A series of anecdotes with or without any connection to the running of a restaurant.

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Radio Gaga....

Whenever I am in Spain I try to listen to the Algerian Channel 3 French Radio, from just across the Med, as it reminds me of my student days and my weekends at the beach.

Last Wednesday I sat on our porch just after midnight, listening to a phone-in. The guest was a local potter who was being interviewed about his work. The guy knew what he was on about as most of his family has been in the pottery business since the turn of the century.


Every now and then someone called. But invariably, most of the calls were of the type:
"Can I wish Happy Birthday to so-and-so?..."

Short of people interested in the subject of pottery, the presenter asked how the callers were enjoying their Ramadan evenings.
"With friends and family..."


After half an hour of listening to silly phonecalls the bottle of red Rioja that was keeping me company decided that I should call the radio station just to remind the listeners that the subject in discussion was pottery.

The researcher asked where I was calling from.

"Spain."

"Where?"

"Spain... Espana..."

He recovered from his shock and put me on hold.
Within 15 seconds I was LIVE on Algerian Radio, talking about Algerian pottery...

"Why is it that little is known about Algerian pottery whereas its neighbours, Moroccan and Tunisian are very popular in Europe?"
The guy had the right answer:
"Lack of tourism..."
We waffled on for something like fifteen minutes and then the presenter asked a question that nearly made me choke on the wine...
"So how are you enjoying Ramadan in Spain?"

For what seemed ages, I mumbled and fumbled for an answer... but before I could finally think of a lie, the phoneline got cut off.

The following day, Thursday, it rained so much that golf was out of the question...
Karma?






I enjoyed my rest very much and am back at work dreaming up my next escape which is not that far off... A Belgian wedding...

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21 Comments:

Blogger Daphne Wayne-Bough said...

That'll teach ya. Don't mess with Allah again. Say three hail marys and go to bed with no tea.

7/10/07 9:38 PM  
Blogger Hayden said...

;-)

Caught red-handed in an innocent question! It's a pity that crafts aren't given more respect. Factory-made things are so soulless and sterile, I think a time must come when the constant shrill of advertising no longer is able to drown out the truth that is in front of us - it is the factory-made that is poverty stuff, and the hand-made that represents riches.

Slowly, slowly, people are catching on.

7/10/07 11:20 PM  
Blogger la bellina mammina said...

Love the sound of the rain - it was the same here for the past few days - really heavy and the sound of thunder!! I had 3 boys cuddling up next to me on the couch, they were afraid of the sound - ok, I was reminded by my eldest that he wasn't afraid! LOL!

Love the music too - can I upload it onto my ipod?? Can't wait to hear more about your trip.

8/10/07 10:29 AM  
Blogger Mary said...

Too funny! Stay out of trouble (at least until your Belgian wedding).

8/10/07 1:55 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Et pourtant le goût de la cuisine du Maghreb arrive avec mes amis d'enfance (Algérien)et "their potteries" aussi qui valent bien celle du Maroc !

Donc les espagnoles ne font pas de Ramadan ?

8/10/07 3:41 PM  
Blogger Akelamalu said...

Oh you're back, you were missed!

Well done you for speaking up for Algerian pottery but you nearly came a cropper with that question didn't you. LOL

8/10/07 3:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

goodness, that's some very wet rain you've got there. Good on you and your bottle of wine. I find good rioja always comes up with excellent ideas.

8/10/07 4:58 PM  
Blogger Cream said...

Daphnee, I think HE cut me off... So, the 70 or so virgins are out!

Yes, Hayden caught with red in my hand! Algeria has great pottery but it doesn't get out of the country. Tourism is non-existent because of terrorism.

Bella, I'm not sure you can upload it on your ipod from this website.
I shall post a few photos and things from the trip.

Mary, the Belgian wedding promises to be a great do!

Crabtree, je vous remercie pour le lien. Je ne savais pas qu'il y avait une si belle poterie en Algerie!
Non, les Espagnols ne font pas le Ramadan. Et moi non plus quand je suis en vacances.

Yes, I'm back, Akela. Nearly did come a cropper... Saved by a bad connection.

FH, it only lasted two hours and then the sun came back out. There are a few good Riojas that never reach these shores.

8/10/07 11:17 PM  
Blogger neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Hello Cream, am I on air? I'd like to send greetings to my mother, my brothers, my sister, my aunts, uncles, cousins...oh...sorry...this is a post about wine, you say?

9/10/07 3:45 PM  
Blogger Cream said...

Gigi, I was hoping that YOU of all people wouldn't read this post!
I'm back on mint tea, now.

9/10/07 5:04 PM  
Blogger Daphne Wayne-Bough said...

So now you're back from hols you're doing Ramadan are you? Great site from Crabtree - Algeria has the potential to be the star of the Maghreb, ne perdons pas l'espoir.

9/10/07 9:41 PM  
Blogger Cream said...

Yes, I am doing it now that I'm back. I have always done it for detox reasons. Giving the liver and stomach a bit of a rest. The religious side has never appealed to me although I love the traditional family dinner gatherings during Ramadan. And the food always seems to taste better when you've starved yourself all day.
Yes that site showed me stuff I never thought Algeria had. I honestly have lost hope that things will change for the better in my lifetime. But then I'm often wrong.

9/10/07 11:41 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Ah you caught the rain Cream, I take it the visit was very good though!

CR

10/10/07 3:12 PM  
Blogger Cream said...

It was great. Only rained on Thursday. Hard enough for planes heading for Alicante to be diverted to Valencia.

10/10/07 10:16 PM  
Blogger neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Well hellooo, why not me? It's Papa you have to worry about. He knows about computers, remember? HAHAHA.

11/10/07 7:34 PM  
Blogger Cream said...

I know, Gigi... He'll send me an angry email.
Enjoy Eid.

12/10/07 7:09 PM  
Blogger zooms said...

My vin de table has some great ideas too, but never briefs me first.
Glad you're back Cream.

13/10/07 12:44 AM  
Blogger Romeo Morningwood said...

HA! Talk about ruining the moment.
The ground did not swallow you up so no harm done...and not to worry, it's our little secret.

Go You!
As I write this I am watching you "bust a move" to a version of Carwash that I am not familiar with...is that Borat's band playing or what?

You Sir "have got it goin' on!"

13/10/07 6:43 AM  
Blogger Cream said...

Zooms, as Samuel Johnson once said: "Wine gives a man nothing... it only puts in motion what had been locked up in frost."

HE, welcome back to Bloglife!
No, it wasn't Borat singing... More like a Poisoned Rat, I think.

13/10/07 10:01 AM  
Blogger Merisi said...

Oh, wow, that's why you love so much going to Spain: Calling faraway radio shows, talking up pottery, drinking local wine we can't even dream of, listening to the rain (in Spanish), and looking forward to de-tox back home. :-)

13/10/07 12:09 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

"So how are you enjoying Ramadan in Spain?"

you could hav said:

well, just the usual, you know how it is, a bottle of rioja here, a chorizo paella there...

24/10/07 12:18 PM  

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