Filling the Sink

Anime, manga, sushi and sake – Japanese culture in Catalonia

Anime dubbed in Catalan, massive manga conventions, sushi restaurants on every other street, and even a couple of sake breweries: there's no doubt that Japanese culture has a big influence on contemporary Catalan life. Cillian Shields visits Manga Barcelona, a celebration of the world of Japanese comics and animation attended by over 122,000 people. Marc Pérez from the El Racó del Manga podcast gives his thoughts on why Catalans are so enamored with the land of the rising sun. Guifré Jordan explains to Lorcan Doherty how his generation was the first to grow up watching anime in Catalan. This week's Catalan phrase is 'cap de suro ', literally 'cork head', it's a common insult in Catalan dubbing of Japanese anime for someone who appears to be not very intelligent!

Pros and cons of living in Catalonia – international community has its say

The Mediterranean climate, good food, beaches, not to mention excellent health care and public transport: what’s not to like about living in Catalonia? Well, how about high rents, low salaries, and hellish bureaucracy? Those are some of the issues highlighted by Filling the Sink listeners, Catalan News readers and attendees at Barcelona International Community Day, who tell us the good, the bad, and the funny side of moving to Catalonia from abroad. Cristina Tomàs White and Cillian Shields join Lorcan Doherty. This week's Catalan phrase is 'donar carbassa', literally 'to give pumpkin' it means to get rejected or turned down. 

Europe‘s energy crisis – what‘s behind your soaring electricity bills?

All-time records for wholesale electricity prices have been broken 19 times over the past few months, causing bills to soar for many consumers and businesses. Cristina Tomàs White and Guifré Jordan join Lorcan Doherty to discuss the causes and the consequences of the energy crisis affecting Europe. Ana García from the Economists Association of Catalonia explains the reasons behind the price hikes and how long we can expect them to continue. Maria Campuzano from the Alliance Against Energy Poverty talks about how Catalan law should protect the most vulnerable, while Marc from Vic shares his struggle to make ends meet. Plus we look at the different types of contracts available in Spain and the marginal pricing model used to determine the price of electricity. This week's Catalan phrase is 'estar com un llum', literally 'to be like a light', it means 'to be crazy'.  

Covid-19 – the endgame? Measures eased and nightclubs open again

This is a good news podcast! With almost three quarters of the population fully vaccinated and less than 100 people in ICU – down from nearly 600 at the beginning of August – almost all of Catalonia's Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted. Capacity limits are no longer in place in most settings, restaurants are back to pre-pandemic opening hours and nightclubs are back. Cristina Tomàs White and Cillian Shields join Lorcan Doherty to discuss the latest coronavirus figures and measures, and there's a trip to Razzmatazz, one of Barcelona's biggest clubs, as it reopens for the first time in 19 months. The Catalan phrase this week is 'tenir la festa en pau'. Literally meaning 'to have the party in peace', it's used, for example, to urge people to calm down and move on during an argument.  

Four years in exile – Puigdemont and the other Catalan pro-independence leaders

The arrest of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont on the Italian island of Sardinia in September was the latest twist in the four-year saga of the exiled Catalan pro-independence leaders. In this podcast Puigdemont's lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, explains why he's certain that Spain's extradition attempts will not be successful. Cristina Tomàs White and Cillian Shields look back on the key moments from the past four years of legal wrangling. Guifré Jordan joins Lorcan Doherty to discuss the drama and intrigue of covering one of Europe's biggest political stories and they look ahead to what could happen next, with Catalonia demanding an amnesty but Spain firmly ruling one out. This week's Catalan phrase is 'pixar fora de test' or 'to piss outside the pot'. It means to say something inappropriate. 

Devils, dragons and a golden goat – Catalan myths and legends

Catalonia has a rich tradition of folk tales, full of strange characters and mysterious creatures. Cillian Shields and Alan Ruiz Terol join Lorcan Doherty to ask where these stories come from, what they tell us about the past, and what relevance they have in today's world. There's drama, as we re-enact how the Devil's Bridge in Martorell got its name, and music, as Alan serenades us with a tale of two giants, El Gegant del Pi. Plus, Víctor Borràs from the Catalan Legends Festival on the magic of mythology.

Superblocks and tactical urbanism – who owns Barcelona‘s streets?

A look at Barcelona's fascinating urban history and bold plans for the future.
Dr Zaida Muxí Martínez from the Barcelona School of Architecture at UPC explains the challenges facing the city as it seeks to transform its public spaces.
Cillian Shields visits a so-called superblock in the Sant Antoni neighborhood to see if cars, bicycles, electric scooters and pedestrians can co-exist.
Alan Ruiz Terol recounts the history of Barcelona, from the ancient Roman walled city to Ildefons Cerdà's 19th century expansion plan.
This week's Catalan phrase is "ser mes vell que l'anar a peu," which means "to be older than going on foot."
Presented by Lorcan Doherty. 

Parlem català? – Learning Catalan, at home and abroad

Filling the Sink listeners and Catalan News readers from around the world explain how and why they joined the more than 9 million people that speak Catalan. 
They also reveal some of their favorite words, such as somiatruites, or daydreamer, which literally translates as omelette-dreamer! 
Dr Afra Pujol i Campeny on the challenges of teaching her native language and what motivates students abroad – like those at the University of Cambridge – to study it.   
Cristina Tomàs White and Cillian Shields join Lorcan Doherty to chat about their experiences with the language and discuss the question: is it difficult to learn Catalan? 

Catalonia‘s National Day - history, symbols, independence rallies

Catalonia celebrates its National Day on September 11, known in Catalan as La Diada. Alan Ruiz Terol joins Lorcan Doherty to chat about the history behind the date – a military defeat in 1714 – and the symbols used to mark the day.  
Xènia Palau looks back on the last decade of massive pro-independence demonstrations that have taken place on the National Day, while Alan and Lorcan discuss the impact the rallies have had on Catalan politics. 
This week's Catalan phrase is "endavant les atxes," which is used to give encouragement when facing difficulties.

Harvest time! A taste of the world of Catalan wine

September in Catalonia is harvest time - la verema – when grapes are picked to go from vine to wine. 
Winegrower and co-owner of the Celler Can Roda winery, Enric Gil, explains the challenges posed by climate change and how this year's crop is shaping up after a difficult harvest last year.  
Enric Bartra from INCAVI, the Catalan Institute of Vine and Wine, on what makes Catalan wines stand out on the world stage and the remarkable growth of organic wines in Catalonia. 
Guifré Jordan joins Lorcan Doherty to chat about wine tourism and the harvest festival. 
This week's Catalan phrase is "dormir la mona," literally "to sleep the (female) monkey," it means to fall asleep after a few too many drinks! 

A whole new ball game – cricket, Gaelic football and American football in Catalonia

Cricket, Gaelic football and American football are three sports that are hugely popular in certain parts of the world but more of a minority pursuit in Catalonia. But that doesn't mean that the players are any less passionate. 
Cillian Shields and Lorcan Doherty discuss how these three sports are going from strength to strength, with local Catalans being bitten by the Gaelic football bug, the citizens of Barcelona voting to invest in a new cricket ground, and Catalan American football teams dominating the Spanish league and setting their sights on Europe. 
Diego and Michael from Sitges GAA and Sam, Lucky and Shub from the Men in Blue and Barcelona International Cricket Club explain why the social side of playing sport is so important to them, transcending international differences and political fault lines to provide friendship and a sense of community. 
This week's Catalan phrase is 'passar la pilota,' literally meaning 'to pass the ball', it's used like the English-language phrase 'pass the buck', to pass on responsibility to someone else.

Val d'Aran – the Pyrenean valley with a distinct history, culture and language

On the northern side of the Pyrenees, surrounded by high mountain peaks, lies the beautiful Val d'Aran, the Aran valley. Its geographic isolation has helped foster and protect its distinct culture, including the Aranese language, a dialect of Occitan.
Biologist and mountain guide Sara Arjó, head of Cultural Heritage in Val d'Aran, Elisa Ros, and Jordi Gavaldà from the center of snow avalanche prediction offer their thoughts on the natural and human forces that shape this land. 
Alan Ruiz Terol chats to Lorcan Doherty about the history of this unique place and recounts some tales he picked up on his recent visit. 
Jusèp Loís Sans Socasau reads an extract of Mossen Josèp Condò's poem 'Era lengua aranesa'. 
There are two Aranese phrases this week. 'Badalhi-badalhò, hame a o dromir vò', which means if someone’s yawning, they’re either hungry or tired, and 'long com era hame de mai', which means 'long like May’s hunger'.