David's AW News: Flirting with Danger in Mijas

Hello again from a very, very hot week...

Hope you are enjoying the weather wherever you are!

It is hotter than ever across the UK and Europe, and here at AW our Midsummer Madness Season is going out with a bang—quite literally, like the San Juan fireworks lighting up Andalucía this week. Meanwhile, Coco and I have been flirting with danger in peaceful quaint Mijas.

We still have a swathe of 30% off deals, but they are disappearing quickly now, so please do have a look before the madness finally melts away.

Last week I was telling you about the good news on my Spanish TIE card, and how I was finally close to being properly documented again. If you missed it, you can catch up here.

Well, this week the card arrived — and nearly disappeared again on the very same day. More on that little drama below...

Meanwhile, a container from Bali arrived at our Malaga warehouse, and I was there to see it being unloaded. Always a satisfying moment, but also a slightly worrying one. As any Indonesia importer will tell you, extreme heat and artisan products are not always best friends.

Heat and humidity can be a real problem. Damp can creep in. Mould can appear. Wood can swell, crack, warp or smell musty. Natural products are beautiful because they are natural, but that also means they need care, skill and a lot of boring behind-the-scenes work before they arrive looking lovely on your shelves.

Of course, we use superdry pads on the inside walls of the container, and little sachets inside many products. But even then, problems can still happen. Our man in Indonesia, Bondhan, together with James in the UK, has literally been sweating over this problem for the past year.

We have tried everything. Honestly, there is nothing on the internet, or even from AI, that gives a perfect answer to this one. But I am hopeful we may finally have stumbled on a solution — a combination of measures rather than one magic trick.

A new brand of superdry that claims to be 400% better. A little device we found in the China store — trade secret, sorry. And now a machine that checks the humidity of every product at the point of loading. It has to sit between two carefully tested points before it goes in.

It has been hard work. Lots of trials, lots of head scratching, lots of “why is this still happening?” moments. But finally, on one of the hottest days we have seen, a container arrived dry, clean and sweet.

Well done Bondhan, James and everyone involved. This is the sort of invisible work that customers never see, but it makes all the difference.

And then came San Juan.

All across Andalucía, people were on the beaches until the early hours, jumping over bonfires, watching fireworks, making wishes, and generally proving once again that Spain knows how to party properly.

The next morning, at 9.30am, I had my appointment to collect my ID card from the notoriously grumpy Marbella Police Station. After San Juan night, I did wonder if anyone would actually turn up. But this is Spain — they can party all night and still go to work looking sharp.

After hanging around outside with the waiting crowd until my name was called, badly pronounced of course, I was ushered through by possibly the coolest and best-dressed police officer I have ever seen. Very Marbella. Then a very smart policewoman in shades processed the papers, handed over my card, and that was that.

Outside, I checked the expiry date and nearly did a little dance. Ten years. I had expected three, hoped for five, and somehow got ten. Result.

So later Coco and I went up to Mijas Pueblo, the beautiful whitewashed village on the mountainside above where we live. We were wandering around, just enjoying the views, when we found an alleyway we had not seen before. It snaked around the outside of some old buildings, with dramatic views on one side, leading towards a park and the bullring.

Then suddenly — splat.

Both Coco and I felt something horrible land on us. Massive bird poo, or so it seemed.

Immediately a kindly old man rushed over with water and tissues, very concerned, offering to help. He started tugging at my shirt, trying to get me to take it off so he could clean it over the railings. Then a younger guy also appeared, ready to help.

And that is when every alarm bell in my head started ringing.

I said to Coco, “Hold your bag tight,” and put my hand in my pocket and held on to my wallet — the wallet containing my brand new Spanish ID card.

I muttered to Coco - this is a scam..  And just like that, they vanished.

AI recreated the scene for me.. amazing the helpful guy was EXACTLY like that!

Later I asked AI, and yes, we had apparently been treated to the classic “Mustard Scam”. Something messy is sprayed or splattered on you. A helpful stranger appears with tissues and water. You are distracted, uncomfortable, embarrassed, and suddenly there are hands near your pockets, bag, belt or phone.

I can imagine this happening in the back streets of Old Delhi or Paharganj. But in fragrant, peaceful, whitewashed Mijas Pueblo? Wow.

Thankfully nothing was taken. My wallet stayed exactly where it was. The new TIE card survived its first day in the wild.

Later, sitting in a tapas bar in the square opposite the old bullring, I did reflect on how close it had been. All that effort, all those appointments, all the paperwork, all the waiting — and then nearly losing the card to a pickpocket before the ink was even dry.

But maybe that is the lesson of the week.

You can do everything right. You can work hard for a year to keep a Bali container dry. You can navigate Spanish paperwork. You can finally get your precious ID card. And still, life throws something messy at you from above.

The trick is not to panic. Hold on to what matters. Keep your sense of humour. Have lunch afterwards if possible.

So this week I am grateful — for dry containers, sharp police officers, loyal staff, lucky instincts, and tapas in the shade.

And as Midsummer Madness draws to a close, thank you as always for being part of our slightly chaotic, always interesting, never boring AW journey.

Remember to have Hydration Breaks (like in the world cup).. Rodrigo and crew (in the UK office) are setting a massive trend.. see here.

Now, please do grab the last of the 30% off deals before they vanish like two suspiciously helpful strangers in a Mijas alleyway.

Stay Cool - Enjoy the week!

David