It are emotional nudges that attempt to steer us in the right direction or warns us when we are moving the wrong way in the current environment (of various scales) we live in.
Although both these two emotions can be distorted or misused depending on an individual's other attributes, for most of us the above generalization remains largely true.

What I am trying to get at is this : we must not see the search for happiness as a purely selfish endeavor.
On the contrary it is an affirmation that what we are doing (or have done) to achieve this emotion is good and positive. Look at it as a green signal → you are doing the right thing, going in a positive direction.
But a green light only tells us that we have done the right thing. It does not show us where to go next.

In the series A Philosophy of Happiness I have outlined and discussed seven factors that influence our sense of happiness. Each of them contains an underlying element of goodness either for our own well being or for some around us.

Life is a journey, but a journey that follows no existing road. Each of us have to forge our own unique way through life.
By keeping a close eye on those seven factors that determine our happiness we might be able to keep that green light glowing. And if so, it will assure us that we continue to live a positive life with benefit to ourselves and to others.

Language
Just to get you back to the here and now. Today I heard the first Spanish 4-letter word since I arrived in Spain. Have Spaniards cleaned up their act ?   4-letter words (or their equivalents) used to make up 25% of any conversation in Galicia back in 1960. But Gallegoes always had a notoriously foul mouth.   Yesterday, when I was so exited about obtaining my apartment here in Mijas, I even uttered one of those dirty worlds myself.

Monday, October 16 2017 (page 320)

The church bells ringing in cities and villages in Southern Germany have a beautiful, musical sound which resonates for miles around. It is as if they come from Heaven itself to lure you into churches and a religion which (in my view) is no longer relevant in this modern world.

The humble church bell (shown on the left) on top of the small church at Mijas' Plaza de Libertad has an earthy metallic sound, not melodic at all, just matter of fact.
Its clapper, located outside the bell, hits it once on every half hour.
At the full hour the bell rings the appropriate number of times.
About 2 minutes later it repeats the same number of rings once more, as if it realizes its message is heard by fallible humans, who may not have counted correctly the first time.
This bell is not silenced during the night as in Germany, but keeps chiming away all day and all night.
When awake in bed and I hear the bell it gives me a comfortable feeling and enforces the notion that I have come to the right place.

Today (Monday) I paid the bond money for my apartment and I feel I really live here now. Last week I also got a PO Box at the local Post office. This gives me the freedom to shift apartments if necessary without having to change my postal address.
My Box number Apartado de Correos 66 (Mijas Peublo 29650) keeps reminding me of the (vocal quartet) Manhattan Transfer's wonderful recording of Route 66.

Renting is made really easy here. The electricity and water bills go directly to the Real Estate agent, and I can just add that to the monthly rental bill.
David is also looking for a good company where I can combine wifi at home, a new mobile phone service and pay TV for sport.   I hope to have a local bank account too here by the end of this week, so all looks good.

Tuesday, October 17 2017 (page 320)

The huge Plaza Virgen de la Peña, Mijas. Shops and Restaurants all along on the left side.
Horse drawn carriages waiting for customers under the trees in the far background.

Earlier in my Blog I mentioned that the higher you climb in Mijas the better it gets. This is true in some respects. But warming myself in the sun on one of the many benches in the (lower level) Plaza Virgen de la Peña last weekend I started to appreciate that square much more.
The square is really enormous in size, dwarfing the tourists walking around, so that sitting there you still get a sense of peace and tranquility. They have upgraded this plaza (and are still working on that) considerably since I was here 10 years ago. The trees growing there are wonderful and contribute considerably to the ambiance.

So coming back to the three levels I was talking about earlier, each (Plaza Virgen de la Peña, Plaza de la Constitucion and La Muralla) have their own unique feel and ambiance. Depending the way you feel on a day you select one of these three to visit and relax.

Today (Tuesday) it is overcast and rather cool and sitting at the Bar La Piedra in the Plaza Virgen de la Peña I order a cognac to keep me warm. Soberano, the first Spanish cognac I have had since the last one in 1961.

The brand is still around since those early days and so are Fundador and Terri. This last one still with its characteristic knitted yellow mash sock around the bottle.
All bars give you heart warming quantities too, about half the amount of a good glass of red (at only €2.50)

Wednesday, October 18 2017 (page 320)

Tapa of cured cheese (marinated in olive oil €2)

Is this the Spanish version of 'Mainzer Handkäse mit Musik' I had way back in 1982 (in a pub in Mainz of course) ? I absolutely loved that. It is a soft hand cheese floating in a bowl of oil with kummel and unions (the "musik").
A chef in Boppard tried to make that for me, and although what she made was nice, it got nowhere near it.
Now here in Mijas most bars have a tapa of "cured cheese". So today I try it in Bar Porras.
It is a Spanish hard cheese, similar to parmesan cheese but not salty, cured (floating) in olive oil. Why ? I have absolutely no idea, but it does taste great. I am probably hooked on it from now on. I like parmesan just on its own, but this is even better !!

I find that Dannie, the head waiter of Bar La Muralla, looks a bit like Colin Firth (famous for his leading role in the wonderful TV series of Jane Austen's book 'Pride & Prejudice').
When I enter Bar Porras today (Plaza de Libertad, 13 on the map) he is there, recognises me before I do, and says hello. Bar La Muralla is closed because of the rain, Dannie explains, sitting with a baby on his lap.
What is her name I ask him. "Emma" he replies. Would you believe it, my favourite Jane Austen novel. I show Dannie the book's front cover, which I happen to have on my tablet.
Life is full of trivialities. But I find that ofen it are exactly those that bring people closer together.

We had a descent downpour of rain very early this morning and a thunder storm to go with it. Even the electricity went off for a while. But when I get outside later this morning the streets are all dry. Nothing runs horizontal in this old village and the drainage is just perfect.

Thursday - Saturday, October 19-21 2017 (page 320)

We may organise a Bridge & Lunch session here for Bridge4u in October 2018