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So I only made 2 projects this time... I like to make at least 4 but  I have been a bit extra busy- worried about a new Visa application.  This is the 4th and the last time we will have to go through this process but it is still stressful. .. Now it seems that by the end of this month my oldest daughter and I  have to sit and pass an  English test and the "Life in the UK test". 

I can bet that no a Bristh native person could answer a 3rd of the questions in the "Life in the UK test" but in the bright side, I found the British history very interesting so it is not that bad.

 I didn't know that the British empire had over 400 million people ... WOW! The UK is over 20 years ahead regarding women-rights (vs my country Colombia). We don't have royalty over there - we are exactly 200 years ahead on that one lol-  and it is incredible to know the large number of wars and battles The UK has fought. 

The UK grew and flourish under the passions and desires of the monarchy and it is a global potency despite the good and the bad. Hmmm, this make me think that it will be another story for Latinoamerica if we had British conquerors. I think South America is poor in the middle of the most incredible wealth because we were conquered by theft. Don't get me wrong but Isabell I of Castile (Spanish Queen) thought she could get rid of all the worst in her society and put them in a boat that reached our costs (1492). 

Europe (specially Spain and Portugal) grew due to the  Latino American richness. The gold in the German chapels is South American ( Peruvian - Colombian)  as Spain paid their debts with it. 

If you go to the gold museum in my country you may cry as I did when I saw how little creations with gold made for my ancestors are there.  The Spanish crown took them all. 

 We still have loads of the highest quality gold tho and emeralds etc but imaging who much richness the Spanish crown got for nearly 4 centuries of exploration...  during Spanish rein "The Spanish Galeon San Jose" sank in Colombia shores, The San Jose is being hailed as perhaps the most valuable shipwreck discovery of all time   and it was found 3 years ago!! And you know what? the Spanish are still claiming its contents... lol the ship is theirs the gold is defo ours.  I can't belive they dare to claim for anything inside that ship or even the ship.

I studied journalism and  I  think Colombia never had a war I mean a "real war against another country".  The last one registred is  the Battle of the Independence ( 1818) , when a new generation of Colombians called "criollos" with Spanish blood already in their veins won the independence and got rid of the Spanish crown and the horrid exploitation the Latinoamerican territory was suffering because of them.

My ancestor Daniel Florence O'Leary fought next to General Simon Bolivar father of the independence....  It was so impressing seeing a picture of his wife in a museum in my country because she got my mother's eyes .. my eyes in lighter colour !!! O'leary was an Irish soldier and we found my mother was his direct descendant so his blood is in my veins too  +  French + Spanish + African + Native South American blood too ... lol what a mixture I am. 

In the other hand, I can't deny there is an "internal conflict" in my country and it has had have many names, as many as it has been convenient for the Colombian Government but not for the people fighting on it. 

All started in 1967. 47 innocent farmers were fighting for the rights to have ownership of their "own land" and  the government with the help of USA tried to bomb them?  After a severe air attach none was dead.  In 50 years, those  47 men become an army of thousands called "La guerrilla" and the things got ugly.    The government and rich people created " the paramilitaries" to illegally fight the guerrilla. Then the guerrilla needed the money of the Narcos to survive and did any kind of things to keep in the fight ... their fight loses the purpose and it was all violence... This is  100%  the government fault. The violence in the Colombian countryside reached the full potential and despite I never saw a thing ( I never see someone with a gun treating other peson life or I never heard  a bomb exploding near my house) . This conflict affect everyone in my country  as it has a direct impact on the  economy and thousands of lives have been  lost.  Hopefully, it will be ending soon for the good of everyone over there.