Dawn

Dawn

Friday, October 08, 2010

The Minister of Education has had the courage to propose the end of the Spanish practice of dubbing all English films in Spanish, Catalan, Gallego or whatever. Well, Spanish at least. Which seems right for the times but will not, I suspect, happen in my lifetime. The industry is just too big and important.

Nice to see that Vargas Llosa has got the Nobel Peace Prize for literature. But is he Peruvian or Spanish? I ask this because El Mundo referred to him today as the 6th “español” to be given this honour. Perhaps they meant someone who writes in Spanish. Even if he isn’t Spanish, you’d be forgiven for thinking he was by the reaction here. El País had about ten pages on him today.

It’s not uncommon for foreign names to be Hispanised when reported in Spain. I cited Tomás El Moro a week or two ago (for Thomas More) and yesterday I saw Miguel Angel (for Michelangelo). So I’m left wondering, firstly, whether Lebrun would be changed into El Moreno and, secondly, who on earth Spike Jonze is. I saw his name today but suspect he really isn’t Spike Jones.

Sequel 1: Following my reference to the wearing of brand names, a lady friend has today given me a gift of a pullover with a prancing horse on the left breast. So, what do I do now? Unpick it from the back or wear the bloody thing only when I expect to see her. Or take up pipe-smoking until I’ve accidentally fallen asleep and set fire to it?

Sequel 2: In the Comments dialogue on negritos there’s been reference to a Spanish product called Conguitos. So, for the record, here’s their web page and here’s the label from what I think is their original product.


As you can see, some sort of balance has been achieved by having  chubby, thick-lipped white kid alongside the black one. My guess being they represent white and dark chocolate respectively.

Finally . . . . And only for those interested in the challenge of driving in Spain . . . I’ve mentioned more than once that the law here is that when a roundabout (circle) has two lanes, only drivers doing a U-turn can use the inner lane. All others – even if there are four or more exits – must funnel into the outer lane and use this until they turn off. This is productive of enough confusion, delay and risk when there are two lanes both as you approach the roundabout and leave it but what do you do when there’s only one lane for both the approach and the exit but two on the roundabout itself? If you’re going straight on or turning right, it’s logical enough that you move to the outer lane but do you really have to do this if you’re turning left? The answer appears to be Yes. So you again leave the inner lane for the one car in a thousand doing a U-turn. Raising the question of why the expense was ever incurred in putting two lanes on the roundabout. And confusing those who are waiting at one of the other junctions and expecting you to go straight on or turn right. Especially if you indicate right even though you’re turning left. Which appears to be obligatory.


Tailnote for new readers: My elder daughter has now net-published seven chapters of a novel which is “A fast-paced political thriller but, above all, a personal tale of pride and paranoia.” Set in a fictionalised Cuba, it’s being e-published at the rate of at least a couple of chapters a week. If this entices you, click here.

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