Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain
Spanish Life- The Local provides a topical insight here into Spains 'weird and wonderful' Xmas traditions.
- A year or so ago, a friend of mine gave me a throwing knife designed by her husband. I've been trying to master it for months now and yesterday, in desperation, turned again to the written instructions. These are in English and they stressed it was essential that I let my index finger sleep from the hole in the handle. I'm used to the pronunciation of words like slip as sleep (and ship as sheep) but had never seen this common mistake included in a text.
- This is the book which arrived 4 days late. It was penned in the 1950s by a chap who set up the first English language school in Spain. As this was in Córdoba, it would more accurately be called Babel in Andalucía. The one review on Amazon says this about it: It's very much a memoire of how things were seen through the eyes of a young man at the time. A young man, though, who went on to be rather influential in his chosen field. I'll be extracting some of his perceptions on Andalucia in due course. Some of these possibly can't be extended to Spain as a whole. Even for Spain of the 1950s:-
Galician Life
- I was rather surprised at midday yesterday - in one of my favourite watering holes - that all 5 young women at the next table were rather overweight. I was less surprised that they were all shouting at the same time. So loudly, in fact, that the owner came over to apologise to me for it. Which, I told her, wasn't necessary, as I was accustomed to it. Almost.
- I know one of the chefs in our new Gastro Espacio and yesterday I took him a recipe for curried mussels. Displaying the traditional Galician spirit of culinary adventure, he turned his nose up at it, suggested (wrongly) we couldn't get the spices in Pontevedra, declined to try to make it himself, and, finally, suggested I prepare it for a dinner in my house. Which he possibly won't attend. Even if he says he will.
- O Burgo bridge news. They still haven't finished the rails on one side, nor even started on the other. But they have finished the steps at the Lérez end, next to the petrol station. And they've added an extra set for canoeists:-
Incidentally, the petrol station is is the last one this close to the city centre (albeit across the river) but is scheduled for demolition.
- Crossing the bridge yesterday in strong winds, I was assailed by an odd wailing sound, which I concluded was coming from the new slatted metal rails. So the bridge will come with occasional musical accompaniment. Nice. I wonder if it's a design feature. But rather doubt it.
The Way of the World
- The mad world of finance.
- In the UK . . . A transgender woman has been accused of transphobia for wearing a T-shirt saying she is really still a man. Debbie Hayton, who transitioned from male to female in 2012, is facing expulsion from the LGBT committee of the TUC for the slogan: “Trans women are men. Get over it!”
Spanish
- Phrase of the Day: Cuando las ranas críen pelo. When frogs grow hair. When pigs take to the skies.
- Word of the day: Cachucha. Pig's head, in Gallego.
Finally . . .
- I've finally embarked on a real book - a diary of my 20 years involvement with Galicia and Spain. The good thing is that I'm not short of source material, both published and unpublished. The challenge will be to condense all this into something both informative and amusing. Which I will probably have to self-publish. Hey ho.
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