The Crane & The Cathedral
Friday, December 15, 2006
scatonomy and gastronomy
Well, I have now learned that not only is there a poop log, but there is also a cookie here called ¨nun farts¨. Maybe in a country where abortion is illegal but gays can be married it´s just another form of maintaining ambivalence about the role of the church? Incidentally, a few moments of research prove that nun farts are also a Canadian delicacy, but theirs are more of a cinnamon roll as opposed to a pink cookie. Ah yes, and in the nativity scenes here there is always a famous person pooping behind a tree. This year it's the prince and princess of Spain. That´s it for the moment:)
Well, I have now learned that not only is there a poop log, but there is also a cookie here called ¨nun farts¨. Maybe in a country where abortion is illegal but gays can be married it´s just another form of maintaining ambivalence about the role of the church? Incidentally, a few moments of research prove that nun farts are also a Canadian delicacy, but theirs are more of a cinnamon roll as opposed to a pink cookie. Ah yes, and in the nativity scenes here there is always a famous person pooping behind a tree. This year it's the prince and princess of Spain. That´s it for the moment:)
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Pooping Logs
I just got home from my second coffee meeting with Albert. Albert is a "language volunteer," who has offered to speak Catalán with me for an hour a week through a program sponsored by the University here. Tonight I struggled to understand as he explained a Catalán Christmas tradition. From what I gathered, parents place a large log outside the door, ring the bell, then scurry inside as their children run to greet the log. The children then feed the log, not sure what, but it's a large amount becausethe following day they sing "Poop log, poop log, poop lots of pineapples and nougat." In real time now, I am going to confirm that this is true. Hold on....
OK, apparently, traditions vary a bit (some children beat the log,) but I did understand correctly. There is a pooping log tradition and there's even a video on YouTube about it. I don't think even I could have invented this as a language misunderstanding! By the way, there's a big series of xmas booths on the Rambla here, many of which are selling logs such as those depicted here. However, the traditional logs evidently have no faces. Just a log.
I just got home from my second coffee meeting with Albert. Albert is a "language volunteer," who has offered to speak Catalán with me for an hour a week through a program sponsored by the University here. Tonight I struggled to understand as he explained a Catalán Christmas tradition. From what I gathered, parents place a large log outside the door, ring the bell, then scurry inside as their children run to greet the log. The children then feed the log, not sure what, but it's a large amount becausethe following day they sing "Poop log, poop log, poop lots of pineapples and nougat." In real time now, I am going to confirm that this is true. Hold on....
OK, apparently, traditions vary a bit (some children beat the log,) but I did understand correctly. There is a pooping log tradition and there's even a video on YouTube about it. I don't think even I could have invented this as a language misunderstanding! By the way, there's a big series of xmas booths on the Rambla here, many of which are selling logs such as those depicted here. However, the traditional logs evidently have no faces. Just a log.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Latest Digital Stories
Watch Neus's Story
These are a few of the digital stories from our first workshop in Vilanova i la Geltrú. The first is by Remei Romero and is about discovering the ¨little things¨during her battle with breast cancer. The second is by Neus Pijoan and it´s the story of how she left Catalonia to study English in London, all to learn the lyrics to Dire Straits songs! If you know a little Spanish, and even if you don´t, you should be able to understand these. And if not, I´ll help translate! The rest should be up soon, depending on permissions :)
Watch Neus's Story
Labels: catalonia, digital stories
