Lost's Corner

LONDON (V)

2009-05-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

The scheduled time of departure of the flight from Stansted Airport to Girona was 17:40, but we had to go there early because of the proceedings. Then, we had time until 12:30 before getting on the bus to the airport. It was the last day and we had to make the most of it.

First of all we savoured the last English breakfast: I had filled the dish again but that time I had dispensed with sausages and I made up my mind to try some baked beans. They are sweeter than I had expected, but good after all. After the last bite of toast with butter I had a drunk of apple juice and we went to our room in order to bring the cases down. We looked through the room and, apparently, we had picked up everything. I say apparently because we hadn’t looked into the wardrobe, where I had left my jacket, and I didn’t realize that it was missing until we had given the keys of the room to the receptionist. At least there was something positive; I would practise English asking for the key. I went fast to the room and, luckily, the cleaning lady hadn’t arrived there yet (she was into the adjoining room).

The destination was free choice and we chose the Portobello Market, in Nothing Hill. We got the tube and it seemed like we had been doing it all our life. The market of Portobello Road is very famous, but it takes place on Saturdays and it was Tuesday. Then, apart from shops, there were only a few fruit street markets, but even so it is a good place to visit. It was raining but it was fine and it lasted a few moments. One of the first shops we visited was very unusual because they sold all kinds of metallic plates. I was thunderstruck when I saw the price of clothes and shoes in the market: everything is extremely cheap. I saw a pair of trainers that, in Spain, cost about 60€ and there cost 20 pounds. I can’t believe it yet. It’s a shame I didn’t have space in my case.

After the walk we seized the opportunity to shoot a scene of Portobello Road for our video project and we went to the station to get on the tube. We had moved far away from the centre of the city and the tube station was different than others: it wasn’t underground but outdoors. We were going to lose a lot of time with the journey, but we were still able to visit another place: King’s Cross railway station.

King’s Cross is very famous because it’s a very big station, but it’s also one of the places where the story of Harry Potter, a best-seller novel well-known around the world, takes place. The novel has been adapted for cinema and one of the scenes was shot in the station. Of course now it isn’t decorated like in the film, but there’s one place which has been designed to satisfy the fans of the story, specifically the Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, which represents the connection between the normal world and the world of magic. We knew the existence of that place, but we didn’t know where it was. At first, when we entered the station we saw the first four platforms and we thought that we were in the wrong place, it was very different than we had seen in the film. But it changed with the platforms 5-8, the ceiling was so familiar. We went excited to the next platforms but there was a disappointing problem: we needed a ticket to enter. We desperately tried to use our travel cards and, miraculously, they worked! A few meters separated us from the Platform 9 but, when we reached it, there was nothing between platforms 9 and 10, no sign of Platform 9-3/4. The hike had been in vane. And there was another problem; the machine didn’t accept the cards to get out from the station. We had to explain to the guards that what had happened and, luckily, they allowed us to leave. While we were thinking how to return to the hotel, we saw an orange poster addressed to those who were looking for Platform 9-3/4! There was a map explaining its location into the station and we finally found it. It was a brick wall with a sign and half shopping trolley stuck on the wall, perfect for a photo.

There was a restaurant between our hotel and the nearest tube station. The owners were from Spain and they also knew Catalan. I would have preferred to eat something typical, but we didn’t have time and I chose beef with pepper sauce.

We arrived on time at the hotel (teachers had been penalising us these days with fifty cents per person if we were late) and the bus came to pick us up. I was so tired and I slept the entire journey, but when I woke up I realized that the temperature of the bus unbearably high. Those British are nuts.

Once into the airport, we had to weigh our case because it couldn’t weigh more than ten kilos. I didn’t have that problem because at the beginning of the trip I had about eight kilos and I had bought only two postcards and a pin. My problem wasn’t a matter of weight but a matter of space. Some people had bought many things and they had to wear most of them because they exceeded the then kilos. Then we had to go through the scanner. The luggage check hadn’t been very strict in Spain, but that time was very different. I left the case on a conveyor belt and I took off my clock, the mobile phone and the wallet, but I forgot the belt, which has a metallic clasp, and I noticed it too late. The alarm rung and the security guard inspected me. It had been very awkward. After that we were in a floor with loads of shops and, there, there was no limit of weight. I hadn’t planned to buy anything, but I went to a library to have a look and I asked for The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter novels, and I found it. It’s a thin book with five short stories. I haven’t read it yet but I’ll do it when I have time. Videogames were also very cheap there, but I didn’t allow myself to be swept away by that.

We were leaving England; the trip was coming to its end, stepping on English floor for the last time (at least, for the moment) and getting onto the plane, with a one-hour flight ahead and some miles on the bus. When we arrived in Spain I thought “we are home”: there was no fitted carped and people were standing in the middle of the steps of escalators. That was the end of an unforgettable trip, with a unique company in an extraordinary city. It was worth and I would repeat it again without any doubt.

LONDON (IV)

2009-05-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

London’s underground is used by hundreds of thousands people every day and we joined them the third day. As you can see in the picture, there are many lines, each one with a different colour. That allowed us to move all over the city because there are plenty of tube station entries spread over London. One of the characteristics of this network is that it is very old and the underground road tunnels can be really deep. Because of that, the use of a lift or escalators is essential if you don’t want to become exhausted after two journeys. Lifts are huge because they have to transport about fifty people at the same time (you always get fined if you press the alarm button without a good cause). Escalators are also very long, with enough space for two persons per step, and, as a collective agreement, you must place yourself at the right side to leave a go-ahead for those who want to go up faster. There are mirrors at the corners of the corridors (maybe to prevent a crash with those who walk in the opposite direction or to see if there’s somebody dangerous at night). Mind the gap is a very famous message which warns of the space between the tube and the platform, it has become one of London’s symbols (like the look right) and you can find it in many merchandising products like T-shirts, key rings or lighters.

First of all we visited some constructions near the river, we crossed the Millennium Bridge, which was designed by Norman Foster, and we stayed a few minutes near the Tate Modern, a contemporary art museum, before entering into the Globe Theatre,were we would do the only guided tour of the trip. I have to say that the reconstruction of Shakespeare's theatre is one of the best things I’ve watched in London, the place is so interesting and the explanation was better, very clear and easy to understand. Most of the building is made of wood and the thatched roof doesn’t cover the whole theatre, but sonority is very good.

After that, we had free time. We hurried up because we had time to watch the change of the guard. Then, we got on the tube to the Buckingham Palace. When we arrived, it was going to start and it was full of tourists. Some mounted police officers were controlling people in order to leave a free way for the guard. It was very difficult to see something but, suddenly, a group of guards went through the square near the palace and we started to hear music from a band. It was a strange melody, I had heard it before. But it couldn’t be possible because I had never been there and I didn’t know anything about the change of the guard. After some seconds I recognized the song, it was an adapted version of The Cup of Life, by Ricky Martin. Maybe it was a coincidence and the songs were similar or, perhaps, Ricky Martin had plagiarized it. But the following song was from the soundtrack of Rocky Balboa and it couldn’t be a chance. As it seems, the band of the guard adapts famous songs for that event. That was shocking and a bit disappointing.

We had arranged to meet near the Tower of London at lunch time and we arrived just on time. It is near the London Bridge and there is a square with some shops and takeaway restaurants. Most of people bought hot dogs, but I didn’t want to leave London without having tried fish and chips (also written fish ’n’ chips). As its name shows, it consisted of two pieces of fried fish and some chips (ketchup, mustard and other supplements were optional). I’m sorry for the picture but I was so concentrated that when I remembered to take a photo I had nearly finished it.

Then, we crossed the London Bridge to the other side of the river and we split up again. We had time to go anywhere but we had to return early to the hotel because most of people had to go to watch a musical. We had bought tickets for the musical We will rock you and The Phantom of the Opera, but I decided to stay at the hotel with some people. Then, we decided to go to Oxford Street, a place with many famous shops (like the Apple Store or one of Nokia’s flagship stores). I admit that I enjoy technological gadgets, but such a vast amount of consumerism made me sick (Without taking into account Harrods. I think I’ve become very critic after the research project). Time flew and it was time to go to the Tavistock Hotel.

We had notified the hotel in advance that we were going to eat early because we were in a rush, but they had forgotten that and the dinner wasn’t ready. We couldn’t wait and, after complaining a lot, they took us to one of their hotels, which was near ours. It was a buffet and we were able to choose one dish. Those who went to the musical had to leave and we had time to finish eating, watching how waiters picked up the half emptied dishes, sometimes full, bitterly.

While we were going back we smelt chlorine from a swimming pool that was into that hotel. It would have been fantastic to go for a swim in a heated swimming pool, but it was not possible. It was the last night. The cases had to be ready for the following day because we had to leave them in the same room than the first day.

Under the sea

2009-05-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

First of all I want to say that this post is a spoiler although I won’t tell too much about the game because I haven’t played it until the end. After this, it’s time to talk about one of the best videogames I’ve ever seen (maybe after finishing it, it will be the best one); Bioshock. It’s a first-person shooter game which was released on 2007 and, since then, it has been highly rated, receiving very good reviews from the specialized critic and also from the players. It really deserves that.

The plot is, at first sight, very simple and original: you are the only survivor of a plane crash, in the middle of the ocean, and beyond the wreckage you find the entrance of an enormous city built under the sea: Rapture. But, after reaching it, you realize that something goes wrong. The perfect utopia has turned into a nightmare, citizens have driven mad after using science to become stronger and there have happened many incidents that will be unveiled throughout the game. Horrible stories that never stop surprising the player, when you think you have seen everything there is a new objective or an unexpected turn.

The objective is much more than to explore the city wiping out splicers (your enemies, Rapture’s inhabitants).The story revolves around two kinds of characters: little sisters and big daddies (you can see them in the picture). Young and fragile, little sisters move throughout the city collecting ADAM, a very valued substance, from dead people. You may think that to get their ADAM would be as easy as taking candy from a baby, but the problem is that they are always protected by a big daddy. If you approach too much a little sister, you’ll have to face a big daddy. And that’s the mission of the main character, to beat them and then, to decide what to do with little sisters. There are two options: to save them or to kill them. Each one will have different consequences, leading to a good or a bad end.

Apart from the meticulously detailed settings of the city and the characters, the game immerses you in the underwater world because of the way of telling the stories. There are many audio recordings spread over the game and made by people of the city who explain what happened before reaching the current situation. There’s always a feeling of being in an alive place, with music from the 30s, the 40s and the 50s, hearing voices of splicers (they don’t emit sounds like typical zombies but they have very realistic conversations) and, of course, little sister’s words. They are always talking with their big daddy (daddies never speak), who they call “Mr. B” or “Mr. Bubbles”. Here there are some of their quotes:

Don’t be a slow poke Mr. Bubbles! Angels don’t wait for slow pokes…

Scabby on my knee! Scabby on my knee! Scabby on my knee!

Ready for dream time now Mr.Bubbles

The sequel of the game is called Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams and its expected release date is on the last quarter of the year. I still have to finish the first one, but I believe that it will also be a must have game.

LONDON (III)

2009-05-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

The second day in London we woke up early and we went down to the dining room with the yellow ticket for the typical English breakfast. I had seen that meal in photos, but it was nothing compared to what I found there. It’s thousand times better when you see it, when you smell it and you sample it. Bacon, sausages, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, toasts, baked beans (there were cereals and other things but I can’t remember now), orange juice, apple juice, peach juice, water, tea, coffee, milk, and many other kinds of food. There was also some butter, jam and bread on the table. I filled my dish and a glass of apple juice and I went to the table we had chosen to enjoy the treasure. It was delicious (apart from the sausages). When I’m at home, I tend to eat a bowl of cereals with milk, but now, if I had time to prepare it, I would eat an English breakfast every day. At first, after the trip, it was difficult to wake up and know that a poor breakfast was waiting for me. Then, after the high dose of calories, we went to the room to get ready for the hike.

We got a travel card for three days. It allowed us to use the public transport (bus and underground) through the centre of the city. That day we started getting used to the use of the many bus lines and we left the underground (also called tube or subway) for the following day. Most of the bus and tube lines appeared in my map, which means that there haven’t been many changes in fifteen years. About the buses, we had to pay attention to the number of each bus placed in the front side of the vehicle. When you enter into the big red bus, you have to show your travel card to the bus driver, although they don’t pay much attention and it would be easy to trick them, and then you can sit at the first floor or at the second one (it isn’t allowed to stay at the stairs, surely it is a safety measure). All of them are quite comfortable, but I missed to get on one the classical Big Red Bus.

First of all we went to the Big Ben, near the River Thames. I had to ask to some English pedestrians how they pronounce the word Thems, because I used to say [teims] but then I discovered that the real pronunciation is [temz]. It’s useful to know it because sometimes you don’t understand why somebody pulls a face when you ask how to go to somewhere. From the bridge near the Big Ben we had a great view; we could see the London Eye and the Millennium Bridge among other buildings, maybe it wasn’t sunny like the first day but it wasn’t raining and that was good enough. One of the most shocking things for me was that, in a park near the Houses of Parliament there were some tents surrounded with banners condemning war or demanding peace. I think I hadn’t ever seen in person such way of using the right to freedom of speech.

The following stage was the Buckingham Palace, we wanted to watch the famous change of the guard at half past eleven, but it only happens every second day and we had bad luck. After the palace we walked through many streets and parks. I didn’t pay attention to the churches because all of them look the same to me, but I was open-mouthed with the parks, there are some enormous parks in London, with rivers, very old trees, swans, ducks, squirrels... For an instant, you forget that you are in one of the largest cities of the world and not in the country.

Another park we visited after the Buckingham Palace was the Hyde Park. It’s very famous because it’s the meeting point of many persons, a good place to walk, to practise sports and many other activities the most famous, maybe, of which takes place every Sunday. I mean the Speakers’ Corner, where you can go to show your ideas, your convictions, freely. That day there were three conversations when we arrived: the first one was a bold man who was talking about people’s behaviour, men and women, sex, etc. He finished speaking German because there was a group of German students and I left the conversation. There was also a woman that was talking about religion, she was standing on a chair and holding a Bible. But the best discussion in my opinion was between two men: The first one, a Londoner on a small ladder, was trying to prove the existence of God in front of a man from Kentucky, who was standing on a box of detergent. That conversation was very hot, their arguments were very serious and it was so interesting. Next to the speakers there was a couple with a poster that said free hugs and I went to buy one. That’s a very famous movement that has spread around the world, especially in the most important cities.

We went to Harrods, a department store well-known throughout the world. We didn’t visit it because it was our free time and we had to have lunch, but we got into one moment to go to the toilets. After going through many sections (perfumes, handbags, sunglasses...) and escalators, we arrived to the toilets. While I was waiting for an empty toilet, I saw a very comical situation: there was an employee who provided toilet paper and perfume and turned on the taps to the customers, who thanked and, sometimes, tipped him. He made the same when I went there, but I didn’t want perfume and I didn’t tip him because I hadn’t asked for that. I think that’s quite unpleasant because I can do it myself and the bin was full of napkins, which is more contaminant and less practical than an air hand-dryer.

The two sandwiches from a restaurant near Harrods were nothing to shout about, you can’t expect to eat something good, cheap (and quite healthy) very near Harrods. Then, we decided to visit the department store, but we were eight people and the doorman only let four persons enter because of their rules (no groups). He also told us that if we wanted to get in we had to go to another door, but the real truth is that he warned the other doormen not to let us enter. I have to admit that I am grateful for this fact because we decided to visit the Natural History Museum; otherwise I wouldn’t have gone there.

The Nature History Museum contains many fossilized specimens of dinosaurs and animals, some of which are extinct. The collection is great and they are very well maintained. My favourite one was the Smilodon Fatalis, commonly known as Sabre-toothed tiger.

That week took place the London Fashion Week, and the exposition was near the museum. Because of that, we saw many people wearing bold clothes (very bold, that place looked like carnival and it was difficult to hold back the laugh).

Later, we went to Piccadilly Circus, where we had planned to meet, by bus. In fact, that place is like a circus: from the round square with a big fountain we could observe the front side of a very high building covered by many neon signs that were always flickering and cars that moved continuously around the square and the web of streets. There was some time left and we discovered a place to buy a box of varied doughnuts (with many kinds of chocolate, jam, cream, sugar, with shavings, filled, covered, with layers...).

That was the last we did after coming back to the hotel. That time there wasn’t a game show in the TV but something better: Top Gear. It’s a very popular English program about cars produced by the BBC. I had heard many times about it but I had never been able to watch it. In that chapter, the presenters of the program competed for travelling through Japan as fast as possible. One of them drove a Nissan GT-R, the others used the public transport (we must take into account that in Japan some trains can reach more than 400 km/h). The result: a crazily funny program.

Finally, after eating, we decided what to do at night: most of people stayed at the hotel, but some of us decided to go out. We took the underground to Covent Garden, and we realized that everything was closed. Nightlife in London is very different than in Spain, most of pubs close at eleven (in fact, they close a bit later) and clubs are only for adults. Then, if you are under age you must be with an adult if you want to go to a pub and you must forget clubs because the minimum age is eighteen. We knew it before, but we had to try it. We found a place with clubs and pubs near the Chinese District and some of us could go into the clubs; the others tried to go into a club called Chiquito but it was closing and we went to a bar. It doesn’t mean we had a bad time because I had expected that before and the city, the big red buses and Trafalgar Square are wonderful at night. It’s a shame I didn’t have a better camera and more time.

It can make you feel inconvenient

2009-04-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

An inconvenient truth is a film about global warming and climate change. It was released in 2006 and it has been very controversial because it is a very critical documentary. Al Gore, who had been the Vice President of the USA, is the narrator of the plot, a mixture of some parts from one of the many environmental conferences that he has made around the world and scenes with a voice-over.

It denounces the great trouble where we are now and the problems that can come in the near future. He explains that the results of many scientific studies about the temperature of the environment, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere or the cold and hot ages during the life of our planet, for example, using techniques like analysis of ice from the icecaps, has revealed that, in the last two or three centuries, the human being has drastically changed the world and now we are starting to suffer the consequences.

Ice in the poles and glaciers is melting very fast, many animal species are endangered, natural disasters are becoming greater and more and more frequent, hurricanes, droughts, floods, etc. And this is only the beginning if we don’t do anything. What Al Gore says is that we have to act, we must learn from our mistakes and that it isn’t a political issue but a moral issue. Some influential people say that there’s no reason to worry, and maybe the following quote explains one of our problems:

It's difficult to get a man to understand something if his salary depends upon his not understanding it.

Some of the resources used in this film are real videos from TV news, pictures of natural disasters, images of the same place but taken during different years and many charts. All of them show that, as its name suggests, this truth is really inconvenient.

I won’t only recommend you this film, but I think that you MUST watch this film if you are really worried about the world were you live, if you want a future for your children or for people who could live from now on, if you still believe that there is no need to start changing now, even if you don’t mind about others and you think you won’t live enough time to be affected by this problem.

I haven’t seen it announced in our cinemas, but I think that this documentary should be watched in the schools, that people should promote it to their friends, to their neighbours. For me, it hasn’t by any means been a waist of time.

The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place, we are entering a period of consequences.
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL November12, 1936.

Now, I want to watch another film called The age of stupid, which has recently been launched. It seems to be very interesting and, as I’ve read, it talks about a man who lives in 2055, in a world destroyed by climate change, and he asks the reason why we didn’t stop it when we had the chance.

I finish with the trailer of An inconvenient truth:

LONDON (II)

2009-04-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

After leaving the suitcases in a room, we started the London tour! The first day, we moved on foot around the city, and the first stop was the British Museum, which wasn’t very far from the hotel. It was a very interesting place, with objects from many cultures and civilizations like Egypt or the Roman Empire, with mummies, jewels, sculptures, mosaics and so forth. It was easy to get lost there because there were many rooms and some floors. Especially I liked the Egyptian collection, with big sculptures and objects like sarcophagus (At first, we saw one and we didn’t know if it was a sarcophagus or a bathtub because it didn’t have a lid and there were some holes in the bottom but, after reading the description of the object, we knew that it was a sarcophagus). We also found the busts of some philosophers in one of the rooms (the perfect place to take a photo near Socrates). One of the things I want to mention is that, in the museum, there are cards to explain each piece, but it’s also full of cards which say “don’t touch the objects”. The problem is that, when you want to find the first ones, you always see the others, because their print is bigger. That was quite annoying.

After visiting the British Museum, we went to the Trafalgar Square, near the National Art gallery. I spent most of the way counting Chinese or oriental people and I don’t remember it very well, but I think we counted more than 50 in less than five minutes. After that I knew that we had walked near the Chinese District. It was lunch time and the teachers gave us free time to eat and to visit the city until the afternoon.

There were some pubs in that zone and, after that, we had the choice to go to Covent Garden or other nearby places. I didn’t want to leave London without having eaten “fish and chips”, but the first day I didn’t taste that but I discovered the “jacket potatoes”: it’s a big potato with other ingredients that you can choose. We were four people and all of us chose the same: jacket potato with tuna and cheese. It was delicious and we got full, but there was a bit of space for dessert. The girl who attended us said that they didn’t have a typical dessert from London because everything is very international. I chose a good cake. After eating, we asked to the waitress whether she could help us with some of the questions of a “quiz” we had to do for school. She said some answers but they didn’t fit the answers that our teachers expected (this fact happened to us many times...). For example, she said that Londoners celebrate the welcoming of the New Year in front of the London Eye, not near the Big Ben.

We had some time and we went to Covent Garden. It wasn’t so far from the restaurant and maybe it was the first time we had to get our bearings in London. I had brought a map of the city (The map was more than fifteen years old but the main streets hadn’t changed, the monuments were in the same place and the underground stations were in the same places.) and we used it to know the routes we could take. It was nice to walk through the streets, to look at the houses or the cars (I was thunderstruck when I saw two Porsche in the same street). I realized that we were in Covent Garden because of the atmosphere, the people. It’s difficult to explain, but that place has got something that I had never seen anywhere. There was a man with a t-shirt printed with “I’m a show boy” who was singing and livening up people that were having a coffee or going down to there. Further on there was a big skillet where a good meal was being cooked. There were also many shops. We went for a walk and we returned to Trafalgar Square.

While we were waiting the others to enter into the National Gallery, I could observe the atmosphere in the Trafalgar Square. It was full of people, maybe because it was Saturday, and there was a great mixture of tourists and Londoners lying around the big fountain, on the stairs or on the grass near the Gallery. But not everybody was having a rest: there was a woman holding a microphone which was connected to some powerful loudspeakers and her voice could be heard from each place of the square. As I could understand, she talked about behaviour, about God and many other things; she was expressing her ideas and trying to convince people, to change their thought. I don’t know if it’s typical or it only happened that Saturday, but it was very curious. Near the National Gallery, there were some groups of artists painting on the floor with chalks. But it didn’t seem like an act of vandalism but a very original kind of street art. The first one had just started when we arrived and he had only drawn some lines (but he had had time to write some unpleasant sentences to the photographers who weren’t going to give him a reward in exchange for a snapshot). Beyond him, there were two men drawing a great picture of a dog, a guard of the Buckingham Palace and a bird which was being started. And behind them there was an old man who wasn’t doing a picture but he was writing a text. He had painted the letters of the words with one different colour per letter. I couldn’t know the end of the text because he hadn’t finished it when I went to the Gallery.

The National Gallery is very famous, there are many important works of art inside of this museum and, very important, the entrance is free! (Like in most of the museums we visited in London). I have to admit that I’m not an expert on art and this Gallery wasn’t the most exciting place I’ve ever visited. Maybe those paintings were very important but, in my opinion, most of the paintings we saw dealt with God and were very dull. We had to find some pictures for the quiz and we could find them thanks to the high kindness of the watchmen in the rooms. But when I thought I was going to leave the museum without having seen anything interesting we saw the teacher and some of us followed her (the sofas of the museum were really uncomfortable). One of the pictures we hadn’t seen was “The sunflowers”, by Vincent van Gogh. I learned that he painted some famous pictures called like that, but that wasn’t the best one. Then, we went to a very different room. The paintings were smaller than in other rooms, the topic wasn’t related with Christianity and most of the authors weren’t very famous, but that has been my favourite room. I learned what in Spanish is called “puntillismo”, which consists of making a picture without lines, only with small dots; thousands of dots which must be watched a bit far from the wall to see picture. I fell in love with one of the pictures: It was very small, the colours were bluish and I could see a cold winter morning near a river, with a London at the backside. The visit had been worth the effort.

After leaving the Gallery, a man had replaced the woman of the microphone and I could hear the word “God” a few more times. Some floor painters had finished their works and the most unpleasant of them had added some messages to those who wanted to take a photo of his painting (which, in my opinion, wasn’t the best one) like “if you want to take photos but you don’t want to pay, I ask you to go to another planet”.

It was time to return to the hotel all together. Night was falling and we travelled across the illuminated streets. The hotel was quite far, but finally we could find it. I was starting to join the pieces and to place myself into the city, but I was still very lost. Once inside the hotel, we picked up our suitcases from the room were we had left them and we went to reception to wait for the keys of our rooms. We had to sign some documents and we received two cards per room (one card per room) which were the keys. Then, we went to the lift in order to find our room. The hotel had more than seven floors and we were in the number six.

The room was the number 630 and it was quite welcoming. There was a small bathroom (Even though, it was bigger than the bathroom of the hotel where we stayed when we went to Italy in 4th of ESO, where the shower was nearly on the toilet). There was also a small wardrobe in the corridor and, after that, there was the room. It had two beds with a bedside table (which contained a hardback edition of the Bible), a TV, a phone, two paintings stuck into the wall (there are many thieves at large), a radiator and a window. Some rooms had got other things like armchairs or a thing to iron the clothes, but it wasn’t our case. Moreover, there was a tray, with two glasses, tea, coffee, milk and a machine to heat that, but we didn’t use it. In the room and everywhere, indoors, the temperature was very high. That was unbearable and we had to open the window, in the depths of winter.

We had time to have a shower and to watch the TV after going to eat. We watched a program called “The Colour of Money”. It is a game show where there are some “machines”, each one with a colour and an unknown amount of money. The contestant must choose a colour (a machine), which starts counting from 0, and he must say “stop” before the machine exceeds the money that contains if he doesn’t want to lose. After ten machines, he must have won more than a sum of money if he wants to get it. It was quite good, a bit stressful. We saw two contestants: the first one won a lot of money but the second one returned home empty-handed.

The supper was good, very varied. In London, most of the dishes were cooked using butter instead of oil, which gives a different taste to food, and you can like it or you can hate it. Personally, I think that wasn’t bad. Luckily, there was some bread, butter and ketchup to fill up the stomach if you didn’t like anything.

We met in the hall, where there were some sofas, and we decided not to go anywhere that night because most of people were very tired. Then, we stayed into the hotel, waiting for the following day.

LONDON (I)

2009-03-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last 21th of February I went to London with some people of 2nd of Batxillerat (about 30 persons) and three teachers. I had never felt attracted to London, but I have to admit that I have enjoyed it a lot. One person said that you can like or you can dislike it, but that’s the way London is, and I think that’s so true. I didn’t know a lot of things about the place we were going to visit, but now I think I have got an idea of it.

We get in the bus to the airport of Girona at 4 am and the flight was at 6:20. We were a bit tired (well, some people more than others) and I slept most of the journey. Even so, I sit near the window of the plane to see the landscape. When I woke up, we already were in England. After getting out of the plane, I realized we were in the UK: The signs were in English, the floor was carpeted and the door of the bus was at the left side. I couldn’t sleep during the journey to the hotel (we were in Stansted and we had to go to London), I was amazed: the bus and all of the vehicles drove on the left (there was a billboard in the exit of the airport for the daydreaming), the steering wheel of cars was at the left (at first, if you aren’t used to that, it seems like if the car has no driver), the buildings had something “special” and each billboard or shop sign was interesting.

One of the first things I saw in London was the Big Red Bus. It’s important for me because the first English book I had was called “Big Red Bus”, and I still remember the song “Bus, bus, bus, super bus. Big, big, big, big red bus...”. All of the buses have a number, and I thought it was the number of the bus, but I saw three buses with the same number, which means the line of the bus, and I have to say that London is full of buses. There is one each five minutes! Here, in my town, two buses in one hour is a lot.

We arrived at the hotel approximately at 9:30 am. At first, we had to stay in the Royal National, but there had been a last-minute change and we went to the Tavistock hotel. I think the change was good because with this hotel we had the “English breakfast” included, and it was one of the things of London that I was wishing to try. But let's not cross the bridge before we come to it.

Crysis effects

2009-03-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

We have lost another match. Today we have gone to Vic, more than one hour going and the same time coming. I don’t know what’s happened, but everything has gone bad. I’ve forgotten my handball trainers at home, the ball didn’t enter into the goal, some players were injured, some had a bad day and the referee has not been very sharp. I don’t know our position in the ranking after that, but surely it’s not a good position compared with the beginning of the league.

It was being the best start we had ever done, winning all the matches, it was like a dream. Then, we drew one match that we had started winning with nine points of average. We were in the first position of the championship, drawn with the second team, but we had got a better goal average. I don’t know why, we started being draw to a crisis. We lost most of the following matches, we fall in the ranking and I felt it was like the last year, when we were in a league playing against players older than us and we lost a lot of matches. Now, we are in the second round, it means that we have played with all of the teams of the league and we are going to play against them one more time: if we have played at home, we will go to their sports hall and, if we have gone there, now they will come here.

We have won some matches again, but it’s not like before. Last week we won, today we have lost and nobody knows what will happen next week. I think we are going to play at home, and I hope we will win. We can’t finish in the first position of the ranking because the leaders are very far from us (I have to mention that they haven’t lost a match this year and they have only drawn two times, always against us), but we can still finish in a good position.

Willing to drive

2009-03-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I’ve always desired is the driving license. Cars are one of my weaknesses and I am dying to drive one. Maybe it is the only reason why I want to be 18 years old. Last year, when I knew I could start getting the driving license, I didn’t doubt and I did it. The exam consists of two parts: the theoretical part and the practical part. The first one can be done if you are sixteen and the second one requires eighteen years old (although that’s not necessary for the practices before the exam).

It was summer, I had finished the first year of Batxillerat and I had two free weeks before start working. I went to the driving school and they told me that, if I wanted to pass the first exam in two weeks I had to “live” in the driving school. And that’s what I did: I went there nearly every day, from the first hour of the morning until the afternoon (taking some breaks, of course), doing more and more tests. And I passed the exam. It consists of 30 questions with three possible answers (A, B or C) and you can’t do more than three mistakes. I had two (I didn’t know if a novice driver can put curtains in the backside of the car...). After that, I had planned to start the practices this year in Holy Week, but I have a lot of work in the school and I think I’ll wait until summer. I don't like this idea, but I’ll have to renounce to do the exam the day of my birthday. Deep down that's not very serious because, if I can, I’ll have it sooner or later.

Another problem that I have is the car. I want to have a car only for me, but I think I’ll have to wait because my parents won’t buy me one and I don’t have enough money to buy it (and to maintain it!). Also, the insurance tends to be very expensive for new drivers. I’ll probably use the old Renault Clio (which is as old as me) of my mother because I don’t want the Seat Córdoba of my father, I think it is quite long. But as fast as I can, I will get my own car. Maybe it will be a second hand car, but for me is enough. If I lived in a city like London or Barcelona, I wouldn’t need it but, here, public transport isn’t very good and to have a car is almost indispensable.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,...,17,18!

2009-03-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

This is the year of number 18. Now, people in class are becoming of age, one after another. Normally, a birthday is an important fact, but I think that the 18th birthday is one of the most special dates in the life of a person. It’s the day when somebody becomes an adult, maybe not in a psychologically way but officially (for good things and for bad things). You get more rights, more freedom, but you also have more duties and, if you commit a crime, for example, you can go to prison.

Thinking about it thoroughly, time has past very fast. I have always wanted to be off age, but I didn’t know that this moment was going to arrive now. Well, I still have to wait some time until May, but I’m sure that months will go very quickly. There’s a difference between those who are born at the beginning of the year or at the end. It must be difficult to wait and see how some people already are eighteen and you must wait one year. I don't have this problem because I was born “in the middle”, and I like it because the wait isn’t very long.

Some persons that are 18 say that there it isn’t a big change. Maybe it’s true, surely the day of my 18th birthday I’ll do the same things I did before: I’ll continue living at home with my parents, I won’t have the driving license yet (I think I’ll have to wait some days) and I won’t go to buy cigarettes, which is another thing that an adult can do.
Anyway, I’m not in a rush to be of age, I’ll enjoy my 17 years as much as I can and I’ll continue watching how time passes, how things change unrelentingly.

By candlelight

2009-03-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

Imagine the world without electricity. No energy to run our computers, to light our rooms, to watch the TV. Maybe with the daylight we can think that we could bear this situation, but it’s not the same at night, when the blue sky changes turns dark. I know we could use candles or make fire but, have you tried to read or to write with the light of a candle? It’s completely different than the pure and shining light of a bulb.

Music is another problem. What would we do in this case? Yes, an MP3 player has got enough battery for some hours but, without electricity, a gadget becomes a very nice paperweight. Maybe to sing or to play an instrument would be a solution.

This hasn’t been a tale and I’m not talking about the Middle Ages. This is the XXI Century and there isn’t electricity in my town. My computer has turned off and the lights have switched off.

Of course, I’m not using a candle light to see what I’m writing, but the light of a torch is not the best I’ve ever seen. I’m sure that electricity won’t take a lot of time to come again. Then, I’ll be able to turn on my PC again and the battery of the MP3 player won’t go flat. But it’s a fact that makes me reflect. What would happen if electricity disappeared without a date of return? The panic would spread or maybe we would accept that, to live like our ancestors did, but with more experience. Perhaps we would change to the habit of listening real music, talking with people directly, etc.

The question I want to make is: Has electricity come here to stay?

TDR

2009-02-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

Today I’ve finally bound my research work! I think I have never talked about it here. I started it last year (well, like everybody does in Batxillerat) and after the summer, Christmas Holydays and January, it is already finished.

The topic of my work is basically hydrogen (against petroleum) and that’s why I put the “Oil clock” in this blog, because after doing this project I am aware of the huge problem which is petroleum.

We have to give it on Thursday, the 5th of February, and we have until 18:00. I still remember when I started Batxillerat and teachers said “You have to do it in summer” and they repeated it almost every day. Now, as usual, it hasn’t been finished until the last week.

I think it’s one of the two worst nightmares we will have this year in 2nd of Batxillerat. The other one, of course, is the Selectivitat, also called PAU or university entrance examinations. Now, the first one is, more or less, over, and it’s time to face the second one.

I say “more or less” because it hasn’t finished yet. The 18th of February is the day of the oral presentations, in other words, we have to explain our work in 15 minutes in front of a jury made up of three people that will evaluate the works. This year there have been many works and there’ll be more turns than last year, but now I don’t remember how many turns there are because I am in the first one, between 3:15 and 4:00. Some people say it’s good, because when you finish it you are calm while other people are still nervous. Maybe it’s true... but I won’t believe it until I watch it.

The first picture of this post is one of the images I haven’t been able to put in my work. It’s liquid hydrogen in a bubble chamber. And here I put another one that I think is very interesting but the resolution is a bit low. It shows what happens when a car filled with hydrogen or gasoline burns. If you didn’t know, the first one is the hydrogen car, and the other car contains gasoline.

Do you still think hydrogen isn’t safe?

Gorillaz

2008-11-30T07:37:00.000-08:00

Hi! The first school term is going to finish and the next week I'll have a lot of exams... I hope it will finish fast.

This is a video of a song which I liked a lot, but I didn't know what did it mean until today, when I have tried to translate it and I've seen that... it's a bit strange. After the video you have the "translation", I hope you'll enjoy the video.

GORILLAZ: Clint Eastwood

Oh oh oh oh oh
I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine, in a bag
I'm useless,but not for long
The future is coming on (x3)

Oh oh oh oh oh
No sóc feliç,
em sento alegre,
Tinc el sol en una bossa,
No serveixo per res però
no per gaire temps.
El meu futur s’està acostant. (x3)

Yeah... Ha Ha!
Finally someone let me out of my cage
Now, time for me is nothing cos I'm counting no age
Now I couldn't be there
Now you shouldn't be scared
I'm good at repairs
And I'm under each snare
Intangible
Bet you didn't think so I command you to
Panoramic view
Look I'll make it all manageable
Pick and choose
Sit and lose
All you different crews
Chicks and dudes
Who you think is really kickin' tunes?
Picture you gettin' down in a picture tube
Like you lit the fuse
You think it's fictional
Mystical? Maybe
Spiritual
Hearable
What appears in you is a clearer view cos you're too crazy
Lifeless
To know the definition for what life is
Priceless
For you because I put you on the hype shit
You like it?
Gunsmokin' righteous with one token
Psychic among those
Possess you with one go

Finalment algú em va deixar sortir de la meva gàbia.
Ara, el temps per mi no és res, perquè no tinc en compte els meus anys.
Ara no podria estar allà.
Ara no hauries d’estar espantat.
Sóc bo fent reparacions.
I estic sota cada trampa.
Intangible,
M’hi jugo el que vulguis que no pensaves que jo et controlo.
Vista panoràmica.
Observa, faré que tot sigui manejable,
Escull i tria
Seu i perd
Totes les teves bandes,
Ties i tios.
Qui creus que està colpejant melodies realment?
Imatge que et baixes d’un tub imaginari.
Com tu vas encendre la metxa.
Creus que és fictici, místic? Potser espiritual, audible.
El que apareix en tu és una visió clara, perquè tu estàs boig també.
Sense vida.
Per saber la definició de què és la vida.
Sense preu.
Per tu, perquè et vaig posar en una merda.
T’agrada?
La pistola fumejant justament amb una senyal.
Allò psíquic, entre els altres.
Posseir-te en un moment.

I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine, in a bag
I'm useless,but not for long
The future is coming on
I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine, in a bag
I'm useless, but not for long
The future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on

No sóc feliç,
em sento alegre,
Tinc el sol en una bossa,
No serveixo per res però
no per gaire temps.
El meu futur s’està acostant.
S’està acostant
S’està acostant
S’està acostant

The essence the basics
Without it you make it
Allow me to make this
Child, like in nature
Rhythm
You have it or you don't that's a fallacy
I'm in them
Every sprouting tree
Every child apiece
Every cloud you see
You see with your eyes
I see destruction and demise
Corruption in disguise
From this fuckin' enterprise
Now I'm sucking to your lies
Through Russ, though not his muscles but the percussion he provides
with me as a guide
But y'all can see me now cos you don't see with your eye
You perceive with your mind
That's the inner
So I'm gonna stick around with Russ and be a mentor
With a few rhymes so mother fuckers
Remember where the thought is
I brought all this
So you can survive when law is lawless
Feelings, sensations that you thought were dead
No squealing, remember
(that it's all in your head)

L’essència és la base.
Sense això ho fas.
Deixa’m fer-ho.
Com un nen a la natura.
Ritme.
O ho tens o no, això és una fal•làcia.
Estic en elles.
Cada arbre que brota.
Cada un dels nens.
Cada núvol que veus.
Veus amb els teus ulls.
Jo veig destrucció i desaparicions.
Corrupció disfressada.
Des d’aquest coi d’empresa.
Ara xuclo les teves mentides.
Des d’en Russ, encara que no els seus músculs sinó la percussió que dóna,
amb mi com a guia.
Però ara em pots veure perquè no mires amb l’ull.
Em perceps amb la ment.
Aquest és el secret.
Doncs em quedaré amb en Russ i per ser un mentor.
Trencar unes quantes rimes, doncs, _______
Recorda on és el pensament,
Jo vaig construir tot això
I tu pots sobreviure quan la llei és il•legal.
Sentiments, sensacions que vas pensar que eren mortes.
No cridis, recorda
(tot és dins el teu cap)

I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine, in a bag
I'm useless, but not for long
The future is coming on
I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine, in a bag
I'm useless, but not for long
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
My future

No sóc feliç,
em sento alegre,
Tinc el sol en una bossa,
No serveixo per res però
no per gaire temps.
El meu futur s’està acostant. (x2)

s’està acostant
s’està acostant
s’està acostant
s’està acostant
El meu futur s’està acostant
s’està acostant
s’està acostant
s’està acostant
s’està acostant (...)

El meu futur.

Have a good meal

2008-11-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

Every culture is a world. There are big different cultures and each one has got its own history. Because of this, there exist loads of languages, traditions and ways of thinking. Nowadays, we can know cultures from around the world, we can travel to discover them or maybe they come to find us in different ways. One of them is food. Food is like a mirror, it shows a lot of things from his society. For example, there is the Mediterranean diet, very healthy and varied, or the American fast food, cheap and easy to prepare, but one of the main causes of obesity.

My favorite food is Chinese food. I haven’t been to China, but I’ve got a lot of Chinese restaurants near my village. Some of them are better than others, maybe because of the recipe, the quality of the food or the sauces. I think sauces are very important and they can decide if a dish is good or not.

In Spain, restaurants offer olives or something to peak at before asking the food. When you go to a Chinese restaurant they usually give you a dish with “shrimp bread”.

Then, you can choose from loads of dishes. For example, spring rolls, seaweeds and chicken, veal or duck prepared wit different sauces. You can try it with rice or noodles, for examples.

Some sauces are very strange, with Chinese words, and you only know the tastes until you try them. But some of them are very typical, common in most of the similar restaurants: The bittersweet sauce is my favorite one. It depends on the restaurant and only some of them have a good sweet and sour sauce, but sometimes it’s only a bad tomato sauce. Oyster sauce is also very common, and it’s good with veal. There’s spicy sauce too. Sometimes it has a very hot taste and you need to drink a lot after it.

There’s a rumor which says that, in Chinese restaurants, dogs are cooked in some dishes. Because of this, some people doesn’t want to try that food. I don’t know if that’s true, but I think it isn’t bad if there are dishes with dog (and they sell it like dog, of course), because we eat things that other cultures never eat and we can’t imagine eating worms or ants, which are some of the main dishes from some countries.

One of the things which I like from Chinese food is to eat it with wood sticks. We are used to eat with forks, knifes and spoons, but with two sticks it’s a curious way to eat. Eating a bowl of rice with wood sticks is a very hard challenge if you haven’t practiced.

That’s been a summary about what can you find in a Chinese restaurant, but I think the only way to know it is to go and try it, because it’s an opportunity that maybe our ancestors didn’t have. One of my advices is that, if you don’t like it at first, don’t say “I don’t like that food” until you had tried three or four restaurants and different dishes. One of the options is to ask for the most popular restaurants and 请享用！(have a good meal!).

Watch out with ghosts...

2008-10-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

Today, Friday 31st of October, it’s Halloween!

It’s not a catalan holiday, but now some people celebrate it. It started in Scotland and Ireland, with the Celtic cultures, and then it arrived to North America, becoming one of the most important festivals of the year. Now it has arrived to the whole world, and it has moved away other traditional festivals.

Some of the typical things on Halloween Night:

Children go door to door trick-or-treating wearing costumes. When somebody opens the door, they say “trick or treat”. If there is a treat, children usually receive sweets or food, but if there’s no treat, they play a trick on the homeowners or on their house.

Another thing to do is to watch a horror film. There are loads of horror films, with ghosts, vampires, zombies, etc. Some of the most recent films are SAW, Final Destination, The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Sleepy Hollow. But there also were horror films in 1930s, like Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931) or The Mummy (1932).

There are some typical symbols and objects, like the pumpkin: People hollow out a pumpkin and then it’s carved and lit with a candle inside. It was used by the Celts to frighten off the superstitions. Nowadays, homes are decorated with pumpkins, skeletons or scarecrows.

Food has got a very important role on Halloween parties and meals. There are very original dishes, from the typical toffee apples to the delicious frightening recipes. If you want some ideas look at that: Fun Halloween foods

These are some of the most common Halloween things. Of course, each country celebrates it in its way, and there are loads of differences between Texas and Haiti, for example. But, in fact, the origin of the holiday is the same, and I think it’s very interesting and curious.

Lists...

2008-10-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

In our life, we want to do a lot of things. Every year, a lot of persons make lists with resolutions for the New Year. We have agendas with space to write what we are going to do in one month, during one week and even one day, every hour. That’s nice, it’s good if you know what do you want to do and you are confident you’ll wake up tomorrow.

But, for example, look at Dave Freeman’s story: This writer became very famous because of his book, a best seller called '100 Things to Do Before You Die'. There, he made a list with things like to run bulls in Spain, to hang his boots in an ice hotel in Finland, or to make a voodoo pilgrimage to Haiti. He had completed about half of his list when he died... He was 47 and he fall over hitting his head, at his home...

Then, what can you do? Are you sure that you’ll be able to complete a list if there’s the possibility to die trying? Must we stop making stupid lists?

The answer is NO! I’ve found the perfect list, the list you’ll surely do because die won’t stop it: The list of things to do after you die.

So, I’ve found a lot of interesting things to do (well, some of them are interesting and some of them are... you know, when you are dead you have a lot of time...). For example:

- Prove that god exists.
- Scare people at midnight.
- Visit the hell, the heaven and other places from other religions.
- Talk with Einstein about the relativity of time.
- Reflect on how absurd the phrase “I think, therefore I am” is.
- Walk through the walls.
- Experience an exorcism in first person.
- Talk with persons who are playing with Ouija Board.
- See dead people.
- Reincarnate in an animal, like a dog or a fly...

The complete list is here: 50 Things To Do After You Die

And I would add some more, like remember where did you put that list about things to do after you die...

SPEECH TECHNOLOGY

2008-10-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

Hi! Today I’m going to talk you about a computer program: loquendo. Surely most of you have watched some videos made with it, but you didn’t know the name of the program. With this program you write a text and then it pronounces it. You can choose different voices from different countries, each one with a typical accent, men and women.

I think it’s a very useful tool for mute people, because it can express laughs, sadness and other emotions. Now there is a renewed version, but it still needs to advance a lot to reproduce faithfully the human voice.

But it’s got another use: People make videos and they post them in the youtube, and these videos sometimes are jokes or parodies. They make fun of some stupid things like TV serials or social topics.

Here I put a video made with loquendo. In this case, they have used a Spanish voice, simulating it’s learning English.

In the web page of the program there is a demo. You can write a text and then download the audio file.

There’s a software in Windows that wants to do the same, but it’s disastrous. It’s called Sam, and it only speaks in English, but his voice is very strange and sometimes the pronunciation is very bad.

THE COUNTDOWN HAS ALREADY STARTED

2008-10-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

I was thunderstruck when I saw it for first time. This is a novelty in the blog. As you can see, it’s an oil meter. While you are reading these words, thousand petroleum barrels are being consumed.

I think that the result in one hour is very high, but if I look at the year’s consumption I feel dizzy, because it means that this oil burns or becomes rubbish, destroying the environment.

This shows our dependence on petroleum. Our cars run on fossil fuels, most of the clothes are made of petroleum, food is wrapped with plastic from petroleum... If we look around, we can see that we are surrounded by petroleum. We need it, but it isn’t inexhaustible and, if we continue wasting it, it will run out.

Then, I hope this clock will make you aware of the problem we have.
If we want to conserve it, we can help turning off the engine of the car if we are going to stay stopped or using tough and reusable bags to go to the supermarket.

If you aren’t enough aware, watch again the clock, it’s in the right side of the blog.

AND I'M STILL HERE

2008-09-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Hello again!!
The school year has just started again and I resume the blog. This course will be harder than the last one, and I think that because of two things: we must submit the “Research Work” and we need to prepare for the university entrance exam.
The first week has just finished and I am fed up with these two issues. I think that if we used half of the time we spend saying “we must study”, “we must work”, “we must ...” to make what we really must do (the research work, for example), we would finish it before.

And now, I’m going to stop grumbling and I’ll continue my post.

Throughout this summer I’ve been looking for information for my research work and I’ve read a book which has made me change my point of view about our society. The book is called “The hydrogen economy” (by Jeremy Rifkin) and, well, I admit it is a bit apocalyptical and pessimistic, but I’ve learned that we can’t wait until the end of fossil fuels (if it’s true that it will happen): we need to act and change our habits. Because of this, some of my future posts will be related with this topic (climate change, fossil fuels, etc.). Apart from this, I’ll try to write about funny issues to make it more enjoyable.

Finally, I want to change a little bit the face of the blog with some gadgets (I’ve said “a little bit”, I don’t want to write in a circus =/).

Well, that’s all for today, bye!!

Man's best friend

2008-06-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

Dogs are one of my passions. I haven’t got a dog because my family doesn’t let me have one but, when I’ll have my home, I’ll have a dog.

My favorite dogs are the huskies. I like the color of the fur and that they are big (I don’t like small dogs a lot because most of them are like big rats and I always have in mind the image of a person with the dog in the handbag. But I need to say that I’ve met some small dogs that are better than the others.) Maybe one of the bad points of the huskies is that they tend to be very haughty (this is what I’ve heard), and I don’t like arrogant animals.
But I’m sure that I won’t pay a lot of money to buy a dog because, after all, I don’t mind if a dog has got pedigree or not. Surely I’ll visit a dog pound and choose one. I prefer doing this because these dogs are more pleasant and they need more affection because they have had bad experiences like mistreatments or abandonment. I think that people who mistreat dogs are despicable.
And now, if my friend Ariadna lets me do it, I put the link to this video, because I saw it and it’s incredible. We should stop these actions and be more respectful with animals, because they won’t kill us because of stupid causes.

WATCH VIDEO

Sport, tournament, handball

2008-06-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today there has been a handball tournament in Castelló d’Empúries. In June, all the championships have finished and it’s the last day we play handball because in summer there aren’t trainings.
Like every year, we have gone to the pavilion at early morning (well, sometimes it’s good to wake up early). We have made the teams (we used to make the teams one or two weeks before the tournament, but this year it has been more improvised). Then, after saying our name (the “Ex-Patayas”) and receiving our t-shirt, matches have started. At the morning, we have played five matches (we have won three of them) and then have had dinner (I was very hungry after playing all the morning). When we have finished we have played another match because we had been classified, but we have lost. I’ve stayed to watch the last match. It has been very exciting because the two teams were so equaled, they have played two parts and there was a draw. After the play-off, there was another draw but the players were very tired and they have finished it with a penalty. Now I’m very tired, but it has been worthy. I have a medal (the cup has been very close but...).In the photo you can see our goalkeeper, with one of his savings.

To be left-handed

2008-06-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

Left-handedness happens when a person has a preference for the left hand over the right hand to do most of the activities in his life. It isn’t optional, it comes with the genes. Most of the people are right-handed and, because of this, we live in a world designed by and for right-handed. Then, left-handed (also called lefties) need to learn how to do the activities with the right hand, and then we have the ambidexterity.

Some religions, cultures or groups have thought that left-handedness is something evil, a bad sign, and some words like “sinister” have got a negative meaning, while words related with the right side have got good meanings. For example, the word “right” is used to talk about the side or to say “good” and “to put something to rights” is to “repair something”. In some states, teachers told lefties off if they use the left hand.

If we look around us, we can see that most of the objects and tools have been designed for being used with the right hand. Scissors and knives can’t be used if the edge isn’t asymmetrical. The mouse of the computer is usually placed in the right side. It can be configured to be used with the other hand, but some of the buttons aren’t accessible with this way. Another curious thing that goes unnoticed is that the letters in pencils, pens, crayons, etc. are written in a manner that, if you use the right hand, words can be read, but with the other hand, all the words are upside down. Moreover, the main button of a camera is pushed by the right hand, and the screen is in the left side. Furthermore, the set squares and most of the instruments (for example, guitars) have got the same problem

I am left-handed and one of the things that I think it’s very uncomfortable is to write. I need to write from left to right and, if I don’t care, I spread all the ink over the paper. Then, I need to write in a weird position which isn’t very good for my wrist and I can’t use some types of pens because the ink dries up slowly. I also hate the rings or the spirals of the notebooks. Necessarily, I’ve learned how to use my right hand: I cut, I use the mouse, I play the guitar, etc.

I think that lefties should be more beard in mind, because a 7-10% of the population is a very important part. Since 1976, the 13th of August is the International Lefthanders Day and there are some shops specialized in tools for lefties.

My dear madwomen

2008-06-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hello! Today I’m going to talk about these two characters: Estela and Àngels. I haven’t got a photo with them (well maybe one but I don’t know where it is) and I’ve stolen this one from their blog.

I’ll start with Àngels: I know her since we were very little and we played basketball in the same team. She was (and is) one year older than me and the other players and she took advantage (that year we finished in the third position!). Now we have grown but she is as madder as then (well, now a little bit more). When she laughs she does it very loudly, then she weakens but, after a few seconds she laughs again. One of her phrases is something like “two stones!”. Don’t worry if you have a heart attack or you break a bone, because she is an excellent lifeguard and she will look after you.

And now, Estela. Maybe you can think she is more serious when you look at her, but that’s false, when she starts laughing she can't stop. I call her “mop”, because she doesn’t match with the oranges. Then, she doesn’t like it and she blows up her cheeks and shows the tongue. And now I am thinking and I don’t remember when I met her... (My memory is failing).

Well, if you want to see them you only should go to Las Vegas. Bye!

Do you believe in luck?

2008-06-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

Some people only live for the game, the gambling, they believe in something with a supernatural power that can decide their future. There are a lot of persons leaving their money or their life on luck’s power. They wear charms or they pray. They also try to find a four-leaf clover or a leprechaun. Everything is good for having more luck: to get up with the right foot or to agree with the devil.
On the other hand, they believe in things that bring the bad luck nearer, for example, to walk under a ladder or to break a mirror.
I believe a bit in luck, but I especially believe in Murphy’s Law: “If anything can go wrong, it will”. For example, if a toast falls from the table, the side of the butter will touch the floor, or, if you need to take a decision with a 50 of chance to get right, you will always choose the wrong option.
Another thing that I think it’s very curious is the “feng shui”. It comes from Asia and it is based in the objects in the house: If they are in the correct place, the feng shui will flow and you’ll be lucky, but if they aren’t well put, you’ll be unlucky.

I’ve found a very happy experiment: Theoretically, the toasts usually fall with the worst side on the floor, and cats always fall on the floor on their legs. The experiment is this: What will happen if we tie a toast on the back of a cat?

Unfortunately, the person who made this experiment didn’t calculate well the distances and the cat died. Moreover, the toast fall from the cat and dirtied the floor.

Change finished. It's time to check it.

2008-05-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

I think that this photo shows the reality. Money means power in our society, but I think that if we hang up a lot of people in the other side of the scales, we can tip the scale.

Well, at the end I have finished the first part. It’s been difficult because the Windows Vista didn’t accept the Ubuntu. Then, I erased the Vista and I’ve added the Windows XP (the last version). Now I have two Operating Systems. It’s a hard job to install the XP, because I needed all the drivers for my laptop and I didn’t find the drivers for the wireless system, but I’ve finally found them.
At first sight, it works faster than Vista. It works faster and it hasn’t frozen yet.
About the Ubuntu, I haven’t used it a lot yet because I am getting used to it.

I’ve got a lot of experience with this process, because I’ve learnt a lot of words and things that I didn’t know before this. Some things are very complicated, but there is one that is very simple and I want to share it with you: DON’T BUY VISTA.

Adding another OS

2008-05-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

I’m going to tell you what I’m going to do with my laptop.

Last year I got a new laptop. Then, it was the starting of the “new” Windows Vista, and I’d got used to the last operating system (the Windows XP), which was installed in my old PC. I think that this new OS is good, but I think that it consumes a lot of the capacities of the laptop, and I’ve heard that it would work better with another OS, specifically Linux (and more specifically, Ubuntu). But there has been passed one year, and I have some programs and documents that I don’t want to loose, so I want to install the Ubuntu without eliminating the Windows.

On one hand, the Microsoft’s Windows is the “typical operating system”. It comes pre-installed by force in most of the computers and you can’t choose another one. It is also expensive, because I think that the simplest version costs about 200 dollars and the most expensive costs 600 dollars more or less. There are a lot of games or programs that only work with this OS, but this situation is changing every day. It is being outshined by its previous versions because Microsoft is now working on the following version called Windows 7.

On the other hand, there is the Ubuntu. It’s free and it is updated every six months. Every day there is more people using this OS. It’s safer than Windows, it consumes less resources and it has got a lot of variants because anybody can help improving it.

As you can see, the second option seems to be the best one, and I’m going to try it. If I don’t like it, I can go backward. If it surprises me, I’ll kick my Vista.
I’ve been watching the official webpage and there are some instructions to do this, but I think it is a bit difficult. I’ll tell you the results.

If somebody is using Ubuntu or has used it, I’ll receive gratefully your comments.

The most real human anatomy

2008-04-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

Finally, I have visited “Bodies: The exhibition”! At first, I wanted to go there last Christmas, but I couldn’t and I thought the exhibition would finish. They have adjourned the removal until the 22nd of this month because of its success, and last Sunday I decided to go to the Museu Marítim and watch this amazing exhibition.

I went there early morning and I didn’t need to queue.
At first, we entered in a lit room, with the parts of the body that we are used to seeing, like the skeleton or the muscles.

Before continue explaining, I tell you something about this exhibition: it’s an exposition of bodies and organs with a peculiarity: these samples are real human bodies donated on a voluntary basis to the science and preserved with a sort of silicone. That’s very shocking and realistic, but it isn’t bloodthirsty. After that, I continue with the adventure.

The following rooms were more incredible. Beyond the bones and the muscles there were the feelings. There was an incredible thing: the whole nervous system separated from the rest of the body. It seemed like an octopus. One boy felt sick watching it and he needed to go out. In the photo on the top of the post you can see two figures from the same body. Incredible.
The next thing which impressed me a lot was the circulatory system. With a very strange method, the muscles, the bones and all the parts of the body except the blood vessels had been extracted. They were put in showcases and submerged in a special transparent substance, and a light illuminated them getting a deep red color. It was very curious because the lungs were full of veins and arteries, like a sponge.
Then, there was a section with a poster warning the pregnant women. Inside of the room, loads of embryos and fetuses were shown. Some of them were put in development order and you could watch the small bones or the organs.
There was also a big hall, where people could see the human body separated in a lot of cross-sections. In one of the corners of the room, there was a person with a lot of parts of the body and you could touch some of them. I handled a human brain, a biceps and a liver, amongst others.

Another shocking thing was the room of the respiratory system. There, in two different showcases: the first one contained the lungs of a healthy person, but in the second one there were the lungs of a smoker, and those were black and revolting. Between the two showcases there was another one, with a hole in the middle and full of packets with cigarettes.
To end the visiting, there were three books where people wrote their points of view about the exhibition and, obviously, a souvenir shop.
When I went out of the building there was a very long queue, with a lot of people waiting for watching a very good exhibition.

Thinking about the future

2008-04-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today I have visited the Montjuic fairground (Barcelona) with my high school classmates. In one of the pavilions there was the fair about the teaching (that’s what we wanted to visit). There were a lot of universities and teaching centers showing their facilities and the different courses and degrees available, with demonstrations and students or teachers from each center willing to answer our questions.

Once there we have walked around the stands, picking up brochures (and other things like a bag, a plastic ball, some sweets, pencils, pens, etc.) and asking for some information.
I am interested in Technical degrees and Design degrees but I still don’t know what I’m going to study.

First of all I’ve visited stands related with Design. I’d want to study “Product Design” and to specialize in “Cars”, but it’s too expensive and I need to be studying six or seven years. The other way is to study Mechanical Engineering. I like it but probably I won’t go to Barcelona but I’ll go to Girona’s university, which is cheaper and more nearby.
I don’t mind about the “minimum marks” because they are always very low (a five) because they need a lot of workers.

But there is a thing that I don’t like: next year will appear a new program of studies and all the things that I’ve consulted won’t be useful. It’s called the “Bologna process” and I don’t know if it will be a good or a bad change because some people say that it’s necessary but others don’t agree with it.

The conclusion of the day: Everything seems to be very easy and fun at first sight, but, in fact, it’s a very complicated decision to make. I have got about one year to decide and I am more confused every day.

Tramuntana, a wind beyond the mountains

2008-04-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

This week has wound a lot and now I still can hear the wind blowing hard. This kind of wind is called “tramuntana” and comes from the northeast. It’s typical in the Alt Empordà, and some famous artists like Dalí or Josep Pla have written about it.

There is also a sports car called Tramuntana and it’s very exclusive. Maybe someday I’ll write a post about it.

It can last days or weeks, with a speed that usually exceeds the 100 km/h. I think it’s strange when some people in other countries are afraid of occasional winds with a 70/ 80 km/h speed and here we have tramontana every year.
It’s also funny when a new company comes here and decorates its building with a lot of flags, sticks or weak objects and then, it comes and breaks it or takes it away.

But tramontana it’s also a serious issue, because it can be dangerous, especially for cars or motorbikes on the roads because it happens in fits and starts and catches the drivers unawares.
Some people like it and some people can’t stand it. I like it when I am at home, but I don’t like it when I am outside home.

An old saying says that if the sky is red, then it will rain or wind. I am going out to watch the color of the sky...

Bernie's circus is here again

2008-03-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

The Formula One Championship starts again. The circus is launched and Melbourne (Australia) has been the first stage. There are some new technical changes for this season and one of the most important news is that the traction control has disappeared.

There has been a race conditioned by accidents, breakdowns, the safety car and a lot of desertions. The winner: a brilliant McLaren with Lewis Hamilton on the top of the podium. On the second step, Nick Heidfeld showing that people in BMW Sauber haven’t been sleeping this winter and they want to win the title. Finally, Nico Rosberg has got his first podium with a great result for Williams Toyota.

Fernando Alonso has done a very good race too, with a not very competitive Renault, getting five points.

It has been a bad day for Ferrari, with a lot of mistakes and wrong decisions. A crash has eliminated the options for Felipe Massa and a motor breakdown has finished with his race while Kimi Raikkonen, the current champion, was trying to forget the problems that they had in the qualification. Another wrong team decision, in addition to a driver mistake, has erased all his opportunities (until he has got a single point).

Toyota is still waiting for results and two desertions give little hopes for this season. The car doesn’t work, the drivers aren’t fast, luck doesn’t help them and teams with fewer budgets are getting points.

Well, the next stage is Sepang, next Friday. The championship has just started and lots of things are going to happen. What do you think? Which driver/team do you prefer? Which truck do you like most? I’ll tell you my opinion in a few weeks and I leave you with a nice video which introduces this 2008 Formula One Championship.

from England to the whole world

2008-03-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. (NBAS) was founded in 1906 in Boston, Massachusetts. At first, the company consisted of six people making shoes and they made about thirty pairs of shoes every day, but now it’s one of the most important shoe makers of the world with more than 2800 employees.

I saw them in the bus station because a man wore them and my first thought was “they are a copy of Nike shoes”. But after, I heard about they weren’t a copy and I went to a forum to look for some information. I saw some curious things, like that they use to have very hard soles and they became fluffy by the time.

Well, these are my new New Balance, my current trainers. They are so comfortable but I still need to get used to them.

Early morning

2008-03-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

Here you have, one of the... the best thing of getting up at half past six. It’s worth the trouble to go out of home, look at the sky and find this.

I’m so tired. Tomorrow I have the last exam... Mathematics... ugh!
My table is now covered by a lot of papers and numbers. Does anybody know how can I divide myself? Maybe I could go back in time... or stop the time! If I fall asleep maybe tomorrow I get up and some dwarfs have done the work...

Well, let’s continue with numbers. Bye!

Geneva will be the heaven for some days

2008-03-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

These weeks, from the 4th to the 16th of March, there is the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. It’s the 78^th edition of this event and it’s considered the most important motor show of the world.

There, the manufacturers show their cars for sell, new prototypes, production car introductions, projects for the future and shows for the public. They can’t skip this appointment if they want to have prestige around the world.

It’s also a great opportunity for Chinese manufacturers, who are entering the European market and they are competing against consolidated companies, which have products with more quality, safety and style. But Chinese don’t want to play, they are very serious, they have very competitive prices, they are increasing the quality of their cars, doing safety tests and employing famous designers and workers. Maybe in a few years they will be the kings of the automobile industry.

On the other hand, hybrid engines, fuel cell and electric cars are very popular. Some prototypes like the Pininfarina Sintesi or the Volkswagen Passat EcoFuel use respectful and alternative systems.

There are also some prepared cars, sports cars more power and luxury than the originals. The best example is the Bugatti Veyron, prepared by Hermès: it costs about 1.500.000 euros.

The Spanish manufacturer, SEAT, has also shown the Bocanegra, which is the preview of the new Ibiza that is coming on summer.

Well, this show is a dream for anybody who loves cars, and rest sure that I’ll go there when I can. Does somebody sign in?

mmmm...loin...cheese...

2008-03-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

Today I’ll talk you about my frequent food: the loin and cheese sandwich. I write “sandwich” because I don’t know another word to refer to it. It’s not the typical sandwich with two squared and thin slices of bread, but a baguette with something in-between (what we call “bocata” or “entrepà”).

Well, it’s not my favorite dish (I can’t resist Chinese food) but it’s like a habit. It always fancies: after training, after school, during an excursion, etc.

It’s very easy to prepare too, and you can take it away. And, why not, its cheaper than other dishes.

I use to go to “El punt” and ask for a “loin and cheese”. Sometimes I want some chips or croquettes and bacon (extra days).

Now, I think it’s impossible to detest it... then, what would I eat?

Sweeney Todd: A good film with bad subtitles

2008-02-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to the cinema and I saw Sweeney Todd. “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”. I didn’t know it was a musical, but I realized when I saw the characters singing. It wasn’t a disappointment for me, because I don’t mind, but there was a thing that I didn’t like: the subtitles. I’ll explain myself:

The film was reproduced in Spanish but the original movie was made in English. Moreover, songs are better in the original language, but most of the people in Spain don’t speak English and the songs were subtitled. This is the problem, because the translation wasn’t correct. I can understand that some words can be cut because it’s very difficult to read all the song and pay attention to the scene, but sometimes there is a single word alone with a subtitled very different. For example, in a song for Johanna, the character says “I feel you” and the subtitle says something like “I understand you”. I think it’s better to remove the subtitles before doing this.

But well, apart of this, the film was excellent. I liked the peculiar way to be in charge of two businesses when one can survive thanks to the other. I don’t say anything else because maybe you don’t know this story, with a lot of blood, lots of corpses and a lot of pies. I leave you with one of my favorite songs: “The worst pies in London”.

Mrs. Lovett

A customer!
Wait! What's your rush?
What's your hurry?
You gave me such a...
fright! I thought you was a ghost!
Half a minute, can't ya sit?
Sit ya down!
Sit!
All I meant is that I haven't seen a customer for weeks.
Did ya come here for a pie, sir?
Do forgive me if my head's a little vague.
Ugh!
What is that?
But you'd think we had the plague.
From the way that people
keep avoiding!
No you don't!
Heaven knows I try, sir!
But there's no one comes in even to inhale!
Right you are, sir, would you like a drop of ale?
Mind you I can hardly blame them!
These are probably the worst pies in London.
I know why nobody cares to take them!
I should know!
I make them!
But good? No...
The worst pies in London...
Even that's polite! The worst pies in London!
If you doubt it take a bite!

Sweeney Todd (spoken)

Ugh!

Mrs. Lovett (sung)

Is that just, disgusting?
You have to concede it!
It's nothing but crusting!
Here drink this, you'll need it.
The worst pies in London
And no wonder with the price of meat
what it is
when you get it.
Never thought I'd live to see the day.
Men'd think it was a treat
findin' poor
animals
what are dyin' in the street.
Mrs. Mooney has a pie shop.
Does a business, but I notice something weird.
Lately, all her neighbors cats have disappeared.
Have to hand it to her!
What I calls,
enterprise!
Poppin' pussies into pies!
Wouldn't do in my shop!
Just the thought of it's enough to make you sick!
And I'm telling you them pussycats is quick.
No denying times is hard, sir!
Even harder than the worst pies in London.
Only lard and nothing more-
Is that just revolting?
All greasy and gritty?
It looks like it's molting!
And tastes like...we'll pity.
A woman alone...with limited wind
And the worst pies in London!
Ah, sir
Times is hard.
Times is hard.

Sweeney Todd (spoken)

Isn't that a room up there? Over the shop?
If times are so hard, why don't you rent it out? Should bring in something...

Mrs. Lovett (spoken)

Up there? Huh, no one'll go near it.
People think it's haunted.
You see years ago something happened, something not very nice.

Speed, safety and comfort. The new highway designs.

2008-02-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is a brilliant short made in the 1960, when the 21st century was very far and people imagined a fantastic world with the problems solved and perfect machines and infrastructures which would eliminate hitches and give time to work better or relax and go shopping.

As we can watch, in the utopian future, there would be intelligent highways with different colors to follow depending on the destination to go, giving always a perfect visibility. Cars would be also perfect, without a driver but with all the possible equipments like television, camera, speed control, traffic information, etc. All of this with a non-contaminant motor.

I think there are very fun projects, like ambulances and police, but I think it wouldn’t be necessary to solve those problems because there wouldn’t be accidents. Moreover, it says that highways and bridges would be built in a few hours with the best materials, but I think that it’s impossible because the world would seem a labyrinth.

It’s obvious that this video was made in the 60s, when in a typical family the typical father worked in a company meanwhile mother was taking care of children or shopping or doing housework.

Even so, this is a great video and I recommend you to watch it.

We only need to paint it and continue with the parts of the body

2008-02-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

I have remembered the time when I was starting to learn English. I think I was nine years old more or less and, in class, we were learning the parts of the body. There was an exercise that we made some times and I enjoyed it very much: The teacher asked to draw a monster for us. The alien’s body had some conditions: the teacher chose the number of parts.

Here you have an example:

You are drawing a monster from Mars and it has got:

- Eight legs
- Three arms
- One head
- Two mouth
- Five eyes
- One ear
- Two noses

Well, I remember the way how I created my monsters:

First of all, I made a very big circle. Then I put the eyes in a row, the noses under that row and mouths below the noses. After that, I started drawing ears around the circle. When I finished the face I draw a thick line that was the origin of as many legs and arms as there were. The result was something like this:

But now I have wanted to know how the monster would be now, after some years. And this is the result:

Maybe mouths don’t look like mouths and eyes don’t look like eyes, but it’s very helpful to learn a new language.

I don't mind about who has brought this present...

2008-01-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

I want to open a debate. Now it’s the time of traditions and customs, but it’s very different than hundreds of years ago, when the different cultures existed separately. Nowadays there are a lot of religions and cultures in the same region. Spain is a very clear example: people used to celebrate the night of the Three Wise Men but now Santa Claus has arrived and that’s confusing the children.

Some people celebrate that the Three Wise Men had come from the Middle East and had brought some presents to the baby Jesus. The night between the 5^th and the 6^th of January people bring presents to the children after they had sent them a letter saying what they want.

On the other hand, Santa Claus is an old man who lives in the North Pole with his woman and some elves called bendegums working in a workshop making presents for the children. The night between the 24^th and the 25^th, Santa Claus travels around the world with nine flying reindeers pulling his sleigh giving out toys and presents through the fireplaces.

These are two different traditions from different places but now something is changing because every year people in Spain prefers to believe in Santa Claus before the Three Wise Men. I think it’s good to accept new traditions, but I think that the other one is becoming forgotten. Maybe it happens because Christmas Holidays finish on the 8^th of January and children can play with the new toys more time if they believe in Santa. Maybe we should change the day of the first one, I don’t know. What do you think about this?

HNY08

2008-01-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

Well, first of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I like this year because it ends with 8.
I’ve visited some web pages and I’ve seen the “Top New Year’s Resolutions” for 2008. I’ve never made New Year’s Resolutions but last year I worked about it in class and now I’ll try to do it this year:

1- In the Top Ten, the first is “Get out of debt or save money”. Well, I’m not in debt, so I’ll go for “Don’t worry about money”.
2- The second is “Lose weight”. I am 1, 72 meters tall and 65 kg weight and I think I am well, maybe I’ll say “Grow and don’t get weight”, until I think the first thing doesn’t depend on me.
3- In the third place, “Fit in fitness”. I agree with that. I’ve checked that if I stop moving one week I lose a lot of fitness, then I won’t stop doing exercise.
4- “Quit smoking” is a very important resolution, but there is a problem: I don’t smoke. Then I’ll say “Don’t start smoking”.
5- The fifth is “Get organized”. I like order and I think I am quite organized but a little more order wouldn't hurt.
6- “Enjoy life more”. Well, everybody has got his own viewpoint about life, but I think we should be happier with small things. Maybe I need to add something: “Don’t worry as much about things and enjoy life more”.
7- “Work less, play more”. I think everybody would like this, but I think that’s nearly impossible. Then, I would like to “Enjoy working”.
8- Number eight is “Develop a new skill or talent”. I like this resolution, but I don’t mind if it’s this or “Improve my skills”.
9- In the ninth place, “Change employment”. But I don’t want to change employment this year because I feel very good working in the beach. I’d rather “Keep my job”.
10- In the last place people usually say “others” and I’ll leave it blank because there are a lot of things to change or to intend. Maybe you can give your opinion and propose other New Year’s Resolutions.

Dashing through the snow...

2007-12-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

Hi again! The first term is ending... how fast has it passed. Christmas is here... Well, it’s on TV since the last month, but I don’t watch it because in a few years we’ll start Christmas the day after the summer.

The streets are full of colour lights and Christmas Trees. When I say “the streets” I mean “in the cities”, because in my village there is a big light on the main street, another one on the church and this year we’ve bought a new one and it’s near the school. I think that’s better because we spend a lot of energy with a thing that we use for nothing. I don’t like a lot Christmas. I don’t know why but I think that everything is very false, controlled by the industries. But there’s nothing to do.

On the other hand, I love snow and I enjoy skiing...but in my village there’s no snow since I was two or three years old.

But the thing that I really like is food. All the bad things are forgotten with a good food. I hope that my stomach will resist one more year because I want to eat a lot this holidays.

So, which’s your favourite thing of Christmas? I’ll be waiting your comments.

Bye!

Bim Bag Boom

2007-12-03T13:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I’m going to tell you a new: my bag is dead. She had survived two years and a little bit more, but today she has said the last good bye.

Once, she had been a very strong and healthy bag, but this September there was something different. She was worn out and there were some holes in her body (I admit that it’s very difficult to travel in the bus trunk twice a day).

I weighed her one day and it was incredible, eleven kilos! (Books, a pencil case, and a calculator... well, ok a sandwich and a bottle of water, a deodorant, some sweets, the MP3...TOUGH! ). I think that her pain was very big...

But now she has left us and it’s going in a big refuse lorry, the last way before the bag’s heaven.

Good bye my little bag. I’ll never forget you.

mmmm...

2007-12-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

Hi! Well, it’s finished (the week, because I still have two more exams...). So I think the exams have gone quite good. Now I’m going to eat a pizza with anything I’ll find in the fridge and, after that, I’ll play with my new game, Ratchet and Clank! Some people say that it’s a game for children... yes, I’m still a child, and I like it.
Afterwards, I’ll return to the Earth and start again...
Here I leave you with an amazing video. It’s possible but it takes a lot of hours. I would like to draw like this...

And if you don’t like cars, here you have another great job. It’s Jigsaw. (If you haven’t watched SAW I think you don’t know who is he)

And now I go...I WANT PIZZAAA!!!

I don't like this week

2007-11-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

Too many exams in only four days. My head will go off. I need to sleep eight hours a day, I'd not done it last week and I think I won't do this week. Yes, maybe you'll think I'm exagerated but If you add earache and stomack ache you'll stand why am saying that. Moreover time passes very fast and I haven't got time to do everything. Maybe I should stop writing, and go to sleep because it's too late and tomorrow there is a Physics exam. Good night.

Ta tebayo! / Dattebayo / vaya que sí

2007-11-25T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hi again! Well, i think this is the last time I can make a "big post" this week and I'll write about my favourite TV serial(well, it's a cartoon called anime in Japan), Naruto (that's now because I like a lot of TV programs like Dragon Ball).
I started watching it on TV last year. There were tho chapters every week and I arrived until the number 40, I think. But then they started again from the first chapter, I didn't want to wait and I started watching them from the PC. But there's something different: the language is Japanese and subtitles are in Spanish. It's very funny and I've also learned a little bit of Japanese xD.
The story goes about a boy called Naruto. He lives in a ninja village but in his body he keeps a monster (a nine tail fox) that once attacked the village. Because of this, people doesn't want to talk with him because they are afraid. So he has always felt alone. But he wants to change it. He will became a Hokage (the main person of the village) and he will get people's respect. His best friends are Sasuke (also his rival) and Sakura (the girl of the ninja team).
At first I didn't like it but day after day I've become sticked to it and now I can't stop watching chapters, It's great.
The last chapter I've watched is the 183 (there are 220 in the first season and about 30 in the current season).
Last month I wanted to go to the Barcelona Manga Show and buy a metal head band but there had been a problem with the train and I didn't go. It's a shame but I'll go next year.
Well, Naruto has a very deep story and it's very complicated to tell. So I advise you to watch it and enjoy this fantastic job by Masashi Kishimoto.
Bye!

Lonely soul

2007-11-04T05:43:00.000-08:00

Hi again!
Last day I was downloading an ad about a new PS3 game. This game seems great, but there was something more in the video. Something that made watch it again a few times: the song. The lyric is longer but in the ad it's cut. I hope you'll enjoy this video as much as i've done.

Unkle-Lonely soul

God knows youre lonely souls
God knows youre lonely souls
God knows youre lonely souls
Yeah, yeah

I believe theres a time and a place
To let your mind drift and get out of this place
I believe theres a day and a place
That we will go to, and I know you wanna share.

Theres no secret to living (theres no secret to living)
Just keep on walking
Theres no secret to dying (theres no secret to dying)
Just keep on flying.

Im gonna die in a place that dont know my name
Im gonna die in a space that dont hold my fame.

God knows youre lonely souls
God knows youre lonely souls.

I believe theres a time when the cord of life
Should be cut, my friends (cut the cord, my friend)
I believe theres a time when the cord can be cut
And this vision ends (let this vision end).

But Im gonna die in a place that dont know my name
And Im gonna cry in a space that dont hold my fame.

Walking in the cold
Just keep on flying
Therell be a searchlight
On the mountain high
God knows youre lonely souls
God knows youre lonely souls
God knows youre lonely souls
God knows youre lonely souls
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Im a lonely soul.

Im gonna die in a place that dont know my name
Im gonna die in a place that dont know my name.

God knows you are lonely souls
Lonely souls
Lonely souls
Lonely souls
Im a lonely soul.

The Trunk Monkey

2007-11-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here you have. I saw it once and it's a very funny ad. It will be very usefull this trunk monkey dont you think? xD. Well, it's the first video that I put here, I don't know if it will work.

I WANT TO PLAY A GAME

2007-10-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

Next Friday will be the premiere of the fourth film of SAW and I'm very impatient. When I watched the first one I though it was impossible to make it better, but when I had watched the second I knew that I was wrong. So, the last was the best for me. But now I don't know how will be it because this new film is the first written by a different scriptwriter and I think he should do a perfect work or it will be the end of SAW. I wish it won't disappoint me.

And now that Haloween is coming I remember one of the films that i like most, maybe the first horror film that I've watched; Sleepy Hollow I think I was seven and it was the best to watch on TV.

Can you advise me a good film to watch this Halloween? If there are some films I can put a survey.

A car, a dream

2007-10-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

To have a car... to drive a car... These are some of my dreams. A car is a way to travel, to go to diferent places where you couldn't arrive by foot or by plane. But I also think that a car is art: the shape, the painting, the sound... everyithing is amazing. You can think that I am materialistic... it depends on how do you watch it. But I'm so realistic and I know that nowadays this dream cars aren't perfect because the worst problem is that they don't respect the environment and another of my objectives is to be a car designer and create my own projects: dream cars but also respectful. I think, that's almost impossible, but I'll continue dreaming...

STARTING

2007-10-08T23:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know how to start. Maybe hello? Hi? Salutations?Hi seashell? xD
Anyway, nice to share this space with you. This is the first post of this blog, and I wish it won't be the last xD.
I'll tell more things about myself...but not now.

BYE!