Places
Life in Málaga—with jaunts to Brussels, Paris, Nantes
September brought another opportunity for travel, starting with Brussels, where in addition to ogling the sites such as the Grand-Place above, I attended the European Writers Salon yearly conference. I went because I wanted to be in a physical space with other writers. Also, I’d never been to Belgium. I’ve never been to a lot…
Read MoreLife in Málaga—A retreat, France, racism. Oh, and Feria.
August in Málaga means Feria, when women don traditional Flamenco dresses and accessorize with flowers, fans, and shawls, when countless bottles of the sweet Cartojal wine are poured, and song and dance, both planned and spontaneous, fill the streets of the Centro by day and the fairgrounds by night. And it happens during some of…
Read MoreLiving and Learning in Málaga—A New Apartment
This month marked two wildly contented years in Málaga. The anniversary passed with barely a nod of observance because we were in the last phases of moving to a new apartment. Though our possessions are few (clothes, linens, plants, and books—yes, I’ve begun accumulating books again) and we’d been able to move things slowly over…
Read MoreMálaga, Year 2—A Filipina Mexican American walks into a couple of cafés, and later into a social media tiff
Sometimes, you just need a bahn mi. One evening, starving after some event—maybe a Spanish class or a meetup with a friend—I popped into a tiny, new café which I had noticed a few days earlier. I addressed the man behind the bar (who was wearing a Chicago Cubs baseball cap) in Spanish, but he,…
Read MoreLiving and Learning in Málaga, Year 2—Otra Vez Madrid
January meant another trip to magical Madrid where I spent time with my friend Miguel, whom I first met in Málaga at the now-defunct writers meetup. With a Dutch father and Spanish mother, Miguel grew up in the Netherlands speaking three languages. He’s very much at home in Spain, is well-versed in Spanish history and…
Read MoreLiving and Learning in Málaga, Year 2—Four Joys
I’m not a big celebrant of Christmas. Organized religion and I parted ways many decades ago. But I’m still a believer in the family, friendship, and community aspect of the season. And the joy of solitude. I made a point to experience each of these this month. Family James and I took the train…
Read MoreLiving and Learning in Málaga, Year 2—Adventures When a Friend Visits
My friend Debra came for a visit from Seattle on her way to an eight-day hike on the Costa Brava. In Debra’s three and a half days in Málaga and then three more days in Madrid, we did a lot of walking, a lot of talking, and a lot of eating. In between, there was…
Read MoreLiving and Learning in Málaga—Year 2, A Bit of Portugal, Galicia, and Asturias
It began with Portugal and ended in Asturias, Spain—this month that was mostly travel and a retreat. It was just a glimpse really of Portugal—two nights in Lisbon and two in Porto—but it was an enchanting glimpse. What I especially love is that these cities, like many European cities, have no skyscrapers, which preserves their…
Read MoreLiving and Learning in Málaga – Year 2, Migration
Migration is the theme for this month’s post, which includes an Englishman who moved to Spain in 1920 and became a hispanist; Latin Americans who migrate to Spain because economic collapse in their own countries compromises their future; and an exhibit at a Madrid museum by a Filipina Canadian filmmaker who looks at migration on…
Read MoreLiving and Learning in Málaga – Year 2, Renewal
Renewal Our renewal application for our Spanish residency was approved and in record time, according to our gestor, which is the intermediary for the administrative requirements for living in Spain. All thanks go to the diligent and detailed efforts of James who has managed our visa and residency paperwork from the start. So, kudos to…
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