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jennifer rose

Sep 1, 2003, 5:55 PM

Post #1 of 8 (2356 views)

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Did Trotsky Speak Spanish?

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If not, what languages did he use to communicate with Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo and everyone else during his sojourn in Mexico?

Madam ZZ

Sep 1, 2003, 10:15 PM

Post #2 of 8 (2234 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Did Trotsky Speak Spanish?

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Great question. As a bilingual
American-born Russian-American about to move to the Yucatan, I supposed I should learn! A good wild guess would be if not Spanish, maybe German?

sfmacaws

Sep 1, 2003, 10:19 PM

Post #3 of 8 (2234 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Did Trotsky Speak Spanish?

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OK, not making any comments on the language he and Frida used... not, not, not

Seriously, that is really an interesting question. I would guess that they all spoke some french if nothing else. He was there for a long time, perhaps he learned spanish?

Back in the dark ages (+30 years ago) I lived for awhile just down the street from his house in Coyoacan. I was young and lost in my own life so never even went to visit the house, or at least I don't remember doing so. I do remember knowing it was there and getting rather moony about living near it, he was a beat icon and all that. I was more moony about living near Frida and Diego's house. I did go and visit that one, I think I left a flower on the step. Argh! Why am I spilling such embarassing things to all the world. Sometimes I embarass myself with my youth as much as my parents used to embarass me when I was young.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

Madam ZZ

Sep 2, 2003, 5:42 PM

Post #4 of 8 (2207 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Secretaries, secretaries or inglis!

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I did some research. Trotsky's three secretaries lived in the house, all except the Russian one. He testified in NY in Englsih while a resident of Mexico. His time in Spain seems to have amounted, a least figuratively, to minutes his way from France even though there was a large movement in Spain.

(This post was edited by Madam ZZ on Sep 2, 2003, 5:47 PM)

rock9995

Sep 7, 2003, 2:01 PM

Post #5 of 8 (2170 views)

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