The Very Predictable Future of the Anti-Gay Debate in Britain & France. A Sense of Déjà-vu.

The Now

This week there was a sacrifice at the altar of Notre Dame de Paris. The extremist right winger, Dominique Venner, 78, shot himself in the head. He was an ardent opponent of the immigration of citizens of the developing world to Europe and just hours before his death he wrote a blog post calling for ‘radical resistance’ to the newly passed French same-sex marriage law. Mr. Venner’s pathological narcissism is the perfect illustration of the mind-set exploited by right wing groups/ideology. They build up their self-importance to such an extent where they feel that every action, undertaken anywhere, is directly related to their being. This is the only viable thought process for an individual to be so utterly and personally offended by contracts that only concern the rights of the signatories in regards to each other, as is the case of a marriage contract.

In civil law, which is the only law governments should concern themselves with, marriage is a partnership agreement. Not unlike when two people get together to open a business. In fact my business partnership contract is extraordinarily similar to a marriage contract. There are a series of rights and responsibilities outlined in said contract. If my partner builds up debt, I’m partially liable. I have certain duties regarding the functioning of our business, as does she. The main difference, which is merely technical, is that we’re friends rather than lovers. Mr. Venner’s delusion is tantamount to me being offended by the minutiae of the private contractual agreements he may or may not have had with his wife (if he had one) or his contract with his publisher. I’m quite certain very few, if any, French gays ever concerned themselves with Mr. Venner’s legal or bureaucratic affairs. Worse of all, he led himself to believe that ending his life in a theatrical scene would have an effect on the decisions of private citizens to sign contracts giving each other certain rights. I could go on and on about his grandiose delusions including his choice of venue for his very public suicide, but they speak for themselves.

The Then

The past few weeks were a very déjà-vu experience for us. Almost everything that’s been happening in France, then Britain, happened in Spain many years ago. I remember, because I was a vociferous part of it. I campaigned in 2004 and 2005 for gay marriage. We answered the exact same accusations and sometimes even intimidation by right wing political and religious groups. We suffered the indignity of an ardently Catholic doctor named Aquilino Polaino being taken before parliament to give unscientific testimony, dragging out myths of yesteryear, such as gay men being the result of absent fathers and domineering mothers. Sorry lesbians, you never get mentioned by those people because apparently, you don’t exist- you just haven’t met the right guy yet! During Mr. Polaino’s testimony, I was sitting at the computer, and I was researching his writing. I had the tremendous pleasure of finding his essays on demonic possession. Before his testimony was over, I’d sent hundreds of letters to every LGBT association in Spain with copies of it and to the dean of the University at which he was said to work. In reality he didn’t even work there anymore. The dean put out a statement and sent me a very nice personal note. The aftermath of Polaino’s testimony is history. Later, the Catholic church paid millions to bus people from all over Spain to protest against gay marriage in Madrid. American Evangelical right wing groups sent people to Spain to assist, instruct and sell their anti-gay propaganda to two groups replicating the American Hate Group model. They were called Hazteoir and Foro de la Familia. Even call centre type bunkers were set up in the American south, by Evangelical groups, intended to drown Spanish internet publications/message boards with their anti-gay propaganda (fortunately, easily recognizable due to their repetitiveness and unfamiliarity with European Spanish) .

Their efforts were in vain.

The What’s To Come

Just as in France today, we had the die-hard bigots. Mayors and even judges who assured us they would refuse to enforce the law. They would not perform marriages, they would be conscientious objectors. The PP (Spain’s major right wing party) went as far as to initiate a motion of unconstitutionality at the constitutional court. To make a long story short, none of it worked. It didn’t work because considering the incredibly high level of approval of gay marriage in the under 35′s, if any party wants to remain electable, the hate model is no longer deemed acceptable by a generation that has direct access to information. Now it takes 10 minutes, a computer and google to discredit the misinformation promulgated by anti-gay groups. Educated people know homosexuality isn’t a disease and those who aren’t educated can check with any of the major psychological/psychiatric associations of the world. There’s a meta-study that shows that growing up with gay parents is really no different than growing up with straight parents.  All of that means that time is on our side. It’s on the side of reason. Religious lobbies may go insane and pour tens of millions into anti-gay propaganda (in bursts) and that does have an immediate effect on public opinion, but as the days go by people have time to verify the information. Time to see the sky isn’t falling. Time to recognize they’re being played by groups that have no interest in anything but their votes and/or their money. Now nearly a decade has gone by since the legalization of gay marriage in Spain and socially, Spaniards have not become a culturally different people because of LGBT unions- only perhaps in the sense that there’s more respect for us.

The Glory of Encaustic Tiles

19th Century French Encaustic Tiles

The more houses we look at in France, the more I love these tiles. It’s an easy way to make a big statement. They can really transform a bland space into something very special. Unfortunately I wasn’t brave enough to use them here in larger rooms, but we have them in some of the bathrooms. Next house I’ll go for something more dramatic somewhere. I’ve been trying to get a client to put them in her kitchen, but she’s not yet convinced. They’re heavy and thick and made of cement. The pattern isn’t the result of glazing but of different colours of clay. There are printed versions that are cheaper and also have a similar effect. Modern designs are also available.

In one of our guest bathrooms they look like this:

In related news I recently found an interesting fellow designer on wordpress. You should have a look at his work. His name is Orlando Soria. I love his sort of very American approach to design. Everything looks very sleek and new. I’m used to dealing with art and antiques and clients who more or less want their homes worked around things they already own. Except, obviously, for that project I’ve been posting about recently. The one I’m still not entirely comfortable with, precisely because I’m not used to this style. He’s also quite good looking, but I swear that didn’t influence my opinion.

Can You Help Me Become a Huge Twit?

I wanted to make my outrage about something known to someone… and I read that Twittering is a good way to do just that; So I’ve signed up for an account. I’m: https://twitter.com/pinkagendist

The problem is I have no idea how this thing actually works- so if any of you can enlighten me, it would be much appreciated! How do I get what I have to say to the people to whom I want to say it?

Christine Boutin & the Other Homophobes Sullying the French Flag

During the past year I have had the displeasure to observe the most disgusting debate on gay marriage to have taken place in Western Europe in the 21st century. The French right-wing, effectively the political branch of the Christian/Catholic Right, have been all too happy to replicate the American Right’s model of promoting hatred against gays. They’ve used the same junk “science”, dragged out the same fallacious arguments, and by doing so have created an environment of hate which has endangered the lives of the French LGBT community. Just ask Wilfred de Bruijn, the victim of a recent homophobic attack in Paris.

Courtesy of the Environment Created by the French Right Wing.

Today I woke up to one of France’s Homophobes in Chief, Christine Boutin, telling the world that “…there are laws that are superior to those of the Republic“. She also mentioned that if she were a mayor she would refuse to perform gay marriages, as a conscientious objector. Boutin’s words echo those of the wing of the Catholic Church that supported Fascism and of proponents of Shariah law. They’re also in line with the American Evangelical movements attempts to make their ideology the law of the land, to the exclusion of all else. What her proposition means in practical terms is that Catholic officials would be free to deny authorizing divorces. Pacifist police officers and soldiers could renege on their duty to protect the public and Jehova’s Witness’ doctors could deny their patients blood transfusions.

I’ve always been proud to hold up my burgundy passport with the crest of the French Republic on its cover reminding me of the values of the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. For a year I’ve been ashamed a sector of the French citizenry does not believe in those ideals. They are a stain on the flag, the great shame of a country which has historically been a symbol of enlightenment- evidently it was despite the reactionary sector of the populace.

Dinner for Eight and an Amazing Starter

We’re going to have dinner with our Hamburg friends tomorrow night and we’ve come up with an interesting new method. From now on when we meet for lunch or dinner, when I’m cooking I’ll do it at their place and when they’re cooking they’ll do it here. That means whoever cooks doesn’t have to worry about setting up or cleaning-up afterwards. The venison loin is big enough for eight, so we’re having it there tomorrow. I was looking for something interesting to start with and found something absolutely wonderful by Thomasina Miers.

It’s like a bloody mary, but with tequila instead of vodka and filled with seafood. It’s served in glasses. Extremely easy to make. I’ve just tried it, although I added cooked mussels, clams (without shells, obviously) and monkfish. The combination of flavours is outstanding. I considered substituting the tomato juice for V8 or Clamato, but there was none in the house and I didn’t feel like going out just for the that. It worked beautifully with plain tomato juice.

 

Ingredients (for two people)

• 350ml tomato juice
• 50ml freshly squeezed orange juice
• juice 1 lime
• ½ tbsp grenadine
• 1 ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce and a very healthy shake of Tabasco
• ¼ cucumber
• 140g scallops
• ½ avocado
• 100g cooked prawns
• 2 spring onions , finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tequila (100% blue agave)
• handful coriander , chopped
• crackers and buttered bread , to serve

1. In a jug, mix together the tomato, orange and lime juice with the grenadine, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, ½ tsp salt and pepper. Check the seasoning – you are looking for a nice balance of fire to pep you up, saltiness to season the rest of the ingredients you’ll be adding, a refreshing citrus kick from the orange and lime, and enough sweetness from the grenadine to balance the rest of the flavours. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
2. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Finely dice the flesh into 4-5mm cubes. Dice the scallops and avocado into similar sizes and mix everything into the chilled tomato juice along with the prawns and chopped spring onions. Serve in small glasses, drizzled with the Tequila, scattered with coriander, with crackers or buttered bread on the side.

A Very Interesting Perspective on Depression, Happiness & Other Issues

An interesting book’s come out by James Davies (PhD in medical anthropology). It’s called Cracked. He presents a very interesting perspective on the ‘medicalization‘ of society. I hope the topic continues to be explored in depth. I think he gets a lot of it right. Depression and other mental health issues are now treated as if they exist in a vacuum. As if they have no relation to the rest of our lives or even as if they can serve as the sole explanation for all our problems. (The same seems to be true of all addiction-related matters). This dismisses personal responsibility and reasonable human reactions that are entirely justified. Going through a hard time and recognizing that your hardship is hardship is a normal part of life. It took me years to be able to differentiate what was depression and what was a normal reaction because doctors on tight schedules are generally quite happy to lump it all together. If you’re having a tough year financially or someone you care for is ill- you should expect to feel negative emotions. Pills will not fix it, although they may mask your feelings. When we only consider medical solutions, we close the door to examining what the actual root of our problems may be.

In hindsight I can see that my adolescent depression wasn’t depression at all. I disliked my school. I disliked the constraints of childhood and I couldn’t stand the weight of the expectations that were placed on me. The second I embarked on adulthood, and could control my own life, most of those feelings diminished significantly. Unfortunately I had a already formed the very bad habit of indulging in negative thought processes. I’ve learnt, although I still have to work on it regularly, to recognize and actively work against this harmful way of thinking. I think most people who suffer from depression or anxiety-related issues could greatly reduce their symptoms if they take the cognitive-behavioural approach to the problem. There is much that we actually can control in our lives.

A tired sort of Thursday- another little roundup

Since last Wednesday we’ve had social things to do nearly every day. Lunches/Dinners/Drinks etc. Absolutely exhausting. Today we’re finally free. The printer broke down and it just happens to  have happened a month after the warranty ran out.  We were given a whole loin of venison. It’s a huge thing and I now have to figure out what to do with it. I’ve never cooked venison, so this is uncharted territory. In case you have a tried and tested absolutely amazing recipe… do share!

There’s a GORGEOUS new puppy in the neighbourhood named Amy. She comes to us for a couple of hours a day to be socialized. Rudy seems to adore her.

 

 

The 7 Craziest Things Anti-Gay Bigots Say About Us / Queerty

The 7 Craziest Things Anti-Gay Bigots Say About Us / Queerty.

Out to Lunch (again)

Our friends from Hamburg are here (I know, much too early for the season), and they’ve invited us to lunch at Pura Tapa, which at the moment is my favourite place. Their summer house is 2 houses up from us, so there’s the added advantage that they drive and we get to drink.

I’m going to have the tuna tataki which is outstanding there. And I’m wearing stripes…

Extraordinarily Good Advice for Muslim Virgins!!!

Wildflowers of Spain

The wildflowers at the bottom of the garden look amazing this year and the nasturtiums (last two pictures) seem to be happy at last. I’m trying to get them to grow all around the bases of the eucalypti. I’ve been trying for years, but this year they’ve finally decided to do what I wanted!

Why I Love Controversy: The Exceptional Barbara Hewson

Last night, sometime between sitting and the table and the sun going down, someone mentioned an article that just came out by Barbara Hewson. A London barrister who’s won cases at the International Court of Human Rights. She touches on a topic that most wouldn’t dare go near: Child abuse. More specifically she calls into question the aftermath of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

I feel compelled to agree with much of what she says. From the time the scandal broke, it seems to me the approach by authorities has been highly questionable. I’m not judging the merits of the landslide of complaints that are now being made- just the fact that in many cases they seem utterly unverifiable. Did alleged ‘predator’ B try to kiss a 15 year old girl in the halls of the BBC in 1965? Did more happen? It just seems all too easy for anyone who once ran into a celebrity to get their 15 minutes of fame and perhaps even gain financially.

Mrs. Hewson ends with: “It’s time to end this prurient charade, which has nothing to do with justice or the public interest. Adults and law-enforcement agencies must stop fetishising victimhood. Instead, we should focus on arming today’s youngsters with the savoir-faire and social skills to avoid drifting into compromising situations, and prosecute modern crime. As for law reform, now regrettably necessary, my recommendations are: remove complainant anonymity; introduce a strict statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions and civil actions; and reduce the age of consent to 13.”

Do you agree?

Dinner for Six

The weather is lovely today. We’re having people over for dinner. Best of all, I’m only making the starter! The main course is a leg of lamb which someone came to start preparing at noon, then they come back at 5 to put it in the oven I know that probably sounds horribly lazy- but I just didn’t have the energy to do it all myself. There are some people who host all the time and do it without help- I have no idea how they manage. Ironing napkins, polishing cutlery, flower arrangements. All of that takes half a day, then the cooking time on top. Exhausting. We’re going to sit outside, by the pool. More of the irises are opening, they look absolutely stunning.

Sunday Lunch & A Roundup

We were invited out to lunch yesterday. Then we all ended up back at the house for coffee. Then that turned into cheese and wine as the afternoon progressed, then that turned into an improvised dinner. Mike says I’m like a pushy drug-dealer, but for parties instead of drugs- c’mon, just have one more drink. After I get the ball rolling down the hill, it’s very hard to stop At the end of the evening I was distributing paracetamol and milk-thistle. That’s my anti-hangover cocktail, always works for me.

It was a beautiful day, very bright sky, so I wore light colours. I did a terrible job at ironing my shirt, which I only realized when I took this picture, hence the stern look:

French cuffs have to be very properly ironed, or they look stupid. The Spanish irises I planted a few months back are starting to flower. They’re stunning, I should have planted many more:

 

Saturday I got a picture of the place I’m working on. The living room needs more colour, which I’ve been saying all along. The coral needs to be echoed throughout the room- but other than that I think it looks lovely.

 

And Some Days Are Great Days!

We sold a rather expensive tapestry in February that went missing during shipping. I’ve been extraordinarily angry about it since then because if it wasn’t located I would have had to refund my client- and apart from that it leaves a very bad impression with clients if they don’t get what they want and pay for. Anyway, after many, many complaints, it was found and delivered this morning. Now a little piece of 18th century France resides chez a doctor in Cairo. And I must say, a fantastically kind and patient doctor. In situations like this, sometimes people panic and want their money back immediately- he trusted me and my doggedness when I told him it would be located even if I had to get into warehouses and find it myself. After having watched last Tuesday’s Dispatches on C4, I must admit I wasn’t too hopeful. I told the shipping company I didn’t want compensation. I entrusted them with my proper-tay and I wanted my proper-tay delivered to its destination or returned to me- anything other than that would not be acceptable. So I guess being really annoying, difficult and unpleasant sometimes pays off

In other news, the palms in front of the house have been trimmed. It must be done every year. The trees grow better and you don’t get that heavy, froppy look of dead fronds, apart from the inconvenience of weeding out tons of little baby palms that start growing after the trees flower.

 

Earlier in the week we sold an Esparto rug. They’re hand-woven and come in the most fantastic colours.

And today I woke up to an email from a client who wants an antique set of Christofle. Hurrah!

Of Work Related Matters: Would you pay US$549,231.71 for a teapot?

Bonhams 1793 : A fine square Yixing stoneware teapot and cover Qing dynasty, signed Chen Mingyuan.

I’m still working on organizing the sale of two Yixing teapots and a Bottger coffee-pot. This involves quite a lot of research, which fortunately, I enjoy. The majority of the Yixing pieces I’ve looked at are (loosely speaking) in the 4k to 10k range, but some sell for an absolute fortune, as the one sold by Bonhams in the link. Interestingly the value isn’t necessarily connected to the beauty of the object. If I’d seen the teapot pictured right in a shop, I would probably not have given it a second glance. That’s an interesting reminder that one can never know enough. In fact, when the three pots were first brought to me, I was thoroughly unimpressed. They seemed good quality, but nothing special or extraordinary to my untrained eye. I withheld my opinion, as one should when one doesn’t know, and hit the books. As hitting the books wasn’t enough I’ve enlisted the assistance of some very helpful specialists in London. The most exhilarating part of this sort of work, is that you never know what’s going to be around the corner. In the back of every dealer’s mind is the notion that the next item could be the one. I don’t think the pieces we’ve got will make a fortune, but I have the impression they’ll do alright.

I’m also working on identifying the author of a bronze sculpture. The signature is illegible, but the date is very clear: 1927. It’s quite attractive and reminds me of the work of Maillol. Particularly the very evenly round shape of the breasts. Unfortunately I’m confident it’s not a Maillol… but it may have been by an assistant/student etc.

Why You Should Trust Yourself: How 28 y/o Thomas Herndon Debunked Two Harvard Professors

Questioning orthodoxy is unfortunately still an uphill battle in the world. People in positions of power have to prove themselves less. People take what they say at face value. The problem with that is a highly defective method of reasoning based on the principles of aristocracy and tribalism. “If they’re one of us they must be right”, “If he’s the CEO he must be right”, “If she’s a minister she must be right”, “If they’re Harvard professors, they couldn’t possibly be wrong”. This takes a particularly grotesque form when crimes are committed overseas. We’re generally perfectly willing to accept our fellow citizens commit crimes in our native countries, but when they do so elsewhere, an absurd irrational desire to defend them emerges (in some of us).

In the past few days the 28 y/o Thomas Herndon demonstrated how the Rogoff/Reinhart study that has been held up by Conservatives for quite a while was FLAWED. Not a little flawed, but flawed in basic mathematics. It also contained glaring omissions (which may or may not have been intentional?). The evidence that austerity was a necessary/positive measure was simply wrong. Stephen Colbert breaks it down beautifully in these two segments of his show:

Out to lunch

We went out to lunch yesterday with Mike’s old friends from Wales. They were both chefs and owned a hotel in Swansea. We met at a roundabout so they could follow us to the restaurant. At first I was annoyed because I told Mike to motion to them from the car and we could wait to say hello at the restaurant. Instead he got out of the car which meant everyone got out of their cars and we did hellos by the side of the road. I wore black and I had duck confit. I eventually relaxed and we had a great time. Afterwards they came to the house for (more) drinks. In the evening my business partner came by, so I basically drank all day. Later on Mike and I ended up having a ridiculous argument on whether someone we know should or should not be referred to as Prince________. Mike is against it because France is a republic. I’m for it because I think it’s a matter of heritage and history. I told him I get to refer to people any way I like and I don’t need his permission. In hindsight, we both behaved like idiots- but he admitted he started it and apologized this morning. It’s true I escalated it, but I’m not admitting it to him. Human capability for behaving foolishly never ceases to astound me.

Tonight we’re going out again. A friend who’s in the process of separating after a 7 year marriage (and two children) is visiting from England… The same one I mentioned a while back when his wife told me she was having an affair. That set off a chain of events that’s been terribly unpleasant. I don’t however regret telling him. Mike agrees it was the right thing to do.

Is Islam Evil & Why Does Muhammad Look Mongolian?

Muhammad depicted leading Abraham, Moses, Jesus & others before they stop, drop and roll and clock in at Genghis’ Mongolian Grill

As expected after the Boston bombings, Islam is back in the news. The story is more or less the same as all the others. Not particularly well-adjusted people find religion and KA-BOOM. Is Islam responsible? There are no two ways about it, it’s certainly part of the equation. The Koran is an allegedly holy book that in over 100 passages calls for Muslims to engage in violence against non-believers for the sake of Islamic rule. People like to say, because of political correctness, that there’s great debate on whether the Koran calls for violence or not. That’s entirely disingenuous. The only real debate is whether the call for violence is defensive or offensive. As monotheistic religions have proven, worldwide, the line between defensive and offensive is a moveable feast. Many religious people interpret the lack of submission to their ideology as an attack. That’s not unique to Islam, it’s been the case for Christianity as well. Catholics and Evangelicals in particular. In fact when fascism was de-riguer in certain parts of Europe, Catholicism wasn’t far behind pushing its nefarious agenda to secure its power. However, it’s much more widespread (today) in the socio-cultural world of Islam. Not too long ago Bassem Youssef, Egypt’s outstanding satirist, was arrested and questioned for allegedly insulting Islam. The problem is, of course, religion- but more so, it’s the lack of separation of religion and government.

All that being said, the Tsarnaev brothers seem to fit a profile that comfortably overlaps with the profiles of so many others involved in similar incidents. A perceived (or real) sense of exclusion leads them to religion which then leads them to find justifications for violence. When people feel they’ve got nothing more to lose and on the other side is paradise- why not go ka-boom?

Now if you want a more thoughtful perspective, Prof. Coyne’s is a good choice.

A Quorn Review & Mondays

I’d forgotten to mention that a month ago we tried Quorn. We haven’t found it in Spain, but it’s available at Morrison’s in Gibraltar, so Mike went and got some there. I was pleasantly surprised. It’s the only meat-substitute that we’ve liked thus far. The ‘beef mince’, ‘chicken pieces’ and ‘lamb pieces’ work perfectly for a variety of dishes, the sausages are also good if heavily spiced. I’m still experimenting with cooking times and sauces because the recipes available online are quite limited, but it’s a keeper. We’ve been alternating Quorn and sea-food since, leaving red meat only for special occasions or when we go out to dinner. Curries, Indian or Thai, work beautifully. The mince works for Moussaka, Empanada, Bolognese etc. It’s a bit more tender than real mince beef, but if you mix it with a bit of pre-cooked couscous, you get a good texture that quite satisfactorily passes for meat.

Today I went food shopping. The local super-market was empty, which was excellent. This week is going to be busy. A lunch on Wednesday and a dinner on Thursday. I’m not looking forward to one of them. Mike told me that one of the hosts said ‘He must come too! I’ve told everyone about him‘. He is me, and that usually means I’m expected to be entertaining. Being entertaining requires energy that I’m not always in the mood to expend. It’s probably my own fault because when I was young(er) I was a bit hyper, more interesting and considerably more glamorous. I don’t put even 1/10 of the effort I used to into presenting myself or being a part of social encounters. I haven’t been to this or that party, I don’t know about what this or that person is or isn’t doing- and I’m not interested in gossip anyway. These days when I’m quiet, people from my old days ask what’s wrong with me. Anyway, I’ll do my best.

The project I’m collaborating on is coming out nicely. I didn’t like the look of the terracotta in the patio, so I suggested it be covered with the same marble gravel we have out front. It completely changed the feel. The place is in a development where all the houses are exactly the same and two nosy neighbours are now copying the idea- which is annoying, but that’s life.

Before

After

It was one of those days. Respect & the value of other people’s time

From the time I can remember I was told to respect other people’s time. Not just the CEO’s time, not just a company director’s time- EVERYONE’S TIME. Even when I was little, I remember my mother telling me not to get in the maid’s way because the faster she finished her work, the sooner she could go home and she had her own children to tend to. This notion of respect for our fellow human beings is being lost. Telemarketers (their bosses, actually), feel they have the right to interrupt people’s days at any given time. Recently I’ve even received calls at 8 in the evening- WHEN WE’RE EATING. Religious people feel they can come to your door, interrupt whatever you’re doing, no matter how important it may be, because their right to bother you is less important than your right not to be bothered. This week a real-estate agent lied to me to get what she wanted- an appointment at short notice. Lied through her teeth because she was lazy, incompetent or entirely lacking in respect for other people’s time and money. Since I don’t expect anyone to be 100% efficient, 100% of the time, I’ve learnt to ask questions to avoid situations like what happened to us this week.

“Have you qualified the client properly?”

“Does the client know the area?”

“What’s their budget?”

“Have you made it clear we’re flexible on a payment schedule but not on price?”

Getting a house like this ready for a viewing is not easy. On the ground floor alone  there are just under 40 double glass doors, windows or picture windows (all together). Cleaning them all well, takes quite some time. Polishing furniture, cleaning silver, vacuuming then mopping 500 square metres of floors. Raking leaves, putting up the shade sail, wiping down the outdoor furniture. Making sure all the bathrooms are spotless. Having fresh flowers in the main rooms. Every visit costs us hundreds of euros, plus our time. When it’s a visit on short notice we need to hire people to assist with the work. People buying in this price-range expect a certain degree of perfection- as they should. So when 30 minutes before an appointment, an agent calls and says their client isn’t coming because she decided she wants to buy in ANOTHER CITY, expect me to be furious. I explained to her that actions have consequences and the same way I brought her various clients, I can also tell people she’s unfathomably disrespectful- and trust me, news like that spreads quickly in communities like this. Anyway, we went out to dinner last night to blow off steam. On a positive note, the place looks nice.

Randomly Thursday

We’re cleaning the house because someone is coming to see it tomorrow. The garden looks great (Mike’s work, mostly), but everything inside is a horrible mess. I wasn’t expecting people to be visiting while the economic crisis is still so unresolved, so I’ve let things go- a bit. Our current favourite house in France looks like this:

Might I be there in a few months? It’s much more to the South than I was planning, but it seems Mike doesn’t really want to face very cold winters. The house hasn’t been touched since around 1940, which is amazing. It has every possible period feature someone like me could hope for. Great bit of land, walking distance to the shops, and of course, an amazing restoration project for ME. Fingers crossed!

 

Pat Buchanan: Christianity isn’t homophobic, but gays are the enemy!

Pat Buchanan has made a fool of himself (again). In his column this week he attempts to demonstrate that (his version of) Christianity is not homophobic. He starts with an attack on Dan Savage and then stumbles with:

“No true Catholic church can preach that Jesus hates gays. “Love your enemies” is the message of Christ. Hate the sin and love the sinner is taught as gospel truth in Catholic schools.

This has been Catholic doctrine for 2,000 years.” Pat Buchanan

The obvious subtext is that gays are the enemy. That sentence cannot mean anything else. I’m not in the mood to give Mr. Buchanan a history lesson, hopefully he has a great-grandchild who can show him how to use google, and he can do a bit of research regarding how, for 2000 years, the Catholic church has persecuted and marginalized any and all groups that did not submit to their ideology. Oh yes, that includes gays. Perhaps what he means is that the Catholic Church isn’t just homophobic. They’re also against women’s rights, religious freedom, they’re against people making their own decisions, they’re against the use of condoms (hence for the spread of disease), they support(ed) totalitarian states as long as they were given a role in government and subsidies… Shall I go on?

Would you leave your children with this man?

Just yesterday, Cardinal Rouco Varela, aka the Devil’s Fascist Uncle, was telling a crowd which included Spain’s Prime Minister that government should illegalize same-sex marriages and ban abortions. Do you want to know why? Because the Catholic leadership has always known that the product they sell is substandard. It doesn’t bear close inspection.  The result is that since their unfortunate inception, they’ve needed (and used) the strong arm of the law to impose their ridiculous, if not imbecilic, policies. They’ve always known that without the law on their side, mentally balanced, educated, people will sooner or later leave them. Of course I don’t mean the opportunists of the political variety. Those are religious merely for profit and power.

 

Vintage Jewelry Fridays & Making Wednesday Part of the Weekend

A friend brought me a ring yesterday. “I’ve got this old ring my mother used to wear on her little finger. I don’t really wear that sort of thing. Do you think I could get something for it?” I asked to see it, and it was brought over last night. My eyes twinkled. It actually fits my finger.

It’s a whopper. A single diamond, set in white gold, 1cm diameter which is roughly 3 carats. Some visible inclusions, but very bright. A slight yellow tint. I’m not a jeweler, or an antique jewelry dealer- I just know this sort of thing. It’s part of my endless mental archive of generally useless knowledge. I think she shouldn’t sell it. It’s lovely. Simple & discreet. The art-deco ring which also happens to be on my finger is mine. It’s 1940′s Cartier, platinum and diamonds. It was a gift from Mike’s mother. She got it for her 16th birthday and never took it off- and since I got it, I never take it off either. I love how modern(ist) it looks.

I’ve decided I don’t like the 5 day week. I’m going to make Wednesdays a day off.

 

My baby is all grown up

As those of you who follow this blog know, late last year we decided to put the house up as a location for photo shoots, movies etc. A financial consulting firm with offices here in Sotogrande and Seville was our first client… the ad came out this month in a society magazine (which is amusing). You can see it below. I covered their name and text as I don’t know that they’d want to be associated with me personally Anyway, I think it looks nice. It’s funny seeing the house this way, attached to other people’s names. It’s like it’s grown up and is making its own way in the world.