The narrow eye
Our "local" society
Probably you've asked yourself a couple of times, what would my life have been like if I lived in another city?
Our society, which we consider "local", offers us some of the most renowned folk festivals in the country, that´s a fact and we know that the city has an undoubedtly close relationship with the Magdalena river. We know our location in the region, it might be possible we can call ourselves truly opitas.
However, we are attracted to "the outside", what we don't have or those stuff we don't see everyday. What we have here is a point of view that could be named as "the narrow eye", taking in account that the word "local" contextually is taken as a term that isolates the individual.
How many times we've wanted to be among giants (in stature and culture, I mean), closing our eyes to the possibilities we can open up in our own society, paraphrasing Rushkin "what we think, what we know, what we believe, it is of little importance, the only really important thing is what we do ".
We are reaching a breaking point, one in which we will be right in the middle, one in which the eyes of everyone will be there looking at us. We have decided that we can stay calm and quiet waiting for the inevitable - to continue being part of the army of people who speak badly of Neiva, but who do not do anything for the city - or we walk towards the dance floor and .... dance!
It is in our hands we could become agents of change, we can transform Neiva in a big city, nobody said it would be easy but it is not impossible.
Hey! let´s broaden our view, we can be citizens of the world while remaining neivanos.
Bye.
First at all, it's amazing what you are saying about Neiva, despite you are not from here, I apreciate you that so much, because we love our city, but is hard to find someone like you, nowdays, in this city.
ResponderBorrarThe second part is about your ideas and, I would say that this is the entire reality, like Opitas or even Colombians, we are searching for someone who do the things for us. Its like what I love to say; the "easy peasy" way and thats not the best path to make a change, is totally wrong and frustrating. I think we have to find the best way to make our voices bigger and louder, with the hand in our hearts; loving our country and our city, putting that little "grain of sand", appreciating what God and the life gave to us, because the life is for do something, to be someone and to change everything.
we can't see uor amazing city, sarting for me, we always see the point black in the white sheet.
ResponderBorrarwe adore things of outside, but in here everebody have a beautiful gift, family, this fucking precius lenguage, our tipycal food, kind persons, we part of somenthing more bigger that us spite of that our land love us but this land pray for love, patriotism, defend, protec and find for her ( Colombia, Huila, Neiva.)
it its time to change, its time to speak out, to prove that this land are the best thing that God can made.
I think the persons see all bad thing of their country, i'm that type of persons because Neiva is a mix of things i don't like; hot weather, tiefs, dirty streets after festivals and no matter if we don't have that noisy festivals, the streets keep dirty, lack of art and others facts.
ResponderBorrarBut, i want have a narrow eye after read this, i wil start thinking of good things of MY country, search the culture and believe that living here is not totally bad.
—Stephania Olivera Chamorro. 11A
The fact that you started talking about our city even you haven´t been born here, let us to know the city has their own attractive stuff and we ignore it in all the ways. I mean, I´m part of that porcentage of people who would like to live outside (San Francisco, California or New York) because as you said, we don't have an educated culture so we just try to imitate the others.
ResponderBorrarAltough, I need to point out that if we start thinking about do something to change Neiva, we must start with ourselves and take our mind beyond,.
is gratifying find a person like you. Is very especial find someone really worried and interested in the neiva's situation. I agree your ideas, but is really complicated find the correct way to repair and change the typical mentality of neivanos. Everybody want a New York, Munich or another cool city, and sometimes the love for our earth, in wich we born, has never existed and we transform in a tripadvisor frustrated that dreams of leave this place and able to live in another country were everthing is perfect, choosing easy ways and ignoring the duty with which we were born all, the duty to fight for our city and our country
ResponderBorrarI think you have a very good view about our city, we can see you are loving it now and you’d like to do something to make it better.
ResponderBorrarOf course, we can be those agents of change who you want to see and we can transform the city but, have we seen one of those agents here? Or, are we one of those? We also have to think about everything, I mean, if we don’t want to see the trash in the streets, We shouldn’t throw it, do we want the world to change? We should start by ourselves.
The city (country) will switch the day that all of us change our ways to think.
We should be proud to be “opitas” and We have to love this city because we were born here so at least as good citizen who we are, we should do something to do this city better.
All people have asked themselves that question, because it is inevitable not to think about how our life would have been in another place or with different resources and culture because where we live have been limited ways to have fun, know and enjoy.
ResponderBorrarOn the other hand, if we should start to love our city and our culture, to give initiative to new events and places for more fun and teaching, but in different ways.
This way more foreigners can arrive and stay in our city or country. - samara Tovar
All people have asked themselves that question, because it is inevitable not to think about how our life would have been in another place or with different resources and culture because where we live have been limited ways to have fun, know and enjoy.
ResponderBorrarOn the other hand, if we should start to love our city and our culture, to give initiative to new events and places for more fun and teaching, but in different ways.
This way more foreigners can arrive and stay in our city or country. - samara Tovar
I agree with everything you say. I think that all people should feel proud of their city, because it is a symbol that represents each one of us. Sometimes we want to live in other places because they are more "beautiful" and because the lifestyle is different there, but many times we have an erroneous idea of those places, we must love the land in which we were born. When we feel attracted to the outside and we want to be like other countries or cities and that's when we think about change, but if we want to change the country or the city we must start with ourselves because small changes make big differences.
ResponderBorrarDaianne Yuritzi Rondon 11A
in this text it says the truth of many neivanos since they do not value their city that has many things to visit with juncal beach, thermal springs, the tatacoa desert, and above all there is a very recognized party that begins at the end of June and ends at principles of July called san pedro that shows the gastronomy of the whole Huila, its characters, its cultures and above all the joy of the people, and finally we must be proud of where we come from since it is our land.
ResponderBorrarNataly Gomez Ospina
most of the people who live in neiva complain about what is very hot, because I am one of those, but little by little I will get used to it, however I want to first know all my land that has a lot to give me and then if I go Colombia and finally abroad. here we have the best, carnivals of san pedro, typical food, joy and solidarity, but we are conformist and we do not help ourselves to preg
ResponderBorrarLaura Perdomo 11b
I am not agree at all about the positive position that the autor supports. Yes, we know the culture of any city is the essence of it, and its citizens are a reflection of that effectively. But the trouble here is that we are confusing culture with tradition. The culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. If we talk about one of them individually, we are mentioning the micro parts that conforms a macro part -the culture-, and it´s exactly what the autor does.
ResponderBorrarFor develop a real culture we have to start with the people, the citizens. How is posible the same population of our city do not value our same things?
it is clear that if we want to change something in our city, we have to start contributing with something ourselves, but the problem is that we don't mind to make a change, we just want things to happen. I do not live in neiva, but a lot of my time is spent here, and I can see the lack of culture that exists, people can't stand that they call them "opitas", they are ashamed of their traditions ... and they don't believe in that our traditions are better than those of other cities. I used to say that in neiva there was nothing interesting, but because I repeated what I heard, but now, reflecting on this, I hope I do not say that and investigate more about neiva, because I want to make a change.
ResponderBorrarI support that you say in that text, because in reality we do not do anything, and I think that after reading this and becoming aware, starting with my classmates, we can create a small change, but very significant.
- Nela Sofia Galindo
It is an excellent idea that the author wants to give to understand and it is very interesting that he wants to exalt the good things that each culture has but is not able to value, we all like to find the defects of what we have to raise even more the value of what we can not have but this is really a mistake because we must learn to be happy with what we have. we must learn to be a bit more optimistic in order to learn to live better, because if we focus on the good things, it is very likely that the bad is reduced to something so minimal that in the end we do not even notice it.
ResponderBorrarMariana Hernández-11a
I identify myself because I long for what I do not have and thinking about my life in another country, since I used to imagine my life in Germany (although it isn' t that , now is France) I wanted to live in a cold climate and not have to worry about the things that one Worries in a warm climate. All we have are cheap copies of the originals that are abroad, but if we do something national we do not support ourselves because it is not "recognized".
ResponderBorrar"We do not know the value of what we have until we lose it", this phrase represents what I wrote. We need more people who think like.
Ana Sofía Fernández Narváez 11A
I can not say that I agree with what the author said, from my point of view it is good that we learn to value a little more what we have but we can not ignore the fact that we are almost never willing to advance , our culture may be one of the most fun and striking but we do not reduce ourselves to our culture, we have many more aspects which are not exactly positive, our backwardness whether economic, technological or of any other type puts us at a disadvantage and This is why many people, including myself, believe that having been born in other places could have given us better opportunities compared to those we have today. Although I must also accept that sometimes the aforementioned occurs, we criticize without doing anything to change what we see and I will try to give my contribution to Neiva before thinking about going somewhere else but the simple fact of saying that he needs a contribution gives me understand to me that all is not well.
ResponderBorrarEstefania Castañeda
in my opinion we can be change, when you spakes with other persons you expose how nice it is Neiva. but you really do not value it you prefer trevel to other cities and learn about other cultures
ResponderBorraris most necesary, that people, especially the people of Huila support the festivities and values your music.
the idea of the author is most interesting, I agree.
MARIA CAMILA AVELLANEDA
neiva, one of the best departments that Colombia can have, its people, its food and its customs are one of the best, not to mention its fistas, where you live and enjoy yourself, however many of us do not want it and we We feel ashamed of this beautiful city, they tell us that we are lazy, that we lack culture and among many things, but if you think about it, the embassy of India was an opita, an intelligent person, you do not value your city if you do not abandon it and you will realize that the best thing you can have is the blood of being opita.
ResponderBorrarAlexandra Carvajal 11B
I am one of these people who in future is seen living in another country, following the traditions of others and this is basically our biggest problem we prefer the apparent life we see in foreigners and we stop valuing the privileges we have by living here we stop giving importance to our culture and starting from very young to reject the culture of our country or city.
ResponderBorrarIn order to change our city or country we have to start by changing our way of seeing it and start to value each one of the things that this offers us and only from this we will be able to call ourselves a citizen of the world.
VALENTINA ORDÓÑEZ ROCHA 11B
globalization has changed our way of seeing the world and with this our own country, we let ourselves be led by trends and novelty things that maybe Colombia does not have, let alone Neiva, but we as citizens have to embark on that path towards change, that change that begins with each one of us and that adding forces can become reality. We always see the negative thing that has something and many times we do not realize that this something has more positive than negative things like the case of Neiva that has a great festival in which many people attend and even foreigners appreciate more than us, it is a call to reflect that we have to change the way we see Neiva and enjoy more of it culture, its people, its festivals, its folklore, its beauty, etc
ResponderBorrarMaría José Díaz Cardozo
Being interested in the "outside" culture is not bad, actually it´s something great, the curiosity is a thing that as humans we need to satisfy, I recognize that sometimes as opitas or colombians we disregard our culture, but maybe is not our pourpose we just want to know other things. The wrong thing here are those people who insult our culture, that´s a problem: being ashamed of who you are and where you come from is something that never is gonna be ok.
ResponderBorrar-María José Bernal T.
the opposites have lost respect for their city and their own culture although many say they should do that only stays in words nobody does anything, if I agree with this text because you should stop having that thought learn to love your land for this with a single person that helps changing their mentality would be a big step
ResponderBorrarOur biggest problem is that we love the things or culture of other countries because we think is much better than ours. But it isn't, our culture has many beautiful things, like the festivals, those are made for spend time with the ones that we love and have a good time, and our lenguaje, this holly precious lenguaje is all for us, so, don't be an asshole and love our culture and many others stuff cause that is what we are, and nothing could change that.
ResponderBorrari think that the citizen culture are lost in neiva, we prefer think that other countries or cities are better than neiva or colombia, but what we do not think is why they are better, simply they love their contry their city and so how they love theire country, they take care of her.
ResponderBorrarThat is the thing that the opitas and colombians have to learn and we how a teens we have to do conscience of that.
This topic seems very interesting to me because it is reality. People are never satisfied where they live, they want more and more every day. We should implement different ways of wanting to be where we were born since in that society there are different norms and cultures
ResponderBorrarWe should enjoy our festivals more, love them. So that foreigners fall in love with them and wish to live here. - Catalina Polania .
Well, only a few opitas are aware of Neiva's situation, so if we want to make a change, more people have to know. most of the people of neiva only speak bad things, they do not have the ability to see the best things of our city, I know that neiva is not the most technological and advanced city, and admiring other countries is not bad, but we have to highlight our culture, kindness, our people, our HAPPINESS. we have to go further, look from a more open point of view, that is how we will be agents of change, this is how neiva will be a better place, each one of us must contribute with his grain of sand; It's not today, it's not tomorrow, it's forever.
ResponderBorrarNicole Espinosa.
In front of the text, he is absolutely right; It is the reality of today. Our reason for leaving is that sometimes we do not recognize what we already have because of questions of ignorance that lead us to isolate ourselves, knowing that we are a community of many cultural riches. If it is good to know other places, beyond, but do not leave aside what we have. We can improve Neiva, but it depends on the will of each person, on a good action as citizens. take more advantage of our biodiversity and make a better Neiva.
ResponderBorrarLaura Mariana Camacho 11B
I really liked your post, it´s true that many times we despise our city, we compare it with other places where we would like to live or visit, we complain about bad things or that it has to improve, but we never stop to think about what we should do to for that to happen, we must take the initiative ourselves and not wait for someone else to do it.
ResponderBorrarWe must have that sense of belonging to our city, be proud of being "opitas" and loving our culture.
Daniela Andrade. 11A
Neiva is undoubtedly one of the best cities. however, we are ignorant and we long to leave, without knowing more about it.
ResponderBorrarneiva has a cultural riches that
we maybe do not know and
we should know. It's also good
know other parts, but not leave a
side our beautiful city that in spite of its
climate is very comfortable to live in it.
we will have to also put our
part so that neiva is better, but
striking, take care of it. be better citizens
everything depends on us let us know more about our biodiversity
VANESA SANTOS11 B
It is evident that you are right, today we have lost pride in our country to the point where we are ashamed and want to leave it, running to places where they despise us, make us feel bad; we are so ignorant for such a point of leaving our house and going to a place as close up; but the change is in us young people, who have to enrich our culture, our society, realize and value the beauty we have before our eyes on the other hand teach our descendants how lucky they are to be opitas and have no need to leave his land.
ResponderBorrarkaren uribe 11A
I completely agree with what you expressed in that text, because it’s difficult for our society to be submerged in the face of indifference and little cultural appropriation, emphasizing the desire to change the country. We have to recognize as a nation that our riches are infinite and it's by the same desinterests that we evaded it and we don't allow ourselves to know about our culture that ls what defines as a community, as part of something. It's so easy to say that we want something when we aren't living on it, so We must be careful with what we say and what we think. We need to be awaken for our patriotic sense, because we should be faithful to our roots that are our soul.
ResponderBorrarLluvia Peláez. 11 B.
most people are attracted to cultures belonging to the outside world, since they have a thought that in neiva or even in the country it is not possible to have a progress, for example at a professional level, but the truth if it can be obtained, already that all this longing for a change in specific can only be possible if we fight for it, if we apply the "want is power", if we unite to achieve this goal, maybe we can put the name of our city in one of the best of Colombia in all its aspects. Alejandra epia 11b
ResponderBorrarSome years ago I used to think that the neiva was a shit to live and establish a family, my disgust was such that every 15 days I went to Bogotá with my father or villavicencio with my uncles, but as I grew up I realized that really Things What I did not like were very few and I really would like this beautiful city to see my children grow up as they have seen me grow up, obviously I would like to leave the country but only on a trip, I would not live in another place that was not neiva, I do not know If that change was because the person I love most in this life would never accept to leave here or if I really learned to appreciate and value the things that surround me. my conclusion is that I learned to see the world with other eyes, with the eyes of the soul.
ResponderBorrarGabriela Bazurto 11B
You are very right when you say that we look abroad, first of all I am one of those people who are very interested in the cultures outside our country, including the city, I am one of those who want to go to school as soon as I go to study and get to know Alternate cultures to the Colombian even to the Huilense but sometimes I take the concepts that many people who live abroad say about when they say or think something about Colombia and feel pride and I see that they are people who love Colombia and something that is that I love Huila and I consider myself one hundred percent but sometimes I'm afraid that I love Huila so much and I want to stay and never leave but I can also be one of those people who wants to make the huila know that whenever they talk about Colombia and are in parties not only highlight those of places like Barranquilla, Cali, among others I want the huila is high and they see that it is a department with thirty-seven municipalities and each one has something different, that the huila is full of culture and that when it joins brings out the best of each of these places; With time and with the help of all the people who want to see the Huila grow we can do it and show it to all the parts of the world and that people marvel at this beautiful municipality and that more people like your Nicolas talk about this huila without having to be from here and that you feel a love towards this municipality as we do the Huilenses.
ResponderBorrar-Maria Jose Rojas 11B
ResponderBorrarI think Neiva is a great city, that has a lot of potential, only that we have not appreciated it and clearly it has its bad things, like everything in life, nothing is perfect! But if we who are our own here are aware of our culture and learn more about this beautiful place, Neiva would be more outstanding.
it is so interesting what you say in this text, the young people on this time want to leave everything that characterize us in the past, what is completely wrong, i think we all as opitas have the responsibility to preserve our culture and to make it known around all the country or even around all the world because it is so important to our identity and define ourselves. we can go to every place and give shows about everything that involves our festivals like the food, the dances, the music, the parades, etc in order to encourage other people to come and enjoy with us.
ResponderBorrarNatalia Casagua 11b
The city of Neiva is well known for its great festivities and its gastronomy, which draws much attention from people from other cities. But those who are in the place of this city do not know that they are great virtues that offer us, for the simple fact of you to have it. Therefore, we must change our thinking as a citizen in order to support our city to the quality of loving and caring.
ResponderBorrarVanessa Ramírez Chávez 11B
If this is very true, and usually that happens very commonly, and I do not see myself as such outside the country, but if I were from this city, instead of thinking of a way to help change the way it is live in the city. One usually only sees the ugly, always criticizes but we never realize the good that we have here near and not in the "outside".
ResponderBorrarI think that we only are interesting in other culture because we don’t appreciate ours, but, have different interests is not bad, we need to find and meet another cultures, this curiosity is generally in the young people and we only want to find another skyline. Try to find our way is not bad but we need to appreciate our birth culture
ResponderBorrarFirst I want to tell you thanks for talk about our city in that way, I know our city has a lots good citizens and we can do something to change all. We live in a very rich country and each city of this country has different kind of rich ( Rich about enviorment and culture ) but if we want to transform our city the only one way I see is switching our ways to think, that's the best way to the succes.
ResponderBorrarHow many times we have wanted to change the company, but does not this one itself stop?, since we are be accustomed to a mediocrity, where this does not allow us to go out afloat, not only I speak about Neiva if not of cities in general. The fact that we like other parts as The United States, Europe etc … does not mean that we are not agustos where we live, if not that these countries have a better form of government where they teach to make a sense of belonging for this one same, we cannot say that they are perfect, but if that are better as for culture and identity. Maybe not everything is bad, but these acts that we committed in the past are coming to us now. It is what does that our company this one like that, fractured by an idealism, a conformity that does not allow to see the wealths wherefrom we live.
ResponderBorrarELIANA GORDILLO
Neiva is a city full of live and potential, even though it is so small and populated.
ResponderBorrarMost people are so good persons, but this doesn't mean that they should love our city.
I've always said that one of all obstacles in this country and Neiva is the lack of love of the motherland/fatherland.
And yes, I'm agree when the people search more opportunities in other countries
Hi! I agree your position because Neiva has people who doesn't give enough attention for this country. Neiva needs our help and we need to do more things to make a change. Everybody can help to change Neiva so what are you waiting for? I love my city and i'm so proud that someone like you is interesting in this.
ResponderBorrarI think you're right, people talk and talk but never do anything to change those things that bother you so much, and this is not something that we only see what happens in the neiva, it happens in Colombia and I know that the change is in us, I really hope that our generation is not also about words and not acts.
ResponderBorrarno doubt people have lost the sense of belonging and the love that we had for ours, we do not realize that criticizing something we do not get anything if we do not do something to change it, we just wait for others to do things to change what we do not like, it is a silly thought from any point of view, hopefully we will begin to realize these things and make the change
ResponderBorrarThe previous comments are very good, but the most important thing so that the eyes are fixed more in Neiva is that we have more sense of belonging, keep our city cleaner.
ResponderBorrarVERONICA PEÑA OSORIO. 5B.