What's Happening In the World (non-political!)

Yes, it was a film that impacted many generations. Some of my uncles used to imitate John Travolta in the way he dressed and danced. Today we see them in photographs and they are very funny.

 

Today a very important event occurs and that is that the days are over, now the time is hours, there are only hours left to subtract. Tomorrow we will eat in Valencia.

 

Whoa!
All of that over the fact the Summer Soltice is past?

 

Don't know how many of you know of Fiona the beloved hippo, but she now has a brother Fritz!

The lines are long to see her at the zoo!

 

Star is the soltice always, her eyes and smile are the most beautiful sunshine.

 

Carlos Alcaraz, US Open champion, wins his first Slam and is already the youngest world number 1 in history.

 

In Spain there is a saying that goes "En martes 13 no te cases, ni embarques, ni de casa te alejes" ("On Tuesday the 13th, don't get married, don't get on board, and don't leave home").

In Spain, Cuba, Uruguay, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and others, Tuesday the 13th is an unlucky day.

But it is just a superstition, there is no scientific basis to prove the truth that this day is easier for bad luck. Personally that is my opinion, but there are many people who on a day like today try to reduce their activity to the minimum necessary and take a lot of precautions with every decision they make. It is just a superstition, Tuesday the 13th is a day like any other.

 

World Aperitif Day (19 September 2022).

The aperitif is a deep-rooted custom in Spain and comes from the Latin "aperitivus", which means "tending to open". It consists of a light meal served to whet the appetite, before lunch or dinner. It can consist of chips, olives, cold meats, cheeses and nuts, although there are also more complex versions, such as croquettes, small sandwiches, kebabs, pasties..... It is usually accompanied by a drink.

 

World Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September 2022)

This day was born out of a sports injury during a racquetball match in 1995, between two friends: John Baur and Mark Summers. This amusing occurrence went increasingly viral and is now celebrated in more than 40 countries around the world. You can dress up as a pirate, wear an eye patch and walk with a peg leg. The day has been celebrated in a variety of ways, including Easter eggs in various video games and websites. Google has incorporated a "pirate language" version into its search engine. The day has spawned a variety of actions and events, including folk songs, charity fundraisers, special programmes, TV series and reality shows (ABC's Wife Swap) and video games.

 

Here in the USA, "aperitif" is mainly used as a description of a small, cordial type alcoholic drink.
No need to add something silly as food into it!

 

Long John Silver Seafood Restaurant offers a free piece of fish or chicken if you do an "Arrrr" before or after ordering your meal today.

 

Día Internacional de la Paella (World Paella Day), 20 September 2022

Every 20th September, coinciding with the rice harvest, we Valencians celebrate International Paella Day, a date on which we praise this delicious dish from the gastronomy of the "terreta" and share it with the rest of the world.

That same day, in the Marina de València, ten chefs from different parts of the world turn on the cookers and prepare to compete for the World Paella Day Cup 2022: the prize for the best paella in the world prepared by an international chef.

Outside Valencia, cities such as Bombay, Toronto, Helsinki or Canton have also prepared several special activities to celebrate it. The International Paella Day is a great worldwide celebration.

https://worldpaelladay.org/agenda/

 

There are many kinds of paella, it can be Valencian paella, black rice, rice with seafood, arroz a banda, vegetable paella, paella del señoret... but in the authentic Valencia, in this land of mine, the sea and the land, meat and seafood are never mixed in the same paella, that is an invention that was made for tourists, so if you ask for a meat paella, the only meat should be chicken and rabbit, maybe duck.

Authentic paella is eaten on Sundays and at home, it is a family dish that has a preparation time of two hours, but in restaurants because no customer would wait two hours, they usually use already prepared broths and I imagine they add seafood to the meat as something exotic and to give it more flavour, but it is not the authentic one.

I don't know about sausage paella either if they are German sausages. Paella is a typical dish only from Valencia and, therefore, it can only contain products from this land and German sausages are not typical from Valencia.

It really is a typical dish of my homeland, but it is not a national dish in Spain. The problem with paella is that people don't respect its preparation time and everyone thinks they are qualified to prepare paella. On a trip to Madrid with mom and in a restaurant we ordered paella, out of curiosity to know how they cooked it. Mom and I spoke to each other in Valencian and the waiter asked us if we were from Valencia, we said yes and the waiter told us:

- Don't order paella, you won't like it.