Torrevieja Outlook
No 20 - October 2015
October 2015 Nยบ 020
Pilar Holiday - Crevillente fiestas - Salt Harvest History - Salt Statues - Salt Craft - Ask a Policeman -Vexillogy - Invisible Artist - Tapa Style Origami - Pop-up Shelters - Kayak Challenge - On the Road with Steve - Solidarity Calendar 2016 - Hello/Goodbye Amadeus. aormi@icloud.com
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October has two main fiestas this month one the regional holiday and the other a national one. All the Valencian towns celebrate the ‘Dia de Valencia’ on the 9th October, which is a local public holiday in the Region with most shops closed and people in Torrevieja/ Orihuela take the opportunity to drive to Murcia city for a shopping spree; often one meets people one hasn’t seen for ages on this day in Murcia. In Alicante a medieval market is held on the Esplanade, mainly aimed at entertaining children with jesters and street entertainers. Several towns, especially the capital Valencia, have several local events and most shops are closed. This date is a reference point in the history of Valencia when King Jaime I triumphantly entered the city of Valencia in 1238 having ousted the Moors.
Pilar The 12th October is a national public holiday celebrating the feast of the Virgen del Pilar. Often these two dates happily coincide with a weekend, so many people take a long ‘puente’ bridging break. According to tradition St. James (the Elder) the Apostle, spent seven years preaching in Spain around 40 AD before returning to Israel, where he was eventually beheaded in the persecutions against the Christians in Jerusalem. He is supposed to have built a temple to the holy Virgin Mary in Zaragoza, as she had appeared to him above a marble pillar. This led to the devotion of the Virgen del Pilar and today thousands of Spanish girls are named Pilar. Under this title the Virgin Mary is regarded as the patroness of Spain and also of the Guardia Civil; there are normally speeches, parades and a flag raising ceremony in front of town halls. Torrevieja has a solemn Mass in la Inmaculada church for the Guardia Civil, remembering those who have died in the service of the country. It is also a day when links with other Spanish speaking nations are remembered and is known as ‘el dia de Hispanidad’. It is the patronal fiestas at Pilar de la Horadada and many events are arranged throughout the preceding week with sporting events, bull fights, traditional dancing, Parades, concerts and activities for the children. Foreign groups have taken part in the main parade with their own float over the past few years. Other feasts include Saint Francis of Assisi and several towns have this animal lover as patron saint.
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50 years of Moors & Christian celebrations in Crevillente by Dave Stewart
St. Francis of Assisi is also a patron saint of Crevillente, which gives the citizens an excuse to take to the streets for fiesta time, especially this year as it is the 50th anniversary of celebrating these particular festivities. For five days before and five days after the saint’s feastday on 4th October there is a very wide variety of events including a medieval market, carnival parade, 12 groups of Moors & Christians, the usual wining and dining and ending with a wonderful fireworks display. This year’s King Jaime is D. César Nohales Herraiz, and his opposing number as Ra'is - D. Julio Gabriel Morell Montes. The parading of the Moors & Christians began in 1976 but are based on real acts chronicled in the 13th century. The town has a magnificent statue dedicated to both the Moors and Christians and now with so many North African immigrants the
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main street through the town sometimes looks and smells like an Arabic enclave. In 2005 the fiestas were given the title of “National Tourist Interest”. Throughout the year as is common in every town, these groups meet together for a variety of events to continue the feeling of camaraderie and also raise funds for the main fiestas. Competitions include a photographic one with an exhibition for the best ones. Music is an important element in most fiestas and last September two new compositions were written for each army: Marchas Moras are “A Benim” and Baixal Moro” while the Christian new march tunes are “Crevillentum 50” and “Et ne lli verc” There is also a humorous carnival style parade Because of the 50th anniversary the various festeros have paid into a fund to provide a new crown for the image of the patron saint Francis of Assisi. The reasoning is that this fiesta, as in most cases, generates many things wealth and welfare, commerce and artistic activities. Visitors are attracted and bring their own form of income to the town. The Moors Christians fiestas are inspired by the spirit of their Patron Saint Francis of Assisi. His memory, his work has been a very important part of the festive ideas. An example of this is the work with the residents of the Residence La Purisima and events and donations at Christmas to the poor of the town.
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Each year there is a photographic exhibition of the Crevillente Moors & Christians and here are some of the lovely photos.
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Torrevieja - The Salt of the Earth by Dave Stewart
According to many accounts Torrevieja and its environs were very beautiful until the 1829 earthquake. There were sandy beaches, hidden coves, woods full of wildlife and two salt lakes that still produce stunning sunsets. Salt has always been highly regarded as a condiment and preserver of food and Iberians, Phoenicians, Romans, Moors and in more modern times Spanish kings, have been enriched by the salt harvest of the La Mata lake or as it is normally called in Spanish lagoon as both were separated from the sea at some time by seismic eruptions. Notably among these civilizations are the Romans who built a wooden fort and quay and the tower we see today was constructed on the remains of this old tower. It is from salt that we get the word salary as the Romans partly paid their soldiers in salt so it was important. They also used it in their gastronomy aormi@icloud.com
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Garum was worth its weight in gold and much sought after by the Romans who had factories in Santa Pola and Almuñecar among other places. notably making garum, a concoction of layers of different seafood’s, vinegar and salt, allowed to ferment to make a sought after condiment (see Cameos of Torrevieja book by Andy Ormiston). The Muslims and Jews also used salt in religious rites. In 1248 a royal decree ratified a delineation of various areas conquered from the Moors. This placed the Vega Baja area in the Castilian kingdom. In early documents Cap Cervera is mentioned as is the “pino Grande de las Salinas” referring to a large pine forest between the two salt lakes where La Siesta and Chaparral urbanisation are now located. On 5th March 1283, the custody of the lake was put in the hands of the Orihuela city rulers, but retaining the salt production of the smaller lake for the crown. King Jaime II decreed that local people could have the
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privilege of using whatever they need to live off the land – wheat, cereals and other agricultural products and also from the sea. Another change occurred in 1304 when the area came under the crown of Aragon. For a time Catalan became the predominant language and they say that this developed into Valenciano although Torrevejenses today speak Castellano with a Murcian accent. Alfonso XI reaffirmed in 1347 that the lakes were part of the dominion of the Crown. Another king, Pedro II, authorised the building of the canal between the Mediterranean and the Torrevieja Lake in 1382. The idea was that the
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La Mata Lake still has salt round its edges
incoming seawater would balance out the higher density of the salt lake and fish could be bred. But this came to naught as the salinity continued to be too high for fish. Later the canal became an invaluable means of transporting the slat from the barges in the lake to the bay, where it was loaded onto waiting ships of many nations. Another side story of the salt is that in the time of Isabella and Fernando the salt harvesting was under the command of a family in Orihuela who befriended Columbus and put funds up for his first voyage of discovery. In return for running a n d p r o fi t i n g from the salt the Santangel family gave the Crown a fi x e d a n n u a l income. aormi@icloud.com
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When the 17th century opened Spain still had a vast extended empire, but almost bankrupt. On his deathbed Carlos II of the Hapsburgs signed a document handing the crown to the French Bourbons in 1700 from which the present kings come from. The reigning King Felipe was based in San Javier at one time doing military service and frequently visited Torrevieja, what was still a small town. His queen to be, Letiticia, was also a visitor as a child, because her family had a house in the Acequion area. But in 1802 the Administrator of the salt workings, Don Antonio Hidalgo Calvo, was also in charge of the salt flats at San Pedro del Pinatar. He held Eras de la Sal, quay and administration offices to left and administrator’s house to right. aormi@icloud.com
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this position from 1799 to 1823 that saw a steady growth in Torrevieja where he had moved the plant to Torrevieja after an earthquake destroyed La Mata. He was the one who was responsible for the Eras de la Sal and the wooden quay and there is a plaque there dedicated to his name. As we are all aware the coastline of the Mediterranean is on a fault line and there are frequent earth tremors, in fact around 2,200 seismic eruptions are recorded each year in Spain. The most famous in this area was that of March 1829 that devastated the area from Santa Pola to Murcia and inland towards the epicentre at Rafal. Torrevieja was still under the protection of the Crown and the King started a disaster fund and ordered an engineer to rebuild the area including Torrevieja. Because of their construction several windmills survived the earthquake and these were used for milling the salt crystals. Last month we wrote about the harbour construction but until then ships were loaded in the open bay. The best time for the salt crystallization process is between May
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and August. In July 1926 work began on a second canal, this time linking the sea with the La Mata Lake. Later a third canal was built linking both lakes. In the 20th century technology increased and the work force deceased so that today there are less than a hundred people employed compared to the past when anywhere between five and seven thousand men worked. A railway line was used to carry salt inland but this was discontinued and most is moved by sea or in bulk-carrying lorries Another important innovation was a large tube connection from the salt mines at Pinosa with the salt lake and pumps a high salinity solution that keeps the salt levels of the lake sufficiently high for harvesting. Several companies took control of the salt workings during the 20th century but always leaving a large share in the control of the State. Another improvement was sectioning the salt lake so that salt is produced from only one area and the rest is ideal for wildlife. The average production is around 800,000 tonnes of which 300,000 tonnes is for national consumption so it is easy to see that it is a money earner that does not help the town much as it does not produce a great deal of employment any more. The State benefits, but there is little payback to the town itself.
A satellite photo vividly shows the red Torrevieja Lake and the green La Mata lake
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The Torrevieja lake turns red as the water evaporates and is nearer to harvesting. The beast you see below is the tiny creature that causes the lake to turn red as it continues to multiply rapidly.
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Today the salt is l a rg e l y computerized with little manhandling. It is sent on a conveyor belt to the quay to be loaded on large carriers that can often be seen queuing up at sea to carry it to far off shores.
F o r m o r e information about Torrevieja and its salt working, the book by Andy Ormiston, “Cameos of Torrevieja� is on sale in a couple of Torrevieja shops Bargain Books and Santos Ochoa or c o n t a c t aormi@icloud.com
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Local photo enthusiast Nicola Garcia loves the opportunities presented by the salt lakes to take some wonderful photos of the lakes at different seasons and times of the day.
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Miniature Salt Lagoon by Pat Hynd Opposite the Doùa Sinforosa gardens and alongside the Acequion canal is a longish park, which has the remains of the former railway station whose buildings now house a natural science museum, a music museum, a salt interpretation centre and a larger building houses the local association AFA Day Centre, dedicated to Alzheimer’s patients. There is also a roller blade park, children’s activities and some for the elderly. It is here that the Green road begins heading towards Rojales built on the former railway lines and used by walkers, bikers and horse riders.
There is also a Mini-Golf park and a miniature salt lake, which has Carmen Fraile statues of workmen, giving an idea of the hard work that was the norm in collecting salt from the lake years ago.
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This park situated around old railway buildings that house museums and the Alzheimers Association Day Centre also has children play area and skateboard facilities.
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Salt Craft by Dave Stewart
Salt boats are one of the oldest craft traditions of Torrevieja. By this I don’t mean the boats that carry salt, but the traditional fragile model boats that are encrusted with salt and often used as mementos for visiting dignitaries. Even the king and the Pope have copies. Salt forms part of the history, industry and culture of Torrevieja; so it is only right that crafts should include work of salt. There is an association of Salineros that each year holds a craft exhibition and competition, not only of salt boats, but also of painting, model boats, and other types of crafts. La Mata also has a crafts club that keeps another tradition going, that of
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Winners of knot and salt boat competitions.
bolillos, or making lace work. In recent years, i.e. the past two decades, teachers at la Inmaculada College have also kept alive the tradition of making salt boats and learning knots among their students. How do they do it? The boat is constructed of wood covered in white cloth, and is interwoven with white thread. Very fragile in itself but has to be strong enough to support the weight of the salt that will eventually cover the frame and like a butterfly materialize into a work of art. During May to July the frames are dipped into the salt lake and left for about three days in the salt, leaving a splatter of salt crystals. Sometimes they are strung together on a long pole so that several boats can be done at the same time. The schooners, frigates or sloops pailebotes are taken by boat into the Torrevieja salt lake and placed hanging from floating tables under the supersalty waters in the summer months when the higher salinity has the capacity to almost curdle into crystals salt has coated with fine white crystals on the work, covering it with a magic that can not be achieved elsewhere in the world.
This artisanship started over an hundred years ago by local craftsmen, in reality shipbuilding in salt in Torrevieja Lagoon and in some ways is linked to the main industry of salt harvesting. For the workers this was a nice sideline to earn a bit more cash. Some salt models can be more than one and a half a metre long and in the Sea & Salt Museum you can see some good examples of not only boats, but other models, including a large model of the faรงade of the main church. aormi@icloud.com
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Schooners, frigates, sloops, yachts are all part of the workmanship in salt by amateurs and professional salt boat makers.
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'Fine wood, yarn, cotton cloth and sew well is all that is needed', a veteran craftsman once explained it, 'and then the lagoon does the rest'. Metal should not be used at all as eventually it can rust and show through the salt. Some shops do sell the salt boats, as there is a growing market for this type of souvenir that was mostly reserved for VIPs. If not watch out for any of these exhibitions and you may be able to buy direct from the artist. The Alzheimer’s shop in the small road behind the main church also sells salt related souvenir gifts. Recently the man in charge of Costa Blanca Tourism, Eduardo Dolon, showed his ongoing support for Alzheimer's by organizing a system of buying these salt souvenirs that will be used as gifts and at the same time advertising the Costa Blanca as well as Torrevieja.
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Ask a Policeman by Andy Ormiston
I asked fellow Scot, Scott Blair, what he does in his spare time and he told me about his work with the Neighbourhood Watch system in Spain. In Spanish it’s known as Vecinos Cooperando y Colaborando de España and is now well accepted by police after initial doubts about vigilantes taking to the streets. People in Britain know about Neighbourhood Watch so is it any different here? Neighbourhood Watch is one of the biggest and most successful crime prevention schemes ever. It is based on simple ideas and values that are shared by many people and adapts perfectly well to Spain. Such as? Well, getting together with your neighbours in an effort to reduce local crime and disorder with the aim to make your neighbourhood a safe and better place to live, work and play. It is a community group whereby the people of an area organise themselves in an effort to combat crime. They adopt the thinking “if it affects my street or my neighbour then it affects me”. Do We Need Neighbourhood Watch in Spain? We work with the Local Police and the Guardia Civil and pass on information about any suspicious persons or incidents in the street/area. In this way we are helping to reduce the opportunities for crime to occur and helping the police to help us to protect ourselves and our property. The more difficult we can be make it for the criminal, the more likely it is that crime can be reduced and aormi@icloud.com
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generally make our areas safer to live in. Another important aspect is that it brings communities together. And does it reduce Crime? In the areas where Neighbourhood Watch in Spain is operating they have seen a downturn in crime committed. Unfortunately it is difficult to gain access to the National Statistics. But we can see local numbers and in Torrevieja itself crime has reduced by an average of 25% year on year. And some other areas report crime reduction by 75%. Are there any psychological benefits? By promoting a sense of community sprit and security, particularly amongst the more vulnerable members of the community, Neighbourhood Watch helps reduce fear of crime. We do this by providing accurate information about risks, so there is an incremental increase in security awareness. What we are is that we become the eyes and ears of the community and can only pass on information to the Policia Local and the Guardia for them to act upon. However, it can only play a part in reducing crime, and the more groups of residents participating, the more effective it will be. So you don’t go about policing the streets? Good heavens, no. Groups do not patrol streets or act as vigilantes. Patrolling the streets is a job for the police: they will act upon information supplied by residents {at what speed is questionable, they have insufficient resources to patrol all the area they cover}. Members do not carry sticks or other weapons, nor do they confront suspicious persons. That’s the job of the Policia Local or Guardia Civil. Is Neighbourhood Watch biased in any way? No. We are non-political, non-sectarian and non-racial. We do not organise or attend demonstrations using the NHW Logo. We never ask for money for our services and any affiliated Group breaking these rules will be expelled from the Association and barred from using the names “Vecinos Cooperando y Colaborando de España” and “Neighbourhood Watch in Spain.”
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So would you say that Neighbourhood Watch is not just about reducing crime – it is about building community spirit and good relations? Yes, it brings local people closer together with common goals: to tackle crime and disorder and to keep an eye on each others’ property. There are other benefits of joining a Neighbourhood Watch scheme. For example, you can learn more about crime prevention and home security, which will help keep your home and belongings safe. Various tips about Mobile, internet and identity safety and other identity and security measures are shared.
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HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED ? Contact your local Lead Coordinator or geoff@nhwinspain.com. If you do not have a scheme available and would like to establish one. Visit our web site: www.nhwinspain.com
If you would like to receive Automated Email News Alert please visit the website to register or email newsalert@nhwinspain.com.
For more information please contact 620 417 777 or visit www.nhwinspain.com
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Neighbourhood Watch in Spain Aims and Objectives Aims • To reduce the opportunities for crime and anti-social behaviour to occur in your neighbourhood by deterring would – be burglars and vandals. • To build a community spirit so that all residents can contribute towards the protection of their property through co-operation and communication • To facilitate the transfer of information speedily to members. Objectives • To inform the Security Forces and all residents of the occurrence of suspicious incidents. • To keep residents informed of different types of crime including scams being committed in Spain. • To advise generally how residents can protect their property and themselves. • To improve community safety generally including. • To prevent crime by improving security, increasing vigilance, creating and maintaining a caring community and reducing opportunities for crime by increasing crime prevention awareness. • To assist the security forces in detecting crime by promoting effective communication and the prompt reporting of suspicious and criminal activity. • Encourage members to be vigilant and contact the security forces to report any suspicious behaviour •
Keep a check on vulnerable residents and those that are away from home
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Encourage members to implement crime prevention methods around the home.• To reduce undue fear of crime by providing accurate information about risks and by promoting a sense of security and community spirit, particularly amongst the more vulnerable members of the community.
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To improve security forces/community liaison by providing effective communications through Neighbourhood Watch messaging systems which warn Coordinators of local crime trends which they can disseminate to their scheme members, and by members informing the security forces incidents when they occur.
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My Bookshelf - Ebooks by Pat Hynd
Since we are an Internet magazine I thought we could have a look at other Internet literature. Books have changed. Not the words, but how books are shared. When the Internet was still in its infancy several people saw the opportunity for sharing literature in its different forms. With so many books, plays or poetry needing to be altered to a readable format thousands of people gave their time to retype up many classic books that have been around a long time and don’t need patent permissions. In those early days this proved to be a source of income for people like Cistercian monks who had access to great libraries and were willing to type them up for Internet. Nowadays scanning is often sufficiently good enough with a bit of editing. Although Amazon has the lion’s share of books, there are many other sites. Here is a compilation of only some available sites for books, some for free, some audio, some text-book orientated, mostly classical stories, but can be a good source for learning anything about a particular subject. Bartleby is an excellent source of classic literature with a huge compendium of quotable quotes by famous people. This is one of the largest collections of books in English.
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Bibliomania has thousands of ebooks, poetry, short stories, articles, and plays are all absolutely free. For teachers, students, or those with a literary question, there is an email service by university graduates who undertake to answer any queries, and probably learning something selves as well. Books-On-Line is a directory of 50,000 publications mostly free. The search engine goes by author, themes or a key word. But they have thousands of books, classic, new, even movie scripts and seem to sell through Amazon and other pay systems collecting a commission. BookBub is a sign-up system where you can choose only the type of subject you like, such as travel, hobbies, fiction, westerns, religion or crime. A really good source that each day will select and make cheap offers on books old and new, some of which are free. â–Ş
Bookstacks has a limited amount of free offers, which can be downloaded in PDF format. Drama, historical, horror, modernist, philosophy, religious, romance are the listed genre of books. As with other sites there are classics such as Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie etc.
Bored.com is a mixture of books, games, stickmen, lots of funny images. It is what it says - something to occupy you if you feel bored. Classic Book Library is a free resource providing information on classic books across multiple genres:- Historical Fiction, Romance, Children’s Literature, History, Science Fiction, Science, Mystery. The classic book library was founded
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to help make it easier for students and book lovers to find information about classic books. The goal is to compile lists of classic books from multiple genres and provide convenient ways to read the books online. It is also possible to purchase copies of your favourite classic books. Classicbookshelf is another site that delivers classic books by famous authors to your screen using JavaScript. Classicreader is a similar source, but does have an excellent section for younger readers of stories that some grandparents may remember with fondness. L. Frank Baum may not ring a bell, but he was a prolific author who brought the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy to life, as well as the Tin Man and many other characters that have ended up on film, television and stage. He wrote a whole series of Oz stories, which often do not get an airing.
Ebooklobby offers a wide category of books; including business, art, computing and education, biographies, cooking, travel. Each category is limited in its number of books but nevertheless worth looking at.
EtextCenter is run by the University of Virginia and you can find that many other universities offer similar sites. The following is from their website and shows how continuous and fluid is the expertise on the Internet. aormi@icloud.com
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The Electronic Text Center (1992-2007), known to many as “Etext,” served the University community’s teaching and research needs in the areas of humanities text encoding for fifteen years. Many of the resources once available on Etext are now available via VIRGO, the Library’s online catalog and the primary access point for all U.Va. Library digital texts and images. In the course of migrating thousands of texts from Etext to VIRGO, we determined that certain resources were not eligible for inclusion, most often due to copyright issues. Many of the texts that were not migrated can be found among other university online text collections, Google Books, HathiTrust and Project Gutenberg. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you and we wish you the best with your research. Some pages from the Etext center have been preserved at the Internet Archive. Fiction eBooks offers free and for sale a wide variety of relatively unknown independent authors giving them and the reader an opportunity to get to know one another. Browse categories to find your favourite literature genres: Romance, Fantasy, Thriller, Short Stories, Young Adult and Children’s Books. Get Free Books is interesting as there are lots of the usual classics but other themes. There is also a very large selection of books in Spanish for those who would like to try out their command of the language and increase their vocabulary and understanding. GreatLiteratureOnline not only has a vast Collection of classical authors, but also has thousands of audio books that can be rented, so useful to the blind. FreeClassicAudioBooks.com is another good source for books that are ideal for the blind or near-blind with lots of classical titles. It is also
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possible to buy a DVDs that have 200 to 600 classic books. Audio books in any language are a good way to listen and understand that language. The LearnOutLoud.com Free Audio & Video Directory offers a selection of over 10,000 free educational audio and video titles. The directory features free audio books, courses, documentaries, talks, interviews, speeches, and many other great free audio and video resources making it easy to learn. Lit2Go is another site that is easy to follow, again with lots of classical books, especially on American history such as the Civil War. ManyBooks.net has a large selection of classical books as well as new titles. They will also offer to help publish authors’ books. They have a section for buying more modern stories. Their search system by genre is very good and you can find a wide range of interests fiction, nature, detective and action or poetry and music ProjectGutenberg is another marvellous free site for classical reading and is part of the famous printing house’s trust foundation, relying largely on volunteers retyping the books in several languages. There are over 25,000 titles but with their system of affiliates this goes up to over 100,000 books. The Spoken Alexandria Project was created to build a free Creative Commons library of spoken word recordings, consisting of classics in the public domain and modern works (with permission). AAC, Ogg Vorbis, and MP3 audio books available for free download and redistribution. However, be careful if you are downloading audio books as you may be charged by the hour.
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Vexillology By Dave Stewart
No its nothing to do with being vexed, its about flags. The study of flags is known as vexillology, from the Latin word vexillum, meaning flag or banner What’s in a flag? Do we need flags? Throughout the ages men have used flags as a rallying point, especially when in battle. Flags are used in the semaphore language to signal and communicate. Flags denote community whether it is a national flag or some football team. Flags have been a symbol of success or failure. Flags are used to denote dolour or death. Flags symbolise nationality and patriotic spirit. If you Google Flags one of the first sites to come up is that of the CIA, yes, American Intelligence. That is significant in that it underlines the
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importance of flags at international level and the need for agents to know what each flag signifies in order to identify or avoid making mistakes with “friendly fire� in battle. This site lists countries or regions I never knew existed. The Romans used their elongated standards as the rallying point for each legion such as the eagle for Caesar. Early flags were usually just one colour, but as sometimes tribes would have the same colour gradually other colours and identifying symbols were introduced. At one time the Spanish flags were almost the same as the English one as they had the same family Bourbons as kings. Of course this led to confusion and often fights broke out and ships sunk by mistake and in one instance the Spanish had to pay retribution for an English ship sunk by mistake. Nowadays, since the 17th century it is a legal requirement for ships to fly a flag designating their country (apart from pirates of course). Flags are usually rectangular in shape (often in the ratio 2:3, 1:2, or 3:5), but may be of any shape or size that is practical for flying, including square, triangular, or swallow tailed. The Netherlands was the first to use a tricolour of red, white and blue going aormi@icloud.com
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back to the 9th century and in a way represents the three main colours of fabric in use then. Possibly the most commonly used flag is the Union Jack which is incorporated into the flags of nations that are associated with Britain such as Australia or New Zealand. Of course if the Scots ever do get an independent status the Union will disappear and a new design brought in. Flags are designed and selected by the highest authority in the land. New Zealand is at the moment contemplating a change in their flag and held a competition that attracted 10,292 designs and a panel of experts whittled it down to four possible designs. The current flag was legally adopted in 1902. But Kiwis have always discussed a flag that denotes their common ancestry and in the four designs selected it is obvious that this encompasses the native Maori traditions. The dominant feature of four of these designs is the fern frond, seen as an element of the indigenous flora representing national growth. For some the fern is a symbol of a multicultural society with a central stem and origin. It’s for the New Zealanders to discuss and decide what they want early in 2016, but there are many who are quite happy with the present flag. Flags are also used in sports notably the Olympics or the linesmen at football running along waving their flags as signals. A flag is used as starters orders in motor racing and also at the final line. In Yacht racing flags play an important role as the signal the start of the race from a committee boat or cancellation because of bad weather or other cause. New Zealand is discussing changing the national flag and using traditional Maori emblems
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Dive flags are indications of where scuba divers are located, either for pleasure or working. And even golfers have flags to signal where a hole is positioned. Colours are important in flags as mentioned before in the Netherlands. Today a rainbow flag is a sign of the gay brigade, whereas green is an Arabic colour of hope and peace. A century ago red became associated with communism, not just in flags but denoting the political intent of individuals. The Spanish flag of red and yellow horizontal lines was changed in the Second Republic by adding a mulberry or purple coloured line; but adding the symbols for the kingdoms of Castile, Leon, Aragon and Navarre, surmounted by a crown and also including the two Pillars of Hercules. Today several Spanish trade unions still use the basic Republican flag, but without the coat of arms. In October the Valencian flag is flown in town halls and central plazas in the region on 9th October and it is a regional holiday. The flag is known as Senyeres Coronada composed of four red bars on a yellow background, crowned with a blue strip party per pale next to the spear and adopted in July 1982. Its design is based on the arms of the Aragon and has altered over the years and is hoisted to the aormi@icloud.com
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right of the National flag as seen by the viewer, but cannot be larger than the national one. So there is a lot of protocol as regards flag flying. It is the feast of the Virgen del Pilar, national patron saint of Spain and of the Guardia Civil. In Torrevieja and other towns there is usually a religious and a civic ceremony and the hoisting of the flag. Also the Spanish national flag takes pride of place on this day with the march past of the armed forces in Madrid, each group proudly flying the regimental or battalion colours, and if you’re not in Madrid it is worth watching on television and feel the pride that these men and women have in what they do. It is also a reminder of the sacrifice of many of their comrades who have died or been wounded in action in various parts of the world as peacekeeping forces of the United Nations or NATO and a flag may be the only moment a family has. So there you have it – flags for all occasions including bunting for weddings and parties.
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Above Capa’s Civil War photo
Above Iwo Jima conquered and below Russians take Berlin
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There are many photos that capture a moment of history. Several of these have become emblematic such as the Spanish Republican soldier on hillside being shot in action. Another is the American soldiers proudly raising the Stars and Stripes at Iwo Jima. A third involving military is the flag on top of the Berlin town hall waved by a Russian soldier. Apart from being war photos they all have one thing in common - they are all posed. The Spanish soldier actually came from Alcoy and was killed two days later in action. Photographer Robert Capa became famous for this photograph that was wired around the world’s newspapers, but he had made a photoshoot and several photos of the same sequence are still extant. The idea to plant the Stars & Stripes atop the 550-foot volcano was hatched six days earlier in the chaplain’s shipboard cabin. According to the late Jesuit Father Donald Crosby’s 1993 book, “Battlefield Chaplains: Catholic Priests in World War II.” Father Suver, a Navy chaplain, was among 19 Catholic chaplains and 58 chaplains assigned to minister to the three Marine divisions that wrested Iwo Jima from the Japanese in the war’s bloodiest battle in the Pacific. Father Charles F. Suver offered Mass on the same Iwo Jima hill top prior to the famous flag raising photograph was taken. "Raising a flag over the Reichstag" is the famous photograph by Yevgeny Khaldei, taken on May 2, 1945. The photo shows Soviet soldiers raising the flag of the Soviet Union on top of the German Reichstag building following the Battle of Berlin. The moment was actually a re-enactment of an earlier flag-raising, and the photo was embroiled in controversy over the identities of the soldiers, the photographer, and some significant photo editing.
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Chinese artist Liu Bolin is a famous artist largely because his paintings have a social point to make. One of his ruses to a;ract a;ention is to hide an image of himself within each painting. "ʺI always use my works to question and rethink the inequality and imbalance caused by the process of human development.” "ʺThe Future"ʺ (above) is a photograph of the artist merging into a vibrant backdrop of flags from all 193 United Nations member states. Spread among these are square blocks of 17 UN Global Goals -‐‑ including "ʺno poverty"ʺ and "ʺclimate action.” "ʺI arranged the UN Global Goals logos to form 'ʹUN'ʹ at the center of the background,"ʺ explains Liu. "ʺTheir goals are in keeping with themes found in my work. We both address clean energy, poverty, global warming and other ecological problems.” Liu will travel to Sicily and Lampedusa, to create works about the tragic circumstances of people migrating from worn-‐‑torn Africa to Europe. "ʺDisappearing is not the main point of my work,"ʺ Liu says. "ʺIt'ʹs just the method I use to pass on a message. To tell people if we don'ʹt stop the way we live, or pay a;ention, we will all face our own disasters. It'ʹs my way to convey all the anxiety I feel for human beings."ʺ
The Invisible artist aormi@icloud.com
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of Spanish Cook - Tapas by Pat Hynd
Spain is renowned for its tapas and many tapa restaurants are located in large European cities. Tapas have humble beginnings as the word means a cover. The legend says that it used to be the custom that when a drink was served a cover was put on it to keep away the flies. This would be a small saucer and the barman would put a small taster in it, such as olives or almonds, or even a small portion of the meal being served. Gradually this became an accepted thing and people grew accustomed to being served a “tapa” with a drink. It was not until the arrival of the foreign tourist brigade that tapas took on an exotic flavour and bars started to charge for them. In some rare parts of Spain you will still receive a genuine free tapa when you order a drink. We are now in a season when many towns have some sort of tapa route which have been very popular and I know one man who looks for the dates so that they coincide with his holidays. In some bars tapas are taken from the main menu as an enticement to customers to stay a bit longer and have a full meal. Good advertising. However as tapa routes have proven there are those quite happy to go from bar to bar or restaurant to restaurant and have a tapa with a wine or beer, probably spending just as much as they would have done on a meal but at the same time enjoy tasting a wide variety of samples of tapas. Many towns also provide some style of competition such as the best tapa, or the most innovative tapa, or insist on a common ingredient such as tuna. It is a fun way to have a night out and also in some towns there might be a pilgrim’s log book to be stamped by each bar and whoever is first o complete the course and have all the boxes stamped will win a prize. The hostelry trade is encouraged to produce new tapas ideas or develop new ones from traditional recipes.
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Here I offer a few ideas that are fairly traditional should you want to have a tapas party yourself. Tapas variadas There are several tapas which are available with basic ingredients from the supermarkets and with just a liLle imagination can be served up in various forms. These are often used as entremeses at the beginning of a meal accompanied with drinks. They can be simple like a dish of olives and gherkins or a variety of n u t s . I w e l l r e m e m b e r m y fi r s t introduction to this in a Spanish friend’s house where I was left in the living room with a laden table and told just help yourself, which I did, only to find out that this was what was called tapas and a starter as i was faced with a huge meal afterwards.
Jamón Serrano is the most famous of Spanish hams and is served cut very thinly. You can buy it cut off the bone or have it ready cut in pre-‐‑packaged vacuum packs. If in vacuum packs then allow at least ten minutes after opening it before consuming it. Serve it rolled with a cocktail stick holding it in place with an olive impaled on the stick. Or serve on wedges of chilled melon. Another way to serve Serrano ham is to use a barra roll of bread, cut in thick slices, toast both sides, and either dribble some good olive oil on top then a slice of serrano, or rub a clove of garlic on the bread, then cut a tomato in half and rub the juices on the bread, sprinkle with oil and cover with a slice of jamón serrano.
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There’s a great variety of chorizos coming from every region each with their own recipe, and each is best. Chorizo is a Spanish sausage and is readily available in different traditional types. Buy one which is not “piquante” but “dulce”, that is that is not peppery; cut it in thick slices and put it in a hot oven for ten minutes so that it sizzles and is slightly crispy at the edges -‐‑ serve at once with a barra. Chorizo is also an excellent addition to some stews. You can get cut chorizo which is a cold cut. Cheese is very popular inSpain and comes in as many varieties as anyone could wish. Manchego cheese is one of the most popular and can be cut into bite sized squares and left to marinate for a couple of hours. For the marinade you will need 1/2 litre of olive oil; 1 tablespoon wine vinegar, a bunch of tarragon with the stalks crushed, 1 complete bulb of garlic and some black peppercorns. Mix the ingredients together and allow the cheese to soak up the flavours. Or serve thinly cut wedges of cheese in a fan shape on a plate. Or, Lace cocktail sticks cubes of cheese, alternately with cubes of pineapple and cocktail onions and gherkins.
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Pinchitos Morunas Kebabs Pinchitos are a form of kebab on skewers and you will need: 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic. 2 teaspoons of salt 1 teaspoon mild curry powder 1/2 teaspoon corainder seeds 1 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme Freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon of lemon juice 450 grams lean pork (lomo) cut into small cubes or use chicken chunks. Chop the meat into cubes and skewer. Make the marinade of garlic, salt, curry, coriander, paprika, thyme, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Baste the skewered meat in this and leave to marinade for at least a couple of hours -‐‑ the longer the beLer. Arrange the kebabs; keep well apart, on a foil covered tray cooking under the grill or on a barbecue. Cook until the meat is brown (3 minutes) and turn cooking for a further short period. Serve immediately. You can use other meats such as lamb which was the original meat used by the Moors who introduced this type of dish to Spain. Chicharos en Salsa Peas in sauce This is a tapa which can be served as a vegetable in a main meal. Bearing this in mind the following recipe would feed 4/6 people or three times that for tapas. 1 large packet of frozen peas about ½ kilos in weight. Salt 4 hard boiled eggs (Use two of the whites for garnish) aormi@icloud.com
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1 medium sized potato ¾ litre olive oil 2 teaspoons of wine vinegar Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley Cook peas until tender in salted water. Pound egg yolks and boiled potato to a paste and beat in the olive oil and vinegar until smooth: season with salt and pepper. Drain the peas and mix with the sauce. Sprinkle with finely chopped hard boiled egg whites for garnishing.
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Albondigas -‐‑ Spanish Meat Balls again serves 4/6 as part of a meal. 1 kilo lean minced beef. ¼ finely chopped Spanish onion Olive oil 4 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs 2 level teaspoons salt ¼ level teaspoon thyme ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 crushed bay leaf Rind of half a lemon 2 eggs A prepared tomato or mushroom sauce. Put mince in a large bowl Slightly fry the chopped onion in olive oil until soft and then add it to the minced beef, mixing well. Now add breadcrumbs, salt, thyme, cayenne, bay leaf and lemon rind, mix well. Beat the eggs and add to the meat mixing well. Allow the flavour to blend for about 20 minutes and then form into small balls about the size of walnuts. Place the meat balls in the refrigerator for them to firm up. When ready, sauté gently in olive oil until cooked through. Serve with a suitable sauce. Our next dish is a variation of the very popular meatballs, only we are going to use fish instead of meat. It is a frequent visitor on the table during Holy Week, often served with spinach. Potaje con albóndigas de bacalao Cod balls in stew For the stew: 1 head of garlic 300 grams pumpkin 1 chopped turnip 1 tablespoon of sweet paprika 1 chopped onion 4 tablespoon olive oil 1 bay leaf Pinch of white pepper aormi@icloud.com
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Pinch of saffron 1 litre water Salt For the cod balls: ¼ kg. Salt cod (Bacalao), de-‐‑salted in cold water overnight Lemon peel, grated 4 eggs Pinch of black pepper Fresh parsley 100 grams whole pine kernels 150 ml. milk Pinch of saffron 200 grams bread, soaked in water Flour Start cooking by puLing all the stew ingredients together in a large casserole with water and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer on a low heat. Meanwhile, prepare the cod balls: mix all ingredients, well chopped, and blend to an homogeneous paste. Form small balls with it and flour them, then fry them in hot oil for two minutes. When all balls are fried, place them into the stew casserole and boil for 15 more minutes. Serve very hot. Tosta de Salmon Ahumado This is a simple starter which needs to be served as soon as it is made; it also makes a good tapa. Smoked salmon is plentiful in Spain, mostly from Norway. Cut the read into shapes if you like. 300 grams smoked salmon 8 eggs 4 slices of bread 4 spoonfulls of cream 4 spoonfuls of buLer Salt & black pepper Spread buLer on one slice of toasted bread. Whisk the eggs with the cream, salt and pepper, add the remaining buLer and make scrambled egg -‐‑ this is easily and quickly done in less than a minute if you use a microwave, but is easily done over a hot stove. aormi@icloud.com
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Put scrambled egg on the toast, which could be cut into four pieces, and top with a slice of smoked salmon: serve immediately.
Other typical tapas
- Aceitunas – Olives. These also come in many shapes and form. They may be plain, or stuffed with anchovy or almonds, for example, or marinated in herbs, oil and vinegar. - Almendras – Almonds. A delicious appetizer of salted fried almonds. - Croquetas – Croquettes are often part of a main meal. The homemade are the best but can be bought ready made in supermarkets or deli shops. Usually chicken, but you also have chopped Serrano ham, potato or fish. Ensalada murciana – Murcian salad. Because of th proximity to Murcia this is very common in Torrevieja and Orihuela areas. A refreshing cold salad made from tuna fish, tomato, onion, hardboiled egg, black olives, oil and vinegar.
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- Boquerones – Anchovies. These can be served cold and marinated in vinegar, olive oil and herbs, or rather like whitebait, served hot after being dipped in flour and fried. - Chipirones – May not appeal to everyone but these are baby cuttlefish deep-fried in batter and finger licking good. - Pimientos de padrón – Often these are served as a vegetable in some restaurants being small green peppers fried and dusted in rock salt or baked in the oven with salt. Not very appetizing to look at at but are delicious. - Pulpo a la gallega – Octopus in Galician style. This is a dish of sliced and boiled octopus served on a wooden platter and served with salt and paprika. - Calamares a la Roman - slices of octopus in a batter and deep fried. - Gambas al ajillo – Garlic prawns. Fresh prawns served in a dish of sizzling olive oil, salted chopped garlic and parsley. - Gambas a la plancha – Larger whole prawns grilled , then served simply with salt and lemon.
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Origami by Pat Hynd
 Origami is a fascinating style of culture combined with hobby and considered as Japanese in origin where, at one time, houses were made with paper walls as the islands are prone to earthquakes so cuts down on rebuilding and accidents. The word Origami from ori meaning "folding", and kami meaning "paper" and is the art of paper folding, which is often associated with Japanese culture. Origami is a popular pastime with those in craft classes. It is fun, easy, inexpensive and great for sharing with others. Often people will use their handiwork as gifts or included in Christmas cards, for example. If you don't want to go to a class, where you will meet other people as it becomes a social affair, then you will find loads of videos and design ideas on the internet. Try http://www.origami-fun.com for a wealth of ideas to decorate Christmas trees, boxes, envelopes etc.
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Napkin folding Origami One of the characteristics of origami is that it embodies a contradiction: how can such an intricate, detailed object come from a single uncut square? In general, these designs begin with a square sheet of paper whose sides may be of different colors, prints, or patterns. Although it may be Japanese in origin here in Europe we have a similar idea when folding table napkins into swans or fans and other objects making a dinner table much more attractive and interesting. I’m sure as children we have all made and played with a paper fortune teller (also called a cootie catcher, chatterbox, salt cellar or whirlybird depending where you come from). Parts of the fortune teller are labelled with colours or numbers that serve as options for a player to choose from, and on the inside are eight flaps, each concealing a message. The person operating the fortune teller manipulates the device based on the choices made by the player, and finally one of the hidden messages is revealed. These messages may purport to answer questions (hence the name) or they may be activities that the player must perform such as giving a kiss or a hug or slap on the face aormi@icloud.com
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But making origami objects can be done anywhere and some aficionados carry pieces of paper around with them or travelling as it is a question of folding correctly. Since the beginning of the technical revolution in the world of origami in the 1960s, the rapidly growing complexity of origami crease patterns has made them interesting and beautiful as standalone artworks. Modern origami is a unique sculptural art. Each origami design must be individually folded; there is no massproduction process. Most types of paper can be used including ordinary copy paper. It is possible to download free paper designs as on this page bottom and top, from internet and print them off so that you have a colourful paper on one side. But most people tend to buy special Origami paper, often referred to as "kami", that is sold in prepackaged squares of various sizes ranging from 2.5 cm (1 in) to 25 cm (10 in) or more. It is commonly colored on one side and white on the other; however, dual-coloured and patterned versions exist and can be used effectively for color-changed models. Origami paper weighs slightly less than copy paper, making it suitable for a wider range of models. The important part is that it holds a good crease. Heavier weight papers of (19–24&n.b. 100 g/m2 (approx. 25 lb) or more can be wet-folded. This technique allows for a more rounded sculpting of the model, which becomes rigid and sturdy when it is dry, but this if for the more advanced origamist.
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Some people maintain that no tools should be used while others like a little help. For instance a bone folder allows sharp creases to be made in the paper easily, paper clips can act as extra pairs of fingers, and tweezers can be used to make small folds. When making complex models from origami crease patterns, it can help to use a ruler and ballpoint embosser to score the creases. Completed models can be sprayed so they keep their shape better, and a spray is needed when wet folding. A number of technological advances have come from insights obtained through paper folding in architecture and engineering. For example, techniques have been developed for the deployment of car airbags and stent implants from a folded position. The Miura map fold is a rigid fold that has been used to deploy large solar panel arrays for space satellites. There are several computer aids to origami such as TreeMaker and Oripa, have been devised. Treemaker allows new origami bases to be designed for special purposes and Oripa tries to calculate the folded shape from the crease pattern.
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Copyright Origami Design copyright is a further problem as some people claim authorship of a particular design. A Japanese court asserted that the folding method of an origami model “comprises an idea and not a creative expression, and thus is not protected under the copyright law.” Further, the court stated that “the method to folding origami is in the public domain; one cannot avoid using the same folding creases or the same arrows to show the direction in which to fold the paper.” Therefore, it is legal to redraw the folding instructions of a model of another author even if the redrawn instructions share similarities to the original ones, as long as those similarities are "functional in nature". The redrawn instructions may be published (and even sold) without necessity of any permission from the original author. The Japanese decision is in agreement with the U.S. Copyright Office itself, which asserts that "copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something." This was in connection with a copyright infringement case involving origami; a Japanese origami artist sued a Tokyo network television broadcaster for allegedly reproducing the folding instructions of his original origami top on the company’s web site. The artist claimed the folding instructions were uploaded onto the web site without his expressed permission.So effectively it is better to add an acknowledgment to the author of a design if it is being used as a matter of honour.
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T h e t e r m "Monumental" in "Monumental Origami" refers to size: this is large-scale origami, intended to make a visual impact from a distance and often found in art galleries. The uses of monumental origami are several: it can be used for decoration, for display, to make a statement about a company or product, or simply to provoke thought in the o b s e r v e r . Monumental origami makes the same challenge, but adds the element of size to the mix. There is a separate article in this magazine showing one origami structure that can be used as shelter. Some interesting websites. http://www.origami-fun.com www.paperjade.com www.papermojo.com www.origamipaperstore.com and for businesses www.cnjpaper.com.au
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Pop-up Shelters for the Homeless by Dave Stewart
For five years Karolina Leonard has been the driving force behind Torrevieja’s Reach Out campaign aimed at supporting the homeless and today assists thirty families. The centre is supported by two shops that help raise funds in calle Bella Antonia (also the centre) or at the new shop on calle Doùa Sinforosa. Homeless people sleeping rough have an opportunity to go to the centre for a shower, change of clothing or laundry, a hot meal and, possibly more important, a listening ear. This work has spawned another one, namely a villa dedicated to be a safe refuge for young unmarried mothers and their children. This house can cater for six mothers and their children with all the necessary facilities and access to social facilities. There is no doubt that homelessness is one of the scourges of our times throughout the world as we see hundreds of thousands of refugees from the many countries fleeing civil wars and hunger and poverty. Much as we may like to turn some of them back we have a humanitarian obligation to help others. Another woman who has been moved by the plight of the homeless is architect Tina Hovsepian inventor of Cardborigami -- the collapsable, transportable and origami-inspired personal shelter she started inventing as a University of Southern California student in 2007. What started as Hovsepian's academic assignment has become a feasible way to alleviate homelessness in her hometown of Los Angeles. Tina was moved to advocate for those in need after studying abroad in Cambodia, where her program helped redesign an impoverished school.
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The result is Cardborigami, a portable shelter made of treated cardboard that is folded into an origami structure. It is stable, insulated, weather-proof and requires no assembly after it is constructed. The shelter folds open while in use and folds down to a fraction of its size for ease of transport. It takes two, trained people about thirty minutes to put together a shelter. Once they are damaged beyond use, they are recycled.
"People can just pull it open to have a floor, roof and door they can use, and when they need to move, they can fold it up literally in a minute and it becomes a backpack they can strap to their back to go handsfree." Not content with just designing the shelter, Hovsepian is the founder and executive director of Cardborigami, a nonprofit organisation, which is aiming to use the product as a way to secure permanent, long-term housing for aormi@icloud.com
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those who need it. This continues with a progress taking the homeless person into a permanent shelter and sustaining that housing through job replacement.The figures for 2013 in Los Angeles County were 58,423 homeless individuals which shocked Tina Hovsepian into action as there are only 2,000 beds available for homeless there. "When you speak to people on the streets like I have done, you just learn that everyone has their own story," architect Tina Hovsepian said. "I want to be that voice to share that -- maybe we can all have a new perspective towards homelessness, and utilize design to attract more resources towards the cause. In architecture school, we learned a lot about sustainability, the environment, and global warming—the kind of issues that we, as a society, have been causing ourselves. Cardborigami is a social endeavor.” Obviously, it’s not safe for people on the street, so Cardborigami is partnering with other organizations, one of which provides a safe space, without beds, within which these can be used.
“The other thing I say is, a lot of existing organizations are doing really good work. They need help, volunteers, and donors. If people would look around and be a part of the movement that resonates with them, they can feel really fulfilled. Lastly, I say, remember always that you can make a difference. Don’t be passive. Ignoring a problem adds to that problem”.
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People do a lot of extraordinary things for various good causes that are fund raising events as well as a challenging fun. We have people like Mike Hayes who jumped out a plane, Steve Monk-Dalton who is walking from Orihuela to London for Reunite International, and now a father and son team Dave and Mitch Bull rowing down the River Segura for cancer. The father and son duo will row in kayaks from Murcia down the River Segura to the mouth of the river at Guardamar de Segura – 62 kilometres. Both of them are doing a lot of physical training and kayaking in the sea close to Gran Alacant where they live. So on 28th NOVEMBER Dave will put away his customary writing and radio presentation for a day, and Mitch will lay aside his kitchen knives as he is a chef and both set out for a challenging river cruise. But paddling a kayak on a river is a bit different from the sea trials as there are many natural and manmade obstacles such as norias, currents, cascades, fast flowing waters at one stage and stretches of calm – all requiring different paddling techniques and caution.
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Although the aim is to raise funds for Cancer another aspect is to raise awareness of the work done by the Samaritans on the Costa Blanca as Dave is a patron of the group. Maybe he will need some counselling after this almost suicidal attempt to row down the river. They have set up a Facebook page
Rowing for Cancer where you can Like and Share to raise the profile of this event and maybe even make a donation for the Cancer research fund as the aim is to raise 5,000 euros. Dave and Mitch are pleased with the support so far from businesses and individuals, which has enabled them to undertake a daunting challenge.
So you too can help motivate them by looking out for them on the river on that date and donate to their cause on Rowing for Cancer.
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kin l a W
ss o r c gA
r e d r Bo
s
A challenge of a different kind is that of Steve Monk-Dalton who is on his last legs, well not quite right, but the last stage walking from Orihuela to London to raise awareness for the plight of families that are affected by child abduction through the Reunite International association. Steve wrote in his blog – “On 23rd August 2015, I set off on a 44 day journey to walk from Orihuela Court, Spain to Royal Courts of Justice, London, UK. My objectives are to raise awareness of issues surrounding parental child abduction and parental alienation. I also wish to support the Reunite International Child Abduction Centre charity in this venture and to show my daughter that I would literally cross any borders for her.” Every day he or his support driver, Michelle Clark, has posted on the Walking Across Borders blog and on Facebook recording each step of the way. It’s been an illuminating journey coming across small unique
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Spanish villages where he has received a very friendly welcome. He has encountered some beautiful countryside as well as long boring roads. Sometimes it has meant camping out, other times staying in an hostel or hotel. Sun, rain, wind, storms, the weather has not daunted Steve who feels he has learned a lot not just about the places he has passed through, but about himself and his attitudes to life. Cold early morning starts, followed by scorching 30ยบ plus degrees. aormi@icloud.com
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No 20 - October 2015
Michelle has provided regular hot soups and coffee, keeping in touch all the time, stopping every few kilometres so that he can catch up and doing he laundry. Other friends of Reunite International have supported Steve by driving the support car or walking part of the way or encouraging words on Facebook and his blog. On Day 18 he walked over the border into France. Steve’s blog by the 29h day read “There were a few quaint little towns en route and also at one point felt like I was in a time warp with the passing of lots of old cars and bikes on the road. With there being a number of towns on the way, this also allowed Michelle to park the support car and walk back a little way. It always helps when I have company... saves me from talking to my shadow. 22.3 miles completed. That’s 741.4 miles in total (1193 km)”
When Steve returns to the Costa Blanca there will be a welcome-home party organized for him at Cherries Lounge in Villamartin at 9:00 pm on 17th October with music supplied by the lovely Shani Ormiston. Why not join in the fun. aormi@icloud.com
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Torrevieja Outlook
No 20 - October 2015
FROM ANDY ORMISTON Once again Torrevieja Outlook is promoting the annual solidarity calendar that is only available through charitable associations and not shops. The 2016 calendar this year follows the same format as in recent years. A 16page bound A-3 size, full coloured, with over 70 photos and the theme is “Passion..for Torrevieja”. S e v e r a l photographers have kindly donated their photos for this calendar enriching the whole project. This is the 10tt calendar but we have done a couple of others. This year we have 2,000 calendars so there is plenty to go around. Once again the printing and design is being paid for by generous sponsors - Aroca Sequier & Associates Abogados, Alamo Costa Blanca Real Estate, MAPFRE Seguros, Currency Direct, and Atlas Insurance Brokers. It is free to solidarity organizations that then sell it for their own funds, so there’s no middlemen involved. I would suggest that it be sold for five euros.
aormi@icloud.com
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Torrevieja Outlook
No 20 - October 2015
2016 is a Leap Year, which may be of interest to any single ladies looking to be hitched. So we have 366 days in 2016 with an early Easter at the end of March, which coincides with the changing of the Spring clocks. As always there is a box of information in the area at the bottom of the page, but many main fiestas, bank holidays here and in UK/Ireland or interesting dates are included in the boxes. Again some astronomy information has been included such as full moon or meteors like as the annual “Tears of San Lorenzo” in August as they are known here, or Perseides meteors to everyone else. The joy of living in Spain is that, partly because of the weather, there is so much to do. The calendar in each month is dedicated to a “Passion”.. for tradition, culture, fiestas or sports, or outdoor life etc., but a Passion for Torrevieja. One of the most popular celebrations that attract thousands of people is those of Semana Santa, or Holy Week. Thanks to Javier Torregrosa for his photos of the costumes that distinguishes each of the fourteen cofradias and each is illustrated by their names and hopefully this information will enable visitors to enjoy the processions better.
Andy Ormiston presenting 2015 calendar
aormi@icloud.com
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Torrevieja Outlook
No 20 - October 2015
Many charities and associations present at last years presentation of 2015
The La Mata parkland is an important element of Torrevieja,, so Terry Roebuck has supplied some photos of a few of the birds that inhabit this area. Some people call the Costa Blanca a concrete jungle, but that is an exaggeration, as there are many places for outdoor activities either on the land or at sea. The cover by Nicolas Garcia demonstrates this in picture as we have the promenade and its extension along the harbour wall, with a lovely sunset and a bit of wildlife - as you see the cat stalking the pigeon. Keith Nicol has generously supplied both the January and December photos that are related to Christmas and a new year. Thanks to Fernando Guardiola and Objectivo Torrevieja for their photos used in the calendar, and to Carlos Garcia for all the hours spent in laying-out and designing the calendar. My input is text so anything wrong - blame me. I do it as a way to assist the work of so many charitable organisations, especially now as it is difficult for me to be more directly involved. Distribution of the calendar is through many NGOs whose volunteers do such wonderful work. The presentation takes place at the Rocajuna offices of the main sponsors ArocaSequier & Associates and the press are there at the presentation which is an this opportunity to talk to the volunteers and find out what aormi@icloud.com
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Torrevieja Outlook
No 20 - October 2015
Karolina Leonard receiving a special donation from MiguelAngel
they do and just how many people give of them selflessly to help others. They represent the vast assortment of voluntary assistance in the Vega Baja that covers the poor and homeless, the sick in and out of hospital, those with deadly illnesses, the old and young, orphans, people in distress, broken families, animals and our environment; then we have our entertainers who bring a smile as their performances raise money for so many charities.
During the presentation a cheque will be made to one of the charities; last year Reach Out received a cheque for 5,431,17 euros as you can see in the photo.
Some of the places where you can pick up a copy are_ Reach Out centre - Costablanca People office Quesada - Samaritans centre - Pink Ladies Cancer - AFA Alzheimers Shop - Age Concern shops - HELP centres Torrevieja, Los Montesinos - Contra Cancer Torrevieja - British Legion Torrevieja - The Leader (Poppy Day) - AFE CANCER — K9 shops La Marina, Almoradi - MAABS shops - Some show groups and associations who will sell them at concerts - RASCALS - Stagestruck - Help for Heroes - Reunite International - Costaleros TAABS - Artists for Refugees - Charity4Charities - Rowing for Cancer
aormi@icloud.com
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Torrevieja Outlook
No 20 - October 2015
The cruise ship Amadeus brought Autumn in with a visit to Torrevieja, dropping the German-speaking passengers off at Marina Salinas where they could catch a tourist train round the town. The ship had 624 passengers and 292 crew and this first visit seemed to go well, but there are always lessons to be learned, such as the difficulty of transferring elderly people in small launches. Police had a high security presence, even using a drone. Well done for the collaboration of all concerned including Keith Nicols and looking forward to a Spring visit from her sister ship, the Albatross with 800 passengers. aormi@icloud.com
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