Happy New Year, again – Meet the Muddy Pig
Not all of us manage to get things right the first time. Take me for instance, who has been married three times…
Many of us have probably already broken our New Year resolutions and abandoned the carefully designed life improvement …
Coincidence or destiny? How my Andalusian tales became a book
Just like an actor firmly believes that he will be discovered in a Starbucks line-up and a teenager is positive that she will be the next supermodel if only Elite takes a peak at her Facebook, almost everybody who doodles …
Will the Spanish ever be on time?
Some stereotypes, such as the tardiness of the Latin people, are seen as universal truths. But are they really so?
World renown for being less than punctual, Spain is often described as an eternal mañana culture where everything and everyone …
SNOBB’s Annual Wreck Award –12 of Ronda’s Memorable Abandoned Buildings
A couple of years back I wrote a story about the renovation of a ruin into our present Ronda home. It was my first fictitious episode of a non-existent Andalusian Extreme Makeover Television Series. Amongst later ‘episodes’ was …
All I want for Christmas is nada
When I asked my young students what they wanted for Christmas this year, most gave me a long list of mal-pronounced Spanglish names of plastic toys, straight from the Hasbro or Mattel catalogue. Older kids wanted the latest game consoles …
Haberdashery Heaven – Discovering Spain’s love for sewing
When did you last hear someone say haberdashery? It is probably a doomed word. Long, convoluted and hard-to-spell, it will soon work its way out of the English language, if it hasn’t already. In fact, I believe that if …
Confessions by a former IATSE film technician
Hi. My name is Karethe and I am a Best Boy.
Though this might sound like an introduction at Sadomasochists Anonymous, this was as a matter of fact my work title at one point in the past.
It was back …
From Dust to Dust – Rites of passage in rural Andalucía
End of life traditions are a topic that is extremely personal and emotionally loaded. However, since it is a milepost we all have to pass, I wanted to share a few observations on these rituals here in southern Spain.
Regretfully …
Unfolding the story of Andalusian doornails
Old doors have always fascinated me. When traveling in rural Italy, urban India, the British countryside, Antigua Guatemala or my native Norway, I have always snapped more door photos than vistas or anything else, certainly more than those of my …