Columbus day

"What is Columbus day?" Noah asked me yesterday.
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue (from Spain, and Isabella kicked out all the Muslims and the Jews, and probably killed a bunch too.) What do you tell a kid now that you know a little but more than the cartoon metanarrative?

"Well there was this guy Columbus, he was a Genoan, which is a city in Italy. But Italy  wasn't realy a country then. And he sailed from Spain, for Spain and landed in Hispanola, which is like the Island where the Dominican Republic and Haiti are now... I think. He thought he was in India saw that's why we call Native Americans Indians. He wanted gold and killed a bunch of people and was the first of a lot of Europeans who started Colonizing this part of the world. But since he killed a lot of people a lot of people don't like him. In fact I think most Hispanics just celebrate Dia de La Raza."

I didn't get to explain Dia de La Raza though.

"And then what happened?" Noah asks.

I look around, at the streets and the buildings and how America is basically a European country, even now.

"Everything you've ever seen around you in your 6 years is what happened. The reason why England set up Colonies up here is because Spain set up Colonies down there. The whole reason why we have a United States of America or why Mexicans and Central Americans speak Spanish. or-" and then we crossed the street and the conversation turned to other things. Possibly arguing about having dropped a stick that was special and is now lost forever.

So what are we going to do today on Columbus day/Dia de La Raza?

So far Dai Dai is throwing blocks at Noah who is to stand there with his plastic plate shield and block.
Blocking blocks. They wanted to do this with the wooden ones but I suggested they use foam.

Other than that? we might bike over to the tot lot. I'll try to find my phone which is lost and ran out of batteries so I can't call it. And I guess before biking, I need to find Dai Dai's helmet. Oh yeah Laundry and setting up a piano, and maybe we'll sing some songs.

What's all this have to do with Columbus?

Not much.