Berbers: Parsley Island/Perejil not Moroccan at all

On this Amazigh Dutch site, it’s argued that the Moroccan government made a crucial error in the dispute with Spain by using a spurious Arabic name, Laila, instead of the older Berber word, Tura, being prepared to weaken their claim rather than acknowledge Berber language rights. However, there are further views to be considered.

It’s about time…

I could use a reprint of El Raisuni, the Sultan of the Mountains by Mrs Rosita Forbes.

No more exploding Moors

Those pusillanimous Valencians have decided to expunge the only part of their Moors and Christians feasts with any contemporary relevance: Exploding Mohamed. In view of this, isn’t it time the Brits stopped burning Guy Fawkes? I’m sure the Pope could make a bomb if he put his mind to it, and the IRA used to…

Translator porn

News that pornstar Dolly Buster used to work as a translator for the Bundesgrenzschutz, the old German federal border guards, reminds me vaguely of translation and interpreting’s original Mata Hari, Malinche, who got naked with, and told all her people’s secrets to stout Cortez. Or, as Mexican national mythology has it, parented the first Mexican…

Ah! viva la espana

Een fijn voorbeeld van het Nederspaans in het Geheugen van Nederland: ‘k Ben een onverschwartze Espagnolos Kijk naar mijn bolos, als roet zoo zwart Zie ik een aardig meisje met mijn blikkos Voel ik de prikkos, hier in mijn hart ‘k Ben van beroep torero in Sevilla Ik steek de bandrilla de stieren in d’r…

What exactly begins at the Pyrenees?

In 1939, in a piece in La Revolución Nacional desde la Universidad. Cursillo de orientación nacionalsindicalista, José Pérez de Barradas, director of the Museum of Prehistory in Madrid, wrote that “we Spanish are not ethnically European. Thanks to God, Africa begins in the Pyrenees [the phrase is famous and Dumas]; we are neither Alpines nor…

Yacht watch

Go check JP Getty Jnr’s Talitha in Barcelona harbour. It’s a lovely boat, although $315K/week seems a bit steep for someone who’s not exactly a fan of American luxury hotel decor. Still, I can imagine its passengers being content that they’re not one of the 24,000 other cruise sheeps passing through Barcelona today.