F in Exams / Insuficiente en los Exámenes

Establish a relationship between Socrates and philosophy.

Funny examples of test answers that didn't quite make the grade:

'Spain has its 'F in exams' answers, too: 27 of the country's best test paper howlers.'

South Pole Unlimited = Polo Sur Sin Limites

The Spanish savings bank La Caixa's Social Service foundation is sponsoring a unique expedition to Antarctica. Called South Pole Unlimited, it is the world's first polar expedition made up of disabled individuals who will have no “external aides.” One of the adventurers is from madrid, Jesús Noriega, and the other two, Xavier Valbuena and Eric Villalón, are from Catalonia.

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While there has been a bit about this in the Spanish media, I have been surprised to have not seen anything about it in the English language media. Perhaps that is because although the “La Caixa” Social Service foundation has an English language version of its website they seem quite behind on the translations of their releases.

The last English language press release of theirs I was able to find was something from last April about “La Caixa” leading a business alliance to collaborate with the GAVI Alliance on child vaccination. While that certainly was news worth releasing in any language, I counted 20 subsequent Spanish language press releases that have not had English language versions done. So, as my Christmas gift to the South Pole Unlimited expedition, below is my translation of the information about it that I found on the “La Caixa” Social Service website's press page. (By the way, “sin limites” could also be translated as “without limits” but I prefer the sound of “unlimited.”)

The world's first expedition of a group of people with physical disabilities who, without any type of external aid, will travel across 250 km of the Antarctic plain, one of the most inhospitable areas on the planet.

South Pole Unlimited.

“La Caixa” Social Service, the abilities of people with disabilities

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Barcelona, 29 December, 2008

Jesús Noriega, Xavier Valbuena and Eric Villalón are the three team members with disabilities, who along with two expert polar guides, Ramón Larramendi and Ignacio Oficialdegui, will spend three weeks on the remote Antarctic plain, on the expedition South Pole Unlimited, organized by “La Caixa” Social Service. They will have to travel across 250 km, pulling a 60 kg sled, and withstanding temperatures of 40º C below zero and winds of 300 km /h.

Even more than overcoming their physical challenges — Jesus has been missing a hand since birth, Xavier lost a leg eight years ago and Eric only has 5% vision —, what has motivated them to participate in such a high-risk expedition is to demonstrate the ability that disabled people have to surmount any challenge.

In addition to a great sports challenge, the expedition will carry out a unique scientific project. For the first time, samples will be taken along the 250 km it takes to reach the geographical South Pole. The analyses of the data will provide evidence regarding levels of organic and inorganic contaminants, as well as confirmation of bacterial life trapped in the Antarctic ice. All of this data is of great relevance to the conservation of planet Earth.

In the 21st century the conquest of the South Pole continues to be a great challenge. Despite current technical advances, it is difficult to to live and to move around this frozen continent. It continues to be a place where the limits of human ability are put to the test.

Expedition members will leave Barcelona tomorrow, 30 December, bound for Punta Arenas [Chile] and from there they will go to the proximity of Patriot Hills, 88º S, the starting point for the objective of the geographical South Pole, latitude 90º S, where all lines of longitude meet.

South Pole Unlimited, “La Caixa” Social Service is an initiative in collaboration with the Social Integration and Environment Area of “La Caixa” Social Service. However, this project is not only a sports challenge, but also a social, human and scientific one, with the goal of demonstrating to society the abilities of people with disabilities.
¡Que les vayan bien!

Carloz

P.S. In the video below, there are shots of expedition members practicing on Barceloneta beach.

Only in Spain?

A Spanish friend recently emailed me a series of photos by a photographer who goes by the name of Jafotillo. Her message to me read, "Estas fotos solo podrían estar hechas en España." (These photos could only have been taken in Spain.) I don't how accurate my friend's statement is, but some of the pictures are very funny. I've posted the ones I found the most amusing below, accompanied by my own translations and/or explanations.

Disfrutadlos amig@s,

Carloz

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..............The Always Open Restaurant............Liquidation (of) Children at the other door

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Ball Playing Prohibited ...........................Don't park in this space

Plaza of Freedoms ..................................Not even for a second

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...... ... ............. ........SPECIAL OFFER:

........ ..... .........Solid Color Cotton T-shirts
............ .....................1 for 6 euros
............. ........................2 for 15

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BUTCHER SHOP:....................................Inoffensive Smokes

........................ .......Ignatius "The Whore"

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........... ...... ...Casa Manolo's Refreshment Stand

... .. ...... .....................Conil Boats Beach
.... ... .............We do not allow rushing of any kind.
... ........... .........The food does not come in cans.
........... .... ...........Relax, you're on vacation.

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...........................Don't smoke joints on the terrace.................(It should say perros/dogs, not porros/joints.)

No, No, No and NO, WE DO NOT KNOW where the GOATHERD TEXTILE SHOP IS!!!

(Cabrera is a common family name that literally means goatherd.)

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Castile is not Spain.

(Get it?)

(Get it?)

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Was it a bird? A plane? No, it was a Christmas meteorite!

In the early morning of Christmas Eve, "people in the streets, on the roads and in the fields saw a magnificent globe of fire appear, dazzling with extraordinary brilliance, shining with the colors of the rainbow, overpowering the light of the moon and descending majestically from the sky."

This is the account of Rafael Martínez Fortún, a farmer from the town of Molina de Segura, Murcia, who witnessed the impact of the largest meteorite ever to fall in Spain. The object fell on his property on December 24, 1858. Fortún's story, and that of other witnesses, appears in the most recent issue of Astronomy & Geophysics, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the event.

One witnesses said that at 2:45am the sky was suddenly lit by “a huge star of a brightness that eclipsed the moon, and it moved directly overhead towards the north.”Someone else described, “a ball of such brilliant fire and beautiful colors, that it looked as if one of the stars was falling to the Earth from the sky." Another passage mentioned that, "it passed so low over this city, so close to the cathedral tower" that those who saw it thought it was going to hit the steeple. Although it missed the church and landed several kilometers away, its impact caused such a tremor that it woke up the town's residents.

Interestingly, there seem to be no references to people thinking at the time that the event had anything to do with Christmas or might be a religious sign of some sort. Indeed, the quotes that I've read seem all very matter of fact and rational. Of course, this may be because Fortún collected the testimony and prepared the original report to accompany the meteorite as a gift to, "one of the scientific museums of the Kingdom so that it can be made available to men of science, who can study it with all due attention.” So, who knows what unscientific sounding reactions he may have omitted.

The bulk of the meteorite (112.5 kilograms of the original 144) is on display in Madrid's National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), where it has been exhibited since 1863, when Fortún made a donation of it and his report. Other parts of the object were given to such institutions as Britain's Natural History Museum, the Field Museum in Chicago, and (finally, a religious connection of some sort) the Vatican’s meteorite collection.

Chao amig@s,

Carloz

P.S. Read the articles I based this post on at the SINC (Servicio de Información y Noticias Científicas / Scientific Information and News), and city of Molina de Segura's websites. The Molina de Segura website has a photo of the meteorite, as well as an audio version of the article.

A sample of things to do in Barcelona for 5 euros and under

There are always cheap things to do in Barcelona, including some that are free. For example, the web site BarcelonaGratis.com provides up to date listings of free activities, including exhibitions, concerts, festivals, cinema, sports, children's events, etc. (By the way, the site is only available in Spanish.) It also maintains a list of the days of the month when local museums offer free admission. (Most museums in Barcelona are free on the first Sunday of each month, but a few are free on other days. Check the list for details.)

And believe it or not, it is still possible to find a full meal for 5 euros -- at least one day a week, that is! I noticed recently that Charleston's, one of the restaurants on Paseo Joan De Borbon, now has a 5 euro lunch menu on Fridays; the rest of the week it's 8.50, which is still a good price. As I mentioned in an earlier post, don't let the name Charleston's fool you, as it's Spanish food that's on offer there -- although, no paella.

Charleston's
Paseo Joan de Borbo, 2
Barceloneta
Barcelona
Open from 7h to 22h daily

For more examples of free and low cost things to do in BCN, below is a list of things to do on the weekend I am writing this. It's taken from an article in today's La Vanguardia newspaper called: 10 Citas culturales por menos de 5 euros. (10 cultural events for less than 5 euros.) Here's my translation of the listings in the article:

-Free-

Raval Culture Festival
a hundred or so neighborhood organizations offer a constellation of activities all weekend long. Concerts ranging from gospel to Pakistani music, hip-hop to Brazilian batucada. Photography expositions, too. Sunday Nov. 15th at 16.30h a series of videos made by residents on the topic of the Raval neighborhood will be shown at the CCCB. Through Sunday. http://www.totraval.org/

Joan Petit in concert
Mallorcan singer / musician Joan Petit in concert at Heliogabal Musical Bar. Petit, who worked with the British group The Wedding Present in 2006, is on the verge of releasing his first CD. Saturday the 14th at 22h. www.myspace.com/welovepetit ,

Macba Collection
Macba exhibits 17 works of minimalist artists, their influencers and some they've influenced, including Buren, Wharol, Flavin, Mangol, Bell, Sonnier, Haacke, Saws, Matta-Clarck. The video artist John Baldessari adds a brushstroke of humor to the exposition space through his video "Baldessari Singing". http://www.macba.es/

Transglossador Slam Festival
The art of improvisation to music is not the unique providence of Rap and Hip-hop. Artists such as Abd The Malik can slam to a Brel song. The third Transglossador Slam Festival offers slam workshops, as well as performances and improvisations of various of groups, such as De Caláis and Rapsodes. Saturday from 18,30. http://www.farinera.org/

La Felpa
BTOY Exposition
Ilia Mayer and Andrea Michaelsson, two art illustrators, with exhibitions at the BAC (Barcelona Art Contemporaneo) show their their work in Gracia's La Felpa on Saturday from of 12.30 to 21.30. http://www.thisisbtoy.com/

-4 euros-

American Modern at the Joan Miró Museum
A showing of works by more than one hundred 20th century American artists, including George Bellows, John Singer Sargent, Arthur Davies, Marsden Hartley, Joseph Cornell, Thomas Hart Benton, John Sloan, Edward Hopper, Milton Avery, Mark Rothko, Willem of Kooning, Cy Twombly, Richard Diebenkorn, Martin Puryear and Robert Mangold.

-4.10 euros–

Palau de La Virreina
De facto: Joan Fontcuberta 1982-2008 -- photography as documentation.
A sample of 50 of the photographers images at the Palau of the Virreina. The photos are somewhere between documentary and fiction, with humanist and philosophical inspiration. Until February 8. www.bcn.cat/virreinacentredelaimatge/castella/home.htm

-4.50 euros-

Ciné Mélies
Several movies showing in the original language with Spanish subtitles. One movie now playing is L'Heure d'été (Las horas del Verano / Summer Hours), directed by Olivier Assayas; starring Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, and Jeanne Balibar, who won the best actress award at this past September's San Sebastian Film Festival. http://www.cinesmelies.net/

CCCB Independent Film Festival
More than 78 movies from 33 countries. http://alternativa.cccb.org/2008/ct/

-5 euros-

Mostra de Teatre del Raval (Raval Theatre Presents)
The Raval Theatre itself is the epicenter of this festival, with 15 plays selected for presentation. This weekend a play by children for adults premieres: "Un día, una hora..." is based on numerous stories told by children to Argentine Javier Villafañe in 1980s. Until December 7. http://www.mostradeteatredebarcelona.com/

Disfrutadlo amig@s,

Carloz

Bicing, bicycling and the law in Barcelona

Barcelona recently updated it's law concerning the flow of traffic -- motor, two wheel and pedestrian. A few of the major aspects of the law that effect bicyclers are: being allowed to ride in the middle of a lane, having to stop at red lights, not being allowed to use lanes reserved for buses and taxis, being prohibited from riding on pedestrian sidewalks smaller than five meters wide, having to use bike lanes when they are physically separated from the street (if they are not physically separate, then it's optional) and having to have functional bells and lights.

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I think many people believe the law is an improvement over what existed before, but there are still many concerns. One of mine is not being allowed to use the bus/taxi lane. On a street like Via Laietana that means having to ride in the middle lane, with taxis and buses whooshing by to your right and passenger vehicles and trucks zooming by on your left. It's a little nerve racking!

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Then there is the fact that the bikes available through the Bicing public transportation program often have bells and lights that are missing or broken. I mentioned that to a Bicing staff person the other day and the response was, "Don't worry, the police won't fine Bicing users for that. They understand that it's not your fault." OK, but what about the reason for requiring lights and bells -- safety!

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Anyway, below is my translation of parts of a report about some of these issues from today's El Pais. The article was drawn from a reporter's one hour observations of a busy Barcelona intersection.

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"Motorcycles, cars, parking, driving, unloading, walking... Some of everything can be found in the C/ Consell de Cent bike lane between C/ Pau Claris and C/ Roger de Llúria. Last Tuesday between 11.30am and 12.30pm saw the frantic business day activity of every kind of vehicle, including bicycles - the only ones that, in theory, should be using the bike lane -, and often causing them to leave the lane in order to negotiate obstacles in the shape of parked vehicles. In the hour observed, it was not only motor vehicles that violated the traffic code, but also cyclists who did not respect the ordinance -- red lights were run and sidewalks less than 5 meters wide were ridden on.

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In one hour the balance of bike lane infractions was as follows: 14 vehicles parked in the bike lane, 3 taxis dropped off and collected passengers, a large number of motorcycles (too many to count) drove along and 12 motorcycles stopped for the light inside the bike lane. Violations by bicyclists were: four bicycles ran the light, four others rode circulated along the sidewalk. And a pedestrian also decided to walk along the lane. By type of vehicle, the results were: 29 of motor vehicles invaded the bike lane, 9 bicycles violated the ordinance and one pedestrian walked in bike lane.

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During that 60 minute period, only one police officer came by -- one of those who patrols on a bicycle. He gave a warning to a bicyclist who was riding along the sidewalk and ticketed a car parked in the bike lane.

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The biggest danger occurred when more than one van or car was parked, causing cyclists to zigzag continuously and dangerously. A total of 33 bicycles had to leave the lane to avoid parked vehicles, with all the danger this involved. Actually, more than a few opted to stop and wait to exit the bike lane until no cars or motorcycles were coming.

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The number of infractions counted by this newspaper in an hour along one city block demonstrates that vehicles do not respect the bike lane and invade it constantly, putting cyclists at risk. And it also it provide evidence that reality far surpasses official figures. According to data provided by the Guardia Urbana, between January and September of this year -before the new ordinance took effect - the following infractions were reported: 1,295 for parking in a bike lane, 15 for stopping in a bike lane, 1,674 for driving in a bike on a motorcycle, 493 for driving in a bike lane on a moped, and 34 for driving in a bike lane in a four wheels. This newspaper requested from Barcelona City Hall the number tickets issued for the same infractions since the application of the ordinance, but received no response. Lacking concrete data, the Bicycle Club of Catalonia (BACC) believes that the ordinance is being applied to bicyclists above all.

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"The most frequent bike infraction is running a red light. But the same zeal is not seen in sanctioning vehicles that invade bike lanes", stresses Diana González.

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This worries cyclist organizations because of the growth of users of this means of transportation due to the appearance of the Bicing program. Before Bicing's establishment, there were some 40,000 bicycle trips each week day in Barcelona. Now there are more than 70,000."

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And I'll close by adding that that number is sure to keep growing.

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If you'd like to read the complete article in the original Spanish, click here.

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Hasta luego amig@s,

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Carloz

English teacher needed urgently for August children's summer camp

Today (August 3rd) Padre Javier asked me to post an urgent notice about his need for a summer camp English teacher. He’s only interested in teachers who are already in Spain. Below is what he wrote, with my translation below it. He does not speak much English.
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"Necesito un profesor de ingles para la primera quincena de agosto y seguramente para la 2ª. Es un curso de verano para niños de 8 a 16 años. Serían 4 horas diarias declase, las clases son por la mañana y el resto del tiempo le tendrias libre. El lugar es Cervera de Pisuerga (Palencia) está al norte de españa. Es un lugar de veraneo. El sueldo por quince dias sería de 375 Euros más el alojamiento y la manutención que es gratis. Si estas interesado mandame un correo a fjpuebla@inicia.es o llamame al 606 145 045. Padre Francisco Javier Puebla"
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"I need an English teacher for the first half of August and surely for the second. It is a summer course for children from 8 to 16 years old. The teacher would have 4 hours of class daily, the classes are in the morning, and the remainder of the time would be free. The location is Cervera de Pisuerga (Palencia) in the north of Spain. It is a summer resort location. The pay for 15 days would be 375 euros, plus free room and board. If you are interested, send me an email at fjpuebla@inicia.es or call me on 606 145 045. Father Francisco Javier Puebla."
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Although he did not mention it, I believe he can also help with transportation there from within Spain. The photo above is of the cathedral in Palencia, which is the town near the camp. Here is a link to Mapquest showing the location of Palencia.

Spanish Royal Family Cartoon Censorship Controversy Continues

The Spanish Royal Family Cartoon Censorship Controversy not only continues, but is becoming a bit of a political football.
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The secretary of the Spanish Socialist Party, José Blanco, demanded that Basque Nationalist Party Senator Iñaki Anasagasti apologize for referring to the royal family as a "bunch of vagabonds" in an article on his blog about the forced withdrawal of last week's El Jueves magazine.
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Anasagasti said the real scandals were things like the royal family's annual two month summer vacations and the King Juan Carlos' recent launch of a new yacht. This boat was the 14th one the king has named Bribón, a name he and his businessman friend José Cuis both use for their yachts.
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Blanco, on the other hand, expressed his own "high respect" for the the Royal Family saying he considered, "their work and activities to be very positive for Spain." Although the Socialist leader brought the matter up in a speech in the Spanish Congress of Deputies, he passed the "pelota" on whether or not charges should be brought against Anasagasti, saying he was not the one who made such decisions. (Does that sound like doublespeak, or what?)
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In other developments:
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El Jueves' web site collapsed last week due to all of the traffic it was receiving.
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Apparently copies of the withdrawn magazine have been selling on EBay for thousands of euros.
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This week's issue printed a "rectification" with a cartoon on its cover depicting Crown Prince Felipe as a bumble bee and Princess Letizia as a flower. The headline read, "Correction: This is the cover we meant to publish!"
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The Government prosecutor in the case decided that while charges against cartoonist Guillermo Torres and writer Manel Fontevilla will stand, they will only face a fine if the case goes to court.
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And today the magazine published another commentary on it's web, which I've translated below:
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"After the monumental mess caused by the forced withdrawal of our magazine; after reading hundreds of sensible articles on the limits to freedom of speech, that seem only to apply to us; after so many civilly active journalists have said we are "coarse" and so many other journalists (?) who bottom-feed on trash-TV have declared us "gross"; after seeing how "progressive" people in Government danced around the issue while an opportunistic opposition party member feigned defending us (almost to the point that we feared finding [Popular Party spokesperson Eduardo] Zaplana chained to the door of our editorial offices in a plea for freedom of speech!); after so many editorials reviling the withdrawal, not because it was unjust, but because it was a counterproductive measure; after hearing that we were a decadent magazine (number 9 in Spain, with 475.0000 readers, according to the latest official figures), after so much nonsense and so much bla,bla,bla, one thing is clearer than ever: El Jueves is only a modest magazine of satirical humor – we do not aspire to more –, but it has the best readers in the world. We are very, very proud of you. Thanks to you all."

Will success kill 'Bicing', Barcelona's new public bicycling system?

Below is my translation of an article by JAUME BAUZÀ from last Sunday's El Pais newspaper.

Click on the title below if you want to read the original Spanish version.
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Success threatens to drown 'bicing'
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In biology it is said that an insect survives because it is small, but that if it grew to the size of a cow, it would suffocate. Something similar could happen to Bicing, with its overwhelming success in Barcelona.
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The public transportation system established by City Hall last March has already has attracted 70,000 users so far -- a figure that grows by 1,000 new subscriptions a day. However, the number of available bicycles is much lower: 1,500 located at 100 stations. This difference between supply and demand is starting to cause problems in getting hold of a bicycle.
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Empty stations for much of the day, queues to get hold of one the prized methods of transport and users who, after an initial phase of skepticism followed by enthusiasm for the innovative service, are beginning to grow impatient.
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"The other day I had to go to three stations until I found a bicycle. If it to had gone home on foot since at the start, I would have arrived there earlier," said Ana at a stop near the cathedral.
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"At first there was no problem, but when I leave for work it's a miracle to find a bike," claimed Antoni in the Eixample area.
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Although the majority of users consulted believe that Bicing is an excellent initiative, a lot of criticism was expressed about the lack of bicycles. Nevertheless, those responsible for the program are not worried.
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"I don't believe there is a serious imbalance between supply and demand. At any rate, the service is still not up and running 100%," stated a spokesman of Barcelona Municipal Services, the public business that operates the new urban transportation system. City Hall foresees by year's end 3.000 bicycles in circulation, distributed through 200 stations all over the city. But how many users will have registered by then?
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"Now we are in a state of flux. With the summer's arrival the promotional [membership] rate of six euros annually has ended. It doesn't seem probable that the number of requests will continue at this pace after September."
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The system is seen as an alternative method of public transportation, so it only allows for trips of half an hour. In case that time limit is surpassed, the user is penalized 30 cents. This way the bicycles move constantly. Clear Channel, the company that put the service operation in Barcelona, reported that there have already been more than 500,000 trips recorded.
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"According to our calculations, each bicycle is used an average of 12 times a day and we believe that those rotations will rise to 15 by the end of the year. So when they say that there are few bicycles, one must keep in mind that they are in continuous movement," City Hall said in response to the criticism.
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At Barcelona Municipal Services, they prefer that things develop naturally. "It's logical that in the future some users will drop the service, having tired of not finding a bicycle. Thus the supply and demand will balance out," explained the municipal spokesman. "At any rate, it's still very early to speculate on that question. The system is new. We started from scratch and we need a year to study where the gaps are and find solutions", affirmed this spokesman.
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The advantages of Bicing are undeniable and explain why Barcelonans have been tripping over their feet to get at this service. It's comfortable, ecological and cheap. According to a profile provided by City Hall, the average user is more than 35 years old (48%), is a professional with an advanced degree (30,6%), lives in the Eixample (26,4%) and uses the bike an average of 15 minutes.
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To absorb such user demand, the town council is working towards installing a new station every day. The Bicing map already includes 75 stations that extend all over the city. For example, the six kilometers that separate Plaza d' Espanya and Glòries can be covered in 28 minutes traveling almost in straight line along Gran Via. The stress and heat produced by cars in two lanes, pedestrians that cross the street without looking and furious cabdrivers suggest making the return trip by Metro. The eight stations that separate both Plazas require 12 minutes travel time.
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Such a system is necessary, many citizens say, above all in a metropolis that has always boasted of treating bicycles well. But success can also kill and the flood of users threatens to reduce the effectiveness of the service.
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"There are things that need fine tuning, but in July we'll have 150 maintenance and distribution staff, 10 vehicles with trailers to carry bicycles and another four vehicles for maintenance. So, we'll fill up empty stations more quickly," pronounced City Hall.

Two English Teachers & One French Teacher needed for Summer Camp in Palenica

An acquaintance of mine who organizes a summer camp near Palencia every year asked me to post this on my blog. Of course, he’s only interested in teachers who are already in Spain. I’ve known people who taught there in the past and enjoyed it.

I’ve copied and pasted what he wrote, which is in Spanish, and written my translation below that. He does not speak much English. (I don't know about his French.)

"Necesito profesores de ingles [y un de frances] para el curso de verano. Los niños tienen de 8 a 16 años. Están en grupos reducidos según nivel de conocimiento del idioma, como máximo 15 niños por aula. Los cursos son en Julio y agosto. Los niños vienen por mes completo o por quincena. Los profesore tendrían 4 horas diarias de clase por la mañana, el resto del tiempo lo tienen libre. Además del sueldo, yo les doy el alojamiento y la manutención gratis, además pueden ir a las excursiones que hagan los niños. Los interesados pueden enviarme su curriculum si es posible en español al correo fjpuebla@inicia.es o llamarme al 606 145 045. Cervera de Pisuerga está enclavada en la montaña palentina dentro del parque natural de Fuentes Carrionas y Fuente Cobre, un lugar de veraneo. Padre Francisco Javier Puebla"

I need English teachers [and one French teacher] for the summer course. The children are from 8 to 16 years. They are grouped according to level of knowledge of the language, at most 15 children in a classroom. The courses are in July and August. The children come for a whole month complete or for a two-week period. The teacher would have 4 hours of class daily in the morning, the remainder of the time would be free. Besides the salary, I give free board and lodging. In addition they they can go on the excursions that the children take. Those that are interested can send me a résumé, in Spainish if possible, to fjpuebla@inicia.es or call me on 606 145 045. Cervera de Pisuerga is located on the mountain of Palencia, inside the nature reserve of Fuentes Carrionas y Fuente Cobre, a summer resort. Father Francisco Javier Puebla

P.S. He just called me and told me the pay is 750 gross and that he could probably help with bus or train fare to Palencia.

P.P.S Here's a link to a Mapquest showing the location of Palencia.

Verbena Tranquila: Commentary on BCN’s Summer Solstice Celebration (Saint John’s Night)

Copied from original http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/ posting by Carloz on 26 June, 2007

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Below is my translation of a major part of an editorial in Monday’s El Periodico de Catalunya regarding Saint John’s Night (La Noche de San Juan / La Nit de Sant Joan):

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“A Tranquil Festival”

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“Another year has produced the traditional images of Saint John’s Night. In a world daily growing more globalized and lacking in references, this festival connects us to a culture, to a way of celebrating the passing of time, to the ancient rites of our civilization. Belonging to this manner of observing the shortest night are: bonfires, fireworks, fire worship, and the urge to celebrate associated with the solstice and heat.

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There are other images, too, although not always so edifying. The hangover of a night measured by kilos of trash accumulated on the beach or a few episodes of antisocial behavior do not manage to mar the natural, desirable and deserved public joy.

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Sadly, there were accidents. Certainly a single tragedy dampens a celebration. At the same time, this year we can be generally pleased with the tranquility that reigned over 2007’s festivities.

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Government warnings regarding the handling of fireworks had their desired effect, although such precautions should be maximized to result in zero risk. We should congratulate ourselves on the normality of it all; which is to say that even in the most crowded of festivals, we are able to behave as a mature society.”

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I couldn’t agree more! There was such a mix of people, too: children, adults, senior citizens, families, couples, neighbors, natives, immigrants, tourists, straights, gays… And as exciting and action-packed as it all was, there was such a feeling of community, peace and, yes, tranquility.

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Here is a link to the original article: Verbena tranquila

Spain’s Sunday News Highlights: Who are more undesirable - French tourists, cats, dogs or politicians? Read and decide!

Fresh from reading El Pais and El Periodico at the beach, here are some of the items that struck me:

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Hoteliers Fear French Tourists and Idolize the Japanese.

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(By the way, this article had me, and the French friend who was with me, howling!)
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According to a survey of European hoteliers by GfK for Expedia, the Japanese are the favorite tourists, while the French — well the article said, “son groseros, quejicas y no se adapten a la cultura del lugar que visitan.” (They are rude, complaining and do not adapt themselves to the culture of the places they visit.)

.Where the Japanese were considered polite and interested in local culture and cuisine, the French were generally described as poor tippers who refuse to even try to learn a few words of the language of the host country and who show little interest in trying local culinary specialties. Only in fashion consciousness did they excel, along with Italians and Spaniards.

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The article also pointed out that the survey broke with some sterotypes; namely, that of American’s as arrogant and not interested in other languages. Although Americans ranked highest in the category of complainers and were seen as the worst dressers, they were ranked number one in the categories of trying to speak the local language, interested in trying the local cuisine and tipping.

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The Germans and British were noted for their lack of fashion sense. The Russians and the British scored low on respecting local customs.

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All-in-all, the top 5 tourist groups were: 1. Japanese; 2. Americans; 3. Swiss; 4. Swedish and 5. Germans. At the bottom of the list of 28 nationalities were: 24. British; 25. Russians; 26. Chinese; 27. Indians and 28. French.

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The article then had an interesting postscript about a Japanese doctor who has identifed something called the Paris Syndrome. Here is my translation of what was written about this condition:

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“That the words thanks and please have almost disappeared from the dictionaries of the French is not only verified by the GfK survey, which was carried out in April. It is also verified, with genuine fear, by the Japanese that land in the French capital. The cultural clash that occurs between the code of reverential conduct and hyper-respectfulness of the Japanese visitors and the aggressiveness and lack of courtesy of many waiters, sales clerks and Parisian cabdrivers is transformed, in some cases, into an illness that has been named the Paris Syndrome by Dr. Hiroaki Ota.

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“Each year he diagnoses about twenty cases among subjects of the Chrysanthemum Throne who visit the city they idealize as the mecca of culture and love. Auditory and visual hallucinations, feelings of persecution, confusion, anguish and even depression are some of the symptoms. There are some who do not overcome the clash. In the most serious cases, he opts for hospitalizing and repatriating the patient.”

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Clcik here for the online version of the article.

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This country is going to the dogs - and cats: Sticking with El Periodico and surveys, in an article entitled The Spaniard, tolerant of pets, another poll found that 53% of Spaniards interviewed were in favor of cats and dogs being allowed in hotels, restaurants, beaches and other public places, while another 37% thought this should be allowed as long as the animals behave themselves.

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Both El Pais and El Periodico had a lot of coverage of the agreement reached among the 27 EU countries on a new “treaty.” El Periodico claimed, “Europe Unblocked with Concessions to Poland” , while El Pais announced “Europe Regains Its Pulse.”

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El Pais described Merkel as having played the bad cop and Sarkozy the good in negotiations with Poland at the meeting of EU leaders in Brussels this weekend. It reported that Germany threatened to leave Poland out of future negotiations on the treaty by the Inter-Governmental Conference Group if President Kaczynski continued to hold up the agreement. The paper claimed that Merkel’s forcefulness, along with Sarkozy’s skilled negotiations over the telephone with Prime Minister Kaczynski (who was in Warsaw) were key elements of a successful strategy. It also cited efforts by the PMs of Spain, Britain and Luxembourg: Zapatero, Blair and Junker.

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Tweedele Dumb and Tweedle Dumber: The Kaczynski brothers are increasingly depicted in an unfavorable light in much of the Spanish media. A cartoon in today’s El Pais depicted them wearing identical police officer uniforms and interchangable scowls while looking down at a pair of ants on a beach. The caption read: “Polish police check with horror on the promiscuous nudity of ants on the beaches of the Baltic sea.”

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Click here to see the cartoon.

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And that’s all from me from Spain for now…

Copied from original http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/ posting by Carloz on 24 June, 2007