L'aura del Campo

Galego? Imaxe: a bandeira de Ferrol. Uoth, a poem.

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███████          O vento no campo           ███████

Verán: 12 Kamal (12 agosto)

'é a lua,  é a lua,  na quintana dos mortos'
♣    Federico García Lorca    ♣

Do you speak galego?

Eu não posso fala-lo. The quote above is in the language spoken in Galiza (Galicia) in North-west Spain. It is related more to Portuguese than Spanish. I ask because I know lots of folks who speak it! Met two more last night.

Juan Manuel de Santiago de Compostela (A Quintana dos Mortos, "The Courtyard of the Dead", is in Santiago), José Carlos de Ferrol e María Emilia de Coimbra, Portugal were talking at Borders in Spanish, Portuguese, French and English. Why? Because we could! The three are T.A.s na universidade. Emilia is married to an American and has been in the U.S. 7 years. Juan e José are new to this country e cultura.

We spoke about 'a movida' which I think means a way of partying through life and enjoying it to the fullest! All the folks from that corner of the world have impressed me with their natural zest and out-going nature. Now, I wish I could visit. Mais eu devo aprender o idioma.

Here in the U.S. many people are proud that they can speak only one language ... poorly. They insist that others must also learn their patois and are offended when someone speaks another language in their presence, even if it is not directed towards them, even if it is in the same room, building, town.

I mention this because José Carlos comes from Ferrol, the birthplace of Franco. And Franco barred the use of native languages while he controlled Spain under his Fascist fisted fingers. There are many in the U.S. who would proudly institute similar abuses of Human Rights.

So ... on a lighter note ... I was pumped! So thrilled to meet these folks. I'll meet them again and again I'm sure. Galicians seem to find me. I'm attracted to them like a moth to the light.

If you speak galego or have been to Galiza, email me!

Wikipedia has bunches of articles (over 10,000) translated or written in Galician! A link:

http://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portada

Hoxe é Sábado, 12 de agosto:

████████████ Sizzling? Think cool !
████████████ Weather where I am: 81º, before noon.
████████████ Weather in Santiago de Compostela, Galiza: 73º.
████████████ Weather in Ferrol, Galiza: 70º.
████████████ Weather in Coimbra, Portugal: 84º and smoky.

¿POESIA?

Uoth

Zmitri,

Do you remember
those plains of jagged rock?
Our frocks hung stiff and yet no frost,
breathless, without wind?
Out thoughts remain there,

fossiled, found by few
who venture to that utmost edge of dark,
that lonely world
where life has never found a spark,
a crack to give it shelter.

Uoth.

On stark plains of multicolored rock,
we felt it in our bones, left foot-
prints of our thoughts. [163.292]

Another poem along the lines of "Zmitri" ?

A VIDA

Still tossing and turning on a cot! The mattresses didna show up.

Stayed at Borders until 10. Out past 11. Was writing in my journal till midnight. I think I've gotten back the night.

Played in the mud with the sweet potatoes yesterday. Love the squish of mudpies. I hold a sweet potato stem down and smoosh a mudpie on top. This will help them root and multiply and take over the world with their purple and chartreuse leaves. I'm just encouraging them, that's all! I swear.

Picked 3 cantaloupes (the others loped off when they were green ... due to the ******* neighbors), 5 cucumbers. Things grow.

IMAXES

A bandeira de Ferrol:

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What does the flag of Ferrol remind you of? At first glance? After looking at it a while? By association? Metaphorically?

My answers:

- a table cloth
- gingham cloth for a dress
- a bandera (wonder what that word is related to! )

- picnics
- greasy spoon diners
- Crips

- my sister as a girl
- Dunkards (German Baptists)

- ants at a picnic
- a shroud (Franco was from Ferrol)

A link about Ferrol in English (complete with flag; note that the flag is white and blue; here at WDC the closest I could get was grey):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrol%2C_A_Coru%C3%B1a

BLOGOMILLO

Getting some response to the survey and the two polls I posted. Thanks to everyone who took the time. If you are confused, like in what polls/surveys? Here are the links:

"Invalid Item"  :
"What Day do we live in?"  E: After the scare in London: are you optimistic, is this the end or beginning, are we One?
"We have the power to change the world"  E: Fellow blogger Prosperous Snow believes the future is bright. I strongly agree. Do you?

I shed some tears (couldn't help it, they flow when they flow) when reading galinago's entry "Invalid Entry"  which was a response to Jenn 's entry "Invalid Entry" , when she was the leader in mood indigo 's contest "Invalid Item" . Well ... that wore me out just typing it all in! Must be a lot of work for Mood Indigo. She gets to read all those sundry entires. Lots of folks you know here at WDC participated! It's a great blog contest.

CITA DE HOXE

—¡Polo amor de Deus, fágame o favor de polo menos espanta-la mosca da fronte!

Na Vida de Ranier María Rilke

http://www.bivir.com/bvnavida.html