Column

Let’s start with an old Vedic phrase “Viva Espanza”. As Fernando Torres found the back of the German net in the 33rd minute the Broacha household celebrated as one. Actually let me clarify the one member of the Broacha household who was awake, and watching the match (my mother), moved her head from side to side, a distance probably three inches from epicentre to maximum point in a gesture of wild unbridled uncontrollable joy.

You see a little known fact is that like Spandeau Ballet really never learned any ballet, we Broachas are originally Spanish! Yes late at night when no one is watching my father is known to dress up in his Toreador outfit, also known as tight pants with no button, (something that should be avoided if you have an uncontrollable bladder) then dances to the tune of the Bolero, until his back acts up and he switches to Bolero for seniors....

In this form of the Bolero, you just lie on your back and snap your fingers. At this time he goes by the name of Joe Luis Avantes Dela Vega, my mother in turn switches to Mercedes Maria Dela Vega, I become Cyrano Emelio Dela Vega and our cook Pravin becomes Pepe, although we always discourage him from participating as he’s never ever washed his hands. And the Bolero, even the Kuchiipuddi version, is all about hands.

All along we’ve been able to keep our origins a secret, although there were always events that almost blew our cover. For example, in the third standard I was the only boy in my class who knew of Miguel Cervates as a writer, and not as the horse who won that years Bngalore Derby.

Or the time my father described a particularly heavy set cousin as the Spanish Armada or the fact that even as a five year old I could easily spell ‘Enchihelada,’ but kept messing up on words like rose, froze and Behroze.

So folks while you enjoy India vs Hong Kong at the cricket excuse me senor, if we celebrate our Spanish conquest of the Euro Cup. As the great Sanskrit scholar Dyanesh Gadhkar once aptly put it.Its not everyday that you can see the spanish...er...fly.