La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
Today welcomes the first several of more than 40 processions for Holy Week. I don’t know how many I’ll take in, but I’ll share whatever I do see. Meanwhile, we had an exceptional afternoon Friday with Maureen and Connor, our friends from Glasgow. They’ve been enjoying some time in the sun in Fuengirola, as they regularly do, but they took a day to train up and spend time with us. We had coffee (and talked for hours). Then, they came home with us where we had torrijas (and talked for hours).
Connor is fluent in Spanish and French. English is of course his first language but he speaks with a Glaswegian accent and we often have to stop and translate for San Geraldo. Maureen is the same (not the fluencies, the Glaswegian). I think Connor is more challenging because he speaks more quickly. I watch SG’s eyes to make sure he’s still following.
Maureen showed us photos of her home renovations. When she said, “This is my hole,” I quickly repeated it for SG. “Her hall,” I said. I think we shock Maureen. Radiator was especially difficult for SG to understand. I can’t talk, however. I grew up pronouncing it RAD-ee-ater. Rad to rhyme with bad. It was a New York City thing. I wasn’t aware of it until I was around 19 and with my girlfriend. She was from Rochester, New York and had what I would describe as a harsh, sharp accent. “RAD-ee-ator?” she commented. I nodded questioningly. “Using the word, tell me what it does,” she said. I looked at her quizzically and replied, “It ray-dee-ates heat.” She simply smiled.
I’m often in awe of Maureen and Connor and their kindness, their sincerity, their determination, and their achievements in life. We can talk openly on any topic. We laugh. A lot. We consider ourselves lucky to have them as friends. Even the cats like them. As much as these two cats like anyone other than us and their treats.
The image above is a tile I saw during my museum day. It translates to: In this house, we do what the cat commands.
Hoy damos la bienvenida a las primeras de las más de 40 procesiones de Semana Santa. No sé cuánto absorberé, pero compartiré lo que vea. Mientras tanto, pasamos una tarde de viernes excepcional con Maureen y Connor, nuestros amigos de Glasgow. Han estado disfrutando del sol en Fuengirola, como siempre, pero se tomaron un día para entrenar y pasar tiempo con nosotros. Tomamos café (y charlamos durante horas). Luego, vinieron a casa con nosotros, donde comimos torrijas (y charlamos durante horas).
Connor habla español y francés con fluidez. El inglés es, por supuesto, su lengua materna, pero habla con acento de Glasgow y a menudo tenemos que parar a traducir para San Geraldo. Maureen hace lo mismo (no la fluidez, sino el Glasgow). Creo que Connor es más desafiante porque habla más rápido. Observo a SG a los ojos para asegurarme de que sigue entendiéndolo.
A menudo me admiro profundamente por Maureen y Connor, su amabilidad, su sinceridad, su determinación, y sus logros en la vida. Podemos hablar abiertamente de cualquier tema. Nos reímos. Muchísimo. Nos consideramos afortunados de tenerlos como amigos. Incluso a los gatos les gustan. Tanto como a estos dos gatos les gusta cualquiera que no sea nosotros y sus golosinas.
La imagen de arriba es un azulejo que vi durante mi día en el museo.
• Ordenar a San Geraldo que sirva el aperetivo número 4. (¿O era el número 8?)
• In the sunshine with a view from a rooftop terrace on our floor. The rooftop terrace above us is for hanging laundry.
• Disfrutando del sol y de las vistas desde la terraza de nuestra planta. La terraza de arriba es para tender la ropa.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
Carlos says rad-rhymes with bad–i-ee-ation, but also say ray-dee-ate. I can’t win.
Mere seconds after you translated the saying on the towel I scrolled down to The Boys commanding, demanding[?], treats.
Bob:
See? Carlos is simply from NYC.
Boud here. I’m so proud of translating the pillow right before I saw it provided! What great friends you have. I imagine they feel likewise. My late glaswegian husband was a continual puzzle to some friends!
Boud:
I had forgotten your late, great husband was Glaswegian. You much have laughed a lot.
What a superb photo of Dudo and Moose set against the backdrop of your beautiful kitchen floor!
Debra:
That kitchen floor has grown on me, especially once it was cleaned. It is a great backdrop for the cats.
So much adorableness, and cats too.
David:
Yeah, we’re all adorable.
Such wonderfulness to have great friends to spend time with! I bet they loved your new place 🙂
Hole = hall…ahhhh! I can just hear it in my head. And, I know that I’ve heard RADiator as you pronounce it plenty of times, but I don’t remember what part of the country (most young people in American suburban subdivisions don’t know what they are… nor do they know what dormers are).
Judy C:
I probably didn’t know what a dormer was until I was in my late teens. They’re still in architectural use, aren’t they?
Your pronunciation of RADiator is interesting. Even when I lived in New York I don’t remember hearing that. But then again, I was in Manhattan, where many people are from somewhere else. So glad you got to catch up with dashing Connor and Maureen!
As for the sign, that’s pretty much how any household with a cat functions, isn’t it?
Steve:
I wonder if new New Yorkers pronounce it that way. I also have to remember my childhood on Long Island. Maybe it came from there.
We say RAYdiator around here. I really like the way different areas have different pronunciations. Some phrases, however, make me want to scream. I had a tent mate at a primitive camping event when I was around fourteen and she was from “up north.” I have no idea where. She called her sneakers “tenny pumps.” I wanted to die whenever she said that. I have no idea why I just told you that. I’m more than a little crazy today.
You and SG are blessed in friends who are family and they, in turn, are blessed in you.
Perfect.
And of course your cats are the luckiest mammals on the planet.
Ms. Luna(tic)
Maria Luna:
I have never heard of tenny pumps. How strange. That would have annoyed me, too. I call them sneakers. Jerry grew up calling them tennies.
It’s fabulous when you make true friends like that – even if you can’t understand them half the time! I recall that when the film Trainspotting (set in Glasgow) was released in the US of A, it came with subtitles…
Good to know the apartments come with access to an extra sun terrace – just don’t tell the cats, OK? Jx
Jon:
Thank god for subtitles now. We have them on for everything we watch. SG had no clue what was being said for the first 20 minutes of The Full Monty.
How nice that your friends made the trip to spend the day with you. (and share torrijas!) I would like to be friends with you and SG (and Dudo and Moose).
Kelly:
We would love to see you! Connor and Maureen are true blessings.
Beautiful critters one and all, Scoot. Me and mine pronounce it ray . Just my two cents.
Deedles:
I figured you’d pronounce it correctly, California girl. You probably pronounce your “Rs,” too. (The ones my mother always said were silent.)
I adore that tile
finlaygray:
I was tempted to buy it.
Fun times had by all!
Jim:
Yes, indeed. I wish we could see them more often.
MOOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! “40 processions for Holy Week?” I’m all for pomp and circumstance, but that’s even a bit for me!!!!!
Mistress Borghese:
38 different brotherhoods. Some brotherhoods have more than one paso and procession. The church I wrote about today has 2 brotherhoods and 3 processions. When we lived in Sevilla, there were 67 processions for Holy Week.
40? That seems much. Are there forty parishes in the area? some of these are clubs or societies?
Urspo:
There are 38 brotherhoods and some have more than one procession (with different pasos).
I’ve always felt New York accents make people sound streetwise, whether they are or not.
Kirk:
I think you’re right about that. Unfortunately, the street accents sometimes make people sound less intelligent.
If you think that is a tough accent, try Yorkshire.
larrymuffin:
My sister lived in South Yorkshire for a number of years and I got used to the accent. Very entertaining. I’m even reyt chuffed when I hear it.
You lookin’ at me? Huh?
larrymuffin:
I love lookin’ at dem!