May 21st Chilean Holiday

Only Chile celebeates this date because remembers the Iquique's naval battle, in the Pacific's War between Chile and Perú; when the frigate commander, Arturo Pratt Chacón dies in action together his men defending the nation.

Teaches that it's important because it's an example of courage, leadership and patriotism, because captain Pratt was firts in go to close combat when the warship battle was lost. In the engagement two ship each nation participated, the chilean Esmeralda (Commanded by Pratt) and Covadonga (Commanded by Carlos Condell) and the peruvian Huáscar (Commanded by Miguel Grau) and Independencia (Commanded by Juan More).
The chileans warships was worser equipped, in fact, they was obsolete to that date; so in the frey among Esmeralda and Huáscar, the peruvian ship easily won in long combat, that's why Pratt decided to board the enemy ship. Instead Covadonga drives to Independecia to Punta Gruesa, where sea was shallow and Independencia hit bottom and stay out of combat, and Covadonga was victorious.

Anyway, its strange to celebrate a defeat and forget the victory, because nobody in Chile minds Covadonga and captain Condell, but it's just one of many incoherently things that happens in Chile.

Earthquake's Night

That night in February, I was with my brother in a friend's birthday party, on the eighth floor of a departament far away from my house. It was a great night dancing and joy, I thougth we would spent the night there and we would go home in the morning, but that had been terrific in an earthquake. Instead, surprisingly my uncle arrived at the party to visit his friend, the homeowner. My brother and me don't know about his came, not even his friendship, so it was really strange. Whatever, in time we'll stay, we go home at three o'clock in my uncle's car, who lives near my house.

Already in home, just one story; I went to bed and feel a curious sound, like a whisper without end, then a growing noise and then the shake. I stand up, completly necked, take my sheet and go to the door. My little brother was terrified, but there we're safe. The house left standing like as almost in Santiago and we have our firts earthquake experience in life.