
<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7880126726_d07c5a0674_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Daycare Graduate">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7880126726_83d299df01_t.jpg" alt="Daycare Graduate"/>
</a>

Nora spent most of August vacationing (from what?) in Extremadura, southern Spain, with her _abuelos_, drinking grape juice, splashing around in water to stay cool and bossing her _abuelos_ around. She came back the most tan she's ever been, slightly taller and happy to be home.  When she was away from us, we would talk on the phone each day. We could usually get a few responses out of her about what she had done or eaten that day, but then she would say, "I'm sad because I go away." Once we hit that wall, every response from her was the same sentence, verbatim, as she slowly slid into emotional tears. It was her way of saying that she missed us. Once the phone was back on the hook, however, she went back to playing happily.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7896459002_d793ecbff3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Tomato Girl">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7896459002_b38f9a656f_n.jpg" alt="Tomato Girl"/>
</a>

Since I've only been with her for a week this month, I don't have that many anecdotes to share. Incidentally, when I tell anecdotes about things she's said or done to people, she gets embarrassed and hides her face in her hands and tries to hide.

When she went to a wedding with her mother, she said (in Spanish), "Mommy, someone needs to tell the girl in the white dress that her dress is too long and is dragging on the ground!" She's all the time coming up with complete, logical thoughts like that.

Nora couldn't take part in many of the summer festivities on account of her aversion to loud noises and loud music. While some three year olds were hopping and spinning on the dance floors at some parties, Nora had to be holding someone's hand a hundred meters away from the speakers. And the Spanish penchant for setting off firecrackers and fireworks at festivals does not sit well with Nora either. On the one hand, I completely understand her dislike of loud music and noises, but another part of me is saddened that she's missing out on some fun that could be had. The I'm-strict-because-I-love-you father in me is hopeful that maybe this will curb her desire to go out dancing in the discotheques until sunrise as is the Spanish teenage custom, but I suspect that's naive wishful thinking.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7896577880_f40b13a9c4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora and Ariadne">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7896577880_dafdce3274_n.jpg" alt="Nora and Ariadne"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7896604002_dc89307b07_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora and Carla">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7896604002_6ffc84307a_n.jpg" alt="Nora and Carla"/>
</a>

Two potential discotheque partying buddies: Ariadne, our summertime neighbor, and Carla, the daughter of Nora's mother's discotheque pal, Emi.

The other day, her mother was teaching Nora a song in Basque, translating each line into English as she went. One of the lyrics contains the word "nora", which is Basque for "where". When her mother sang that line, Nora said, "The song knows my name!!" I may have burst out laughing.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7880131782_35266121c7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="La Cucaña, 2012 Graduating Class">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7880131782_aca490b68a.jpg" alt="La Cucaña, 2012 Graduating Class"/>
</a>

This is the graduating class of Nora's daycare/preschool. Since she only goes in the afternoons, there are several kids here that she doesn't even know. I had fun pointing to each one and asking her to name the kid. I think that only two of them will be in her kindergarten class.

We received a pamphlet in the mail today informing us of our pre-school parent-teacher orientation meeting next week. When I was reading the pamphlet, Nora said, "That's from my school, isn't it?" Astonished, I asked how she knew that, and she pointed to a little emblem in the top corner, which later this morning I confirmed is painted on the side of the school. Amazing!

I'm pretty sure that I'm more nervous about her starting school than Nora is. I'm very much looking forward to the meeting because I have no clue about how the school schedule works, since I have zero experience with the Spanish school system. I do know that the same class stays with the same teacher for the first three years. As such, it is _very_ important that we make a good first impression on the teacher. It's a great system if you get along well with your teacher. Let's get this scholastic rocket to the launchpad! Wish us luck!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7880126726_d07c5a0674_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Daycare Graduate">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-30-state-of-the-offspring-address-august-2012/7880126726_83d299df01_z.jpg" alt="Daycare Graduate"/>
</a>

The state of the offspring is strong!


State of the Offspring Address - August 2012


<img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-26-deadly-spanish-air-currents/7864355636_3c1ba70212_t.jpg" alt="Curtain in Breeze" class="post-thumb"/>Cultural differences fascinate me, as do superstitions. So naturally I am enthralled by the utter mortal fear Spaniards have for air currents, specifically those running through a house. Every time I open two windows on either side of my house to get a nice current of fresh air running through, I am told to close one of the windows, because air currents (_corrientes_) are dangerous. When there's a baby or child in the house – forget about it! – the importance of reducing air pressure differentials goes up by several orders of magnitude. Everyone in Spain knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who died because they had fresh air running through their house.  In South Korea, they have a similar belief, that an electric fan left running overnight in a closed room will kill any humans in the room. It's called [fan death](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death). From anecdotal [blog entries](http://askakorean.blogspot.com.es/2009/01/fan-death-is-real.html) I've read, it seems that everyone in South Korea takes this as a widely accepted scientific fact. Yet everyone outside of the country regards it as a silly superstition.

I have spoken with maybe a dozen Spaniards about the dangers of domestic _corriente_, and they all look at me like I'm an idiot for not knowing this basic scientific fact. When I inquire, I am told that, if you are lying down sleeping under a tree in a field with a light breeze, that's fine. But if you're lying on your couch with the window open and _the same exact wind is blowing over you_, that is very dangerous and you are putting yourself at risk of a cold or pneumonia. Eliminating variables, I asked if there were walls but no ceiling, would that be okay? Yes. And if there is a ceiling, but no walls? Yes, that's okay, too. But once you have a ceiling and walls with a window open, the air current becomes very dangerous.

There is an important lingual distinction here. When you're outside or don't have a ceiling or walls, that's called _viento_ (wind), but the ceiling and walls turn the same moving air into _corriente_ (current), and I am told that they are _not the same thing_.

I have done an hour or two of internet research into this concept over the years, and the only thing I've found is that the Italians have a similar [fear of moving air](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15987082). I can't find any articles in Spanish discussing the phenomenon, and the only articles in English discussing air currents in the home, as they relate to danger, are ones about how your moldy old air conditioner might be killing you with mold spores and you need to open up all your windows and get some fresh air flowing before you die. In the States, we have attic fans, which we turn on specifically to create low pressure inside the house to generate a breeze.

My wife claims that she was taught the danger of _corrientes_ in school and will invoke terms like [convective heat transfer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convective_heat_transfer) (why moving air feels cooler) and [Bernoulli's principle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernoulli%27s_principle) (why air moves faster through a narrower path) in its defense, but it still doesn't make any sense to me why air moving at the same velocity over your skin outdoors would be any safer. No doubt the Koreans are taught about fan death in school, too.

[![Tissue](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-26-deadly-spanish-air-currents/5861019832_456ddfe62c_o.gif)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/devilforhire/5861019832/ "Tissue by Demetrios Manolatos, on Flickr")

If this deadly air current phenomenon is real, I would love to understand it, and would convert to a believer in a second with sufficient evidence, but it certainly seems to me like a cultural superstition, heavily laden with confirmation bias…in the same category as not swimming for an hour after eating.

Note that I am not calling Spaniards stupid, just observing this quirky regional belief. No doubt every country has their own version of this. The "no swimming after eating" one, for example, is very prevalent in the United States.


Deadly Spanish Air Currents


[![Kindle Touch - Haiku Competition](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-23-haiku-competition-win-a-free-kindle-touch/7844861476_cbf091ca88_t.jpg)](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005890G8Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005890G8Y&linkCode=as2&tag=eriksblog07-20)

This is a contest to find syllabic poems. Win a Kindle Touch!

Haikus for Kindles? The very best poem wins! Judged by yours truly.

You know you want one. Enter multiple poems! Only the best wins.

Those of you who follow me on the social networks will know that I have a fondness for haikus. Their beauty is similar to that of the tweet; such tight constraints force a level of creativity and elegance that would not happen with open-ended poetry or prose.

1. Submit as many entries as you like in the comments of this post, preferably one per comment, by the end of the August 2012.
2. A haiku is a three-line poem with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. What it's about is entirely up to you.
3. Entries will be accepted in both English and Spanish.
4. I will choose and announce the winner in September.
5. A brand new [Kindle Touch](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005890G8Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005890G8Y&linkCode=as2&tag=eriksblog07-20) (a $99 value!) will be shipped to the winner.

Although the final decision will be mine, voting for your favorites using the comment voting system is encouraged.

![Kindle Touch - Haiku Competition](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-23-haiku-competition-win-a-free-kindle-touch/7844861476_cbf091ca88_c.jpg)

This competition is sponsored by www.directline-holidays.co.uk. Directline Holidays has been in the holiday business for almost twenty years, with a friendly and approachable team, dedicated to arranging first-class holidays at affordable prices.

Customers of Directline Holidays have the opportunity to search through traditional holiday packages from all the top tour operators, as well as individually designed holiday packages hand crafted by Directline Holidays team of specialists. These customised packages offer both great value and a fantastic holiday experience.

### September 1, 2012 Update: Winner Announced!

We had some excellent entries. Thank you all for participating! The runner-up is Julia Elizabeth Mattice, with her clever single word final line, but first place goes to the flattering entry from Steffi, a long time lurker on this blog, who manipulated the judging panel (me) with praise of my daughter.

> A devilish grin A cherub\\'s face, hair of gold Nora reigns supreme


Haiku Competition - Win a free Kindle Touch!


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839967154_944a213508_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Sauga Folk 2012 - Virgen de Palacios - Voto">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839967154_66d62bcb02_t.jpg" alt="Sauga Folk 2012 - Virgen de Palacios - Voto"/>
</a>

Last weekend, I attended the 18th annual Sauga Folk festival, held each year in my town of Colindres. The festival focuses on local, Cantabrian music and dance, as well as celtic music in general. Each year we get some pretty famous (as the celtic music scene goes) acts from Ireland and sometimes Scotland traveling here to perform. Due to collisions with August summer vacations, this is only the second year that I have been able to attend.  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839961478_b7f9f45c6a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sauga Folk - T-Shirts">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839961478_860f8b743d.jpg" alt="Sauga Folk - T-Shirts"/>
</a>

Every year, they sell t-shirts with the [_lábaru_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labaru), an ancient symbol not to be confused with the Basque _lauburu_, that is related with Cantabria and has its origins in early Christian symbolism.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839970022_0b7fc30624_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sauga Folk - Witch Books">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839970022_50b703575a.jpg" alt="Sauga Folk - Witch Books"/>
</a>

Like any anciently pagan mountainous region, we have plenty of folklore about witches…and people to sell books about it.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839974408_7152f38cc0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sauga Folk - Talismans">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839974408_71ea6b1150.jpg" alt="Sauga Folk - Talismans"/>
</a>

This booth sold magical talismans offering, among other benefits, security, success, prosperity, love, strength, intelligence, abundance, wisdom, health, protection, balance and luck. Who wouldn't pay a small fee for _those_ things!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839967154_944a213508_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sauga Folk 2012 - Virgen de Palacios - Voto">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839967154_66d62bcb02.jpg" alt="Sauga Folk 2012 - Virgen de Palacios - Voto"/>
</a>

The first act I saw was the dance troupe, _Virgen de Palacios_, from the nearby village (collection of villages, really) of Voto. Their narrator, one of the dancers who took the microphone to introduce each dance, explained the traditional nature of each dance and when, during the year, they typically dance each one. At one point, the dancers shouted, "_¡Viva Colindres!_", and, in a poignant unscripted gesture, the crowd responded, "_¡Viva Voto!_".

<iframe width="505" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HEW8dn1L6zE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Some comments… All the music was a single clarinet and a snare drum. The littlest kids were pretty adorable. Just when I thought, "Of _course_ the boys like signing up for the stick bashing dances!" they came out with the floral arcs and did dances with those. The way the dresses move are very visually pleasing. The narrator spoke of how the pole-and-ribbon dance is very similar to other European maypole dancing, but with slight differences. The way they weave the ribbons together and unweave them was lovely. How cute is their microphone stand? My favorite lyric from the song the women sing was, "I love my mother-in-law because she's the mother of my love."

About this time, I went to the bar for my first beer of the night. In a common and understandable practice for bars in which amateurs are operating the bar, you had to buy tickets (colored slips of paper) for drinks at one <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839978132_dd965084cd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sauga Folk - Dougall's Beer">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839978132_b5b7c92ce7_m.jpg" alt="Sauga Folk - Dougall's Beer"/>
</a>

place with the cash box, and then the bartenders would make your drinks and rip up your tickets. I went to order a beer, and the bartender said, "Hey, would you like to try this Cantabrian beer, [DouGall's](http://dougalls.es/), we're offering today?" Ever up for new beverage experiences, I agreed. It was quite good. It was stronger than your typical Spanish lager, with a lot more flavor. When I ordered my second, I inquired about it, and was told that, although it's brewed in Lliérganes, Cantabria, it's made by an English bloke, who markets it as a "real ale", which means something to English beer connoisseurs. The fourth one (the plastic cups were tiny and overpriced) I ordered from that same bartender was given to me on the house.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839981370_717e9b4490_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sauga Folk - Bar">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-22-sauga-folk-festival-2012/7839981370_7eed31d11e.jpg" alt="Sauga Folk - Bar"/>
</a>

The Spanish word for "tickets", in the voucher sense, is just "tickets", except your typical Spaniard has trouble or doesn't bother pronouncing the second T. So when someone tried to solve the problem of people trying to pay with money without buying their tickets from the ticket counter, they wrote "Tickes" on a poster. Clearly someone else told them, "You forgot the T at the end", and they added it in the wrong place to make "Ticktes".

When the sun went down, it was time for the real concert to begin, a lineup that included some local Cantabrian music, an Irish folk band named [Máirtí­n O'Connor Band](http://www.mairtinoconnorband.com/) and some other Spanish rock/folk music. By the time the Irish folks finished, it was 3:00 AM and I went home, opting not to OD on craic. The Irish band did a lot of talking between songs, in English, explaining the nature of each of the songs and adding some pretty weak jokes. Of the hundred or so people around me, only one or two seemed to laugh in the right places to denote some understanding of what was being said. An inebriated group of lads near me kept shouting an English phrase they knew, "I love you!" at the band.

I enjoyed the music a lot, and I hope you do, too. I can't be certain that I would've picked it up, but once the Irish band told us that one of the songs was copied from George Frideric Handel, I immediately picked it up. See if you don't notice a bit of [Queen Sheba](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TGKJ9MgCOQ) around the 5:45 mark.

<iframe width="505" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8zoKHQrguRU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I'm already looking forward to next year. You can't beat a concert you can walk to in five minutes that's just out of earshot of your bedroom window!


Sauga Folk Festival 2012


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829957420_f2b5d54d91_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Grapes 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829957420_98de263cb6_t.jpg" alt="Grapes 2012"/>
</a>

On the evening of August 6, we arrived in Higuera de la Serena, my wife's family's summer town in Extremadura, the original hometown of her maternal grandmother, and town where her mother grew up. Despite only having known my wife for fewer than twelve years, this was the third time I have watched the Summer Olympics from Extremadura, having visited every August since 2003. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829671412_8f32f1b719_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Extremadura Home">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829671412_6413c8d3f2.jpg" alt="Extremadura Home"/>
</a>

This is our house, the door and two windows in the middle. This was the first summer without the owner of the house, our beloved Abuelo, who passed away last December.

One of the first days of my week there, we went to a nearby reservoir, the _Embalse del Zíºjar_, to a beach and picnic area to spend the day with some friends keeping cool in the water. We had a bit of trouble finding it, because every single town we passed advertised "playa" (beach), because they had a little body of water with some picnic tables like the one we were looking for. For being a landlocked region of Spain, Extremadura sure has a lot of beaches!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829592686_617b8e927d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Isla Zíºjar">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829592686_4197b1e966.jpg" alt="Isla Zíºjar"/>
</a>

The place we eventually settled on was called _Isla Zíºjar_, but don't bother looking for it on Google Maps, because it doesn't exist. It's a spot only locals know about. The sand, while nothing like the powder we have up north in Laredo, is just fine enough so that you can walk easily barefoot. The initial entrance to the water was downright frigid, but once accustomed, was quite lovely.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829582432_d1a0206fbd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Eating Lunch">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829582432_ebc8ebbb86.jpg" alt="Eating Lunch"/>
</a>

We ate a big paella for lunch.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829586876_b37483558a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Topless Wining">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829586876_ff930f155a_m.jpg" alt="Topless Wining"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829589886_4bf81301f6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Marga Portrait">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829589886_d843d187be_m.jpg" alt="Marga Portrait"/>
</a>

There were some very attractive people there.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829585100_a5855e1e5e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora Eating Ice Cream">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829585100_5568921d2b.jpg" alt="Nora Eating Ice Cream"/>
</a>

Ice cream is great when you have no clothes to stain.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829598852_d73f666679_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora swimming with Marga and Marce">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829598852_5d7c73ca3a.jpg" alt="Nora swimming with Marga and Marce"/>
</a>

Nora adjusted quite well to the water. Eventually she was able, with an inflatable ring, to swim several meters back and forth between her parents, using a canine "just pretend you're running" sort of stroke.

I was pleased that we spent several days on the standard summer vacation schedule: wake up, eat fresh churros, run zero or one errands, go out to the bars for _los cortos_ (small beers and snacks in a half dozen bars), optional lunch (I declined every day), nap, sit around for a bit, go for a walk, dinner, and bed.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829700504_6ba58a152e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Churros">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829700504_d16d0aab2d.jpg" alt="Churros"/>
</a>

The guy that makes churros in Higuera de la Serena is the best churro maker in the world.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829701638_2424f11835_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cortos - La Concha">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829701638_20c9b4b3cc.jpg" alt="Cortos - La Concha"/>
</a>

Walking between the bars is a matter of bearing 40Â°C (104Â°F), or more, direct sunlight. Move slowly and stay in the shade where you can.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829703358_0396a916ca_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Summer Swimming Pool">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829703358_523d430d70.jpg" alt="Summer Swimming Pool"/>
</a>

Since Nora, inexplicably, is rarely capable of napping, I didn't get much napping done either, spending the very hottest part of the day in the pool with her.

We got a brand new swimming pool this year. The previous one, which was at least thirty years old, purchased when Marga was Nora's age, finally succumbed last year to rips caused by a freak hailstorm. The new one is the exact same design, such that I imagine the old joists, legs and pins would probably work in the new pool's frame. The new one is slightly smaller, but is compensated by coming with a slide!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829707122_71c4879337_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Summer Swimming Pool">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829707122_ae4d05e0a5.jpg" alt="Summer Swimming Pool"/>
</a>

Several of the days, Nora spent two hours in the pool with me, followed by a light snack and two hours in the pool with her mother. When it's that hot and you have no air conditioning, you have to stay cool somehow!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829715696_fa597046ea_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Summer Swimming Pool">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829715696_b5b96f9959.jpg" alt="Summer Swimming Pool"/>
</a>

The best part of this pool's design are the secret spy holes.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829731162_0c82565708_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Summer Swimming Pool">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829731162_ffdb91edd6.jpg" alt="Summer Swimming Pool"/>
</a>

With some practice, I taught Nora how to hold her breath and put her face underwater. I recall as a child putting my face underwater and thinking I was doing the same as the kids who were diving all the way under.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829734100_c92cde18b3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Summer Swimming Pool">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829734100_7903541b4c.jpg" alt="Summer Swimming Pool"/>
</a>

The slide was a big hit.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829740912_5181851839_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="IMG_2695">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829740912_afaef22cae.jpg" alt="IMG_2695"/>
</a>

One night, after a barbecue dinner, my in-laws pulled out a bunch of red peppers and began roasting them on the barbecue, turning them jet black. Then they would take them off, let them cool a little, and peel off the black skin and rip them, with bare hands, into strips. They did the same with cloves of garlic. Add a little olive oil, salt and vinegar, and you get this amazing roast pepper salad. It was wonderful and combines perfectly with grilled meat.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829785320_8cefc18e5a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Mopping with Abuela">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829785320_51c22fee30.jpg" alt="Mopping with Abuela"/>
</a>

Nora absolutely _loves_ cleaning with her Abuela.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829788968_4a5d3771b0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Mopping with Abuela">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829788968_a4e9ff018f_z.jpg" alt="Mopping with Abuela"/>
</a>

It's hard to learn proper technique when your little kiddy mop is only half your height, when regular adult mops are the full height of an adult.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829744966_1fa4a1b388_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="44ÂºC Drinking">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829744966_0ea4594666.jpg" alt="44ÂºC Drinking"/>
</a>

On the very hottest day, after we had done our regular round of the seven bars, my wife and I decided to attend a party at another bar. It was 44Â°C (111Â°F) in the shade and these people were dancing and partying outside in the sun like it was nothing. Just when we were about to head home because we couldn't bear it any longer, the bartender turned on a hose and hosed everybody down. Call me normal, but I'm not a big fan of being sprayed with water by surprise, but in this instance it felt absolutely divine. So we danced and partied a little longer…

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829960076_0d152277b8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora's heat zits">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829960076_49f21b2bee.jpg" alt="Nora's heat zits"/>
</a>

Nora ended up with this red rash that I've named "heat zits". They're definitely related to sweat, and I get them too on the inside of my elbow and knee joints where the sweat accumulates without evaporating. A day after returning to the humid, but cooler, north, mine were dried up and almost gone.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829961122_70bf0fe158_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Salobreña Fiend">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829961122_b81798ef55.jpg" alt="Salobreña Fiend"/>
</a>

When we went out to bars, Nora usually ordered a _salobreña_, a dark grape juice made to resemble red wine, even down to the bottles they pour it out of. In most of the bars, I took a sip of her drink before giving it to her, both to reduce the likelihood of spillage and to verify that it wasn't actual wine. It is, however, _delicious!_

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829962324_bc229de974_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Clown Face">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829962324_9dacf60ce1.jpg" alt="Clown Face"/>
</a>

The result of her _salobreña_ drinking was a red arc, made longer by her constellation of zits, that made her look like someone had painted a smiling clown face on her.

On my last night there, we went out to a big party thrown because our neighbors, who I have come to know over the years. They had a wedding coming up the following week. It was sort of like a combination of bachelor party and bachelorette party, since both bride and groom were there. Food, music and _barra libre_.

Between my second and third gin & tonic, I gazed up into the sky, as I often do in Extremadura at night, to check out the stars. One star was particularly bright, and I assumed it must be a planet, probably Jupiter. As I was looking right at it, it slowly faded away and vanished. I rubbed my eyes and double checked, but it was gone. It was definitely the most bizarre phenomenon I've ever witnessed in the skies above. Given that I saw it on the night between August 11 and August 12, at the absolute peak of the 2012 Perseids meteor shower, I can only conclude that I witnessed a meteor head-on, which burned for a good five seconds. The vast majority of meteors never reach the ground to become meteorites, but, should I ever witness a meteor _coming right at me_ again, I think I might seek cover.

On Sunday, August 12, I drove the seven hours back home just in time to watch a spectacular gold medal basketball match between my two countries, Spain and the US. Marga was going to come back with me, but she got a call from her boss offering her a second week of vacation, so she stayed.

As always, I had a wonderful time, especially because I could see how happy my daughter was on her summer vacation. We're going to let her stay a fourth week before beginning her scholastic career in September.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829734998_9852a28f67_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Summer Swimming Pool">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-21-higuera-de-la-serena-2012/7829734998_b396e80235.jpg" alt="Summer Swimming Pool"/>
</a>


Higuera de la Serena - 2012


<img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-17-i-dont-understand-information-crimes/7800794862_b527e8f7ac_t.jpg" alt="whistle" class="post-thumb"/>Let's say I have a secret. Perhaps I'm gay, or I secretly won the lottery, or I killed a guy once, or I have a terminal disease, or I'm in witness protection, or I'm embezzling money from my employer, or I'm having an affair, or I have a supernumerary nipple. Whatever it is, it's absolutely true, but no one knows it, and I'd prefer that it stays that way. Now let's say you somehow discover my secret and you tell everyone. What moral, ethical or legal lines have you just crossed?  None, I would argue.

I would be angry and annoyed, but what recourse would I have? From what I can tell, most common law defines the crime of defamation or slander or libel as the spreading of _false_ information about a person or corporate entity.

In the very worst case, let's say that information that came out of your mouth was directly causally linked to someone murdering me. Are you morally or legally responsible for my death? No, of course not. The murderer is.

### Corporations

Now let's say I'm a corporation and I have a secret. Perhaps I've been Enron-ing my books, or I'm developing a brand new drug or tablet computer that I want to keep secret from my competitors. Now let's say you, my employee, release my secret to the press. I would fire you, of course, but you would be lauded as a hero by society.

### Governments

On the other hand, if I am a government, and you leak one of my secrets, be it about bureaucratic overspending, troop movements, or the location of my spies, our society deems it reasonable that you be jailed for life or even executed for your "crime" of speaking truth.

I'm sorry, but no government has the moral right to keep their troop movements secret so they can more effectively kill their enemies. Nor do they have a moral right to keep their spies' identities secret (so they can more effectively kill their enemies).

### Conclusion

It may sound like I'm arguing that we, individuals, corporations and governments, have no right to privacy. Perhaps I am. We certainly don't when it comes to immoral behavior (e.g. my right to privacy in my own home stops when I start beating my wife). All my favorite privacy laws are the ones that protected me from the government, like the [fourth amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) or [fruit of the poisonous tree](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_of_the_poisonous_tree).

As the title suggests, I haven't really thought all this through, and I'm thankfully not a lawyer. I'm just thinking out loud online. What do I have totally wrong here?


I don't understand information crimes


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779803952_40ee35e30b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779803952_358a796c84_t.jpg" alt="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

My wife and I arrived in my father-in-law's hometown of Zahí­nos on the evening of Saturday, August 4th, right at the height of the town's summer festival. Our daughter, Nora, who had not seen us in a week was ecstatic to be reunited with us. After sitting and chatting for a while with my wife's aunt, uncle and cousins, we headed down to the town fairgrounds for the most Spanish of all pastimes. A portable bullring had been set up and there were two bullfighters, including a hometown lad, scheduled to perform.  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779787222_bf1cb1cff0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779787222_b59c4ace20.jpg" alt="Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

Personally, my taste for bullfighting has waned considerably over my years of living in Spain. I initially approached it with an open mind, a strategy that allowed me to see the beauty and transcendent greatness that caught Hemingway's eye. On the other hand, my empathetic heart cannot bear to watch a fellow animal be tortured and killed for the fun of it. The best arguments in favor of bullfighting go something like, "The industry supports the very existence of these animals, who would not be bred without it, and they live the cushiest possible bovine lives (thousands of times better than your average dairy heifer) right up until they enter the ring to be tortured and killed, relatively quickly (15 minutes)." As a humanist, [I place a very high value on existence](/2007/09/07/existence/), and I can clearly see that the issue, [like most](/2008/10/16/everything-is-gray/), is not as black and white as the anti-bullfighting crowd would like to paint it. So I don't condemn people who like bullfights, but I'd really rather not go to any more myself.

In this case, however, the whole family was going and I decided not to protest. Instead I used my strategy with which I approach going to church: I volunteered to be the first person to take my daughter out of the ring when she decided she'd had enough.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779744010_99b921ab56_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779744010_922367b51b.jpg" alt="Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

Of course you have to look your best when you go to a bullfight.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779764338_5d0f415f1a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bullfight - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779764338_7a24a76acd.jpg" alt="Bullfight - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

My favorite part of a bullfight is at the beginning when the bull is not yet injured and runs around very quickly. Being in the ring with a beast like that is _definitely_ a show of bravery.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779777548_2ff7350ee7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bullfight - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779777548_65c6ab9fde.jpg" alt="Bullfight - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

And I do love photographing bullfights. The action and the majesty are fun to capture.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779785834_fdef4b9f01_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bullfight - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779785834_2e1f875302.jpg" alt="Bullfight - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

The engineering of the portable bullring, which can be loaded onto a truck and is all held together with pins, is very impressive.

Even before the first bull was released, Nora was put off by the cheering crowds and we moved to a spot near the exit. After about four shouts of _¡Olé!_ as the bull passed by the bullfighter, she made it clear that we had to leave, so my wife and I left the bullfight for a long, leisurely walk back towards town.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779792418_2252513f67_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779792418_bb66dab537.jpg" alt="Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

The church, as seen from the outskirts of town. Zahí­nos is so hilly, it makes San Francisco look like the Death Valley salt flats.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779790902_49c90c994f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779790902_4c58b09535.jpg" alt="Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

It's a Spanish tradition to put up flags of various nations as streamers around town during festivals. The juxtaposition of these two with the dry Extremadura terrain was too good not to photograph.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779796266_46a0fd4b13_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora Aura - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779796266_4b67d8caa5.jpg" alt="Nora Aura - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

My blond angel has a halo.

The following morning, after a breakfast of coffee with goat's milk, we headed to Uncle íngel's farm, a common tradition during our visits. Nora, who went to see [a zoo of exotic creatures](/2012/03/11/visiting-cabarceno-zoo-cantabria-tourism/) and found the most delight in a goat licking her hand, was beside herself with the news that we were going to see goats.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779803952_40ee35e30b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779803952_358a796c84.jpg" alt="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

íngel's farm is the epitome of rural southern Spain: pigs for making homemade chorizo and morcilla, goats for milk, old rusty farm equipment, and a garden full of fresh vegetables and melons.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779800576_9acb8b3a5b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779800576_00e338eb09.jpg" alt="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

Nora's cousin, Valle, showed off the flea-ridden puppy she has named, ironically, Hello Kitty.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779808068_2f9c7c92f9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779808068_7ded8263e5.jpg" alt="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

íngel holds a goat for Nora to touch. Goats are clever beasts, and they very quickly figured out that Nora didn't have anything of value to offer them.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779820166_6a0cdd7f53_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779820166_1436e6a9ec.jpg" alt="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

Looking down the well.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779822274_d4a8ca62fc_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779822274_68df82b8e9.jpg" alt="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

Heading back to the goats with some not-good-enough-for-human-consumption cucumbers to offer their caprine friends.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779827450_bd70852ed7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779827450_fffe495fdc.jpg" alt="On The Farm - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

This went down a lot better with the goat. Surprisingly, Nora was less frightened of the animals than her cousin, who visits her grandfather's farm often.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779837430_3cb50a80e6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Eating Figs - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779837430_20e80ce10b.jpg" alt="Eating Figs - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

Then it was time to pick fresh figs off the trees. I'm generally not a big fig fan, but when you have to reach up and grab them, peel them and eat them out in the countryside, I could eat kilos of them.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779839508_ff06a95440_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cooking Lunch - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779839508_5c4a0050c1.jpg" alt="Cooking Lunch - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

Back at home, íngel fired up the barbecue for lunch. My cousin-in-law-in-law (our wives are first cousins), Manolo, asked me if I recognized what the barbecue was made of. I didn't. He said, "It's the cylinder from a washing machine!" Sure enough, it was. And the tiny holes in the sides probably provided a lot of oxygen to the fire. Very clever!

After a nap, we went back to the fairgrounds for some typical fairground fun, but it was really windy and the temperature dropped to the point where we were uncomfortable even in our light jackets, so we didn't stay long.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779848546_3903997b81_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bouncy Castle - Zahí­nos 2012">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7779848546_570b87ebbb.jpg" alt="Bouncy Castle - Zahí­nos 2012"/>
</a>

I did, however, get to climb up in the bouncy castle (Nora wouldn't go alone) to play like a small child for a bit. Being able to careen wildly and fall down without injurious consequences can be quite fun.

That night, Nora and Valle were seriously wound up and went late into the night dancing and generally being silly cute children. The following video was recorded at 1:30 AM. Most of what is said is Nora saying, "Now I'm going to show you \[some letter or number\]," followed by a feat of graceful athleticism. The look on her mother's face should indicate how much sense she was making. I mainly recorded it because I think it will be a precious memory for the two girls when they are older.

<iframe width="505" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9ZHPvVBCgJE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The following morning, we went to the municipal swimming pool for a dip. The temperature was back up and it felt wonderful to swim in the cool water.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7725300068_cbf9243cd3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Zahí­nos Swimming Pool">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-14-zahinos-2012/7725300068_67abbb1b2b.jpg" alt="Zahí­nos Swimming Pool"/>
</a>

We had a great time in Zahí­nos. What I love most about Zahí­nos is that it feels incredibly _authentic_. There is zero tourism (no vacationing Spaniards, even), and when I'm there, I'm pretty much guaranteed to be the only foreigner for kilometers. Spending time with Ana, Manolo and Valle felt like spending time with my own aunts, uncles and cousins: it always comes as a surprise, for some reason, that these people you rarely ever talk to, are actually good friends and fun to be around.

After lunch, we drove two hours east to our usual summer home in Higuera de la Serena.


Zahí­nos 2012


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767269382_d9375de8d4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767269382_a15ccc5791_t.jpg" alt="Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

On Friday, August 3rd, we drove south towards Madrid to attend the wedding of Emi and Mario. Emi and my wife, Marga, who is three days younger than Emi, have been friends since they were children. Emi is from the same Extremadura town as Marga's mother and grandmother, and Marga would spend most of her summer vacations in Extremadura with her grandparents, so they grew up together over the summers. Neither of them will forget the phone call when Marga told Emi, "I have some big news!", only to hear Emi respond, "Me too, you first!" Marga, who was worried she'd be the only one of her summer friends with a baby, told Emi that she was pregnant, and Emi exclaimed, "Me too!" Emi and Mario's daughter, [Carla](/2009/06/04/meeting-carla/), was born only weeks [after Nora](/2010/08/18/kisses-from-carla/).  We checked into our room in Aranjuez, a town to the south of Madrid, got all prettied up, and drove back north 40 minutes to Getafe, where Emi and Mario live, to attend the wedding in their church. After the ceremony, all the attendees drove back down to Aranjuez for the dinner and wild-and-crazy dance party (attendees of my wedding will understand).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767499852_ce9d121e63_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Hotel Barceló Aranjuez">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767499852_1fd31e0eb4.jpg" alt="Hotel Barceló Aranjuez"/>
</a>

The view from our hotel. If we had had more leisure time, my wife and I would've loved to have spent more time in different areas of this photograph.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767146950_6ee5461d91_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767146950_0df07367b0_z.jpg" alt="Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

The bride with her father. Typically I can't tell one wedding dress from another, but even I was impressed by what a lovely dress she was wearing. As I recall, my bride also had one of these "hide the chest until after he says 'I do'" covers, too.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767188324_6a45dc8f4a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767188324_cd3ea39f30.jpg" alt="Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

The ceremonies of Spanish Catholic weddings are exceedingly long and boring (again, attendees of my wedding will attest), and I usually spend my time admiring the gothic architecture, but this church was a more modern brick structure, so I was out of luck.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767202078_9d7c4cd042_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767202078_e2bf3bfddd.jpg" alt="Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

Carla wasn't sure what to make of it all. No doubt she will have enough photos around to form a memory of the event.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767253866_5910042ef2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767253866_19e750be7d.jpg" alt="Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

Carla was never happier than when she was in her daddy's arms.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767278070_0283d20e3c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767278070_47b793b5d4.jpg" alt="Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

What a beautiful family. Genetically, the odds are in Carla's favor to be taller than Nora, since both of her parents are taller than Nora's.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767518502_50702a9435_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Looking Good - Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767518502_3942e7cde3_n.jpg" alt="Looking Good - Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767812732_8f535c5ca7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="IMG_2624">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767812732_d9245e4e46_n.jpg" alt="IMG_2624"/>
</a>

We clean up well. Marga was briefly concerned that she hadn't gone to a hairdresser that very day (as is Spanish custom), but afterwards, she was satisfied that she was just as _guapí­sima_ as the other gals. For my part, I played my "You look gorgeous, but spend whatever money you like, dear" husband hand quite deftly.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7768226228_acc9202009_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sunset Pool">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7768226228_9318483cc5.jpg" alt="Sunset Pool"/>
</a>

The rich-person's-home-turned-wedding-venue place (I think I heard talk of royalty) where they had the reception was _spectacular_, especially since we arrived twenty minutes before the 9:12 PM sunset.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7768221570_ee04cf9d80_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Marga in Aranjuez">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7768221570_3360f3645e.jpg" alt="Marga in Aranjuez"/>
</a>

It only needed to be on a five-meter-high hill to have views for kilometers around the flat horizon.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767508032_6667dcbaf1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767508032_34944a4858.jpg" alt="Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

The grass was just begging to be romped in barefoot, a privilege reserved for the under-ten crowd.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767513408_0a3bf13419_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Jamón - Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767513408_1a0b367681.jpg" alt="Jamón - Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

This _is_, of course, a Spanish wedding. It's absolutely true that the mouth pleasure of a slice of serrano ham is inversely proportional to its thickness. Cutting translucent slices is a professional skill.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767527456_7f00e2f682_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767527456_620951241c.jpg" alt="Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

My very, very, very favorite part of Spanish weddings is the part where you wander around schmoozing with other guests as waiters pass by offering _hors d'Å“uvres_ and bottomless wine glasses. Normally there are between three to six different snacks on offer, but for Emi and Mario's wedding, I swear – under inebriated oath – that there were at least _twenty_ different _hors d'Å“uvres_.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767524132_e0829d1bc9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Paté and Golden Pop Rocks - Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767524132_064db1cd72.jpg" alt="Paté and Golden Pop Rocks - Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

The only one that wasn't immediately snarfed down and intrigued me enough to photograph was this "pí¢té with golden pop rocks". Yes, you read correctly. What could be better than pí¢té? Duh! Pí¢té with explosions in your mouth!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767531840_0be53555b6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767531840_eb9f28db6d.jpg" alt="Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

We were delighted to be dining outside. Initially we were disappointed that the wedding was an evening affair (i.e. fewer than 6 hours of dancing), but it became immediately clear that no one could bear being outside at lunchtime in Madrid in August.

Have you ever noticed that men's elegant attire is designed for winter, whereas women's elegant attire is designed for summer? Thus ensuring that one member of every heterosexual couple is always uncomfortable. What's up with that, Society!?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767535572_df99497d5c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="The Menu - Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767535572_e4a7ff9e27.jpg" alt="The Menu - Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

With our bellies full of _hors d'Å“uvres_, we all were wondering why we were sitting down to eat dinner, but the food was spectacular. The first course was a nordic salmon pie, and the second course was a sirloin steak.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767543428_fbb83ae5c9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Dessert - Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767543428_604ed6c1ac.jpg" alt="Dessert - Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

The dessert, which I, frustratingly, could barely touch, given that I was full up to my throat with amazing food.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767539452_4896ce26f0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Lighting - Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767539452_437238afd4.jpg" alt="Lighting - Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

The lighting was awesome, too.

What followed was a manifestation of my two favorite Spanish words, _barra libre_.

Almost never are the two meanings of the English word "free" jumbled in Spanish, _gratis_ (as in beer) and _libre_ (as in speech), but this is one of the cases. It was a "free bar" in all senses.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767546854_3b50c10437_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Partying - Emi and Mario's Wedding">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2012-08-12-emi-and-marios-wedding/7767546854_d1c887ffcc.jpg" alt="Partying - Emi and Mario's Wedding"/>
</a>

We danced and drank and danced and danced and drank and danced until they kicked us out at the totally reasonable hour of 5:15 AM. We travelled the 200 meters to the hotel and managed, with little effort, to achieve unconsciousness before sunrise.

On Saturday, we got up, checked out and went out for breakfast – a spanish omelet, non-alcoholic beer, and about six liters of water – in the town of Aranjuez, which is _gorgeous_. After only a brief look around, it shot up our list of towns in Spain to visit as lazy tourists (and/or live in).

Unfortunately, we had to drive five hours south to Extremadura to see our baby, whom we hadn't seen in over a week.


8 posts from August, 2012