about casa az
Sunday, 19 November 2006 — azahar
As my original welcome post is now Bob knows where, I thought I’d start a welcome page to provide some general information and that can also be a place to just drop in and say hello or leave a message that perhaps doesn’t fit into any of the posts here.
When I started casa az in May 2006 it was my first ever blog and it was created as a general interest, sometimes personal interest, type of place. More of a scrapbook than a diary. To see what sort of topics are most likely to be found here you can check out the categories ‘tag cloud’ on the sidebar.
Comments and debate are very welcome here. So even if you don’t know me (yet) please don’t hesitate to leave a comment - it would be great to hear from you. 
Of course basic politeness is expected, but I also don’t expect everyone to agree with what I post here. I will only ever remove a comment if it is spam or obviously abusive. If you are not a WordPress member then just a name/nickname and email address (which will not be made public) is required in order to leave a comment.
So welcome to casa az . . . leave your worries on the doorstep, come on in, have a look around and make yourself at home. I’m sure you’ll find lots of very nice people here.
Tuesday, 10 April 2007 at 5:45 am
Hi. I came across your blog when I googled “odd cat behaviour”. I have 2 male “fixed” cats, brothers, adopted together at 8 weeks of age. While they have always played w/ one another, at age 5 one of them has been demonstrating more aggressive behavior towards the other — i.e., chunks of hair lost, trapped under the bed for hours, bite marks, stalking the brother and going out of his (Teddy) way to attack his brother (Truman) w/o being enticed, etc. (no pee fights like yours — Thank God! (sorry)
My guys don’t have front claws so wounds are minimal. I do notice that from time to time there is a shift in power (must happen while I’m at work) and the non-aggressive Truman will have taken over a favorite “Teddy” spot w/ Teddy skulking from across the room.
Like you, minus the bizarre video that I will not open at home, the behavior seemed to have come out of nowhere — they were inseperable for 4+ years. They still hang out from time to time close to one another but the length of time it lasts is totally unpredictable.
Not sure if they sell this product in Spain, but it’s a God-send for cat pee’age and those items that fall victim to a pee-attack (including clothes — my cats used to welcome me back after a long weekend away by peeing on my suitcase or laundry bag I left on the floor or would pee on guests’ luggage)– product is called Nature’s Miracle: http://www.petco.com/Shop/SearchResults.aspx?Nav=1&N=0&Ntt=natures+miracle
Good luck! Be curious to hear how the hormonal drug works for you.
Tuesday, 10 April 2007 at 1:56 pm
Hi SB (and welcome!),
I’ve replied to this on the latest ‘cat fight’ post, just to keep the various cat comments together. Please stop by over there if you like.
Saturday, 6 October 2007 at 8:32 pm
Hello az! Thanks for linking to my blog. I’d like to think it’s a mistake, the name of that drink, but I don’t know. A little too calculated, perhaps?
I see you lived in Salamanca. I spent a wonderful four weeks there in the summer of 1983 learning Spanish and popping over to Pamplona to dodge a few bulls. Love Spain.
cheers,
- ian in hamburg
Sunday, 7 October 2007 at 1:20 pm
Hi Ian, nice to see you here.
I think I got to your place via nursemyra, but now I can’t remember exactly. Yes, buncha idiots, and I hope they are required to change the name soon.
I lived in Salamanca 1992-1993 for approx. 15 months. I loved it there and lived in a great apartment in front of the university (with the ‘frog’ façade). But after awhile it started feeling too small and so I ended up moving to Sevilla.
Have you been back to Spain since? You don’t live that far away.
Saturday, 24 November 2007 at 4:26 am
Hi,
I stumble across your website trying to find the meaning of my name Azahar. I’m confuse by some of the explanation though, some say it’s white flower from an orange tree. According to you is Spanish for Orange blossom.
I didn’t even know it was Spanish either. All this time I thought it was Arabic. But the Arabic one is spelt Azhar, meaning the ‘one with the flower’. Anyway is it a common girls name in Spain.
Saturday, 24 November 2007 at 7:43 am
Hi Azahar and welcome!
Feels a bit odd calling someone else by ‘my’ name, which also happens when I meet someone who shares my RL name, as it isn’t very common for women.
I haven’t met anyone called Azahar here in Spain, though I’ve heard that Azahara is sometimes used as a girl’s name.
Yes, it is from an Arabic word - al-azahar - that literally means ‘white flower’ and in Spanish it means ‘orange blossom’ (which is the white flower that grows on orange trees and smells heavenly).
So, is Azahar your real name or your online name? How do you pronounce it? In Spanish it’s pronounced ‘athaar’ with a slight dipthong on the last syllable. It also sounds very similar to ‘azar’ which means chance or happenstance, and which is the name of my lucky black cat (whose image is also my avatar).
You can see what an orange blossom looks like here.
Saturday, 24 November 2007 at 8:46 am
Hi…azahar (lower ‘a’ to differentiate)
It is wired. I started university (mature student) abroad, and was always ask what my name meant. Sadly I don’t know, until today. Thanks to you.
It is my real name. I have an uncle named Azahari, though I always thought i was named after him. Funnily no. It’s pronounce like it’s spelt actually, “AZA” “HAR”. Maybe I should start pronouncing it the way you do
Anyhoo, I always wanted to go to Spain. Maybe one day and visit the Santiago Bernabeu (Yes, I’m a Real Madrid Fan).
Cheers
Azahar Y
Saturday, 24 November 2007 at 8:58 am
Ah, that’s interesting that you pronounce it aza-har. I think most non-Spanish people do when they see it. Whereabouts do you live?
Saturday, 24 November 2007 at 11:56 am
Well at the moment I’m Perth, Australia. But I’m originally from Brunei Darussalam (Meaning the abode of peace).
In Brunei, Azhar is common name for a guy. But I rarely see one with my spelling (Azahar). So I was surprise to find out that it’s actually Spanish in origin. But a pleasant surprise.
Saturday, 24 November 2007 at 12:50 pm
In fact it’s Arabic in origin, as are most (all?) Spanish words that begin with ‘az’. I don’t know if the Arabic word also refers to orange blossoms or just white flowers in general.
Does Azhar mean anything or is it just a name?
Saturday, 24 November 2007 at 12:57 pm
The Arabic language spread as far as Brunei with the spread of Islam, so the origin of the name there is probably Arabic too. But the precise meaning may well have changed over the centuries. In Spain it’s become more specific - the white flowers of orange blossom rather than white flowers in general.
Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 2:36 am
I’ve always thought it was just a name. It has no historic meaning that I’m aware of.
Well I don’t speak arabic, but I meet a few arab speaking people while studying here and they say ‘Azhar’ means the one with flower or one that has flowered or the flowered one. God I’m beginning to think my name is meant for a girl. LOL
But I’ve never found a definitive answer to ‘Azahar’(with that extra ‘a’). Until now.
hey is that smiley face at the bottom of the page deliberate? just wondering. Cute though.