What do Catalans think about independence?

The institute of political science at the Universitat Autonoma publishes an annual poll of opinions in Catalunya on a wide range of topics. Here’s a couple things I found interesting in the 2009 poll. One thing that shocked me was that 68% of people in Catalunya have at least one parent that is from outside Catalunya.

Question 23: Do you believe Catalunya should be a:

Region of Spain	4%
Autonomous community in Spain (status quo)	48%
A state in a federal Spain	20%
An independent state	21%

Question 24: How important is the debate around the shape of the state to you?

Very important	12%
Somewhat important	42%
Little important	30%
Unimportant	12%

question 37: what does “Spain” mean to you?

My country	23%
A nation of which I am a member	6%
A state of which I am a citizen	21%
A state that consists of different nations and regions	37%
A foreign state that my country belongs to	10%

question 47: where were you born:

Catalunya	61%
Andalusia	10%
Rest of Spain	11%
Foreign	18%

question 50: where were your parents born:

Both in Catalunya	32%
Both outside Catalunya	55%
One in and one outside	13%

Unintentionally funny hat day

Last time I was in the US visiting HQ, I picked up a Pixar hat for my son, since he's such a huge fan of pretty much every movie they've ever made.

Yesterday was field trip day and he had to bring a hat, so of course he took his Pixar hat. The other kids absolutely loved it, not because they like the movies too, but because pixar in Catalan means to piss. At least they didn't laugh at him, they just thought it was really cool.

I imagine at the beginning of every Pixar movie the Catalan kids start giggling...

The countryside of Catalunya Profunda

Fields of wheat, old castles, great food, long winding roads, confused GPS, wild pigs and the occasional prostitute sitting on a plastic chair next to the road in the middle of nowhere.

I thought about asking for directions but it felt kind of wrong. A foreign language is tricky when it comes to double meanings and I might have asked for the wrong thing.

Reminds me of the time that a guy kept asking me "Tu entiendes?" Unfortunately I was new in Spain and proud of the fact that I thought I knew what he was asking and kept saying "Si!". A Spanish speaking friend who was with me at the time was not being helpful at all due to the fact that she was suffering from convulsive laughing fits.

Uncolorful Catalunya

Something that has subconciously bothered me over the last couple years here over the last couple years has been the cultural aversion to color here in Catalunya.

Buildings are generally brick, stone or concrete colored. Cars are white, silver, grey, black, blue, or if people are feeling very adventurous, perhaps red. Clothing also tends to be neutral colors... earth tones, etc.

I've heard various theories:

• sun theory: that cold depressing countries liven up their colors to help people make it through winter, but there isn't a need for that here (although given this winter's weather, I'm not sure about that). Also, the south of Spain seems to have more color in clothing, etc.
  
• conformism theory: people don't want to stick out, and thus conform to safe low-risk colors.
  
• blame-it-on-the-church theory: the catholic church somehow supressed peoples' desire for color. Italy would seem like a good counter example... Ireland also tends to have much more colorful buildings.
  
• Catalans-are-boring theory: There are some counter-examples, like Custo, etc.
  
• Genetics: perhaps people from here are able to perceive subtle shades of gray and brown that make the scenery much more exciting.
  

Catalunya, not just a good idea, it's the law

According to decree 78/1991, section 3.3, all place names in guides and descriptions of Catalunya for use in Catalunya must use the official Catalan spelling. No more Catalonia, Cataluña, or Catalogne. Katalonien is most definitely verboten. (and this guy is definitely going to jail)

There's an exception if you live in the Aran Valley, they are allowed to call it Catalonha.

Does a blog from Sant Cugat for Santcugatencs qualify? It's not clear (there is an exception for textbooks used in schools that are written in a foreign language), but to be on the safe side, I will try to use the official spelling.

So there, Tom. :)

Lectures from abroad

From the kettle-pot-namecalling competition, we get rants from various Catalans living in foreign countries, complaining about the lack of adaptation by immigrants moving to Catalonia.

I suppose absence really does make the heart grow fondernationalist.

Some examples from the UK, Mexico, Holland or the USA. A Galician nationalist nutcase living in the UK even has an entire blog dedicated to bashing Colin Davies as not being Galician enough.