Storm Jorge: Taking a trip down memory lane

By Amit Roy

STORM Jorge, which was named as such by the Spanish Met Office, has followed on from Ciara and Dennis.

Jorge is Spanish for George. I know this from being in Buenos Aires for months, covering the Falklands War, when Jorge became my translator and best friend.

I met him when I did a story on his sister, who married an English diplomat posted to Argentina in a modern version of Romeo and Juliet. Far from being stormy, Jorge was the most affable character, full of laughter and fun, that I met in Argentina.

He came with me to the historic Casa Rosada when I interviewed president Raul Alfonsin after the fall of the military junta.

Last Sunday (1), I found an old number for Jorge, rang him- GMT is three hours ahead of Buenos Aires- and recognised his voice as soon as he answered. The years fell away as we had a long chat.

“It’s very funny,” he laughed, when I told him about the name, Storm Jorge. “I had a friend in the Caribbean called Marilyn. When it was hit by Hurricane Marilyn (in 1995), she put up a sign on her fridge, saying, ‘Marilyn is coming.’”