I love these little yellow shorts, even without having met them. Reading this again made me think of the Sweaty Betty campaign for "Wear the Damn Shorts", which I think you should do. Let them have more adventures!
Thank you my lovely! ❤️ I didn’t know about that campaign, but I love the idea and it did make me consider getting them out of the wardrobe… the only thing stopping me now is the fact that I don’t want any clothes near my body at all right now. (I’m wandering around the flat in my pants waiting for the sun to go down 😅)
What a unique approach, memories via clothing. I'm racking my brains, trying to remember if I've read anything so inventive.
A lovely, touching read and I'm diving back into the old memory banks in an attempt to recall my Madrid summers. I remember spending an inordinate amount of time at the local pool on the American housing area and occasional trips to Casa de Campo. But that's about it - what a waste of a summer!
You're definitely too kind! I like picking motifs cus then I don't have to write one whole continuous narrative (which is hard work) I can split it up into mini narratives 😅
Pool and Casa de Campo sounds like a pretty classic Madrid summer to be honest. You are/were just missing the cine de verano 🙂
What a fun collection of stories evolving around one pair of shorts 🩳 I love that it all started with getting out of Madrid in the summer because what everyone else did” 🎯
Oh, this is so lovely, Jayne - and fun too, just as I imagine those little yellow shorts to be.
I love the idea of a piece of clothing embodying who we are, literally and figuratively. It actually brought up memories of my first time in Spain many years ago - arriving on my own to spend a few days with a boy I'd decided was worthy of following, wearing a friend's strapless white dress. Neither the boy nor the dress stayed in my life, but I'm glad to have had that time. It must be something in the Spanish sunshine! 😂
I also love that the shorts are still with you. A reminder... or an invitation for future adventures. Now I'm even more eager for your book to arrive so I can spend more time with words and wanderings like this.
Thank you so much, Marci! I like that it brought up your own clothing-related memories. That little white dress sounds like a very similar character to the little yellow shorts, or perhaps, as you say, it has more to do with these sultry Spanish summers!
I am wondering about getting them our of the wardrobe again and seeing what adventures we might have together. One last go around the block so to speak 😅
Oh, I do so hope you and the little yellow shorts set out for another hurrah! And we get to read about it after. 😃 I have a feeling they'll always have an interesting statement to make.
The whole novios thing from maybe second or third date to actually standing at (or running away from) the altar is weird, and scary in its implications of how funnelled life must once have been. It's probably wrong to read tooooo much into it; after all there are words in any language that have to do too much heavy lifting solo - poor old 'fan' being given the job of both 'ventilador' and 'abanico' in the current heat, for instance - but I do feel Spanish needs a 21st (or even 20th!) century upgrade here.
They could call the bride and groom the 'nupciantes' instead, perhaps.
Speaking of which, what the hell is going on with 'groom'? It suggests apes picking fleas off each other.
Would you be up for the job of updating the Spanish language?! I guess you might be thinking of castellano more perhaps? Lest we forget the gems that have comes out of Venezuela to name just one Latam linguistic innovator. I can’t remember all the things my brother-in-law told me, but guachimán for security guard was high up there as one of my favourites!
I am past reading too much into the whole novios thing now, but - years after that - when I met my now boyfriend and I was trying to figure out if he was my boyfriend or not, I tried broaching the subject with him using this example and he just said: ‘Eres mi amor y ya está.’ Awww, sweet, but I’m none the wiser 😅
Very good point about the word groom - also has other unpleasant associations too!
Yeah, I preferred not to mention the other ‘groom’ implications.
You can imagine a bunch of knuckle-dragging Reform supporters lynching someone because they’d been told there was this ‘groom’ who was going to be turning up at their village church the next day.
Didn’t that happen with a paediatrician some years back? In a village in Wales, maybe?
Dangerous things, words. Best to ban them all and just grunt and scratch armpits. And pick fleas off one another.
What a great way to illustrate your evolution through your summers in/around Madrid! I am now wanting to hear more adventures of the yellow shorts, at least in summer. The rest of the year will of course have to represented by other items: food, clothing, music, who knows! Love immersing myself in your journeys - that awareness that comes from being other. ❤️
Thank you lovely Sabrina ❤️ These are such lovely comments. I’m tempted to get them out the wardrobe now and see what mischief they get up to! I like this idea of the rest of the seasons having their own emblem too… I’m going to think about that - thank for the content ideas!
I loved all the descriptions about summer in Spain. You nailed it! The steam and sultriness rise from the page.
I also enjoyed thoroughly your sly humor with a bit of self-deprecation and humility peeking through.
And it's great how the shorts became a metaphor for your evolution or maybe growing/wising up in finding your place here. I wonder what you'll say in another eleven years. Or what I'll say for that matter.
This was a fun piece to read and very well written. But that's a given. Thanks!
That’s high praise (nailing the summer atmosphere) from a fellow madrileña adoptada! 😊Thank you mi querida Andrea ❤️
I love thinking about what we might say in another 11 years, it’s fascinating to imagine how we will feel then in our adopted home. I have a feeling I will get more likely to wear tiny shorts than less, in both the literal and the metaphorical senses - I think I’m gonna be like my mum and get more daring with age😅
I think we'll have to enjoy a verdejo or albarino to discuss such a heavy but surely happy topic. We'll celebrate all we've learned, seen, done, and thought, AND WRITTEN by then.
I noted at the beach how many women of a certain age wore bikinis if they wore a bathing suit at all. It was inspirational to see that they were out to enjoy themselves no matter how many rolls encircled them. To hell with what other people thought (or saw)!
Good for those naked ladies! ‘No matter how many rolls encircled them’ - such a good line 😅
I like the idea of what we will have written by the time the next 11 year anniversary comes around, I like thinking of it because it skips over the actual writing part! (As I sit here doing battle for the third time with my novella, or whatever the hell it is.)
I love these little yellow shorts, even without having met them. Reading this again made me think of the Sweaty Betty campaign for "Wear the Damn Shorts", which I think you should do. Let them have more adventures!
Thank you my lovely! ❤️ I didn’t know about that campaign, but I love the idea and it did make me consider getting them out of the wardrobe… the only thing stopping me now is the fact that I don’t want any clothes near my body at all right now. (I’m wandering around the flat in my pants waiting for the sun to go down 😅)
Haha! Bring them with you to London. I’m sat on the sofa in front of the fan in pants, sweating like the proverbial glassblower’s arse 🥵💦💦💦
😅😅😅
Such poetry!
I don’t envy you the humidity, at least Madrid’s heat is dry heat.
The humidity is like treacle. Ughh
What a unique approach, memories via clothing. I'm racking my brains, trying to remember if I've read anything so inventive.
A lovely, touching read and I'm diving back into the old memory banks in an attempt to recall my Madrid summers. I remember spending an inordinate amount of time at the local pool on the American housing area and occasional trips to Casa de Campo. But that's about it - what a waste of a summer!
You're definitely too kind! I like picking motifs cus then I don't have to write one whole continuous narrative (which is hard work) I can split it up into mini narratives 😅
Pool and Casa de Campo sounds like a pretty classic Madrid summer to be honest. You are/were just missing the cine de verano 🙂
What a fun collection of stories evolving around one pair of shorts 🩳 I love that it all started with getting out of Madrid in the summer because what everyone else did” 🎯
Thank you, Rachel! Wish I could get out of Madrid right now 😅
Oh, this is so lovely, Jayne - and fun too, just as I imagine those little yellow shorts to be.
I love the idea of a piece of clothing embodying who we are, literally and figuratively. It actually brought up memories of my first time in Spain many years ago - arriving on my own to spend a few days with a boy I'd decided was worthy of following, wearing a friend's strapless white dress. Neither the boy nor the dress stayed in my life, but I'm glad to have had that time. It must be something in the Spanish sunshine! 😂
I also love that the shorts are still with you. A reminder... or an invitation for future adventures. Now I'm even more eager for your book to arrive so I can spend more time with words and wanderings like this.
Thank you so much, Marci! I like that it brought up your own clothing-related memories. That little white dress sounds like a very similar character to the little yellow shorts, or perhaps, as you say, it has more to do with these sultry Spanish summers!
I am wondering about getting them our of the wardrobe again and seeing what adventures we might have together. One last go around the block so to speak 😅
Oh, I do so hope you and the little yellow shorts set out for another hurrah! And we get to read about it after. 😃 I have a feeling they'll always have an interesting statement to make.
The whole novios thing from maybe second or third date to actually standing at (or running away from) the altar is weird, and scary in its implications of how funnelled life must once have been. It's probably wrong to read tooooo much into it; after all there are words in any language that have to do too much heavy lifting solo - poor old 'fan' being given the job of both 'ventilador' and 'abanico' in the current heat, for instance - but I do feel Spanish needs a 21st (or even 20th!) century upgrade here.
They could call the bride and groom the 'nupciantes' instead, perhaps.
Speaking of which, what the hell is going on with 'groom'? It suggests apes picking fleas off each other.
Would you be up for the job of updating the Spanish language?! I guess you might be thinking of castellano more perhaps? Lest we forget the gems that have comes out of Venezuela to name just one Latam linguistic innovator. I can’t remember all the things my brother-in-law told me, but guachimán for security guard was high up there as one of my favourites!
I am past reading too much into the whole novios thing now, but - years after that - when I met my now boyfriend and I was trying to figure out if he was my boyfriend or not, I tried broaching the subject with him using this example and he just said: ‘Eres mi amor y ya está.’ Awww, sweet, but I’m none the wiser 😅
Very good point about the word groom - also has other unpleasant associations too!
Yeah, I preferred not to mention the other ‘groom’ implications.
You can imagine a bunch of knuckle-dragging Reform supporters lynching someone because they’d been told there was this ‘groom’ who was going to be turning up at their village church the next day.
Didn’t that happen with a paediatrician some years back? In a village in Wales, maybe?
Dangerous things, words. Best to ban them all and just grunt and scratch armpits. And pick fleas off one another.
Evolution? Overrated if you ask me.
Oh god, imagine! I remember the paediatrician story, but was hoping it was an urban legend!
What a great way to illustrate your evolution through your summers in/around Madrid! I am now wanting to hear more adventures of the yellow shorts, at least in summer. The rest of the year will of course have to represented by other items: food, clothing, music, who knows! Love immersing myself in your journeys - that awareness that comes from being other. ❤️
Thank you lovely Sabrina ❤️ These are such lovely comments. I’m tempted to get them out the wardrobe now and see what mischief they get up to! I like this idea of the rest of the seasons having their own emblem too… I’m going to think about that - thank for the content ideas!
😉
I loved all the descriptions about summer in Spain. You nailed it! The steam and sultriness rise from the page.
I also enjoyed thoroughly your sly humor with a bit of self-deprecation and humility peeking through.
And it's great how the shorts became a metaphor for your evolution or maybe growing/wising up in finding your place here. I wonder what you'll say in another eleven years. Or what I'll say for that matter.
This was a fun piece to read and very well written. But that's a given. Thanks!
That’s high praise (nailing the summer atmosphere) from a fellow madrileña adoptada! 😊Thank you mi querida Andrea ❤️
I love thinking about what we might say in another 11 years, it’s fascinating to imagine how we will feel then in our adopted home. I have a feeling I will get more likely to wear tiny shorts than less, in both the literal and the metaphorical senses - I think I’m gonna be like my mum and get more daring with age😅
I think we'll have to enjoy a verdejo or albarino to discuss such a heavy but surely happy topic. We'll celebrate all we've learned, seen, done, and thought, AND WRITTEN by then.
I noted at the beach how many women of a certain age wore bikinis if they wore a bathing suit at all. It was inspirational to see that they were out to enjoy themselves no matter how many rolls encircled them. To hell with what other people thought (or saw)!
Your mum sounds like a great lady.
Good for those naked ladies! ‘No matter how many rolls encircled them’ - such a good line 😅
I like the idea of what we will have written by the time the next 11 year anniversary comes around, I like thinking of it because it skips over the actual writing part! (As I sit here doing battle for the third time with my novella, or whatever the hell it is.)
All parts of your comment cracked me up, especially the "whatever the hell it is" part. You can do it, girl!!
😅😅😅
You probably recognise the feeling! I'll get there eventually! 💪
Do I ever! Twenty-seven drafts of Chapter 1. We will get there. Eventually.
Now I’m picturing myself with a really nice café con hielo. Once again, you’ve got me missing Spain 😍
Yesss, come visit! 😍
One day I will, that’s for sure!