The Andalucian - November 2014

Editor’s Slice Hello

What a month! My family seem to be getting one bug after another at the moment – maybe there is something more in the Andalucían air than just the cold wind we’re experiencing this month, yet as I get another bucket or box of tissues for my brood, I am grateful they are all pulling through.

Winter can often bring a melancholy mood to us all and as the countdown to Christmas begins, you suddenly realise that these next few months are not always a time of happiness for all. We have lost many friends this year. Sadly, we seem to have had a constant flow of losses from many villages around the local areas… people lost to cancer — too young and too soon – or the shocking out-of-the-blue infections resulting in the unexpected passing of others. I appreciate this is not a cheery Editor’s Slice, but I do also appreciate that this has not been a happy year for many. So as we approach the festive season, we would like to pass our thoughts on to all our readers who have experienced such loss this year.

Sarah Jackson, our resident health guru, has an amazing piece on page 18 about her recent grief, and the way we can change our lives to really make sure we live to our full potential.

So, whatever mood this issue finds you in, I do hope that the contents will give you food for thought — not just Christmas cakes! — and lift any melancholy moods that you may be experiencing.

Mike

www.facebook.com/theandalucian The Andalucían X5092417D Calle Juanita Romero s/n, Campillos 29320, Malaga Contact us Telephone: +34 952 723075 Mobile: +34 627 683380 info@theandalucian.com www.theandalucian.com Owner: Claire Marriott Editor: Mike Marriott 2

Special thanks to our writers and contributors Alice Marriott De Cotta Law Ella Durham Heather Jones John Sharrock Taylor Sarah Jackson Shannon McCarthy Tricia Johnson

Next deadline: 11 December We won’t be beaten on advertising prices

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An important reminder for non-resident property owners Escaping to a property in southern Spain and the Canary Islands during the long winter months is a real joy for many people. Owning a property and having a second home here has many advantages.

Now is the time of year when owners also need to think about their obligations. Some non-residents who have owned property here for many years are still not aware of the need to make an annual tax declaration. This is separate from the obligation to pay the annual IBI (rates) to the Town Hall.

The non-resident tax declaration is made in the tax area where the property is situated. The tax is a personal one so if you are joint owners, each of you needs to present the tax declaration separately. All non-residents who own a property in Spain have to pay this tax as follows: 1. Income from lettings/rentals at 24.75% on the net rent received. A number of expenses can be offset against your income from rentals. These include community fees; Town Hall rates (IBI), insurance, utilities and interest on mortgages.

2. Deemed income on any property you own which is for your own use. This applies to second homes, holiday homes and any property you own in Spain as a non resident. This is taxable at 24.75% and assessed at 1.1% of the rateable (catastral) value.

Deposito Legal MA-1110-2004

Legal Advice

This applies during the period while you own the home, and is not an annual fixed sum. For example, if you purchase in July it is payable from July to December 31.

It is not possible to set up a standing order for this as each year, the taxpayer has to complete the forms and present them to the bank for payment before December 31. The tax authorities are able to claim unpaid non-resident tax for the previous four years of ownership if you fail to declare. There can also be penalties and fines for late payment, so it is far better to appoint a fiscal representative to pay the tax each year.

Please contact us on tax@decottalaw.net or telephone one of our offices for more information.

We will need a copy of your NIE number (fiscal number), a copy of the deeds and a copy of the last rates receipt (IBI). You will also receive an annual reminder, helping you to avoid any fines for late payment.

For full contact details see advert on page 19.

Copyright Š 2004 - 2014.

All rights reserved

All advertisements are published in good faith and are for information purposes. We do not under any circumstances accept responsibility for the accuracy of such advertisements, nor is any kind of warranty or endorsement expressed or implied by such publication.

The editorials are not a substitute for legal advice, and not intended or offered as such. The AndalucĂ­an does not therefore accept any duty of care to anyone who makes use of, or seeks to rely on, material in this publication.

No part of this or any previous Local Connections or The AndalucĂ­an publications may be used or reproduced without the prior written consent of the owner.

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Spotlight

Buddhism Andalucían Style

By Kadampa Meditation Centre

In a beautiful finca between Alhaurín el Grande and Alhaurín de la Torre we have developed a thriving international Buddhist community. We have a temple with a stunningly beautiful three-metre Buddha statue and other Buddhist images, a gift shop, and world peace café.

Everyone is welcome to visit at any time – either for an impromptu cup of tea and a chat, a delicious vegetarian lunch with the community or for regular weekly introductory meditation classes in English.

We also have monthly weekend courses with excellent simultaneous translation; it is possible to stay and chill out in one of our en-suite guest rooms for a peaceful holiday or guided personal retreat.

Kadampa Buddhism – a tradition for the people of our modern world.

Through the kindness and skill of our founding teacher, the Tibetan meditation master Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, we offer the essence of Buddhism – liberating wisdom in a practical stage-by-stage meditative journey which can be integrated into your daily life without having to be ordained as a monk or nun, or giving up your job and family life. There are now over 250 Kadampa Buddhist resident teachers trained by Geshe Kelsang in Kadampa Centres in all five continents, helping to bring peace and meaning into the lives of the people in their areas. KMC Spain in Malaga is the principal one of 15 Kadampa centres in Spain.

The founder Geshe Kelsang completed the 25 year Geshe Studies training in Sera Monastery, Tibet. After more than 15 years of meditative retreat in the Himalayas to realise deeply all he had studied, he was invited in 1976 to become the resident teacher of the first Tibetan Buddhist community in England. This was Manjushri Meditation Centre, near Ulverston in Cumbria. He was soon recognised by many students from all over the world to be an exceptional teacher.

Realising the potential of Western people to be able to practise Buddha’s teachings, he created study programmes to train them as meditation practitioners and teachers.

Discover your potential With simple techniques of meditation and positive thinking we can learn to calm our mind and discover a deep source of peace and joy that fill us from within, giving a great sense of freedom, clarity and inner space.

Then we are able to manage effectively the negative thoughts and feelings which trap us in painful emotions – such as anger, depression, anxiety and obsessive attachment, and activate our inner potentials of love and wisdom to transform our ordinary life into a source of joy and happiness for everyone with whom we share it.

Continued on page 6

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Talking Point

Spotlight Our Resident Teacher Gen Kelsang Tharpa is an English monk. Ordained for over 30 years, he has many years’ experience in teaching Kadampa Buddhist meditation in Spain, Portugal and the UK. He is well known for his ability to teach practically with skill, clarity and a good sense of humour.

Our community Our community is made up of people of all ages and backgrounds from Spain, the UK and many other countries.

Outreach We give regular weekly and monthly meditation classes as well as public talks in many local towns in Malaga province. Please check our web site for all our activities.

Contact Web: www.meditaenmalaga.org Email: info@meditaenmalaga.org Telephone 952 49 09 18 Camino Fuente del Perro S/N, 29120 AlhaurĂ­n el Grande

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Men’s Matters

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Men’s Matters

Getting a handle on Movember

by A Man

It’s that time of the year again, and I don’t mean the expensive lead up to Christmas. It’s Movember – the time of year when men grow moustaches to raise awareness about men’s health. If you have taken part – good on you… I hope those handlebars are coming on a treat!

The Movember Foundation aims to change this way of thinking by putting a fun twist on this serious issue. Using the moustache as a catalyst, they want to bring about change and give men the opportunity and confidence to learn and talk about their health and take action when needed.

As a global men’s health movement, the Movember Foundation wants to help improve the lives of men around the world. To achieve this, it challenges men to grow moustaches during Movember (the month

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formerly known as November) to spark conversation and raise funds for prostate and testicular cancer.

The foundation sees success as moving the dial on progress towards: • Reduced mortality from prostate and testicular cancer • Men living with prostate or testicular cancer being physically and mentally well • Men understanding the health risks they face and taking action to remain well

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Men’s Matters So, you eat pretty well (some days) and take some exercise (most days). But if you’re like a lot of men, a trip to the doctor isn't on your to-do list. That can be bad if it means you brush off early signs of cancer of any kind.

One of the best ways to fight the disease is to catch it in the early stages, when it’s more treatable. The problem is that the warning signs for many kinds of cancer can seem pretty mild. Take a look at these signs and symptoms for prostate problems. Some are linked more strongly to cancer than others, but all are worth knowing about — and even talking over with your doctor.

As men get older, their prostate gland often enlarges.

This is usually not due to cancer. It is a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Very early prostate cancer generally does not cause any symptoms at all.

Many prostate cancers start in the outer part of the prostate gland, away from the urethra. If a tumour is not large enough to put much pressure on the tube that carries pee out of the body (the urethra), you may not notice any effects from it.

The symptoms of growths in the prostate are similar whether they are non cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). The symptoms include • Having to rush to get to the toilet to pee • Peeing more often than usual, especially at night • Difficulty peeing, including straining to pass it or stopping and starting • A sense of not being able to completely empty the bladder Very rarely you may get • Pain when peeing • Blood in the pee or semen

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Continued on page 10

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Men’s Matters These are more often a symptom of non-cancerous prostate conditions.

With prostate cancers and non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, the larger prostate gland presses on the urethra. The pressure blocks the pee flow and causes symptoms.

Remember that if you have any symptoms, you should be checked by your doctor. But most enlargements of the prostate are benign and can be easily treated.

Cancer of the prostate gland often grows slowly, especially in older men. Symptoms may be mild and occur over many years. Sometimes the first symptoms are from prostate cancer which has spread to your bones but this is not common.

Prostate cancer cells in the bone may cause pain in your • Back • Hips • Pelvis • Other bony areas

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Cancer that has spread to other areas of the body is called metastatic or secondary prostate cancer.

Other symptoms that may occur are weight loss – particularly in elderly men – and difficulty getting an erection (where you haven't had difficulty before).

The earlier a cancer is picked up, the easier it is to treat and the more likely the treatment is to be successful. So it is important that you go to your GP as soon as possible if you notice worrying symptoms.

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Spotlight

Spotlight

Christmas? That’s real magic!

by John Sharrock Taylor

‘Christmas is coming,’ said Val as she came in with the empty washing basket.

‘And the geese are getting fat?’

‘I don’t know about the geese. But I've just seen a robin on the clothes line.’

‘A robin redbreast?’

‘He had his back to me.’

‘I’m no ornithologist but I don’t think we have robins here in Spain. But if you've seen one on the clothes line, I reckon there's some early Christmas magic in the air.’

‘Well, he moved like a robin. And he was round like a robin.’

‘A round robin? You’re right. It must be that time of year.’

The Christmas round robin! Some folk love 'em.

Others loathe 'em with a vengeance, and admittedly it's not always easy to lash oneself into ecstasies about Camilla's new pony or Tarquin's sixth-monthold GCSE triumphs. Even so, I place myself firmly in the love category. I have sent out a newsletter every Christmas since long before we left the UK in 1991, when our sons were still in primary school. During that almost-a-quarter-of-a-century we have lived on four continents; travelled in a couple of dozen countries; watched the sun rise over Machu Picchu; been within roaring distance of lions, tigers and

elephants in the bush and snapping distance of crocs and hippos on the Zambezi; stared down the wrong end of a couple of machine guns and seen hordes of wildebeest stampeding over the African plain (a sight not seen in Torquay, as Basil Fawlty justly commented to Mrs Richards). Bring up your children as citizens of the world and they are likely to stay that way, and with sons and grandchildren in the Netherlands and the USA, plus family and friends scattered across the globe, the Christmas newsletter is just one more way of keeping in touch.

Up until the late 1990s I used to bash them out on my old Olivetti. Then Al Gore invented the internet (please don't write in) and I could send them by email and even add some photos of young Camilla and Tarquin – or rather the Taylor equivalent thereof.

I'm tempted to say 'That was magic' but please read on.

In fact is I love most things about Christmas, and

by Christmas I mean, of course, the traditional festival – not the pointless plastic tat which fills the British supermarkets and seems to dominate our TV screens from the end of August until the Easter eggs pop up like toadstools on Boxing Day. Whether you are conventionally religious or not, there is something absolutely essential about a festival which, in the very depths of winter, celebrates the triumph of innocence over cynicism, hope over despair and light over darkness.

Val and I lived in India for four years and we still exchange Diwali greetings with friends there. Hindus are wonderfully eclectic about their faith, and the teachers and children in our school seemed to enjoy our festival as an introduction to their own more colourful junketings. Nor, unlike many in painfully PC Britain, did they shy away from the word Christmas.

No Winterval nonsense for them, nor the timid ringing of Mr Tull's self-conscious solstice bells.

Indeed, we had to work hard to convince Hari, our drama teacher, that Shepherds, Wise Men, Donkey, Ox, Ass, Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus were quite a big enough cast for his nativity play without

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Spotlight In English, the word trips so casually off the tongue: magic is something done on the silver screen by Gandalf or Harry Potter, and even as we enjoy it we know it's nothing more than clever special effects. In my childhood, back in nineteen-hundred-and-frozento-death, Magic Gems were just a bigger, gummier version of fruit gums and now even they have dwindled into a video game. But in Spanish 'magic' still retains some of its original meaning. Standing, twenty-odd years ago, at the back of a Christmas end-of-term assembly in a sunlit open air rancho in El Salvador, I felt a touch on my arm. I turned and looked down into the large, luminous eyes of a very small man who stared unblinkingly up at me: dragging in Moses, the Twelve Disciples and the full congregation from the Sermon on the Mount. At the end of term we sang carols in the British High Commissioner's garden hung with tiny blue lights and blanketed with very convincing polystyrene snow. That was magic. Almost.

Val is the daughter of a Congregationalist mother and a Roman Catholic father who attended mass every week — even though he had been excommunicated for refusing to raise her in that faith. She was brought up Protestant, educated by Catholic nuns and became CofE by default when she married me, all of which rather gobsmacked the panel at her interview for a post in a Church school, when she drily answered the vicar's unwary question about her church background. (She got the job). With our High Anglican affiliation (tinkling bells, dim religious lights and clouds of incense) it may come as no surprise that Diwali, with its fleets of tiny boats bravely carrying their small lanterns over the black waters of winter, has lodged itself firmly in our imagination.

And thanks to Val's periodic raids on Tesco, Ikea and Nottcutts' garden centre, no less than five strings of little solar lights – the white ones twinkling frostily and the coloured ones reminding me irresistibly of Rowntrees' fruit gums – make our terrace a festive place, not only at Christmas but on any night of the year. That's magic. Nearly.

'Soy El Mago.'

'Where are the other two?'

'The other two?'

'Surely there were three of you. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, if I remember rightly.'

For a long, magical moment we stared at each other, rather flummoxed. Then the peso dropped and the visitor revealed that he was actually the local Tommy Cooper, come to entertain the tinies of our Infant Section to some Christmas conjuring. Let me dwell for a spell on that brief conversation: Magic is the province of a Wise Man, or Magus, and if you think for a moment of the Wise Woman, or White Witch of English tradition, you will realise that Magi can be more than mere sleight-of-hand illusionists. It was the Wise Men who, following their star, brought those solemn gifts of mystic meaning to the stable at Bethlehem. Tradition says they were also kings, named Balthazar, Caspar and Melchior, and the guides at Cologne Cathedral will show you their tomb. The visit of Los Reyes Magos to the infant Jesus is commemorated in Spain on January 5 – Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, the Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany.

Continued on page 14

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Spotlight Ask any child the meaning of that and he'll tell you it's the night when we pelt each other with boiled sweets before opening our own gifts. But the real point is that the Wise Men who came to worship the infant King of the Jews were all foreigners. It was the precise point in history when God became international (but don't, for God's sake, tell UKIP) and that really is magical – or it would be if we could learn to stop treating our neighbours like bogeymen.

All of this brings me to the mid 1990s when I took up the headship of St Andrew's, an international school in Malawi. The multi-coloured students were from 46 countries and spoke almost as many native languages. There was a strong Muslim cohort, including the children of Dr Mukadam, one of the leading lights of that community. When I told my deputy that we were going to present a Christmas Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols he was visibly nervous: 'In a multi-cultural school like ours, don't you think a carol concert would be more appropriate?’ he queried.

‘I'm all for a bit of culture,’ I assured him. ‘In fact, the more culture the better as far as I'm concerned, but surely multi-cultural doesn't mean that any of us should have to water down our own tradition in deference to anybody else's? St Andrew's started life as a Christian foundation, so let's celebrate that. I'll

tell you what: I'll do a carol concert when I hear that Dr Mukadam is planning an Eid concert.'

So our multi-cultural mixture of Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Atheists, Agnostics and Odds and Sods had its Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Everybody enjoyed it. Nobody complained and Dr Mukadam's charming daughter Naheed sang the soprano solo in Once in Royal David's City. It was quite magical.

At 7.30 pm on Friday December 12 my choral group La Vid y La Vida will hope to repeat the magic, when once again we lead the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in the little 300-year-old Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Socorro in our village of La Parrilla, between Iznazar and Villanueva de Algaidas.

Folk from the British and Spanish communities will read short episodes from the Christmas Story, each in his or her own language. We'll sing the old favourites, such as Once in Royal David's City, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Hark the Herald Angels and O Come, All Ye Faithful, together with Spanish carols such as Noche de Paz, Campanitas del Lugar and Ya Vienen Los Reyes Magos. The choral offerings will include John Rutter's Christmas Lullaby and Robert Pearsall's beautiful setting of In Dulci Jubilo. We'll also sing a strange song that isn't a carol at all, though I love it dearly: the Arrival of the Three Kings from Giancarlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors. The composer's account of how that song seemed to come to him out of thin air is another bit of magic.

‘I had been commissioned to write a Christmas opera for television and I simply didn't have one idea in my head,’ he said. ‘One November afternoon in the Metropolitan Museum, I chanced to stop in front of the Adoration of the Kings by Hieronymus Bosch and as I was looking at it, suddenly I heard again, coming from the distant blue hills, the weird song of the Three Kings. I then realised they had come back to me and had brought me a gift.’

Come and join us on December 12 and share the Christmas magic. See advert opposite for more details.

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Trade Talk

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Trade Talk

If you can’t beat them, join them... online!

Buyers nowadays expect to buy everything online — the rapidly-growing craze is to buy houses online too…

As we approach 2015, it is obvious that our lives depend on the internet for more and more everyday tasks. It is possible to live without the internet, but life is certainly made easier and often cheaper if we ‘go online’.

The Brits are still the number one buyers of property in Spain, followed by the Northern Europeans.

Searching for property online, ‘direct from owners’ has become an obsession in these countries.

Nowadays, Autotrader is selling cars, vans, motor homes and bikes online — it used to be a magazine.

The Friday-Ad has been online for years and if anyone has a holiday home for rent, they use Owners Direct, Holiday Lettings or a similar online company to advertise it.

Buyers know that properties are likely to be cheaper if bought directly from a seller because they know how high the estate agent fees are (especially in Spain). Online property sales, away from high street estate agency, are becoming the norm in the UK and it is spreading quickly…

It stands to reason then, that anyone searching to buy a home abroad would go straight to the internet to find their dream property. It then goes without saying that sellers of property abroad must ensure their property appears on the internet where these buyers are searching…

Buyers expect to search for a house to buy in exactly the same way as they would when renting a holiday villa. These buyers enjoy the freedom to speak directly with the owner of the item for sale and if they can communicate via email, then even better.

If you have a house for sale in Spain, can you guarantee that your house will be found on as many as four property sales websites, on the first page of a Google search?

Creative Property Marketing won’t charge you a fee when you sell; you pay just €296.45 for their marketing skills and 12 months’ advertising on the websites on which your property needs to be seen.

That is what Creative Property Marketing do (see the advert opposite for more details) — they market your property for sale, to appear as close to the top of any online ‘property for sale’ search, appearing as many times as possible.

Give Sarah and David a call to discuss how their knowledge and creativity can help you on 951 400 228.

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If you would like state-of-the-art, online property details to be found where the buyers are looking, then give Creative Property Marketing a call. They are, as their name suggests, ‘creative’ and moving with the times. They give the progressive seller and buyer today what will be the norm for everyone tomorrow!

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health

& Beauty

A life well lived

by Sarah Jackson

Do you know what matters to you in life? I mean, what really, really matters to you? Are you right now who you really want to be… what you dreamed of being?

Are you having the life that you always wanted to have… doing what you have always wanted to do?

Are you the best possible version of yourself?

If you find yourself answering ‘no’ to many of these questions, you probably have very sound reasons why… the need to earn money, or the lack of it; perhaps feeling pressurised into doing things that do not fulfil you; the need to maintain harmony in your home environment or generally to keep those around you happy. We can always justify why we do what we do – even when by doing so, we may be denying our own needs and desires.

To really live the life of your dreams, you have to have a dream.

If you cannot remember the dream you had before the ‘buts, should do’s and what if’s’ crowded it out, you need to identify what is important to you; can you remember what you dreamt about being/doing as a youngster?

Has your life taken a completely different route? Have your victories been empty, gained at the expense of things that were far more valuable? Maybe you have achieved what the outside world would class as ‘success’, but you feel empty, unfulfilled and wondering what it is all about.

Often it takes a deeply shocking event to jolt us out of complacency, to awaken us and to make us examine what we are doing. For many of us, life has become a compromise in which we spend the majority of our time doing things – or acting in ways – that will comply with the expectations of others, known or unknown, instead of doing what would really fulfil us.

This month I received my shock; something that catapulted me out of complacency.

I received the news of a death; the completely unexpected death of a beautiful, vivacious, loving, generous and effervescent young mother — the daughter of a dear friend. The news of death has never been so real, so relevant; I felt the pain of it at the deepest level.

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Grief is selfish. In that moment I experienced viscerally the understanding that life in this body, as who I am right now, will come to an end. Those I hold dearest will die – maybe before me as none of us have forever. I imagined how it would be to be the mother of that beautiful child; to have to carry on living in a world where nothing would ever be the same again.

The absolute certainty of life is that we will, at some point, cease to live. We need to stop waiting for the ideal circumstances to present themselves before we give ourselves permission to be happy. We need to live our dreams now – not when we are thinner, healthier, richer, retired… if we wait, it might never happen. We might never get the chance to live our ideal life.

To live a fulfilling life you must connect with your own uniqueness, remember what makes you tick, identify your own personal, moral and ethical values and boundaries and then live within them, expressing yourself as who you really are in relation to these realisations.

Stephen Covey in his book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' suggests the following exercise to wake you up to what is really important in your life: Close your eyes and imagine that you going to a funeral. In your mind’s eye, see yourself arriving at the church or the crematorium. As you walk into the building, notice everything around you – the flowers, the music that is playing, the friends and family that you pass. Feel the shared sorrow of losing and having known, that radiates from the hearts of the people who have come together for this ceremony.

Walk down to the front of the room and look inside the coffin. You realise that you are looking at yourself; this is your funeral. The people present have come to say goodbye to you – to talk about you and the life you lived.

Imagine yourself sitting down and reading the programme of service in your hand. Four people

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Health & Beauty

are going to make speeches. The first person is someone from your family: one of your children, a brother or sister, niece or nephew, aunt or uncle, cousin or grandparent. The second is one of your friends: someone who really knew you. The third is someone you worked with and the fourth is someone from your church or some community organisation where you've been involved in service.

Now think deeply. What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life? What kind of husband, wife, father or mother would you like their words to reflect? What kind of son or daughter or cousin? What kind of friend? What kind of work associate?

What character would you like them to have seen in you? What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember? Look carefully at the people around you. What difference would you like to have made in their lives?

As you consider the answers to these questions, you will gain valuable insight into what really matters to

you. These answers are your definition of success, of a life spent well. The answers that present may surprise you; it may be that many of the things you have been striving for all your life are no longer important. You may remember who you are.

By deciding to live the rest of your life with the end in mind, you create a frame of reference against which you can measure true success. By always remembering what is important to you at the deepest, most fundamental level, you can make decisions at any given moment which take you in the direction of the vision you hold of yourself. You can live a life that is true to you – truly successful, where you know what is important to you and what really matters.

All physical creation begins in the mind. First you see what it is that you want to be; the life you want to have in your imagination by ‘daydreaming’ or ‘imagining’.

That is what we did when we, as children, played.

When did you last allow yourself to play? To have fun for no reason at all other than to enjoy being in the moment?

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Health & Beauty When you can see in your mind what you cannot see with your eyes, this will allow the physical creation to follow. Architects have plans – their vision – before they physically begin to build. The building of our life is no different. If we do not create the vision mentally, we are at the mercy of whatever we encounter. We build our life by default — unconsciously allowing other people and circumstances to mould us and shape our reality.

Do the exercise above. Identify what you would like to be remembered for. Think about what you really want to be and do with your life right now.

Write it down. Begin each day, each task and each conversation with the end in mind. Base every decision on whether the action you are about to take

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or the words you are about to say take you in the direction of what you have described – or away from it.

Last month, here in Spain, a whole village stopped what it was doing; united in grief at the sudden passing of someone very special. She was English, an incomer to the village, yet the depth of feeling was so great that the school was closed so that even the children and teachers could say goodbye. The words spoken were of a short life, lived generously, joyously and with the utmost compassion and love.

The overwhelming feeling was one of having lost someone who had the ability to connect with and uplift anyone she came into contact with… however briefly. She made a difference in the lives of everyone who gathered to say goodbye. Hers was a life well lived. We will miss her.

Heartfelt condolences are sent from all of us at The Andalucían to the family, friends and community at this very sad time.

To contact Sarah in relation to living your life to the full, or any other personal issue, please see her advert on page 31.

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Health & Beauty

Brows the time to lash out in style

by Shannon McCarthy

Whether you go au-natural or get waxed, tweezed or threaded, the effect of perfect arches is often better and more naturel than getting a new hair style.

Having neat and tidy brows can take years off your appearance, as these often-furry features give your face geometric balance and enhance the look of your eyes and, in turn, your face. But having polished brows requires more than getting rid of stray hairs every two weeks.

Whether you have light or dark lashes naturally, with tinting, you will always have dark sultry eyes — without the need for mascara!

The eyes are an important vessel for expressing emotion. The ancient Egyptians certainly knew how to draw attention and take advantage of them! These days, thanks to our modern ways, we do a little less bug-crunching and a little more eyelash tinting — but with the same great results!

Traditionally, not matching your eyebrows to your hair colour was something of a beauty faux pas.

Nowadays, fashion shows and glamour mags are stocked with flaxen-haired models parading down the runway or smouldering up at you from a glossy page with bold, brown, or coloured arches. But tinting is not just for the models of this world — with the invention of semi-permanent tinting this look can be achieved by all women — whatever their age. Understandably, this solution also translates to another cluster of very important hairs on your face: your eyelashes.

Having lovely lush lashes can make a world of difference to your look. Don’t we all yearn for that freshly made-up natural look when we jump out of bed in the morning? Don’t we all wish we didn’t end up looking like a panda as we jump back in? And, really, who wants to put on mascara every day if you don't have to? Despite treatments to enhance our eyes hitting the mainstream, many women have yet to try them.

The treatment of eyelash tinting is a process where your lashes are dyed to make them look darker. The end result will depend on your skin type, hair colour

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etc – a bit like hair dye in general – but you can get your lashes tinted black, blue, shades of brown, grey or whatever you wish.

It does not make your eyelashes longer; its purpose is to give them colour to highlight their true length and make them appear darker.

Using only a vegetable-based dye on both your lashes and brows for added definition, tinting is a quick, safe and cheap solution for all. We all know how much a ‘good’ mascara can be – plus the cost of the products required removing it — so tinting not only saves you time but also money! Starting at only 6€, tinting will last for six weeks. If you would like your lashes and brows tinted you can save here too — as the cost is just €10.

Tinting is safe for all customers — men, women, and even expectant mums. Eyelash tinting is not dangerous, with the dye typically being made from a vegetable-based dye. This minimises irritation around the eyes and is the reason that the tinting is not permanent.

Those who wear contact lenses also benefit as well as those who don't have the time to apply make-up daily. Of course, for many of us the best benefit of eyelash tinting is that it’s there 24/7, unlike mascara which has to be applied every morning and washed off every night. So with Christmas and New Year round the corner, why not treat yourself to a very modest indulgence this festive season?

For more information on tinting or other beauty treatments, please see Shannon’s advert on page 33 for contact details.

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Health & Beauty

Just for Fun

Twenty teasers - mixed bag of mind-blowing questions 1. In which sport might you come across the terms ‘clutch hitter’, ‘blocking the plate’ and ‘beanball’?

2. Which UK motorway runs only through the counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire?

3. Which is the longest bone in the human body?

4. How many US States begin with the letter ‘M’?

5. What does BAFTA stand for?

6. What could a cockney refer to as his ‘Dickie Dirt’?

7. How high above the ground is a basketball hoop?

8. What would you be having if you were undergoing rhinoplasty?

9. What is the highest award for gallantry that can be awarded to civilians in the UK? 10. What is the most northerly mainland airport in the UK? 11. Which actress plays housekeeper Mrs Hudson in the recent television adaptation of Sherlock?

12. After how many years would you celebrate your crystal wedding anniversary?

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13. What is the capital city of Ecuador?

14. What is the year 2014 in Roman numerals?

15. The band Duran Duran are named after a character in which 1968 science fiction film?

16. What does the J stand for in Homer J Simpson?

17. ‘S’ is the international vehicle registration code for which country?

18. In which year did Pat Cash win the men’s Wimbledon singles title?

19. What type of animal is a chamois?

20. Jackson is the capital of which US state?

Answers can be found on page 46.

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Things to Do

A cracker of a

Christmas

present

Want to get into the Christmas spirit early? Then why not come along to “Ricky Lavazza’s Christmas Cracker”? Along with the very popular T.A.P.A.S. choir and Fibi Rose Mc Gregor, Ricky has put together a selection of Christmas songs, traditional and contemporary, guaranteed to get even the most “Bah Humbug” in the festive mood.

This musical extravaganza is being performed at Sunset Beach Club, Benalmadena on Saturday December 6. For tickets, call 695 887 366.

Ricky and the T.A.P.A.S. choir will also be at Venta Los Arcos, Alhaurín el Grande, on Sunday December 14. For tickets call 635 293 714.

Come along and start your Christmas with a bang!

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25

Short Story

The Beach

by Ella Durham

I stand gazing past the deserted sands and the couch grassed dunes, out to sea as the sun glints on the backs of seagulls. They are simple specks soaring in otherwise clear skies. The white-tipped blue washes the shore littered with nothing but rock pools. All is quiet. On the horizon, little ships sail to another land, all safe and sound. I feel the calm emptiness and bleak beauty of the place, entranced but suddenly uncertain. Is this vision real amidst the savagery and horror of others I recall here? For I still hear the cacophony of noise, smell the acrid stench of cordite and burning flesh, of souls mingling red with the brine and sense the heaving terror. It makes me shudder.

My neck hairs tingle and I thank God that it was them and not me. Selfish? Perhaps, but then it was a wretched midden where the devil held the dice and rolled them. Death or survival was just an evil game of chance. We were young; kids from the same street, daydreaming daft. We were khaki boys spoiling for the fight, our heads filled with the idea of fantastic glory and going home. ‘Be lucky,’ they’d said. Hah! Lucky to be in that hell? Even now I hear faint moans on the wind, the cries of the brave as they fell, never to rise again, and I weep. Oh, you may think me lucky for I came home. But I still bear the guilt.

“Do you like it?” A gentle voice asks amidst the silence of this place. Is it a soul long gone from the past? It should be. I pause, thinking of my reply. “I do hope so,” the voice persists. “It was my great uncle’s dream – not like it was back then, of course, when he was there, but afterwards when the years passed and the world shook its head. He apparently

26

told Dad’s aunt that when he got home, they’d go to a peaceful beach and they’d stroll along arm in arm.

I believe this is the sort of beach he wanted to see but never did. That’s what this exhibition is all about.

It’s for him and about him; James Bartram, my great uncle, and what he did there.”

A young woman of no more than twenty years stands proudly at my shoulder. I half smile, adding, “Yes, I like it.” She smiles back at me.

“I’m glad. It’s called ‘The Beach’ but I suppose that’s quite obvious. It’s a very special beach. Very special to me anyway.” I nod. She looks sad and I know why.

“It’s Sword,” she whispers, stepping closer to the painting and touching it reverently. “Well, what I imagine that beach to be like now in peacetime, although I have only read about it and seen photos. I made it beautiful again; a place for people to go and laugh and be happy together. And to be free – most of all for them to be free. I did it for him so others could see what he fought for. So we would never forget.” The young woman bows her head. I want to say something to comfort her but I don’t.

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Continued on page 28

Short Story

Short Story “Where is your great uncle now?” I ask, but I already know the answer, not everyone was repatriated from the beach. She shakes her head.

“Gone, but part of him is still here in the painting.

Look.” She points to the right of a small grassy dune in the background where a tiny tin helmet lies almost hidden in the sand, upturned but undisturbed. I put on my spectacles to get a better view. There it is! I hadn’t noticed it before; the tiniest of shapes, hardly there at all, like a ghostly intruder.

“Oh, yes. What a lovely gesture. He would surely like that. Old Bart always was one for getting in on the act.” I lower my eyes and bite my lip. The young woman looks startled.

“You knew him? Uncle Jim? Dad said that only his closest friends ever dared to call him ‘Old Bart’ or even worse, ‘old Bart the old far...!” She stopped herself, her eyes searching mine for answers. I look away. The sadness of the loss of my dearest friend and comrade is still painful, even after seventy years. The young woman is silent, waiting. I shake my head and start to walk away but she follows and grabs my arm.

“Tell me, tell me, please. Even my Dad doesn’t know what really happened. Please tell me, if you know.

It’s really important that the truth isn’t lost when old soldiers pass away. And it could help my dad. Let him have peace of mind before it’s too late.” I stood quite still and then I was there on that beach. How can I ever describe the Armageddon which I saw and endured? It is impossible. She stares into my eyes.

Finally, I give in.

I pause now and swallow hard as once more I see my best pal in the whole world recoil with the shot and fall to the sands. I rush towards him, clawing my way up the dunes to the ridge, ignoring the order to stay. “Medic! Medic!” I scream at the top of my lungs but it is no good. Too late. Old Bart doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe. He is staring at the skies. I close his eyes gently. Goodbye. Now I stand here in this gallery pushing the pain aside. The young woman’s eyes search mine. Does she see it all too?

“I tried, my dear, I really tried. I just couldn’t reach him in time. Tell your dad that. It was just the war, you see, the terrible war. I’m so very sorry.” My words echo round the gallery.

“You knew about the painting all along?” I nod, looking again at the picture and within it, the peace Old Bart helped create. Then I close my eyes and feel my heart lurch.

He’s there all right and he always will be.

If you have enjoyed Ella’s short story, why not read her latest novel, Ebony Blood? You can order either the e-book or paperback version though Ella’s website www.elladurham.co.uk

“It should have been me but he pushed me aside and ran up ahead acting as decoy. He made it to the ridge on our first assault, drawing fire from the guns so the rest of us could storm up the beach,” I began.

Get more info on Ella Durham at: www.facebook.com/elladurhamauthor @LornaElla www.elladurham.co.uk

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Useless things you just don’t

Just for Fun

need to know about...

In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all the world's nuclear weapons combined.

On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.

Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.

A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.

A snail can sleep for three years.

Table tennis balls have been known to travel off the paddle at speeds of up to 160 km/hr.

If you place a tiny amount of alcohol on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death.

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to slow film down while shooting so you could see his moves.

In ancient Egypt, priests plucked every hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.

The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA."

The original story from "Tales of 1001 Arabian Nights" begins, "Aladdin was a little Chinese boy."

The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for vehicles. At that time, the most popular player on the market was Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.

Nutmeg is extremely intravenously.

poisonous

if

injected

The volume of the earth's moon is the same as the volume of the Pacific Ocean.

The hash tag symbol (#) is called an octotroph.

The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat.

Ham radio operators got the term "ham" coined from the expression "ham-fisted operators," a term used to describe early heavy-handed radio users who sent Morse code.

Chewing gum while peeling onions stops the majority of people from crying.

The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified Kosher.

The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from public libraries.

The house fly hums in the middle octave key of F. A cat's jaw cannot move sideways.

The flea can jump 350 times its body length – the equivalent of a human jumping the length of a football field.

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

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29

Talking Point

Inside the Spanish household... a woman’s role Over the last few months we have peeked inside the Spanish household and the tradition which surrounds the family. This month we show an insight into the way a woman’s role has changed in the household and country.

For a modern Spanish woman these days, the difference between her mum – who probably had six children – and herself is profound.

She may possibly live with a partner for 10 years outside marriage – a notion unheard of when her mother was a young woman. Many modern married women share cooking and household tasks with their husband, yet unlike their parents, younger married couples often decide not to have children, since both find themselves working long hours.

Back when their parents were newly married, women could only strive to be good mothers and good wives; the next generation now have many other priorities.

Is your advertising not working for you?

For just 35€* per month this space can be yours See page 36 for details *plus IVA 30

A generation ago, Spanish women had few roles but that of housewife and mother.

Normally, young mothers would be breastfeeding their infants (bottle fed was frowned upon by the older women in a family). As with all western families, children are weaned on to soft or mashed solid foods. However, even to this day, neither feeding patterns nor weaning and toilet training are rigid among Spanish mothers.

Infants are treated with affection and good humour and scoldings are often accompanied by kisses. The threat of social shame is a tool in teaching desirable conduct, but adults do not actually shame children in public. Teasing and taunting are not normal parts of adults' exchange with children. Men and women alike hold and shower affection on babies, although in the urban middle classes fathers may — or once did — treat their growing children more formally than their mothers do.

Spanish mothers with infants of either sex will still carefully – even ornately – dress their little ones.

Sometimes strangers can detect their sex only by the presence of earrings on girl babies. As they become toddlers, babies' clothes come to reflect their sex, as boys wear short pants and girls wear dresses — Spain’s toddlers are very often seen in pink or blue up until they go to nursery school. With the more modern mothers, these ‘traditions’ are starting to wane. With more shops locally available to the modern Spanish mother, she now has the choice of lots of style and colours for her young brood — often frowned upon from older female relatives.

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Talking Point The birth of children is seen as the chief purpose of marriage. Children of both sexes are valued and raised with affection – even adoration – by parents, grandparents and other family members. Children are expected to be loving in return; a modicum of obedience is expected, but displays of obstinacy or temper are not sternly punished. Upbringing is not rigid, but as they grow, children are expected to understand the constraints upon the adults around them and learn respect and helpfulness as they approach the age at which they begin school.

Children's environments are intensely social, not usually enhanced by large numbers of toys or children's furniture. Children are expected to take their pleasures (and also learn) from inclusion in the adult world, where they are involved in and witness interactions from their earliest days. They are almost constantly surrounded by others and often also sleep as infants with their parents and later, with older siblings. Parents may depend on schoolteachers for discipline and use teachers' judgments — or those of priests — as part of their own approach to child training once children are of school age. Most Spaniards see schooling as crucial to their children's life chances, particularly if they are to leave traditional rural occupations as most do. The urban working classes, like most rural food producers, place high value on basic literacy and on schooling beyond the obligatory age of 14 to ensure entry into the world of employed or self-employed modern Spaniards.

dramatic show of women, from 18 to 70 years old, wearing wedding gowns and silently marching through downtown Madrid.

The role of Spanish women has changed so suddenly that there is a feeling that the fight for equality has only just begun… “We aren't stopping; we keep running for more rights," says Maria Jesus Miranda, a professor of sociology at the University Complutense in Madrid and a long-time feminist.

Among recent victories, legislation was passed in Castilla La Mancha, in central Spain, that changes to the electoral law would ensure equal numbers of male and female delegates to the regional parliament.

Continued on page 32

It is the generation of girls which has received an education and stepped out into the more urban working class and now is now the modern women of today. However, it was only a few decades ago that a female couldn't work or open bank accounts without the permission of her husband or father.

While American and northern European women demanded equality in both their public and private lives three decades ago, Spanish women were still expected to play the part of traditional, Catholic wives and daughters. Divorce was legalised in 1981 but widely frowned on, and remains similar today in many families.

Although females gained equality legally with the 1978 constitution, Spanish women today are still experiencing a cultural revolution that is pushing against long traditions: they have one of the lowest birth rates in the world and are fighting a palpable machismo in the workplace. And they are launching an aggressive campaign against domestic violence too; one protest which hit the headlines was a

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31

Talking Point The law came shortly after another initiative, called the Protection Law for Abused Women – a name-and-shame campaign in which the Castilla La Mancha regional government will publish and distribute reports detailing the sentences of men convicted on domestic violence charges. Other areas have since followed suit.

Silent no more The number of women killed by their partners last year was 97; this is 36 more than in 2012. A decade earlier, 37 women were reported to the Federation of Divorced and Separated Women as having been killed — however, this figure was denied by the government-funded agency for women's issues, the Instituto de la Mujer, who put the figure at 19. With more women reporting abuse, figures are now more realistic. According to FDSW, in recent years the number of deaths averaged 75 per year. It is also reported that 22 per cent of Spanish women, from the age of 16, are physically or verbally abused.

Until a few years ago, it was understood that the best a woman could do was be quiet. Women were so quiet about it that Spain seemed like the safest country in the world. However, the social services organisations began to vigorously counter that

32

silence by creating an atmosphere of zero-tolerance, through publicising all cases of domestic abuse in order to transfer the shame from the woman to the man.

The crusade has branched out to all women, including Spain's new immigrants, the majority of whom come from Morocco. Women throughout Spain were shocked when a leader in Spain's Muslim community published a book with a chapter on how to beat a wife without leaving visible marks.

Kamila Toby, president of An-Nissa (woman in Arabic), a human rights organisation based outside Córdoba, says she worries that new immigrant women and Muslim converts – who often learn their religion from books – will come to believe that Muslims are allowed to beat their wives or to be sexist. The book "spread misinformation about Islam," she says.

Antonio Hueso, a social worker for the Association of Moroccan Workers and Immigrants in Madrid, says Moroccan women need the Spanish feminists' help to gain rights. "They are from the lowest socioeconomic bracket and have no visible role in society yet," he says.

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Talking Point A sisterhood By forming a bridge for recent immigrants, Spanish women would introduce them to a society that is vastly different from that of 30 years ago. Madrid's neighbourhoods are no longer filled with young mothers and babies but young, single women – a far cry from former dictator Francisco Franco's idea of a woman's role in society.

He awarded "motherhood" prizes for each baby born.

crisis put paid to this baby benefit and it has been abolished for infants born since 2011. However there is still maternity benefit for working mothers.

Spain's low fertility rate of 1.2 children per woman has today's Spanish leaders worried, however.

The Spanish government did change the tax law to give working mothers with children under the age of three a tax rebate. This is also aimed at getting more Spanish women into the workforce to reduce reliance on immigrants. There used to be a baby 2500€ "dowry" – a Spanish benefit that used to be paid to parents of new arrivals – presumably as a way of keeping the birth rate up. Unfortunately, the

With the dynamics in marriage, parenting and employment shifting towards a more equal environment, maybe Sr Fuentes will have to reword his speech to incorporate that women have more prestige now they are the head of their own household!

Today, women make up 39.7 percent of the labour force; in 1970 they comprised only 18.1 percent. But while men earn on average €1,500 a month, women earn a little over €1000.

Not all approve of the societal changes. Eduardo Fuentes, manager of the National Foundation of Francisco Franco in Madrid, once said, "A woman's fundamental role is to be a mother. [The government] says they have liberated the woman, but it is a bit of a deception. Women had more prestige when they were the head of the household."

In the last of our series, we will look at the traditions of a Spanish Christmas and New Year.

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33

Things to Do

Ready, steady... bake!

The time has come! You’ve been lovingly stirring and looking after your boozy fruit and after soaking, it’s ready to be turned into your Christmas cake!

Ingredients: 1 x Boozy Fruit soak (see last month’s magazine) 225g butter, softened 150g light muscovado sugar 75g dark muscovado sugar 2 tbsps treacle 5 eggs, large 285g plain flour 2 tsp mixed cake spice 100g whole almonds (optional of course if you don’t like nuts!)

150ml brandy, for feeding the baked cake Before we get on to making the cake, read through the top tips covering Christmas cakes:

• If you haven’t prepared your boozy fruit do it now.

Soak it for at least a week – more if you can. Once you’ve soaked it, there may still be excess liquid with the fruit; heat the mixture gently in a pan until the majority of the liquid has gone, then continue with the recipe.

• If you’re struggling to get hold of treacle, molasses is a good substitute.

• Make sure your tin is deep sided (3″ deep); a shallow tin won’t do the trick here!

• Be sure of your oven temperature; a long slow bake is what’s called for, to stop the cake from drying out too much and making sure it bakes evenly.

• Position your cake on a shelf about a third of the way up from the base of the oven.

• When it comes to feeding the baked cake (with the brandy), you can miss this out completely if you want. Wrap the cake well as described and set aside to mature. The flavours of the cake still intensify and the fruit in the cake will soften and be delicious.

• If you would rather, you can feed with apple juice or tea for a non-alcoholic cake.

• If you don’t have a tin big enough to store your cake, it will be fine just wrapped well with baking paper and foil.

You can also split your cake mixture into a batch of cakes of different sizes.

The full quantity (see ingredients) is designed for 1 x 8″ cake which totals 1500ml. If you want cakes of different sizes, here are the bake times and quantity of the mixture for the following sizes. Use the guide to split your batch between the cakes you want to bake.

Size Tin (round) 2.5” (6cm) 4” (10cm) 6” (15cm) 8” (20cm)

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Quantity of Mixture Bake Time 150ml 1/10th 1 hour 500ml 1/3rd 2 hours 1000ml 2/3rds 3 hours 1500ml Full 3 hr 45 mins

Things to Do Righty-ho, on with the cake! First, radio on — find some Yuletide tunes to get you in the mood as you preheat the oven to 110c (fan)/130c/Gas Mark 1.

Cream together the butter and sugars until they’re light and fluffy.

Once the cake is cold, take it out of the tin by removing the baking paper from the sides of the cake but keeping the base disc in place; this will help keep in moisture as the cake is fed in the run-up to Christmas.

Add the treacle and beat it in well.

On your work surface, lay out two large pieces of foil – one horizontally and one vertically. Place two large sheets of baking paper on top. Finally, position the cake in the middle.

Using a skewer, pierce 30-40 holes in the top of the cake, but only ¾ of the way through so the brandy doesn’t run straight through!

It’s handy to put the feeding brandy into a jamjar, so it’s ready when it’s time to feed the cake.

Now for the eggs. Add them one at a time, working them into the creamed mixture before adding the next.

In go the flour and mixed spice and a last mix up.

Now there’s the base for the cake.

Take your boozy fruit and fish out the cinnamon stick.

Add the fruit to the cake, plus the whole almonds if you’re choosing to add them.

And now a last stir up! Cake mixture done!

Time for the tins. Line the base and the sides of an 8″ round, deep tin (at least 3″ deep”). At this lower temp you don’t need to wrap round the outside of the tin with paper to protect the sides.

Using a pastry brush, brush over the entire top of the cake with the brandy. You are looking to add 1 or 2 teaspoons of brandy in each feed.

Once fed, gather up the baking paper and seal in the cake, repeating with the foil layer. Now place the whole lot in a suitable container (I use an old Christmas sweetie tin which is just the perfect size!)

Place the container into a cupboard or somewhere similar; it needs to be out of direct sunlight somewhere dry, but don’t forget about it. Feed it every 3-4 days for the next few weeks or until the cake won’t absorb any more. If you come to feed it and it appears wet, then leave it to soak in for a couple of days before adding any more.

Christmas cake – done! Well for now, turn to page 42 for how to decorate your cake.

Fill with your cake mixture and bake it in the oven for 3hrs 45 minutes.

Start checking the progress of your cake from 2 and half hours in. Insert a skewer in the centre and it should come out clean when it’s completely cooked through.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin.

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35

Trade Talk

The importance of getting

the right legal advice

by Antonio Lizana, Grupo AVAL & partners

News of the regularisation of illegal homes The Junta of Andalucía has taken the first step towards the regularisation of the 300.000 plus illegal properties located in the autonomous region with the approval of the preliminary draft of a new bill on October 7.

The modification introduced will apply to three articles in the LOUA (Ley de Ordenación Urbanística en Andalucía). The effect of this will be widespread, permitting owners of these illegal dwellings the entitlement to legal provision of water and electricity supplies. The properties will also have easy access to register their homes in the ‘Registro de la Propiedad’ (land registry).

To regularise a property (which does not imply legalise) and to meet the criteria, owners must prove that the build was completed at least six years before the application date, and not be subject to court proceedings or administrative sanctions.

Furthermore, the draft modification contains a mandate stating that the municipalities must, within two years from the date of the law coming into effect, initiate procedures to identify isolated properties in ‘suelo no urbanizable’ (non urban land).

What are the consequences of these modifications?

Firstly, it will give legal security to properties with these irregularities and these edifications will be categorised into a similar scheme as that known as, ‘fuera de ordenación’ (indeterminate; not defined).

This will enable property owners to seek authorisation to carry out repairs and maintenance on their homes to a standard of habitation, in keeping with health and safety standards and allowing the registration of the title deeds in the ‘registro de la propiedad’ (land registry). This will also ensure the legal connection of the necessary utilities.

Grupo AVAL can give you a professional and expert assessment in relation to your particular case before the law comes into force. For us to provide you with this service, we would like to offer you an initial free consultancy at our offices in Málaga, Córdoba or Granada to advise you on how to proceed in regularising your situation.

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Changes to succession in Spain The famous European Regulation 650/2012 was approved in 2012 and is ratified in Spain. It will come into force in 2015. According to this new regulation, the applicable law for inheritance will be (in principle) the law of the country in which the testator has his/ her habitual residence at the time of death.

However, this regulation expressly allows the testator to choose the law of his/her nationality as the one to regulate the Will and inheritance. Next year, this regulation will be fully applied to inheritances and successions, leaving little time for Wills to be reviewed and updated (where necessary). These rules especially affect foreigners or expats living outside their country of origin. Not all Wills need to be modified and updated and a lawyer should advise you about it. A valid example would be if you have your habitual residence in Spain, but you want your inheritance to be governed by your national law – not the Spanish law, which forces you to leave twothirds of the estate to your descendants. Clearly, it is essential to have a Will in Spain. If you are not sure whether the wording of yours is adequate, or you want to make a new one in line with the new regulation, you should seek professional legal advice.

Vehicle and driving licences in Spain Legally, you are allowed to drive a foreign-registered car in Spain for up to six months in any one year.

If you keep it here any longer, officially you should have it tested and re-registered as a Spanish vehicle. Many foreign residents totally ignore this rule and carry on driving around in their UK-registered vehicle year after year. However, you need to be careful, as local police are cracking down on this, and are entitled to impound a foreign-registered car if they have good reason to believe it is being used permanently in Spain (many people driving this way also have invalid insurance). Re-registering a car can be an extremely bureaucratic process which involves going to certain places to do certain procedures, so usually it is much easier to use the services of a “Gestor Administrativo,” which is type of lawyer specialising in traffic procedures.

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Trade Talk Buying a car in Spain If you buy a second-hand car from a private individual you are required to apply to register the car yourself within 10 days of its purchase. This, again, is a procedure for which many people prefer to use their lawyer, especially if they don’t have any other reason to go to the provincial capital. Vehicle taxes are mostly paid at different counters in different buildings. Hence, overall, it’s much easier to use the services of a gestor.

Driving licences Whether you buy a car in Spain or are importing a car into Spain, you will have to decide what to do about your driving licence. Since the 1996 agreement on mutual recognition of driving licences within the EU, anyone from another EU country can drive in Spain with their original, home-country licence for as long as it is valid, with no obligation to take out a Spanish licence.

Having a Spanish licence can reduce problems and time spent at roadside checks, especially if you ever come across police officers who are not quite ‘au fait’ with the law and may be suspicious of a Spanish resident driving with a foreign licence. In any event,

you will be forced to change to a Spanish licence if at any stage you pick up a penalty point under the Spanish traffic system. EU citizens can exchange their old licence for a Spanish one without needing to take a driving test, but they will have to surrender the old licence — the services of a gestor can be helpful with this.

If you are resident in Spain, but do not obtain a Spanish driving licence, you are still legally obliged to present your UK licence to the ‘Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico’ for your details to be entered into their computer system.

To contact Grupo AVAL in confidence see their advert on page 43.

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37

Alice’s Wonderland

The wonder

of winter

by Alice Marriott

Hi again, it’s Alice It’s starting to get cold now. Luckily I have a nice fire to warm me up while the winter storms go by.

Unfortunately I have to walk to get the school bus during those storms, so I end up going with my big winter coat and what’s left of my umbrella.

Lennon and Rebecca Schaeffer. I find it fascinating and scary at the same time. What really scares me is how my teacher loves this kind of book!

College is going well — I have finally finished with exams for a little while, now that this term has finished. I have done well considering the change from high school to college but this term I have a couple of subjects that need a little extra work. I have also been doing some projects like the one I had to do in Lengua about the novel The Catcher in the Rye. It’s an interesting book that has a side effect on some people. They almost get hypnotised and it has caused many murders like those of John

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Some students organised a party — the Winter Party. It is to raise money for a camping trip. The party was quite good actually. There were lots of people there from all the small towns in the area. The police were even checking for drink-driving because there were so many of us there. I stayed with my sister and cousin in their flat so I didn’t have to pay extra for the bus! Luckily it was a clear night – cold but no wind or rain.

The only things I like about the winter are the holidays — Christmas and New Year – and that it brings us one step closer to summer. Christmas is nearby and I don’t really know what I want yet. I don’t really need much; something like some perfume and money for clothes — the usual. The only thing that I am asking my parents for is a new phone — the usual, they always seem to break before Christmas!

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Alice’s Wonderland

But Christmas isn’t just about the presents – it’s about the family time, the waking up on Christmas morning and opening the stockings (you’re never too old!), waiting for all the family to come to open all our presents and best of all, the Christmas roast dinner!

This Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve I’m spending with my boyfriend and his family. I have been going to his house for New Year’s Eve for the past two years, but it’s the first time that I’m going for Christmas Eve. On New Year’s Eve we tend to help get the food ready for the big dinner; we’d go and get ready and wait for the rest of his family on his dad’s side to visit. When they arrive, we eat and chat. By then it’s probably about half eleven and just before midnight, we go next door to his cousin’s and grab our bowl of grapes and wait for the church bells to ring. Then comes the glass of champagne and time to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Later, my boyfriend and I meet up with our friends and go to a party which goes on until anything up to 7am!

It’s a good night; I’ve always enjoyed it. Christmas Eve is supposed to be the same really so I’m looking forward to it — maybe I won’t be up as early as usual on Christmas morning!

Well, I hope you all enjoy eating your chocolate advent calendars (never too old for one of those either!) and counting down until Christmas. I’m helping out at the Christmas Fayre so I hope to see you all there!

Love Alice x

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39

Talking Point

Not such a tasty bite!

Most of us have always had a fascination with sharks. We don’t want to come face to face with one, granted, but do any of us even want to eat them?

However, as much as our introduction with the film Jaws was of the fantasy type, so are the many names under which shark meat is sold… especially here in Spain.

I found it quite shocking to find that Europe is the largest shark trader in the world. Spain is one of the largest exports to Asia of shark fins. However, the Asians do not want the meat — often sharks will be hunted purely for the fin alone, leaving a shark to endure immense pain before it dies, sometimes for up to three days, whilst it is left unable to swim in the ocean or fend for itself.

There are many fishermen who do not leave the shark finless but this does result in an enormous amount of shark meat as a by-product, especially here in Spain.

So, with this in mind, the fishing companies have adopted the waste-not want-not attitude and sell the endangered sharks’ meat to supermarkets. With almost 96 percent of Spaniards not even realising what they are eating — owing to the renaming of the fish — how are us non-native speakers supposed to be aware of what we are buying, and ultimately doing to this intriguing creature?

Not only is the complete extinction of sharks reported as imminent by such charities as Oceana, the meat also carries health concerns. If we are told what we were eating, then it is true to say that the consumption of shark is not very popular in Europe

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– especially with the knowledge that the meat contains highly toxic methyl mercury, which can be very dangerous to human health. So, here begs the question… do you know you are eating shark?

Currently, about 100 million sharks are killed annually — they are the most hunted animals of the world and in history. For more than 400 million years they have dominated our oceans, but if we continue this way, we will exterminate them in just a few decades.

And as history shows: what becomes extinct... stays extinct. It never comes back.

The fishing industry is mercilessly hunting sharks and offers them as shark steak, shark filet or shark fin soup, but these dishes are rarely offered under their real names. Usually they are made available under different "trivialised" descriptions. The reason for that is simple: it is better that the customer doesn’t know what they are eating. Mmm! The fishing industry is very imaginative and labels shark dishes with completely new descriptions. The following dishes and products found in Spanish restaurants and supermarkets are – or contains – shark:

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Talking Point Gallina del Mar Alo Rosado Lobito Cazón Tintorera Caella Obviously, this is seen as a fantastic marketing strategy as it leaves the consumer — you and I – happy. We think we are eating healthy fish. But be aware: even if the real name of the product is written on the package, it will be in small letters and unless you concentrated in Latin class you won’t notice or understand the name which is usually used: prionace glauca — otherwise known as blue shark.

In our local Spanish-owned large supermarket, they sell blue shark as tintorera – fresh and frozen. When I asked what it was at the fish counter, I was told quite quickly that the server wasn’t completely sure but that the fish was a bit like swordfish. To find out more I searched online for the product, only to find that it was a fairly poorly-made Spanish film from the 1970s with sea monsters in it! To be honest, I was more disgusted by the rip-off description I had received from the fish counter girl than watching some Jaws rip-off movie!

Sharks come by such quantities of this toxic material because they are the top-of-the-food-chain creatures which eat widely on whatever appeals to them, accumulating and spreading the toxins along the way. If sharks feed too close to the coastlines of large cities or places where there is a lot of agricultural waste, they'll pick up the toxins from their prey.

Mother sharks will even pass on chemicals such as DDT to their babies through their fatty tissue. I know I’d rather watch the poorly-made 1970s film than ever put a shark meat product near my mouth!

Even if you are not interested in saving the shark population, consider your health: don’t eat them. Be aware of what you are eating as healthwise, it really might just come back and bite you!

So, once again, the consumer is deliberately kept in ignorance while the traders make large profits. The sharks are fished to near-extinction and the oceans are irresponsibly exploited. Please stop eating shark meat – no matter what name it has – as it is an endangered species and its meat is deemed unhealthy by the UK Food Safety Agency (FSA), thanks to its highly toxic methyl mercury content.

This is found in all of the ocean’s predators – including bluefin tuna, another endangered species.

In fact, only this year a sharp dietary warning emerged from the Sharks International Conference taking place in Durban, South Africa. According to the speaker, researcher Jann Gilbert from the Southern Cross University, eating shark meat could kill you.

Gilbert said that in three species of shark, mercury and arsenic levels were found to be well above those considered safe by Australia and New Zealand's Food Standards Authority. This statement is also the belief of the UK FSA and its American counterparts, the FDA and Environmental Protection Agency.

Gilbert examined shark species meat samples and found toxic metals. Mercury levels alone were 10 times above safe levels in two of the species, she reported.

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41

Things to Do

Have your cake

and decorate it!

by Heather Jones

On the first day of Christmas, The Andalucían gave to me (singing please!)… directions for decorating a Christmas cake.

For me, Christmas starts on December 1; I have to be held back until that day before festooning everything in sparkles and fairy lights because I’m a Christmas nut! I think I probably (not including the actual day) have a my own 12 Days of Christmas with one Christmassy bake or project a day – a bit like an advent calendar but with only 12 (I think 24 might just finish me off!)

500g is enough marzipan to coat an 8″ cake. If you love the taste of marzipan you can make this layer thicker, but you will need more to do so. Knead gently on your work surface to ‘warm’ the marzipan, which will make it easier to work with.

Anyway, back to cake decorating…

Dust your work surface with icing sugar and roll out the sausage into a strip long enough to reach around the outside of the cake – measure with string to help you! It’s always longer than you think!

For an 8″ cake you will need: 1 x 10″ cake board 500g marzipan 1kg ready to roll icing 2 tbsp apricot jam or marmalade Unwrap your cake from the paper and foil you’ve been storing it in and set it on your work surface.

See whether it is level; mine isn’t always, so it often needs to be levelled with a knife – any excuse because it means I get to eat the trimmings!

Using a large serrated knife, cut the dome of the top of the cake if necessary.

Prepare your cake board and position your cake on it so that the cut side is downwards and the base is now the top.

Check that you’re happy with your levelling and adjust if necessary. A small sausage of marzipan just under the cake can help to level if you don’t want to attack it with a knife.

Take your jam or marmalade and zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften.

Using a pastry brush, paint the outside of the cake with a thin layer of jam (avoiding any bits!) So now the cake is nice and sticky and will be ready to glue on the marzipan layer.

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Take half the marzipan and mould it into a rough sausage shape.

Also measure how tall your collar of marzipan needs to be and cut to the right height. It should be 5mm above the top of the cake.

Easiest for cutting marzipan and sugarpaste is a pizza cutter, the type that rolls. Position around the outside of the cake and trim neatly where the two edges meet. Gather together the trimmings and the remaining half of marzipan and roll out to about 5mm thick.

Using the cake tin as a template, cut out a circle for the top of the cake. Place the circle on the top of the cake, gently sealing together the edges where it meets the marzipan collar.

Use your hands to smooth the seams of the marzipan. Smooth the top and the sides, working out any major lumps and bumps.

Now you need to leave it to one side to dry a little — 24 to 48 hours – as it’s important in getting a really good finish on the sugarpaste layer. The marzipan needs to be slightly firmer to give you a fighting chance. So my advice… put it to one side, pour yourself a drink, put your feet up and come back to it tomorrow!

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Continued on page 44

Around AndalucĂ­a

Things to Do Okay, so the marzipan has set a little and we’re ready with the sugarpaste. Work with 1kg of sugarpaste for an 8″ cake. The thicker the sugarpaste, the easier it is to work with and the less it will crack and split on you. My preference is for Dr Oetker, (many Spanish supermarkets are now selling this) ready to roll icing as I find others I have tried tend to be too sticky and I end up frustrated working with it!

Dust the work surface with icing sugar. As soon as it’s out of the packet, sugarpaste will begin to dry out which is the cause of cracks when it’s applied to the cake – too much icing sugar on the surface also speeds up the drying out process, so you do need to be careful. Knead the sugarpaste to warm it up, making it much more pliable.

Measure across the cake with a piece of string from the board, over the top and back onto the board again and cut the string to the right size. Dampen the marzipan with a pastry brush dipped in a little water or a clear alcohol such as vodka or gin.

Begin to roll out the sugarpaste, making sure it’s not sticking. Once it sticks, it’s game over and you have to start again. You can turn the sugarpaste when rolling, but don’t flip it over.

Measuring with your piece of string, keep rolling out into a rough circle until the sugar paste is just over the right size.

Polish the top of the sugarpaste with the flat of your hand to smooth it out. Take any rings or watches off first as they always catch and rip up your hard work. You will feel what I mean as you polish – the sugarpaste takes on a shine and will be super smooth.

Use the rolling pin to lift into position on the cake.

Flip over the sugarpaste and remove the rolling pin.

Starting on the top, polish the top of the cake with the flat of your hand again. When you are happy with it, start working down the cake with your hands, smoothing the sugarpaste into position. Go slowly and work from the top of the cake downwards. If the sugarpaste starts to crease, lift it away from the cake and smooth from the top down again. If it begins to crack, you can ‘polish’ out the start of any cracks with the palm of your hand or your fingertips, working in a circular massaging motion.

Eventually, you will have worked all the way down to the board.

With a sharp knife, trim off the excess sugarpaste at the base of the cake. Wrap up the excess in clingfilm and save it for now. Set your cake to one side and leave overnight to firm up. Again this is important before you start adding any decoration, as because the sugarpaste is soft, it is really easy to nick and mark it with your hands.

If you are stuck how to decorate your cake, try using clean, small tree decorations, baubles or figures, or simply wrap a festive ribbon around it and dust with a little edible glitter or icing sugar for a really quick and easy fix. Many shops sell cake decorating supplies – including food colouring and cutters – if you want to be more elaborate with your design.

Have a go at making a simple sugarpaste snowman – maybe add a little of your ribbon for his scarf.

Whatever you choose, enjoy your cake designing — it is nearly Christmas after all!

Place the rolling pin in the middle of the rolled out icing and flip it over.

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Classified Adverts Services Offered

Events

We are asking for people out there who took out a mortgage in 2004 with Cajasur in Antequera to get in contact with us. We believe we have a case relating to the amount you could be paying on your mortgage. This may be too much because of a fixed rate policy, meaning that the percentage rate would not go lower than 4.59 per cent. We would be interested in forming a group to consolidate on this issue. Your personal details will be treated as strictly confidential, please email your contact details only to info@theandalucian.com we will forward them on to private advertiser who wishes to remain anonymous.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE is being held

by The Anglican Parish of Nerja & Almuñecar on Wednesday 17th December at 5 pm at Iglesia de San Miguel (St. Michael’s church) in Plaza Andalucía, Nerja. Christmas songs performed by the CoraXalia Choir and traditional and modern carols for all the community. After the service FESTIVE REFRESHMENTS will be provided by the Mothers’ Union . The event is sponsored by DE COTTA LAW to raise money for the charity, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan Residential Home in Nerja.

Responsible Spanish married couple with children available immediately for live-in work — cleaning and maintenance jobs including general labouring, painting, gardening, pruning olive and fruit trees etc.

Holders of a Phytosanitary certificate and current driving licences with own car. Will consider all areas.

Please contact 649 169937 or 627 433683 for details (Spanish/French speaking).

Animals

Events Local artist Margaret Riordan has two art exhibitions running until March 2015 at Bar Choto Playa on the N340 at Peñoncillo beach, Torrox Costa, (not Tuesdays). Next to Ruta 34 motorcycles shop and in Restaurante Sevillano – El Rincón, Calle Gloria, Nerja Local choir, Coral Coraxalia, conducted by Eusebio Pita, will be performing two concerts of popular folk songs and Christmas carols. Viñuela on Saturday December 6 at 6 pm, church of San José (hot chocolate and pastries provided by Viñuela Ayuntamiento) and at Alcaucín on Sunday December 7 at 7 pm (after 6 pm mass) Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario. For more information call 669 682 139 or email eucorax@hotmail.es

A loving home is wanted for Rufus, a young Podenco-type dog abandoned by hunters near Iznajar, Andalucia. He is sweet natured, wellbehaved and loves the company of other dogs.

Rufus is approximately a year old, 18” high and will finally weigh around 11 kilos. He is currently being cared for at Rev Doreen’s Refuge and has had the Leishmaniesis blood test which proved negative.

Rufus will be snipped, chipped and vaccinated — ready to give love and pleasure to his new family.

Please contact Marylynne or Gillian on 637 896357 or email info@ruralaccommodationandalucia.com for more information.

Classified Advertising for only €5 a month or €20 for six months (prices exclude IVA at 21%).

Call 952 723075 or email us with details info@theandalucian.com

Property for Sale TEBA 3 bed, 2 bath 19th century townhouse. Original features, 360m2. Fantastic pool & terrace. Certified Energy Rating C. PRICE REDUCED €299,950 Call 627 683380 for details

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Situated at foot of Teba Gorge, 4 bed main house plus selfcontained 2 bed apartment ideal for letting/business.

Large gardens and pool.

Price reduced 249,000€ Phone 952749130 or email barbarasumner@hotmail. co.uk

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Twenty teasers answers from page 24 1. Baseball 2. M54 3. Femur (thigh bone) 4. 8 (Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri and Montana) 5. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts 6. Shirt 7. 3 metres/10 feet 8. Nose job 9. George Cross 10. Wick John O’Groats (Most commonly known as Wick airport) 11. Una Stubbs 12. 15 13. Quito 14. MMXIV 15. Barbarella

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16. Jay 17. Sweden 18. 1987 19. Antelope (sometimes also described as a goat or goat-antelope) 20. Mississippi

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