InigoAntonatLondon

El proyecto Animando Olivas

2011-04-18T18:29:00.001+01:00

If you know spanish try to visit this place http://animandolivas.weebly.com/. A website that using a game explains how it works the animation production.

Films I wanna see

2010-08-20T11:46:00.000+01:00

Now that I am all day in contact with the film industry, I let you here some proposals for cinema for the next months.

Don't be afraid of the Dark
The shocks seem to be secured in the production of Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, The Orphanage ...). I can imagine terrified people covering his face with his hands while they crush against their seats.

Piranha
Directed by Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes and High Tension), and produced by Sea Canton (300), this film will certainly offer us gore scenes full of blood and will take away the desire to swim in the sea.

Rio
Family film located in Brasil that will ensure the laughs of all the children (and adults too) of the theatre.

22 Bullets
A retired mobster goes on a revenge spree after being left for dead with 22 bullets in his body by his former childhood friend.

Buried
Paul is a U.S. contractor working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.

Dinner for Schmucks
When he finds out that his work superiors host a dinner celebrating the idiocy of their guests, a rising executive questions it when he's invited, just as he befriends a man who would be the perfect guest.

Healty meals

2010-08-06T00:12:00.000+01:00

I continue on the weight with which I came to London (65 kg) and that's because I am taking care of what I eat with some delicious and healthy food such as this potato omelette with tomato salad.

Half of the omelette

When I finished it I was really happy, it was so big that I have had omelette for three breakfasts and two dinners!

Mmm... omelette

This post can seem stupid but when you stay in London for a month, all the home food is a luxury, and when you cook it by yourself it tastes better. I'm proud of it jajaj

Tomato, lettuce and fresh cheese salad and pork loin and sausage puff.

South West Four (music festival)

2010-08-04T01:21:00.003+01:00

I have just bought the tickets. On saturday 28th of August I will be partying in one of the best tecno music festivals of the United Kingdom, and probably the best one in central London, I am speaking about the South West Four Festival. Igor Urtasun and my cousin, Miguel will be raving with me in what should be one of the best experiences of my life. Two days of the best electro music with names such as Armin Van Buuren, Pete Tong, Eric Murillo, Funkagenda, Benny Benassi, Fat Boy Slim, Carl Cox, Adam Beyer, Vitalic, Chris Lake.... However we will be just one day, the festival is very, very expensive!

Here I let you some info about the South West Four Festival.

Where? this is one of the strenghts of the festival. It is located in Clapham Common park, what means it could be considered part of the centre of London (Zone 2) and you can reach by subway (Northen Line).

How many people? Organizers expect 22.000 people each day.

How many hours? 9 hours of non-stop music in the Clapham Common park that will followed by other 9 hours of after-party in the famous club Ministry of Sound. And you attend borh days it will be another 9+9 what makes a total of 36 hours of the best tecno music.

Review of the festival by www.ibiza-voice.com.

SW4 has been the UK's premier inner city dance festival for the last six years. 2010 marks just how far the organisers have taken it with a landmark year for the festival who now begin a new era in their history with the first ever South West Four Weekender. Still taking place on Clapham Common over the August Bank Holiday weekend (August 28th & 29th) SW4 has now stretched its wings and expanded into a two day event with double the amount of DJs and performers. It is a unique festival that places a lineup containing a wealth of the world's brightest electronic talents in one site right at the heart of one of the world's most exciting cities. It offers the opportunity for people to party in an open air, green space whilst having the luxury of being able to get the tube home and freshen up for the next day of music and fun times. This year featuring four music areas, 2010 looks set to be bigger, better and more up for it.

What has been said of the festival South West Four.

“The best festival in the UK” Armin Van Buuren
“Absolutely phenomenal” Carl Cox
“You can’t beat a sunny day in London on the Common” Sasha
“The reaction was amazing... the vibe was perfect” David Guetta
“It feels like playing in my back garden... a unique experience” Above & Beyond
“It’s a fantastic event... I think it’s a great day out for everyone” John Digweed
“The atmosphere was great” Steve Lawler
“Definitely one of my favourite festivals” Marcus Schulz
“I love it!” Timo Maas
“The crowd was absolutely amazing" Roni Size
“A big occasion in my diary” Tall Paul
“London’s leading dance festival” Time Out
“This brings the dance noise to South London” The Guardian
“A Goliath amongst dance events” DJ Mag
“Spectacular” Mixmag
“A colossal rave beast” i-DJ Magazine
“South West Four is a summer highlight” The Big Issue
“The cream of clubland” M8 Magazine
“SW4 is one of the best loved dance festivals of the year” Notion
“London’s biggest outdoor event” Australian Times
“London at it’s finest” Data Transmission
“London’s biggest and best dance festival” What’s On Festival Guide

Poster:

Official Video.

Photos of other years.

Other videos.

Trip to Eastbourne and around

2010-07-27T00:09:00.077+01:00

Now that I have more time and I not too tired I am gonna tell you my weekend in Eastbourne with Luis and Thaila.

On Friday when I went out of the job I bought three beers (one for Luis and Thaila, one for their houseparents and the last one for me) and I went to Clapham Junction Station to take the train to Eastbourne. Once in the train I left my suitcase and I took out my beer, some chips and a sports magazine about the European Championships of BCN that have begun tonight. When I finished the with the magazine I started to talk with the guy in front of me about his mobile phone, an IPhone 4; amazing!!. He showed me all the characteristics and it is incredible, I want one! He wents out of the train one stop before mine so the voyague was pretty relaxed. When I went out of the train I met Luis and after salute us each other, we walk toward his home.

The home is a beautiful flat with lots of inhabitants inside it and even more this weekend with my visit and the visit of a four-memebers family friends of the owners. These ones, the owners, are a lovely couple and his son, all of them very friendly and lovers of the meetings with new people; very hospitable. In their home are now living one english student, a Netherlanders couple and my friends Luis and Thaila.

Ocean, the son of the owners.

After leaving my suitcase and taking a shower we left the flat to have some dinner. We dinner one hamburger, fried chips and one drink just for 1.95£, then we strolled along the beach and we drink some beers before the police came and told us that drinking in the beach was forbiden. We finished the night at 1 am when the bell of the pub in which we are taking a beer rang.

Next morning we woke up earlie to seize the day and we began in Beachy Head. Beachy Head are some wonderful Cliffs near Eastbourne from where you can see all the city (the photo I've put in this post) and where you can start a long hike along the coast. However not everything is nice in Beachy Head, each year 20 people commit suicide in these cliffs, and in winter the slippery slopes are a hazard for the visitors; bouquets of flowers placed at the edge of the precipice remembered the deads.

photo1

photo2

After that we took the car and we went to shopping near Eastbourne. At first we we were only to buy the lunch, but finally we ended up buying somo clothes. At 15:00 we enjoyed some milkshakes at the terrace of a bar in the harbour and then once again back to the car bound for Rye.

Rye is a small town located in East Sussex, 47 kilometers far form Eastbourne. I stands two miles from the open sea. It is famous for his history, his pottery and his military heritage. In medieval times was an important member of the Cinque Ports Confederation being the head of an embayment of the English Channel.

However, although the village had lovely streets to visit, we decided to continue our sportive day hiking through the Rye Harbour Natural Reserve. I am not really sure why it is a natural reserve, some rabbits were the most spectacular animals we saw; I think that the reserve has to do more with birds, etc... Nevertheless, the landscape was beautiful, and the sun was shining strongly so we enjoyed the hike. We took some photos and we turned back to the village. Then, we tried to find an old harbour than Luis has saw when he and Thaila came to Eastbourne from Pamplona. He claimed it was very nice and it was worth taking a picture. Finally, after being 15 minutes wandering aroun the streets of Rye we found it. We parked the car near a cricket ground, and after watch some minutes of the amateur match that was being played we went to the old harbour to take the picture. As the sun was going, we returned the car to go home.

Here is the famous picture of the old harbour

Once we arrived we dinner with the family and Luis and I went out to a local club. The Saturday had ended.

On Sunday we were in Brighton for picnic with two Spanish girls who were friends of Thaila. At the afternoon we divided, boys on one side and girls in the other, and Luis and I decided to go a famous street market of Brighton. At 17:30 we returned to Eastbourne where I took the train to Clapham Junction and from there to home.

Brief weekend summary

2010-07-26T00:04:00.000+01:00

I've just arrived from Eastbourne and I'm very tired to write a full post telling you all the weekend, but summarizing it has been a lovely weekend very funny and with wonderful views both day and night... I love Atlantis!!! Hahahaha

Part of the huge amount of photographic material that I've got this weekend:

Lighthouse in Beachy Head

Me in Beachy Head (Photo by Luis)

Lighthouse in Beachy Head B&W

Detail in the beach of the Natural Reserve of Rye

Beach of the Natural Reserve of Rye

Wood wall in the beach of the Natural Reserve of Rye

Next stop, Eastbourne.

2010-07-22T23:48:00.000+01:00

Everything is already prepared. The tickets inside my wallet and the suitcase for all the weekend done. Tomorrow at 8 in the morning I will leave Amanda's home with my suitcase and I will not return until Sunday evening. I am going to spend all the weekend in Eastbourne with Luis and Taila visiting the beautiful cliffs and beaches of this famous english city.

As last weekend I will try to take some photos and make you a summary of the weekend and I will give my personal point of view of this famous city of england's coast.
Bye!!!

The route (aka El trayecto)

2010-07-22T14:50:00.040+01:00

English version
I look both ways and after checking that no one was coming I left the room. I passed through the bathrooms and I got to the start of that long road. I raised my view of the object that I stood firmly in my hands and after seeing that there were no obstacles, I kept the air in the lungs and went into that narrow passageway. My eyes were fixed on the movement of the liquid that I took in my hands, if just a single drop was to drop... People did not look at me but I felt her eyes on me. I felt like a prisoner through the corridor of death, observed by the people, tortured when the eyes of some citizens were with theirs. I continued.

I had already travelled half the aisle and my arms began to shake because of the tension with which my hands clutched the container. My face began to blush with no apparent reason, but I thought: "If just a single drop was to drop...” It was again the time to stare ahead and check that nobody and nothing was interrupting my way to the door on the other side. It increasingly looked close, but never came. I felt as a hiker crossing through a abandoned tunnel in the middle of the hill. You see the light, the light guide you toward the exit, but the output is reluctant to appear.

I glance before reaching the last offices; I breathed out the air I had retained in my lungs and leave the FirstPremieres hall. Once more I had reached my destination without spilling a drop of coffee in the fitted carpet of the crammed offices of FirstPremiere.

Dedicated to all thouse people too glamorous (shameful) to eat at the tube.

Spanish version
Mire a ambos lados y tras comprobar que no venia nadie sali de la habitacion. Pase por delante de los banos y llegue hasta el comienzo de ese largo camino. Levante la vista del objeto que sostenia firmemente entre las manos y tras ver que no habia ningun ostaculo, retuve el aire en los pulmones y me adentre en ese angosto pasadizo. Mis ojos estaban fijos en el movimento del liquido que llevababa entre las manos, si se llegara a caer una sola gota... La gente no me miraba pero yo sentia sus ojos sobre mi. Me sentia como un reo atravesando el corredor de la muerte, observado por el pueblo, torturado cuando los ojos de algun ciudadano se encontraban con los suyos. Continué.

Ya habia recorrido medio pasillo y los brazos me comenzaban a temblar fruto de la tension con la que mis manos agarraban ese recipiente. Mi cara comenzaba a sonrojarse sin aparente motivo, pero es que yo pensaba: "Si se me llegara a caer una sola gota...". Era el momento de hechar otra vez la vista al frente y comprobar que nadie ni nada interrumpia mi recorrido hasta la puerta del otro lado. La veia cada vez mas cerca, pero no llegaba nunca. Me pasaba lo que a un excursionista atravesando un tunel abandonado en mitad del monte, que ve la luz, la luz le guia hacia la salida, pero la salida se resiste a aparecer.

Eche una rapida mirada al frente antes de llegar a los ultimos despachos, deje salir el aire que que habia retenido en mis pulmones y abandone el pasillo de FirstPremieres.Una vez mas habia llegado a mi destino sin derramar una gota de cafe en la moqueta de la abarrotada oficina the FirstPremiere.

Trip to Mersea Island and hashing with the guys of Surrey Hash House Harriers

2010-07-20T23:54:00.007+01:00

Text summary of the weekend

What a great weekend full of sport, drinks and jokes with the guys of Surrey Hash House Harriers (H3). This weekend I've experienced a new "style of life" known as Hasing and meanwhile I´ve visited Mersea Island on Saturday and the area near "Boj Hill" and "Stepping Stones" on Sunday.

On Saturday we went to Mersea Island which is two hours far from where we live so we woke up early and we took the bus at 9 in the village of Bookham so we arrive to Mersea Island at 11, more or less.

Mersea Island is is the most easterly inhabited island in the United Kingdom, located marginally off the coast of Essex. It is joined to the mainland by a causeway, known as The Strood. This carries the Mersea–Colchester road which is often covered at high tides and especially including spring tides giving to this peninsula/island a double geographical status. The most celebrated event in the island is the annual 'Round-the-Island' race in which about 200 dinghies attempt to sail all the way around the island, helped over the Strood by volunteers.

A dinghy crossing The Strood

in the "Round-the-Island" race helped by volunteers.

By the way, as soon as we arrived there we began the Hash running. For those who are unaware what Hash is I left here a brief definition given in the Hash bible:

Hashing is a state of mind, a friendship of kindred spirits joined together for the sole purpose of reliving their childhood or fraternity days, releasing the tensions of everyday life, and generally, acting a fool amongst others who will not judge you or measure you by anything more than your sense of humour.

In my own words, Hash is sport, drinks and friendship with nice and friendly people, and what is fantastic about it is how, with out matter who you are, from where you come or how older you are; you can have a fantastic day with other hashers. The running rules for Hashing are easy. First you need someone that prepares the track early in the morning, before the other members arrive. To prepare it all you need is flour and knowledge of the local paths. Then he has to make a track by leaving flour points in the ground and defining the direction with the chek in circles. Second, once people arrives they start running following the points until they arrive to a check in circle. Every time you pass by a point you must shout "On, on" so that other can find easily the track. Arrive to a chech in circle means that there are different paths you can follow and you have to check which one is the correct. While the first are doing this the others catch them so everybody is almost all the time together. The correct path is the one that has flour "On, on" points, the other ones wont have it.

So we started and after being all the morning running through beautiful sea landscapes, we had a nice picnic in the beach including the typical food of Mersea Island, the Oysters.

We left the island just when sunset is about to burst into the landscape and turned back to Bookham. Once in the village we went to a local pub to have some curry for dinner and we enjoyed some beers while we listened to an irish music concert "Yijahhh".

On Sunday Amanda went to an all-day Pop music festival, but I decided not to go because the music groups were unknown for me and also because I wanted to have the afternoon free to organise my life here. However on Sunday morning, as on Saturday, I had such a good morning with the Surrey H3. This time we went to run nearer than on Saturday but the Landscape is also really beautiful. In fact, the area of "Boj Hill" and "Steeping Stones" has the same landscape of the north of Navarra, beautiful hills with green all around you and huge meadows with sheeps. I turned back home after a lovely english picnic in the house of one member of the Surrey H3.

The most fantastic thing of this weekend has been that I have enjoyed it as an authentical British boy, I have lived their real daily lifes, something that is very difficult for a tourist; be accepted as one of them and share with them during one weekend their way of life. I felt English!

Some photos of the weekend

The road that is covered by the sea when the tide is high making the peninsula an island.

Some isotonic drinks of the Surrey Hash House Harriers.

Vineyards in England. They are trying to make good white wine, but that, just trying jajaja.

Beautiful typical beach houses of Mersea Island

Swampy exit of the village just before the tide covered the road.

"We will take three Happy Meals, please"

Wonderful sunset while returning home

Irish music concert in a local pub at Bookham.

New languaje option/Nueva opción: selección the idioma

2010-07-18T22:58:00.001+01:00

As many of you have told me that you would like to read my blog but as it is in english and that requires a mind effort fr your part you don't read it, I have put a new tool with which you can translate the post to the language you want. Hope that helps some of you to read it and not just see the photos jajaja
Bye Bye!!

Como muchos de vosotros me poneis la excusa de que no leeis mi blog porque está en inglés y os da pereza os he puesto una herramienta de traducción con la que podéis elegir el idioma que queráis. La traducción siempre será diferente al original pero bueno, tampoco mucho.
Ale mangarrianes, a ver si así comentáis un poco que no os cuesta ni dos minutos y a mi me hace ilusión (sí, hablo de vosotros mekawens).

Nice evening training

2010-07-16T22:48:00.002+01:00

Nice evening the one that I had today in Byfleet running for a while through the village. Tomorrow I will visit Mersea Island with Amanda and her running club and I will tell you on Sunday the whole trip including some photos of the island. Search it on Sunday in the new section of this blog "Trips".

Bye bye, for today is enough!!

.

Office tea

2010-07-16T20:46:00.004+01:00

Among the good things I am discovering of the clerk life are the cups of tea and cofee. Here, in the office, time is crucial. That´s why they have a system to serve a cup of tea in less than two minutes.

I ilustrate here below the basic steps:

1. CHOOSE A CUP (there are lots to choose but coolest thing is to have your own with the colors of your football team for example or that one you recieved from your child in your last birthday)

2. PUT HOT WATER

3. INTRODUCE A TEA BAG

4. COMPLETE WITH MILK SUGAR OR BOTH

5. ENJOY YOUR TEA WITH A BISCUIT IN YOUR WORK PLACE

I don't know if this can be considered interesting for you but I found it funny. To end this post dedicated to the office drinks I have this other picture.

Today as it is Friday we ended our workday with a Stella Artois, a belgium beer famous between media professionas becouse its long association with film. Stella Artois has been/is a primary sponsor of the film festivals of Cannes, Melbourne and Sundance and many of its comercials are shot with movie quality.

P.S Thank Nick for being pacient with me ignorance of tea procedures.
.

I am back

2010-07-15T23:38:00.010+01:00

Almost one year has passed since I left London last summer. During this time my life has suffered many changes and some of them hadn’t to have occurred. After efforts to get the TOEFL I failed to follow in the IMP, I stopped practicing regularly athletics and sports, and it took me hard to pass all the subjects this course. However I finally go ahead improving the average academic record and now I am here, in London, writing from my own desktop in the office of the company “Firstmovies international” for whom I am going to work this summer. I've lost a great opportunity with the IMP but now I've another one with this research company and I am going to do my best here.

I arrived in London last Sunday and as anecdotal point I can speak about the ruses that people did to watch the World Cup final match between Holland and Spain. As there is no TV in the airport (incredible, isn’t it?) people who wanted to hear the match must do it with the radio as long ago. On the other hand there are two Geek’s watching the match with their laptops (both of them MacBook Pro, for more details). People swirled around the two laptops to watch the match but the funny anecdote happens with the traditional media, the radio. One boy was hearing the match with his mobile phone and two portable speakers but, as he preferred to watch it, he let the mobile phone to other group of people who just want to hear it and he went to one of the laptops. Five minutes later the mother of the guy called him and everybody in the room could hear through the speakers “Aun sigues en el aeropuerto, cariño?” The boy was so embarrassed that he went to the toilette and stay there such a long time that he was about to lose the plane. When we arrived home I was so exhausted that I just wanted to sleep.

People watching the World Cup final match between Holland and Spain.

Next morning, on Monday I woke up at 13:00 and I went to a local shop to buy something to eat. After that I went to the nearest Tesco to exchange my Euros and buy a Britain mobile phone. I also bought some more meal to have enough for the dinner but all of it healthy; I don’t want to increase my weight 5 kilos as last year because now I can’t lose it as easy as two years ago. In fact my weight now just arriving London is 65 kg, let see how it evolves along the summer jajaja. I ended my first day in London at home watching the film Law Abiding Citizen (Un ciudadano ejemplar) very similar to a film that was release in 2008 called Taken (Venganza) (which I hardly recommend).

A meal and two breackfast eaten this first days at London, will I beat the five kilos I gained last year?

On Tuesday I woke up very, very early. Amanda went to work to France so she needed to take the Eurostar (the train that travels from the UK to France through the Channel) and I wanted to go with her my firs work day so I can easily remember how things work with the tube, trains… I arrived at the office two hours early so I decided to have a walk through the area of the office (which is located in Soho, one of the liveliest areas of London. I found lots of interesting places, most of them restaurants etc in which eat during my break time. Then I went to the office and I meet Adam my boss until Louise returns from her holidays. He introduced me to the rest of the partners in the office, shown me my desktop, gave me my email direction and log in username and password and finally explain me which are the main tasks of the company. I took all the day reading reports and more documents used to make the researches for the clients. At the evening we have a screening so my first day has been really busy and I finally arrived home very late and very tired just desiring go to bed.

Wednesday was an important day in the office, Helena and Adam received the previous day customers and they submitted them the first report. When the meeting ended Helena handed me a copy of the report that had been submitted to the customers to read it carefully and learn. On Wednesday, while returning home, I made a stop in Tesco and I bought some more food for these days.

And finally today, it has also been an interesting day in the office. At middle morning we were working when suddenly the fire alarm has rung, it has been a fire drill and we all left our desktops.

Sorry for this last brief summary but I am too tired and I just want to finish my first post this year. My purpose for the blog this summer is to have it more updated, make shorter post but with more frequency, put more photos and include reports on different topics.

This one has been a large post, pardon!! Until next time supporters!!

My experience with the culture of a foreign country

2009-09-18T13:29:00.000+01:00

This year has been the first one I have travelled alone to a foreign country. I have also been the one I have spent most time in, concretely one month. The country I have travelled to is England, and the city is the capital: London.

Before being there I had heard a lot of things about London (almost all related to the bad food) but I want to experience it by my self. London is suppose to be “The city” of Europe, with a big mixture of cultures, fashions, styles races, etc… It is the most similar city of Europe to what we can find in USA, but I think that it is only London not all the UK.

I can tell you now a lot of things that have shocked me about London, but instead of list it I am going to organize the information attending to the Hofstede’s Culture Consequences theory classification that analyses 4 aspects of the society: PDI (Power distance), IDV (individualism or collectivism), MAS (masculine vs. feminine values), UAI (Uncertainty avoidance). To these four aspects we add another one, LTO (Long-term Orientation). And at the end I would try to show you and example of the Culture iceberg using to explain it the “famous” English food.

The power distance (PDI) in London, in other words the distance that people keep with his boss, teacher, parents… is, in my opinion, very similar to the PDI of Spain. But in London, in the circles I moved in, were many students of other countries and in the house I lived, there was also a Japanese boy living. He used to lean back when he finished speaking with the old woman we lived with. It is a sign of respect with an old person that he considered superior.

In contrast with Spain, London society is more individual than collective. That is one of the things that show the similarity of London with the USA. One example of that is my English teacher. He told me that week I arrived to classes was his second week as teacher in that school. He had recently changed his residence and when I asked him where he goes out at night he answered me. “I used to go around Brick Lane, where my parents and I live, there I have some friends, but now that I am living in a small flat that is nearer to the school I usually go on spree around the flat, I am now discovering new pubs and friends”. He has changed flat so he made new friends, in Spain that would be difficult unless you change your city. That is an attitude that shows the individualism of English people, he does not depend on his friends, he depends on his work, on himself.

The MAS, third aspect of this theory, doesn’t have many to do with the actual society, almost in all the occidental countries the differences between men and women has been eradicated. In the school I went to, although the boss is a man, almost all the other important positions such as the studies director or the accommodation director were developed by women. Maybe it is because I live in a little city but one thing that has impressed me is the quantity of old people (35-45 years old) that I saw in the street going to work to the business centre. Here the women that work in big companies are usually young.

The fourth aspect of this theory, the UAI or avoidance of the risk, has a lot to do, in my opinion, with the individuality/community. I think that someone that decides to live without depending on the others is taking a risk (such as the teacher I mentioned before), in other words, in Spain we try to do things collectively to decrease the risk of our actions and decisions. In this sense the English society takes more risk. Whatever I have a best example but it is of an Italian man. He had arrived in the UK aged 21 years just to stay there one month. This summer was his 15th year without returning home. He has started up a hairdressing salon in Camden Market taking an incredible risk. However I don’t believe that this behaviour is characteristic of all the Italian society, is just one man.

Attending to the LTO I haven’t seen any thing that stroked my attention. Only the fact that the newspapers had a new of the 2012 Olympic games every day, but I think that in that sense the Beijing Olympic games had been more advertised to the rest of the world than these ones that are mentioned only in the national newspapers.

To end with I want to speak a little bit about the English food. It has always had a bad reputation and I think that I have a theory based on the Culture iceberg. English people do not usually eat at home, there are some facts such as the climate that oblige them to wake up early and stay almost all the day working until they return home at 7 in the afternoon. That’s why they don’t eat at home and probably that explains the fact that they were used to eating a low level food. They don’t have the time we have to prepare it. That is an example of how the schedule of their lives affects to the quality of their food. However other things such as the difficulties to import some nourishment that we considered essential part of a good food such as the oil also affects to the quality of their food.

If you don´t like the weather, wait a minute

2009-07-20T21:02:00.000+01:00

Hi dear supporters!!! Here I’m again hoping to do best work than before. As you have seen I have been a lot of days with out writing, but, as everything in live, it has an explanation. Here, where I live, I must use the wireless network of a neighbor because Rachel, the old women that houses me, doesn't use the internet. So, a week ago the network started with some problems (faint signal) and I couldn't have a stable connection to the net. Apart from that little problems I've do progressions in the friendships here, and visit some places such as some markets (Portobello, Camdem, Spitafields...), the inner part of the cathedral (I was very disappointed), the Tower Bridge and the City hall, the British museum or the London Casino. I also want to say that the weather here in London is a shit. Like Londoners say, "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute". This means two things: first that the weather always gets worst, the second that the weather here is very changeable. London weather doesn't allow you do some things, but I bought and umbrella. Here you have the evidence that I am doing all the things I can.

The markets:

As you know, the United Kingdom has been always a trader country, so it has some of the most famous markets in the World.

First I’m gonna speak about the cheapest ones, in the east of London where we found markets such as Spitafields, Brik Lane or the recent Up Market. Here we can found both, outdoor and indoor stalls, in a percentage of 50 percent each. The ones that are in the street are very similar to what we can found in Sanfermines: football teams t-shirts, handmade jewelery, fake watch and sun glasses. What I most enjoyed, that was unexpected for me are a very cheap suitcases. The ones that are inside a building offer some different things such as organic food, homemade candies or paintings. Summarizing: it is a traditional market.

Homemade candies:

The second area I’ve visited was Portobello Road, with the famous market named as the road. Conversely with east markets, Portobello stalls are mostly outdoor stalls. In my opinion, this market doesn't live up to his reputation. Some good antiques such as an old trunk or old cameras, some flower stalls or others with ripened fruit (I really miss fruit) are some of the interesting things we can found here.

Posado robado:

Old cameras:

Market flowers:

And at last but not at least we found the Camdem Market. I hopefully visited this market the day before the others. I say hopefully because this market is incredible! It has fully lived up to what I expected. The typical Gothic shops of Camdem with those clothes I would buy to get mask are right, but just that. But Camdem has much variety of styles so you can found rapper clothes, military uniforms, bohemian items for the house, punk t-shirts, alternative hairdresser's... and also you can eat different meals most of them Asian, in the restaurant area. But what most had shocked me was a shop called Cyberdog with two huge robots on the sides of its door that sells futuristic clothes, they are amazing. Of Camdem I also save two stories and one recommendation. The first one happened just when I went out of the underground, a police dog catching people with drugs between more o less 40 people. He was really good, when he detected someone with drugs, he went behind him or her until the policeman arrives. There was a big row of suspecting people waiting to be revised. The second story was tolled to me by a Italian boy that owns a hairdresser. He arrived to England 20 years ago, just for a week and he hasn't return home yet. And finally the recommendation, if you visit Camdem and you see 4 donuts in a brown bag sold just for 2 pounds, don't take it!

Cyberdog entrance:

The Cathedral:

Other thing I've visited during these days, is the inner part of the cathedral. To those who usually don't keep my blog, I tried to enter to the cathedral one day, but when I arrived it was already closed so I only saw the outside. But to see what I saw inside it would be better to stayed at home. The church doesn't have any special sculpture inside. The size is huge, but the space is not enough filled. And then we have the sights from the peak of the dome that, if you like to see the roofs of the buildings it's quite good but if not...

Cathedral reflect from the Tate Modern:

Cathedral and Millenium Bridge:

The Tower Bridge:

Tower Bridge is another place that has surprised me. I arrived it from London Bridge underground station, passing throw the Hilton's hotel and the financial area of London. That was what surprised me most, it is very beautiful, with modern buildings that house some of the most important companies of the world and the new City Hall of London designed by Foster and Partners . See the Tower Bridge from this side of the river is incredible. The view includes the 30 St Mary Axe, also known as the Gherkin or the Swiss Re Building, the London Tower with the famous Crown Jewels, the Tower Bridge or the City Hall among many others.

The views:

Tower Bridge:

Nice afternoon in tower bridge:

London night:

And to end with I'm gonna speak you a little about the night in London. The other day I've my first international house party(very usual in the countries of north and center europe)! There, in the house, we were students of many different countries including: Russia, South-Korea, Japan, France, Portugal, Bulgaria, Germany or Italy. An Italian boy, who organiced the party, made some Risotto that was delicious. The most witty boy was a black guy for france, that was all the time dancing, "¡partiéndola!"; and the most chatty was a Japan girl. Japanese are really funnie people I have a very laughing time with her all the night, I didn't known that caracteristic of Japanese people. However I have to say that she discovered that night the Kalimotxo and that may explain her state of mind. That night we finished in the London Casino because Pietro engoys Black Jack (I don't know why, the other day he loses 150 pounds). I won 25 pounds playing to the roulete and it is very funnie because in my table there're some people gambling 1000 pounds and I started with just 5 hahaha. The coupier was getting crazy with me.

A different day I went on a spree in the north of London, and Anaïs, a new french friend brought us to a beautiful place. It is a pub called 1001 and, as all the pubs, it closes at 00:30 but until it closes you can have fun. It has two rooms: one with lots of sofas and very low minimal music, in other words, a place to be talking with your friends; the second one is a red color room with people dancing house music. Nice place, that I usually visit, is a kind of Utopia but in London.

1001:

Pedro, Anaïs and me:

Another photos:

The city:

Stairs 1:

Stairs 2:

I miss you

2009-07-20T20:28:00.000+01:00

Ya llevo dos semanas en Londres y empiezo a añorar a los míos: a mi familia, a mi abuela, a la cuadrilla, a los de clase y a ella también. Pero a ella de manera diferente, porque no esperaba que me fuera a ocurrir, pero la echo de menos un poquito. Bueno, no, ¡bastante! El otro día, mientras viajaba en el tren al centro de la ciudad, pasé junto a un edificio que me recordó a ella, saqué de la cartera una foto suya que llevo siempre y la estuve mirando un buen rato, hasta que llegó la parada de Pedro -un murciano que he conocido aquí-. Él me preguntó qué hacía mirando esa foto y yo, viendo que aún nos quedaba media hora hasta la estación de London Bridge, le empecé a contar nuestra historia.

“La conocí hace 4 años, exactamente el día 13 de septiembre, y desde entonces ese número es especial para mí. La primera vez que la vi no me fije en ella. Su hermana gemela -mayor, aunque sólo por unos minutos-, menos morena y más flaca me pareció más interesante. Cuando pasaron los días y nos fuimos conociendo todos, me di cuenta de que ella era en realidad lo que yo buscaba, y no la otra. Mientras que la hermana mayor -la que me atrajo al principio-, era callada y simplona, ella era alegre, inquieta, movida y muy lista. Destacaba sobre las otras. Tenía un férreo carácter que le hacía reñir con los demás continuamente porque le gustaba tomar las decisiones del grupo, por ejemplo, en qué parte del parque teníamos que estar. Era lo que yo buscaba: pura actividad, inteligente y con fuerte personalidad.

Después de dos semanas lo tenía claro, la que me gustaba era la hermana pequeña. Ahora han pasado ya casi cuatro años y le sigo teniendo tanto cariño como al principio. Ella sigue tan cariñosa como el primer día así que creo que su afecto también sigue intacto. Cuanto más nos conocíamos mejor nos compenetrábamos. Juntos aprendimos muchas cosas, yo de ella pero ella de mí también. La verdad es que no sé quién ha aprendido más de quién.

Los primeros meses pasábamos mucho tiempo juntos, ya sabes, creo que como en cualquier relación. Muchas tardes durante la semana, a las ocho después de que yo entrenara, íbamos al parque de la Media Luna hasta que se nos hacían las diez o las once y teníamos que volver corriendo a casa. No te imaginas cuantas broncas me llevé durante esa etapa inicial por volver tan tarde a casa. Ahí en el parque yo tocaba la darbuka o el yembe, mientras tanto ella se tumbaba a mi lado a escuchar, y cuando mis manos ya no podían más íbamos a hacer el tonto al parque infantil que a esas horas estaba ya vacío.

Luego empezaron a conocerla mis amigos y a todos les gustó. La verdad es que cae muy bien a la gente porque es muy simpática y amigable. Por eso muchas tardes viene con nosotros al parque Yamaguchi e incluso una vez que fuimos a la borda de uno de la cuadrilla -en el valle de Belabarce- vino con nosotros. También mis compañeros de atletismo le conocen porque alguna vez ha venido con mis padres a verme correr en el Circuito navarro de cross. Y hemos estado los dos con los del fútbol viendo el partido del Osasuna en la bolera. Vamos, que todos mis amigos la conocen. Estas navidades íbamos los dos con un amigo por los Caídos y no sabes el susto que nos dio cuando le golpeó de refilón un autobús público justo enfrente nuestra. Le tuvieron que poner ocho grapas pero por suerte no le pasó nada serio.

Hacemos bastantes cosas juntos e intento pasar bastante tiempo con ella porque refuerza la relación. Me gusta ver películas de miedo en el sofá a su lado. Cuando la protagonista pega un grito terrorífico me dice con un simple gesto de cabeza que le abrace, le acaricie. Igual que cuando nos pilla una tormenta en la calle y tenemos que refugiarnos en un portal o un porche, que se aprieta fuertemente contra mí para que yo le rodee firmemente con el brazo. Es divertido ir a correr con ella porque la pobre no tiene medida y los primeros diez minutos se pasa de ritmo. Luego me da la risa cuando miro hacia atrás y la veo sofocada detrás de mí resoplando. Lo malo es que al final tengo que ayudarla para que llegue a casa. También me gusta ir con ella al monte y estar tumbado en la hierba tomando el sol hasta que los dos acabamos achicharrados y deshidratados. El día antes de venir a Londres fuimos juntos al río. La pobre no quería meterse al agua helada del río porque de pequeña se calló en una piscina y todos se llevaron un buen susto, sobre todo ella que desde entonces no ha sido muy amiga de los chapuzones. Pero yo la cogí en brazos y la metí hasta donde no hacía pie. La verdad es que lo pasamos muy bien ese día en el río, con la barbacoa y los amigos, y en cuanto vuelva a casa intentaré ir otra vez. A ver si para entonces estás ya instalado en Pamplona y te puedes venir tú también.

Ella me ayuda cuando estoy triste porque siempre está alegre. Siempre me aguanta cuando estoy enfadado y aunque le fallo una y otra vez puedo estar seguro de que volverá a estar ahí, aunque haya pasado de ella durante unos días y ni siquiera le haya llamado. Y nada, que ahora que estamos aquí le echo un poco de menos y por eso había sacado esta foto”.

Pedro cogió la foto y la miró. Estábamos los dos mirando su cara peluda y su negro hocico cuando por el altavoz anunciaron que habíamos llegado a nuestro destino. Guardé la foto de Beltza, mi perra, en su sitio y nos bajamos del tren.

Photos, St Paul's Cathedral and Tate Modern

2009-07-09T21:42:00.000+01:00

Today I have get my change to a higher level confirmation at the college. If all goes well on monday next week I would begun my new classes. After attending TOEFL preparation classes I have gone to eat to a free buffet chinese restaurant. It has been an error, as what happens with the one in Itaroa (Pamplona) the food was very bad however the price wasn't too high (5,50 pounds) and the water is included, but not the service. Then I have gone to St Paul's Cathedral but when I arrived part of it was closed so I'll go another day. I don't understand why they close so early the turistic places if the sun is raised until 21:00. Anyway, I have took some photos and I have put a candle for my grandpa... Then I have gone to the Tate Modern Gallery. I take the way that goes directly from St Paul's Cathedral to the museum through the bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava. During the journey I have seen two things that have remembered me to two of the people I most bond of: my trainer Pablo and my cousin Miguel. The first thing was an sculpture. Firstly i haven't take too mucha attention on it because I think it was just one of the much soldiers sculptures there're in the world but then I realised that the people of the sculpture were firman´s, like my trainer. I have take this photo for him.

And this motorbike reminds me my cousin, he had take the license practice exam some days ago. How did it go Miguel?

The Millenium bridge, that is between St Paul's Cathedral and Tate modern, don't stun me. I expect it to be incredible, but nothing to be with that adjetive.

The Tate modern, as meny other museums in London is free, or better, mostly free. There is a floor, the fourth one, that houses temporal expositions in which you must pay for accesing. Now houses a exposition about futurism. The Tate modern is a museum inside the Tate museums chain. It is construct in an old factory and one of the must famous rooms is Turbine Hall. It has 8 floors but only four of them are free accesible galleries. In the others you have to pay or are for the cafe, restaurant or shop of the museum. Between the art works you can found different formats such as paitings, sculptures, photos or audiovisual montage. And between the artists you can found names such as Picasso, Dalí, Miró or Warhol. in my opinion, an obligatory visit if you come to London. Here I let you some photos of the day:

Millenium Bridge:

Hombre en el moderno-espacio:

Escaleras:

My first day

2009-07-06T21:08:00.000+01:00

Today I have wake up at 5:30, before my alarm rings. I have not sleep well because a story that my grandma here told me last night. She arrived one day to home and she put the umbrella on the burner, smoke started to came out from it and she realised the burner was switched on. If she had not put the umbrella there she would have gone to bed with the burn switched on, so she would probably have dead. Like she says "God have saved me". After that story she told me another one. These last week five people have died in the UK because a fire. As you can imaging after hearing these two stories you can´t sleep too well.

Otherways, what I wanna you to know about me today is how it has been my first day at Bloomsbory School, my college here. When I arrived I have done a level test, before that the first class have started at nine o clock. "It looks well" I have think "If I am here, and not in Pamplona engoying the Sanfermines I want to work hard". But my good whises have gone out when the class have started. The subject and the skills were to easy for me. I am not an arrogant person, but I think the others members of my class has less level than me. The teacher of these first classes is called Amira, she comes from Australia and she is a very nice person that engoys her work and tries to made all the members of the class enjoy it.

When I have finished, at 12:00, I have went to another room where I take my TOEFL preparation classes until 15:00 that I finish with the academic part of the day. The TOEFL class has been very interesting and the teacher, who is from Canada, is a very active person that mades you work hard.

But in the college there is not just teachers and subjects, I have meet today my class mates. There are people from many countries: Japan, arabic countries, Turquia, southamerica countries, Bulgaria, Bielorusia, Italy, and of course Spain. The spanish people was very easy to identify, I don´t now why, but it is true. the worst thing about that is that we speak in spanish more that waht I want. People from other countries were very interesting. I have, in my first class, a Japan guy that works as Dj in his country, a arab girl, who's father has a big company in Arabia Saudí and she is going to spend in London 4 years just learning english, I have a very nice italian guy in my class that has finished loyal studies and now is searching job in London, but he have told me that is not easy and that if he doesn't found it in two weeks he would have to return to his country. Interestig people, as I've said, with diferent lifestyles but just one objetive: learn or improve his/her english. Just like me. From the TOEFL class I have meet three nice boys and one girl. The girl comes from Itlaia and is called Maria, she is a bit hopeless with the computers so she have asked me for help, she need's the TOEFL exam to stusy one year in Sydney, Australia. The first boy is called Pedro, he comes from Murcia and next year is going to began bilingual LADE at the University of Navarra so he have asked me a lot of things about residence, weather, etc.. Talking of weather, what a fucking weather we have in london: now it rains now no, now its sunny 2 minutes now it gets cloudy... what a shit!! Continuing with the class mates, the second boy comes from Bulgaria, his name is Nick and he is now living in an hotel in the centre of London because he don´t like his family house. The last one was another boy from the south of Spain, to be precise from Jerez. He has studied Marketing and now his going to obtein a master, that's why he needs the TOEF9L exam. We have been taking a beer this afternoon Pietro (the italian with who I live), Pedro, Nick, the boy from Jerez (sorry, I don't remember now his name) and me. They have been her for one week or more so they have explained to Pietro and me some essential things of the city. Tomorrow I would writ you again, bye!!

Settle

2009-07-05T12:53:00.000+01:00

Good morning dear readers! For the time being today I haven't made many things, I just found a place to train/run and take some photos of the neighbourhood and the house where I live. Yesterday I promised you I would explain with more detail my family here, so here we go.

I live in a little house at the outskirts of London, to go to the city I take a bus (number 176) that takes half an hour to arrive to the centre of London. It was a multiracial neighbourhood, there are Asians, Blacks, Indians... but I haven't see any English people. I lived with an old Indian woman, and another guy that studies English that comes from Italy (yes he finally arrived at 3:30). The woman is called Rachel, she is very considerate with me and she is all day repeating that she really likes me and that I am like a family for her. She lives alone and she reminds me of my grandmother, she is very religious. On the odder hand she let me many freedom for do things in my own way, one thing that would probably be difficult if an English student goes to my grandma house. Pietro, the Italian guy, doesn't wake up yet so I can't tell you anything about him, I haven't even see him. I only now that he is 20 years old. The house is decorate in a strange way, with powerful and bright colours, with photos of Rachel families. It is little but comfortable, the neighbourhood is peaceful and quiet during day although yesterday night I hear young people talking and having fun in the street. The food until now has not been too bad, but it has always included (dinner and breakfast) beans and other vegetables (yes we are in England! Jajaja). What I am starting to miss is the bread, I want to grease the sausages!

And that's all for today. I let you some photos here, now I am going to buy the tickets to move my self throw London and visit for first time my college. Bye!!

Safe and sound

2009-07-04T22:31:00.000+01:00

Although I have been having a bad feeling about my plane journey, I write this first lines of my new blog stretched out on my London bed. How I can be relaxed if recently two planes came down in the sea? I have never been afraid about flying but this time I was a little bit. Fortunately I arrived without any problem (not as my flatmate, I guy from Italy called Pietro that has not arrived yet and it is 22:30)

My voyage began yesterday, when I leave my home in the caravan with my parents. I passed all the day in the Foz de Arbaiun and when I arrived home I have to prepare a lot of things for the trip. As I don't have many time I couldn't say goodbye to many of my friends so now I say to you, goodbye! Yasmina came to my house to say me goodbye, and he help me with the suitcase because I couldn't close it, I bring to London half of my things. Then he went home and I visited my grandmother that gave me money and a letter and he told me to read it when I was flying. I have do it and it moved me.

Just when we leave I take a comic and I start reading it lying on the bed of the caravan. In 10 minutes I was slept. I don´t now why but lately I am tired all the day, what's more, it is really strange because I am going through a zero sport stage. The case is that I got slept and when I woke up for dinner I didn't feel hungry. At the next morning, that is, today I have wake up in a caravan area. Then we have gone to the airport and at the beginning, in the check in, I have the first problem. My suitcase weights more than 23 kilos that is the maximum weight permitted, so I decided to take out my toilet bag but you can't travel with more than 100 ml and my shampoo has 400 ml so I have had to open my suitcase again and take another think.. Inside the airport the sleep attacks me again but I don't gonna leave my bag without vigilance so I use that time to make some photos.

When I arrived to Heathrow airport at London the second problem appears, the underground line that connects me with the center of London was broken so I have to take a different way of transport, the Heathrow Express, and then the underground, specifically the Circle line. Is there when a couple has suffered one of my big English speaking mistakes. A line of the underground arrived to the station and we go up. They were doubting of if it was the correct line.
As I heard them speaking about the line I asked (here comes the mistake) “This is the circle line?” and without notice it I was affirming that we were in the circle line (the correct question should have been “Is this the circle line?”). The best thing is that, as I was not sure I jumped out of the coach just when the doors were getting closed and they have left inside the coach looking like stupids.
Finally I arrive to my house at London and tomorrow I would speak you about it because I am very tired now. Good night!

PD: As you can see is gonna be a very photographic blog.
PD2: I would enter in more details of the topics, analyze it more, other days, when I am not so tired.
PD3: Finally I just gonna write it in english to avoid using spanish during my stay here.