Issue # 6

Feedback Request

First off, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has taken the time to let me know what they think of the Correo. I really appreciate it! So why, you ask, am I asking for feedback now? Well, I am seriously considering moving to another part of Andalucia. My lovely home in Arroyo de la Miel was on a 6 month contract and it is up at the end of February 2010. Please take a few minutes to consider these questions and send back your answers. Everyone who responds will receive a free week of accomodation on the beautiful Costa del Sol with all the sangria you can drink.

If you were planning a holiday in the south of Spain which of the following would be important to you?

1/ Close to an international airport

2/ Close to a city

3/ Close to a beach

4/ Located in a small Andalusian pueblo

5/ Close to a marina or port

6/ Close to cultural activities i.e. bullfights, museums, festivals, markets

7/ Close to fun activites i.e. theme parks, aquariums, casinos

8/ Close to a shopping centre or major department store

9/ Close to nature i.e. mountains, forests, rivers

10/ Close to a Buddhist temple ;-)

Please organize from most important to least important and feel free to add any comments or suggestions.

3rd Issue

Halloween en Espagne

Today (November 2nd) is a national holiday in Spain. It is All Souls Day (Dia de los Muertos) which follows All Saints Day and is a huge festival in Mexico. For the best Dia de los Muertos, I recommend Oaxaca.
The night before All Saints is Halloween, a secular celebration, with roots in Christian and Celtic tradition. I have partied on Halloween in Japan and Canada so I was interested to see if it was going to be different here in Benalmadena. I saw a sign at CJ´s karaoke bar that they were having a costume party and I decided to check it out. I headed out at about 9:30pm dressed in my best Japanese style and was feeling a bit foolish when a group of Spanish teenagers passed me and one of the girls said "guapa" loudly. Guapa means beautiful and I suddenly felt a lot better. I arrived a CJ´s and there were lots of little children dressed in costumes. It struck me as a bit odd to see children in a bar but they all looked so cute I just had to take pictures of them. Not everyone was wearing a costume unless you count being dressed as a Scottish tourist. There was candy for the kids and the ´treat´ for the adults was a two for one drink special. There is something liberating about being dressed as someone (or something) else and lots of people got up on the stage to sing their favourite songs. I really enjoyed myself and would like to thank the Scottish lads for ensuring that I would wake up with a hangover! I hope everyone had as much fun as I did.

First Issue

The subject of this correo is food, a subject that is close to my heart because my heart is closer to my stomach than my head. I will begin by apologizing to my friends who are Jewish, Muslim or Vegetarian. The most typical food for Andalusia is pig; ham to be exact. No restaurant or bar would dream of not having ´jamon´ on the menu and it comes in a mind-boggling variety. The price is equally varied depending on such factors as where the pigs were raised and what they were fed as well as how the ham was cured. If the hungry visitor to southern Spain grows tired of ham they can always eat chorizo sausage, bacon or salami.
There is always lots of seafood available should pork not be on your diet and seafood is the second ingredient in paella; a famous Andalusian dish. For those of you unfamiliar with Spanish cuisine, the first ingredient in paella is rice. If, like some of my friends, you are allergic to shellfish there is always cheese. It is plentiful, delicious, varied and not terribly expensive. The lactose-intolerant among you will need to resort to consuming the delicious fruit and vegetables and avoiding the delicious ice cream sold virtually on every corner. Salad can be a bit of a surprise - I had tuna salad at a restaurant in Tarifa (the most southerly city in Europe) and it was comprised of tuna, onions and curiously bitter roasted red peppers, all drizzled with olive oil. Ah yes, olives! The reason for drinking martinis. Spain is, after all, a Mediterranean country and olives are abundant. I will conclude this now before I start to eat my arm. I hope this finds everyone well-fed.
Hasta luego! Andrea
p.s. Canadians call it "Kraft Dinner" (The Barenaked Ladies mention it in the song If I Had a Million Dollars), Americans call it "Mac & Cheese" and in the UK it is called "Cheesy Pasta" and I found a place here that I can buy it.