Fernán-Gómez and domestic culture

 

Fernando Fernán Gómez (Lima, Perú, 1921-Madrid, España, 2007) was a film actor, playwright, novelist and scriptwriter. He is still a well-known icon of Spanish culture who left his imprint on the contemporary theater and film industry.
The above apropos of my daughter´s visit. Lorraine Ladish´s husband, Phillippe Diederich, a novelist in his own right (Playing for the Devil´s Fire, Sofrito, for example), came with her. At one point we made an appointment with Ramón Luque, Spanish film director (Historias de Lavapiés), in Plaza de Colón, a rather large square with a statue of Columbus in the center. I suggested we meet near Fernando Fernán-Gómez theater. My son-in-law asked who he was. Phillippe Diederich is an educated, cultured man, whose knowledge of Spanish is superb, but who is not fully immersed in Spanish culture, contemporary, domestic, run-of-the-mill culture. Why should he be?
So, we must put it bluntly: one thing is to know about Bolívar, San Martín, Pancho Villa, Cervantes, Borges, García Márquez, Octavio Paz, Lope de Vega... and another to be versed in local, domestic heroes -cultural or otherwise- like Fernando Fernán Gómez.
That is why we must be selective in our acquisition of local "culture." Still, I recommend Viaje a ninguna parte, a film directed by Fernando Fernán Gómez.  I also recommend Historias de Lavapiés, directed by Ramón Luque, a film I know well.

SIT VS SEAT

TO SIT:
Sentarse. To sit, sat, sat. 
Sit here, please, Siéntate aquí, por favor.
What he said did not sit well with me, Lo que dijo no me sentó bien.  
What I ate didn't sit too well, Lo que comí no me sentó bien.
Hacer de canguro, cuidar: Will you sit with my children this evening? ¿Quieres hacer de canguro con mis niños esta tarde?  A babysitter es la/el "caguro" de los niños.
Posar: The painter wants me to sit for him, El pintor quiere que pose para él.
Todos dicen to sit down, innecesariamente, como en España se dice sube arriba y baja abajo. Sin emabargo to sit up es sentarse derecho en la silla, sin hacer chepa, joroba, que es malo para la espalda.

TO SEAT:
Sentar, tomar, dar asiento:
The woman seated me next to her husband, La mujer me sentó al lado de su marido.
Please, be seated, Por favor, tome asiento.
This movie theater seats 200 persons, Este cine puede sentar -tiene aforo para- a 200 personas.
A seat es un asiento: This seat is very comfortable, Este asiento es muy cómodo.
The seat of my pants es el culo, el fondillo, del pantalón. 

Y para más cosas interesantes podemos ir a la GRAMÁTICA INGLESA PARA TORPES de Anaya, con prólogo de Fernando Sánchez Dragó y con dibujos de Forges.