<![CDATA[Ara Balears in English - people]]> 10 <![CDATA['Mondo' Crocs]]> There are invisible lines that, once crossed, you cannot uncross. Simply put, there is no turning back. Sometimes they are small gestures. Other times, big ones, like voting for Vox, going to the office in sweatpants, or buying yourself Crocs. In no case do I mean that all three share moral ground, although for many people I know, they do share the same aesthetic basement.It's not my case. Because, as everyone knows, I live devoted to degradation. Not to the point of voting for Vox, although given my history of negligence and lack of dignity I would never rule it out, but I do have Crocs (two pairs, in fact) and the call of the tracksuit as legitimate daily wear is getting stronger and stronger. It's a matter of time. They will bury me disguised as a junkie, that much is clear to me.Crocs are always a source of controversy. Which surprises me, because if there's one item I'm particularly fussy about in terms of clothing, it's footwear, and if I've chosen Crocs, it's for a series of unbeatable reasons that you all should recognize and, therefore, wipe that look of surprise off your faces. If I wear Crocs, you should all assume that Crocs are cool and bow your heads —to weep at the sight of the sloppiness you've decided to put on your feet this summer.Because there is nothing else that reveals more about a person than the shoes they wear. It's a fact. That's why I always look at your feet. It's like Russian salad in neighborhood bars: if it's good, all other options on the menu will also be good; if you suspect you're putting your life in danger, even sparkling water might give you salmonellosis. In the same way, footwear betrays sloppiness or a minimal attitude when it comes to dressing. And it's not that I want to be a dandy, but in this life you have to be cool. At least, a little bit.The question here is whether you can look cool in Crocs and the answer, despite the American clog brand's extensive brand revitalization, is that, frankly, no, not at all; however, any alternative, except for closed shoes, is even worse. Flip-flops don't hurt the eyes, but they are very uncomfortable, especially if you have to walk more than seven meters; I refrain from commenting on regional versions of summer shoes, because I have no desire for you to burn me alive, but loafers make me want to sink your boat, spill your gin and tonic, or set your villa on fire. Then there are sandals, which personally have always seemed to me like something very Greco-Roman: the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian of footwear, a bit like going to a wedding all year round.It is, however, in the sandal world that we find the nemesis of Crocs, Birkenstocks, but this is where I bring out my two final arguments.The capacity of Crocs to shock is unbeatable: you feel like you are riding a sacrilege when you wear them, as if you had entered a police station with your ACAB t-shirt. Is there anything more harmless-looking than someone with Birkenstock clogs? On the other hand, I can easily imagine someone with Crocs —or any of their imitations— armed.In fact, here's my final argument: the long history of Crocs in the healthcare field has made one of their great advantages clear: it's easy to clean blood off them. Have you ever tried to remove blood from suede? You might say, "And why on earth do you need to remove blood from your shoes, Joan? Whose blood?". My answer is simple, because, one, you never know; and two, be careful what you ask for, lest the next time you clean them it's your DNA that's embedded in them.

]]> <![CDATA[The most crowded February in the Balearic Islands: 1.32 million people]]>

The Balearic Islands have once again broken records for human pressure, according to Ibestat data, this past February with 1.32 million people. According to the figures, this is 0.91% more than the same month in 2025.

]]> <![CDATA[If we get bored together, it means we understand each other.]]>

In general, there are two groups of people: those with whom we can simply be, and those with whom we necessarily have to do something. If you don't believe me, take a quick look at your friends and family (or even partners). The people with whom we always have to do something are those with whom—intentionally or not—we make plans, those with whom we always have something to do, making them feel somewhat incomplete. I have nothing against a friend who goes for a run, a friend who goes to the movies, or a parent who finds a shared hobby with their children to spend time together. But allow me to doubt that these are the people who truly know us.

]]> <![CDATA[The residents of Son Bordoy: "We want decent housing to live in as human beings"]]>

Around twenty residents of Son Bordoy gathered this Monday in front of the Palma City Hall (Cort) to demand "decent housing alternatives" after receiving an eviction order last November. "I've lived here for 28 years, with my children and 11 grandchildren. At the end of November, the Palma Local Police came and told us we had 10 days to leave, but they didn't offer any solution, and the City Hall hasn't spoken to us either. We just want decent housing to live in like human beings," said Ángel Paredes. Paredes explained that 30 years ago he lived in a shack in El Molinar and moved to Son Bordoy because the former mayor of Palma, Joan Fageda, gave them permission to live on land that wasn't zoned for development. But now, the Palma City Council wants to build "nearly 750 homes," according to the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages (PAH), and "none for these people, even though the City Hall knows they're there," they denounced. Similarly, PAH spokesperson Àngela Pons criticized the Palma City Council (Cort), saying that if the residents of Son Bordoy were to occupy the building, "the police would be there in a second." To offer a housing alternative to the residents of Son Bordoy, the PAH proposed that the City Council use part of the 2025 budget surplus to purchase prefabricated houses, but, according to Pons, the Palma City Council "has ignored the proposal." "What kind of City Council do we have, violating all human rights day after day?" the platform asked. "What will these families do?" they continued. "And, with the lack of affordable housing to rent or own, if they are forced to occupy, will they send the police through the anti-employment office? Shameless, isn't it?" they emphasized.

]]> <![CDATA[“The first thing they ask for is Wi-Fi”: this is what the stay of migrants in the port of Palma is like]]>

Near the Baleària ferry terminal in the port of Palma, where thousands of tourists disembark in Mallorca each year, white tents with heavy police presence are visible at the entrance. These facilities house only adult male migrants arriving on the island's shore for 24, or sometimes 48, hours before they travel to the Spanish mainland. Minors go directly to Son Tous, and women with children go to Red Cross facilities. "There's no one here; everyone leaves very quickly," says a worker guiding the media through the different areas. Since these facilities opened in November 2015, 472 people have passed through Mallorca; 555 through the port of Ibiza; and 90 through Formentera.

]]> <![CDATA[The brotherhoods are keeping the San Sebastián celebrations going despite the official suspension: "Cort has given the festival to the people"]]>

Neither the cancellation of the official program nor the rain deters the brotherhoods, who make their way to Plaza de la Reina accompanied by brass bands to meet up with the other groups from Palma. In fact, a member of the Queerferia brotherhood believes that with the cancellation of the concerts, "Cort has given the festival back to the people." It's cold and rainy, but the spirits of the citizens are unwavering. The shops around Carrer Oms and the Passeig del Born area are selling umbrellas and raincoats to everyone, and tourists, from inside the luxurious hotels in the narrow streets of the city center, wave to the participants with laughter.

]]> <![CDATA[Sensitive matter]]> "Without knowing exactly how, you end up with a house overflowing with water": that's how it begins The magnet and thingsThe unclassifiable first book by artist, teacher, and philologist Mateu Coll (Pollença, 1962). Not surprisingly, objects and the idea of collecting (or accumulating) are some of the central themes of the volume, which explores the relationship we have with the things we own or want. "You go after them, the searches, the objects," says Coll. "I've bought and collected like crazy, as if the world were ending, an ark in the middle of a flood, a pair and more of every kind." And so he draws us into a discourse that oscillates between a highly personal memoir and an essay, between deeply personal thought and almost poetic prose.

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