Conversations with
Antonio
Here's an interview with Antonio, February 6,
2001
Vance: (8:26 AM) Hey Antonio, How are you today (me) tonight (you)
KROPOTKIN: (8:28 AM) I'm fine, thank you. How's life over there?
Vance: (8:29 AM) Just starting our day here. Temperatures are cool but
mild right now. I've been diving and running weekends. How about you?
KROPOTKIN: (8:31 AM) I've had a long weekend, today I didn't go to
school as it's a national holiday, I've been looking for a place where I can
buy a tin whistle, I'd love to learn how to play it.
Vance: (8:32 AM) Is this a kazoo? You're in Mexico (D.F.) right?
KROPOTKIN: (8:34 AM) Right, DF. What's a kazoo??
Vance: (8:38 AM) Let's see, you blow into it and it buzzes, and you
regulate the sound by putting your hand on a single hole in the top. Is that
like a tin whistle?
KROPOTKIN: (8:40 AM) I don't think so, it's more like a flute with just
6 holes (instead of 8). It's an Irish instrument.
Vance: (8:41 AM) oh, so are you a flautist? (one who plays the flute?)
Yeah, a kazoo is a very simple instrument, almost a toy.
KROPOTKIN: (8:42 AM) Got it. I also wanted to play the bagpipes but I
don't think there are schools that teach how to play them here in Mexico.
Vance: (8:44 AM) What instruments do you play? (I play guitar)
KROPOTKIN: (8:46 AM) I don't play any instrument, well, at school I was
taught how to play the flute but I didn't like it's sound and I don't remember
how to play it.
Vance: (8:46 AM) So you're going to learn. That's great. Also
difficult. I hope you are dedicated!
KROPOTKIN: (8:47 AM) I hope that, too :) But first I have to find out
where they sell the instrument and then where they teach how to play it.
Vance: (8:48 AM) What made you think you'd like to play bagpipes? Your
parents aren't going to like the practice sessions!
KROPOTKIN: (8:50 AM) LOL. Well, I don't know, I just love the way they
sound, and the instrument looks nice, too.
Vance: (8:52 AM) You have to drink whiskey while playing and make sure
your audience has enough to drown out the sound
KROPOTKIN: (8:55 AM) LOL If I ever get to buy the pipes I guess my
mother would send me to Scotland in order not to hear me playing them.
Vance: (8:56 AM) Good idea. I've got to step out of my office for a
minute. See you in a bit if you're still around.
KROPOTKIN: (8:57 AM) I'm almost leaving, too. It was a pleasure talking
to you, at least for a short while. Good (day?). Anyway, see you!
Vance: (8:57 AM) k bye
Antonio wrote us about his trip to Dublin.
Click here to read about it.
Antonio caught Vance at work on September 18,
2001
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:16 AM
Hi!
Vance 9/18/01 7:16 AM Hey Antonio. How are you?
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:17 AM Extremely tired. What about you? How are you
doing?
Vance 9/18/01 7:18 AM Here in Abu Dhabi things are fine. No threats so
far. People are concerned but the country appears secure.
Vance 9/18/01 7:20 AM why are you tired?
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:21 AM Too many things to do and not enough sleep. On
Saturday it was Independence day, I went to bed at 12 and yesterday I started
homework at 10 pm and went to bed at 12. I need some rest but I've got lots of
homework.
Vance 9/18/01 7:22 AM I was in Mexico D.F. once for Independence Day.
Can be fun.
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:23 AM Well, I guess it was not so bad this year,
last year my family and I didn't make any celebrations, I spent the night
online.
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:25 AM Does the word 'tattered' mean tired?
Vance 9/18/01 7:27 AM A better word for tired is knackered(literally
what you do to a horse when it's old and useless, turn it into glue at the
knackery)
Vance 9/18/01 7:27 AM tattered refers mainly to things. Like a tattered
dress worn by a street beggar.
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:27 AM Yep, that was the word I was looking for.
=)
Vance 9/18/01 7:27 AM :-)
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:27 AM I see.
Vance 9/18/01 7:29 AM So you're knackered from too much partying and too
much homework. How far along are you in your studies?
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:29 AM What do you mean?
Vance 9/18/01 7:30 AM I mean, what level have you reached? About to
graduate from high school? First year college?
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:31 AM This is my last year in high school.
Vance 9/18/01 7:32 AM So you're about to graduate. Congratulations. Then
what? Any definite plans?
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:36 AM Well, I'd like to study International
Relations, there are two possibilities of universities I'd like to go to. I
would also like to study the last year or semester abroad.
Vance 9/18/01 7:39 AM I guess you mean you'll go to one of two
universities in Mexico, with your last year abroad. I've been to the campus of
the University of Mexico. That was in the 70's and I remember that the
buildings had a lot of graffiti on them, and also there was a colorful murial
there.
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:43 AM Is that Rivera's murial or students' murial?
I'm sorry for the University, it's a great place to study, especially for those
who can't afford private education.
Vance 9/18/01 7:44 AM I think the students' murial. Outside, very
colorful. So it's still there? Rivera's must be inside. Is that one of the
places you would study, or would you attend a private institution?
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:47 AM lol. By students' murial I meant graffitti.
Well, I'm taking UNAM's exam just in case, but I'd like to go to a university
called COLMEX, it's a very important university in Social Science, it's a
little tough to get to study there though, all the students who are there are
paid to study.
Vance 9/18/01 7:48 AM Is COLMEX in the capital?
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:48 AM Yes.
Vance 9/18/01 7:49 AM Do you know Calle Providencia?
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:50 AM Not really, where is it? Mexico City?
Vance 9/18/01 7:51 AM Yeah, in D.F. That's where my friend lived in the
70's. I hung out with his friends for weeks at a time. I made a couple of trips
there, sometimes by bus or hitchhiking and once by car.
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:52 AM Wow. And what did you do at UNAM?
Vance 9/18/01 7:54 AM I was just visiting. I was a university student
myself at the time, so I was interested in checking out the university in D.F.
And I think some of my friend's friends attended there. And I went to about
every art museum I could find there so I saw a lot of paintings by Rivera
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:56 AM I like Rivera's paintings, though I don't
understand any of them =)
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:56 AM Well, maybe one or two.
Vance 9/18/01 7:57 AM Have you ever been to Houston?
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 7:58 AM Nope. Well, technically I've been there, but
just in the airport.
Vance 9/18/01 8:01 AM If you ever go there, there's a chapel with
paintings by Mark Rothko. You can see a lot of his paintings around the world,
but none like the ones in the Rothko Chapel. He was from Houston, and the
paintings in his chapel are dark and huge, carefully controlled degrees of
changing dark hues. Difficult to describe and impossible to understand. Except
how you choose to understand them. That is the purpose of art I think.
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 8:02 AM I'll bear that in mind in case I go to
Houston. Well, as always it was great talking to you, I have to go now or
tomorrow I won't be able to wake up on time to go to school. See you, take
care.
KROPOTKIN 9/18/01 8:02 AM Bye.
Vance 9/18/01 8:02 AM ok, nice talking to you. I'll put this
conversation on your web page.
Vance 9/18/01 8:02 AM all the best
Here's an interview with Antonio, December,
2002
Vance says: going to school? off for the holidays?
Liberty is liberty says: Holidays begin until next Thursday, things are
getting pretty tough because there are a lot of things to hand in before
leaving for Christmas holidays.
Vance says: this is your first year of college?
Liberty is liberty says: First semester, yes.
Vance says: and what are you studying? standard stuff or any particular
specialisation?
Liberty is liberty says: It's a four-year programme after which I'll
get (hopefully...) a BA degree in International Relations. The subjects I am
taking now are also the same for another BA programme (in Political Science and
Public Administration).
Liberty is liberty says: I have History of Mexico, Introduction to
Social Science, Spanish and Mathematics.
Vance says: Which country are you planning to become ambassador to?
Vance says: :-))
Vance says: Are you going to the University in Mexico DF?
Liberty is liberty says: Yes, here in Mexico City. Actually I had
originally planned to become an ambassador, but after this short period of time
I've also found it might be interesting to become an analyst.
Vance says: what would you do as an analyst?
Liberty is liberty says: Research and publication basically, I would
specialize in some area, perhaps Human Geography, I don't know yet. I've also
thought I might study some journalism after IR.
parents and family support in general is really important, sometimes
I've really felt overwhelmed with all the work from school and my mother has
always helped me get through it.
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Last updated: December 18, 2002 in Hot Metal
6.0
Page created: August 8, 2000
