Basque-d out
I had nothing to do on the plane to San Francisco last Friday but listen to Gatibu on my iPhone and taking advantage of a little time with no Internet connection – so no Facebook or chatting – only a blank word document and some time to kill. I was on my way to the San Francisco BCC 29th Anniversary Dinner, a housewarming party, and a whole weekend of pelota and joko garbi games with players from the Basque Country. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the trip, although I’d heard from my girlfriends it would be fun and crazy. Yeah… They were not kidding! So I’m going to leave the insider stories for more private settings, and talk some Basque culture instead.
Apparently, some weeks are just more Basque than others. It all started on Wednesday, when my email exploded with news about Basque events from all over the Diaspora (which, by the way and running the risk of sounding like a broken record, will never cease to amaze me). First, I got news from our Argentinean friends in FEVA, who shared several videos on their YouTube channel, to showcase the activities taking place in their centers.
Then, Boiseko Ikastola sent out a message to let everyone know about their summer program. You should really look them up on Facebook and make sure you add them so you are always in the know about what’s going on with the younger generation of Boise Basques. Last summer it was the first time the Ikastola had classes through June, July and August and, although only part time (7:30-5:30 Tues, Wed, Thurs), it was a blast and the kids didn’t miss a beat with Euskera by the time full time classes started up in late August. There was bowling and swimming, and even cooking days! Get in touch with the Ikastola director, Mara Davis, at ikastola@basquemuseum.com or (208) 343-4234 for more details.
Boiseko Gazteak shared information about one of my favorite events this year, the Udaleku, organized by NABO, and which will take place in San Francisco this summer for kids between 10 and 15 years of age. I can’t wait to give my children the opportunity to go. What an awesome experience that’s going to be! NABO is also organizing their Pilota finals, which will be played in Bakersfield, in conjunction with their annual picnic at the end of May.
From our favorite NABO Basque Language Coordinator, Izaskun Kortazar, we get news about the Barnetegi for Basque teachers living in the US, which will take place in Boise this summer. The dates are from July 6th to July 16th, and the classes will be at BSU, from 9 am to 5 pm. I’m sure she’ll love to hear from you, so feel free to drop her a line at izaskunkortazar@gmail.com if you need additional information.
And finally, I would like to mention that tomorrow we will be playing the Women’s Pala semifinals and finals in Boise. Games start at 5:30 pm and the fun will continue until at least 8:30 pm. My partner and I actually made it to the B League finals, so I’m pretty excited about tomorrow’s game.
See? I wasn’t kidding! Are we TOTALLY Basque-d out or what?
