The most important question: YES the toilets DO flush counter-clockwise!
What do you say to someone who thanks you with “gracias”? Normally it´s, “de nada,” right? Well, in Argentina, it´s “no, por favor.” That is, please don´t say thank you, it´s “no problem,” as younger folks say in the US. It reminds me of Orlando Karam who always graciously says “al contrario” when I say “gracias” to him. (It means “to the contrary, it is I who must thank you.”) I just love that. (I don´t like “no problem” in the US because it implies, “you didn´t bother me,” which sounds anything but gracious.)
Joan Manuel Serrat and Joaquín Sabina (together, at last!), Spanish song-writer singers had a concert here last night at the Bombonera (the candy-box fútbol stadium). They´re from “my time” when I was a student in Spain. Here´s a video of each:
1. (the way I remember him) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcEiwtCvi10
2. (JMS today)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vyl4m1Vz2M
3. (Joaquín and Joan singing one of my favorite songs)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BKnDA04zzI&feature=related
Observation: We haven´t been here long enough to learn anything with any certainty or profundity, but it appears that there isn´t the practice of the botellón (using cell phones to bring together suddenly a large crowd of young people for the sole purpose of getting plastered with Kalimocho=1/2 coke, 1/2 cheap red wine ). The economy doesn´t permit the luxury of that sort of behavior, but I’m sure there are other non-conforming practices here—e.g. the cumbia villera, which is amusing to say the least. Cumbia originated in Colombia, is music of the lower , working class practically everywhere—especially in Mexico ( and on El Patrón radio in Atlanta—105.3). But here it has a punk rock edge—who knew cumbia—CUMBIA!—could be anti-establishment! I´m stripping gears!
Serious note: The local news/soap opera is about Febres, accused, and found guilty of extreme torture during the military dicatorship here. He was found dead of cyanide poisoning, and his wife, children, and their spouses have all been arrested for passing the poison on to him right before he was to be sentences for his crimes. Isn’t that the same behavior pattern of some of the German Nazis after Nuremberg? Remember Germany’s association with Argentina during and after WWII…
The pidgeon shit trick--This afternoon, while walking back to the hotel to pick up the SPSU goodie bag for Mr. Mascarenhas, we experienced something like the following:
The Old Mustard Trick: At a food stand a brazen thief will kindly point out mustard, ketchup, or ice cream on your clothes, and help you wipe it off. Never mind that HE put it there. You’ll never feel him “dip” your pocket or handbag as he expertly distracts you. From: http://www.bobarno.com/hunters.htm
In our case, they threw some gross stuff on us and said it was from pidgeons. They didn´t get anything, but left us stinking. We went back to the hotel to pick up the SPSU stuff, wash the stuff out of our clothes, and change clothes for the dinner. Then, as a result of the brouhaha, we took a cab to the restaurant to meet Mr. Mascarnhas, I forgot it in the taxi. All the SPSU goodies are in a cab belonging to somebody named Chamorro…and I even forgot to get a receipt. Stupid, right?
Mr. Mascarnhas is absolutely delightful, as was his wife, and daughter, SPSU student María Agustina was able to join us, having recently arrived in BsAs. He has taken on the SPSU project of getting connected in Latin America as if it were his own.
The image of the US isn´t good here. People are resentful, feel bullied on the one hand, ignored (until the US WANTS SOMETHING) on the other. In spite of that, I found the people here absolutely delightful. They are going through the economic crisis as best they can (Mr. M., for example has been unemployed since 2001). I believe that they will be better for the experience. Never again, I think, unless their politicians have short memories, will they fall prey to easy credit by the World Bank and the IMF. Even now there is a scandal brewing with US money purportedly being sent from the FBI with a Venezuelan American to the presidential campaign of Cristina Fernández Kirschner in order to buy her influence against Chavez, in favor of the US. She has already announced that she is independent and will maintain diplomatic relations with all of Latin America, including Venezuela. On the other hand, Argentina is beholden to Venezuela because it needs its oil. The issue of oil is seen to be the motive behind Bush´s involvement in Iraq. Between his assuming office and today, the price of oil has doubled, and they know he is in the oil business.
Well, this is the last journal entry for this trip. To sum up SPSU options: either Santiago or BsAs has options for our students, depending on their interests. There other options must be developed by Rich B during his trip here in March 2008. So far as SPSU options regarding recruiting Argentine and Chilean students, those also depend on Rich B. There are many possibilities, because of economics in Argentina, perhaps more in Chile than in Argentina, but both should be explored. I am certain that he will explore exchanges, 2+2, 2+3, dual degrees, and what ever other formats. The ground is fertile here, and ready for his arrival.
That´s all, folks!
16.12.07
15.12.07
Argentina 7
We walked to the Plaza de mayo, to the Casa Rosada, where we saw the demonstration du jour, with police ringing the small obelisk, and fully-equipped riot police, just out of sight around the corner. On the way we passed Café Tortoni, famous for its literary meetings including Borges and Alfonsina Storni, the famous poet who committed suicide by walking into the sea. Since she is contemporaneous to the Spanish Poetic Generación of 1927 (and she met Federico García Lorca at the Tortoni), from whose poetry I have created concordances, I think her work will be the next concordance I do when the Gen. 27 is done. I also walked by several bookstores, and was seduced into buying 2 volumes—the epic poem of El gaucho Martín Fierro, and the novel Don Segundo Sombra. I also purchased a few posters about Argentine customs for our classroom and lab. Later, I went to collect forms from banks, etc., for the SPAN 4001 class, and other documents for SPAN 4002.
We ate with a couple of ex-pats so Rich could record their interview. This was a couple from Oregon with 4 daughters in college and high school. They sold everything and moved to Argentina to be able to send their daughters to school. I´m not sure that I agree with their lifestyle. They are an island unto themselves—barely speak Spanish, have other ex-pat friends, don´t exactly mix with Argentines, etc. You get the picture, in a capsule, hermetically sealed. My image of the ugly “American.” But I have hope for these folks. They are trying to learn Spanish, and their children are bi-lingual. After all, they’ve only been in BsAs for a year and a half.
There are only a couple of days left here, and I am thinking that I will miss it when I´m gone. These people have been the most hospitable, gracious, friendly, laid-back folks I´ve ever met. I plan to return. This evening while we were conversing, I saw families coming out to eat dinner with all members present—from grandparents to babies. I loved the noise level—everyone talking at the same time! Almost as loud as Spain, but not quite. It was so comfortable, so much like home. Kids were wandering about, but the waiters and the other customers didn´t mind at all. I have invited (finally!) the Mascarenha family to eat at the same place tomorrow evening to thank him and give him all the goodies from SPSU. When we were leaving the restaurant, the waiter, with whom I enjoyed a fun give-and-take repartee, gave me a peck on the cheek.
Tomorrow we plan to walk to San Telmo. Here are a couple of interesting (to me, at least) videos of that barrio:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNvXFiNSR30
The photography is dizzying, but I love the first tango—La puñalada (the stabbing).
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YEyiMYHBOE
The tango “fight”—love it!
More later.
We ate with a couple of ex-pats so Rich could record their interview. This was a couple from Oregon with 4 daughters in college and high school. They sold everything and moved to Argentina to be able to send their daughters to school. I´m not sure that I agree with their lifestyle. They are an island unto themselves—barely speak Spanish, have other ex-pat friends, don´t exactly mix with Argentines, etc. You get the picture, in a capsule, hermetically sealed. My image of the ugly “American.” But I have hope for these folks. They are trying to learn Spanish, and their children are bi-lingual. After all, they’ve only been in BsAs for a year and a half.
There are only a couple of days left here, and I am thinking that I will miss it when I´m gone. These people have been the most hospitable, gracious, friendly, laid-back folks I´ve ever met. I plan to return. This evening while we were conversing, I saw families coming out to eat dinner with all members present—from grandparents to babies. I loved the noise level—everyone talking at the same time! Almost as loud as Spain, but not quite. It was so comfortable, so much like home. Kids were wandering about, but the waiters and the other customers didn´t mind at all. I have invited (finally!) the Mascarenha family to eat at the same place tomorrow evening to thank him and give him all the goodies from SPSU. When we were leaving the restaurant, the waiter, with whom I enjoyed a fun give-and-take repartee, gave me a peck on the cheek.
Tomorrow we plan to walk to San Telmo. Here are a couple of interesting (to me, at least) videos of that barrio:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNvXFiNSR30
The photography is dizzying, but I love the first tango—La puñalada (the stabbing).
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YEyiMYHBOE
The tango “fight”—love it!
More later.
14.12.07
Chile 4
Vocabulary—
We say They say
Buenos días Buen día Good morning
Aseos, servicios baño restroom
Habichuelas porotos green beans
Frijoles
Judías
Guisantes,
petits pois arvejas peas
Chile ají hot pepper
Mantequilla manteca butter
Salsa (the kind you eat)
pebre hot sauce
Novio pololo boyfriend
The police here are called carabineros, and their uniforms are military green with a decidedly fascist-style hat. Mote con huesillo is sold on the street from vendors. I didn´t dare try it, but I did ask what it was—fruit juice with dry fruit floating. It looked delicious. Rich compares Chile/Argentina to Canada/US. He thinks it’s cleaner and more orderly. I like the Argentine spirit. Because the monetary units are so large, the paper money, and reckoning its value is a bit more difficult. Shoe stores are everywhere…how many feet do Chileans have?
The belongings of Gabiela Mistral have been returned to the Biblioteca Nacional. She is the Nobel Laureate in poetry (from whose work I created a concordance), and shares the poetic spotlight with Pablo Neruda (also a subject of one of my concordances) more and more. The other writers of note are José Donoso (Obscene Bird of the Night), who came to Emory when I was on the faculty there; Isabel Allende, a relative of assassinated President Salvador Allende, who teaches in exile in the University system of California; and Arial Dorfman, also in exile, on the faculty of Duke University. You might ask why are they in exile now that Pinochet is dead? They have not returned to Chile, but are still considered major Chilean authors.
The fruit police. We went to eat at a local popular restaurant around six, and split a sandwich of chicken tomato and avocado. Afterwards, I requested some fruit. WELL, FRUIT IS NOT SERVED AFTER 5. It’s a RULE. YOU CANNOT HAVE FRUIT AFTER 5. What is THAT about?
I enjoyed Chile, but I really love Argentina. We are now back there, and it feels as comfortable as Spain. Have to change peso gears, from Chile to Argentina—math calculations go from multiplying by 2 and taking 3 zeros off, to dividing by 3. Too bad Chavez is the only one calling for a united America, because he´s nuts, but the idea is a good one.
More later
We say They say
Buenos días Buen día Good morning
Aseos, servicios baño restroom
Habichuelas porotos green beans
Frijoles
Judías
Guisantes,
petits pois arvejas peas
Chile ají hot pepper
Mantequilla manteca butter
Salsa (the kind you eat)
pebre hot sauce
Novio pololo boyfriend
The police here are called carabineros, and their uniforms are military green with a decidedly fascist-style hat. Mote con huesillo is sold on the street from vendors. I didn´t dare try it, but I did ask what it was—fruit juice with dry fruit floating. It looked delicious. Rich compares Chile/Argentina to Canada/US. He thinks it’s cleaner and more orderly. I like the Argentine spirit. Because the monetary units are so large, the paper money, and reckoning its value is a bit more difficult. Shoe stores are everywhere…how many feet do Chileans have?
The belongings of Gabiela Mistral have been returned to the Biblioteca Nacional. She is the Nobel Laureate in poetry (from whose work I created a concordance), and shares the poetic spotlight with Pablo Neruda (also a subject of one of my concordances) more and more. The other writers of note are José Donoso (Obscene Bird of the Night), who came to Emory when I was on the faculty there; Isabel Allende, a relative of assassinated President Salvador Allende, who teaches in exile in the University system of California; and Arial Dorfman, also in exile, on the faculty of Duke University. You might ask why are they in exile now that Pinochet is dead? They have not returned to Chile, but are still considered major Chilean authors.
The fruit police. We went to eat at a local popular restaurant around six, and split a sandwich of chicken tomato and avocado. Afterwards, I requested some fruit. WELL, FRUIT IS NOT SERVED AFTER 5. It’s a RULE. YOU CANNOT HAVE FRUIT AFTER 5. What is THAT about?
I enjoyed Chile, but I really love Argentina. We are now back there, and it feels as comfortable as Spain. Have to change peso gears, from Chile to Argentina—math calculations go from multiplying by 2 and taking 3 zeros off, to dividing by 3. Too bad Chavez is the only one calling for a united America, because he´s nuts, but the idea is a good one.
More later
Chile 3
Pickpockets. Everyone is admonishing us to beware of them, to wear our backpacks and purses in front—even when we went to the cathedral. The Christmas season here isn´t so commercial. There are folks shopping, but very limited decorating in stores. I am confused by the explanation of customs that includes Santa Claus. Most of America observes religious Christmas, with presents brought on Jan 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, or Three Kings´ Day. Not here. The practice is, according to a tour guide, to go out to dinner on Christmas Eve, return home to get your presents left by Santa Claus. I have to confirm this, because this guide spent quite some time in NY, so her presentation might be a little off. The obscenity I observed in front of the cathedral was a huge Christmas tree with monstrous red decorations, on each of which was the Coca-Cola logo.
There are a lot of promotional ads for universities on TV here, so I contacted many of them to see if they would be interested in establishing contacts with SPSU for their students to come to us. We already have lots of bites for the visit from Rich B. in March. These are private universities, whose students already pay tuition, and which would be more likely to come to us, I think. The public universities have students who pay little or no tuition, and would need financial assistance.
We visited the Santiago COINED facility today, a former residence in the suburbs. It gave us a proposal for 15 students, and for students who want to go individually. The completion of a level will require 3 weeks, not 2, as I had expected for this program in December. When I return, I will contact CACTUS, the agency that works for COINED and other schools of Spanish around America and Europe, to see if we can set something up for any SPSU student to go to school anywhere s/he wants for Spanish, so that there will be more options for our students. However, I will NOT be looking for contact hours, but rather completion of level before granting SPSU credit.
On the whole, there seems to be greater interest in SPSU’s coming to Chile to discuss agreements with other universities than to Argentina. This is the end of the AY here, and application period for March begins now. It appears that there is either a glut on the market in Chile, or a dearth of students. I still haven´t been able to get a hold of the UBA Office of International Programs, university-wide. We DO have, however, 3 appointments for Rich to keep in March in BsAs.
Santiago would be pleasant for our students because there is the sea and the mountains, but, for me, there is much more brain candy in BsAs. But that´s just me.
More later.
There are a lot of promotional ads for universities on TV here, so I contacted many of them to see if they would be interested in establishing contacts with SPSU for their students to come to us. We already have lots of bites for the visit from Rich B. in March. These are private universities, whose students already pay tuition, and which would be more likely to come to us, I think. The public universities have students who pay little or no tuition, and would need financial assistance.
We visited the Santiago COINED facility today, a former residence in the suburbs. It gave us a proposal for 15 students, and for students who want to go individually. The completion of a level will require 3 weeks, not 2, as I had expected for this program in December. When I return, I will contact CACTUS, the agency that works for COINED and other schools of Spanish around America and Europe, to see if we can set something up for any SPSU student to go to school anywhere s/he wants for Spanish, so that there will be more options for our students. However, I will NOT be looking for contact hours, but rather completion of level before granting SPSU credit.
On the whole, there seems to be greater interest in SPSU’s coming to Chile to discuss agreements with other universities than to Argentina. This is the end of the AY here, and application period for March begins now. It appears that there is either a glut on the market in Chile, or a dearth of students. I still haven´t been able to get a hold of the UBA Office of International Programs, university-wide. We DO have, however, 3 appointments for Rich to keep in March in BsAs.
Santiago would be pleasant for our students because there is the sea and the mountains, but, for me, there is much more brain candy in BsAs. But that´s just me.
More later.
Chile 2
We missed being in BsAs for Cristina´s inauguration, but, as luck would have it, we were in Santiago for the 1st anniversary of the dictator Augusto Pinochet´s death. So when we went to the Palacio de la Moneda (the President´s office—a White House of sorts, except that Chilean presidents live in their own homes, and where Allende was assassinated by CIA-sponsored Pinochet´s troops, bombs, and aircraft fire), it was closed to the public. The guard said they were preparing for Christmas (yeah, and I´m tall, thin, and young!). Demonstrations were expected from both sides of the spectrum. When we ambled down one of the two or three streets permanently closed to traffic, there was a silent march of a handful of young communists, anti-Pinochet, of course. It was very moving to see a country coming out of such a tragic period to the point that there was freedom on the part of both sides to express their opinion. Even on TV tonight there was a game show made up of 4 teams of budding journalists who were assigned to cover different aspects of the coup d’état—both before and after. Their reports were then judged by professional journalists whose decision produced a “winner.” I think the real winner was Chile.
I am gratified that my students are reading these journal entries and responding. Here is another question from Aleksey:
I'm really enjoying these writings. They give me a little bit of insight into different cultures within the Latin world. To tell the truth, I don't really know much about Chile. What is their Spanish like (I find the different variations of Spanish each country has very interesting)?
The dialect in Chile is unlike that of Argentina in the following ways: They use tú instead of vos, and vocabulary items are different. For example, aguacate (avocado) is called palta, etc. The intonation pattern in BsAs, so Napolitano, simply doesn´t exist in Chile. So, they would be easier to understand for a student of Spanish in the US. There is, additionally, a aspirated s’s that we find in Caribbean Spanish, and some l-r confusion. I am noticing a different pronunciation of the r after consonants like t, as well.
The personality of Chile isn´t as large as that of Argentina. These two countries don´t play well together. I chalk it up to the immigrant presence in Argentina, a country of immigrants principally from Italy. Chile has a more varied population with a presence of indigenous people. There are many more mestizos here. Chile did have a certain presence of Incas, although it was not so great as that of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Chile´s national hero is Bernardo O’Higgins, who did not participate in the Liberation to such an extent as San Martín or Bolívar, so is relegated to a position of second importance, not unlike Chile´s position today. However, Chile’s economy is stronger and more stable than that of Argentina. We get a lot of summer fruit during our winter from Chile. It also boasts of a strong wine industry. (It really boasts that it is the country in America furthest to the south—take a look at a map and you’ll see that Chilean territory winds its way around the tip of Argentina—another way to stick it to the argentinos…and that territory is contested, I believe.)
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is past the half point mark of her presidency of a non-repeatable 4-year term. The news tonight showed her in BsAs at Cristina Fernández de Kirschner´s inauguration, seated far away from Hugh Chávez. The last time those two had meet was the infamous rebuke by King Juan Carlos I of Spain to Chávez, ¿Por qué no te callas?—why don´t you shut up? Actually there is some resentment toward her because she didn´t control the situation when Chávez kept interrupting Spain´s PM, Rodríguez Zapatero’s speech. It´s a telenovela (soap opera)!
Music on radio—lots of US rock, some Latin pop, and little Chilean offerings. Argentina´s music is much more clearly defined. TV on cable—BBC, France Monde, RAI (Italy), only part-time Spain, CNN International and en español, and several Chilean outlets. No Deutsche Welle.
More later
I am gratified that my students are reading these journal entries and responding. Here is another question from Aleksey:
I'm really enjoying these writings. They give me a little bit of insight into different cultures within the Latin world. To tell the truth, I don't really know much about Chile. What is their Spanish like (I find the different variations of Spanish each country has very interesting)?
The dialect in Chile is unlike that of Argentina in the following ways: They use tú instead of vos, and vocabulary items are different. For example, aguacate (avocado) is called palta, etc. The intonation pattern in BsAs, so Napolitano, simply doesn´t exist in Chile. So, they would be easier to understand for a student of Spanish in the US. There is, additionally, a aspirated s’s that we find in Caribbean Spanish, and some l-r confusion. I am noticing a different pronunciation of the r after consonants like t, as well.
The personality of Chile isn´t as large as that of Argentina. These two countries don´t play well together. I chalk it up to the immigrant presence in Argentina, a country of immigrants principally from Italy. Chile has a more varied population with a presence of indigenous people. There are many more mestizos here. Chile did have a certain presence of Incas, although it was not so great as that of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Chile´s national hero is Bernardo O’Higgins, who did not participate in the Liberation to such an extent as San Martín or Bolívar, so is relegated to a position of second importance, not unlike Chile´s position today. However, Chile’s economy is stronger and more stable than that of Argentina. We get a lot of summer fruit during our winter from Chile. It also boasts of a strong wine industry. (It really boasts that it is the country in America furthest to the south—take a look at a map and you’ll see that Chilean territory winds its way around the tip of Argentina—another way to stick it to the argentinos…and that territory is contested, I believe.)
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is past the half point mark of her presidency of a non-repeatable 4-year term. The news tonight showed her in BsAs at Cristina Fernández de Kirschner´s inauguration, seated far away from Hugh Chávez. The last time those two had meet was the infamous rebuke by King Juan Carlos I of Spain to Chávez, ¿Por qué no te callas?—why don´t you shut up? Actually there is some resentment toward her because she didn´t control the situation when Chávez kept interrupting Spain´s PM, Rodríguez Zapatero’s speech. It´s a telenovela (soap opera)!
Music on radio—lots of US rock, some Latin pop, and little Chilean offerings. Argentina´s music is much more clearly defined. TV on cable—BBC, France Monde, RAI (Italy), only part-time Spain, CNN International and en español, and several Chilean outlets. No Deutsche Welle.
More later
Chile 1
After a less-than-two hour flight from BsAs to Santiago, we´re in Chile. The hotel is right next door to the UChile where we have an appointment tomorrow. The flight was wonderful in the day time, because we could see all the way from BsAs, over the Pampas, over the Andes, and down into Santiago. How different could Chile be? It´s right next door to Argentina, right? Well, if BsAs is the Paris of American, Santiago is its San Francisco. (just another saint, right?) It´s drier, looks and feels like California, and isn´t the skinny, spaghetti country. Somehow I had expected to be able to see the mountains and the sea simultaneously. Not so. The Andes are much wider than I had expected. We flew for miles over them. The pilot flew over, around, and through mountain passes. It´s just in the middle of them that he has to begin his descent, so we flew by mountains higher than the plane. And they are barren, but not unpopulated. In the middle of nowhere, you could see paths that people had worn into them. I couldn´t see any evidence of plant life, though. What would attract people to live in such a place?
The landscape made me think of Pablo Neruda´s Canto general, his massive poem about America. Primordial, before the existence of man. The Andes could be confused with moon landscape. While Neruda has always tried to get to the essence of things, the most salient recent writers of Argentina, Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar, had more intellectual, literary purpose. Borges was raised speaking English in Argentina, and his word is soaked with allusions to everything not necessarily Latin, but more on a world scale, e.g., Norse mythology. Cortázar was out of Argentina so much that he even spoke Spanish with a French accent. Argentina seems to look to Europe, and Chile, to the rest of America. If you want to get a taste of the differnce, read Borges´ story El aleph and Neruda´s Odas elementales. Neruda is attached to America.
On the way to the hotel from the airport, we passed by the Palacio de la Moneda, where the US-supported military lead by Augusto Pinochet attacked and killed the duly-elected president, Salvador Allende, thus beginning a years-long dictatorship with its own story of the disappeared. I have ambivalent about most things in America with respect to the role of the US government, but not this. How can I live in a country that is so arrogant and bellicose as to destroy the will of the people of another country? Most US people do not even know what we have done, and continue doing. I just think of the braggadocios with their “We’re number one!” In what? The US does not play well with others.
Chile’s profile is more like that of the rest of America, with fewer Italians, more mestizos and indigenous people. The streets of Santiago are not unlike, at least where we are now, cleaner and not unlike any other modern city that is doing business in the world.
More later
The landscape made me think of Pablo Neruda´s Canto general, his massive poem about America. Primordial, before the existence of man. The Andes could be confused with moon landscape. While Neruda has always tried to get to the essence of things, the most salient recent writers of Argentina, Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar, had more intellectual, literary purpose. Borges was raised speaking English in Argentina, and his word is soaked with allusions to everything not necessarily Latin, but more on a world scale, e.g., Norse mythology. Cortázar was out of Argentina so much that he even spoke Spanish with a French accent. Argentina seems to look to Europe, and Chile, to the rest of America. If you want to get a taste of the differnce, read Borges´ story El aleph and Neruda´s Odas elementales. Neruda is attached to America.
On the way to the hotel from the airport, we passed by the Palacio de la Moneda, where the US-supported military lead by Augusto Pinochet attacked and killed the duly-elected president, Salvador Allende, thus beginning a years-long dictatorship with its own story of the disappeared. I have ambivalent about most things in America with respect to the role of the US government, but not this. How can I live in a country that is so arrogant and bellicose as to destroy the will of the people of another country? Most US people do not even know what we have done, and continue doing. I just think of the braggadocios with their “We’re number one!” In what? The US does not play well with others.
Chile’s profile is more like that of the rest of America, with fewer Italians, more mestizos and indigenous people. The streets of Santiago are not unlike, at least where we are now, cleaner and not unlike any other modern city that is doing business in the world.
More later
Argentina 6
We took a commercial tour today of BsAs. It was amazing to see the 48 or so barrios—each with its own character. The city is huge, and, I think, wonderful for students to explore. T he general public is very accommodating to tourists. We haven’t met a grouch yet. Tomorrow it´s on to Santiago, where we have to pay a $100US visa fee in cash, as a retaliation to whatever the US government imposed on entering Chileans. The flight is at 8:30 am, and that means we have to be there at 6:30, and leave the hotel at 5:40, and get up at…well, you get the picture. Not a pretty thought for a couple of night owls. Monday at 11 we have an appointment with the UChile Office of International Programs. On Tuesday we will go to the COINED facility in Santiago. We return to BsAs Thursday.
This evening there was a street Tango Fiesta on the Calle de Mayo, which leads to the Plaza de Mayo. The Plaza de Mayo is surrounded by the Casa Rosada, their White House (even though the president doesn’t actually live there—he, and now she, lives out in one of the barrios.) The inauguration of Cristina Fernández de Kirschner takes place on Monday at the Casa Rosada. Many people are optimistic that she will continue the economic turn-around. Around the Plaza de Mayo are the Cabildo (the Spanish colonial headquarters for Argentina), and the cathedral, which is built in Neo-Classic style. It the Cathedral there is a chapel where José de San Martín, Argentina´s national heroe is buried. It was very moving and emotional for me to see the two simple Honor Guards at the entrance to the chapel…also in the chapel was a very small crypt of the unknown Argentine soldier. Everything was understated in the demeanor of both the guards and the public. It was so accessible and real, unlike the deification of US historical figures. Here was a man who lacked the ambition that could have made him a huge figure in South American history, but at the only meeting he had with Simón Bolívar, just simply handed over the reins to him, and went into exile to France, where he died. There were so many thoughts of “what if…”
The tour also included passing by the Riachuelo River, that converges with the Río de Plata further down…The tour guide said it was very important for Argentina because, after the Ganges, it is the most polluted river in the world. It is 90% polluted, whatever that means.
Later we went to the street Tango Fiesta. Every block there was a bandstand and a dance floor, where couples from the general public got up and danced. Tango is the city´s biggest obsession, after fútbol. During the military dictatorship, tango was virtually eliminated and supplanted by rock and specifically US music. With the demise of the dictatorship, and the re-establishment of democracy, tango experienced a resurgence. The city itself owns and operates the tango radio station, 2 por 4, about which I wrote earlier. And it´s not just old folks who like tango. There are the “Typical Orchestras” populated by young musicians who fuse traditional tango with pop or rock and create their own version of the idiom.
Speech—all y´s and ll´s are pronounced either sh or zh. The difference between these two sounds is in the social strata. Sh is lower class and zh is not. Add this to the Napolitano phonology and Lunfardo, you have an interesting dialect. I just love to hear it, and find it fascinatingly easy to imitate.
More later
This evening there was a street Tango Fiesta on the Calle de Mayo, which leads to the Plaza de Mayo. The Plaza de Mayo is surrounded by the Casa Rosada, their White House (even though the president doesn’t actually live there—he, and now she, lives out in one of the barrios.) The inauguration of Cristina Fernández de Kirschner takes place on Monday at the Casa Rosada. Many people are optimistic that she will continue the economic turn-around. Around the Plaza de Mayo are the Cabildo (the Spanish colonial headquarters for Argentina), and the cathedral, which is built in Neo-Classic style. It the Cathedral there is a chapel where José de San Martín, Argentina´s national heroe is buried. It was very moving and emotional for me to see the two simple Honor Guards at the entrance to the chapel…also in the chapel was a very small crypt of the unknown Argentine soldier. Everything was understated in the demeanor of both the guards and the public. It was so accessible and real, unlike the deification of US historical figures. Here was a man who lacked the ambition that could have made him a huge figure in South American history, but at the only meeting he had with Simón Bolívar, just simply handed over the reins to him, and went into exile to France, where he died. There were so many thoughts of “what if…”
The tour also included passing by the Riachuelo River, that converges with the Río de Plata further down…The tour guide said it was very important for Argentina because, after the Ganges, it is the most polluted river in the world. It is 90% polluted, whatever that means.
Later we went to the street Tango Fiesta. Every block there was a bandstand and a dance floor, where couples from the general public got up and danced. Tango is the city´s biggest obsession, after fútbol. During the military dictatorship, tango was virtually eliminated and supplanted by rock and specifically US music. With the demise of the dictatorship, and the re-establishment of democracy, tango experienced a resurgence. The city itself owns and operates the tango radio station, 2 por 4, about which I wrote earlier. And it´s not just old folks who like tango. There are the “Typical Orchestras” populated by young musicians who fuse traditional tango with pop or rock and create their own version of the idiom.
Speech—all y´s and ll´s are pronounced either sh or zh. The difference between these two sounds is in the social strata. Sh is lower class and zh is not. Add this to the Napolitano phonology and Lunfardo, you have an interesting dialect. I just love to hear it, and find it fascinatingly easy to imitate.
More later
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
