Events in the 15th week of 2025

Dear friends of culture,

in the mornings when I go for a walk with my dog, I often meet my old neighbour from Lanzarote. I think he belongs to the minority that does not yet have a smartphone, the ones who may never have experienced what boredom is. Even when they are not busy, the inner life of such people seems to be large enough, or possibly their merging with their surroundings is so complete that they can simply sit in front of the house and let their gaze wander over the expanse for a long, long time. To watch.

With a long stick in his hand, my neighbour walks safely over the rocky path. His feet are squeezed into closed shoes only for attending services, wakes or family celebrations. Now he is wearing coarse sandals. It is safe to assume that he has never worn a T-shirt, let alone blue jeans or shorts. His trousers are made of fabric and his shirts are usually a slightly yellowed white, at least during these morning walks.

As he approaches me, he looks quite content. We draw closer, our steps carry their rhythm, not slowing down, but I know that my neighbour is about to say something, which he will call out to me as a greeting. Most of the time, the unnecessary introduction of a ‘good morning’ is skipped. In Canarian Spanish, with slurred endings and a distinctive singsong, they get straight down to business, short and sweet, with a smile. One person says something, the other answers. ‘Que parece que hoy va a ser bueno.’ (‘It seems like the weather is going to be good today.’) Response: ‘Se nota que estamos dejando el pelete atrás!’. (‘You can tell that the cold is over!’). ‘A que esas nubes parecen traer agua’ (‘These clouds will bring water.’) Answer: ‘A los calabacines que planté les vendría bien.’ (‘My courgettes that I planted would do well!’). At this point, we have already passed each other and the wind sometimes carries a ‘Hasta luego’ thrown to each other. 

I think of the traditional songs here, the folias, for example. Everyone is allowed to sing, they take turns speaking, answering, often improvising...

Have a nice weekend!

Mikaela Nowak