As I'm sitting in my desk, managing trucks, the people of Murcia are all dressed in traditional costumes, getting drunk and eating until their eyes pop off their eyeballs.

Today is the Huerta Parade Day (Bando de la Huerta). It's a regional holiday that falls only inside the jurisdiction of the city of Murcia - that's why I'm at the office today - and consists of everybody in the city getting dressed as huertanos, or as the old-times' peasant people of the Murcian orchards.

Men, women, children and dogs go out on the streets with their typical costumes and carnations on their hair at 10.00 in the morning, and until at least 23.00, there they stay, drinking, singing and dancing.

I imagine this as being the day which recreates when the country folk invaded the uptight and elitist city, and went around and about wreaking havoc. Which, by the way, they do...

With a 21st century twist, you can now see mobile sound systems going up and down the avenues, playing Euro Pop (and Spanish Pop, and Electro Pop, and all Pops you can possibly imagine), transvestite peasants (because the girls' costume costs about 500 euros minimum, while the boys' is about 30 euros), peasants in fashion sneakers and sunglasses. Most people will be drunk, so drunk they have no idea where the trash bin is, or where the bathroom was, and driving through the city will be absolutely impossible, let alone parking.

This 21st century twist has also a dramatic flavour to it: this orchards where the "peasants" come from are as old and inexistent as the probability actual agricultors will wear these costumes on a daily basis. Although still exporting fresh goods to Europe, and perhaps being a leader in fruits n' vegetables productions, the fact is that the green and colorful landscape of "huertas" is being replaced quickly by the green of golf courses. And the panocho, the Murcian dialect, by the flashing Sterling signs of the English Old World.

Oh well...

Guess that when I come home, I'll grab a beer and a paparajote, and chill for a while to any fantastic Pop sound. Or the sound of my head popping; that's something else.

My wonderful and own Spanish Stars Hollow...