Eighteen - Audio

[pakisunotpaku]

You know, July fourth was an important day for me too, in 1947. Not a holiday or anything, but it was the day when the Indian Independence Bill was presented to the House of Commons. It suggested me and Indo should live in different houses, so me and Bangaru went to live together and Indo lived alone. Indo's never minded living alone though. She

Comments

[mashespotatoes]

History has been rather ironic. So many things have happened on November 9th, that it's been referred to as Schicksalstag, the fateful day.

[pakisunotpaku]

What kind of things happened?

[mashespotatoes]

The first was in '48, er, 1848. We'd had a serious of revolutions, and one of the leaders, Robert Blum, was executed. In 1918, after the November Revolution, we stopped having a monarchy. Wilhelm II was dethroned, but I imagine we saw that one coming more or less, after the failure of the war. Things became a little confusing for that period of time, but it consolidated.

Some years later, in 1923, was the Beer Hall Putsch, and then Kristallnacht in '38.

[He's quiet for a moment.]

Fateful day, indeed.

In '89 the wall fell. Sometimes people ask me why we don't celebrate it like a national holiday or something of that nature but, ah...we decided against it, all things considering.

[pakisunotpaku]

Oh wow... All of that huh?

What are your national holidays?

...I um...I don't know a lot about European houses, except Briten's....

[mashespotatoes]

That's understandable.

We have a lot of holidays influenced by religion - Epiphany, Good Friday, etc. But other than our national Unity Day - October 3 - it's really up to the federal states so there is a little bit of difference from state to state.

[pakisunotpaku]

But that means each area can retain local culture, right?

Most of my holidays are religious too. And since kite flying was outlawed, the non-Muslim ones aren't quite as fun anymore.

[mashespotatoes]

That's correct. My country wasn't unified for a long time, so finally unifying took ...considerable amounts of persuasion? Since there had been such a standing tradition of culture, we had to ensure it stayed. Especially with the differences between the Catholic and Protestant states.

I'm afraid I don't know that much about this subject. Kite flying was outlawed?

[pakisunotpaku]

I bet you're really proud of how diverse your people are! I wish my people were more accepting of differences. A lot of Hindus left when Bangaru left my house, and it would have been good if they could have stayed and gotten along.

People kept getting killed, so they made laws against flying kites during festival times and against making and selling them, too.

[mashespotatoes]

Well I ... [errrrr] I mean the idea is really just a regional one and ultimately based purely in Christianity but, things have certainly changed to become more diverse. [sflkadjs putting words in the correct order and making a reply that doesn't look as awkward as he feels right now.] I mean, that's what we can only hope for. [s-sob. Also this is tangential but when Lahm was giving his "we won't tolerate racism" speech at the world cup this morning it was totally adorable. because Lahm is totally adorable. sdalfkdjsf] It would have been nice for you if they had, yes.

[pakisunotpaku]

[She's quiet for a minute.]

Aren't you proud of your people?

[mashespotatoes]

[Carefully] They've come a long way, of course I'm proud of that.

[pakisunotpaku]

I'm proud of my people, too. I think my papa would be proud of me and of them.

Do you have a papa? Or just your brother?

[mashespotatoes]

I imagine he would be. You and your people have been through a lot.

Just my brother, although we're both descended from Germania. [Or something don't ask how this works okay.]

[pakisunotpaku]

So have you and yours.

I should read more about European history. I'm kind of embarrassed... I mean, I know a lot of stuff! Like about where my house is. But just...not so much about other places.

[mashespotatoes]

That's true.

I can teach you about it, if you want. I have, ah, been involved in a lot of the more recent events, if we can call them recent. And what was before that I've studied, so...

[pakisunotpaku]

I'd like that! You're a really good teacher, so I bet it'll be easy to remember if you teach me.