Holidays, at last!

Hi my dear friends! Tomorrow most of us will start our summer holidays at last. I wish you will enjoy your free time. I’m very busy these days moving to my new flat in Barcelona, but now is time to think in nothing, resting, swimming in the sea, walking to the “Pica d’Estats”, and searching for the inspiration in these streets where Dalí found his ideas: Cadaqués and Portlligat.

Happy holidays to all of you and I hope we will see in September.

I send you a big hug plenty of energy, the energy that I hope to find in my vacation.

Vicente Ferrer

These days are sad days. Last summer I had the opportunity to meet a great person, unrepeatable, full of humanity and charisma. He is Vicente Ferrer. He left us some days ago with a big repercussion in India. The last news talks about more than 100,000 of people in his interfaith burial ceremony in Bathalapalli (Anantapur).
If people in the world, specially our authorities, had a small part of his humanity, the world would be very different, I am sure.
Next to him I saw a great woman, his wife Anna. Not behind a great man, beside a great man we could see a great woman, as she often said.
Here you have a video about Anna and another about Vicente Ferrer and his life.

Rest in peace dear Vicente.

My favourite landscape

Last Tuesday I watched a nice Tv programme on TV3. It was about Sitges and I obviously associated it with our Teacher. This is for you! Enjoy another view of your great village…

Click this link: http://www.tv3.cat/videos/1307519

Fix You

After the song dedicated to Mr Ripper I would like to post one of my favourite songs. In these days of changing, for people who have to fight with new challenges in their life: Try to succeed, 'if you never try you'll never know ...' And enjoy the way, don't worry I'll fix you.



When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse.

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream, down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face and I...

Tears stream, down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face and I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you.

Dire Straits

Some music dedicated to my dear friend Mr The Ripper:



Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the MTV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and chicks for free
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do itLemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Maybe get a blister on your thumb

We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these color TV's

See the little faggot with the earring and the make-up
Yeah buddy that's his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot he's millionaire

We gotta install microwawve ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these color TV's

I shoulda learned to play the guitar
I shoulda learned to play them drums
Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the camera
Man we could have some fun
And he's up there, what's that ? Hawaiian noises ?
Bangin' on the bongoes like a chimpanzee
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free

We gotta install ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these color TV's, Lord

Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the MTV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' get your chicks for free
Money for nothin' get chicks for free.

What a party!!!

So nice party, in a good place, with lovely people and amazing dishes as well! I am still dreaming about the ‘quiches’.
I know these words can sound as the typical warm things that you say to be polite, but in this case I am sure that all of us feel the same. Thanks teacher for being a different teacher, and thanks class’ people for being so nice.
Mr Iron I am waiting impatiently your “tiramisu’s” recipe. I am preparing my recipe of how can you make your own Japanese food.

See you in class people!

P.D. We miss you a lot Mr. Rip Van Winkle.

Saint George's Day

According to tradition, Saint George was a roman soldier who was born in Cappadocia (Turkey) in the third century. This saint served under the orders of the Emperor Diocleciano, but one day he refused to enforce an edict requiring persecuting Christians. And for this reason he was martyred and beheaded by their peers. Then the legend started and above all Europe different fairy tales repeated in England, Portugal, Greece, etc.

The most popular version in Catalonia tells that in Montblanc (Conca de Barberà) there was a dreadful dragon which attacked people and flocks. To preserve it calm, people used to offer a human sacrifice chosen by lot.
But one day the luck chosen the King’s daughter then the famous knight appears and saved the princess killing the dragon with a mortal wound and then from this injury appeared a rose. That’s the fairy tale.
In 1456 St. George was chosen patron of Catalonia by the Corts Catalanes in Barcelona and April 23 became a festivity.
Hard to understand for those who have never experienced it, because they are outsiders or foreigners, Saint George's Day is a popular cheerful day when book and rose are the main characters.
Floods of people cover the streets of all Catalan towns and villages. The think is very easy, consists of going for a walk and buying a rose, a book or both to give to loved ones, family members and friends. Although it is not a public holiday (because we are Catalans the only people who works our mainly days), we enjoy it anyway.

Here you have my present for you my dear readers, a rose.

Happy Sant Jordi

Discovering music

I have just discovered this sweet singer, Russian Red. Although she is Spanish she writes and sings in English. She is form Madrid and her real name is Lourdes Hernández.
Her dazzling voice makes you stop and listen to her music carefully. Her main song ‘cigarettes’ sounds fresh, original and with the simplicity of few instruments. I am very surprised.

Here you have, I hope you enjoy it!

Uncanny stories...?

One of the most unbelievable tales that I have never listened is about something related with a fire. This fire happened in a forest, in a natural and protected area in Spain.
To avoid this horrible and ecological disaster, a sort of emergency groups mobilized. Technical and human support, a large number of volunteers, professional firemen, 4 helicopters and a big hydroplane collaborated in the extinction tasks.

This labour of extinction needed one week to control the fire, and three more days to extinct it completely. Afterwards a technical team went to the affected area to evaluate the damage and find out the origin of that fire. Until now everything was normal, but the burned forest had prepared a big surprise.
All of a sudden, when they finally managed to arrive to one of the regions with a high difficult access they found a package similar to a lifeless body. One of the team components turn over the body and all of them realised that it suspect package was the body of a frogman, completely burned by flames, and fully equipped for the practising of scuba diving.














Anybody couldn’t believe their eyes. It was astonishing because the nearest beach was two hundred kilometres from there. What the hell he was doing there, and disguised in that way? The only answer to that unbelievable question was that the hydroplane.
When it flew to the sea to refuelling water for its huge water tank, and then empty it into the woods on fire, soak up the poor and innocent frogman who was practising scuba diving near to the sea’s surface.

I don’t know if it is an ‘uncanny story’ or an
‘urban legend’. In my opinion is more credible the second one, a tale that belongs to the nowadays folklore. What do you think about it?

See you my dear readers.

Moleskine ®, a notebook full of history or pure marketing

In my student days I was fascinated when I discovered the history that was hidden behind this simply notebook. A cleanly notebook yes, with a naked eye it seems a normal notebook with the only particularity that you can close it with an elastic rope. But behind this simplicity there was a good story to tell you.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)Notebook No. 53, June-September 1912,9 x 13.5 cmkept in the MuséeNational Picasso of Paris

All of this started when Bruce Chatwin made use of these kind of notebooks in all of his journeys, he always bought them in a stationery store in Paris, who was supplied by a stationer in Tours, France, until the stationer closed in 1986 due to the death of its owner who left bringing with him the secret of its manufacturing.
Artists such as Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh or Ernest Hemingway used one of these pocket notebooks to write draw, etc. But it is not tested that they used the same notebook, the moleskine, (this word comes from the French spelling of 'moleskin', the cloth covering of it).
Some years later, an Italian company Modo & Modo, registered the name, the brand, and started to fabricate the product thanks to the description on B. Chatwin’s books.
The legend of this notebook probably started when the fabulous marketing campaign of this company, take this legend and started to buy this product more expensive than the rest of the same typology.
I have to confess that I use one of these notebooks. I bring it wherever I go, and I don’t know if it is for the legend or for the marketing effect, probably the second one.

Here's the notebook at present, Moleskine.

The origin of the word spam

Here we are dear readers! We survived Christmas and I am happy to start a new year full of energy. One of the things that you have to do when you returned from a large stage of holidays is to open the mailbox and read your mail. Then you find an old friend, yes I am talking about spam, a large mailing list that you don’t know the author and can’t do anything to avoid it. The only thing you can do is be patient and erase one by one from your mailbox.
Do you know what the origin of the word ‘spam’ is? Well, we are going to find out this meaning or at least we’ll try it.


It seems that spam is a word which came from USA. Around 1930 Hormel Foods’ company launched a new product, a kind of meat with several ingredients. Hormel’s Spiced Ham became Spam. This product was a big revolution because it was the first canned meat without the need to keep it with a fridge. This fact was a revolution especially in the World Wars period. It developed into the main food of the English and Soviets soldiers. And for the rest of people, for many years, it was the only canned meat at a time of food shortages.
Later in 70’s Monty Python started to use this word in different humour sketches and in TV ads, they used to shout the word ‘spam’ very often like in this gag:

This habit was applied to define the ‘rubbish mailing’ or the ‘unwanted mailing’ in the Internet era. Sometimes the origin of words could be fascinating and unbelievable as well.

Good advertisement for a Good cause

I don’t know if this story is true or not, but if it’s not I want to believe in, why not.
Have you ever stop to thing about why things happen? Maybe things happen for any reason that we can’t explain or we can’t understand. Perhaps this is a romantic view, the destiny, our providence, our fortune, our luck... But my left brain don’t let me think in this way. Our destiny has not been written by any supernatural power, we can write it every day, every minute an every second by ourselves, by our will.

I would like to finish these thoughts with a good quote, which would be nice to remember:
You always get much more than you get.

Changes!

On these days of change in Washington, we need someone who pinches us (the expressions that Michael Moore uses on his letter). We need to remember than on the earth there are many problems and some of them could be resolved by politicians. Politicians who waste millions of dollars on clothes, for the campaign (Do you remember Sarah Palin). Politicians who waste lots of money on Television adverting (Obama bought the most expensive campaign ads on the USA's history).

It’s time for hopes and fears, time for being thoughtful about our future and the future of our sons.

Here I have post a remarkable campaign called “No Hunger”. It is an Action against hunger’s movement to collect money for their mission: save lives by eliminating hunger. It is a difficult mission, yes but somebody could explain me why the governments waste money in absurd wars (probably for fuel) and don’t do anything with the real problems.Maybe all I have said it’s true or maybe I have a bad day. I only wish a change for the USA and another point of view for the powerful people who can change things.

http://www.askalgoretomakethismovie.org/

Etiquette

Sunday morning, it’s raining. I have woken up just a few hours ago. This kind of weather makes me feel melancholic and I have just remembered my teenager time when I was studying at the Etiquette School. Today is a good day to explain you some interesting things.
In the past, a gentleman was much appreciated and being gentlemanly was a noble thing. Here are some things that I learn in my Etiquette School:

Always be polite. Be polite and courteous; show that you are better man. Do not speak loudly. When you speak loudly, you have to transmit serenity.

Do not lose your temper. When you lose your temper, you are showing everyone that you can't control your emotions. If you can't control yourself, then how can you possibly control anything else?

Do not interrupt. Let people finish what they are saying before adding your comments. Interrupting others is a sign of poor etiquette and a lack of social skills.

Respect your elders. As you know you should respect others as you would like them to respect you. Today, young people think they know it all. Well, probably they don't. Just think of yourself five years ago... you're much experienced today, aren't you? Aged people have a lot of experience which can help us.

Do not laugh at others' mistakes. It is not necessary.

Remove your hat indoors. This rule seems outdated nowadays. But there are more people who don’t remove it entering a building. And don't put it on at dinner table.

Always open doors. This is perhaps the most basic rule of male etiquette you know. And it is also one of the easiest to follow. Open the door and also hold it open while she or he is entering into someplace…

Put on her coat. Always help a lady put on her coat or similar. This is a simple but powerful action.

Help with her seat. If an unaccompanied lady is sitting next to you, it is basic that you help her to seat by pulling her chair out for her and gently pushing it back into place, while the lady is sitting of course. Probably this is an outdated rule but anyway we can do it.

Give up your seat. If a lady or an elder arrives at the bus or the subway wagon and there are no available seats, please stand up.

I’m sure that you know more tips to define a gentleman. This is only a little list by some examples. I hope you can follow some of them. It can help to live together with harmony.

Burnout

Last Thursday I was listening to the radio on my way back home, when a journalist was talking about a shocking concept, the burnout syndrome.
This is a mental and physical reaction to a repetitive action, stress or work that causes tiredness. You became exhaust. This people feel burn out in the most literal sense of term. This affects to doctors and teachers for example.

Our nowadays way of life has produced new objects, new inventions and new needs yes, it’s true. But our current lifestyle has created new diseases also. Diseases which have a direct relation with work stress, unemployment, etc.

At this point I think in the slowing down movement. Time is money; this is a very famous quote and one of the capitalism’s headers, but we can believe that this great affirmation is a fake sometimes, mainly to take care of our mental and physical health. I think that we have to consider if we spend the time the things need.
However, different problems need different solutions. When we are doing sports, and above all extreme sports, we call for speed. We like it.
We need to feel the adrenaline to feel alive occasionally. Some people need speed to feet.
Probably the best solution is to find a balance between the slow movement and the adrenaline that speed gives us.
Crises, it’s a time that make you stop, think in you environment, think in yourself (especially if your company has closed) and it can develop into an opportunity. Then, now is a good moment to think in our lifestyle, our balance and our habits and revolutionize them. Try it.

Here you have a good place to think, “Vall Fosca”. This is a metaphor for the way ahead. This photo was taken from “Aigües Tortes” National Park watching into the “Vall Fosca” valley. Enjoy it dear friends.

What dreams may come

This movie was filmed in 1998. But, it is a timeless film, in my opinion. This is one of the most emotional films I have ever seen.
The cast speaks volumes, with Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Max von Sydow.
The story is a mixture of emotions, feelings and fears placed in an artful stage. A stage based in the imaginary world of the characters and full of pictures art and hopes. By these two concepts (pictures art and hopes) they talk about the connections between life and death.
The director plays with your feelings in a surprising way with a lot of flash-backs that needs your concentration if you don’t want to lose the thread of the story.
Definitely, this film tries to tell us that we have not to lose our hope. So I recommend it with no doubt.

Teardrop

Here you have one of my favourite songs. It belongs to José Gonzalez, a Sweden artist, with Argentinean parents, who lives in New York. It is a version of Massive Attack’s original song.
Maybe this song is familiar to somebody because it is the main theme of the TV series “Dr. House”. But only for North America, the group didn’t sell the rights to use this song in other countries.

Tattoos

Can you imagine a perfect gentleman with a tattoo on his skin? If you think about this question you probably guess my opinion about this theme. I respect the people who make these permanent marks on their skin, but I don’t share this thought.

Imagine this sequence, a man giving a lady her arm with a lot of tribal symbols, the face of his favourite musician, and why not, the traditional ‘I love you mum’ quote with a heart on it. This man can have a gentleman attitude but this is not the gentleman’s image that I have on my mind.

However, if you are going to tattoo your skin it is better than you ask for information about the pros and cons; talk to an expert and maybe with your doctor.
Here you have a bad example, if you have a tattoo at your back, at the end of your vertebral column and a doctor has to make you a lumbar puncture or epidural anaesthesia, the tattoo’s tint can introduce into de spinal cord, and cause an infection or something worst. So my advice is this: think and only decide when you find out with all the information.

What do you thing about this people? They are a little bit crazy…

Introducing myself

How could I start? Yes, I’ll start talking to you about my appearance. Like my blog’s title says I am a gentleman. To be honest I am a very handsome man, with a good-looking appearance and very smart with clothes. When you think about me, you can imagine a tall man with a good and elegant suit. You can compare me to these fabulous men.











Sean Connery /Gregory Peck

Well, the first adjective to define me without paying attention to my appearance is polite. Nowadays education and courtesy, are concepts we are missing. When did we end up being polite and respectful to other people? Maybe this question has more than one answer. I believe in this kind of people who help someone without expecting to receive anything in exchange. Some people will call them silly, stupid or ingenuous. But I don’t thing so.
Like Groucho Marx says in his famous quote I had posted at the beginning of this blog, some men are honest and the bigest part of them are corrupt, this is a thing that has to worry us.
My purpose is posting thoughts that make you smile at first, but make you think at the end. Perhaps it is an ambitious purpose but I am going to try it.

Start your engines

"There is one way to find out if a man is honest - ask him. If he says yes, you know he is crooked."
Groucho Marx

This is a blog where I am going to try to describe my thoughts about things that worry me. I hope you’ll enjoy this posts, I’ll be waiting your comments. To begin in a polite form I am going to introduce myself. Ups!!! It’s time to go. I’ll be late to English class. I’ll continue next day. Bye.