

(a video of my last performance)

I want to be artist!

All the time at the university, I always thought I was not in the correct career. It has been terrible! I like to study psychology but I think it isn´t my vocation, I have vocation for the arts.

My hobbies (dance and jewelry) are related with arts and I have several skills in manual activities. I love to create new things, and to learn new technics to improve my creations. In fact, I was in “orfebrería” lessons (work with metals) at arts faculty in our campus and I really loved it! When I finish my actual career, I want to take more lessons in this area.

I would have liked to study arts at Universidad de Chile, because arts faculty is an important arts school in our country, and lot of famous artists studied here. I have some artist friends and I really like the activities that they do. One friend is sculptress, and she works in big sculpture projects and competitions; I have two friends who studied arts and now they are dancers too.

I didn´t study arts because I was very young and I didn´t know what I really want. Finally, I decided to study psychology because it is a traditional career, more accepted and my parents were agree with it. However, I have never gave up my arts skills, I keep on my bellydance training and when I have time I work in my jewelry projetcs.

My ecological practices

I think I m not very green, but in the last time, I try to incorporate some practices to reduce my garbage production. For example, I don´t drink sodas, because they are very dangerous with our body (sugar, sweetener, and a lot of chemical products) and you gain a plastic bottle difficult to recycle. In the same idea, I try to buy wholesale hygiene and clean products, or in a big bottle (it means just one bottle, not 3 or 4). At home in Algarrobo, we have a compost hole in the garden, to recycle our organic waste, and we cultivate tomatoes, pumpkins, watermelons, and other kind of medicine and cook plants using this compost.

I began to approach at this issue because I m vegetarian, and I m really worry about animals, and I try to use just “cruelty free” products. In general, there is a very strong relationship between animal cruelty and the use of dangerous chemicals products in the cosmetic production. I think is very important to be aware about the origin of the products we use every day, it is the first step to change our practices.

I don´t support to any eco-organization, but I have a lot of vegetarian friends and I know people really interested about environmental. In Santiago, I go with some friends to “gratiferia” , it is like a fair or a street market but all things you can find there are totally free. It is a very fun way to meet people and give useless things because somebody could need it.

IVF clinics should be allowed to transfer two embryos, says study

Some European countries like UK, Belgium and Sweden are moving or have brought in a single-embryo policy in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments, follow the presumption that more than one embryo could generate a twin pregnancy. In women who needs IVF treatments, this kind of pregnancy have risk, because there is a higher chance that twins will be born prematurely and at low birth weights, and the damage related causes high bill to the National Health Service (NHS).

But Professor Debbie Lawlor (epidemiologist at Bristol University) and Professor Scott Nelson, (researcher in reproductive medicine at Glasgow University) said there should have more flexibility in the policy about IVF treatments. In their research of the outcomes for women undergoing fertility treatment in the UK, they discovered that one embryo is not always best. They found a high success of live births in women under and over 40 years when they were implanted with two embryos; success rates were much higher for the under 40s, and for over 40s women were less likely to lead to twins (mostly because older women are less successful in carrying twins to term.)

The researchers suggest that policy of IVF treatments guidance should be based on prognostic indicators because this kind of pregnancy is expensive for families and the state.
Find the whole article in his link

the music in my life

The music is an important element in my life. For example, when I`m on the bus I try to listen music to make me feel more energetic and cheerful… I look all around me and I feel like I`m in a movie. When I need calm, I turn to my meditation music. If I need to feel me more secure I listen other kind of music… the music is related directly with my emotions.

One of my favourites bands ever is Beirut. I discoverd their music in a -video of a tribal bellydance performance . The dancer is amazing, and the music is perfect to her movements. I needed to know this group, and I fell in love when I listened their albums. I have chosen several songs of Beirut for my own performances.

Actually, for me the music is related ever with the dance. I begun to learn bellydance at 14 years old, and I discovered the oriental music. A very different style of music, different instruments, different languaje. I liked it since the beginning. Then, when I knew tribal bellydance, I opened my mind to dance any kind of music… once or twice I have danced System of Down!

My experience in Facso

The first time I came to Facso, I thought "wow, this place is amazing!", I fell in love with the murals about political things, and to see a lot of diferent people. I was 17 years old, and I didn`t know Santiago too much, all of the university surprised me.

Then, when I begun to study here I realised this faculty is very hot in summer and veeery cold in winter, I`m suffering all the time. I have never liked the cafeteria, I don´t like the food, it is very hot in this time, and it is very expensive! I prefer to go to ciencias's or artes's cafeterias.

One of the things that I love about facso is the variety of political opinions that coexist in the same place (sometimes it`s not good, but I prefer it), and the student`s opinions and choices are important to faculty bussines, compared with other faculties.

I like we have different studies or practice departaments like “cieg”, “pasa”, “caps”, etc. I have been five years in this faculty and I even know all departaments.

One of my favourite things is the mapuche new year celebration in winter, and of course, the “bananera” (a tradicional yearly party).

I visited Buenos Aires!

In September, while our country celebrated national holidays, my tribal bellydance teacher and friend, Lissette, and I went to Buenos Aires for 10 days. It was an amazing experience because all that I thought about this city is real.

We were in a hostal in San Telmo, a very beautiful and antique neighborhood in the touristic center of Buenos Aires. We met a French girl who was travelling around Latin America, and lots of Latin American people who are working a whole year in Argentina.

The objective of our trip was to take tribal bellydance lessons in the Opa Fest, a thematic festival where Argentinian and American teachers gave intensive courses. I learned new techniques with Iman Najla (Argentina) and Kami Liddle (USA), it was a real challenge but I really enjoyed it!

Finally, I bought a lot of books about psychology and alternative therapies and I ate delicious vegetarian food because there are many Italian restaurants with vegetarian options.

I fell in love with this city too and I want to visit it again.
My next stop will be Gothla Brasil, a gothic bellydance festival.




(Kami Liddle in the picture)