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September 11, etc.
Sep. 11th, 2005 06:10 pmThis year's commemoration was decidedly low-key compared to last year's: They were supposed to show a movie about Allende at UofT, but they ended up having to switch it with another film at the last minute. By the time I showed up (I got lost), the room was already too packed to get in. Apparently, Manuel was going around telling everyone that September 11 was his birthday and that they had to attend. Given what happened to him on that day, 32 years ago, we all figured that to be a coincidence of the most grotesque variety, but as it turns out, it was only the day he was "reborn" as a revolutionary. Or something.
But the event went well -- apparently, Manuel is giving talks on his experience for the first time, and he's a fantastic speaker. I'm sorry I missed it. Afterwards, a bunch of us went out for an extended coffee and talked about current events in Chile and throughout Latin America, and I think these informal get-togethers are probably as good a way of remembering Sept. 11 as anything else.
A few people had just returned from Chile. They're quite disappointed with the "socialist" government there, which they feel is continuing many of Pinochet's policies, and even more worried about the growing materialism and lack of political consciousness on the part of the Chilean population. The latest trend is massive shopping centres, Wal-Mart-type constructions that stretch for over a block. The last time Cristina was there, she stayed with a poor family who couldn't afford new shoes but even the youngest child had a cell phone. There are more cell phones in Chile than in Japan. There are also, however, massive student strikes, including a med school strike where the students were giving free check-ups to passersby. My companions spent hours decrying the politics of their country, but they all agreed that if they could, they'd be back home.
I came up with a great idea for a website. Cristina was all fired up, as usual. We ran into a hipster kid wearing a Ché shirt, so Cristina asked him if he knew who Ché was. ("Some Argentinian guy...um...I think he was a revolutionary or something.") The other day, I was wearing mine, and my co-worker blurted, "Hey, that's the guy on [her boyfriend's] wall."
I thought it'd be hilarious to snap pictures of people in Ché shirts and record their responses when they were asked who Ché is. It could be www.whoisthatonyourtshirt.com.
The best response I've ever gotten? "That's the singer of Rage Against the Machine, dude."
Who's up for working on this?
EDIT: I do kinda have to do this. You folks with digital cameras and social skills, start sending me in your pictures. It's going to be wicked and you know it.
But the event went well -- apparently, Manuel is giving talks on his experience for the first time, and he's a fantastic speaker. I'm sorry I missed it. Afterwards, a bunch of us went out for an extended coffee and talked about current events in Chile and throughout Latin America, and I think these informal get-togethers are probably as good a way of remembering Sept. 11 as anything else.
A few people had just returned from Chile. They're quite disappointed with the "socialist" government there, which they feel is continuing many of Pinochet's policies, and even more worried about the growing materialism and lack of political consciousness on the part of the Chilean population. The latest trend is massive shopping centres, Wal-Mart-type constructions that stretch for over a block. The last time Cristina was there, she stayed with a poor family who couldn't afford new shoes but even the youngest child had a cell phone. There are more cell phones in Chile than in Japan. There are also, however, massive student strikes, including a med school strike where the students were giving free check-ups to passersby. My companions spent hours decrying the politics of their country, but they all agreed that if they could, they'd be back home.
I came up with a great idea for a website. Cristina was all fired up, as usual. We ran into a hipster kid wearing a Ché shirt, so Cristina asked him if he knew who Ché was. ("Some Argentinian guy...um...I think he was a revolutionary or something.") The other day, I was wearing mine, and my co-worker blurted, "Hey, that's the guy on [her boyfriend's] wall."
I thought it'd be hilarious to snap pictures of people in Ché shirts and record their responses when they were asked who Ché is. It could be www.whoisthatonyourtshirt.com.
The best response I've ever gotten? "That's the singer of Rage Against the Machine, dude."
Who's up for working on this?
EDIT: I do kinda have to do this. You folks with digital cameras and social skills, start sending me in your pictures. It's going to be wicked and you know it.
