 Changing Places Week 150 W/C 4th January 2009
Television assumes a greater importance in Majorca in winter we find. The moment the sun goes down in the Soller valley the damp cold descends which makes it no fun to be out and about. In times past the damp cold was notorious in our area and was the reason that this valley was considered an unhealthy place to live. Nowadays the health issues are sorted with effective heating and antibiotics that kill off the germs once they start. Nevertheless we snuggle, hibernating in the house for a few months of the year watching too much television. There are some programmes that remind us of winter evenings and the misery of Eastenders is one of them. The frozen lake scene this Christmas with three of the main characters plunging into an icy frozen lake and then emerging dry without a hair out of place was the comedy moment of the year. We always look at the credits at the end of the show to check who the director was for there is one who seems to get all the outside `off site' action - like the frozen lake. The amusement factor is always greater when he is in charge. We happen to have sold our house in Highgate, North London to him so we watch his career with interest. He didn't let us down with that episode.
While the tension mounted for all local children waiting the arrival of the three Kings I had the best seat in the house. Outside my office window overlooking the marina the crowds gathered to await the arrival of the Kings by boat so I saw the whole parade from the comfort of the office balcony. The Kings, their pages and all the local excited children went off to church for a small service. Then my commute home from work was on the tram taking the Kings and their helpers up to town for the major parade. It certainly beats travelling home on the Northern line. The parade in town was lovely with all the floats and children throwing sweets to the crowd interspersed with Kings on Horses and Donkeys. The little lamb on a lead with a pink ribbon on its collar stole the show but by the time the parade had done two circuits the little lamb was tired and had to be carried the rest of the way. The Kings then sat on their thrones outside the town hall and distributed gifts and then it was all over. The square emptied and children rushed home to put out food for the camels to encourage the Kings to stop at their house with gifts - Christmas Eve all over again.
Christmas decorations are down and put away for another year. The tree - the cheapest we had ever bought held on to its needles almost to the last. Everything packed away waiting for the year to begin once these elongated holidays are over. The phone calls from the latest incomers have started, Majorca works it magic every year and more and more people arrive to try and live their dream. The Soller statistics are in and they show our population to have risen to 13,500. On average 500 new people arrive and settle in the Soller valley each year. We already know a number that have gone back with a dream turned sour but the hopeful soon take their place. Many of them have done their homework and know that without speaking Spanish their employment options are limited. This means that instead of hoping to find a well paid job non Spanish speaking entrepreneurs bring in new ideas instead. Majorca has become a testing ground for many innovative business ventures. The art, music and culture that flow from Valldemossa, Deya and into the Soller valley grows alongside business acumen and innovative business ideas. Just like our shuttered village houses no-one knows what lies behind the grand wooden doors so it is with the businesses that are in upstairs offices or in the spare bedroom at home. Sun Search is privileged to know about some of them and the patented ideas that are growing in our midst. The financial future is not all doom and gloom with this talent and energy working amongst us.
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