I'm flying to the US tomorrow morning. I am really excited. See you on my return!
Love and freedom.
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Festival at Royal Opera House
Last Sunday I attended the Deloitte Ignite festival at the Royal Opera House with some friends.
With glorious sunshine at the Covent Garden Piazza we enjoyed the Random Dance show performed by Wayne McGregor and his group of up to 50 London and South East school children. A group of special needs children took part in the show and its valuable performance received the most warming applause from the crowd.
Apparently the festival achieved its goal of attracting a diverse audience into the Opera House, many visiting for their first time. Amongst the crowds were young and old, families and even an A-list celebrity. Oscar award-winning actress Nicole Kidman was seen exploring the festival. I met her in the bar just to say "Hi Nicole, catch you later" given the number of times I have seen her recently: we are in good terms. :-)
Love and freedom.
With glorious sunshine at the Covent Garden Piazza we enjoyed the Random Dance show performed by Wayne McGregor and his group of up to 50 London and South East school children. A group of special needs children took part in the show and its valuable performance received the most warming applause from the crowd.
Apparently the festival achieved its goal of attracting a diverse audience into the Opera House, many visiting for their first time. Amongst the crowds were young and old, families and even an A-list celebrity. Oscar award-winning actress Nicole Kidman was seen exploring the festival. I met her in the bar just to say "Hi Nicole, catch you later" given the number of times I have seen her recently: we are in good terms. :-)
Love and freedom.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Forthcoming trip to NY
I am extremely busy these days googling budget hotels in the cities I'll visit during my trip to North-East America. My auntie will have the pleasure of enjoying my daily complaints and my nightly snores. We will sightsee and shop around in NY, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, for sure, and maybe will pop to any other smaller towns of the Thirteen Colonies.
My workmate D. is about to jump the pond as well to meet Middle America. He will set off from Denver and reach California after having wheeled through Texas and Las Vegas. I bet that is an exhausting road trip.
Love and freedom.
My workmate D. is about to jump the pond as well to meet Middle America. He will set off from Denver and reach California after having wheeled through Texas and Las Vegas. I bet that is an exhausting road trip.
Love and freedom.
Friday, 5 September 2008
Chess boy
A freckled, black-haired, 5-year-old boy had his blue eyes wide open when his father brought him to his hometown's chess club. A back room at the local sports centre sheltered about 20 silent yet alert people playing chess. The boy noticed that everyone focussed on the games and ignored the shouts and cheering of indoors football players playing at the main court. Soon the magical atmosphere muffled the outside sounds and silence sunk in his ears: the boy didn't listen to anything or anyone. All he could do was seeing the chess boards repeated in his head: the image of the real board in his eyes and an imaginary board in his mind with pieces moving steadily but without stopping. That night the boy dreamt with being a chess champion one day.
I have played chess against my father since I can remember. As expected, he always beat me, but I didn't despair or get bored. I learnt to accept reality as it is and to adapt to it quickly in order to achieve my aims. One day, however, I found the way to make my father's king bite the dust. My father decided to sign me up to the chess club the following day.
The chess club rules didn't allow in children below seven year-old, but my father insisted and they let me have a test game with the chess teacher. I must have played a relatively good game for a 5-year-old kid because they accepted me and I found myself trotting to the chess club on my own every week for the next 3 years. I felt elated and grown-up during those short walks.
I haven't played chess since, but I'm resuming this old, wonderful hobby nowadays thanks to S. and A. Cheers, mates!
Love and freedom.
I have played chess against my father since I can remember. As expected, he always beat me, but I didn't despair or get bored. I learnt to accept reality as it is and to adapt to it quickly in order to achieve my aims. One day, however, I found the way to make my father's king bite the dust. My father decided to sign me up to the chess club the following day.
The chess club rules didn't allow in children below seven year-old, but my father insisted and they let me have a test game with the chess teacher. I must have played a relatively good game for a 5-year-old kid because they accepted me and I found myself trotting to the chess club on my own every week for the next 3 years. I felt elated and grown-up during those short walks.
I haven't played chess since, but I'm resuming this old, wonderful hobby nowadays thanks to S. and A. Cheers, mates!
Love and freedom.
Monday, 1 September 2008
Request in Crónicas Bárbaras
Written a second comment at Molares' blog Crónicas Bárbaras, again due to a comment by Mr. Francesc. I have no personal issues against Mr. Francesc; in fact, I regard him as a capable, smart person and so I read what he writes critically: the same as I do with any other commentators as long as they are educated and well-mannered. I would ignore gross or ill-mannered comments.
Here it goes.
Love and freedom.
Here it goes.
Buenas noches:
Aún cuando debería llevar algunas horas durmiendo ya, no quería faltar a mi cita con el blog del Sr. Molares y el subsiguiente debate entre Jeremías, Nemigo, Francesc, Irómeno y algún otro atrevido comentarista ocasional.
Querría leer la opinión del Sr. Francesc respecto a las afirmaciones de Irómeno. El comentario del Sr. Francesc está escrito en catalán (igual que Nemigo a veces escribe en gallego). España en un país libre y, mientras el dueño del blog no lo prohíba, cualquier comentarista puede escribir en el idioma que le plazca (a mí me gustaría escribir aquí en inglés). Sin embargo, yo no sé catalán (ni gallego) y me cuesta un poco de trabajo leer los comentarios en catalán del Sr. Francesc (y los de Nemigo en gallego). Si tuviera tiempo podría comprenderlos más o menos bien, pero temo no hacerlo con perfección.
Por eso les pido por favor que escriban en español. Obviamente esta petición sólo intenta facilitarme a mí la función de lector y los escritores (siendo personas) tienen derecho a no hacerle caso. Pero como lo importante es comunicarse, confío en que ustedes, que tienen la dicha de manejar dos idiomas y entre ellos uno que yo conozco, tengan el buen juicio de usar el idioma común para poder transmitir lo que quieren decir.
Muchas gracias de antemano.
Love and freedom.
Sunday, 31 August 2008
The Dorchester Hotel
One of the 100 things you should not miss if you are so lucky to live in London is a high tea afternoon at an elegant hotel such as The Ritz or The Landmark. Today I have had the pleasure of enjoying the Dorchester High Tea at the famous marble and gilded Promenade at the Dorchester Hotel with unbeatable company. The Dorchester's traditional afternoon tea was named the best in London by the British Tea Council in 2007 and awarded with a toptable Gold Award 2008. Casi na'!
We had been requested to arrive at the hotel at 2.30pm sharp, but due to the weather conditions I was 10 minutes late: very punctual for a Spaniard!! A pushy Russian-looking waiter advised us that a pianist would be providing entertainment and offered us exotic varieties of tea. Trying to fend off the rainy day I chose some "light but invigorating" Big Red Sun tea from Kenya which we were served on Wedgwood porcelain (I looked this up on the internet!!). Afterwards we could indulge in a series of dainty finger sandwiches, a spoonful of lemon mousse, and some scones with clotted cream and homemade strawberry and blackcurrant jam. We finished with a plate of chocolate and cream cakes whose features were unintelligibly described at a faster-than-lightning pace by the waiter (just necessary to mention that one of the cakes had been "brought directly from Switzerland" - oh!!).
To complete the delightful couple of hours at The Promenade we had the surprise to have a glimpse of... tatatchan!! NICOLE KIDMAN!!! The Australian goddess wore an amused genuine smile while walking through the Promenade; a simple, one-piece beige dress highlighted her tall, slim figure and she looked very beautiful even with the light make-up she seemed to have on. Her blond pony-tail framed a pair of refulgent, blue eyes and a glowing white skin to compete with Cate Blanchett to be the living version of the Elven Lady of Lothlórien, Galadriel.
I am really happy after today: my company at the table was as good as an A-celeb!
Love and freedom.
PS, Gosh, I can't believe it yet: I have seen Nicole Kidman!!!
We had been requested to arrive at the hotel at 2.30pm sharp, but due to the weather conditions I was 10 minutes late: very punctual for a Spaniard!! A pushy Russian-looking waiter advised us that a pianist would be providing entertainment and offered us exotic varieties of tea. Trying to fend off the rainy day I chose some "light but invigorating" Big Red Sun tea from Kenya which we were served on Wedgwood porcelain (I looked this up on the internet!!). Afterwards we could indulge in a series of dainty finger sandwiches, a spoonful of lemon mousse, and some scones with clotted cream and homemade strawberry and blackcurrant jam. We finished with a plate of chocolate and cream cakes whose features were unintelligibly described at a faster-than-lightning pace by the waiter (just necessary to mention that one of the cakes had been "brought directly from Switzerland" - oh!!).
To complete the delightful couple of hours at The Promenade we had the surprise to have a glimpse of... tatatchan!! NICOLE KIDMAN!!! The Australian goddess wore an amused genuine smile while walking through the Promenade; a simple, one-piece beige dress highlighted her tall, slim figure and she looked very beautiful even with the light make-up she seemed to have on. Her blond pony-tail framed a pair of refulgent, blue eyes and a glowing white skin to compete with Cate Blanchett to be the living version of the Elven Lady of Lothlórien, Galadriel.
I am really happy after today: my company at the table was as good as an A-celeb!
Love and freedom.
PS, Gosh, I can't believe it yet: I have seen Nicole Kidman!!!
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Farewell dinner
Tonight I had dinner at a cozy lebanese restaurant by the Sheraton Park Hotel in Knightsbridge (London) to say farewell to my friend Álvaro, who is going on a three-month trip to the other side of the world. He will idle about in Vietnam, Australia and Latin-America before heading back to the hustle and bustle of our musty, beloved London. It seems that he needs to have time for himself and reflect about his future career choices while enjoying a walk in a faraway paradise. I think I need that too!!
Some of Álvaro's closest friend in London, 5 Italians and 3 Spaniards (Silvia, Elisabetta, Marco C, Marco M, Paolo, Rafa, Álvaro y yo) attended a dinner that turned out to be not only a farewell for Álvaro. Christian, Álvaro's German charming housemate (and soulmate), leaves London next week to work in Munich; he couldn't make the dinner but texted to present his apologies saying he was relaxing at Álvaro's brother's house, the ungrateful!! Silvia is relocating to her company's office in Kazakhstan in what looks like a hard work role but whose rewards (among others, one month of holidays every other month) are tempting. Marco C will move to Luxembourg shortly. Finally, Rafa intends to pursue his long-time professional aspiration and will cross the pond to South America in January 2009. It seems I am going to be left on my own in London!!
Álvaro and I met through our common friend Tybalt at a Madrid-Barca match in the Sports Cafe in Haymarket (London) some two years ago. We come from the two opposite bounds of Spain (Álvaro from Santander and I from Jerez) but, the world's a napkin, Álvaro's father Constantino and mine sort of know each other!! They are both bullfighting aficionados and Constantino was interviewed in a radio programme my father works at commenting the bullfights. My father was impressed with the work Constantino had done for the promotion of the "fiesta nacional" (nationalfest, the bullfighting) in Santander and he was happy to hear that I was a friend of his son's.
I visited Álvaro's hometown in Santander at the beginning of August as part of my weekend in Cantabria (region in the north of Spain) and I had the pleasure to meet his parents. Tybalt, Álvaro and I were given a feast by Álvaro's father when he invited us to a mouthwatering seafood and fish lunch in a busy restaurant in Santander. I am very thankful to Constantino for that meal and I will return the treat.
I will remember Álvaro while he is away and, though I wish him a good time, I am already looking forward to his return. We still have lots of parties to hit the floor at in London!!
Love and freedom.
Some of Álvaro's closest friend in London, 5 Italians and 3 Spaniards (Silvia, Elisabetta, Marco C, Marco M, Paolo, Rafa, Álvaro y yo) attended a dinner that turned out to be not only a farewell for Álvaro. Christian, Álvaro's German charming housemate (and soulmate), leaves London next week to work in Munich; he couldn't make the dinner but texted to present his apologies saying he was relaxing at Álvaro's brother's house, the ungrateful!! Silvia is relocating to her company's office in Kazakhstan in what looks like a hard work role but whose rewards (among others, one month of holidays every other month) are tempting. Marco C will move to Luxembourg shortly. Finally, Rafa intends to pursue his long-time professional aspiration and will cross the pond to South America in January 2009. It seems I am going to be left on my own in London!!
Álvaro and I met through our common friend Tybalt at a Madrid-Barca match in the Sports Cafe in Haymarket (London) some two years ago. We come from the two opposite bounds of Spain (Álvaro from Santander and I from Jerez) but, the world's a napkin, Álvaro's father Constantino and mine sort of know each other!! They are both bullfighting aficionados and Constantino was interviewed in a radio programme my father works at commenting the bullfights. My father was impressed with the work Constantino had done for the promotion of the "fiesta nacional" (nationalfest, the bullfighting) in Santander and he was happy to hear that I was a friend of his son's.
I visited Álvaro's hometown in Santander at the beginning of August as part of my weekend in Cantabria (region in the north of Spain) and I had the pleasure to meet his parents. Tybalt, Álvaro and I were given a feast by Álvaro's father when he invited us to a mouthwatering seafood and fish lunch in a busy restaurant in Santander. I am very thankful to Constantino for that meal and I will return the treat.
I will remember Álvaro while he is away and, though I wish him a good time, I am already looking forward to his return. We still have lots of parties to hit the floor at in London!!
Love and freedom.
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