a poem

Fourteen

Fourteen lying on

The sidewalk waiting

the exact metro station where I wrote this poem

Stopping for everyone

Except himself

Alone in a crowd

And happy with

The gain of money

But it is not the

Glint of a coin or

The power obtained

It is the privilege

Of being free

Those with the liberty

Of money are able to

Be free with ease

It is hard to feel

At ease with the world

When your stomach

Is empty

And your body

Is broken

Much like your spirit

So stop and think

Fourteen is your

Ticket to freedom

to the fourteen, 

rach

a thought with some pictures

I have been explaining the educational system/riot in Chile lately to a lot of people here in the States. 

The question keeps coming up, is education a right or a privilege? 

A popular area has been, that of the economy (but seriously, who isn't talking about the economy?) 

Does this life really owe you anything? 

Interesting question. 

But why do we have a government in the first place if they don't do anything for us? 

Should a country in so much debt dish out money they don't have for poor children to go to school? 

I am sure you have your own opinion on this subject. 

And if you don't, I think it would be really cool if you formulated one. 

But hey, all I can really do is talk about my opinion, so here it goes. 

Education is a right. 

The Convention prohibits any ‘discrimination’ or any 

distinction, exclusion, limitation or preference,  “based on race, 

color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national 

or social origin, economic condition or birth”. (UNESCO) 

Everyone should be given the opportunity to emancipate themselves from ignorance. 

This poster is a beautiful representation of how Literacy impacts every facet of life. 

An educated society is a stronger society. 

Education is a prime determinant of a person's ability to earn a living 

and the generations that follow that person.  

A well educated population raises the overall standard of living

education is love, 

rach 

basic portuguese (2)

Is anything cuter than a little kid who can speak multiple languages? Maybe, I guess there are a lot of cute things in the world, like kittens, Jason Gordon Levitt or even better, Jason Gordon Levitt AND kittens...

(I must say, when I typed "jason gordon levitt +kitten" into google, I was not expecting this...)

Anyway, we know there are a lot of cute things in the world, but I still think this video of MariaJose, first language being Spanish, singing the color song she learned in preschool. And note the slight British accent she has. Precious.

So anyway, Portuguese lesson 2, the colors. I have been practicing the pronunciation in my mirror not looking or sounding nearly as cute as all of the above. But oh well.

Color- pronunciation
Vermelho - ver mellow
Azul- (just like Spanish A zoo l) but a softer almost slient L
Amarelo- ama relo (throw a bit of an Italian twist to it)
Roxo- ho show (attention! this one is quite different)
Laranja- la ran jah (italianish again)
Verde- (Attention! not like Spanish at all) veh hey jey
Branco- brranco (roll the Rs)
Preto- prreto (roll Rs)
Cinza (cin zah)
Marrom- mah home (get your black lady on and say "my home")

Boa sorte-
raquel

Basic Portuguese Lesson

I miss learning, yes I only finished my semester maybe 2 weeks ago, but I miss learning. Education nerd problems. 

And if that is not enough, you are probably thinking, Rachael, I thought you spoke Spanish... Well I do. Now comes the confession...

I miss Chile so much I am avoiding talking about it. 

I never thought that would happen, and I am sure it will wear off quickly, but it is strange to feel so passionately about something that you get choked up when you hear Spanish. This is really material for another blog post so I will gloss over that as of right now and welcome you into my new passion.

Learning Portuguese! 

or maybe French!

or American Sign Language!

or Italian!

but for now... Portuguese! (I have commitment issues. I am working on it) 

So why Portuguese? 

listen to her!! 

1. The language is beautiful
2. The music is beautiful
3. The people are beautiful (duh)
4. My high school friend studied abroad there and introduced me to everything about it
5. They are really nice (met some Brazilian guys in Argentina) 
6. I love the colors of their flag
7. Carnival 
8. Céu (the musician, also the word for sky) 
9. Have you seen pictures from all over the country?
10. I don't need a reason!! 

Eu- me
like you just ate something nasty, eww
Vosê- you
vo say 
Voses- plural you (lots of yous!)
vo say s
Nós- us/we
nau ss, nau like the beginning of nautilus 
Oi- Hi
oye! or if you speak Spanish, hoy, same pronunciation 

Mini Conversation:
Tudo Bem- How are you?
bem obrigado/a- fine, thank you
e voce- and you?

até breve,
raquel

the home stretch

It's the final count down on my trip abroad.  I have 1 full day and one half day left in Stirling. . .the city I have grown to love more than my home town. Wednesday afternoon I leave for Belfast out of Glasgow. It's gonna be a bittersweet trip in Northern Ireland because I will be with most of the people I've become really close with over here, but I won't be in Scotland anymore except for a stress and fun-filled day in Glasgow on the 19th. I don't know how the time flew by so fast but it did. I have to start packing when I get back to my room today and I'm anticipating a lot of tears. I don't know how to readjust when I get back, and I'm terrified for my friends and family to see me in the state I know I'll be in when I get home.  I might extend my stay a little longer (in chicago) to visit with addie since it has been almost 6 months or so since I've seen her and i won't see her until summer most likely, and hopefully she will have the power to make me feel better about being home. i'm already feeling lost again right after finding myself in Scotland. Needlesss to say, it's gonna be an interesting xmas break.

lots of love,
hill

artist of the day: smile

That's What's Up. Did anyone ever think that Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros could ever out do Home? Well they did. This IS the cutest video ever and tell me you can sit through the end with a frown on your face. Impossible. Also try not to clap or stomp along.
 Don't let the day get you down,
rach

a poem with pictures

The Keys

Inside the outside pocket

Nowhere to be found

Unzip, searching, scrambling

Moonlight shining down

The clank of a metal gate

A shoe stuck in the crack

Little monkey climbing and

A friend to watch your back

Some useless, hopeful staring

Credit cards all snapped

Deflated, unsuccessful face

A new plan needing mapped

Through the window

To find a backup, a spare

Apologies were given

But I didn't even care

All was fine but alas the gate

That I still had to climb

With ease and grace I found

Myself safe in no time

The door now shut and

Incense lit, smoking in curls

I found myself as comfortable

As a princess in her pearls. 

feeling at home, away from home, 

rach