What’s happening in Tenerife translates to Lo Que Pasa en Tenerife which niftily happens to be the name of a Spanish language blog about the island. It often reports on environmental matters and raises issues that may not be aired on ‘holiday’ type sites. For example today they report on the new policy at the Alteza supermarkets to charge a small amount for degradable plastic bags and  reusable cotton bags (which can be replaced free of charge if ever broken). This compares to the policy at Mercadona and Hiperdino whose plastic bags blow about the countryside like confetti after a wedding.

Another story comments on the insufficient margin allowed at some bus stops accompanied by the photograph of a young woman waiting for the guagua who looks dangerously close to becoming road kill.

The Lo Que Pasa En Tenerife website covers not only the big events that happen here but delves into the minutae of life on the island that has an effect on us all – tourist, residents or Tinerfeños born and bred. I’ve added a link to LQET on the nav bar under Sites in Spanish so you can always find it easily there.

Not exactly Sugar Sachet Spanish today. To the great disappointment of the lovely lady at the café her latest purchase of printed sugar sachets yielded no new phrases for me to share with you. That doesn’t mean I don’t have any sayings though for where there is a will, there is (usually) a way.

Donde hay gana, hay maña.

Thank you to Pamela at Secret Tenerife.

I came across a word I didn’t know today. Nothing surprising in that, I do it all the time. In Spanish it is more of an event when I come across a word I do know. But this is a word I should know and that should be part of the lexicon of anyone who is regularly online in Tenerife and interested in improving their Spanish speaking skills.  Surprisingly I have never seen it before (in this context) and neither has my 40,000 entry Español-Inglés dictionary.

The word is bitácoras and it means blogs. If you are living in Tenerife and trying to pick up a bit of Spanish, scanning Spanish blogs is a great way to do that. Just as in English you will find a blog for every interest so too there are countless Canarian blogs covering every conceivable subject from birdwatching to bizarre events on the islands to lifestyle and trends.  Finding one in a niche that interests you is a good way to build up vocabulary and contacts in that subject.

Honestly  I don’t know what is wrong with me today. I am soooo tired. I am even experiencing a sense of humour failure over the  antics of my wild child and that is unusual. If anything can cheer me up it is usually  his daft carry-on.

But not today. I suppose nothing is ever all plain sailing. I think I am  relatively calm with the kids but right now, I could see the little beggars far enough. That sounds awful I know but if anyone ever tells you that motherhood is all sunshine and light they are lying through their gritted teeth.

All of which leads me to today’s words of wisdom which happen to be from Plato and describe being a mother pretty well, I think.

Las cosas difficiles son las más hermosas

How truthful are you? Well if you are male according to that well known writer Proverbio you aren’t very truthful at all…

La mujer finge más que miente; el hombre miente más que finge

That makes so much sense to me. My partner is obviously lying when he tells me (yet again) that he really did remember my birthday it’s just that the present got eaten by the dog. On the other hand what does it matter if I pretend that his Father’s Day gift got lost in the post?

La victoria tiene cien padres y la derrota es huérfana

Best known for rallying the retreating allied armies – probably by shouting that very phrase at them – and defeating the Germans at the First Battle of the Marne in 1914, Jospeh “Papa” Joffre was a French General and Commander in Chief of the French army from 1914 to 1916.

Yeah. It’s been a while since I made a Sugar Sachet Spanish post. I’ve got loads of sugar sachets sitting here on my desk waiting for their shot at stardom but sometimes they don’t grab me, you know? But today after spending some time second guessing and confusing myself over a silly decision, I decided to just shut up and get out of my own way. Then I found this:

Haz silencio a tu alrededor si quierez oir cantar tu alma

I haven’t heard my soul singing yet, but I thanks to the words of Italian writer and poet, Arturo Graf, I am more willing to listen out for it.