May 2019 Nº063 Torrevieja Outlook

Torrevieja Outlook

Nº 063 May 2019

Nº 063 May 2019

May Calendar – Mothers’ Day – Trade Union Day – San Pascual in Dolores - Fiestas calendar – The Holy Cross – Caravaca de la Cruz – Crosses in Castello – Bread on the Head – Agricultural fiestas - May Fair – Rocio – Flamenco dress and “abalorios”- Song and Dance - Camilo Sesto Epicenter of Cycling – Moors & Christians (Petrer, Biar, Elda – Rojales – Doors Open – Spanish Immigrants and Emigrants – SS St. Louis and Aquarius – El Tintero – Mangoes - Asociación Cultural Andaluza – Cultural Hubs – Bookshelf Falter – Kids on strike for our future. aormi@icloud.com

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Mothers’ Day in Spain is on the first Sunday of May; an indication of the respect the people have for the mother of Jesus, Mary, whose name graces the month. On the 1st is the St. Joseph the Worker or Labour Day and is a public holiday; so if both dates are close to each other then often you will have a long holiday weekend.

Trade Unions also celebrate this day as Labour Day or International Workers’ Day and there will be demonstrations in large towns like Madrid. This dates back to 1886 when workers in Chicago went on strike to demand an eight hour day and in turn led to 1st May being recognized as Labour Day.

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MAY CALENDAR OF FIESTAS IN ALICANTE PROVINCE First Days of May: Continuation of Javea Fiestas.

Throughout the month there are choir concerts each day in Alicante in honour of the Virgen del Remedio.

First two weeks of May Fiestas in Cabanes in honour of La Virgen del Buen Suceso: emphasis on bull events.

1st May 1st May 1 - 3 May

Bank Holiday in Spain. Nearest Sunday is Mother’s Day. Xàbia holds the procession of the Virgen del Loreto.

Fiestas of the Crosses of May. Crosses are adorned with flowers and displayed in the streets. Santa Cruz district in Alicante, L’Alfàs del Pi (3 days), Benidorm, Muchamiel, Xàbia and Redován - all hold special events.

2nd May or on the nearest Sunday, Aspe has fiesta del Cruz. aormi@icloud.com

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2nd May

Competition of the Crosses in Xàbia. On the 3rd the town has the fiestas de Jesús Nazareno.

3rd May Beniferri has a romería: Orihuela holds the Cruces de Mayo.

Callosa de Segura has festival.

4th - 5th MayJávea holds romería in honour of the Virgen del Rocío.

4th - 5th MayCastellfort has the Romería A Sant Pere de Castelfort with origins in 1321: noted for bells.

First Weekend Novelda has fiestas in the Cruz district of the town.

First Sunday The Fiesta de la Rosa in El Poble Nou de Benitatzell.

First week from Wednesday to Sunday the Feria de Mayo in Torrevieja.

First Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of the month, fiestas in Senija.

8th May Villajoyosa holds a festival on the first weekend of the month.

9th May Torremanzas holds bread fiestas of ‘Pà Beneït’ (Blessed bread).

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Nº 063 May 2019 9th May European Day in many towns with civil services, flag raising to the European anthem by Beethoven.

Torrevieja, Guardamar del Segura and Orihuela Costa are among the towns that h o l d s p e c i a l entertainment events.

9th May is also the feat of the legendary St. Christopher and patron saint of travelers and each year the Taxi Drivers associations of the Vega Baja organize a three-day event that now includes the Spanish Armed Forces and British ex-servicemen.

10 - 13th May 12th May 12th May

Moors & Christians in Biar.

Albatera celebrates San Pancracio.

San Isidro romería in Pilar de la Horadada.

13 - 15th May 14th May 15th May

Patronal fiestas in San Isidro.

Moors & Christians in Petrer.

San Isidro in Albatera. This day is celebrated in many towns with processions and romerías either on the actual date or the following weekend. aormi@icloud.com Torrevieja Outlook

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Similarly at Benejama, Castalla, Salinas, Honón de los Frailes, Hondón de las Nieves, la Romana, Cox, Orihuela, Pilar de la Horadada and Rojales.

On the Sunday nearest to San Isidro’s fiesta a romeriá takes place in Daya Nueva.

2nd Weekend Moors and Christian in Banyares de Mariola for the fiesta dof Ntra.

Sra. de los Desamparados.

Dénia holds the festival of Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados.

Second weekend of the month Orba holds fiestas.

Second weekend of May the Moors & Christians of El Campello hold the Mig Any.

Second weekend of May Ibi holds the L’Avís de Festa.

17th May San Pascual Bailón is celebrated in Elche.

17th May San Pascual Bailón fiestas in Albatera.

The famous Romería de Orito is held in Montforte del Cid. 17th May the Friday and Saturday nearest to the date a romería in Castalla.

18th May on nearest Saturday to this date a romería in Ibi. 18 - 27th MayFiestas in Novelda in la Estación area.

24th May to 9th June in the district of María Auxiliadora fiestas are also held in Novelda.

26th May Patronal fiestas in Ondara.

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The Holy Cross Often in the Vega Baja area you will see a cross made up of flowers hanging on the outside of an old house. This is a local tradition handed on from generation to generation. The Festival of the Cruz (Cross) falls on the 3rd May and is closely tied in with the September feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. This devotion is held by fiestas in Redován, Granja de Rocamora and in the la Cruz district of Callosa de Segura. The floral cross is a symbol of the devotion of the people to the Cross of Jesus although there is a certain element of superstition in the belief that it will act as a guard against evil spirits.

In the district of la Santa Cruz, around the Alicante castle, fiestas are held each year during the first days of May from 30th April to 3rd May. A recent innovation is a competition for the best floral sculpture: in 2002 there were 13 entries as the neighbours of each street vied with neighbours in others. Another competition during these particular Alicante fiestas is for a fancy dress. Elche also holds this festival with a “misa rociera” in the church of Sagrada Corazón and on the nearest Saturday fiestas in the la Rosaleda Parque with an Andalucian flavour.

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Caravaca de la Cruz - 3rd May

The fiestas of this town are well known throughout Spain and have the recognition of being of National Touristic Interest. These years of grace are held every seven years in Caravaca and agreements have been made with some other Murican towns to

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collaborate, such as La Union where the famous Canto de las Minas is held featuring Sevilliana music and dance. This year there will be a pilgrimage from La Union to Caravaca with a special sung Mineras Mass.

The Greeks founded this town in 333 AD, but little is known about it until 1243. The town is dominated by its fortress surmounted by its Torre Chacona, which dates to the 12th century.

In the sancutary of the Vera Cruz the sacred reliquary is venerated. It is a splinter of the True Cross of Jesus, encased in a cross embellished with gold and silver. It is supposed to have appeared during the celebration of a Mass on 3rd May, 1231. Among the congregation was the Almohad warrior, Zeit Abuzei, king of Valencia, who converted to Christianity when he was amazed to see the cross supported by four archangels, surrounded by a wonderful light. The cross has been a symbol of this town for centuries as it was a frontier town with the Moorish kingdom of Granada and was the scene of many skirmishes and battles

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In 1998 the Vatican approved that every seventh year would be considered to be a Holy Year in the small Murcian town of Caravaca de la Cruz. This is the sixth time that this honour has been given to a town; so now Caravaca ranks alongside Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de la Compostela, and the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana in Potes (Cantabria). This is a fiesta that has been going on for over seven centuries. In the 16th century the Buen Suceso Hospital was founded to assist the many pilgrims who visited the town.

The beginning of May is when the annual “Race of the Horse” is held, commemorating the relief of the town during a siege by the Moors when a dash was made by horsemen to bring water into the besieged town. The wells of the town were contaminated and people were dying. The group of horsemen rode quickly to where el Templete is today, which was a small reservoir, but the Arabs had left the carcasses of dead horses in the water, so this too was contaminated. The horsemen then rode in the direction of Lorca to El Campillo, chased by the Moors fighting all the way, slaying many of the enemy without any loss among themselves. The water here too was contaminated and the men, supposed to be Templars, filled their casks with wine from nearby bodegas and returned to the Caravaca amid great rejoicing. The foot of the Cross was dipped in the wine and the sick who drank of the wine recovered. The hosemen were enriched with many priceless objects and the horses too were covered with richly ornamented blankets.

The wonderful accoutrements that are put on the horses today are examples of the skillful art of the sewing needle. Delicate pictures seem to be actual photos and the mantle covering the horses depicts the story of the race. These can be seen in the local museum, but, on the 2nd May, they are ritually put on the horses piece by piece in preparation for the race on the morning of the 3rd May. In this region there are many schools of embroidery, handing on skills from generation to generation and which in recent years has seen a revival of interest.

Once the race of horses is finished there are activities held throughout the rest of the day, so it is pretty tiring just being an observor. After a procession from the plaza del Arco to the Templete where Mass acts as a reminder of the Apparition. Later the procession goes on towards the castle, stopping on the way at the Carmelite convent to receive a gift of flowers from the Mother Superioress who has been custodian of the reliquary. She offers a cake to the chief of the cofradia which is presented at the sanctuary along with a flower offering. A barrage of rockets announces the start of the day and musicians escort the various groups of Christians and Moors on to the streets for the spectacular festivities.

There is a spectacular parade of the various bands of Christians and Moors on 3rd May. The local church, El Salvador, is worth a visit as it was built between 1534 and 1600 on the site of an old Templar hospital. Another jewel in the crown of Caravacas is the aormi@icloud.com

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church of San JosĂŠ founded in 1568 by Saint John of the Cross. The Castle has many interesting rooms to visit, including the chapel of the Apparition, The Mirador de la reina, the Torre Chacona, the clock tower, the room of Cabildos, the Vera Cruz chapel and a museum where costumes of the Moors and Christians can be viewed. It is a town oozing history and legend in every part. Later, on 14th September, the patronal fiestas are held.

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Crosses in Castello In the Castelló Province on the first Saturday in May another pilgrimage takes place starting off at four o´clock in the morning. With the stars still shining, musicians meet under the balconies of Catí - not an orchestra but a fairly mixed bag of trumpeters, clarinetists, saxophonists, lute players and maybe a violin or two. The accompanying music is the “reveille” call for the townspeople to awake and by using music and song they are encouraged to join the procession to St. Peter of Castellfort.

This is a pilgrimage which has been held since the mid-14th century in thanksgiving for past favours granted and renewing petitions for future water to feed the mountain springs, irrigate the crops and keep the tender shoots of grass growing to feed the sheep. The procession gets underway at eight o´clock from the parish church, which is a handsome Gothic building dedicated to the Assumption.

A cross leads the pilgrimage while flags and banners wave in the slight breeze: penitents wear dark capes and simple round caps. The chaplain leads his horse to the aormi@icloud.com

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town´s gates before mounting it, clasping an image of St. Peter which was saved from the flames in the war of 1936. About sixty penitents form the procession but they are accompanied by a couple of dozen cooks on horseback complete with their cauldrons and the ingredients to prepare the traditional evening meal of “fessols i arròs” (beans and rice), this is dressed with parsley, green garlic shoots, sweet red peppers and cinnamon. But until then, canticles, prayers and pauses at hermitages along the way must be performed.

The first stop is at Avellá where the image of the Virgin has been venerated since the time of the Reconquest. This hermitage is about five kilometres from the town and the procession continues through ravines ascending steep slopes before another hermitage of St. Lucy and prayers are said for the deceased. A sandwich stop is made at Llacua church. Prayers continue in the afternoon, but supported with pinches of snuff and water laced with aniseed spirit.

The final stage leads to the hermitage of St. Peter of Castellfort, a 13th century building some 1,282 metres in height. The chaplain places the image of St. Peter on the altar and Compline follows with hymns to St. Peter and finally the Regina Coeli hymn. The rice and beans are now prepared and eaten and a rest takes place until the arrival of morning when the pilgrims return on a different path. More stops are made aormi@icloud.com

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at the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Gothic Fountain and the customary cheese and chocolate is devoured.

The various mysteries of the Rosary are recited (accompanied with gulps from the aniseed water). At eight in the morning they return to Catí again and St. Peter´s statue is deposited in the house of a chosen pilgrim until ten in the evening when its is solemnly returned to the church and bonfires and church bells peal out and so the party goes on.

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San Pascual in Dolores In Dolores devotion to San Pascual, patron saint of the town, has been increasing and each year the town’s romeria has grown with more activities each year. Among nonreligious events will be tortilla and salad competitions.

The statue of the saint is tranferred from the church of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores to the football stadium. Many musical events are organised which include flamenco, poprock, latin; as well as a local talent competiiton.

Sports events include tennis, squash and frontenis.

From youth this saint displayed great devotion to the Eucharist. He worked as a shepherd from ages 7 to 24, and was a good influence on an often rowdy group. He became a Franciscan lay brother with the friars of the Alcantarine Reform, often serving as cook or doorkeeper. His charity to the poor and afflicted, his unfailing courtesy and humility were remarkable even by Franciscan standards.

While travelling in France, he defended the Real Presence against the blasphemies of a Calvinist preacher, and narrowly escaped death at the hands of a Huguenot mob. Poorly educated, he was still a counselor sought by rich and poor alike. His cultus is especially strong in Spain and southern Italy, in Central and South America and in many parts of Valencian region.

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Bread on the head On the 8th May an extraordinary procession is held in Torremanzanas where large rounds of bread are blessed and worn, suitably decorated, on the heads of the young women who wear the local traditional dress. This feast is in honour of San Gregorio Ostiense.

On the same day many towns celebrate the Virgin de los Desamparados. Gregory was a Benedictine monk, appointed as Bishop of Ostia. Later became a Cardinal and was Papal legate to the kingdoms of Spanish Navarre and Old Castile. He died c.1044 at Logrono and is venerated throughout Navarre and Rioja.

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San Isidro 15th May is one of the biggest fiestas in Madrid being the day of the city’s patron saint, San Isidro Labrador; usually includes five days of bull-fights. A rather unusal person as patron saint for a capital city such as Madrid; he was a pious farmer, married to a woman who became known as Saint Mary de la Cabeza. Their son died young; convincing them it was the will of God that they not have children, and they lived together celibately the rest of their lives, doing good works. He was accused by fellow workers of shirking his duties by attending Mass each day, taking time out for prayers, etc., Isidore claimed he had no choice but to follow the highest Master. One tale says that when his work master came in the morning to chastise him for skipping work for church, he found angels plowing the fields in place of Isidro. Miracles and cures reported at his grave, in which his body remains incorruptible.

Nearer Torrevieja is the village of San Isidro which celebrates on a less grand scale but with processions and other events.

This small town received its independence from Albacete in 1992. The feast of San Isidro is the main fiesta held in the small town near Orihuela. This is a farming community and each year there is a Romeria (pilgrimage) in honour of San Isidro with a special act in honour of the other saintly town patron, the Virgen of Fatima, when the oxen, which have been pulling the gaily coloured caravans, go down on their knees in front of the image of the virgin This takes place in April but from the 13th - 15th May the town is a hive of activity as the old and young celebrate with a variety of sporting and cultural events including motoring rallies. aormi@icloud.com

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This is also a popular month for romerias or pilgrimages on this day (or the following Sunday) many are held in Alicante towns such as, Cox, Orihuela, Rojales, San Fulgencio and La Romana. This saint is the protector of agriculture and harvests, so is important in the lives of farming districts.

In Orihuela San Isidro is celebrated in the district of that name but there is another celebration that of La Virgen del Rocio and this small image is carried on a bier of flowers accompanied by people wearing typical Andalusian clothes. A highlight is the horses and carriages, the guitar playing and songs in Andalusian style. The procession begins at the sanctuary situated in the palace of the Maruesa of Rubalcaba and wends its way to the recinto of Los Huertos. This is a foretaste of the main Rocio a bit later in the year.

St. Isidro has a special place in the springtime festivals at Villar de Olmos, near Requena. This small village reached its lowest population level a few years ago when just one elderly couple lived there as most of the younger families had moved to larger towns to make a living. Nowadays, it has become a bit more popular as people build holiday and weekend retreats there. However, the tradition of making a special bread in honour of St. Isidro has never ceased. His statue is kept in a small hermitage in the village and the bread is made from flour, eggs and olive oil with a generous aormi@icloud.com Torrevieja Outlook

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sprinkling Abdof anise seeds in rainbow colours on top. These are large loaves - about 90 centimetres in diameter - adorned with 10cm long canes, folded paper ribbons, and little heart and animal shapes, and they are carried by two pilgrims walking abreast. The loaves are individually blessed outdoors by the local priest and the meadows at this time of the year are usually blooming with the red of poppies and the white of daisies.

The pilgrimage, carrying the statue and loaves, goes through untilled fields and, after a midday banquet, dancing takes place, the start to a full day of fun and games.

Rojales pilgrimage to C.Quesada On the same weekend there is a romeria from Rojales up to the small hermitage at El Recorral park, behind the Cuidad Quesada urbanisation, with picnicking all day long as carriages carry a statue of the saint up the hill to this area for a weekend of fun.

This is a weekend affair with a great deal of music on the Saturday and on the Sunday many different activities including a paella competition, choir singing, folklore music, traditional local games and a traditional homage to the labourers who work in the fields all year round.

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TORREVIEJA FERIA DEL MAYO 29 de May - 2 de June 2019.

One of the biggest and most popular events in Torrevieja is the Feria del Mayo that has been in existence for about twenty years. This is normally held at the end of April or the first couple of weeks of May, depending on Easter. But this year has been postponed for contractual reasons to the end of May and into June, which will coincide with similar events other towns nearby. This alteration has upset many people as holidays have been booked and it runs in with the elections at that time.

It is held in the fairground area on the port zone.

The annual May Fair usually starts in the evening with the official lighting of the thousands of coloured electric lights followed by ‘La noche del Pescaíto’ when small fish are cooked and consumed by the vast crowd that turns up for these occasions.

Around 60 casetas are set up, brightly bedecked with an Andalucian ambience; wide streets separating them, so that the crowds can mingle freely and, at certain times, the horses and carages parade . People stroll around the casetas, stopping to visit and chat, have a drink and watch impromptu dancing en route. Sherry is the traditional tipple, but anything goes. All the prices are fixed throughout the casetas for food and drink.

It is a celebration based on the famous April Seville Feria which dates back to the 19th century. These Torrevieja ones last for six days and started as a street party in 1987 in calle Seville, which was so successful it was repeated the following year. It attracted crowds of people from the Vega Baja towns and on the third year it was decided to make it a more official feria and moved to its present site. aormi@icloud.com

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The streets of today’s feria are more widely spaced so that it is easier to move along them, visiting each caseta on the way. The casetas vie with each other as there is a prize for the best dressed caseta.

It is an opportunity for the ladies to dress up in colourful Sevillana dresses and the menfolk to don traditional riding costume with broad Cordoban sombreros, white frilly shirts, dark Eton jackets, and spurred half boots. Inside the casetas people, eat, drink, sing, play the guitar and dance the wild sevilliana dance and in recent the years many foreigners have actively taken part in the celebrations (many taking dance lessons.

Then during the day there are other events held. An important feature of these days is the parades of horses and horse drawn carriages, with events such as a romeria and various equestrian events and competitions in dressage.

It is a very colourful event and the area is dominated by a large stage which is used for professional and amateur sevillana dancing competitions and typical Andalusian entertainment. If you are a visitor then this is an added treat for your holiday - don’t forget your camera. aormi@icloud.com

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Colourful Pilgrimage On 17th May the romeria of La Virgen del Rocio takes place in Torrevieja. This pilgrimage has been going since the early 1990’s and which grows larger each year as women, wearing gaily coloured flouncy Andalucian style dresses, carry the small statue of the Virgen through the streets. They are accompanied by horseriders dressed in Cordoban suits. A small sanctuary dedicated to the Virgen del Rocio is being constructed in the Parque de Europa in the Cala Blancas area and is where the pilgrims stay overnight.

A similar Rocio is held in La Camàreta district of Orihuela where the image of the Virgen del Rocio is carried, the work of Torrevejense sculptor Victor Garcia Villagordo, who is also responsible for the Torrevieja statue of the same title.

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Early warning for the annual May Fair which is scheduled to take place from 29th May to 2nd June. Once again it will be a feast of music and dance in the Sevillana style with plenty of audience participation as people enjoy typical food and drink from the casetas that are set up in streets. An important element will be the parades of horses and carriages.

So start preparing your dancing shoes and take part in a spectacular fiesta.

Spring is the season of festivities in Andalusia, the most vibrant and electric being the Feria held in Seville. It is a spectacular celebration of the wonderful lifestyle and cultural heritage that this area has to offer.

The Spring Feria is all about “letting your hair down”; creating an opportunity for everybody to experience freedom and fun in an environment.

Women are the ones who steal the show. It’s during the feria when they wear those gorgeous flamenco dresses, known in Spanish as “trajes de gitana” (gipsy dresses) or “trajes de flamenca”. Adorned in these beautiful dresses and accessory jewellery, women appear their most beautiful.

Generations of women have made their own fantastic dresses but nowadays there are several professional outlets, with shops and online,able to provide everything you need to enjoy the most of the Andalusian Feria.

With Easter behind us it’s time to change the colorful cofradia colors for flowers and polka dot patterns of flamenco dresses. aormi@icloud.com

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The trends in flamenco dresses change. Over the years hemlines have shortened, ruffles come and go, fashion often depends on what a

famous person will be wearing. That’s one of the reasons why women like to have a new dress every year. The designs one can see these days would have been unthinkable some years ago. People like to innovate and create new models. Some women buy new fabrics and addons every year.

The finishing touches of a flamenco outfit are accessories or “abalorios” in Spanish.

Accessories are a “must have” and the most basic of sets should include large hooped earrings, a fan and a flower. A shawl, a necklace and bracelets are optional. It is so easy to alter the look of a dress from one year to the next with suitable accessories. Red and white appear to to be the most acceptable colors, but don't let that put you off as green, rose and bougainvillea are as popular with even peacock blue. aormi@icloud.com

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The flamenco dress is based on the gypsy style used first by dancers then adapted by the ladies of Andalusia. The day dress is body-hugging to midthigh, and then continues in multiple layers of ruffles to the ankle. Modern interpretations of the style are difficult to walk in, let alone dance. The dancers' version therefore flares out from higher on the hip to allow freedom of movement. The dress is typically brightly colored, usually in red, and may be either plain or patterned. The outfit originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when women vendors dressed in modest calico gowns trimmed with ruffles came to the fairs along with livestock traders. In time, women of the propertied classes copied these outfits.

Ever since the Seville Exposition of 1929 , the flamenco costume has had a status as the official outfit of the event

In the 1960s and '70s, the skirts became shorter, with skirts reaching only to the middle of the calf or even to the knee (the so-called Marisol style after that young actress). Beginning in the 1970s, the hemlines dropped back to the ankle. Madonna wore a flamenco dress in the video for her 1987 signature song La Isla Bonita and the flamenco red dress she wore became a trend later.

Historically, flamenco shoes were handcrafted in Spain. Today, there are still many Spanish workshops specializing in the production of flamenco shoes. They are typically worn by female dancers, they are called flamenco heel, often with traje de flamenca costumes. Male flamenco dancers traditionally wear short, heeled boots, although there are now some flamenco shoe styles available for men. aormi@icloud.com

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Flamenco shoes constructed for dance generally have small nails embedded in the toe and heel to enhance the sound of the dancer's percussive footwork. The most common materials are leather and suede, although synthetic materials are also used in certain grades of shoes. Heel types can include "standard", "carrete" (curved), or "cubano" (short and thick) with a heel size generally ranging from 4 Â cm to 7 Â cm. Heels are often covered by the main material but may also be exposed wood. Fastenings may include elastic or leather straps, buckles, or laces.

Then we have accessories that can be easily changed altering the dress, such as a shawl over the shoulders or tied round the waist.

Earrings are often large hoops but again swiftly changed with another set. Hairstyles vary and often large combs are used and are very attractive. With so much cooler in the dress it might seem strange but adding a flower in the hair can make a big difference. Some like to click castanets which in reality are only used in one style of flamenco singing. Then of course there are multi colored fans, necklaces and bracelets that add to the attractiveness of the whole costume.

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Song and Dance Talking of Spanish dancing leads us to dancing in general in Spain. Visitors to Spain might have the impression that there is only one style of dancing in the country - flamenco. This music has its origins in cante jondo, the sad but florid song of Cádiz, in which some deep emotion is conveyed by tone rather than words. It is the basis of the songs and dances added to by the large gypsy population of Andalusia, in particular the rhythms, alternatively soft and subtle followed by a thunderous echos.

Flamenco is not one but numerous dances and songs - the melancholy soleas, tiranas, soleares, bulerias, alegrias, jaleos, farrucas, tarantas, fandangos. This latter style has generated the malgueña, the granadina, rondeña or the murciana of the Levante area.

The sevilla, bolero and tango have also relationships with the fandango. Then you have the zambra which you are likely to see in floor shows with a lot of castanets, hand clapping, tap dancing and pirouetting. The zapateado is when the dancer taps our variations on a theme suggested by the guitarist.

However Andalusia is not the only place where there is traditional dancing. In Aragon there is an energetic jota with couples leaping about to guitar and castanet music. Valencia has something similar in the “xaquera vella”, but as said earlier in Murcia there is the malagueña and murciana.

In Cataluña the sardana is popular and can be seen (or taken part in) outside the B a r c e l o n a cathedral each Sunday at midday. This is a simple ring dance where everyone holds hands forming a ring and dances to the music of flute, drum and guitar.

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The spata-dantza is a type of sword dance in the Basque country although the aurresku is better known. This is rather solemn dancing accompanied by piercing cries.

The upper body, arms and wrists are the important aspects of dancing in Castille and La Mancha in the seguidilla. There is little footwork but the dance is graceful and elegant movements of the upper body and limbs.

The pasodoble is possibly the best known and popular dance and music amongst the Spaniards and has its roots in the bullring where the graceful movements of the torero are married to music. Madrid also has the seguidilla madrileĂąa which is simillar to the seguidilla.

Finally in recent years the bagpipe music of Galicia has made a come-back and with it some traditional dances.

Here you can find lively dances such as the muĂąeira, or the saudade and aubade and many of them are similar to the famous Irish River Dancing style.

There has been an upsurge of interest in traditional music and dances and there are more and more folk festivals where these dances can be seen. Also in the last decade salsa and merengue have made what appears to be a lasting impact on the dance scene in Spain. aormi@icloud.com

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Spanish musicians It is a pity that so many foreigners living in Spain are unaware of the vast amount of talent waiting to be enjoyed. Many singers and composers are known and even popular, such as Julio Iglesias who performs in Spanish and English with many hits.

Lesser known, but possibly with a bigger Latin following, is Camilo Sesto born in Alcoy in 1946 and a prolific composer and performer. He is a songwriter, a music producer and composer of romantic pop and rock ballads in the Latino genre. Sesto sang in two pop bands during the 1960s and won a contest in a Madrid TV show. He played a part in the Spanish filming of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Later, he teamed up with singer and producer Juan Pardo, but success would come on its own accord, with his own music works.

Camilo Sesto has sold over 175 million albums worldwide, excluding sales of all artists who helped and produced. More than 40 productions for him and other artists, would add up in total between 300 and 400 million albums sold throughout his career and that of others. He has written songs for artists such as Ángela Carrasco, Miguel Bosé, Lucía Méndez, Charytín Goyco and José José. Camilo produced and translated the lyrics to Spanish, of an album from the popular Australian band Air Supply.

In 1971 and under his artistic name "Camilo Sesto" (with "s" not "x"), he appeared on Spanish TV's program "Buenas Noches" singing "Algo de Mí" (his first No.1 record). Algo de Mi reached the Number 1 slot in Spain and most of the Spanish speaking world, and it maintained that top position for a whole year in most of Latin-America. In 1972, Sesto received his first "Disco de Oro" ("Gold Record") award. That same year, he released the LP "Solo un Hombre" with songs like: Amor... Amar, Fresa Salvaje, Como Cada Noche, Con Razón o Sin Razón and To Be a Man (for which he was nominated for the best foreign song award). In 1973, he represented Spain in the second edition of the OTI Festival, which was held in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte. In 1974 his success as a pop singer continued aormi@icloud.com

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with record sales escalating rapidly. His concerts took him round the world with such songs as "¿Quieres ser mi amante?", "Llueve sobre mojado", "Yo soy así", "Isabel", "Déjame participar en tu juego" and "Mienteme". He received further "Discos de Oro" for record sales.

He financed and produced the Spanish version of the rock opera, “Jesus Christ Superstar”. Sesto starred in the role of Jesus on the Spanish version/adaptation by Jaime Azpilicueta. He survived a liver transplant, in 2003 and managed to make a successful comeback with his album Alma, surprising the audience with the song "Mola mazo" ("It rules") in an exercise of self-assertion. The Alma CD includes some songs in English: Selections from The Phantom of the Opera and a duet with Andrea Bronston. Sesto returned to the stage in 2004 at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. Sesto won many awards at Viña del Mar in 2004.

In 2011, he was awarded the "Highest Hispanic Pride" medal in Las Vegas,.U.S. That day was proclaimed Camilo Sesto's Day in Nevada. During the 1970s 1980s 1990s and 2000 Sesto created many hit songs and a great fortune, and almost every song came from his sole inspiration, being the author, interpreter, composer, and producer of all of his works.

[25] Camilo Sesto has the record of 2 presentations daily for 20 consecutive days at Madison Square Garden in the 80s.

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Most of Camilo's works are in Castilian Spanish, but he has also recorded songs in English, Catalan, Italian, German in Japanese and Portuguese as well. Apart from vocals, he plays the guitar and drums. Camilo has released at least one album in English, and some of his classic songs have been translated to languages such as Portuguese, German and Italian and covered respectively by many celebrities.With a frenetic activity level in the 1970s and 1980s, he remains one of the artists with the most number 1 hits (totaling 52).

Camilo Sesto has sold over 175 million albums worldwide, excluding the sales of all artists that he himself helped, produced and wrote compositions for them, which add many successes and millions more. Sesto stated to Jaime Bayly that his largest influences among English-speaking acts were The Beatles, particularly Paul McCartney. Probably his most played recording is “Perdoname” (“Forgive Me”), which debuted in 1981 out of his “Mas y Mas” album.

His native city, Alcoy, has a tourist route of this singer, who has been made an Hijo Predilecto.

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La Vuelta Cycling Torrevieja Epicenter of Cycling Advertising on television that may escape you is that of El Cortes Ingles fashion, which were filmed in Torrevieja Salinas because of the variety of colorful landscapes, especially the rose tinted lake, accenting the latest fashion colors

One of the most important dates this year in the tourism calendar is the 24th August when the Spanish cycling challenge around Spain takes place with a jumpstart from a mountain of salt in Torrevieja Salinas. The starting point will be in the extraordinary surroundings of Las Salinas de Torrevieja with a team time trial of 18 kilometers.

The mayor said in a press conference that "the departure of the Vuelta from our Salinas is an opportunity for us to project internationally what Torrevieja represents at the environmental level". A far cry from previous statements when he blocked it in previous years saying that it brought little business to Torrevieja.

The director of the Tour of Spain, Javier GuillĂŠn stated, "it is a global event that reaches more than 400 million spectators", so the projection offered by the city of Torrevieja is very important. In this sense, Guillen said that "we are the only ones who, in addition to putting Torrevieja on the map, we teach people what the city has, what is behind this privileged scenario, and why they should visit it and spend their vacation here. " He outlined the social commitment involved in the aormi@icloud.com

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The press office will be located in t h e Auditorium of Torrevieja allowing for 6 0 0 journalists to follow the race in its initial stages.

GuillĂŠn has a l s o announced what has b e c o m e known as 'La V u e l t a Junior', an event in which seven schools of To r r e v i e j a will be involved During the months of April and May with t h e participation of the association o f professional cyclists, there will be a series of b o t h theoretical and practical

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classes about the world of cycling on issues such as road safety and respect for the environment From these seven schools, 100 boys and girls will be chosen to participate in the last kilometer of the first leg of La Vuelta on the same day, August 24, and in this way, feel professional cyclists for a day. The stage that will leave from Torrevieja will not be the only one that will have as scenario the province of Alicante as the convoy will go through it first three days. This was announced by the deputy of Tourism Promotion, Eduardo Dolรณn, who wanted to highlight the coordination between administrations that has made possible the departure from a special place like Las Salinas de Torrevieja.

A minute-and-a-half video spot features all the towns in Alicante Province. In this 74th edition of the Tour of Spain cyclist will battle over 3,272,2 kilometers of lovely coast and mountain part of the Costa Blanca and Spain. In its first days the cycling caravan will wend its way through some of the nicest parts of the Costa Blanca visiting Benidorm, Calpe, Ibi, Alicante, then moving on to Cullera and El Puig, heading to northern parts of Spain, finally ending in Madrid after 21 stages.

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M O O R S CHRISTIANS

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For those who have never seen Moors & Christian parades and battles then there are several during this month. Granja del Rocamora celebrates from 1st - 3rd May; Muro de Alcoy (8th - 11th); Biar(10th - 13th). Petrer (14th - 18th); Villena has a special attraction on the 12th with the arrival of Mahoma.

Petrer’s Moors & Christians Petrer has a small but imposing castle that was declared a National Historic Monument in 1983. Over the last forty years or so this town has seen a tremendous change from being a mainly agricultural centre to an important place for the manufacture of shoes.

The actual origin of Petrer was in the time of the Almohad arabs at the end of the 12th century with a fortified town complete with mezquitas, baths and rambling streets. After the Reconquest Petrer passed into the Loayasa family and in 1609 the moriscos were expelled and replaced by Christian families from neighbouring towns.

The castle was an important element in the line of fortresses dividing Aragón and Castilla. It is situated on a rocky hill and controlled the Valle del Vinapopó and from its vantage point could visually see other similiar fortresses. From the 16th century it formed part of the Count of Elda’s lands until the abolition of the señoríos in the19th century. The old Arab mezquita gave way to the church dedicated to St. Bartholomew the Apostle, work begun in April, 1779. During the 14th and 15th centuries there were several reforms and today one can see the restoration work on the castle begun in aormi@icloud.com

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1974 until the 1980’s by the Town Hall. Petrer has an interesting archeological museum and there is a well defined route of monuments in the immediate area.

The town’s Moors and Christian fiestas are held in May around the 14th - 18th. Petrer holds one of the most impresive Moors & Christian fiestas this month in honour of the patron saint, San Bonifacio Mártir. This particular canonised saint spent a wild youth, and remained a confirmed bachelor all his life. He was converted to Christianity, brought to the Faith by a wealthy Roman lady named Algae during a journey to the East to search for relics of previous saints. Finally he was martyred for defending Christians put to torture for their beliefs. He was beheaded in 306; relics

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brought back by Algae and entombed at the Church of Saint Alexius and Saint Boniface at Rome. He is patron saint of bachelors and converts.

The Petrer fiestas take place from 16th to 20th May and have been declared as of Touristic Interest. They have their origins in the 17th and 18th centuries when citizens let off their arquebusses in the air in honour of their saint. Petrer has several comparsas which are over 100 years old - Moros Viejos, Tercio de Flandes and Marinos.

In Petrer no-one need feel that they are strangers, everyone is welcome in what is a celebration of gunpowder and smoke, noise and music, spectacle and joy.

These are five days of intense fun as the townspeople set about the work of enjoying themselves and offering a spectacular fiesta to the world that everyone can enjoy. As in similar fiestas the meeting of the Ambassadors of the Moors and Christians is an important aspect of the week.

Women have a prime part to play; the first woman to appear was in 1905. Each group has its own cuartelillo where they live together; eating and changing costumes there.

Music is another important aspect to the fiestas in Petrer and several musical bands back up the ten comparsas. The Christian comparsas are - Tercio de Flandes, Marinos, VizcaĂ­nos, Estudiantes, Labradores. The Moors put five comparsas into the filed with Moros Viejos, Moros Nuevos, Moros Beduinos, Moros Fronterizos and Berberiscos.

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Elda’s Moors & Christians Perhaps not on the tourist map as it is a fairly industrialised city, Elda still has something to offer tourists. At the end of May and into the first week of June, Elda celebrates with Moors & Christian festivities in honour of San Anton. Nine comparsas, bands of Moors and Christians, wearing brightly coloured costumes and brandishing arms, once more take to the streets of the town centre in a tradition that is recorded as far back as 1863 and 1864.

Over 7,000 people take part in these fiestas which were declared of National Touristic Interest in 1981. The feasting ends on the day of San Anton on the 4th June. Here you can see Christians, Pirates, Musselmen, Morrocans and many other groups represented in the magnificent parades.

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Biar’s castle fought over From 10th to 13th May Moors and Christian festivals are held at Biar. These are among the oldest parades in the area and are held in commemoration of the battles between the Almodades Moors and the troops of Jaime I in 1245. Included in these fiestas is the Bajada de la Virgen when the statue is taken down from the sanctuary where the image is venerated the rest of the year, then taken out on the night of the 10th May. The whole town is full of bonfires on this night.

On 11th May another spectacle is the’ ‘Balls dels espies’ which is mixture of folklore and play acting. The enormous dummy ‘La Mahoma’ is used to represent the Prophet. If you go here do visit the castle which dominates the town and the hilltop on which it stands. The castle is a good example of Arab craftsmanship in the interior, with wonderful views across the valleys from the tower.

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SPOTLIGHT ON ROJALES A town reaching for its agricultural past Rojales is an agricultural town dependent on the River Segura for the irrigation of the crops and spanned by the bridge of Carlos III, from the 18th century. In recent decades it has seen an immense expansion with the building of urbanisations such as Ciudad Quesada, which is actually now larger than the town. This has increased the revenue of the town which has used this extra income to build a better infrastructure for the benefit of the townspeople.

Money has been spent on a new town hall, an impressive theatre, a further satellite town hall at Quesada, the church renovation, a walkway along the river and other projects.

The town council are now aware of the potential presented by inland tourism and have begun to develop this aspect by introducing a museum dedicated to agriculture, turning caves that were formerly inhabitated into an artist centre and exhibition area, recovering some of the town’s past by rebuilding a typical windmill and a waterwheel, both connected with the land. An aljibe is an Arab word used to describe cisterns or storage tanks for water and the Aljibes of Gasparito now house an exhibition area dedicated to Water and the traditional way of life in Rojales. aormi@icloud.com Torrevieja Outlook

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It has been realised that building and building more houses has to be complemented by quality attractions and in the municpal area is a fine 18 hole golf course and a water park full of slides for all the family. The Parque del Recorral is an old public area used in the past by herds of sheep, goats and cattle, but is now gradually being altered as a fine park for the public with a dense pine forest. Every year there is a popular pilgrimage here to the shrine dedicated to San Isidro Labrador and is a day of picnicking and games for everyone. Nearby and viewed from Quesada is the large salt lake of Torrevieja, and beyond that the La Mata lake, both of them partially in the municipal area of Rojales.

Fiestas year

of

the

The town’s heritage and Catholic traditions can be seen in its fiestas.

The people are very proud of their Holy Week processions, which grow in importance each year.

During Holy Week the town celebrates with nightly processions of hooded fratenities carrying floats with statues depicting the events of Christ’s last hours. Most of these floats and images can be seen throughout the year in the Museum Demolfilo Pastor in the Cultural Centre of the town.

The 29th June and 7th October are the festivities of the town’s patron saints - St. Peter the Apostle and the Virgen of the Rosary. The June fiestas are noted for the impressive and colourful parades of groups of ‘Moors and Christians’ with a carefully laid out programme that entails a parley between Arab and Christian Ambassadors and aormi@icloud.com

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parades of the different groups of both sides with a great deal of music, laughter and fireworks. There are seven comparsas or groups – three Christian and four Moros.

St. Peter’s fiestas have been celebrated for many years, interrupted only by the civil war. The Berbers comparsas of Petrer participated in the 1978 parade and the following year, inspired by this group, a new group the Almohades was born. Later the Tourags was founded in 1979 and then the first Christian group the Contrabandistas in 1980. In 1988 the Banakies was started with the kabila of Ben-Aki-Es la fiesta. Women were unhappy that they had no direct participation in the parades and in 1992 the Piratas took their place. In the same year another group the Berberes took their place in the ranks of the Moros. The most recent group has been the Caballeros de la Encantá in 2001inspired by the legend of the Enchantress.

There is no doubt that the locals would like to see more integration and participation in their fiestas and it would be no surprise to see a group of foreigners dress up and take their place in the files of warriors. These fiestas take th place from 26 June with a climax on St. Peter’s day 29th, and then the next day the Moors & Christians battles and parades. But there are many other events with live concerts, fireworks, children’s games, etc. Over the weekend dedicated to the Moors & Christians an avalanche of over 100,000 visitors descends on the town to see a aormi@icloud.com

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thousand locals strut in the parades. These celebrations tend to spill over into July with several sporting events and more parades.

Another interesting part of the fiesta in summer is the theatrical expression of an old legend that is shared between Rojales and neighbouring Guardamar del Segura. This is the legend of the Enchantress which brings together the elements of earth, water and fire and takes place at Midsummer’s night, whose Spanish equivalent is St. John the Baptist’s birthday 24th June.

This has its roots in Moorish times when a young Moorish princess of the area fell in love with someone whom her father disapproved. Her unrequited love ended in the waters of the river and each year young men still enter the river in the hope that she will reappear and they can carry her off to the other side so that they can have a fruitful life ahead. The snag is, that if she does appear, she gets heavier and heavier, and the chances are that the young man will drown.

Another important event takes place at Christmas as the town is renowned for its national competition for “villancicos” or Christmas carols. In this annual event several choirs take part from all over Spain: the 30th edition was held in 2006.

As an agricultural area the town has its own gastronomy rooted in the soil. Rice with rabbit, omelettes of artichokes or pumpkins, boiled chicken stew with large meatballs floating in a soup made from the stock, ‘white’ sausages, onion flavoured black puddings, desserts that have Arabic origins, plus of course a wide variety of fruit.

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D o o r s Open

The charitable association Alimentos Solidarios in Torrevieja had to close their doors affecting the more than 200 Families they feed with supplies and hot meals. The committee in a press conference blamed a cash flow problem accentuated by the town hall’s delay in passing on grants.

Despite a lot of unfavorable publicity the mayor continued to blame technicians for the failure to provide the paperwork for the subsidy.

However,, vey quicky an appeal was launched on social media for 20,000 euros by April.

Carlos Garcia, the treasurer of Alimentos, was amazed and gratified when this sum was surpassed within two days.

The result that on 25th March the kitchen was reopened, fully stocked, and once again producing hot meals for families in need.

It shows that if we all pull together a lot of obstacles can be overturned.

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Spanish Immigrants and Emigrants bu Andy Ormiston

Immigration is a hot topic and we are seeing everywhere signs of antiimmigration in many countries.

Historically there has always been immigration, often the result of hunger, drought, or fighting.

Between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, tens of thousands of Spaniards migrated to the USA. They worked in tobacco companies, factories and mines.

They settled in every corner of the country, from California to Hawaii, Florida to Ohio. Then again at the time of the Second Republic and the ensuing civil war, more fled to save their lives.

As today there has always been antagonism to immigration. In December 1920 Republican Congressman Harold Knutson took to the Congress floor and launched into a diatribe. Born in Norway, Knutson ranted about a certain type of foreigner who, in his view, came to the US to steal American jobs and spread radicalism. He said that the previous day he had been at Ellis Island, the point of entry for immigrants coming to the US, and had seen 2,000 people arriving from a certain dangerous country: “Spain is a hotbed of anarchy. And the Spanish government is rounding up all these anarchists and dumping them on the United States.” Sounds familiar in today’s Trump America.

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Immigration numbers to USA would plummet shortly after Knutson’s speech, thanks mainly to the lies and fears behind it. But the truth is that the Spanish government never arranged for its most problematic citizens to be shipped out to the US; nor were those migrants mainly anarchists; and at no time did 2,000 Spanish migrants land all at once on Ellis Island, nor anything even approaching that figure. But Knutson’s words fell on fertile ground. The economic recession after the end of the First World War combined with the notorious “Red under the Bed” scare, were enough to foster anti-immigration ideologies and movements, headed by people like Knutson.

This xenophobia culminated in the National Origins Act, passed in 1924, which was based on a national origin quota aimed mostly at Asians, and stipulated that only 131 Spaniards could legally enter the US that year, whereas Germany could provide 51,227 immigrants.

The total Annual immigrant quota was 164,667 and the law was effective until the 1960’s.

The National Origins Act practically put the brakes on legal immigration from Spain, but the 1920s would prove to be a decade of consolidation for the communities that had already settled in the US. According to the U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian, the purpose of the act was "to preserve the ideal of U.S. homogeneity. The National Origins Act authorized the formation of the U.S. Border Patrol, established two days after the act was passed, primarily to guard the Mexico–United States border. The provisions of the act were so restrictive that in 1924 more Italians, Czechs, Yugoslavs, Greeks, Lithuanians, Hungarians, Poles, Portuguese, Romanians, Spaniards, Chinese, and Japanese left the United States than arrived as immigrants.

Congressman Knutson, who was a journalist, seems to have thrived on rumours as it was he who announced that President Roosevelt had ordered that a destroyer be sent from Seattle to pick up Fala, his pet dog. He complained of the waste of aormi@icloud.com

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taxpayer money and accused the President of spending $20 million on his Pacific excursion. The following week on Sept. 12th, Knutson accused the President of sending a plane to pick up Fala. This was also denied by the Navy and the White House. Fala was big news for weeks. Speaking to a national radio audience of millions, FDR pulled no punches.

“These Republican leaders have not been content to make personal attacks upon me – or my wife or my sons – they now include my little dog Fala. Unlike the members of my family, Fala resents this. When he learned that the Republican fiction writers had concocted a story that I had left him behind on an Aleutian Island and had sent a destroyer back to find him – at a cost to the taxpayer of two or three or twenty million dollars – his Scottish soul was furious! He has not been the same dog since. “ Perhaps President Trump needs a Scottish terrier as a pet.

At the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th, tens of thousands of Spanish workers and peasants settled in tight-knit communities across the length and breadth of the US. Not unlike the Spanish communities in Cuba and Argentina, these Spanish enclaves strengthened thanks to local information networks back home where word would spread of job opportunities across the Atlantic. At the start of the 20th century, you would find migrants from Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria in cigar factories in Florida; migrants from the Basque Country, Aragón and Castile working on ranches and in the restaurant and hotel trade in the southeast and mountainous west.

Meanwhile migrants from Andalusia, Valencia, Extremadura and Castile could be found in the sugar plantations of Hawaii and in the jam, dried fruit and fish factories of California.

In New England, there were migrants from Cantabria working the stone quarries, while others from Asturias, Castile, Galicia, Valencia and Andalusia made their living in the mines and in the factories of the northeast and midwest industrial belt. And in New York, the gateway to the New World, there were migrants from all over Spain, mainly working in the port and on ships, but also in a variety of trades and business from the sale of cigars to domestic service.

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Torrevieja too had its exodus in the 1950’s as work on the salt works dried up thanks to better technology. Hundreds of families moved, not only to America and other countries, but to other parts of Spain. They went to find work in Belgium, France, Germany, France, Switzerland and to Britain where mostly they were occupied in domestic or catering work. Torrevieja was in decline at this time and a lot of the inhabitants moved elsewhere - many to Barcelona, Madrid and Mallorca. These Torrevejenses sought out each other and gradually several groups of associations were formed and they held regular meetings or dinner celebrations, talking about their previous lives in their beloved Torrevieja. They managed to keep close links with those still remaining in Torrevieja and gradually with the groups in other places. There was hardly a family in the town that did not suffer such a separation. Since 1940 D. Diego Ramírez (a main street is named after him) and Don Salvador Ruso (with a college named after him) had both tried unsuccessfully to develop a project for those who lived elsewhere so that they would be united in spirit.

One of the principal forces that made this a reality was the first Habaneras Concerts held in 1955 and the introduction of the weekly aormi@icloud.com

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magazine “Vista Alegre” which is still sent weekly to dozens of Torrevejenses who live outside Torrevieja. Associations of Torrevejenses who lived in Palma de Mallorca, Madrid, Mellila, Málaga, Barcelona and Alicante were formed. It was decided in 1960 that on the patronal fiestas a Dia de Ausentes (Absent Friends Day) would be held in Torrevieja as part of the annual celebrations. Invitations were sent out to the various groups and a great deal of organization was initiated. The president of the Palma Mallorca contingent, Vicente Giménez Sala, died on the 12th June 1960, and the organization of this particular group fell on other shoulders. He was in charge of the Customs launch ‘Vega’ but because of his illness left it in charge of his good friend José «Pepe» Albaladejo Costa, who also came from Torrevieja. During a long absence at sea following the death of Vicente, Pepe was elected president of the Palma de Mallorca Hermanidad although much of the organization fell to Antonio Pérez Torregrosa as Pepe was so much at sea. The ‘Vega’ was sent to patrol the waters in the Gibraltar Straights and it seemed as though they would be unable to meet the dateline of 7th December in Torrevieja. At the beginning of December they were granted permission to return home and were able to make their way along the coast to reach Torrevieja on 6th December and finally reunite with their families. They started their return trip to Mallorca on 9th December having thoroughly enjoyed the festivities and renewing old acquaintances.

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A small street in the town centre was renamed after these absent friends on this celebration and the Torre del Moro was reconstructed to mark the occasion. Each December, absent Torrevejenses return to celebrate the town’s patronal fiestas and take part in the Floral Offering procession. The street Torrevenjses Ausentes was remodelled in 2011.

The flood of migrants peaked during the First World War. Spain remained neutral during the war and this stance, combined with labour demands in the US as Americans were drafted, led to a surge of Spanish immigration to the United States.

Today we are seeing the biggest immigration movement in history. The Western countries are afraid as they see their cultural and religious values being threatened by Islamic cultures. Perhaps the biggest threat is that Muslims have not accepted Western civilizations and in general have failed to respect and accept the cultural differences and historical differences. Past immigrants have blended into European and American cultures, at the same time continuing their own cultures thus adding to the countries. Spain has been very welcoming and seen the benefits of other cultural differences even to a Scottish Pipe and Drum band wearing Torrevieja colours in their kilts. According to Ofsted, British values are democracy; the rule of law; individual liberty; mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith. Spain also respects these values, but many cannot understand why British citizens fail to speak Spanish. aormi@icloud.com Torrevieja Outlook

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As of 2018, there were over 5,9472,106 foreign-born people in Spain, 12.8% of the total population. This makes Spain one of the world's preferred destinations to immigrate to, being the 4th country in Europe by immigration numbers. Spain attracts significant immigration from Latin America and Eastern Europe. The British authorities estimate that the real population of UK citizens living in Spain is much bigger than Spanish official figures suggest, establishing them at about 1,000,000, about 800,000 being permanent residents. Of these, according to the BBC and contrary to popular belief, only about 21.5% are over the age of 65.

In fact, according to the Financial Times, Spain is the most favoured destination for West Europeans considering to move from their own country and seek jobs elsewhere in the EU. There may be also a collective understanding that hardships force people to seek work abroad and Spaniards cann understand this.

British migration to Spain has resulted in Spain being home to one of the largest British-born populations outside the United Kingdom in the world, and the largest in Europe. Migration from the UK to Spain has increased rapidly since the late 1990s and the registered population of British nationals in Spain in 2014 was 236,669 (2014)

A Pew Research Center study of 18 nations says that 86% of Spaniards believe people fleeing violence and war should be accepted in the country aormi@icloud.com

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Spain showed a willingness to find humanitarian solutions to the migrant crisis on the back of events such as the decision to accept 630 migrants on the humanitarian ship Aquarius in June, after it was turned back by Italy and Malta. This gesture was reinforced by the local governments in Valencia and Barcelona, as well as the Catalan regional government, which also offered to take in migrants rejected by Italian and Maltese authorities.

The new study by the Washington-based think tank indicates that this act of solidarity, widely applauded across Europe, is not unique to Spanish institutions but rather a reflection of the positive attitudes of the Spanish people.

A well known refusal to accept Jewish immigrants is well catalogued.

Today we are seeing a resurgence of anti-Semitism and far right-wing popular political parties. Nothing new there, apart from the hate and possible violence they may foment.

In May 1939 more than 900 Jews fled Hitler's Germany on a luxury liner, the SS St Louis; they hoped to reach Cuba then travel to the US, but were turned away from both. When the St. Louis arrived in Havana two weeks later, only 29 passengers were allowed into the country. aormi@icloud.com

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“Sailing so close to Florida that they could see the lights of Miami, some passengers on the St. Louis cabled President Franklin D. Roosevelt asking for refuge,” the Holocaust museum noted. “Roosevelt never responded.”

In a long tradition of “persecuting the refugee,” the State Department and FDR claimed that Jewish immigrants could threaten national security. World War II prompted the largest displacement of human beings the world has ever seen—although today's refugee crisis is starting to approach its unprecedented scale. But even with millions of European Jews displaced from their homes, the United States had a poor track record offering asylum. Most notoriously, in June 1939, the German ocean liner St. Louis and its 937 passengers, almost all Jewish, were turned away from the port of Miami, forcing the ship to return to Europe; more than a quarter died in the Holocaust.

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After more than a month at sea, the passengers disembarked in Antwerp, Belgium, where they were divided between four countries that had agreed to take them: Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

The voyage of the St. Louis is just one example in history of “what happened when people slam doors shut on refugees,” said James C. Hathaway, a law professor at the University of Michigan and director of its programme in refugee and asylum law.

The current situation in Syria is “probably the easiest example in the world today of people being massacred by a political tyrant,” Hathaway said.

“That we would not read the tea leaves of history and understand that the people fleeing are the enemies of our enemy is beyond comprehension to me.”

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One of Torrevieja’s landmarks is about to disappear. Originally known as Merendero las Rocas. It was later taken over by another owner who baptised it as the kiosk El Tintero.

Standing at the end of la playa del Cura it was built in the early 1930’s out of wood and served as a summer venue for thousands of Torreviejenses and holiday-makers over the decades.

In the 1950’s it was rebuilt, as we know it today, with a concrete base jutting inyo the sea, serving as a panorama of the coast with views on a good day as far as Mar Menor and Santa Pola. This gives the appearance of being on board a ship. It was a fish baed men on offer and very popular with visitors and residents alike. Despite town hall efforts to protect the bar as a listed building the Costas department insist it must go, it is due for demolishment.

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of Spanish Cooking - Mangoes

by Pat Hynd

Spanish mangoes are discernibly different from others in flavor and aroma because they are harvested almost as soon as they ripen on the plant: as a result, they contain a higher percentage of sugar than any others in the European marketplace. Spanish mangoes are discernibly different from others in flavor and aroma because they are harvested almost as soon as they ripen on the plant: as a result, they contain a higher percentage of sugar than any others in the European marketplace.

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The characteristics of mangos are best appreciated when they are mature and in their prime, when the skin gives way to light pressure. The inside of the mango is delightfully refreshing and has a unique taste with tropical tones. They are ideal for eating alone (and even better after being briefly chilled in the refrigerator) and great for a long list of recipes.

Try adding some diced mango to a green salad with cherry tomatoes, cheese and some nuts? truly delicious. For more elaborate dishes, mango goes exquisitely with exotic foods such as curry, and it is ideal for meat and fish dishes, providing a marvelous splash of tropical taste.

This fantastic fruit can also be used to prepare homemade ice cream (consult our index of recipes) or jam with which you will be able to delight family and friends. With such juicy and refreshing pulp, mangos are perfect for many different desserts such as fruit salads, fruit skewers, mango mousse, milkshakes and smoothies, cocktails or purees for babies who are beginning to eat fruit.

Spanish mangos are cultivated in the south of Spain on the subtropical coast in the region of La AxarquĂ­a (in MĂĄlaga). In order to determine whether a mango is ripe, first check by applying light pressure with your finger to see if the skin is firm yet somewhat soft to the touch. It is important that the mango has a nice aroma as well. If both characteristics are there, then it is more than likely that the mango is ripe and ready to be eaten.

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Mangoes are an exotic fruit and it is important to enjoy them when they re ripe. The colour of the skin is quite relative as they can vary depending on the variety of the mango. It is not necessary for the mango to have perfect skin as it is quite normal for mangos to have wrinkled skin with patches, while inside they are perfectly good. Mangos that are still green may stay fresh in the fridge for many days although it is better to leave them at room temperature for them to ripen. Once ripe, the mango should be kept outside the refrigerator only putting them inside the fridge for a short time to chill them before consuming.

But how did mangos come to Spain? It is one of the stories of early Europeans taking their scientific knowledge of their times and using it to develop new markets. In this case it was Jesuit botanists who had knowledge of grafting that was the springboard of developing the mango market.

Goa was originally colonised by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century, with Jesuits following closely in their wake. The first and most famous of these was of course St Francis Xavier (1506-52) known locally as Goencho Saib (Lord of Goa), whose memory is honoured in the names of many public institutions and whose relics are displayed at the Bom Jesus church in the old Portuguese centre. A tiny sliver of a state, Goa nevertheless has an outsized appetite for mangoes, with taste buds particularly attuned to the prized Mancurad, Hilario and Alphonso. Colonial records today reveal an impressive 106 varieties of ‘Magnifera Indica’ in Goa.

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Although mangoes have been an important part of Indian cuisine and culture for many centuries, by the end of the sixteenth century Goa was exporting large quantities of mango to India and the rest of the world where they were later introduced to Portuguese colonies in Brazil and the Caribbean. “The Jesuits brought the art of grafting to Goa,” says former secretary of the Botanical Society of Goa Miguel Braganza. “At that time, they introduced us to the best techniques of grafting, particularly that of air-layering (gootee) or inarching (approach grafting). This was practiced in Goa up till 1986. However, the process was too laborious. After that farmers switched to stone grafting introduced by R S Amin from Gujarat,” he says. Grafting techniques applied to other varieties too, helped the produce of these prized fruits.

Records reveal that emperor Akbar encouraged the presence of Jesuits from Goa in his courts, applauding their expertise in fruticulture, especially in mangoes.

It is currently peak mango season in India and recently in the Times of India carried a report titled “The Jesuits and the Mango” which describes how the Jesuits used their scientific expertise as a tool for evangelisation. There seem to be few fields of scientific enquiry in which the early Jesuits were not involved. The reporter Patricia Alvares pauses to reflect on the history of the fruit in the state Goa which was originally colonised by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century, with Jesuits following closely in their wake.

The first and most famous of these was of course St Francis Xavier (1506-52) known locally as Goencho Saib (Lord of Goa), whose memory is honoured in the names of many public institutions and whose relics are displayed at the Bom Jesus church in the old Portuguese centre.

“Goa has an outsized appetite for mangoes”, claims the article, “their raison d’etre can be attributed to the scientific grafting techniques and experimentations of the European Jesuits.”

According to Alvares “the arrival of the Jesuits catapulted the Goan mango to the position of India’s indispensable king of fruit. In fact Goan mangoes became a diplomatic tool for the Portuguese.”

The former secretary of the Botanical Society of Goa Miguel Braganza is quoted as saying: “the Jesuits brought the art of grafting to Goa. At that time they introduced the best technique of grafting, particularly that of layering and inarching, practised in Goa until 1986.” aormi@icloud.com

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Nº 063 May 2019 It was the grafting techniques and the r e s u l t i n g competition between growers which enabled the expansion in productivity and in developing unique varieties.

According to Fr Ferrao of the Rachol Seminary in Goa (founded originally by the Jesuits in 1606) the Jesuits would send seminarians to teach the gentry of Chorao Island the art of grafting, as a way of converting them, and to this day “the island boasts a superior quality of these originally grafted A l p h o n s o mangoes”.

The mango season in Spain is from August to November, and mainly the Osteen and Keitt varieties, harvested in September, that make up the bulk of the production. The Irwin variety starts the campaign in mid-August with greenhouse harvested fruits.According to a mango representative, the acreage devoted to mangoes in Spain increases every year. "Each year, new mango plantations come into production, making the fruit the fastest growing tropical crop compared to avocados, which require much more water.”

Large quantities of mangos are grown on the Granada coast - one of the reasons they call it the Costa Tropical. They also grow Papaya, Guava, chirimoya (custard apples), Nisperos and other "tropical" fruits.

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Lamb and Mango Curry

2 onions, quartered

thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 5 garlic cloves 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 heaped tsp turmeric 2 heaped tsp ground cumin 2 heaped tsp ground coriander 1 tsp mild chilli powder 5 cardamom pods 2 tbsp tomato purĂŠe 800g trimmed lamb shoulder, cubed 400g can reduced-fat coconut milk (save 2 tbsp for serving)

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200g chopped tinned tomato 2 ripe mangoes, sliced To serve handful coriander rice, chutneys and pickle of your choice

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put the onions, ginger and garlic in a food processor and blitz to a paste. If you don’t have a processor, just chop very finely.

Heat the oil in a deep flameproof casserole dish and fry the paste for 10 mins. Add some salt, the spices and tomato purée, then fry for 2-3 mins more until aromatic.

Stir in the lamb and cook for a few mins until it changes colour all over – it doesn’t need to brown. Tip in the coconut milk, tomatoes and 100ml water, and bring to a simmer.

Cover with a lid, leaving a gap for some steam to escape, and transfer to the oven for 1½ hrs.

Stir in half the mangoes, and cook for 1 hr more until the lamb is melting and tender.

When it’s ready, let the curry sit for 10 mins, then spoon off any excess fat from the top. Partly stir in the remaining mangoes, scatter with the coriander and drizzle with the reserved coconut milk. Serve with rice, chutneys and pickles of your choice.

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Mango Sorbet This is not quite a postre but can easily serve as one as it is flavorsome and light. I first tasted it in a Balinese restaurant on Edgeware Rpad in the sixties when it was serve in the middle of a sixteen course meal to refresh the palate, which it did making it easier to continue with the rest of the delicious dishes.

1 Roughly chop the mango flesh and place into a food processor with the icing sugar and lemon juice. Blend to a purĂŠe.

2 Transfer the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn to freeze, according to manufacturer's instructions.

3

Once frozen, remove and place into a container. Cover and store in the freezer until ready to serve. It will keep for a couple of months. If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a plastic freezer box, cover with a lid and freeze for 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and whisk the half-frozen sorbet to break up the ice crystals, and return to the freezer for a further 40 minutes

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One of the most active groups in Torrevieja is the La Asociación Cultural Andaluza that has programmed a number of activities based in their club house in la calle Rafal, 10. April was busy, largely with acts related to Semana Santa.

MAY Saturday 18 – 19,00 h.- Cruz de Mayo: Fiesta & Dance with live music.

Saturday 25 – 19,00 h.Representation of three acts by the Grupo de Teatro “Candilejas”. in the clubhouse.

JUNE Saturday 8 -13,00 h.- Club Dinner or picnic at Lo Albentosa.

Saturday 22 – Farewell Meal with the appearance of the dance group “Zambra” y “Azabache”. With a demonstration of Latin Dances.

Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 –Participation in la Romería del Rocío de Torrevieja.

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Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition The 16th May is designated as International Museum Day. Museums throughout the world will throw open their doors and provide special exhibitions to demonstrate the theme the year of Museums as cultural hubs of our towns and offer a future of tradition.

The role of museums in society is changing. Museums keep reinventing themselves in their quest for becoming more interactive, audience focused, community oriented, flexible, adaptable and mobile.

They have become cultural hubs functioning as platforms where creativity combines with knowledge and where visitors can also co-create, share and interact.

While preserving their primary missions – collecting, conservation, communication, research, exhibition – museums have transformed their practices to remain closer to the communities they serve. Today they look for innovative ways to tackle contemporary social issues and conflict. By acting locally, museums can also advocate and

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mitigate global problems, striving to meet the challenges of today’s society proactively. As institutions at the heart of society, museums have the power to establish dialogue between cultures, to build bridges for a peaceful world and to define a sustainable future.

As museums increasingly grow into their roles as cultural hubs, they are also finding new ways to honour their collections, their histories and their legacies, creating traditions that will have new meaning for future generations and relevance for an increasingly diverse contemporary audience at a global level. This transformation, which will have a profound impact on museum theory and practice, also forces us to rethink the value of museums and to question the ethical boundaries that define the very nature of our work as museum professionals.

At once a focal point for the community and an integral part of a global network, museums offer a platform for t r a n s l a t i n g local communities’ needs and view. aormi@icloud.com

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Bookshelf - Falter

by Pat Hynd

Thirty years ago Bill McKibben offered one of the earliest warnings about climate change. Now he broadens the warning: the entire human game, he suggests, has begun to play itself out.

Bill McKibben’s groundbreaking book The End of Nature -- issued in dozens of languages and long regarded as a classic -- was the first book to alert us to global warming.

But the danger is broader than that: even as climate change shrinks the space where our civilization can exist, new technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics threaten to bleach away the variety of human experience.

Falter tells the story of these converging trends and of the ideological fervor that keeps us from bringing them under control. And then, drawing on McKibben’s experience in building 350.org, the first truly global citizens movement to combat climate change, it offers some possible ways out of the trap. We’re at a bleak moment in human history -- and we’ll either confront that bleakness or watch the civilization our forebears built slip away. aormi@icloud.com

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Falter is a powerful and sobering call to arms, to save not only our planet but also our humanity.

From the book:- Do you find this a little dull? Good. What I want to talk about is the human game—the sum total of culture and commerce and politics; of religion and sport and social life; of dance and music; of dinner and art and cancer and sex and Instagram; of love and loss; of everything that comprises the experience of our species. But that’s beyond my powers, at least till I’m warmed up. So, I’ve looked for the most mundane aspect of our civilization I can imagine. Almost no one thinks about her roof from one year’s end to another, not unless it springs a leak. It’s a given. And so, it will illustrate my point—even the common and boring roof demonstrates the complexity, the stability, and the reach of this human game.

Food-system collapse, sea-level rise, disease. In his new book “Falter,” Bill McKibben asks, “Is it Too Late?

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Kids on Strike ..for their future

I suppose some of you have had their children insist on going on strike, not attending school as they attend demonstrations in different parts of the world. They are worried about their future..and if they have one.

They have acted on a wake up call by a young Swedish girl who has spent her time going round Europe talking to politicians and big businesses of the need to DO SOMETHING about our environment before it’s too late.

This call started with Greta Thunberg alarmed by the scientists who say we are on the verge of extinction.

HERE IS HER SPEECH TO BRITISH MPs IN THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.

My name is Greta Thunberg. I am 16 years old. I come from Sweden. And I speak on behalf of future generations.

I know many of you don’t want to listen to us – you say we are just children. But we’re only repeating the message of the united climate science.

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Many of you appear concerned that we are wasting valuable lesson time, but I assure you we will go back to school the moment you start listening to science and give us a future. Is that really too much to ask?My name is Greta Thunberg. I am 16 years old. I come from Sweden. And I speak on behalf of future generations.

In the year 2030 I will be 26 years old. My little sister Beata will be 23. Just like many of your own children or grandchildren. That is a great age, we have been told. When you have all of your life ahead of you. But I am not so sure it will be that great for us.I was fortunate to be born in a time and place where everyone told us to dream big; I could become whatever I wanted to. I could live wherever I wanted to.

People like me had everything we needed and more. Things our grandparents could not even dream of. We had everything we could ever wish for and yet now we may have nothing.

Now we probably don’t even have a future any more.

Because that future was sold so that a small number of people could make unimaginable amounts of money. It was stolen from us every time you said that the sky was the limit, and that you only live once.Y ou lied to us. You gave us false hope. You told us that the future was something to look forward to. And the saddest thing is that most children are not even aware of the fate that awaits us. We will not understand it until it’s too late. And yet we are the lucky ones.

Those who will be affected the hardest are already suffering the consequences. But their voices are not heard.

Is my microphone on? Can you hear me?Around the year 2030, 10 years 252 days and 10 hours away from now, we will be in a position where we set off an irreversible chain aormi@icloud.com

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reaction beyond human control, that will most likely lead to the end of our civilisation as we know it. That is unless in that time, permanent and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society have taken place, including a reduction of CO2 emissions by at least 50%.

And please note that these calculations are depending on inventions that have not yet been invented at scale, inventions that are supposed to clear the atmosphere of astronomical amounts of carbon dioxide.Furthermore, these calculations do not include unforeseen tipping points and feedback loops like the extremely powerful methane gas escaping from rapidly thawing arctic permafrost.

Nor do these scientific calculations include already locked-in warming hidden by toxic air pollution. Nor the aspect of equity – or climate justice – clearly stated throughout the Paris agreement, which is absolutely necessary to make it work on a global scale.We must also bear in mind that these are just calculations. Estimations. That means that these “points of no return” may occur a bit sooner or later than 2030. No one can know for sure. We can, however, be certain that they will occur approximately in these timeframes, because these calculations are not opinions or wild guesses.

These projections are backed up by scientific facts, concluded by all nations through the IPCC. Nearly every single major national scientific body around the world unreservedly supports the work and findings of the IPCC. Did you hear what I just said? Is my English OK? Is the microphone on? Because I’m beginning to wonder.

During the last six months I have travelled around Europe for hundreds of hours in trains, electric cars and buses, repeating these life-changing words over and over again. But no aormi@icloud.com Torrevieja Outlook !74

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one seems to be talking about it, and nothing has changed. In fact, the emissions are still rising.

When I have been travelling around to speak in different countries, I am always offered help to write about the specific climate policies in specific countries. But that is not really necessary. Because the basic problem is the same everywhere. And the basic problem is that basically nothing is being done to halt – or even slow – climate and ecological breakdown, despite all the beautiful words and promises.

The UK is, however, very special. Not only for its mind-blowing historical carbon debt, but also for its current, very creative, carbon accounting.

Since 1990 the UK has achieved a 37% reduction of its territorial CO2 emissions, according to the Global Carbon Project. And that does sound very impressive. But these numbers do not include emissions from aviation, shipping and those associated with imports and exports.

If these numbers are included the reduction is around 10% since 1990 – or an an average of 0.4% a year, according to Tyndall Manchester.

And the main reason for this reduction is not a consequence of climate policies, but rather a 2001 EU directive on air quality that essentially forced the UK to close down its very old and extremely dirty coal power plants and replace them with less dirty gas power stations.

And switching from one disastrous energy source to a slightly less disastrous one will of course result in a lowering of emissions.

But perhaps the most dangerous misconception about the climate crisis is that we have to “lower” our emissions. Because that is far from enough. Our emissions have to stop if we are to stay below 1.5-2C of warming. The “lowering of emissions” is of course necessary but it is only the beginning of a fast process that must lead to a stop within a couple of decades, or less. And by “stop” I mean net zero – and then quickly on to negative figures. That rules out most of today’s politics. aormi@icloud.com

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The fact that we are speaking of “lowering” instead of “stopping” emissions is perhaps the greatest force behind the continuing business as usual. The UK’s active current support of new exploitation of fossil fuels – for example, the UK shale gas fracking industry, the expansion of its North Sea oil and gas fields, the expansion of airports as well as the planning permission for a brand new coal mine – is beyond absurd.

This ongoing irresponsible behaviour will no doubt be remembered in history as one of the greatest failures of humankind.

People always tell me and the other millions of school strikers that we should be proud of ourselves for what we have accomplished. But the only thing that we need to look at is the emission curve. And I’m sorry, but it’s still rising. That curve is the only thing we should look at.

Every time we make a decision we should ask ourselves; how will this decision affect that curve? We should no longer measure our wealth and success in the graph that shows economic growth, but in the curve that shows the emissions of greenhouse gases. We should no longer only ask: “Have we got enough money to go through with this?” but also: “Have we got enough of the carbon budget to spare to go through with this?” That should and must become the centre of our new currency. aormi@icloud.com

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Many people say that we don’t have any solutions to the climate crisis.

And they are right. Because how could we? How do you “solve” the greatest crisis that humanity has ever faced? How do you “solve” a war?

How do you “solve” going to the moon for the first time? How do you “solve” inventing new inventions?

The climate crisis is both the easiest and the hardest issue we have ever faced. The easiest because we know what we must do. We must stop the emissions of greenhouse gases. The hardest because our current economics are still totally dependent on burning fossil fuels, and thereby destroying ecosystems in order to create everlasting economic growth.

“So, exactly how do we solve that?” you ask us – the schoolchildren striking for the climate.

And we say: “No one knows for sure.

But we have to stop burning fossil fuels and restore nature and many other things that we may not have quite figured out yet.”

Then you say: “That’s not an answer!”

So we say: “We have to start treating the crisis like a crisis – and act even if we don’t have all the solutions.”

“That’s still not an answer,” you say.

Then we start talking about circular economy and rewilding nature and the need for a just transition. Then you don’t understand what we are talking about.

We say that all those solutions needed are not known to anyone and therefore we must unite behind the science and find them together along the way. But you do not listen to aormi@icloud.com

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that. Because those answers are for solving a crisis that most of you don’t even fully understand. Or don’t want to understand.

You don’t listen to the science because you are only interested in solutions that will enable you to carry on like before. Like now. And those answers don’t exist any more. Because you did not act in time.

Avoiding climate breakdown will require cathedral thinking. We must lay the foundation while we may not know exactly how to build the ceiling.

Sometimes we just simply have to find a way. The moment we decide to fulfil something, we can do anything. And I’m sure that the moment we start behaving as if we were in an emergency, we can avoid climate and ecological catastrophe. Humans are very adaptable: we can still fix this. But the opportunity to do so will not last for long. We must start today.

We have no more excuses.

We children are not sacrificing our education and our childhood for you to tell us what you consider is politically possible in the society that you have created. We have not taken to the streets for you to take selfies with us, and tell us that you really admire what we do.

We children are doing this to wake the adults up. We children are doing this for you to put your differences aside and start acting as you would in a crisis. We children are doing this because we want our hopes and dreams back.

I hope my microphone was on. I hope you could all hear me.

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