Dawn

Dawn

Monday, August 29, 2011

Sometimes things happen that confirm one in one's atheism. A family group set off at 6.30 the other morning on the Camino and, shortly thereafter, were hit by a car. Three of them died. One of these was the man who'd arranged the pilgrimage as homage to the Virgen de los Milagros (the Virgin of Miracles), whom he felt had brought him safely out of car crash twelve months previously. The driver of the car is thought to have fallen asleep at the wheel. I've previously warned people about venturing out in a car in the early Spanish hours but now I guess this advice will have to be extended to pedestrians. Incidentally, the driver won't face any charges.

All of which sort of reminds me . . .Is it just me or does anyone else find the front of the Audi Q7 to be remarkably aggressive, especially if the little lights are on? As if the driver is making the statement "I'm dumb enough to have bought this 4x4 to drive around towns in but, if it comes to a fight, I can knock your sox off."




Interesting to see this priority item on the web page of PressTV, where it passes for world news.

Here's a bit of something or nothing, as a boss of mine used to say. Lists of words that are equivalent (I think) in British and American English, showing which ones are shorter. Corrections and additions both welcome:-

BRITISH SHORTER

Flat - Apartment
Sweets - Candies
Car - Auto(mobile)
Got - Gotten
Nappy - Diaper
Zip - Zipper
Tap - Faucet

AMERICAN SHORTER

Rubbish - Trash
Motorway - Highway
Lorry - Truck
Bonnet - Hood
Aluminium - Aluminum

SAME

Pavement - Sidewalk
Rubbish - Garbage
Motorway - Interstate
Biscuit - Cookie
Boot - Trunk

Spanish culture: More than 50% of couples who decide to live together now do so without marrying. Probably a wise move.

Which reminds me . . . My Catholic daughter and her friend went to Mass this evening. As they left, I pointed out that the age of the next youngest person in the church would probably be lower that their combined age. Which didn't raise a smile.

The law suits that are being brought against the boat companies operating between the coast and the Atlantic Isles appear to have had no effect. According to the Voz of Galicia, said companies are still taking twice as many people there as they should.

A nice new Spanish word . . . Chupóptero - 'parasite'. From the verb chupar, To suck.

Which is a nice link into a question . . . Can anyone tell me the origin of chi in this exchange. Theories even.
Gracias.
Gracias a chi.

Finally . . . An interesting article on political satire in the UK. 


And two articles - here and here - on Spanish white wines, by region. Including Galicia.

No comments: