Writing in English is my passion, although there is an internal voice that wants to translate my words into Spanish, particularly when it’s a clever saying or expression. Take “Fair and Square,” for example. It could be the literal “Justo y Cuadrado” that makes no sense at all, or the adverbial “Justa y honradamente,” which […]
Becoming Our Parents
There are commercials on TV for Progressive Insurance where Dr. Rick warns us about becoming like our parents. They are supposed to be humorous, but I find them frightening. I wouldn’t mind if I had my father’s intelligence and energy or my mother’s resourcefulness and some of her good looks. But I have the feeling […]
Back and Forth
Dear Readers, I hope you have missed me as much as I have missed you. Or maybe, just a little bit. I seem to have come through my knee surgery with flying colors. Well, walking colors at least. I’m so thankful to family and friends who have stopped by to lend a hand and kept […]
The Plot Thickens
Mostly, I have tried to lead a good life. I took an eight-week course on Mindfulness Meditation and I meditate regularly, if not constantly. I did Yoga for years, until I fell and broke the talus in my left foot and the doctor said I couldn’t do weight-bearing exercises any longer—foreshadowing perhaps? But I kept […]
From a Drop to a Deluge
I am sure you have read about the deadly flash floods that have devastated the Eastern side of the Iberian Peninsula during the last few weeks. The city of Valencia, where I was born, was spared, but the province was plummeted with a year’s worth of rain in a few hours. At least 220 people […]
Lingua Franca
I look forward to the Philadelphia Film Festival every year. I choose the foreign language films carefully, particularly the ones in Spanish, because I can be two hours in Madrid, Mexico or Latin America somewhere, listening to my own language. I can get lost in new colloquial expressions or admire new actors and directors I […]