The Kitchen window

So, the first window in this series of post on the windows of my house is the kitchen window.

The kitchen window does not have an amazing view: it faces a plain, normal street like so many streets in the centre of Edinburgh. However it's the window through which I look the most. The reason for this is simple: when I eat alone, it's this window I'm facing. When I'm somewhere else, I'm usually doing something that prevents me from staring outside the window. So, that's it: this is the window I 'use' the most.

From using this window so much, I realized something. During my breakfast time, 95% of the people passing in that street take the same direction. That is the direction of many buildings of the university, so you can see all the students going to class or the Uni staff going to work. Of all these people walking in the same direction, some 95% of those walk at the same pace. A fast pace, much faster than the normal pace in Southern Europe. I guess that people in this country don't face that concern we face down South of not wanting to arrive somewhere all sweaty... And walking quickly makes them warmer.

Now: imagine a reasonable crowd of people walking in the same direction at the same pace. From the distance, as I am, one kind of gets the feeling that they're a human mass. They're not a student of business who dreams of being a Steve Jobs, a professor of philosophy thinking of some metaphysical problem, a shopkeeper who feels more like flying to some paradise beach in the Caribbean than to face the customers one more day... They're just a faceless, indistinct mass of people with no feelings or dreams just walking in the same direction.

After I got used to see these people as a mass, the other day I decided, between mouthfuls of cornflakes and toasts with cheese to imagine what these people might be thinking, feeling or dreaming. From one moment to the other 'my crowd' became so much more interesting and diverse! I even began to like the kitchen window much more than I do!

My windows - the begining

I decided to start writing about my windows. No, this is not a philosophical expression of some sort to refer to the windows of my soul or something like that. I would love to be more of a poet that I am, but, unfortunately I don't have much of a poet soul.

When I mean windows I literally mean windows. Today I realized that I love windows. I like to stare outside a window and see people passing by. I like to see the people and imagine something about them. Try to understand by their mere passing what they are thinking

I know, this sounds kind of creepy. But, hey, am I a Mediterranean or not? (yes, I am) And could you imagine wandering around any country in the Mediterranean and not see people sitting at the window staring outside? Staring at you... I am not going to they to explain why they (us) do it. You (British? Chinese? Northern European?) may just consider us nosy... So, this nosy person will start to describe some of the windows of his life. Staring from tomorrow because today I already procrastinated too much. I need to leave some procrastination for tomorrow.

Feta with the Queen

Those who know the fringe of Edinburgh well, also know that it's difficult to find good free shows. Sometimes they're terrible (I already had to leave one after 15 minutes), sometimes they're ok but when you find a good one you have to share it. I went to a very funny one, Feta with the Queen, reason why I'm sharing it here.

Katerina, the comedienne, is from Greece but has been living in the UK for a long time. The entire gig is about the stereotypes of British and Greeks. However, in this last point, I have to stress that the stereotypes of the Greeks can be easily applicable to most Mediterranean peoples: the equally bankrupted Italians, Spanish and Portuguese; the Bulgarians, Romanians and the Balkan Slavs enjoying their first steps in the EU (welcome to the club); Turks, Egyptians, Maghrebians... If someone comes from around the Mediterranean, it is very possible that they will feel that Katerina is talking about their own people.

Watching this gig made me think about other characteristics of the Mediterraneans. We build strong relations with our families, friends and neighbors but very week ties with the rest of the society. The state, that abstract entity that connects us all, belongs to all and, consequently, belongs to no one. And if something belongs to no one, as our Roman ancestors taught us: quod nullius est, id ratione naturali occupanti conceditur. Which means, things that belong to no one, belong to those who find them. 

This leads to avoid paying taxes, celebrating contracts that are disadvantageous to the state and advantageous to our family or friends, using public money for private reasons... All that is not as strongly condemned as it is, for example, cheating your family and friends or, God forbid, not call your parents with regularity. People may turn a blind eye to hiring a unqualified relative to a public position (actually, they'll even expect it) but they won't forgive easily if you don't spend the most relevant holidays at home (Christmas or Eid Al-Fitr, depending if you're in the North or in the South of the Mediterranean).

I imagine that for British (and Germans, Dutch, Scandinavians, etc.), the Mare Nostrum may seem a bit like the geographic basis for a big Cosa Nostra. But do indulge with us, please! Indulge with our strange relation with the state as we indulge with your strange relation with alcohol.

The challenge

So this is the famous Ben Lomond. Doesn't look so high in the photo but I can tell you is no piece of cake to climb it all!

Views from Ben Lomond

Loch Lomond

Unfortunately my camera is really kaput... The rice trick didn't work!
Still, I got the photos from my trip to Loch and Ben Lomond.

 The mist over the lake..

View over Loch Lomond from Ben Lomond.

Swimming British Lakes

In the last few weeks I decided to swim in some British lakes. Well, it wasn't really a premeditated decision but I ended up doing so.

During a very good and special week, I was down in England in the Lake District. The Lake District corresponds very much to what we, foreigners, imagine the English countryside to be like. Lots of lawns, green hills, cows everywhere, friendly people... And a nice strong rain every now and then. There I swam in the largest natural lake in England, the Lake Windermere. The weather was great and really inviting us in, as can be seen in the picture of me facing the dangerous swans.

Not so inviting was the weather today in Loch Lomond, described by wikipedia as "the largest inland stretch of water in Great Britain by surface area" (whatever that means). I camped in a camping site by the lake and it was a truly amazing place! With one minor problem: no showers. Actually, for any average Mediterranean person, this is not a minor problem, it's a major one as we are generally restless until we take our daily shower. As such, despite the not very inviting weather, after breakfast I went to swim in the lake. Not more than one minute, just enough time to feel like there had been water in me that day. The problem was that in the afternoon, while canoeing with friends, our canoe capsized and there I was back in the lake, this time for more than one minute... 

Don't worry, dear reader (the one that comes here once a month), my health will not deteriorate to the point of stop writing here. Major problem for this blog was that my wee camera was in my pocket. I still didn't turn it on as I'm waiting for it to be completely dry (five days in rice). It would be a shame if I had no way to photograph my British adventures for the blog. Let's hope the rice trick works! If it does, I'll have amazing photos of my climb to Ben Lomond to show here.

Loch Ness

Beautiful one day trip the most famous of Scottish lakes. And no, I didn't spot Nessie.

Portobelo on a sunny Sunday

Swimming in Scotland

Who said the Northern Sea in Scotland is too cold for a nice swim session?

This is me yesterday in Portobelo beach.