Friday 16 January 2009

JESUS IS NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS.

Tomorrow is the day of Saint Antony, patron saint of many things including animals, skin rashes and The Netherlands. I'm thinking of dragging Henderson along in an attempt to cure him of his ongoing ailments. I don't think I can take much more of him doing what looks like a Chorea Sanct Viti, or Saint Vitus dance. Twisting and writhing which he passes off as eczema. It's either that or he has got Saint Antony's Fire, ergot poisoning......

So I guess a big bonfire will be built and set alight and wine and some sort of nibble will be on offer probably in the form of a sausage or a baked potato but might be the dreaded chocolate and churros. Just the mention of fire and food will bring the natives out in gangs. In the morning, animals will be herded at the end of our road in the Plaza Santa Clara and get blessed by the priest. Our road used to house many animals and farms but now seems on the brink of becoming the town's answer to Hoxton. Later the tiny chapel which flats have been built around, one of the few relics to be saved in recent years, will open to the public. It is a bit of a sorrowful sight as The Spanish are still not used to saving anything old.

Keeping on a religous theme I noticed a new film club or "ciclo de cine' as it is called here. It's organised by the bishop of Huesca but I can't imagine the films which look quite good will be in the original version. I'm reminded of my comment about foreigners thinking the English have never acquired an adult mind. Maybe it's because all the films are dubbed and fine actors and actresses end up talking like babies in Spanish. I've heard the same said of Americans. Spanish people say Americans come across as very childish in the movies, never thinking it is the dreadful dubber who contributes to this. 'But they are the best dubbers in the world', they tell me...........

Some friends crashed their car on New Year's Eve here, or rather the driver of a bus 'fainted' and crashed into them. The bus was carrying a load of 'religiosas', nuns and priests who claimed Jesus saved them, or so I am told. A bit like the woman who collapsed in the street on her way to the bank with the lottery takings and when she woke up the money was gone.

We'll need more than a miracle for the police to catch the hoodlums who seem to think they can ransack schools, bars and restaurants here. The local shop keepers and bar owners want more police presence and perhaps this is not such a bad idea but I can't see it happening. Someone managed to drive the wrong way down the motorway last week for quite a schlep it seems as the police never found him or her despite receiving loads of calls from drivers swerving out of the way.

Lastly, classes 2A and B as opposed to the reprobates in the year above, gave me hope the other day when I got them to do prepositions of place, in, on and under etc. They had to draw what was under their bed and came up with such wonderful things as nests with legs and socks that fall in love. Right up my calle.

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