Entrevista al Embajador de España en Nueva Zelanda
El Embajador Fernando Curcio Ruigómez ha accedido generosamente a ser entrevistado por nuestra Newsletter y compartir con nosotros parte de su tiempo, lo cual se lo agradecemos profundamente. El Embajador tiene una amplia experiencia en puestos por todo el mundo, entre los que se encuentra haber sido Embajador en Vietnam o Consejero en la Representación Permanente de España ante la Unión Europea en Bruselas. Su gran experiencia en el área de recursos pesqueros, conservación marina, hace que sus lazos con otros países de la zona, como Australia, sean estrechos. Además, la Embajada de España en Nueva Zelanda tiene la responsabilidad de las relaciones de España con Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Islas Cook y Kiribati.
Embajador, su trayectoria de Embajador es larga y en diferentes continentes y, quizás, la labor de un diplomático sea diferente en cada lugar ¿podría explicarnos en que consiste exactamente su trabajo de Embajador de España en Nueva Zelanda?
Si nos atenemos stricto sensu a las funciones encomendadas a los agentes diplomáticos entre los cuales se encuentra el Embajador según los convenios internacionales, mi trabajo consiste en representar a España en los actos oficiales que se celebran en nueva Zelanda, proteger los intereses de España en este país, es decir, velar por los intereses de los ciudadanos y empresas españolas, y finalmente, negociar en nombre de España los acuerdos internacionales que se firman entre España o la Unión Europea con Nueva Zelanda.
¿Hay algún aspecto de su trabajo que le atraiga más que otro?
Aunque todas las funciones que desempeño son igualmente importantes, me atraen especialmente los contactos personales que mantengo con los miembros de la comunidad española en Nueva Zelanda. Cuando se establece una relación personal, se llega a conocer en profundidad los sentimientos e intereses de cada uno y, al mismo tiempo, se acaba conociendo en detalle a toda la sociedad neozelandesa. Ésta es una de las tareas fundamentales del diplomático dado que, debemos a continuación, transmitir al Gobierno y a la sociedad española nuestros conocimientos sobre la sensibilidad e intereses profundos de esta sociedad con el fin último de conocernos mutuamente y ampliar nuestras relaciones
Usted siempre está encantado con las visitas de los profesores y alumnos de español que vienen a la Embajada, ¿tiene alguna sugerencia, basada en su experiencia de vivir en muchos países y en contacto con otros idiomas, de cómo se puede conocer de la mejor manera posible la lengua y la cultura de un país? ¿qué es lo que más le gusta del país?
La mejor manera de conocer la lengua y la cultura de un país es, precisamente, estrechar los lazos personales. Dicho en pocas palabras, hacer amigos. La mejor manera de aprender un idioma es practicando con los amigos y, por supuesto, se puede ir más rápido si al mismo tiempo estudiamos la gramática y leemos libros o vemos películas, en nuestro caso, en español.
Una de las cosas que más me gusta es la vista que tengo desde mi despacho, que me permite ver la bahía de Wellington todos los días. Muchos de los que vivimos en Nueva Zelanda, gracias a una geografía verde y luminosa, tenemos el privilegio de mirar al horizonte y disfrutar del paisaje.
Me sorprendió también la amabilidad y simpatía de la gente, una cualidad que en otras sociedades se ha perdido como consecuencia de la vida acelerada y exigente que te va privando de humanidad
¿Hay algún aspecto de su trabajo que le atraiga más que otro?
Le diría que sea paciente, estudioso, perseverante y que no descuide conservar a sus amigos y sus actividades de ocio, mientras se prepara para formar parte del Servicio Exterior de su país. Es una carrera exigente y al mismo tiempo sorprendente por la variedad de actividades que uno tiene que desempeñar. Es muy bonita, aunque también aviso que no es fácil si uno quiere mantener una familia y unos amigos, porque la lejanía acaba haciéndolo muy difícil.
Le agradecemos al Embajador sus palabras y su continuo apoyo en la promoción de la lengua española y la cultura que realiza la Embajada de España en Nueva Zelanda, la Consejería de Educación en Canberra y Future Learning Solutions.
Artilce by Clara Gómez Jimeno, National Spanish Adviser, Future Learning Solutions - Centre for Languages
Photo (Left to Right): Clara Gómez Jimeno - National Spanish Adviser, Laura Gozalo Lázaro - Spanish Language Assistant,
Fernando Curcio Ruigóme - Embajador de España en Nueva Zelanda and Verónica Jiménez Alburquerque - Spanish Language Assistant.
Living in Chile during the Global Pandemic
My Chilean partner, Julio and I, with our almost 3-year-old ´chiwi´(Chilean/Kiwi) daughter, Valentina, live in Concepción, a city six hours south of Chile´s capital, Santiago.
I came to Chile in 2015 for a ´few months´; those few months have turned into five and a half years. Now, thanks to COVID, borders are closed and trans-pacific flights are on hold for the foreseeable future. Christmas in Aotearoa this year had to be cancelled and who knows when we will be able to get back.
With one-third of Chile’s population living in Santiago, the majority of the news nationally and internationally normally centres on the capital. However, the questionable management strategies of the pandemic have been different within cities and across the regions. Correspondingly, one’s experience of the pandemic depends completely on where exactly in Chile you live and as importantly, on your socio-economic status - the latter being a crucial factor that unbelievably the ex-health minister Jaime Mañalich admitted to being oblivious to just before he resigned.
Chile´s first confirmed case of Covid-19 was on March 3rd. As of today when this article was written (26th October) there are 503,598 confirmed cases and regrettably 14,003 deaths. A countrywide state of catastrophe was declared on March 19th, which included a military curfew between 11 pm and 5 am (this is still in place). After pressure from parents and teachers, on March 16th schools were closed for 14 days, and eights months later, classes are still online only. Julio is self-employed and works from home, his work has not been affected. Thankfully, we have not had to survive on what limited help has been offered by the government. As a distance student at Massey University, I was already studying online and our daughter is not in kindergarten yet. As such, we appreciate the fact that we have not suffered the abrupt lifestyle changes that many other families have experienced, especially those culturally accustomed to paid help.
After five and a half months of Concepción having had only limited restrictions; compulsory mask-wearing in public spaces and 1.5m distance between people – the numbers of new infections daily started rising exponentially and we went into an indefinite full quarantine on August 28th, which ended up lasting 50 days. During this time, you could, based on a small number of specific essential needs, seek permission virtually from the police to leave your home twice a week. Although this sounds long, and it was not easy with a toddler in an apartment, it was nothing compared to the 205 days my sister-in-law spent under quarantine in her apartment with her 4-year-old in Santiago.
There have been some noticeable changes for us. For example, we have not been outside our apartment without wearing a mask since March. No public transport, no doctors, no dentists, no trips to the mall or the supermarket or a pharmacy. Everything we need is ordered online or via WhatsApp and delivered to the gate.
We needed vaccinations before winter, so we hired a nurse to visit us in our apartment to avoid the clinic. This nurse is the only other person who has been in our apartment in 8 months. This has meant no birthday celebrations and no Sunday lunches or family BBQs. If you are familiar with Latino culture then this lack of family contact is a significant lifestyle change. We have started to visit my Julio’s elderly parents once a week (outside their house only), to bring essential items and check on their welfare. Heartbreakingly we had to teach Valentina that when she goes to see her grandparents, “no besos, no abrazos, solo hola” (no kisses, no hugs, just hello). I do not see life for us changing until there is a vaccine or herd immunity and I believe neither of these solutions is coming anytime soon.
Article by Donna Davies, a Kiwi living in Chile.
Photos (Top to Bottom, Left to Right): Photo 1: Valentina at home. Photo 2: Sign about the Lockdown in Concepción. Photo 3: Donna Davies donning her personal protection gear and Photo 4: Family photo of Julio, Valentina and Donna Davies.
Media Release - Launch of Latin America App Featuring Young Writers and Artists
November 2nd, 2020
Media Release
FROM RIO TO ROTORUA: TOITOI CREATES CONNECTIONS ACROSS CULTURES
Toitoi and Latin America CAPE have partnered to create a multilingual app, in English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese that showcases stories, poems and art by young New Zealanders about the vibrant cultures of Latin America. The app can be downloaded for free and is available in all platforms.
Readers can listen to the stories and poems in translation, tap to hear individual words and spellings and even record their own narration.
The writing and artwork is accompanied by teacher support materials chock-full of ideas for exploring the languages and cultures of Latin America.
Download the free app here:
http://bit.ly/toitoi-latam-android
http://bit.ly/toitoi-latam-windows
http://bit.ly/toitoi-latam-ios
Extra digital resources are available on the Toitoi website: www.toitoi.nz/explore
This is the companion app for the Toitoi: Latin America Special Issue. The journal, app and additional digital resources were commissioned by the Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (CAPE), in partnership with Toitoi Media, the School of Languages and Cultures at Victoria University of Wellington and Kiwa Digital.
These organisations are committed to fostering greater accessibility to Latin American content and passion for Spanish and Portuguese language. Journals were delivered to all schools and libraries in New Zealand earlier this year.
The Toitoi Special Issue was the recipient of the Publishers Association of New Zealand Book Design Award for Best Educational Book or Series – Primary 2020.
The editor of Toitoi and of the special journals, Charlotte Gibbs, says young Kiwis and teachers now have access to a fantastic free resource that promotes conversations across cultures:
“Writers and artists who submitted work to the journals explored their cultural connections in an awesome range of ways,” says Charlotte.
“From personal and fictional narrative writing to moving, insightful poetry and brilliant art, young creatives expressed themselves with authentic and original voices.”
Director of the Latin America CAPE, Matthew O’Meagher, agrees:
“Our borders might be currently closed, but global connections are more important than ever. This journal and app are part of our education offerings which aim to help parents, teachers and students gain global competence with a focus on Latin America. They advance our goal of inspiring New Zealanders to gain understanding of the countries of that region.”
This was a first for all parties. For the past four years, Toitoi has produced quarterly journals celebrating the curiosity, courage and creativity of young New Zealanders. There are thousands of submissions from across the country every year and more than 1,800 young Kiwi creatives have had their work published so far.
When approached by the Latin America CAPE with the idea of creating journals exploring connections with other Asia-Pacific regions, Toitoi was excited to take up the challenge.
Toitoi is a quarterly journal of writing and art by New Zealand children, ages 5-13. It publishes material with an original and authentic voice that other young people can connect to and that reflects the cultures and experiences of life in New Zealand.
For further information and photography, please contact Charlotte Gibbs at editor@toitoi.nz or call 021 765 203
For further information, please contact Carla Rey Vasquez at carla.reyvasquez@vuw.ac.nz
Artist: Scarlet Connor, age 12
Artist: Scarlet Connor, age 12