Do maps have more than just geographical influence?

Let's see the world upside down!

If we think about what nature gave us to locate where we are standing, we may remember just one thing: where the sun rises and where the sun sets. That's maybe the only and most important direction given by nature.

The result of what I've mentioned before is what people called : North, South, East and West. And here is when the question appears: Where is the South? The North? The East and West? Why North is up and South is down?

We know that Earth is in the space, and here there's no up nor down. The space and the Earth are just there, with no Southern Hemisphere or Northern Hemisphere, these are humans creations. So, why the most known map is which has Europe (including The United States and Canada) on the top?

The convention came a few centuries ago when in the Northern hemisphere, European navigators started using the North star and the magnetic compass. Before that, the top of the map was to the East which is where the word "orientation" comes from. In 1569, a new map projection was created by the geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator.  The Mercator projection distorts the size and shape of large objects, as the scale increases from the Equator to the poles, where it becomes infinite. 

 

The Mercator World Map

The surprising thing here is that we are still using this kind of map, where mainly Europe is on top and Britain in the middle of the Northern Hemisphere. For me, the reason is clearly about political power and how they want to be seen. For instance, in Australia you can find upside down maps, in which Australia is on top and even in the middle. Why? Because they know the influence that maps have in the conception of the world.

In 1943, an Uruguayan painter, made a different map, saying: "Our North is the South, to go to the North, our ships go down, not up".It's hard to believe that we've been educated into one stereotype about maps, but even something more incredible is to realize that we were quite shocked looking "upside down maps", because they looked completly weird for us.
I invite you to look for other type of maps, knowing now the real influence that maps have in people. How we learnt in the past unit, we must be critical and curious students.

I hope you to enjoy my post! 

SHOULD WE BE PROUD OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE??

Hello guys, Today I would like to share with you some positive and negative aspects about the British empire for your own reflection but before that I would like to show you a short introduction.

The British Empire was the largest colonial empire in the history, it covered more than 13.000.000.000 square miles, that is aproximatelly  a quarter of the earth's total land area!!! Also it controlled  more than 500 million people.

Victoria's Memorial

Well, the empire had worldwide impact. Some positive things about that were,  for example, the Spread of the english as a language, it is the first language in more than 53 countries! such Australia, New Zealand, India, etc.  the empire was also resposible for the revolution of the judicial systems, for example: in India, the british rule affected the religious, cultural, social, political, technological and economic state, in terms of economy it failed as a result of des-industrialization and destruction of rural economy. Britain was the head of the Industrial revolution too.

Britain spread trade, we can think in India again with the tobacco and tea, architecture (just think about Victoria's Memorial) and technology, for good or for bad, the empire introduced guns and other devices to Africa.


ALTHOUGH the empire had negative aspects too, such as the racism. Britain gave alcohol and other sustances to aborigines causing many problems, in Australia a lot of children were taken away of their parents by the British to start a new life with the "white people" and they never saw their parents again.  

One other negative aspect was the slave trade, britain chased  africans, was involved in many bloody wars, and  took a lot of bad desicions.

The lack of identity was another problem, for example with the religion. the "white people" had to teach  christianity to the "incivilized" colonies, the consequence was that the original beliefs and religions were bypassed and ignored, such as the Eskimos, the Cree indians and muslims in India.

So, what would be the world if the British Empire never existed????? worse or better? let me know your points of view.

You have to see it. See you soon! :)

Tell me what you dress and I'll tell you what you are.

Have you ever wonder why do we dress? Maybe the first thought that probably will come to your mind is "To protect us againts the weather" that's was the principal reason why caveman dressed. But today things are so much diferent, today the clothes have became a way for people to show what they are, or what they are pretending to be....

Along as time has passed, clothes has been a simbol of power and money,  and our time is not diferent, people judge each other based of what they are wearing and that causes a lot of stereotypes, The biggest object of discrimination came when you meet someone, that's when clothes gives the first impression, A first impression that is bases on their dress; how much it is coast, how many people have it, how exclusive is, is fashion or not?, and some much more things that makes people think that a person is what the person dress.

"Tell me what you dress and ill tell you who you are"

We can't avoid stereotypes, they're part of our lifes and they are not going to desapear, but we can try to not to worry too much about what other people does, or dressed, let's try to know people before judge them, because you never know when a person who looks like and old-fashoned people can be much more interesting of what you think... just look at the hipsters.

Elizabeth I, The Lonely Queen?

A thing that called my attention about Elizabeth I was her Ladies in waiting and the relation with them.
I was surfing on internet and I found a definition about it. A Lady in waiting is : A lady of a royal court appointed to serve or attend a Queen, Princess, or high ranking noblewoman. A Lady in Waiting was not quite a servant. Ladies in Waiting were considered 'noble companions' who, by their status and nobility, could better advise a woman of high station.

 Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, her parents.

Everyone needs a "circle of people", and especially if you are a Queen, but what about her family?

When Elizabeth was two years and eight months old, her mother was executed and her father died..

But also she had half-siblings, her half-brother, Edward VI and the Catholic Mary. However, after the death of his half-siblings, Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister.

In my opinion, with the information that I have, the things that I learnt and  the things that I read, I think that she was "alone".
By the way, she had a cousin, Mary the Queen of Scots, but they didn't have a "good relationship".

We saw in the movie the relation between the Queen and Elizabeth Throckmorton who was a Lady in Waiting & Maid of Honour and the wife of Sir Walter Raleigh. The Queen puts all her trust in "Bess", and she was very close to the Queen.

The reason why I chose this topic, is because I think that it's one of the cause of her temperament, personality and way of governing that she had.

She was so powerful, her kingdom was at its peak, but she was alone,






I want to share with you guys this website that I found, http://www.elizabethfiles.com/resources/elizabeth-i-facts/ , I really enjoyed reading facts about her.

Also I found a book called "Elizabeth's Women: Friends, Rivals, and Foes Who Shaped the Virgin Queen" http://pdf.pdfebookes.com/Tracy-Borman-PDF6-1067607/
I downloaded it and I can't wait to start to read it.

What if....

Since we all watched the movie: "Elizabeth: The golden Age" we all believe we know what happened historically but, truth be told, this movie as much as "historical" might be considered by some, present many differences with what is documented of this age.

First of all and what is most attractive to the female audience: The so called romance between Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh. Of this, there are not documents.
What truly happened was the affair between the Queen's lady-in-waiting "Bess" but the years are wrong, as in many occasions because this pregnancy was three years later after defeating the "Armada Invencible".

Also about Sir Raleigh, who was very important in this film, but was not that much important historically speaking, at least in the overseas battles, as presented in this film.

In other aspects, Queen Elizabeth is shown much more "benevolent" with Catholics  In reality, only Catholic priest could be persecuted, and among other things, be quartered. 




The reflection in here is the following: Would the audience's response be the same if these issues were different? Or the movie would have been less "commercial" ?

What if, it in these cases, only in these cases, the movie would have attached  to the real events? Would it have been more or less famous?

I believe that the spectator would have been less interested in the movie if modified the points I just mentioned. 

What do you think?

Is VIRGINITY important?

Watching the movie Elizabeth: The Golden Age, I was surprised for the importance that virginity used to have. In sixteenth century, according to tradition and religion, women were considered inferior than men. Women had no voice. In those days, having sex out of marriage or before it, was considered sin. Virginity was a female virtue. So Elizabeth surprised everyone showing her female power and using her “virginal image” to get political advantages. She had to adopt this virginal image to save appearances. She was constantly under pressure. In fact, Elizabeth was considered the Virgin Queen because she refused to get married. She didn’t want to be controlled by a man. She was only “married to England”. But is question of debate if she truly was  a virgin because she was too close to a lot of men including the one shown in the movie, Sir Walter Raleigh.

Nowadays, to be virgin at marriage is still important to some religions because it’s considered an element of moral and spiritual purity. In Christianity and Judaism to have sex before marriage doesn’t have serious consequences for women. But in some Islamic countries it does. Gypsies make their brides go through a vaginal examination. In some places of India, virginity means honour, not only for the bride but also to her family. In some African tribes virginity is essential to marriage.

It is shocking to me, to read an interview where an Arabic young woman tells that she  thought about killing herself because she had sexual relations before being married. For women like her, there is social pressure on their wedding night because they have to prove their virginity by blood stained sheets. It is also shocking to read that going into surgery to rebuild her hymen is her only way out.

STOP THINKING THAT WOMEN ARE JUST USEFUL TO PROCREATE, TO DO THE HOUSEWORK AND TO BE SILENCED. We have a brain, a heart and a voice just like men. Religion should complement our lifes, not control them!. 

The Actress of Elizabeth The Golden Age

I've seen other actress play Elizabeth, most recently Helen Mirren, and I admire Cate Blanchette's performances most of all. She is regal, with a lovely, throaty voice, and she vividly portrays the historical Elizabeth's intelligence, erudition, and charismatic presence.That's why she was nominated for best actress category at Academy Awards.

This movie is gorgeous. Everything was stunning, from the settings and cinematography to the costumes and this one (the costumes) was my favorite thing about the movie because it really shows the costumes of that age, also the make up deparment make a very good job, visually was really satisfactory.

Although the script does deviate from historical reality in -for example- its representation of Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake does appear during (and before) the Armada. Viewers who know nothing about English history should read a bit about Elizabeth I before seeing Elizabeth The Golden Age.