Gabriele Hefele

My Andalusian Gardener 

English version in preparation

Here you find an extract: 

Don’t say ‚cheese’, please say ’patata’ !

Recently we organized a barbecue in our community, to mark the arrival of some old friends and the departure of others – although to tell the truth we don’t need a special reason to organize a party !

Of course you see many people with their digital cameras at these events and then, sure,  one of them shouts: “Please, say cheeeeeeese!“ .  But Miguel, to whom somebody gives a camera to take the photographs of the whole group, shouts: „Por favor: Patataaaaaaaa!“

Our urbanisation is a near-perfect mirror of the international melting pot of the  Costa del Sol and so, as a journalist, I started a little inquiry among neighbours  For example, what  do the Germans say in front of a camera? Many years ago German children would hear from their grandfathers the strange request: ‚Please, watch the camera with attention because a bird will appear!’ Where or why this saying was born – nobody knows. Perhaps it could be a connection with the cuckoo clock?

But the results were always the same: children in their sailor suites (?) with anxious expressions in front of the camera! No sign of smile or even laughter- but in this respect we know the Germans do not have to (loose any  image) (note - would “try too hard” be a better way of putting it? - R).

Typical for the Germans  today is their affinity to anglicisms, and so they prefer the English-American „cheeeeeeese!“.

At my left side, I asked Anna, the Danish girl,  what expression is used to get people to laugh in her country: „Apelsiiiiiiiin“ , she answered,  and the Belgian neighbour at my right side came in with:  ’Whiskyyyyyyyyyyyyy!’“

Very interesting – the Belgians at the Costa del Sol, most of whom ran away from the Congo in the sixties, are always thinking of alcohol, you see!

Do you see it now? Or shall I add what the Swedish say when they are grinning? „Omeläääääääät!“

All of these words have to do with food which naturally associates with positive thoughts

But for myself I prefer „patata“ – and do you know why? Not just living here in Spain and  being  polite to my new country; no,  I tried all these words secretly in front of my mirror: When saying „cheese“  your mouth draws wide,  but normally you don’t  open your teeth; so it always looks a  little bit of struggle and rather Chinese.

But now „patataaaa“ – please try it yourself: The eyes are wide and shining, the mouth opens erotically, - oh yeah the Spanish!!! – they know how to look sexy – at least  for a  photo!!