Belén

That’s Spanish for “Nativity.“ There is a huge Nativity scene that you can walk around with lights and music, but they got it all backwards…the actual scene with baby Jesus is at the very beginning instead of the end. Hmmm… So that´s how you are getting to get it here...

So I just found another Nativity. I like this one better because it is of the actual ciudad vieja (old city) of Almería with the Cathedral, Plaza, Cathedral, etc. in miniature.

Carmen, the lady I give private lessons to told me about it. It’s great cause she tells me about all these little cultural things that I wouldn’t know about otherwise. She told me a lot about how the Spanish celebrate the holidays and what they do. So here’s a funny story that Carmen told me…
Her daughter, Eva, who is only about 6, had a family tree she was doing for homework. Well, she was asking her Mom how to say grandparents and great-grandparents and who came next after that. Then she asked, “Who was the first person?” She doesn’t have religious education in school so she doesn’t know much about that. She asked, “God or Zapatero?” So I guess it’s not as funny if you don’t know who Zapatero is…he’s the current President of Spain. Isn’t that so funny?! Little kids say the darnest things!

Speaking of Zapatero and politics, did you hear about the King of Spain, Juan Carlos, telling Hugo Chávez of Venezuela to shut up? Sweet! Now Chávez is asking for an apology and until (or if) the King decides to, there is a “freeze” on relations with Spain. No one knows exactly what that means…