About Me

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Troy Nahumko is an award-winning author based in Caceres, Spain. His recent work focuses on travels around the Mediterranean, from Tangier to Istanbul. As a writer and photographer he has contributed to newspapers and media such as Lonely Planet, The Globe and Mail, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Toronto Star, Counterpunch,The Irish World, The Straits Times, The Calgary Herald, Khaleej Times, DW-World, Rabble and El Pais. He also writes a bi-weekly op-ed column 'Camino a Ítaca' for the Spanish newspaper HOY. His book, Stories Left in Stone, Trails and Traces in Cáceres, Spain is published by the University of Alberta Press. As an ESL materials writer he has worked with publishers such as Macmillan and CUP.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

One Person's White is Another's Black

Years ago while living in the south-western corner of the Arabian peninsula, now unnameable, the sun shone almost everyday...almost.

At times the clear blue sky would darken with sand blowing in from the vast deserts that ring the mountains and then for about 2 weeks a year irregular monsoons would blow through and flood the streets.

Rushing torrents of suspiciously dark water would replace what had been dusty streets and the walk to work would become a challenge.

Wet teachers ended up at work and could easily be divided into two camps. Grumpy expats, unhappy that their continuous sunshine had been interrupted and smiling and cheery locals, thrilled that their water table would refill, if just a little.

Today, years later and a continent away, we were sitting in a bar drinking a beer and eating tapas when a friend jumped up and said, "It's snowing!"

3 Spaniards at the table smiling.

One foreigner, not.

It does depend on how you look at things.

Caceres covered in white.

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