Posted by El Jefe y Stelando from pcp01169382pcs.roylok01.mi.comcast.net (68.62.14.216) on Friday, August 30, 2002 at 11:29PM :
In Reply to: At The Conventional posted by panch from pool0470.cvx24-bradley.dialup.earthlink.net (209.179.211.215) on Friday, August 30, 2002 at 8:58PM :
What can we say?
We met Dr. you know who, and Ninos you know who... Walter you know who, and Eden you know who, Peter you know who, and Firas you know who... even George you know who (but we didnt' meet him...just saw him). Also, Rabi Yau know who was there at the Assyrian Women's seminar, which was VERY interesting.
There were Chaldeans and Assyrians galore, and a surprising number of people who knew us, but we didn't know them. I guess they all read the board. It's so obvious people are reading the forum ALL the TIME and from ALL over the NATION. We're a popular bunch.
We saw his high holiness or his holey highness
Nimrod. He was one of the many who were squirming around in front of the hotel...He was pacing back and forth in front of the pay phone...Ashur knows why. We ran the other way.
Many from California asked when we would be coming to that sunshine filled state to visit... we told them we would come for the trial.
"What trial??!" they all asked, in amazement. Some of them filled the others in... and then they laughed, or shook their heads in disbelief. I won't say what was said about you know who, but I will say that I didn't say any of it... let them sue everyone at the convention if they want to find out... and for kabillions of dollars.
About the lobby... yes, we did shake our heads in amazement, but it wasn't very bad. They actually made photo identification cards for the mostly fully dressed conventiongoers... Atour and Janey were running about, stressing out but we have to admit that they run a very organized event.
We missed the first seminar which we heard was a success, Stella couldn't convince the pilot to move any faster. It's simply all her fault that me missed the enlightenment of Simo Parpola and others. The seminar was on the Assyrian National Identity. Simo Parpola and Fuad the Swedish Intellectual (we forgot his last name) and a couple others presented. We did make the women's seminar to hear Dr. Katrine Michael speak about her research on the plight of Assyrian and other Middle Eastern women in a male dominated society. She gave a thorough yet almost common sensical look at women's roles in society. However, these kinds of lectures and seminars are needed in our community because topics like women's roles in society are not common sense.
The Q&A part of the seminar was the most interesting. Surprisingly Rabi Yako was supportive of the Assyrian women's movement. He expressed that women should take the initiative themselves to get at a better social level and the men would support the movement. Thats agreeable for the most part but women are already in a rut, the intiative should be from everyone. Several parents, as well as one very energetic young assyrian from Connecticut (she was the third young person in there, Stella y El Jefe were the only other young people there) participated in the lively Q & A. Rabi Yaco even made a comment about how they wanted the president of the Assyrian Women's Union to come to this year's convention, but that she couldn't make it due to some circumstances... Janey Golani, in the back of the room, explained her philosophy on the subject of Assyrian women and empowerment... and explained that they just recieved the request from the Assyrian Women's just on Friday and it was too late.
It's also important to note that women are the main preservers of our culture- they make the foods, they speak the language, they teach their children our heritage (which is, of course, more than foods and language).
All in all, it was a very, very interesting experience. Just seeing this many Assyrio-Chaldoyoy-Suryoyoyo-miscelannyoyoyos in one place together was quite a sight. Everyone had a very positive attitude, and the Bazarr had some VERY COOL music, and other "Assyria-ecia"...
Will post more info and pictures later.
-- El Jefe y Stelando
-- signature .
Follow Ups: