We had the opportunity to chat with Lola and Luis, the couple with whom Alessandra lived in Seville, Spain for four months. We reminisced about our time together and they tell us about the quarantine in Seville, including what people did for Holy Week and the April Fair.
Lola: Do you hear me?
Alessandra: Yes, now!
Veronica: Turn on the video.
Lola: Wait, yes, yes . Ay, ay, ay, this technology!
Veronica: Yes.
Alessandra: Yes!
Evelyn: Hi Lola.
Alessandra: You guys have to learn now.
Lola: Now? Now, yes, now yes!
Evelyn: How handsome!
Alessandra: Yes! Look at the beard!
Lola: Hey, you're with the mask and everything at home?
Veronica: Yes.
Evelyn: Alessandra was out yesterday, and what?
Alessandra: No, no, but…
Evelyn: Well, it's a precaution.
Alessandra: Mami works with a little girl.
Lola: Ah yes yes yes. Of course, of course. Very good, great. And the grandmother, how are you?
Evelyn: Grandma, good, good! Tired, still working a lot.
Alessandra: Yes.
Evelyn: I think I am retiring at the end of this year, finally.
Lola: Ah, yes, true?
Evelyn: Yes yes yes.
Lola: Well, that's good, right? Because one day you have to rest, right?
Evelyn: Of course.
Lola: Of course!
Alessandra: Her husband just jubilizarse.
Evelyn: Retired.
Lola: Retired, retired.
Alessandra: Yes.
Lola: How good. Well, now nothing, you retire and travel around, come here and see us, okay?
Evelyn: I hope so!
Lola: You are with us for a few days.
Alessandra: Yes, please!
Evelyn: Alessandra is dying to return.
Alessandra: Yes!
Lola: Well, the house is open for when you want to come. Okay?
Alessandra: Yes, I have yet to visit Zahara.
Lola: Well look!
Alessandra: Because I couldn't when I was there.
Luis: We couldn't, we couldn't bring you because--
Lola: We couldn't get you, right? Come on.
Luis: No, no.
Lola: Say it, say it, say it!
Luis: No, there were a lot of things we were doing, and we didn't have time for you to come to Zahara.
Lola: Right.
Alessandra: Yes, but we did a lot.
Lola: Yes.
Luis: Next time you come!
Lola: When Trump leaves you. And that's it, you all come again. Okay?
Veronica: Yes, okay.
Lola: Great.
Veronica: Just when Spain lets Americans enter the country.
Lola: Yes, already. Of course.
Alessandra: No, I know someone who went to Spain two weeks ago.
Lola: Ah yeah?
Alessandra: I don't know how, but yes.
Lola: Yeah man, I know, yeah yeah. That people come from there who want to--
Luis: Let's see if you remember--
Lola: Ah, do you remember this?
Alessandra: Ayy.
Veronica: Ah, yes yes yes.
Lola: Do you see it well?
Evelyn: Yes.
Alessandra: For our podcast listeners, Luis is showing us a photo of my time there with you - with them.
Lola: Yes.
Veronica: Great fun we had, great fun.
Lola: There eating, wow! How good we look! Well, how are you, how are you doing there? I see you three look great!
Alessandra: Thank you. I started my job, but it is virtual.
Veronica: Virtual.
Alessandra: Virtual.
Lola: Virtual, ah, okay, of course.
Alessandra: My job was going to move me to Indianapolis, remember?
Lola: Ah, yes?
Luis: With the family of Alessandra-- of Jonathan. There no, there they are, Jonathan's family lives there in Indiana.
Alessandra: Yes, it was--
Luis: In Indianapolis.
Alessandra: Sí, fue por coincidencia. Pero, no, ahora, no me voy-- no voy.
Luis: No, yeah, yeah.
Lola: Of course, of course. Hey, Alessandra, you have improved your Spanish a lot, huh?
Alessandra: Ehh.
Lola: Yes, yes. Hey, much better. Yes, yes, I can tell.
Alessandra: I am not forced to speak Spanish here like in Spain.
Lola: No, man, sure, sure. Yes, but come on, anyway, it shows because the three of you will speak from time to time in Spanish, I imagine, right?
Luis: No, she is forced, she is forced to speak Spanish.
Alessandra: Have you listened--
Lola: That she is not so forced. What?
Alessandra: Have you listened to the podcast?
Lola: Yes, yes, yes.
Luis: Very good!
Alessandra: Ah, thank you, thank you. Yes, the idea is to improve Spanish.
Lola: Sure, sure yes. Yes yes yes.
Alessandra: Practice.
Lola: Well then.
Luis: A great idea!
Lola: We will do everything you want.
Alessandra: Thank you!
Lola: We are here for what you, when you think of anything, we do it. Okay? Come on.
Alessandra: Yes. Tell us, how was the quarantine in Seville for you? Are there places open now, or how is it?
Lola: Yes. Look, we've all been through the quarantine, the whole city, lonely. The streets were empty, completely of cars, of people, nothing more than a person with a little dog. They just took it out to relieve itself, and that's it. And the rest of us were at home without leaving home. And we just went, they let us go out to buy things to eat and others, and cleaning. Well, those who had work went to work, because later, there have been many, many unemployments because restaurants, bars have been closed, a lot, come on, a lot. Twenty-five percent of the bars and restaurants that were open before. You know? And then, well, nothing. And the truth is that it looked like a ghost town. You know? Because-- what?
Alessandra: Still after six months?
Lola: No, no, that was when the quarantine, the first quarantine, okay?
Luis: Since March.
Lola: Since March--
Luis: Until June.
Lola: March, April, May, June, yes yes. Until June, June 1st. And then yes, they opened-- one day they said we can go out after eight in the afternoon, well, I don't know, to walk down the street with their mask and everything. So, the city was filled with people that day! The streets were filled because we were all-- how in Spain we all go out to the streets, as you know, well, we were all from six or eight in the afternoon, and suddenly "zroom," everyone came out of their houses! And we all went to the streets, especially, to run, to walk, we all went in tracksuits because we needed to exercise. So many months that we needed to get some exercise and oxygen with the fresh air.
Alessandra: Yes, so the restaurants and bars are open?
Lola: Many have closed, but forever now. Because of course, since people weren't going, we couldn't go. Well, then nothing. And now, now there's a percentage of maybe fifty percent of the-- of customers that they used to let in, fifty percent now. And normally there is, if you go to dinner at a restaurant, there is a methacrylate screen between one table and another. Okay? And there is a distance. We are just like a little bit imprisoned. And so the restaurants, it is a shame because they have decreased a lot. And a lot of work of other types as well.
Luis: Holy Week--
Alessandra: Yes, what did people do for Holy Week and the Fair?
Lola: That's what Luis was saying. You tell her, Luis.
Luis: Well then, this year, neither Holy Week nor the Fair were celebrated. It was a shame, really a shame because when you were there, you were here, you realized the volume of people that moved and how wonderful it is throughout Holy Week, eh? With the parades down the street and others, and as well as the Fair. The fun we had in that week of the Fair. I remember you perfectly with your gypsy costumes that you put on, your costume--
Lola: How nice!
Luis: Typical of here from Spain, eh? And how gorgeous you were, huh? And well, I remember, it has been a memory of last year transferred to this, but without being able to celebrate.
Lola: In thought, nothing more.
Alessandra: Thanks to Lola, I was able to put on flamenco outfits, very pretty.
Lola: And thanks to the fact that I used to be thin like you.
Alessandra: Ay, no.
Evelyn: She was gorgeous in those dresses. Beautiful, beautiful.
Lola: She was gorgeous.
Alessandra: Thank you. I saw some photos of the Fair like on the balconies in Seville.
Luis: Yes.
Alessandra: The people--
Lola: Yes.
Alessandra: They put signs--
Evelyn: Yes, signs? Signs, signs.
Luis: Yes, dancing and clapping and doing a simulation of La Feria--
Lola: Sure.
Luis: But inside their houses. Then people would go out to the balconies and applaud, during the first confinement, they applauded the medical services, especially, but also all those who contributed something. For example, supermarket personnel, goods transport personnel, etcetera, etcetera. But above all, for the health issue. And later in the time of the Fair, in the week that corresponded to the Fair, because people also after that, put what is traditional here, which is the Sevillanas. And they sang and danced to that sound. Thus we remembered a little what La Feria was in fact.
Lola: Yes. We would go out - people would go out, put on balconies, decorate them with Manila shawls and so forth, you know? And they put them on, and they put lanterns on the balconies, lights and such, and now, the records were played towards the street, from loudspeaker to the street, high up, and people would dance on their balconies. But everyone in her house, but the neighbors in front and others, all together, together from their house, each one, but all talking and dancing. And it was very good and very beautiful, you know? In that sense, very nice.
Veronica: Yes.
Lola: Because we haven't all gotten very close to each other, you know?
Evelyn: Fantastic.
Veronica: Yeah, another way to celebrate, fun--
Lola: Sure, another way to celebrate, yeah yeah yeah.
Luis: Well, I'm already getting ready for Christmas if you notice.
Lola: Look, Santa Claus.
Evelyn: Santa Claus is in Spain too, right?
Luis: Yes, too. Well--
Lola: Yes. There are two things here: Santa Claus and the Wise Men, which is on the 6th.
Luis: Of January.
Lola: Of January. January 6th.
Luis: But me, what happens is that in confinement, well, I decided, I say, << Look, I'm going to change my look a little bit, I'm going to leave a little bit of--
Lola: Of hair.
Luis: Of hair. And I'm going to grow a beard and such, and well, me as if I am still confined.
Evelyn: Santa Claus.
Alessandra: You look very handsome.
Veronica: Yes.
Luis: Thank you!
Lola: He's very good like this.
Luis: How-- we used to say a set phrase that is here, also that is useful for the podcast, it says, "I'm not going to love you." That phrase you told me.
Lola: Sure.
Alessandra: What does it mean?
Luis: It means that, with the phrase, for the comment you have made saying that I am handsome, well, I tell you--
Lola: "That I love you very much."
Luis: Instead of saying, "Thank you," I say, "I will not love you." Here in a question stating, you understand? It is a double meaning.
Lola: "I'm not going to love you with what you're telling me."
Luis: "With what you are telling me."
Lola: I eat you up, I eat you up!
Alessandra: Okay, I understand.
Lola: I eat you up with kissed, I eat you up with kisses. That, that's what it means.
Alessandra: Ago when--
Lola: How much.
Alessandra: Were you in Zahara?
Luis: Since when have you been in Zahara?
Lola: Well look, we came on Friday, we came on Friday.
Luis: In the morning.
Lola: In the morning, and we leave tomorrow morning. Because in the afternoon I have a flamenco class, flamenco clapping.
Evelyn: How, how great!
Veronica: How fun!
Lola: Yes. And then on Wednesday I have a flamenco dance class.
Evelyn: Lola, do you teach the class or do you receive the class?
Lola: I receive it, I receive it. I am learning.
Luis: But dance very well, dance very well. And she plays the palms very well. Accompany very well with palms.
Lola: Yes yes, I'm already learning, I'm already learning. It's never too late.
Evelyn: Lola, send us a video. Send us a video of you dancing.
Lola: Okay, okay! Now I'll look for it and I send one of my classes, one of my classes, okay?
Evelyn: Yes, with dress and everything, everything, everything.
Lola: No, we do not dress. We go with our clothes, we train to--
Luis: But what you want is that--
Lola: We teach with clothes.
Luis: Make yourself a video with the dress--
Lola: But I can't because the clothes no, they're for that now, you know?
Evelyn: Ah okay. It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter! However.
Lola: Anyway, okay, okay, okay, great. Very good.
Veronica: What is Zahara? What is Zaraha-- the beach?
Lola: Yes. It is a small town, there is a beautiful beach and I have always come here, to that beach. And we have a little house here.
Luis: Apartament.
Lola: An apartment, come on.
Luis: This is near the Strait of Gibraltar, close to Gibraltar. Here next door, about three hundred, four hundred meters away, what is the Tarifa area begins. Tarifa is the southernmost tip of Europe. In other words, it is closer to Africa than Europe. And I already tell you, we are like, from this region, from this county, as we say, about three hundred, four hundred meters away. But on the beach, in the Cádiz area.
Alessandra: Yes, I went to Cádiz.
Lola: What?
Luis: That she went to Cádiz.
Lola: Yes, well, and you also went to Gibraltar.
Alessandra: Yes!
Lola: No? With the monkeys and the others.
Luis: With your parents.
Lola: Of course, you went to Gibraltar.
Veronica: Yes, very fun.
Lola: Well here we are, the house is very close to the beach, nothing, we go out and the beach is right here. Because here it's starting to get a little chilly, but hey, you can still be on the magnificent beach with sun and so on and we go for a few walks on the beach because it is very long. It reaches another town that is ten kilometers from here. And then we walk long, long and oof, we do a great exercise. It gives you the breeze from the sea and, phenomenal. So when you come next time, we come here and you can get to know it or stay here as long as you want.
Luis: We go to the Jerez winery and we also pass through here that too--
Lola: That!
Alessandra: Sounds perfect to me, yeah! I'm jealous that I can't go to the beach every day.
Lola: Sure.
Alessandra: What has it been like not having students at home? Or was a student with you?
Luis: Yes.
Lola: Well, there were two at Luis's house--
Luis: No, one, one. Now in confinement I had one, and she had two. Okay? Last fall I had two, a newlywed couple, Mateo and Eliza, who are from Arkansas. They were married six days before arriving in Spain. But the one who came in January lives in Miami, Andrés. And she, well, had two girls, and yes, in confinement, since we could not practically see each other, we could not be together and so on, well we decided and Lola came home again. And we are together at home.
Lola: No we are living together.
Luis: Definitely.
Alessandra: Ah how good! In which? Which house? That of--
Evelyn: Wonderful.
Lola: We are delighted.
Alessandra: I'm glad.
Luis: Well, and they had to leave the month after they arrived, the beginning of March, they had to go to the United States in a hurry. And well, since we had that gap, that we lacked you, we have done with those who have come home, we have a family relationship.
Lola: Of course.
Luis: Because for me, you are my child of __. And Jonathan from Indiana is exactly the same.
Lola: I'm starting to cry, I'm starting to cry.
Alessandra: Ay, no.
Lola: For you it is the same for me. And for me, much more.
Luis: Well, you know that I have two daughters, and I have six grandchildren.
Evelyn: Wow!
Luis: But on the way, on the way the number seven comes to me.
Lola: Another is coming.
Alessandra: Congratulations!
Verónica: Congratulations! Congratulations!
Luis: The seventh of the cavalry is here, I can't take any more!
Alessandra: Are you living in Luis's house, or Lola's?
Lola: Yes, yes, yes.
Luis: Yes.
Lola: Our home because that was our home--
Luis: It was our house, the house of the both of us.
Lola: Right. I left that apartment, which was where you were, and I went to live there at his house, come on, at our house!
Luis: Our house!
Alessandra: Right.
Lola: And I've been very good.
Evelyn: How good.
Alessandra: Yes.
Lola: Yes.
Evelyn: You look very much in love.
Lola: Yes!
Evelyn: Pretty, beautiful, beautiful.
Alessandra: I love it!
Evelyn: Yes.
Lola: We are very well, the truth is that we are. Yes yes.
Evelyn: Great, congratulations.
Alessandra: And the rest of the family, they're good?
Lola: All alright. The rest of the family, all good. Do you remember Teo? Do you remember Teo?
Alessandra: Yes!
Lola: Well then, Teo is in Italy with an Erasmus. He has gone to Italy with an Erasmus, to Bologna.
Veronica: What is an Erasmus?
Alessandra: A program.
Luis: Program, yes.
Lola: Yes, a program, you haven't heard-- it's called Erasmus here. Haven't you heard that? Yes, no?
Alessandra: Yo sí.
Lola: You have heard it. It is like yours, it is exactly the same as yours but hey, outside of, sure, from Spain to abroad, logically, in Italy. And four friends went from his college. And now, they have been gone for twenty days, twenty or so, and now two of them have caught COVID. They have caught COVID.
Evelyn: Oh no!
Lola: Totally, that the poor children have been taken to a hotel that they have made into a hospital, right? They have been equipped with hospitals, hotels. Well, they have taken them, and well, a disaster. And now Teo, well, is waiting for them to give him-- because yesterday ____, the test and on Monday they will give him the result to see if he has also been infected. Anyway.
Evelyn: Ay no.
Lola: But hey, nothing happens to young people, come on. Normally, eh, normally. But hey.
Evelyn: Hopefully he's okay.
Lola: Clear. I think yes, that he will be fine, come on, no, that he will not be infected or anything. You Alessandra be very careful with the COVID.
Alessandra: Yes, yes, yes. Of course.
תגובות