Crabby Row

As I'm typing this, I'm thinking that tomorrow at this time (almost 1 pm) I should be getting ready to have lunch. But guess what? I'm not hungry because my stomach is telling me it's a different time. Zara's body clock tells her it's a different time too. She didn't get up at 9 am today like she usually does on Sundays. The only consolation I have to the time change is that next week I have off for Easter holidays, so I'll try not to be too crabby this week.

The older I get, the more like a mouse I become. Did you know most mice never travel more than six metres from home? On Thursday evening I was waiting on the platform of the underground to go to the centre to celebrate a friend's birthday in our favourite Mexican when a huge group of American high school kids arrived. I moved on down the platform so that when our train arrived I wouldn't be stuck in the same compartment with lots of screaming teens. Just my luck, a couple of stations later another huge group gets on - this time they were Italian students! I was happy that I was standing and not sitting because being surrounded by so many people makes me claustrophobic. Anyway, the meal was worth it. I don't often eat at the Mexican, but every time I do one of the waiters comes to greet me. He was working there when we used to go to the restaurant over 30 years ago.

Our weather has changed again. We've gone back to spring. Next week the weather will probably change again. We usually have rain at Easter but it has scarcely rained in Madrid since last spring so rain isn't likely on the cards.

This will be a short (er) piece today since we've been robbed of an hour. I do hope everyone has a good week though. 

Gotta Have Faith

Sometimes things don't turn out nearly as badly as we're expecting them to. The results didn't end up in our favour since we'll be paying three times what we paid about two tears ago to replace a rotten pillar in the basement. Of course, we all know that the owner of the flat will get some 'free' repairs, which we´ll all have to pay for. Nevertheless, all things were as clear as they'll ever be (i.e. in the future not to be so trusting) by 10.10 p.m. when our meeting broke up. Remember I was expecting it to finish at 11.30 p.m. the earliest.

One of my first blogs on here dealt with what a small world we live in. In Spanish we say the world is a handkerchief. It goes to show that very little happens in the neighbourhood without others knowing about it. When I went to my classes the day after the meeting, I was told that we'd had a meeting the night before. The lady who lives in the flat above mine goes to dance classes (flamenco) in the evenings and so does the mother, who is also a friend of mine, of two of my students. My neighbour had to leave class early to attend our meeting. That's when the penny dropped and Cielo realized that was my building.

Our weather isn't nearly as warm as it was last week. Our neighbours, the squatters, have just finished their chore of breaking up furniture to burn I think. Every time I smell smoke, and I did a few minutes ago, I fear there's another fire. I went to the kitchen window and saw a neighbor taking in her clothes. I bet they smelled horribly of smoke. Let's just hope the squatters are more careful with their fires in the future.

My photo today is a cushion I 'made' or more precisely have re-done. You're supposed to use a round cushion. I don't have any round cushions, which is why it came out almost like a heart - that and on one side I was short of material. I'm going to make a couple of round pillows by hand and try again because I want them for gifts. I edited the photo in fotofuse, a site geared to online sellers. Try as I might I couldn't get rid of a couple of blue spots. Anyway, this is my odd looking cushion. If I do get some round ones made in the near future, I'll post a photo of them.

Tomorrow is Father's Day in Spain. It's a holiday so it's one Monday I don't mind. Hope everybody has a good week and Monday doesn't drag for you.

Strikes and Victims of Terrorism

Today marks the 8th anniversary of the Madrid train bombs, and today the trade unions are again marching in protest against the new labour reforms presented by the Popular Party. True, as someone has pointed out, a day can’t be considered exclusive to any one group, and true the march can’t take place next Sunday because next weekend has 3 days. Who wants to break up a mini holiday by going to a political protest? The leaders of the trade unions certainly don’t! I can’t help but think, however, if the trade unions have called a general strike for the 29th of this month, what’s the urgency of a march today, a day of remembrance and sadness? And unless I’m ill or knocked down, I’ll be working on the 29th of March. On that day I hope the trade unions remember the nearly 5 million people who are unemployed.

Most of us have by now realized that life isn’t fair and we just have to live with it the best we can. On Friday, representatives of the Association of Victims of Terrorism were in my area collecting money for their cause. Ironic isn’t it that they have to ask for money and the trade unions receive public funds?  The photo that I’m including today with my blog is found in Wikipedia (so no one will think I’m a good photographer). It’s from the Oma Forest in the Basque country where there are so many victims of ETA. The painting of the trees is the idea of the sculptor and painter Agustín Ibarrola. Animal, human and colourful geometric figures can be seen in these peaceful woods. The photo I chose is one where you have to be in a certain position to see the figures. I also dedicate the photo to the victims of the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan a year ago today.

Tuesday the 13th, the day of bad luck in Spain, will find me in another hairy meeting of our building association after my classes finish in the evening. I bet anything it won’t finish until something like 11.30 p.m. I’m never looking forward to starting a new week and this one even less. Speaking of number 13, on Friday in my last class we were doing Lesson 13. When I got home I saw that there had been a crash between two cars on my street corner, so the streets were blocked again just like they were a few weeks ago with the fire. Maybe this accident has something to do with the moon, or more likely one car didn’t stop when it should have. I don’t know why the right-of-way signs are so difficult to see or comprehend, I imagine some people need to re-study their driving manual, get off the mobile phone (not permitted without hands-free), or stop speeding or all of these. This is a dangerous crossing and there have been many accidents, and will probably see more until driverless cars are the norm.

I’m not looking forward to my week, but I hope everyone else has a great one.  

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