Images in the park – Sunday market in Buenos Aires, 1993
Falabella Horses and a Children’s Republic
Finland was fun, but it was good to arrive back in Bangkok where temperatures were slightly warmer; going from minus 5 to plus 35 after an overnight flight. Already we were discussing the next production trip, as plans were being made for a long-distance trip that would see us going half way around the the globe in longitude as well as latitude; from the extreme of the arctic in Finland, to the vast open expanses of Patagonia, from the reindeer of the Sami to the horses of the Gauchos of Argentina.
The planning process was involved and took some time, the phones were not yet smart phones, and everything was still done by fax and telephone calls. Eventually, with the help of the Thai Embassy in Buenos Aires, and the wonderful help of a Chilean diplomat – resident in Thailand to this day – the crew flew off; Bangkok to Johannesburg, Jo’burg to Sao Paolo, and finally, Sao Paolo to Buenos Aires with Varig, the Brazilian airline. We did well-enough to catch our connection in South Africa, slumped our way on board in Sao Paolo, and nearly crawled off the plane in BA. We had traveled from airport to airport to airport, and 36 hours after leaving our beds in Bangkok, arrived in the Capital of Argentina, the capital of Tango, and at the time, the capital of soccer.
An imposing front, tha National Theatre amid a sea of traffic
Government by Children
We covered these particular stories, as they were the main elements for our trip, but we also visited one other very interesting place, the city or Republic of the Children. It was at a time when local politics in Thailand had been very heated only a few years earlier, with street gangs being chased by armed military, while a night of bloodshed eventually led to a change in government. The present situation in Thailand is only marginally different, and perhaps that is why I am reminded of doing this particular story at the Republic of the Children. The actual facility is a theme park that covers 53 hectares (approximately 130 acres) and consists of buildings and institutions that can be found in any city. The children can explore the various buildings (all in different architectural styles), and learn about the services provided by each of the different institutions – library, university, fire department, post office, etc., and most importantly, the government legislature. The members of this actual functioning legislature are children; students from nearby communities. The children learn about politics and governance, and once a year on the annual day of the founding of the Children’s Republic, the actual city council of the region of La Plata gathers for a special session to consider policy statements of the students who have governed the Children’s city. Those policies which meet with approval are implemented as laws throughout the entire La Plata region. Although a theme park, the facility is a superb way of introducing children to democracy, politics and governing.
Argentina is not necessarily known for its stability in terms of politics itself, but the Children’s Republic does set an important example. Considering how much of a mess politics are in in Thailand, perhaps a suggestion might be made of junior and senior high school students actually developing policy and running the country – they certainly can’t do much worse than what is being done right now, and maybe, just maybe, they might set a course that won’t see the country regressing any further, but instead, moving forward and joining the ranks of countries where democracy is guaranteed, as are the rights to voicing opinions, and the right to agree to disagree – then again, maybe I should wake up.
Miniature horses, the Falabella horses of Argentina
Pet Horses the size of large dogs
We finished at the parliament and moved on to film our next story, a story about horses. Apropos the comment above, I should probably acquire some horse sense as defined by W.C. Fields “Horse sense is the thing a horse has that keeps it from betting on people”, and I should not bet on anything happening vis a vis the political situation. So we moved on to horses. They were not the horses of the Gauchos, however, but instead horses for the wealthy – miniature horses – to be exact. The Falabella horse is one of the smallest breeds of horse in the world, reaching a height of no more than 81 centimeters. The breed has been developed since 1868 and an official registry of the breed started in the 1940s. The horses, due to their size, cannot be ridden except by small children. Instead, they are used for show, or as companion animals. They are easily trained, can be used as guide animals, and have a long useful lifespan. The farm where the horses are bred is not that far from the city, and anyone interested in learning more about these animals should consider making the trip. The story of these wonderful little animals was a perfect way to end a long and educational day, and we were happy to return to our hotel to freshen up. The evening was still young, and we were to enjoy a traditional Argentinian meal that evening, complete with a taste of some of the best beef in the world (and a few different types of wine). So far the trip had provided us with plenty of fun. Over dinner we discussed the day, and then talked about what the next day would bring us: a visit to see the World Cup trophy, a soccer match, a visit to Eva Peron’s grave, and finally, an evening of Tango. It would be another full day.
