MAFALDA

Have you ever read Mafalda? If you haven't... Please! Do it! It's a fantastic comic which makes a criticism about our “little world”.

Mafalda is a five years old little girl who is deeply concerned about humanity and world peace and rebels against the world as it is. Big trues are loosened hidden in nice sentences and jokes.

I can't put here any comic strip because I haven't found any in English... but here it is one in Spanish!jejee ^^

CHRISTMAS REFLECTION

Making use of these days I would like to make a reflection: What does Christmas consist of?

Crowds of people in the streets, thousands of bulbs illuminating the streets, the smell of chestnuts and corncobs flooding everything, shopping everywhere, hypocrisy, gifts, money and so on. This is all what you see during these days: many people spending too much money, which many of them haven't got. This is our new lifestyle, a life based on appearances.

Fifty years ago, Christmas Day, the 25th December, was a day to stay with the family and to receive the Christmas box. And in the afternoon, children went out to the streets to throw firecrackers.

In this time, Santa Claus didn't exist for the Spanish society. Santa Claus is a Nordic tradition which was used by “El Corte Inglés” to raise the consumption and their benefits. In addition to this, Santa Claus is an American celebration too, and this fact is very important because many countries of Europe adopt American festivities like Halloween, that had never been celebrated before.

Could anybody tell me why in these days we must be happy? Why can't be happy all the year? Why just can we forgive during this period of the year? I have tried it many times, but I have never understand why we must be good people in these days and not the whole year.

Returning to the central subject of Christmas and what it carries, I would want to speak about the huge amount of presents. Why have we got the necessity of buying all these presents? Are we worse people if we don't buy a minimum of twenty expensive gifts? I can't understand this either.

Against what it is thought, children aren't happier for having more gifts. This is a capitalist idea: the time that you can't spend/dedicate with your sons fill it with presents and whims. With this thought it has increased the number of children with depression and emotional disorders. The fondness of the family can't be replaced for nothing material. Spoiled and disrespectful children are the result of this practice, like those that we find nowadays.

Our parents and their parents are going wrong in the education that they are giving to their sons. They have all they want without their behaviour, without striving for nothing. And the parents agree and reward.

For these reasons and other personal opinions I don't like Christmas festivity, though I enjoy holidays and not having class.

Being an authentic Valencian

Expressions you must to know if you want to be an authentic Valencian.

1. You look like Paco the explainer man.
>Pareixes Paco l'explicaor<

2. Take the candle because the procession is long.
>Agarra el ciri que la processó és llarga<

3. Over there in the eggs band.
>Per ahí per la banda'ls ous<

4. As shit by irrigation dish.
>Com cagalló per sèquia<

5. In the same color I have a Sarnatxo.
>Del mateix color tinc un Sarnatxo<

6. Here, the silliest makes clocks.
>Ací el més tonto fa rellotges<

7. To be the owner of the carchofas field.
>Ser l'amo del carxofar<

8. Every little rock makes wall.
>Tota pedreta fa paret<

9. A little blood with onion!
>Una poca sang en ceba!<

10. The paunch of your grandmother!
>La panxa t'abuela!<

11. The fig of your mother!
>La figa ta mare!<

12. Ale, to your village!
>Ale, a tu pueblo!<

13. That one who is not, does not find himself.
>El que no està, no s'encontra<

14. How are you? Suffering and having rabies.
>Com estàs? Patint i rabiant<

15. With a pinch I pick you up.
>D'un pessic t'alce en alt<

16. With a flea, makes a horse.
>D'una puça fer un cavall<

17. Give the trompa back to the boy!
>Torna-li la trompa al xic!<

18. Wheeling, wheeling to the Albaida Port.
>Rodant, rodant, al port d´Albaida<

19. The mother who goes!
>La mare que va!<

20. And the father who comes back!
>I el pare que torna!<

21. Take care, don't scald.
>Tin cuidao no t'escaldes<

22. It rains a little bit, but although it rains a little, it rains enough.
>Plou poc, però per a lo poc que plou, plou prou<

23. Throws more a fig's hair that a ship's rope.
>Tira més un pel de figa que una maroma de barco<

24. Next to nothing says the little paper.
>Quasi res diu el paperet<

25. Good night crucible, that the light puts out.
>Bona nit, cresol, que la llum s'apaga<

26. What goes forward, goes forward.
>Lo que va davant, va davant<

27. Good morning in the morning!
>Bon dia, pel matí!<

28. Yes, wait for you good sitted down.
>Si, espera't ben sentadet...<

29. Going melon.
>Anar meló<

30. Going fried.
>Anar fregit<

31. Do from intestine, heart.
>Fer de tripas corasón<

32. Who is hungry, dreams about rolls.
>Qui te fam, somia rotllos<

33. If Queen knew what Giraboix is, she would came to Xixona to suck the Boix.
>Si la reina sapiguera el que són els giraboix, a Xixona vendría a llepar el boix<

34. With patience and a stem, the sky is won.
>Amb paciència i una canya, el cel es guanya<

35. Work and stick!
>Faena i garrot!<

36. To be of Good Year.
>Estar de bon any<

37. And now what are we doing with the stock/hot liquid?
>I ara què fem del caldo?<

38. Always the same song!
>Sempre la mateixa cançó!<

39. I would like to see you by a little hole!
>M'agradaria vore't per un foraet!<

40. Txe, today are we going to see the gunpowerdisplay?
>Txe, hui anem a vore la mascletà?<

41. Burn him!
>Foc en ell!<

41. Rebowls how much water is falling down!
>Recollons quin aigua cau...!<

42. The fig of your aunt in lorry's wheel!
>La figa de ta tia en rodes de camió!<

43. I shit in the salad sea!
>Me cague en la mar salà!<

44. The mother who has give birth!
>La mare que t'ha parit!<

45. Go to do the wank!
>Ves te'n a fer la mà!<