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July 30th, 2007
I’m officially on vacation now! Waho! I’m leaving early in the afternoon tomorrow and will be traveling all over till August 30th. There will be a little hiatus here. But once I get to Canada, I will try to write some. Can’t promise anything though… Stay safe and keep visiting the site. Thanks!
July 27th, 2007
I got a postcard from Iran today. What a pleasant surprise! Let me tell you, every single day, when I get home for lunch, I’ll open the mailbox to see if there’s any letter or postcard waiting for me there. Yeah, what you usually get is bills from the banks, but every once in a while, someone will surprise you with a beautiful letter or a postcard sent from the other side of the world. Bless the internet because I’ve met wonderful people here, but I miss the old days when I used to sit down every week to write a few lines to my pen-pals.
So anyway, it was my High School English teacher who sent the postcard. She always surprises me with postcards sent from afar! We started doing this about 8 years ago. Every time I go on vacation I’ll send her a postcard and she does the same thing. I haven’t seen her in a while, so I should probably try to go visit her when the school year begins in September.
I have no idea of what she says in the postcard, but probably something like greetings from Isfahan. I don’t really care about the content, it’s the detail that counts. She definitely made my day today. Thanks, Gema!
I just wanted to share this with you as it made me really happy  . Have a pleasant weekend!
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July 25th, 2007
I read this book when I was in High School. I was about 15 when were assigned to read the novel and then write an essay about it. So, I was basically Holden Cauldfield’s (the main character of the novel) age, just a year younger. The catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger is one of the most controversial novels ever written and one of the most succesful ones too.
If I’m honest, when I first read it, I could never follow the plot of the story, I wasn’t used to reading such an intimate, personal and complicated story. I was only 15!
But two days ago I saw the book hiding in my shelf and event though I had bought another book to read these days, I thought I’d take a look this book first. It’s different to read a novel when you’re 15 or 23. Truth is that even though it hasn’t really caught my attention yet, I’m still not hooked on the story, this time I can say I understand what’s going on with Holden Cauldfield.
Teenage years are not easy… not Holden Caulfield. But they were so hard on me, probably because I grew up ’slower’ than most of my classmates. I don’t recall facing the problems Holden has until later, actually, I don’t think I’ve had a tenth of the problems he has in the novel.
Anyway, if you’re interested in reading the book, it basically talks about the life of a teenage kids that has been expelt from school and decides to move to New York. He will tell his experiences there.
You can find more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_catcher_in_the_ryeÂ
July 21st, 2007
I’m ’stealing’ Charlie’s meme and I’m going to talk about my wonders of the world. Truth is, that after the new seven wonders had been chosen, I thought about writing something about it, but I’ve been forgeting everything these days (Hi, my name’s Dory… what is your name?). I still have a whole world to discover, so many countries to see, but so far, these are my wonders of the world:
France - Paris
It’s the city I know best in France, Hendaye and its sorroundings don’t count over here. Paris, the city of light, the city of love, la VILLE per excellence. I believe I’ve been to Paris six times in my life and I hope I’ll get to go back sometime in the future. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of going back to Paris. I like the city’s architecture, its large and broad avenues and of course its great museum, the Louvre. There are many things that make this city captivating, but I’d like to point out the Sacre Coeur cathedral, an impressive monument in my opinion and a very peaceful place too. You get a really nice view of the city from the cathedral. I also find the Eiffel Tower to be a very fascinating construction and no matter where you are in the city, you’ll also see the tower. And last but not least, and even though it’s not located in Paris, I would also like to mention the Versailles Palace for its elegant architecture, its humongous rooms and its beautiful chandeliers. I didn’t get to visit the palace on my previous visits, but this time we got to go there and it was well worth the visit, getting soaked in the rain and waiting about an hour to get inside the palace.
 Italy - Roma & Verona
These are my two favorite cities in Italy. I found Venezia to be overwhelming because it was overcrowded when I visited it (it was Carnival time), so I’ll have to go back sometime and enjoy the city. I’ve also been to Firenze, Pisa and Siena, but they didn’t do much to me. So, I’m sticking to Roma & Verona here. Roma will captivate your for its history, its archeological remains (they’re everywhere!) and even… its polluted streets, but anyway, it still is a beautiful city. I really enjoyed visiting the Catacombs, a city underground!, and the Fontana Di Trevi (it’s a shame you can throw coins anymore) and even though these are not monuments, I also like the Espagna and Navona squares.
And I can’t really pick anything especifically from Verona, I liked everything about this little city.
Germany - Bavaria
Beautiful Bavaria, its people, its landscapes… it’s my favorite region in Germany. And here I’m pointing out Munich and its Marienplatz, I love it, its English gardens and especially, the Neuschswanstain castle (not located in Munich). Mr. Disney had a good eye picking this castle to build Sleeping beauty’s home…
EE.UU. - New York, San Francisco, Nashville & Salt Lake City
Start spreading the news… I’m leaving today… Anyway, these are my favorites cities in the US. Even though my first moments in NYC were overwhelming last summer, I’m in love with New York now. And no, I’m not choosing the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State building or San Patrick’s cathedral here… my favorite spots in the city are the Embarcadero that’s facing Brooklyn Bridge and the bridge itself, and Bryant Park by the public library. I could spend days, a lifetime, reading books in these two places.
San Francisco and its Golden Gate Bridge. You have to cross it walking to experiencie the real thing. A warning here, no matter what season it is, makue sure you take a sweater with a hood or a cap or something or your ears will freeze!
Nashville is another city I know quite well. Forget country, cowboys and Tootsie’s. To me, the most spectacular thing in the city is, by far, the Opryland Hotel. Once you get there you feel as if you were in the forest.
And last but not least, Salt Lake City in Utah. I didn’t have the chance to see much of the city last summer, but I was impressed from second 1. It’s the cleanest city I’ve ever been to. I liked how the city was structured and its railway system.
I’ve been to more countries and I’ve also seen some other beautiful places there, but this is getting too long, so I better leave it here.
PS: I apologize for all typos and mistakes on this post, but I wrote it veeeery quickly and didn’t feeling like reading it through again.
July 14th, 2007
I wish I knew what this song says… Kuch Is Tarah was another ‘fortunate discovery’, another serendipity. I was looking for this popular Hindi song online and I came across Kuch Is Tarah by Atif Aslam, a very popular pakistani singer. I have found a translation to the words, I don’t know how accurate it is, but I don’t mind really. Through the background music, his tone and the feeling he puts into the song I know everything I need to know about this song. It’s definitely a love song dedicated to someone, that’s my guess, otherwise you don’t sing with such passion.
Kuch Is Tarah - Atif Aslam
kuch is tarah teri palkein meri palkon se mila de
Somehow let your glance meet my glance
aansu tere saare meri palakon pe saja de
Let all your tears adorn my eyelashes
tu har ghadi har waqt mere saath raha hain
You have stayed with me all moments, in all time
haan ye jism kabhi door kabhi paas raha hain
Yes this body has sometimes stayed afar, sometimes near
jo bhi ghum hain ye tere unhe tu mera pata de
Whatever sorrows you have, give them my address
mujhko to tere chehare pe ye ghum nahi jhachta
I do not like to see this grief on your face
jaayiz nahi lagta mujhe ghum se tera rishta
It does not seem possible to have a bond of grief with you
sun meri guzarish ise chehare se hata de
Listen to my request, remove that from your face
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DYXNXGD0
July 7th, 2007
I got home early last Thrusday and as I opened the door, I heard mom asking me to be quiet. I thought maybe my sister was taking an afternoon nap, but my mom was the only one home. We had a beautiful day on Thrusday and everyone was at the beach but me and my mom. I wondered what she was doing at home when she could be outside. She was having some tea, sewing some trousers and watching tv.
I looked at the tv screen and realized she was watching the Spanish version of  ’Yo Soy Betty, la fea (I’m Betty, the ugly one’) a Colombian soap opera that has become popular all over the world. It’s a hit everywhere they show it, in the USA as Ugly Betty, Verliebt in Berlin in Germany, Ne Rodis’ Krasivoy in Russia, Sensiz Olmuyor in Turkey, Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin in India, La Fea Más Bella in Mexico and Yo Soy Bea in Spain. Different languages and different scenarios, yet popular anywhere it is shown. But why? Why is it that everyone falls in love with Betty? I asked my mom and she just told me the characters are really good.
Truth is, I believe Latinamerican screenwriters are genies writing screenplays for soap operas. They’re always a hit here in Spain. And even though I feel embarrassed, I must admit I’ve been hooked on two Mexican soap operas. Let me tell you, once you start watching, you won’t be able to stop… and that’s what happened to my mom. That’s why I avoid watching tv around noon or 4-5pm. Soap operas are not good!The funny thing is you know how the story is going to end. Soap operas always have happy endings, but still you can’t help turning the tv on to see how that evil step mother is treating her step daughter or if the baby she’s expecting is really her boyfriend’s or someone else’s. I know, it sounds silly, but we (and by we I mean us, women) get hooked! Probably because we still believe in fairy tales.
Let me tell you about my ’soap opera’ experience. I’d never seen one and every time my Grandma used to come home, I’d refuse to sit with her to watch a soap. ‘Not my style, amona’, I used to say. Well, boredom can make you watch things you’d never thought you would… And when is the best time to get bored? When you have finals in college! Yep, that’s when I got hooked on those two soap operas.
During the exam period in college, I used to get up at 6am, have a quick breakfast and shower and start studying at 6.30-6.45am. I was already bored by 11am… One day I thought about going to the living room and watching some tv. Such a bad idea that was! They were showing this Mexican soap called Rosalinda where the main character was played by a popular singer called ThalÃa. I liked her music so I thought, there can’t be any harm on watching the soap for a few minutes, right? Well, there was… I got so hooked on it, I couldn’t stop watching it till it was over. The story was very simple, Rosalinda is a poor girl who happens to crash into a really handsome man in the middle of the street. They’re attracted to each other immediately, but his mother will refuse to see him with her. After all, they don’t belong to each other, she’s poor, he’s rich. But like it always happens in soap operas, after two hundred misunderstandings, arguments, fights, reconciliations, more misunderstandings… they end up realizing they can’t live without each other and against all odds, they end up getting married. That’s basically Rosalinda.
I swore myself I’d never watch a soap opera in my life again. But something I’ve learnt through the years is that you can never say never… and yes, again, I got hooked on another Mexican soap opera. Just the same way I got hooked on Rosalinda. I turned the tv on and there they were, Paloma and Diego, the two lovebirds, making love by a waterfall. I kept watching the episode and I eventually got hooked. The soap was called Cuando Seas MÃa (When You’re Mine) and not only I liked the show but the main track as well. The lyrics were written by my favorite songwriter, Diane Warren. To this day, this song still gives me chills, both in the Spanish and English version. So, anyway, the plot of the soap opera was basically the same as it was in Rosalinda. Happy ending as well .
I used to laugh at those friends that would always watch soaps and then… I became one of them. Why is it that we like all that drama so much? I wish I had the answer… I guess we like the intrigue, we like happy endings and somehow, I guess we still want to be ‘rescued’ by a charming man like Diego or Fernando José. Oh, but life is no fairy tale… life if much more complicated than a soap opera. That’s what makes it so exciting, sad, scary, sweet, bitter, uncertain, wonderful, painful… that’s the secret of life and a soap opera doesn’t give you that…
Just one warning… do NOT turn the tv on at around noon or 4-5pm in Spain or you’ll get hooked on those cheesy shows!
Location: Irun, Gipuzkoa
Mood: Pensive
Music: Miss Me So Bad - Son By Four and the Spanish version Cuando Seas MÃa - Son By Four
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July 4th, 2007
I’ve always believed that a great song is basically a poem with a beautiful melody. There’s the lyrics on one side and the music on the other. I like them separately, but when both are merged, a beautiful song is created. I like plain melodies, with no voices, I like poetry and I also like music. But let’s talk about poetry today…
No other poet has captivated me like Pablo Neruda. I remember once going to the ‘press office’ at the city hall to get some documents. One of the journalists had a poem on her board that said ‘(s)he who doesn’t travel, doesn’t read, doesn’t listen to music… dies slowly”. After reading that, I thought my vital signs seemed to be fine. After all, I love to read, I love to travel and I love music. But when I got home, I was still curious to keep reading what the poem said, I wanted to find out if I really was alive or was ‘dying slowly’ like Neruda said. Here’s the poem that enjoy reading from time to time. It’s a nice reminder to remember that life is a treasure we’ve been given and that we have to make the most of each moment. I hope you like the poem.
Pablo Neruda - Dies slowly
(S)he who becomes a slave of habit,
who follows the same route every day,
who never changes pace,
who does not risk and change the color of his(her) clothes,
who does not speak and does not experience,
dies slowly.
(S)he who shuns passion,
who prefers black on white,
who prefers dotting ones “it’s” rather than a bundle of emotions, the kind that make your eyes glitter, turn a yawn into a smile and
that make the heart pound in the face of mistakes and feelings,
dies slowly.
(S)he does not turn things topsy-turvy
when is unhappy at work,
who does not risk certainty for uncertainty,
to thus follow a dream,
those who do not forego sound advice at least once in their lives,
die slowly.
(S)he who does not travel, who does not read,
who does not listen to music,
who does not find grace in himself(herself),Â
dies slowly.
(S)he who slowly destroys his own self-esteem,
who does not allow himself(herself) to be helped,
who spends days on end complaining about his(her) own bad luck, about the rain that never stops,
dies slowly.
(S)he who abandons a project before starting it, who fails to ask questions on subjects (s)he doesn’t know, (s)he who doesn’t reply when they are asked something they do know,
die slowly.
(S)he who doesn’t share his (her)Â emotions, happiness and sadness,
(s)he who doesn’t trust, (s)he who doesn’t try,
dies slowly.
(S)He who doesn’t want to improve and doesn’t learn about the stones put in the path of life,
(s)he who doesn’t love and does not let others love him(her), dies slowly.
Let’s try and avoid death in small doses,
reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort far greater than the simple fact of breathing.
Only a burning patience will lead
to the attainment of a splendid happiness
Location: Irun, Gipuzkoa
Mood: Smiling
Music: Beyoncé & Shakira - Beautiful Liar
July 3rd, 2007
With the help of Charlie I’ve managed to install a plugin that will let me post both in English and Spanish (no translator used here, I write both texts). Depending on how your computer is set up you will get a different default language so, for you, it should be English, but if it’s not just click on the flag and you’ll get to understand what I’ve written. Enjoy and come back!
July 1st, 2007
So, since I’ve received some requests about writing my posts in English, I will try to write every post in both languages. It’s a good way of brushing up my English anyway… keep checking back!
 Puesto que he recibido varios comentarios sobre las limitaciones de lenguaje en mi blog, intentaré escribir todos los posts en ambos idiomas. Es una buena forma de practicar my inglés… vuelve a visitarme!
July 1st, 2007
Siento esta larguÃsima ausencia del blog… un cúmulo de situaciones ha sido el causante de que haya desaparecido (momentaneamente) de internet. Trabajo, viajes, situaciones de la vida y el hecho de que mi ordenador se haya estropeado, han influido en este pequeño kit-kat. Pero ya estoy de vuelta, con ganas de escribir, con ganas de compartir un trocito de mi vida con vosotros.
Y bueno, ahora que ya ha pasado el 30 de junio, el gran dÃa en mi ciudad, puedo descansar un poco. El dÃa de ayer fue muy intenso. Me desperté con la diana, a las 6.00am (esto sólo lo hago el 30 de junio o cuando viajo a los EEUU porque los aviones suelen salir pronto, si no… nunca suelo despertarme antes de las 8.00am) y no sé si es porque me embargaba la emoción o qué, pero no estaba cansada o adormilada… desayuné tranquilamente y fui a la oficina. Cogà mi acreditación, mi cuaderno y mi boli y ahà comenzó mi jornada laboral. Terminó pasadas las once de la noche y con un poco de jaqueca por la tensión de no llegar a tiempo a ver el desfile en cada uno de los puntos, de no estar donde tiene que estar la noticia. Pero bien, la jornada fue bien. Salvo que ahora no sé qué tengo en la pierna que me duele al caminar, pero en fin, gajes del oficio.
Por lo demás, las cosas siguen más o menos igual. Mi ordenador sigue reparándose y sigo con mi afición a la fotografÃa. En breve recibiré mi tan ansiada Canon 400D, un capricho para subir el ánimo. Espero poder sacar unas fotos bonitas. Mientras tanto, os dejo ésta que saqué hace un mes.
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little hiatus
