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.

5th Issue

The Berlin Zirkus: An Evening at a Traditional Circus

I attended the early performance of the Berlin Zirkus on November 28, 2009 in Benalmadena, Spain. I sat in the front row and with popcorn in hand excitedly awaited the show. The ring was enclosed with bars as the first act was the Bengal tigers. Frank Bügler is the patriarch of the family and he trains the animals with the exception of the horses and ponies who are trained by Patricia Bügler. After the tigers, the bars were removed and the audience was treated to an impressive display of juggling by Maikel, a prepubescent boy who is following in the footsteps of his teenage brother Anthony, a consummate showman who really plays to the crowd. Their younger sister acts as assistant to Anthony´s plate spinning display and is mastering the hoops. She doesn´t have her own act yet. There are two different clown acts and a tightrope display by Miguel Ferreri that had me on the edge of my seat. The non-human performers include camels, long-horned cattle, the aforementioned tigers, horses and ponies and my favourite, the elephants. I had my picture taken with Miss Esmeralda. The finale brings all the performers and their children into the ring and the smallest children get a chance to show their skills and get a taste for the limelight.

The term circus is commonly used to describe a travelling company of performers that may include acrobats,clowns, trained animals,and other stunt-oriented artists. The Latin word circus comes from the Greek word kirkos meaning circle or ring. The circus of Rome is thought to have been influenced by the Greeks, with chariot racing and the exhibition of animals as traditional attractions. For some time after the fall of Rome, itinerant showmen travelled the fair grounds of Europe. Animal trainers and performers are thought to have exploited the nostalgia for the Roman circus, travelling between towns and performing at local fairs.

The first true animals acts in the circus were equestrian acts. Soon elephants and big cats were displayed as well. Isaac A. Van Amburgh entered a cage with several big cats in 1833, and is generally considered to be the first wild animal trainer in American circus history. The use of animals in the circus has been a matter of controversy, as animal-welfare groups have documented many cases of cruelty in the training of performing animals. The modern circus, like the Cirque de Soleil, uses only human performers. The traditional circus may soon become a thing of the past.

4th Issue

When Doing Laundry is a Pleasure

Even though it is November, the metal door to the roof of my building is hot enough to fry a proverbial egg on it. Like in Japan, most people hang their washing out to dry and where I live, lines have been strung on the roof to take advantage of the sun and wind. In Gibraltar, those without balconies hang their laundry on lines strung outside windows.

Every time I do this typical household chore I am struck by the blinding beauty of the view and I have to take a moment just to appreciate how really fortunate I am.

The other thing that I always think about as I anchor my wet clothes to the line with wooden clothes pins is how much our mother loved to hang her laundry outdoors. She didn´t have a view of the Mediterranean but she just adored the way things smelled when she brought them back inside. During the long, frigid winters in northern Ontario, she would have to dry our clothes by hanging them on lines strung in the basement of our house. As soon as the mercury would climb above freezing she would brave the still chilly days to hang them outside where they would benefit from fresh air and sunshine.

While I was in Morocco, I was reminded of how the Tswana women knelt on the edge of the Thamalakane River to do their washing because the women of both of these African countries use the same detergent, Omo; however, the women in Chefchaouen have a shelter with concrete basins and scrubbing boards erected over a mountain stream

I will end this Correo with a quote from Colleen C. Barrett

Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun.

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.

Second Issue

Beware Women Selling Flowers: A Cautionary Tale

According to the Sur in English the San Miguel Fair in Torremolinos is one of the province´s most popular fairs. I was among the approximately 230,000 people attending the romeria, a type of parade which is the precursor to the feria, in Torremolinos on September 20th. I really enjoyed the spectacle of caravans decorated in fabric and flowers pulled by pairs of oxen or tractors followed by groups of people. Each caravan and its entourage form a team, and huge efforts are made to bring pride to one´s team by decorating the caravan extravagantly and by dressing in traditonal flamenco-style garb.
Some teams had musical instruments, others had music played over loudspeakers from the caravan. One cart was decorated with flowers and fans made from newspaper. A sign on the back stated that they didn´t have money for flowers! There were even a couple of decorated shopping carts. From what I could tell the main purpose of the caravans/carts was to carry food and drink for the team members. There was singing, dancing, drinking, eating and generally lots of merriment.
I was interested in seeing one particular cart as an aquaintance of mine was part of that group. While I waited for ´Los Pinillos´ to pass, I was approached by two ladies carrying red carnations. They asked me if I wanted to buy a flower and being naive to the ways of Spanish festivals and flower sellers, I thought it was part of the spirit of the romeria. Well my dear readers, it is not. These ´ladies´are extremely talented sleight of hand artists. They are such skilled magicians that they could work in Las Vegas. All of the money was removed from my wallet without me even having a clue. This was not the clumsy purse-snatching one would find on the streets of North America, nor was it the bag-slashing that is common in Central America. This was a well rehearsed performance. Had I watched it happen on a stage I would have applauded.
The police were not surprised, in fact they seemed rather blase about my predicament and provided me with a telephone number where I could call and report the crime. After having done this, I went to the local branch of the National Police to sign my report and receive a copy. The very helpful officer at the Benalmadena branch was also not surprised. In fact, the only thing that surprised the Spanish people was how much money I was carrying with me. I have learned my lesson and want to share it with you.
Where ever you may be, enjoy yourself but be cautious!

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.