Thursday, November 12, 2009

History is Alive and Well in London Today, 1991













Another bit from one of my London journals. Still absorbing the news in 2009. Would then read newspapers on the Tube or wherever -- International Herald-Tribune, The Guardian, and anything easily gotten, and talk to various and sundry at pubs and wherever. British troops paraded through the streets, back from the Gulf War. It was all very exiciting, and being overseas made it feel all the more so.

June 28th and 29th, 1991. Clapham.

History is alive and well today in London.

1. The German voters narrowly voted to remove the capital to Berlin, for the first time since Hitler's death.

2. The Soviets (Russians) around Leningrad decided to rename their city St. Petersburg, as in the days of the Czars.

3. Slovenians and Croatians have decided to declare secession from Yuogoslavia -- thus civil war.

4. Margaret Thatcher announced standing down as M.P. from the House of Commons, but considers a run for the House of Lords; major blathering over the EC (European Union) by scared Conservatives.

5. Soviets pulled out of Czechoslovakia ahead of schedule; dissidents can finally shave.

6. The main Channel tunnel ("Chunnel") is opened, meeting halfway between France and England.

7. An alleged IRA bomb was found in central London.

8. Thurgood Marshall resigned
(--gasp--) from the US Supreme Court, leaving Conservatives free to choose another justice.

9. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won the NBA Championship (Hooray!)

10. World War Two is just about over now, almost fifty years later.

WWII ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) 1991 -->

Cataclysm and aftershocks
Weeds in the wreckage
Major shock waves, minor waves
Present lucidity

Personal psychology/Self-reflection
History/historical reflection

Today's Rune: Possessions.

2 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

Very interesting notes. Strange to see it in list form that way.

jodi said...

Erik, how sick is it that I only remember the Bull's win? Thanks for jogging my memory-small as it is!