La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
No, Paraskevidekatriaphobia is not another Norwegian or Finnish word. It’s a fear of Friday the 13th. In Italy, Friday the 17th has been considered unlucky. Here in Spain (and other Spanish-speaking countries, as well as in Greece) we don’t fear Friday, we fear Tuesday the 13th. But yesterday passed without incident.
Well, except that when I tried to video chat with The Kid Brother last night, I got no answer. Twice. So, I phoned his apartment and his roommate told me, “He stepped out.” I tried him a while later and still no luck. He used to “step out” when he was having troubles with my mother (or me sometimes) and didn’t want to talk. But, sometimes, even The Kid Brother forgets. I’m hoping that when I do reach him, he’ll just laugh and say, “I forgot!”
I just got back from the orthodontist. My recently replaced (July) bottom retainer already broke. I was pleased to be told there would be no charge for this one.
I’m staying out of the center of Málaga this week. There are four historic ships in port. Three are reproductions of centuries old ships, but one, the Pascual Flores was built in Torrevieja in 1917 for the salt trade with the Mediterranean and Africa. I saw the Nao Victoria (click here) sail by in Tuesday morning’s haze, looking like a ghost ship. I would happily go into the city to see those ships, but it’s also Málaga Cruise Days, with visits from four cruise ships. Four cruise ships over a period of four days with a potential total of 9,690 passengers and crew. Thats a lot of people coming and going in our fair capital city.
I’m not a fan of those enormous, polluting, germ-carrying, invasive, environmentally unfriendly cruise ships. (Tell us how you really feel, Mitch.) My last corporate job involved major cruise companies. I did enjoy the two times I went to sea, but did not enjoy sharing the space with 3,000 other people nor what I imagined the ship’s presence was doing to the environment. Maybe, next week, I’ll be the one in port.
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No, Paraskevidekatriaphobia no es otra palabra noruega o finlandesa. Es un miedo al viernes 13. En Italia, el viernes 17 se ha considerado de mala suerte. Aquí en España (y en otros países de habla hispana, así como en Grecia) no le tenemos miedo al viernes, le tenemos miedo al martes 13. Pero ayer transcurrió sin incidentes.
Bueno, excepto que cuando traté de chatear por video con The Kid Brother anoche, no obtuve respuesta. Dos veces. Entonces, llamé a su piso y su compañero de cuarto me dijo: “Salió”. Lo probé un tiempo después y aún no tuve suerte. Solía “salió” cuando tenía problemas con mi madre (o conmigo a veces) y no quería hablar. Pero, a veces, incluso El Hermanito se olvida. Espero que cuando lo alcance, se ría y diga: “¡Se me olvidó!”.
Acabo de regresar del ortodoncista. Mi retenedor inferior reemplazado recientemente (julio) ya se rompió. Me complació que me dijeran que no habría ningún cargo por este.
Esta semana me quedo fuera del centro de Málaga. Hay cuatro barcos históricos en el puerto. Tres son reproducciones de barcos centenarios, pero uno, el Pascual Flores, fue construido en Torrevieja en 1917 para el comercio de sal con el Mediterráneo y África. Vi la Nao Victoria (haz clic aquí) navegar en la neblina del martes por la mañana, parecía un barco fantasma. Me encantaría ir a la ciudad a ver esos barcos, pero también son los Málaga Cruise Days, con visitas de cuatro cruceros. Cuatro cruceros en un período de cuatro días con un potencial total de 9.690 pasajeros y tripulantes. Eso es un montón de gente yendo y viniendo en nuestra hermosa ciudad capital.
No soy fanático de esos cruceros enormes, contaminantes, portadores de gérmenes, invasivos, y hostiles con el medio ambiente. (Díganos cómo se siente realmente, Mitch). Mi último trabajo corporativo involucró a las principales compañías de cruceros. Disfruté las dos veces que fui al mar, pero no disfruté compartir el espacio con otras 3000 personas ni lo que imaginaba que la presencia del barco le estaba haciendo al medio ambiente. Tal vez, la próxima semana, seré yo el que esté en el puerto.
• Se permitió que los hibiscos al otro lado de la calle crecieran libremente por un tiempo. Desde entonces han sido recortados como un seto de boj.
• Dudo debajo de la mesa de té por la noche.
• Dudo debajo de la mesa de té durante la noche.
• Dudo se ve divino en el diván, mientras sigue mi paradero (y espera dormir una siesta con él).
• Se me enganchó el dedo en el marco de la puerta el otro día. Mi dedo medio derecho en la jamba de la puerta a mi izquierda cuando entré al dormitorio. ¿Cómo se hace eso?
Boy….your orthodontist must love you. Love seeing little Dudo. He looks like he’s ready to rip around!!! And an injured middle finger?!?!? I use mine to much.
Mistress Borghese:
Well, I love my orthodontist. I wish I had gone to her in the first place, but I’m glad I have her now. I’m a tooth grinder in my sleep. I have an extra durable plastic top retainer for overnight. Impervious to my grinding (stop it, Maddie) and even discourages it. The bottom retainer can’t be made of thick plastic, but I’m only supposed to wear it for a few hours during the day. While I had covid and was spending so much time sleeping during the day, that retainer got a bit of a workout. Still, grateful there’s no charge. The previous one had lasted a year. Thank goddess I have two middle fingers.
I am very much with you on the concept of bigger and bigger cruise ships pervading all the beauty spots of the world – the biggest I saw was the “Oriana” in Funchal harbour in Madeira back in the 1990s, and that was bad enough. They have apparently (finally!) been banned from the lagoon at Venice for their contribution to drowning the Queen of the Adriatic. The idea of spending any time on one fills me with horror… Jx
Jon:
I was so pleased to see they FINALLY banned them from the lagoon. About 20 years too late. For me, being in the middle of the ocean on a cruise ship is spectacular. Being ON the cruise ship itself, is not.
Beautiful hibiscus! Ours has about 2 dozen blossoms on it…..by far the most in the 25 years we have had it. Must be the ‘special’ fertilized Ron has been feeding it this summer.
I agree with you wholeheartedly about cruise ships.
Jim:
Yours are the most beautiful hibiscus I’ve seen. I completely gave up on having them on our terrace. I might buy one or two a year, not transplant them, and simply let them play themselves out. For some reason, they are insect magnets up here.
I had my spine rebuilt on a Wednesday, and it was the 13th, it was a GREAT day, overcame my fear of the 13th of the month. Good things happen on the 13th.
David:
That rebuild could make you believe in miracles. Of course, nothing miraculous about it. Great doctors and your determination.
I’ve never understood the fear of 13 (mostly Fridays). I have no problem with it. It’s a good thing because my birthdate is March 13th. No biggie. I love cruises but will never go again. The hibiscuses are lovely.
As for the finger thingy, “Who does that?”, well that would be you Scoot. It’s a gift!
It’s strange (or maybe not so) how many non-religious people I’ve known who ‘proudly’ claim to be paraskevidekatriaphobes yet are not aware of its Christian origins. One zealously anti-religion guy told me that whenever a Friday 13th comes round he hardly dares get out of bed! I assume he also avoids walking under ladders – another (probably) Christianity-originated superstition. I myself always make a point of doing so whenever the opportunity faces me, though I don’t go around looking for such ladders. That would be just silly! 😉
Lovely Dudo pics, btw.
Raybeard:
The only reason I don’t walk under ladders is because something might get dropped on my head. That’s not superstitious, it’s just practical. I try very hard to ignore any superstitions I grew up with — religious or not. My sister was told if she ate the last of anything she would “die an old maid.” Seriously. So, she opened every bag of chips and box of cookies in the house and ate all but one. After her wedding ceremony in the morning and before the cocktail party that night, she went through the pantry and finished off the last of every package she had opened. I was told when I was sitting on the floor, if someone stepped across my outstreched legs, I would stopped growing. My mother was right. When I reached 6’2”, I stopped growing.
Deedles:
Ah Deedles, I’d go on a cruise again if it meant I could cruise with you. How about a European capitals river cruise. You cruise to Europe first. As for the finger, the question was not WHO but HOW. Yeah, who is obvious. I just can’t figure out how I got in that position in the first place.
I agree with you on cruise ships. With one exception: I’ve always wanted to cross the Atlantic by ship.
Walt the Fourth:
How about crossing the Atlantic in the world’s largest sailboat? It’s in Málaga this week.
Hi, as you know I got interested in Cruise ships when we visited Split in Croatia. There could be up several in port at any one time. We watched them come in, people waddle off and then depart at 6pm to their next destination. The size is incredible. As all needs are catered for on board they don’t actually add much to the economy of the port they dock at and actually leave a lot of bags of rubbish to be dealt with.
As you mentioned Cruise ships in Malaga I had to go there didn’t I and ‘google’ it.
I see that tomorrow you have Jewel of the Seas arriving. Interesting.
Karen:
The last ship I was on for work was Celebrity Solstice when it was doing sea trials. It was a shmoozing trip. The waste and the piss-elegance was appalling. Jewel of the Seas has a great statue by the pool of a lifeguard holding a beach ball. I want it for the terrace.
As my grandmother would say, “You’re an accident waiting to happen.”
I remember the cruise ships coming into Miami quite a lot as I drove to South Beach for work. Behemoths!! I have never had the desire to take a cruise … on a ship.
Bob:
That’s me!
And those cruise ships have gotten so much bigger since you were working there. It’s obscene. I got paid for cruising (on a ship).
I’m sure I’ve written this before, because it’s a pet peeve of mine, but cruise ships transform the communities where they regularly dock for the worst. Yes, they bring money, but they also make conditions unbearable for people who live in those towns and they distort the local economy (shops, restaurants) toward resort-themed crap and away from life’s essentials.
So, yeah, I’m with you on cruise ships. (I always think of Key West when I go on this tirade.)
Steve:
There hasn’t been any dissension in the ranks. But maybe they’re afraid to say anything after I so subtly voice my opionion. I think of Key West and Venice first. But there are so many images of these huge cruise ship overwhelming beautiful places.
I wonder why Tuesday 13th? I know why Friday 13th. “Bad days’ are fascinating esp. why they linger.
Urspo:
There are so many “reasons” given, as there are for Friday the 13th. But I’ve read that because the word martes, comes from the planet Mars, the Roman god of war, Tuesday is associated with war, death, destruction, blood, and violence.