August 2008

Fairs and Festivals

The other day I received a call from someone looking for information about the Raisin Festival (Fiesta de la Uva Pasa) in La Viñuela. It so happened they had heard two different dates reported for this year's festivities and wished to confirm which was correct. A representative of the town hall in La Viñuela was happy to provide me with the correct answer: a third date.

Hope in English

The "Teléfono de la Esperanza" help line is an NGO with 180 trained volunteers providing a listening ear to those going through tough times in our region. These are dedicated people who know how to empathise and where to direct those in need of social services, psychological assistance or other types of specialised help. However, reaching out to those in need is not so easy when the language barriar rears its ugly head. At present only 10 volunteers speak English. This is about to change.