Oz in Spain

SPAIN’S MOST INTERNATIONALLY renowned actress, Penelope Cruz, has received her third career Oscar nomination: best supporting actress for Nine.

Pe, as she is affectionately known in Spain, was first nominated in 2007 for best actress for Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver. She missed out that time (though current boyfriend Javier Bardem did break through as the first Spanish actor to win an Oscar, as supporting actor for No Country For Old Men) but last year triumphed for her supporting actress role in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

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THE WORLD according to former Minister for Health in Finland  Dr Rauni Kilde… a view that is frighteningly plausible.

VEGETALIA: wholesome, appetising – and delicious desserts

(Photos: David Toms)

THE SCENE WAS slightly surreal. Several corpulent and suited Spanish travelling salesmen sitting at separate tables tucking into fried goats cheese salad, soya burgers, vegetable “shepherd’s pie”, and almond and carrot cake. (more…)

GREAT TITLE TRACK from Tasmanian-born, Madrid-based singer-songwriter Aaron Thomas’ second album, Made of Wood…

High-performance Jiménez triumphs in Dubai

Dual role as promoter of Open de Andalucía at Aloha in 2008 (Photo: Josele Sánchez)

By PEDRO BOLICHERO

IT WAS TOWARDS the end of 2003 and the Coast’s favourite golfing son, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, was mingling with guests at a presentation lunch in the La Quinta clubhouse. He stopped to chat with a group of local journalists, including yours truly, who noted that the golfer’s 40th birthday was coming up (5 January) and made some jocular remark about getting old (he himself having passed the milestone several years before). Feigning indignation, Jiménez retorted, “Old? What do you mean – not at all!”, winked and moved on to a less incriminatory group. (more…)

STOCKBROKER David Kiely became the latest unwitting You Tube star after being caught live on national Australian TV looking at revealing photos of supermodel Miranda Kerr. Kiely was facing meetings with executives to determine his future at the bank after he was seen to open a series of emails featuring photos of Kerr from a GQ shoot, while a Macquarie Private Wealth colleague (in the foreground) was live on air with the Seven Network discussing interest rates.

“Rubbish” or worth celebrating?

TWO DIVERSE but excellently enunciated views in The Punch about marking “Australia Day” on 26 January…

Δ  Rubbish

Δ  Worth celebrating

Traditional celebrations at “home” of the Coast’s Burns Suppers

BURNS NIGHT COMES but once a year, but at Hotel Tamisa Golf (Mijas) one night is just not enough. Over Saturday, Sunday and Monday (23, 24 and 25 January) more than 350 people joined in the traditional Scottish celebration inspired by the poet Robert Burns.

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Debut in Australia

PEDRO MARTÍNEZ de la Rosa, one of Formula 1’s nice guys and (with Antonio Lobato) the only member of last season’s commentating team for La Sexta that made their TV coverage bearable (the OzinSpain household depends exclusively on Spanish Digital+ channels) will be back in the driver’s seat this year as BMW Sauber’s second signing after Kamui Kobayashi.

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FORGET TARIFA… male admirers are already reportedly flocking to Spanish travel agencies to book their 2010 summer beach holidays in La Linea – the glamorous gateway to Gibraltar.

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HACKNEYED and shallow? Just a pleasant little jolly for Piers? Or this there any truth to it? You be the judge…