Today first, cause it is fast and easy. Worked, the usual stuff, but got a LOT of exercise it. 20K round trip bike ride to and back, topped off with a 3K run as the dog needed out and I was already sweaty. Had I known, I'd have gone for a swim too, and done a tri!
Avui primer, perquè és una historia ràpida i senzilla. He treballat, com sempre, però he fet MOLT d'exercici. Un 20K d'anar i tornar a treballar a la bici i a més a més, he anat a córrer unes 3K perquè el gos ha hagut d'anar fora i jo ja estava suada. Si havia sabut, havia hagut anar a nadar i podria hagut acabat un tri!
Ho sento molt, però aquesta historia a baix està massa llarg per fer aquí en català també. Ho faré, però apart.
Yesterday.
OK, a little back story so you have a clue what I'm talking about. I am doing a trade, a language lesson trade. The architect who worked on our house badly needs to improve his English, and fairly quickly. I don't do free language lessons, so we're doing a trade, for every hour I help him, he helps me for an hour as well with Catalan.
SO, since he and I are currently talking to each other for about 6 hours a week, quite a lot of hours, I find it easier sometimes, and more interesting, to go walking for part of the time, so we do. Chuck likes this aspect of things as well.
Yesterday, the architect (I may have to come up with something faster to type!) and I were walking up into the mountains here in the village and we were just coming off the end of a road to head onto a trail when we say a young man coming towards us. I have to give you more back story here to understand all the implications of this.
There are a lot of people living in Spain who have emigrated from Africa, all over Africa. They are almost all fairly young, under 40, and almost all of them are men. They are, quite simply economic refugees. I have recently come across an area where many of them are living near here, and it reminded me of nothing so much as a very small part of the images you see of the Townships in S Africa, how they used to look, I've no idea now. Tiny shacks, cobbled together from whatever can be found, narrow dirt alleys between them, clothes lines and TV parabolas. My estimate is that anywhere from 50 − 200 people are living in there, depending on crowding conditions. I didn't go in to ask.
Anyway, most of these men, though by no means all, work as day labourers. Some of them have gotten jobs and papers, but many of them work selling purses and scarves in the tourist areas, or doing day labour on farms. My assumption, and I do want to underline assumption, is that something similar to what goes on in much of the US also goes on here. There is a parking lot somewhere where guys who are willing to work for the day show up, and people who want to hire them drive up and pick out 6 guys, or 8 or 2, they load them into the trucks and drop them off somewhere to work before picking them up at the end of the day and driving them back, hopefully with pay.
They guys, I imagine, don't know what work they will be doing till they get there and have little choice. Please note, I image.
That said, there is a look to these guys, and the fellow we saw coming down the road towards us didn't have the look. Snazzy shiny basketball suit, nice runners, sort of an amateur gangsta look, if you know what I mean. Not the kind of guy you see walking in the hills. The only place he could have come from was the abandoned factory off in a different direction. Where they sometimes hold raves, where kids hang out to sell, buy and smoke drugs, where graffiti is EVERYWHERE, and it isn't great graffiti.
Turns out the Architect is working on a project for that property, and is friends with the guy who wants to do the work, so when we got a little further up into the hills and heard the sound of a generator and metal grinder at work, he was sure that someone was in there cutting out the beams to steal them. Now I know things are bad in Spain, and that theft, even crazy stupid theft is going up and up and up, for instance a large number of people have died trying to steal high tension power lines, for the copper in them. Here's the catch, they are trying to steal them while they are in use. Not good for your health. Sometimes they succeed.
So, knowing this, I could believe, on an intellectual level, in the possibility that some guys were in there cutting out I-beams to sell them, but had my doubts. Turns out he was right. He called the guy trying to get the work done, his client, and he wasn't working there, so they called the cops. There were three guys working there, one doing lookout and two inside. Those two were cutting away beams that were fully loaded with a concrete beam floor above, that they were standing under. There was a w.i.d.e. span and few columns. They had one grinder, one hammer and two pairs of sunglasses as protective gear. You can see what was going to happen with that floor and those guys, right?
Unreal. They were all African guys.
The cops showed up, the guys had taken off to hide in the woods, where we had just been hiding waiting for the cops....too weird.
As we're standing around with the cops, for I know not what, one of the guys shows up. The cops start asking him for his papers, and going through the knapsack, etc etc etc, we leave, the Architect and I.
I felt bad for the guy, honestly. I assume, and I grant this is an assumption, that he may or may not have even known what he had to do that day, and he certainly wasn't the one who organized the deal. There was, for example no truck. How those three guys were going to get the beams, tools and generator through town without a truck, I cannot see. On their shoulders?
And this guy was likely to take the fall.
Just seemed....unfair...injust.
The Architect did point out that if we hadn't called the cops, one or both of these guys might well have died or been seriously injured, they were already about half way through that beam.
It has left me unsettled. We talk about 'first world problems' but that just highlights our ignorance of how some around us are living. This is a first world, but those people are living in a different world, parallel to ours, crossing tracks with ours, walking many of the same streets, but profoundly different.
And not so comfy.
And that is unsettling.
no?
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Today has been a wee bit unsettling. Avui ha estat una mica...inquietant
Nothing bad happened to us, or will, but it was unsettling and I don't have the time to write about it now, so very late at night.
Res mal ha passat amb nosaltres, ni passarà, però m'ha deixat amb un sentit d'inquietud i no tinc temps per escriure sobre la tema, està molt tarde.
More later, after I've thought it through some more. Escriuré més desprès, quan he tingut temps per rumiar una mica.
Res mal ha passat amb nosaltres, ni passarà, però m'ha deixat amb un sentit d'inquietud i no tinc temps per escriure sobre la tema, està molt tarde.
More later, after I've thought it through some more. Escriuré més desprès, quan he tingut temps per rumiar una mica.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Thanksgiving
We had thirteen people to Thanksgiving lunch today, including us, all Catalan and Spanish, excluding some of us!
A casa nostra avui han dinat tretze persones per Thanksgiving, nosaltres inclòs, tots Catalans i Espanyols, nosaltres exclòs.
I have to say that it went really well, the turkey was great, the various sauces turned out really well, the vegetables were delicious, and the pies, fantastic, we even located pumpkin for pumpkin pies!
Haig de dir que ha anat MOLT bé, el gall d'indi era boníssim, les salses han sortit fantàstic, els vegetals...deliciós, i els pastissos fantàstic. Fins i tot vam trobar una carbassa per fer la pastís de carbassa.
It was calm and organised in the kitchen, everything coming together like clockwork, with Youngest helping as needed.
A la cuina, tot anava amb tranquil·litat i ben organitzat, tot sortia bé i a l'hora, i la Petita m'ha ajudat molt.
The only thing that was a little odd was that I had an audience. You see, the Catalans have only seen Thanksgiving in the movies, so for them it was quite the cultural moment, and they were fascinated by the whole process. They asked when I stuffed the turkey, took notes on making bread sauce, and I have never in my life had so many people watch me make gravy.
L'única cosa una mica estrany era la audiència que tenia jo. Mira, els Catalans només han vist un dinar de Thanksgiving a les pel·lícules, llavors, era un moment d'educació cultural, i trobaven tot fascinant. M'ha preguntat quan he farcit el gall d'indi, quasi feien notes per fer la salsa de pa, i mai en la vida he tingut tanta gentada miren-me a l'hora de fer la 'gravy'.
Honestly, like being on stage, but know what? It all turned out really well, I was DELIGHTED, cause I haven't cooked a Thanksgiving dinner very often, and it was good. Some of the pressure was off cause of course they didn't know how it SHOULD be, but it went well.
Veritablement, com si hagués pugat un escenari, però, saps què? Tot ha sortit super bé, estic encantada perquè no he cuinat un dinar de 'Thanksgiving i estava bo. Mira, una mica menys de pressió perquè els Catalans no saben com ho és normalment, però ha anat molt bé.
Phew!
Ara, descans!
A casa nostra avui han dinat tretze persones per Thanksgiving, nosaltres inclòs, tots Catalans i Espanyols, nosaltres exclòs.
I have to say that it went really well, the turkey was great, the various sauces turned out really well, the vegetables were delicious, and the pies, fantastic, we even located pumpkin for pumpkin pies!
Haig de dir que ha anat MOLT bé, el gall d'indi era boníssim, les salses han sortit fantàstic, els vegetals...deliciós, i els pastissos fantàstic. Fins i tot vam trobar una carbassa per fer la pastís de carbassa.
It was calm and organised in the kitchen, everything coming together like clockwork, with Youngest helping as needed.
A la cuina, tot anava amb tranquil·litat i ben organitzat, tot sortia bé i a l'hora, i la Petita m'ha ajudat molt.
The only thing that was a little odd was that I had an audience. You see, the Catalans have only seen Thanksgiving in the movies, so for them it was quite the cultural moment, and they were fascinated by the whole process. They asked when I stuffed the turkey, took notes on making bread sauce, and I have never in my life had so many people watch me make gravy.
L'única cosa una mica estrany era la audiència que tenia jo. Mira, els Catalans només han vist un dinar de Thanksgiving a les pel·lícules, llavors, era un moment d'educació cultural, i trobaven tot fascinant. M'ha preguntat quan he farcit el gall d'indi, quasi feien notes per fer la salsa de pa, i mai en la vida he tingut tanta gentada miren-me a l'hora de fer la 'gravy'.
Honestly, like being on stage, but know what? It all turned out really well, I was DELIGHTED, cause I haven't cooked a Thanksgiving dinner very often, and it was good. Some of the pressure was off cause of course they didn't know how it SHOULD be, but it went well.
Veritablement, com si hagués pugat un escenari, però, saps què? Tot ha sortit super bé, estic encantada perquè no he cuinat un dinar de 'Thanksgiving i estava bo. Mira, una mica menys de pressió perquè els Catalans no saben com ho és normalment, però ha anat molt bé.
Phew!
Ara, descans!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Grossness below, consider yourself warned. Hi ha una foto una mica escarós, t'aviso.
Slightly gross picture below, not as bad as all that, but OUCH!
La foto allà a baix està una mica fastigós, però no molt. OUCH!
Went for a short run today, waking my legs up while simultaneously tapering (is that possible?) and found a rock with the second toe on my right foot. The white lines at the bottom are where the nail seems to have shattered, there is blood under the whole thing, but especially under the tip, where it was oozing out earlier.
He anat per córrer avui, per despertar les cames i fer un 'taper' simultàniament (no sé si ho pot fer) i he trobat una pedra amb el segon dit del peu dret. Les línies blanques a baix són a on l'ungla ha trencat. Hi ha sang a sota tot l'ungla, especialment a sota al part amunt del ungle, a on traspuava sang més aviat.
Ouch.
Fa una mica de mal.
Friday, October 5, 2012
I'm being followed. Algú em segeix
Every since I've got back from TO, his Chuckiness is following me EVERYWHERE.
Des del moment quan tornava, en Chuck m'ha seguit a TOT ARREU.
The Man, Youngest and his Chuckiness flew over a week before me, and when I got here, he started following me around. Which he does if he's feeling kind of insecure cause I've been away, but he usually does it for a day or two.
L'Home, la Petita i en Chuck tornava una setmana abans de quan tornava jo i quan vaig arribar començava de seguir-me. Ho fa quan troba insegur perquè he estat fora, però normalment ho fa per unes dies per molt.
We're in week 3 I think. Ara estem a la tercera setmana, em sembla.
And he is still seriously following. I sit down, he sits on my feet, I get up to go to the loo, he's outside the door when I come out, I have to be careful not to whack him with it. If I stay in one place for long enough, he'll go and lounge around in the room, but the second I get up, up he gets.
I m'està seguint seriosament. Si sec, seu sobre els meus peus, si m'aixeco per anar al lavabo, està allà a fora de la porta. Haig de vigilar de no donar-li un cop quan obro la porta. Si quedo en un lloc per una estona, aniria una mica més lluny per trobar un lloc una mica més còmode, però al moment que m'aixeco, el també s'aixeca.
Only thing I can figure is that he thinks I'm getting Alzheimer's. You see, with Eldest in Canada, he must figure that I forgot her, and simply haven't noticed her absence, so he'd better stick close, just in case he gets misplaced and I forget too.
No entenc que està passant amb el, em sembla que pensi que tinc Alzheimers. Mira, és així. Amb la Gran en Canada, ha de pensar que l'he oblidat, i simplement, no m'he fixat que no hi és, llavors, ha de quedar molt a prop de mi que no pugui perdre'l i oblidar-lo també
Des del moment quan tornava, en Chuck m'ha seguit a TOT ARREU.
The Man, Youngest and his Chuckiness flew over a week before me, and when I got here, he started following me around. Which he does if he's feeling kind of insecure cause I've been away, but he usually does it for a day or two.
L'Home, la Petita i en Chuck tornava una setmana abans de quan tornava jo i quan vaig arribar començava de seguir-me. Ho fa quan troba insegur perquè he estat fora, però normalment ho fa per unes dies per molt.
We're in week 3 I think. Ara estem a la tercera setmana, em sembla.
And he is still seriously following. I sit down, he sits on my feet, I get up to go to the loo, he's outside the door when I come out, I have to be careful not to whack him with it. If I stay in one place for long enough, he'll go and lounge around in the room, but the second I get up, up he gets.
I m'està seguint seriosament. Si sec, seu sobre els meus peus, si m'aixeco per anar al lavabo, està allà a fora de la porta. Haig de vigilar de no donar-li un cop quan obro la porta. Si quedo en un lloc per una estona, aniria una mica més lluny per trobar un lloc una mica més còmode, però al moment que m'aixeco, el també s'aixeca.
Only thing I can figure is that he thinks I'm getting Alzheimer's. You see, with Eldest in Canada, he must figure that I forgot her, and simply haven't noticed her absence, so he'd better stick close, just in case he gets misplaced and I forget too.
No entenc que està passant amb el, em sembla que pensi que tinc Alzheimers. Mira, és així. Amb la Gran en Canada, ha de pensar que l'he oblidat, i simplement, no m'he fixat que no hi és, llavors, ha de quedar molt a prop de mi que no pugui perdre'l i oblidar-lo també
Thursday, October 4, 2012
that 10K....it's gonna be looong, Aquest 10K? serà molt llarg
Went running today, as planned, pulled off very nearly 7K, as planned. Hmmmmm, I'm thinking that this is going to be a very very long 10K.
He anat a córrer avui, com he planificat, he acabat quasi 7K, com he planificat. Hmmmmm, penso jo que aquest 10K serà molt llarg.
The wonderful husband, when I came in the door, red in the face, sweaty and feeling pretty darned slow and hopeless greeted me with, "Wow, that was fast!"
El meu marit, meravellós, quan entrava la casa amb la cara vermell com un tomàquet, suada i em sentia lent i sense esperança, m'ha saludat diuen, "Que rapida!"
A keeper, that one. Val la pena que quedi, aquest, no?
He anat a córrer avui, com he planificat, he acabat quasi 7K, com he planificat. Hmmmmm, penso jo que aquest 10K serà molt llarg.
The wonderful husband, when I came in the door, red in the face, sweaty and feeling pretty darned slow and hopeless greeted me with, "Wow, that was fast!"
El meu marit, meravellós, quan entrava la casa amb la cara vermell com un tomàquet, suada i em sentia lent i sense esperança, m'ha saludat diuen, "Que rapida!"
A keeper, that one. Val la pena que quedi, aquest, no?
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
GOT IT! Ja ho tinc!
Got a new bike, and I LOVE it. OMGoodness, it is a beauty...almost as good as my beloved bike in Canada. In TO I have a rigid Specialized Stumpjumper from the early 90s with a mixture of XT and XTR components, a seat that fits me perfectly, cages, lock, rack, water bottles....stickers, extended handles, I've cut down the handlebars, re-jigged the break levers, the chain and sprockets are starting to wear, but she is a beauty.
He comprat una bici nova i me l'ENCANTA. És preciosa....quasi tan bona com la meva bici a Canada. En Toronto tinc una Specialized Stumpjumer (rigida) del any 90? amb una combinació de components XT i XTR, un seient que està exactament la meva mida, gàbies per aigua, un candau, una porta-equipatge, enganxines, extensions per la barra on posis les mans que ho vaig tallar també, que no siguin tant ample, els frenes vaig canviar que sigui més senzilles per les meves mans que són força grans, però encara no tant gran com les d'un home. La cadena i les plates ja estan una mica gastades, però....
The same bike new (not rigid, they don't do that anymore) is WAY out of my league financially.....but I got a super sweet bike: Specialized Myka, HT, (hard tail, no suspension on the rear wheel) She is fast, agile, smooth, quick and FUN. You should see my smiling face, I am DYING to go out and ride her. SWEET! They sold me a rack at a 10% discount, gave me a bottle and cage, installed both and replaced the pedals for ones that have cages, for free. Plus in 2 months I can bring the bike in for a revision. SWEET SERVICE! And they weren't even FAINTLY patronizing. Just plain good service.
La mateixa tipus de bici (no rigida, perquè ara no ho fan) està MOLT més cara del que puc fer ara, però he comprat una bici que és una vici....super bé. Una Specialized Myka HT (hard tail, que vol dir que no té suspensió a la roda de darrer). És rapida, àgile, i divertida. Hauries de veure la meva cara, amb un somriure...tinc tantes ganes de pujar-la i anar! Que BÉ! M'han donat un descompte de 10% per la porta equipatge, m'han donat una ampolla per aigua i la gàbia i han muntat tots dos i han canviat les pedals per uns que portar punters (?) una mena de gàbia per els peus...gratuït! També d'aquí dos mesos, em faran una revisió de la bici, gratuïta. Quina manera amb els clients. He anat avui amb unes poques ganes, de vegades els homes qui treballen en botigues de bicis poden ser una mica pesat, però no. Simplement una manera amb els clients molt bona.
But I can't take her out for a spin yet. I've signed up, yesterday, for a 10K race next weekend. As I have done very very little running of late, this requires a little work. Going to put in 7K tomorrow, and then take it from there, a 5K or two and a 3K probably next Tue or Wed.....then race day! I was getting nervous about finishing in time, when I realised that I WALK 10K in less time than is allowed for running it. I should make the cutoff.
Però no puc muntar-la i anar a jugar, encara. Ahir, o abans d'ahir, vaig apuntar-me (i l'home) per una cursa de 10K per el cap de setmana que ve i que no hagi anat a córrer molt, últimament, tinc una mica de treball que haig de fer. Demà faré 7K, i desprès un o dos de 5K i un de 3 dimarts o dimecres.... Estava posant-me una mica nerviosa amb el tema d'acabar amb els temps que ens deixen, i m'he fixat que puc caminar la distància en menys temps que ens deixen. Em sembla que acabaré.
Small, quick, fast and fun. Now THIS is commuting! Petita, rapida, àgil i divertida. Això és per anar a treballar.
He comprat una bici nova i me l'ENCANTA. És preciosa....quasi tan bona com la meva bici a Canada. En Toronto tinc una Specialized Stumpjumer (rigida) del any 90? amb una combinació de components XT i XTR, un seient que està exactament la meva mida, gàbies per aigua, un candau, una porta-equipatge, enganxines, extensions per la barra on posis les mans que ho vaig tallar també, que no siguin tant ample, els frenes vaig canviar que sigui més senzilles per les meves mans que són força grans, però encara no tant gran com les d'un home. La cadena i les plates ja estan una mica gastades, però....
The same bike new (not rigid, they don't do that anymore) is WAY out of my league financially.....but I got a super sweet bike: Specialized Myka, HT, (hard tail, no suspension on the rear wheel) She is fast, agile, smooth, quick and FUN. You should see my smiling face, I am DYING to go out and ride her. SWEET! They sold me a rack at a 10% discount, gave me a bottle and cage, installed both and replaced the pedals for ones that have cages, for free. Plus in 2 months I can bring the bike in for a revision. SWEET SERVICE! And they weren't even FAINTLY patronizing. Just plain good service.
La mateixa tipus de bici (no rigida, perquè ara no ho fan) està MOLT més cara del que puc fer ara, però he comprat una bici que és una vici....super bé. Una Specialized Myka HT (hard tail, que vol dir que no té suspensió a la roda de darrer). És rapida, àgile, i divertida. Hauries de veure la meva cara, amb un somriure...tinc tantes ganes de pujar-la i anar! Que BÉ! M'han donat un descompte de 10% per la porta equipatge, m'han donat una ampolla per aigua i la gàbia i han muntat tots dos i han canviat les pedals per uns que portar punters (?) una mena de gàbia per els peus...gratuït! També d'aquí dos mesos, em faran una revisió de la bici, gratuïta. Quina manera amb els clients. He anat avui amb unes poques ganes, de vegades els homes qui treballen en botigues de bicis poden ser una mica pesat, però no. Simplement una manera amb els clients molt bona.
But I can't take her out for a spin yet. I've signed up, yesterday, for a 10K race next weekend. As I have done very very little running of late, this requires a little work. Going to put in 7K tomorrow, and then take it from there, a 5K or two and a 3K probably next Tue or Wed.....then race day! I was getting nervous about finishing in time, when I realised that I WALK 10K in less time than is allowed for running it. I should make the cutoff.
Però no puc muntar-la i anar a jugar, encara. Ahir, o abans d'ahir, vaig apuntar-me (i l'home) per una cursa de 10K per el cap de setmana que ve i que no hagi anat a córrer molt, últimament, tinc una mica de treball que haig de fer. Demà faré 7K, i desprès un o dos de 5K i un de 3 dimarts o dimecres.... Estava posant-me una mica nerviosa amb el tema d'acabar amb els temps que ens deixen, i m'he fixat que puc caminar la distància en menys temps que ens deixen. Em sembla que acabaré.
Small, quick, fast and fun. Now THIS is commuting! Petita, rapida, àgil i divertida. Això és per anar a treballar.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Bike shopping, comprant una bici
I'm riding a borrowed bike at the moment, and it is ENORMOUS! Don't get me wrong, it fits me in the sense that my feet hit the peddles in the right places and all that, but the frame? I need a 17 − 18 " frame, in a mountain bike, and I SWEAR this has to be 23". Truly, I have never ridden a bigger bike, and it is tall, as in pretty upright, as in, I am sitting up a lot, nice on the wrists, though with shocks, is that an issue? Harder than necessary on the butt and downright squirrelly going uphill, there is just no weight at all on the front wheel.
En aquest moment, vaig amb una bicicleta que un amic em va deixar, i és ENORME! No vull dir que no arribo, els meus peus arribant als pedals sense dificultat, però la quadra? Necessito un de 17 o 18", per una bici de muntanya, i això, tu juro, ha de ser 23". La veritat és que no he muntat una bici tant gran en tota la meva vida. També és molt alt, i estic seient més com si fos una cadira. Bé per els canells, però una mica més dur que sigui necessari pel cull i quan pujo, la roda de davant fa el que vol, per aquí, per allà, però no toca terra. Una sensació molt incomoda.
Odd. Estrany
Hoping to get a good lead on a bike tomorrow. Espero que trobo una bona bici demà!
Cross your fingers for me! Creus els dits, d'acord?
En aquest moment, vaig amb una bicicleta que un amic em va deixar, i és ENORME! No vull dir que no arribo, els meus peus arribant als pedals sense dificultat, però la quadra? Necessito un de 17 o 18", per una bici de muntanya, i això, tu juro, ha de ser 23". La veritat és que no he muntat una bici tant gran en tota la meva vida. També és molt alt, i estic seient més com si fos una cadira. Bé per els canells, però una mica més dur que sigui necessari pel cull i quan pujo, la roda de davant fa el que vol, per aquí, per allà, però no toca terra. Una sensació molt incomoda.
Odd. Estrany
Hoping to get a good lead on a bike tomorrow. Espero que trobo una bona bici demà!
Cross your fingers for me! Creus els dits, d'acord?
Monday, October 1, 2012
Yeah, the economy here sucks, Sí, l'economia aquí és un desastre
But this is why most Catalans really want to leave Spain. Not the letter, obviously, but the comments that the author is responding too. He has my whole hearted agreement.
Però això és perquè tants Catalans volen sortir d'España, no la carta, clarament, però els sentiments que han ofès l'escriptor, i jo també. Estic completament d'acord.
From Collectiu Emma, I quote in full from their site: D'el pàgina Collectiu Emma. He penjat tot que tenen allà. Em fa por intentar traduir aquesta carta, si algú vol, ho intentaré. Si sí, deixa'm un comentari.
Però això és perquè tants Catalans volen sortir d'España, no la carta, clarament, però els sentiments que han ofès l'escriptor, i jo també. Estic completament d'acord.
From Collectiu Emma, I quote in full from their site: D'el pàgina Collectiu Emma. He penjat tot que tenen allà. Em fa por intentar traduir aquesta carta, si algú vol, ho intentaré. Si sí, deixa'm un comentari.
Letter to President Martin Schultz
(Signed by MEPs Ramon Tremosa and Raül Romeva, and former MEP Oriol Junqueras)
Dear President Schultz,
We are writing you concerning the public declarations realized b y Mr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, vice-president of the European Parliament, concerning a possible military intervention in Catalonia.
On September 28th, Mr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras participated in the program 'El Gato al Agua' in Intereconomía chanel, where openly proposed the suspension of Catalonia autonomics power and called the Spanish vice-president, Soraya Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, to prepare a general brigadier from la Guardia Civil should be sent to Catalonia in order to dissolve its autonomic status.
Mr. Vidal Quadras literally said "The called referendum (for Catalonia self-determination) is illegal. An institution of the Spanish Government, the Parliament of Catalonia, cannot take a decision against the current system. Other than going to (the Constitutional court), you have to do something else: Article 155 of the Constitution provides a mechanism to intervene an autonomic region, if that fails autonomy laws. (...) The militar, which I mentioned before, have to take over the power of the Mossos (Catalan Police). And that's it. And if people take the streets, it is ok, but they cannot live more than a month in demonstrations. The government, if they persist in this attitude of rebellion, must intervene to rebel autonomy. (...) We must make use legitimate and prudent proportional form of coercion."
We cannot accept under any circumstance that a Vice-president of the European Parliament calls for a military intervention against citizens of the Union who are demonstration peacefully its own thoughts. We remain you that all the demonstrations in Catalonia and the declaration of the Catalan Parliament are done through a strictly democratic procedure. These declarations violate the freedom of expression of many people in Catalonia and the normal democratic procedures in Catalonia and Spain. It is, indeed, a clear violation of the subordination of the military power to civilian and democratic decisions taken by citizens.
The threats of Mr. Vidal-Quadras are inappropriate and outrageous and a shame for the European Parliament, a truly democratic institution. As Vice-president of the European Parliament, Mr. Vidal-Quadras should respect the fundamental principals of the Union, reflected in the Article 3 of the TEU, where it state " 1. The Union's aim is to promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples." and " 2. The Union shall offer its citizens an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers, (...)"
As Members of this chamber, we do not accept any incitation to the used of military forces to resolved a conflict within the Union, and we call you, Mr. President, to firmly react to this declarations, reinforcing the foundations of the Union, which is guarantee the peace in Europe. The EU is a beacon of freedom and democracy as they are enshrined in articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty of the Union, and we call for your responsibility to guarantee a proper representation of the European Parliament throw their vice-presidents.
We ask you to ensure that Mr.Vidal-Quadras gives public apologies for this scandal. Otherwise, we trust you will take the necessary action to restore the honour of this democratic chamber.
Dear President Schultz,
We are writing you concerning the public declarations realized b y Mr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, vice-president of the European Parliament, concerning a possible military intervention in Catalonia.
On September 28th, Mr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras participated in the program 'El Gato al Agua' in Intereconomía chanel, where openly proposed the suspension of Catalonia autonomics power and called the Spanish vice-president, Soraya Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, to prepare a general brigadier from la Guardia Civil should be sent to Catalonia in order to dissolve its autonomic status.
Mr. Vidal Quadras literally said "The called referendum (for Catalonia self-determination) is illegal. An institution of the Spanish Government, the Parliament of Catalonia, cannot take a decision against the current system. Other than going to (the Constitutional court), you have to do something else: Article 155 of the Constitution provides a mechanism to intervene an autonomic region, if that fails autonomy laws. (...) The militar, which I mentioned before, have to take over the power of the Mossos (Catalan Police). And that's it. And if people take the streets, it is ok, but they cannot live more than a month in demonstrations. The government, if they persist in this attitude of rebellion, must intervene to rebel autonomy. (...) We must make use legitimate and prudent proportional form of coercion."
We cannot accept under any circumstance that a Vice-president of the European Parliament calls for a military intervention against citizens of the Union who are demonstration peacefully its own thoughts. We remain you that all the demonstrations in Catalonia and the declaration of the Catalan Parliament are done through a strictly democratic procedure. These declarations violate the freedom of expression of many people in Catalonia and the normal democratic procedures in Catalonia and Spain. It is, indeed, a clear violation of the subordination of the military power to civilian and democratic decisions taken by citizens.
The threats of Mr. Vidal-Quadras are inappropriate and outrageous and a shame for the European Parliament, a truly democratic institution. As Vice-president of the European Parliament, Mr. Vidal-Quadras should respect the fundamental principals of the Union, reflected in the Article 3 of the TEU, where it state " 1. The Union's aim is to promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples." and " 2. The Union shall offer its citizens an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers, (...)"
As Members of this chamber, we do not accept any incitation to the used of military forces to resolved a conflict within the Union, and we call you, Mr. President, to firmly react to this declarations, reinforcing the foundations of the Union, which is guarantee the peace in Europe. The EU is a beacon of freedom and democracy as they are enshrined in articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty of the Union, and we call for your responsibility to guarantee a proper representation of the European Parliament throw their vice-presidents.
We ask you to ensure that Mr.Vidal-Quadras gives public apologies for this scandal. Otherwise, we trust you will take the necessary action to restore the honour of this democratic chamber.
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