uncat

Leave those kids alone!

~ Kate Wilson ~ 5 Comments

I went to a party today and met a new baby girl. 
She is less than a couple of months old, and really beautiful.
But as I was hovering over her pram I noticed her ears. They were pierced with little gold studs.

When I asked someone (not the mother of course) if this was normal they told me it is often done in the hospitals here. Am I strange to be shocked?  I try to imagine the arrival of a new baby and someone saying  ‘ooooh it’s a girl, quick lets get out the ear piercing machine’
Perhaps with boys it’s the same but that’s to snip off their foreskins.
Is there some idea that newborns don’t feel pain. Like puppies who have their tails docked?
Shouldn’t new little people have some choice in the matter?

Is it just me? I also found it odd to see a tiny baby with earrings. As if there wasn’t plenty of time for her to discover jewellery and adornment and femininity.

Now I have been looking for more information and I see that it is a common practice in Latin countries. Something so ‘normal’ that it doesn’t really get questioned. I also found a Facebook page called ‘Stop piercing your babys ears. She’s a baby not a baby doll’  
There is quite a lot of debate about it when you look.

I tried to remember the ears of all the little girls who came to summer school and I can’t remember them having earrings but perhaps I didn’t notice. Tomorrow I will go out and do some research on the streets.

What do you think?  Am I odd to feel disturbed?

the rain in spain

~ Kate Wilson ~ 1 Comment

i am getting worried by the weather.
it is now the last day of may. there hasn’t been one day when i said “lets sneak off to the beach”
walking bonnie at any time of day is comfortable- except for the cold wind, or the rain.
almost every day we wake up to grey skies. i am still wearing my black woolly hat on my evening walk.  i cant count the number of cultural events that have been rained on…..this weekend there is another street party and i imagine the organisers getting a bit worried too.
my partner blames me. he feels that every time i leave on a light i am increasing global warming and taking us all a step closer to world disaster.
so what is going on?
it’s funny how this weather would feel fine and normal in the UK but here it seems threatening.
the summer fruits have arrived in the market but they are strangely tasteless and subdued

 thank god for the swifts who seem to be bombing and diving over granollers perfectly as normal.

Spam Spam Spam

~ Kate Wilson ~ 3 Comments

I am going to do something that I absolutely hate and detest and I am so sorry – please forgive me!
I have suddenly been getting a lot of spam on the blog and so for ONE WEEK ONLY I will put a  ‘collons quina merrrrrrda‘ word identification on the comment box.

February 15th or even before – it will be removed, I promise. And if spam continues I will just deal with it myself. Just want to see if I can stop it by blocking it. 

Meanwhile here is Bonnie – having a lovely time in the Empordà.

Tramuntada

~ Kate Wilson ~ 2 Comments

It is getting windy here at Sant Nicolau. It’s not very strong but the trees are moving and my front door just swung open making me jump.
I haven’t yet experienced the Tramuntana – the wind from the NE, from across the mountains –  which is famous in the Empordà. Perhaps this weekend I will get a taste?

Here is a short and interesting article about it from the web site of Iberian Nature.
I have now learnt a new word,  ‘atramuntanada‘ to describe someone (female in this case) who is crazy, touched by the wind.