C[omp]ute

From: andrew cooke <andrew@...>

Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2012 19:19:52 -0300

The other day a friend said that I had become Chilean because, when abroad, I
worry about how buildings could survive an earthquake.

But today I think I passed a more significant test: I threw away a crucifix.

Before you object that such an action is terribly UN-Chilean, let me give you
the context: I am an atheist; I come from a country where that's pretty much
the norm, and no-one thinks much of it.  In fact, until I came to Chile, I
don't think I had seen a crucifix outside of a church.

In contrast, Chile is predominantly Catholic.  To my foreign eyes the
predeliction for crucifixes was something endearing, quaint.  And when I that
Hogar de Cristo were selling small wooden crucifixes with a happy,
smiley-faced cartoon Jesus, dying in agony, the irony was just too much.

To Pauli's dismay, I bought the crucifix and kept it on my desk.

Until today.  Spring-cleaning the office, I looked at my (clean!) desk and all
I saw was someone's desk with a crucifix.  No irony at all.  It looked
disturbingly normal.

So it went.

Andrew