Chile: First rescued miners to leave hospital

[Judi Lynn]

Source: BBC News

14 October 2010 Last updated at 17:22 ET
Chile: First rescued miners to leave hospital

Three of the 33 men rescued after 69 days trapped in the San Jose mine in Chile are to be discharged from hospital and allowed to go home.

Hospital officials refused to name the miners due to leave the hospital.

But they said that all the miners had responded well to treatment and many more of them would go home on Friday.

The miners were visited by President Sebastian Pinera, who promised that Chileans would never be allowed to work in "such inhuman conditions" again.


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11547889

[Judi Lynn]

1. Chile miners: Rescued foreman Luis Urzúa's first interview

Chile miners: Rescued foreman Luis Urzúa's first interview
Rory Carroll in Copiapó and Jonathan Franklin at San José mine
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 14 October 2010 20.06 BST

Speaking from a hospital bed at the San José mine, shift foreman Luis Urzúa – the man who kept the Chilean miners alive for two months – said his secret for keeping the men bonded and focused on survival was majority decision-making.

"You just have to speak the truth and believe in democracy," said Urzúa, his eyes hidden behind black glasses.

As nurses, doctors and psychologists rushed around him in a chaotic scene, the world's most famous foreman sat in bed, his arms folded across a thick chest, and spoke about making tough decisions 700 metres below ground when all hope seemed lost. "Everything was voted on ... We were 33 men, so 16 plus one was a majority."

However, as the first accounts of life for the trapped miners emerge, a complicated picture of squabbles, disagreements and even physical confrontations suggests that the official version may be rather sanitised.

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/14/chile-miner-luis-urzua-interview

[Blacksheep214]

3. I watched many hours of the rescue

ON THE INTERNET!

I watched the Chilean government feed in Spanish without commentary, even though I could only pick up a few words.

Last night I watched Jon Stewart show the networks attempt at covering this and can honestly say I would have gotten ill and turned it off. How fucking stupid these talking heads are, especially CNN.

They turned this into an unwatchable mess.

So many times in life it's better to let the pictures tell the story, and those live feed sans comment hours I spent were memorable.

[truth2power]

4. I agree. It truly was a memorable experience watching hours

of feed in Spanish, without commentary. I can understand a fair amount of Spanish if it's spoken slowly, but in this case it was a hopeless endeavor, LOL! Especially when the president had his press conferences...he speaks very fast it seems.

Nevertheless, I kept my Spanish dictionary handy and was able to interpret occasional words. I was also struck by how well President Pinera speaks English. Amazing, how in other countries people speak at least two, sometimes more, languages. Yet we are still stuck with the "English only" nonsense.

As an aside, I was working with Rosetta Stone, online through my public library, until the cost to them became prohibitive. So sad, because I think it's an excellent program.

[rabs]

6. Chilean Spanish is spoken at machine-gun speed

so it is not unusual that Chilean Spanish often goes over the heads of students and even speakers of non-Chilean Spanish. The poor non-Spanish speaking CNN, MSNBC etc. reporters were in over their heads in trying to understand what was really going on.

I lived and worked in Chile the first nine years of the Pinochet dictatorship so hearing became attuned to chilenses speak. Ms. Rabs is Chilean so we speak it by choice at home here in the States.

Related: There was an unusual confluence of coincidences regarding the number 33; Judi and I discussed it in the Latin American forum last night. I don't think any media has picked up on it.

33 -- the number of miners

33 -- the number of days it took the rescue shaft to reach them

33 -- 10/13/10 = 33, the date they were rescued.

33 -- the number of letters in a Spanish-language banner the rescuers held up after the miners were all rescued (Estan todos bien en la superficie los 33 -- Translation -- all are well on the surface the 33)

33 -- the miners were trapped for 69 days; the rescue was divided into two phases, the first, drilling the 4-inch shaft that found them alive. The second -- drilling the larger shaft to bring them up. Divide 69 days by the two phases = 33.

Judi described the coincidences spooky.

Think read somewhere that 33 was a lucky number for those who believe in such things.

(edit, to insert dropped word)

[Duer 157099]

7. 33 x 2 = 66, not 69

But all of the others are really cool! :thumbsup:

[rabs]

8. Oops.

back to the division tables for me :spank:

Tks,

[truth2power]

10. Thank you for all that info. Some questions...

It must have been terrible living under Pinochet. All those people who were tortured and killed. I thought about that while watching the rescue operation. I was thinking that Pres. Pinera seems like a compassionate person, unlike that other monster.

Thanks for the heads-up about how fast they speak. I really couldn't figure out why I couldn't understand hardly anything. Also, could you please tell me what was the second part of the cheer. I know it was chi! chi! chi! le! le! le!, but I couldn't get the last part. I don't think it was, "Chile"!

The "number" thing is really cool!

[rabs]

11. You're very welcome and answers

-- first the chant, (phonetic): "chee chee chee leh leh leh vivaaa Chile" is the cheer when Chile's national futbol (soccer) squad plays a foreign team. It was heard throughout the land in front of TVs during the World Cup participation of the Chilean team this year in South Africa.

-- as each miner exited the rescue cage, the cheer became "chee chee chee leh leh leh, los mineros de chee leh (for the miners).

-- after the miners were all up, the cheer changed to "chee chee chee leh leh leh, los rescatistas de chee leh (rescatistas = the rescuers

-----------------------

-- living under the Pinochet dictatorship; very intense, very early curfews, the rat tat tat nightly the first two months from the National Soccer Stadium where people were being executed (I lived about two miles from the stadium), a gnawing feeling of fear of the DINA (secret police) the first year, but that lessened as time passed. So many anecdotes, so many memories.

-- Pinera at this time is riding a wave of popularity because of the rescue operations after the Feb. 8.8 megaquake and now the miner drama. He is on his way today to Europe, where he will get a wonderful reception in France, Germany, England and Spain (the trip was postponed because of the miners). Yes, he is a right-winger, but a "moderate" right-winger when compared with Pinochet and the surviving pinochetists.

This is getting too long so leave you with a virtual tour of Chile from the Norte Grande (Atacama) to the fjiords of the south. (songs by Violeta Parra and Los Huasos Quincheros).

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAxRFXA5f2U&feature=related

[Suich]

12. I'm so glad I clicked on this thread!

Thanks for all the "inside" info! I love the #'s part!

:hi:

[JI7]

5. spekaing of Jon, it's too bad Sanchez messed up, it would have been nice to

see someone who knew the language reporting on this.

[The abyss]

2. The best handled rescue operation I have ever followed.

Thank you DU for providing the best of the best.

Thank you Judi and so many others that have kept all up to date!!!

[rabs]

9. Miner # 34:

Have to share this.

Chileans have a risque sense of humor and now that the miners are all safe and the tensions have ebbed, the humor is back. Got email below couple of hours ago from a daughter in Puerto Montt, Chile.

(Translation mine)

Carlos is a miner who felt he was very lucky; that day he became sick to the stomach and stayed in the bathroom while his miner friends went to the bottom of the mine.

Now that the rescue of his friends is imminent, he is talking with his wife.

Miner #34 -- Woman, it's good that they are going to take them out soon. I feel lucky that I was sick to my little stomach that day and sitting on the toilet when the cave-in happened.

Wife of Miner #34
-- Ha, you feel lucky? Let's see ...
-- don Francisco has invited them to his Telethon.
-- the president will receive them as heroes in the presidential palace.
-- Felipe Camiroga (Chilean TV personality) will interview them.
-- they gave them Iphones.
-- Farkas (a millionaire) gave them a check each for five million (pesos -- 10,000 dollars)
-- Every miner and his wife will get a trip to Greece with all expenses paid.
-- a trip to the stadium of Real Madrid, to the stadium of Manchester United.
-- scholarships for the children, lifetime pensions, new houses and cars.

And you, asshole -- shitting !!!!!!!!!

-----------------------------------
Spanish version)

La historia del minero 34

Carlos es un minero que se sintió con mucha suerte; ese día enfermo del estómago se quedó en el baño mientras sus amigos bajaban al fondo de la mina.

Ahora con la inminente salida de sus amigos conversa con su señora:
Minero 34:
Vieja, que bueno que los van a sacar luego, me siento afortunado,
Ese día estaba enfermo de la guatita y yo estaba sentado en el baño a la hora del derrumbe.

Esposa del minero 34:

Afortunado te sentís ha!! veamos….
En resumen a tus compañeros Don Francisco los invitó a la Teletón,
El presidente los recibirá como héroes en la Moneda,
Los entrevistará Felipe Camiroaga en el matinal,
Les regalaron Iphones,
Farkas le dio un cheque con 5 millones,
Cada uno y señora tendrá un viaje a Grecia por una semana con los gastos pagados,
Viaje al estadio del Real Madrid, viaje al estadio del Manchester United,
Becas de estudio para los hijos, pensión vitalicia, casas nuevas y auto….
………………Y el weón…… cagando!!!!!!!!!!!!

[laundry_queen]

13. LMAO! nt