GIRALDUS - Issue 1

Page 19

What History means to me: Daniela Senés Daniela Senés is an educator based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was educated in Wales between the ages of 16 and 18 and during her time here formed a life-long interest in the study of History and International Relations. She has written several books on 20th-century history, led workshops on History education and is a former chief examiner in the subject. Daniela has a Masters degree in Latin American Cultural Studies and, using her expertise in this field, has started her own business Gossip Well Told, where guests enjoy dinner while exploring an historical issue. The meals served relate to the topic of the evening, for example, An Evening with Che Guevara is accompanied by Bolivian national dishes, including peanut soup – Che's last meal. My first memory of my interest in History is being a primary school student at St Catherine’s Moorlands in Buenos Aires. I interviewed my great-grandmother for a History project. My Nonna Virginia was born under the Austro-Hungarian Empire in a small town near Trieste. I remember her in the kitchen speaking into a tape recorder – in her mix of Italian and Spanish – about events I had never heard of before. She told me about life in the First World War, the days under Mussolini, how the family lost everything in the Second World War and why they decided to emigrate to Argentina. She had a unique ability to make History come alive. I spent many more afternoons in that kitchen, listening to her memories, trying to understand how the family history linked to political events. At the same time, I watched her prepare her special Italian dishes. Before I realised, History had become a passion in my life, and I had developed a love for cooking. Continued on page 20 Left: Daniela provides some Gossip Well Told at the Hilton Hotel, Buenos Aires

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