quatre ans onze mois et deux jours

Il plut pendant quatre ans onze mois et deux jours //
It rained for four years, eleven months, and two days

Yesterday, all of the Canary Islands were expecting a rain - nay, a deluge of biblical proportions - to happen today. The weather warning was issued, and everybody was advised to take various measures of self protection. It being 2020, the warning was taken quite seriously. The rain was supposed to fall with the maximum force between nine in the morning and midday.

It is now 1 pm. I haven't seen any rain yet, although I am told it drizzled some early in the morning.

Anyway. The quote in the caption is from One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, and it is the first thing that comes to my mind whenever Big Rain is mentioned.

The illustration is not, of course, related to the Márquez's epic. It refers to one of the episodes of our life on Fuerteventura. 

The ground level of the development in which we lived was, and still is, I imagine, about a metre lower than the level of the street behind it. I am not sure what is the reason for that, some of those unfathomable architectural decisions or plain stupidity. Anyway, when there was no rain - which is almost 100% of time of Fuerteventura - it didn't matter. But one day it suddenly did. A Big Rain came our way and it kept raining hard for a few hours, well into the night. The little passages within the development were flooded. The underground parking was flooded. The water level was just a couple of centimeters below the ground floor level of the houses. Our manager, who lived onsite, was running around in her wellies (pictured) trying to figure out what to do. Fortunately, her husband was a trained diver, and he passed in front of our houses with all his diving gear, on his way to fix the pump which was there for just such an occasion, but not working properly. He fixed it, of course, and it all ended relatively well.

Se tourner les pouces

Le chat bureaucrate se tourne les pouces // The cat bureaucrat is twiddling his thumbs

After a few soul-destroying experiences with Spanish bureaucracy I felt a sudden urge to draw a pic dedicated to this excellent subgroup of the population — governmental workers in public admin. Those of you who don't know anything about it — those are guys and gals who get a contract for life and are practically impossible to get rid of. I will stop here because the rant could be endless.

Anyway, some goodish while ago a symbol of such a person in Russia was a specific item of clothing — black oversleeve (protège-manche in French), protecting the sleeves, mostly in the elbow areas, from being worn out.

Short research by Kirill showed that at least in Germany the oversleeves have a similar connotation. Not sure about France, but we are not trying to be accurate here, just following the string of associations.

One of the things that public servants can't be fired for is doing nothing, or, of course, twiddling their thumbs. To our delight, the expression proved to exist in French too.

Of course, there are at least two incongruencies in the pic above. First, the cat doesn't have elbows, so there is little to protect. Second, he doesn't have thumbs either, so there is nothing to twiddle.

Three, actually. The cat is way too cute to be a bureaucrat in the first place.

Vote for Meow

Good news everyone ©.

My one-drawing-per-day challenge, from 14 March to 11 May 2020, is out as a full-colour book, Vote for Meow (ISBN 979-8-6667-1099-9). It includes some unpublished drawings and some interesting, I hope, non-drawing extras.

It’s kinda cute, even if I say so myself. And it is available from your nearest Amazon store.

The book is named after my post from 23 April.

We (I and Kirill) had fun putting it together.

I hope you have fun reading it.

On s'engage et puis on voit

On s'engage et puis on voit // First we engage, and then we'll see

Yesterday, I don't remember why, this supposedly Napoleonic maxim came up in our conversation. That is, I said it and Kirill didn't remember it. I did a little research on the topic and came up with interesting results: it looks like in my case I knew it because Lenin ascribed it to Napoleon in one of his written works, and gave an exceptionally loose translation "Сначала надо ввязаться в серьезный бой, а там уже видно будет" (First we engage in a serious battle, and then we'll see).

In Kirill's case he probably blocked his knowledge of anything to do with Lenin more successfully than I did.

Did he, that is, Napoleon, say something of the kind? The answer is probably yes, except he was not the first to say it. Some researchers found these words used in Napoleonic times in the same context as Napoleon himself. It is easy to see how tempting it is to associate the guy with the maxim.

Anyway. The cat has the right shape to pose as Napoleon, I feel. He cuts a very fine figure, as always.

Pictures related to posing on shitterstock

Mes Bonnes Résolutions

Mes Bonnes Résolutions // My New Year Resolutions

The last prompt I am going to use is “resolution”, résolution.

It has many meanings of course, but on this occasion I liked the idea of the cat trying to write at least one “New Year Resolution”. As you can see, he is having difficulties. And that’s because he is pretty perfect already. You can’t imagine how difficult it is to improve on perfection.

In the last issue (I hope) of quarantine news, today is the first day we can go out and have something in a street cafe. That is to say, only the outside bits of the bars and restaurants are open. In a little while, we will try to venture outside and find ourselves a free table somewhere. Wish us luck.

Mémé m’a envoyé un colis

Mémé m’a envoyé un colis // Granny sent me a package

Today’s prompt is “mom”, maman.

The word maman led me to think about jams and preserves by Bonne Maman company, which we used to buy a lot in the UK. Yes, I know it might sound strange, but to a Russian ear maman in its original meaning sounds either awfully pretentious or somewhat disrespectful (long story). While about Bonne Maman jams I have only good things to say. So. Bonne-maman means “granny”, and so does much shorter and childish mémé. I think I managed to explain it away, mmm?

The cat just got a parcel full of home-made jams from his granny. He looks happy, I know I would be. My favourite is sour cherry, what’s yours?

In quarantine news, messages are still very much mixed about what is allowed and what is not starting tomorrow. The thing that puzzles most (myself including) is that you are apparently allowed to go and drink in a bar or shopping any time of day, while sports and simply walks are still restricted to the same hours of day as before. I tend to think that people devising the phases are focused of getting the economy going somehow, while the sports and walks schedule is managed by the Ministry of Health, and they are not on speaking terms with each other.

Première loi de Newton ou principe d’inertie

Première loi de Newton ou principe d’inertie // Newton’s first law or principle of inertia

Today’s prompt is “law”, loi.

The Newton’s first law of motion says:

Tout corps persévère dans l’état de repos ou de mouvement uniforme en ligne droite dans lequel il se trouve, à moins que quelque force n’agisse sur lui, et ne le contraigne à changer d’état.

All bodies persevere in the state of rest or uniform movement in a straight line in which they find themselves, unless some force acts on them, and compels them to change their state.

The “law of inertia” is used so much to explain all sort of (non)occurrences, not necessarily physical ones, that it almost lost its original meaning. I, for one, completely forgot about the “movement in straight line” part of it.

In quarantine news: Canaries are moving to phase 1 of de-quarantining on Monday. I am still not quite sure how it will work, but surely there will be more freedom to move and do stuff. So... I will draw a last pic-a-day on Monday and the take a well-deserved break.

La soupe est trop salée

Quand il y a plusieurs cuisiniers, la soupe est trop salée // When there are several cooks, the soup is too salty

Today’s prompt is “soup”, soupe.

The quote is allegedly an Italian proverb, its English equivalent being “too many cooks spoil the broth”, and much more scary Russian one «у семи нянек дитя без глаза» (“seven nannies — a kid without an eye”).

In quarantine news, nothing much. Canaries are expecting a go-ahead from the health ministry for the remaining five islands to enter into Phase 1 of de-quarantining (we are now at Phase 0). What that entails, we’ll see soon enough. So far I can see that small businesses which were originally intending to wait till 11th to open, are opening already. Small observation: although time seems to be dragging endlessly, the quarantine-related rules and regulations are changing way too fast still. As a consequence, right now every shop has a selection of opening hours, conditions of service and maximum number of customers displayed in their window. Some of these hastily printed notes contradict each other, especially the opening hours. In good news, I bought myself a new sketchbook at Carlin. It has 80 pages, so I am hoping we will be finally leaving in “new normality” when I finish it.

Une salle de lecture

Une salle de lecture — espace aménagé dans une bibliothèque... // A reading room — space in a library...

Today’s prompt is “newspaper”, journal.

One of the few things which were permitted during the strictest stage of the quarantine was to buy newspapers and magazines. While the whole concept of printed news seems pretty obsolete, people do buy papers here. Admittedly, it’s mostly older generation that does that. But newspapers have one undeniable advantage over mobile devices — you can hide behind them with ease. Also, at the times when putting all sorts of barriers between yourself and the others is all the rage, they serve as ones, cheap, disposable, and non-plastic.

In our favourite library (still, closed, alas, and it is not clear at all when it will open), almost the whole of the ground floor is dedicated to periodicals. Before the quarantine started, the chairs were facing each other; after the quarantine there will be re-arrangements, I imagine.

In other news — nothing much. Delicatessen stores are opening; some only for a few hours per day. We run out of rooibos tea and today’s mission is to go buy it. It still feels a bit like a military sortie, but we figure that if stores are allowed to open, customers should be able to get there somehow.

La devise d’un chat sage

La devise d’un chat sage: peu de biens avec liberté // The motto of a wise cat: few goods with freedom

I discovered yesterday that I skipped one prompt and was using them with a sort of frameshift mutation.

First I thought I’d just do one impromptu pic, but when I looked up phrases with the missed prompt “estate”, biens, this French proverb came up and I found it irresistible.

So here is the wisest cat of the all, with all his earthly possessions in a small furoshiki bundle, enjoying a bonfire by waterside. Simple pleasure.

In quarantine diaries, the first mad rush for the morning exercise definitely subsided in our area, perhaps because there is no access to the beach. I take it Las Canteras are still quite busy in the mornings. In the evenings, however, it is like a rave along the promenade. Safety distances are not kept, that’s for sure. Some more small businesses opened yesterday. There is a small two-chair barbershop two doors away from ours. They opened on Monday afternoon already, now being just one-chair affair. Yesterday, when I walked home, there was a guy sitting on a bench outside, obviously expecting his turn. Out of curiosity, I asked him how it was arranged, because you are supposed to have an appointment. He says he got his via WhatsApp, but, he added, they don’t have free anything till Thursday. So all these wild hair will stay with us for a while, I imagine.

Mes petites cellules grises

Cette histoire m’intrigue énormément, comme un défi lancé à mes petites cellules grises //
This story intrigues me greatly, as a challenge to my little gray cells

Today’s prompt is “cell”, cellule.

By a happy coincidence, the Spanish television is now showing Agatha Christie’s Poirot series, and Hercule Poirot is extremely fond of talking about his “little grey cells”, so here is the cat, dressed in his sharpest grey summer suit as a tribute to the famous detective (especially as portrayed by David Suchet). He looks extremely elegant, in my professional opinion. The only big(ish) detail that is missing is a pocket watch chain, and that’s because with my bad (again) Internet I can’t work out how it is supposed to be worn.

In quarantine news, yesterday and very SUDDENLY! ©, with less than a 24-hour warning, the small shops, hairdressers and barbers got a permission to open under certain conditions. Only very few could react as fast as all that. Yesterday, on my way to a bigger supermarket I walked along the main commercial street of Triana barrio. As far as I could see, practically everything was still closed, including the shops which have the permission to open. Happily, my favourite office and art supply store Carlin was open, even if it was just a temporary counter placed across the doorway. You had to tell the lady attendant what you wanted and she’d go in and fetch it for you. I got a new Sakura Koi pen brush, to draw more cats.

Le gagnant prend la première vague

Le gagnant prend la première vague // The winner takes the first wave

Today’s prompt is “winner”, gagnant.

So here is the cat, winning the first wave of the morning on Las Canteras. The slot allowed for non-professional sports, including aquatic, is currently from 6 am to 10 am, the evening slot is shorter and has almost no daylight. Surfers (all sportsmen, actually) are not allowed to take a motorised vehicle to get to the place where they do their thing, everybody has to get there under their own steam. So many of them are pretty puffed when they finally arrive.

Today is the third day of allowed physical exercise and things are going ok, except it’s Monday and some people, in theory, are going to work. So, being generous, you can assume the electric scooters are back on bicycle paths for a good reason (though I strongly suspect not all of them are). Regulations for those are still lacking, and they are public menace at the best of times. Right now, when everybody is trying to walk, run and cycle within the same allowed slot, they are downright danger.

Premier principe de la thermodynamique

Le premier principe de la thermodynamique: <...> il y a conservation de l’énergie //
The first law of thermodynamics: <...> there exists conservation of energy

Today’s prompt is “physics”, physique.

The cat confirms it: conservation of energy exists. He also thinks it makes good sense to conserve the old energy there. In fact, he is an absolute expert on conservation of energy. Look at him there in his hammock, conserving it with all his might. He was reading a book about himself, but then the sudden urge to conserve overwhelmed him.

In quarantine news: today it looks like people are adapting to the new schedules, there was no such mad rush to open spaces as yesterday morning. Of course, yesterday towards the evening all the papers were full of reports of various violations of regulations, photos of seemingly crowded streets and parks, the number of fines given, etc., etc..., but I rather think it went ok, more or less.