FÁILTE romhaibh uilig, stay at homers, ex-pats and the newly arrived, you are all welcome to the Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.
Confession time. While most of you were suffering from a lack of Primark, pubs and playing outdoors, the Bluffer was in Gran Canaria.
Bhí sé ar saoire - he was on holidays for a week.
Fuair a mhac árasán ar cíos ar feadh míosa - his son rented an apartment for a month and the Bluffer went over for a week.
Now Playa del Ingles might not be the Bluffer’s idea of getting away from it all but he did enjoy himself.
Because of Covid, bhí na tránna fada beagnach folamh - the long beaches were almost empty.
(There is a phrase in Irish ar an trá fholamh which literally means on the empty beach but idiomatically, it which means being destitute.
D’fhág an Covid ar an trá fholamh iad - Covid left them destitute, for example.
It probably comes from the fact that, in times gone by, the poorest people living on the coasts couldn’t even get seaweed or shellfish to eat.
That of course, is a long way from Playa del Ingles where groups of rich Germans and other Europeans enjoyed life on the normal beach or in the many areas set aside for lomnochtáin - nudists.
(When asked the inevitable question, the Bluffer replied: “It’s none of your business!”)
Cibé a tharlaíonn in Gran Canaria ... what happens in Gran Canaria ...
For the most of the day, the weather was a constant 24 chéim - 24 degrees Celsius and an fharraige - the sea was cold but, as usual, warmed up as your body got used to it.
The main source of siamsaíocht - entertainment on Playa del Ingles was the Yumbo Centre, which sad to say, was like the old IN Shops Centre on Belfast’s High Street on a wet day.
The beáir aeracha - gay bars had nothing gay about them as the sound of techno echoed through the empty edifice.
The Bluffer was keen to practice his español in this part of Spain almost 2,000km away from Madrid and closer to Morocco and Mauritania than it is to Málaga!
That is why it wasn’t until the fifth day that the Bluffer was able to have a conversation in Spanish with a waitress in, em, the Windsor Gardens.
Bhí comhrá agam léi i Spáinnis - I had a conversation with her in Spanish.
The Bluffer got one more chance to hablar castilliano whilst ag fanacht leis an bhus - waiting for the bus to the go to airport.
Luckily, the young canariana was able to tell us the right bus to take - just as it came round the corner. We would have missed it otherwise.
Now, from reading the above, you might think that the Bluffer didn’t have a good time, but he really did.
An tsaoirse - the freedom, the sunshine, an siorradh deas samhraidh - the nice summer breeze, swimming in the sea in late November, a cerveza or
five watching Cavan against Donegal in Shenanigans Irish bar, sure what more could you ask for?
CÚPLA FOCAL
Bhí sé ar saoirear feadh seachtaine(vee shay er seera er faow shakhtinya) - he was on holidays for a week
Fuair a mhac árasán ar cíos ar feadh míosa(foor a wac aarasaan er keess er faow meesa) - his son rented an apartment for a month
bhí na tránna fada beagnach folamh(vee na traana fada bignakh foloo) - the long beaches were almost empty
ar an trá fholamh (er un traa oloo) - destitute
D’fhág an Covid ar an trá fholamh iad (daag un covid ar an tra oloo ayd) - Covid left them destitute
lomnochtáin(lomnokhtaan) - nudists
Cibé a tharlaíonn in Gran Canaria ... (kibay a harleean in Gran Canaria) - what happens in Gran Canaria
24 chéim(kerra caym agis feeha) - 24 degrees
an fharraige(un arraga) - the sea
siamsaíocht(sheeamseeakht) - entertainment
beáir aeracha (baar ayrakha) - gay bars
Bhí comhrá agam léi i Spáinnis(vee coe-ra ugum layha i spwaanish) - I had a conversation with her in Spanish
ag fanacht leis an bhus(eg fanakt lesh un wuss) - waiting for the bus
an tsaoirse(un teersha) - the freedom
an siorradh deas samhraidh(un shiroo jaas saowree) - the nice summer breeze
