Imagine sharing a moment of fame with Martin Sheen!!! Well, all right, I exaggerate but Martin Sheen and I DID both appear in El Faro de Vigo newspaper today.
Last week I began my media career by appearing on Radio Onda Cero. Some of my Vigo friends even heard the broadcast. I was astounded. Today the Manchester-Vigo Chess Cultural Interchange was reported in the “Campeones” supplement of El Faro de Vigo and, lo and behold, I was quoted. Nonetheless, I suspect that is probably the end of my media superstardom.
Now Mr. Sheen’s case is different. He is more used to the media presence and probably gets less excited about it. He is currently in Santiago de Compostela making “The Way”, a film about the Camino de Santiago directed by his son Emilio Estévez. In the summer both of these descendants of Galician (and Irish) emigrants to the USA visited Santiago de Compostela and obtained permission to film inside the cathedral, even in parts where no camera has been allowed for more than 40 years.
More recently they sent a copy of the script and, as the Faro de Vigo puts it, ciertas personalidades in the archdiocese decided that the “essence” of the film was negative. Not only did it not exalt the spirituality of the Camino de Santiago but in some scenes it did quite the opposite. Some of the scenes and the expresiones verbales were also deemed in poor taste. Permission to film withdrawn!
So Mssrs Sheen and Estévez have adjusted the script, apologised to the Galician church for any unintended offence to the apostle and managed to regain permission to film within the cathedral. Phew! Apparently la caballerosidad, la exquisita educación y las buenas maneras of the father and son team played a big part in putting things right. I knew when I saw Martin Sheen as President of the United States in The West Wing that he was a polite bloke. Good manners work!
Except that they don’t work all the time. I was as nice a pie in my conversation in the library today and it did no good. This is what happened. Some time ago I reserved a book. On Wednesday, as reported in my last blog post, the library phoned me when I was on a bus to Santiago with a bunch of chess players. On Thursday I did not go to collect my book as I was busy with the same chess players, interpreting for bigwigs from Vigo’s Círculo Mercantil who were giving out prizes and, of course, talking to newspaper reporters. On Friday, as reported in my last blog post, I found the library closed for interesting reasons. On Tuesday I nearly made it but left my library card at home. Today they told me I could not have my book as too much time has gone by since they notified me and they have given it to the next person on the list!!!!
I politely pointed out that they told me last Wednesday and so if you discount the days the library was being disinfected only three days have gone past. However, they count the day of notification as well, which makes it four days: one too many!
Library rules, OK!!! I can’t belong to two library reading groups; I can’t take out books for my husband on his ticket if he is not present; I have to put my bag in a locker like the ones they have at art galleries; if I have an overdue book I can’t take any more books out for a week; and now I’ve missed my chance to borrow a book I have been looking forward to reading because three days have gone past. And they wonder why more people don’t use libraries!!!!
Well, anyway, I have ordered the book again. I am back to the bottom of the list, in position four. (It’s a popular book.) With my current run of luck, they’ll probably call me in late December when I’m back in the UK for Christmas!!!
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