Author Archives: johnkwhi

johnkwhi

About johnkwhi

John K. White is an Irish-Canadian physicist, writer, and educator. He is the editor of the energy news service E21NS and author of The Truth About Energy (Cambridge University Press, 2024) on the transition from fossil fuels to renewables, Do The Math! (Sage, 2013) on economics, statistics, and numeracy, and The House of Words (Tuttle House, 2013), a novel about the adventures of New York state Scrabble champ Suzy Quest and the search for her spy father. A former lecturer in the School of Physics, UCD Dublin, he has written for CounterPunch, various other publications, and blogs about his adventures in Spain in Caracolas.

From Salpicon to Spam and back

I first discovered the amazing salpicón (salpicon in English) on a trip to A Coruña last summer with Belén, tucked away in an odd restaurant in the city centre on an even odder menú del día. I can’t speak for … Continue reading

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Happy Frixuelos Day

Frixuelo is the Asturian word for crêpe or thin pancake (tortita), and so today being 40 days before the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, I made frixuelos for breakfast for Belén and me. Asturians … Continue reading

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Spanish influence on English and the English in the New World

Undoubtedly, Spanish began mixing with other languages the moment Christopher Columbus landed in the New World (October 12, 1492 in the modern-day Bahamas), giving us new words by the boatful. By the time the Spanish met the English in what … Continue reading

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El Camino de Santiago and The House of Words: Finding our pasts together

El Camino de Santiago or Way of St. James is a pilgrimage begun in the 9th century to bring European Christians to the last resting place of St. James, believed to be in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, northern Spain. St. … Continue reading

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Modern Government – Love and toys for all?

Spain is a constitutional monarchy with 350 members (or deputies) elected every four years to the Congreso de los Diputados located in its capital Madrid. There are two main political parties, the right-wing Partido Popular (People’s Party or PP) which … Continue reading

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Top 10 things to know in Gijón (out and about so far)

I have been here for almost 6 months, so I hope I have a few ideas now to help visitors or those planning to live here. 1. Weather Think Ireland only warmer, typically 5-10 degrees warmer at any time throughout … Continue reading

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Looking back and ahead: Resumen y más aventuras

Now that the uvas (grapes) have been eaten and the cotillón packed away for another year, we can begin enero in earnest. New Year’s resolutions for me: more of the same with a little less sidra and a little more … Continue reading

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Spanish wine now and in a changing world

With record-breaking low temperatures in the United States and Canada, and even minus 13 as far south as Georgia, one wonders what all the fuss is about global warming? It seems to be getting colder not warmer. But colder winters … Continue reading

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Christmas in Spain: Feliz Navidad

Christmas in Spain is celebrated first and foremost on Christmas Eve (Nochebuena), when families gather to eat at home from late evening onwards. The food is more than the regular Sunday fare with plenty of fresh marisco, which in Asturias … Continue reading

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Madrid, Barcelona, and other short hops from Gijón

If Madrid is a city of art, then Barcelona is a city of architecture, even its modern buildings not designed by Antoni Gaudí. In Madrid, Goya, Velázquez, Picasso, Dalí, Miró, and El Greco are on display in three great museums; … Continue reading

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