What's the story...?

Harrison Ford has been "with me" since I was... What? 5-ish? Well, since I went to see "Star Wars" for the first time, anyway. I was a Han Solo fan from the very beginning, although everyone around me seemed to be unconditional Luke Skywalker followers.

I feel he's almost a member of the family by now. He has "earned" that right! Paul McCartney is another "honorary" member too (don't you just love my family!!). I guess that's why I keep watching his movies over and over (and over and over again).

I watched "Morning Glory" again yesterday and I liked it (again). It did not get good reviews from the critics when it was first released in Spain, but I have never been known for "following the crowd", least of all critics.

The first reason I like it is because it shows his grumpy side, although... The third worst person in the world? Come on!

And the most important reason why I totally enjoy it is because it tells you a story about first opportunities and new opportunities... which everybody should have.

It's also about loving a job that becomes weary over monotony, some jealousy on the part of a few not-so-nice colleagues and bosses who undervalue you. Anyone familiar with that situation? Me! Me! Me! Me!

If you had been working with me for the past 12 years, you would have seen me change. I used to be soooo nice at work! And now I'm becoming a grouch. Does that mean it is time for a change? Maybe!

That's something to think about over the weekend, huh? (Just kidding!) I hope everybody has a nice one!! Don't think too much!!

What you need is there, you just need to focus.

Sometimes you try to look too far for what you think you need and you don't notice the opportunities that surround you.

I'm not one to give advice. My head and heart are full of unachievable dreams all the time, but I'm also learning (veeeery slowwwwly) to seize the day, that is, focus and enjoy what's near instead of longing for the things that are hard or impossible to reach. "Carpe Diem", they call it.

I don't want to miss what's right in front of me. Maybe it's not what I want, but it might be what I need.

When life points you in two different directions… Which one do you follow?

I'm still trying to answer that one!!

Usually my head will lead me one way while my heart pushes me hard in the opposite direction...

Letters: Nostalgia over a piece of paper

Am I the only one to miss slow-long-old-fashioned-handwritten messages?

Letters are becoming a thing of the past, but when I got back home from my holidays, I had a nice and shiny postcard waiting for me :) :)  It was such a wonderful surprise that I got inspired and decided to write something about it.

A personalized, thoughtful message stands out from all the e-mails, junk mail and text messages I usually receive. Handwritten letters can demonstrate that people care, because they require effort (although, apparently, that’s not considered something very “fashionable” these days). They show that somebody has thought about you and what to say to you carefully, taking some time out to do it. That’s why they come across as something genuine and meaningful.

I remember being young (yes, I do) and writing letters that were 6 or 7 pages long. It took them a while to get to their destination plus an equal amount of days (if I was lucky) to get an answer back from the recipient (yes, most friends and family did reply). My friends still compliment me these days for my perseverance back then. In fact, having moved around so much from an early age, it was this persistence of mine what made me keep most of my long-distance friends. I admit that waiting for those significant pieces of paper was patience-consuming, but I loved the thrill of getting to the mailbox. I would always be the first one to go downstairs to check if there was any inside the box. Just seeing that there was a letter for me already made me happy and reading  “adventures” from people I cared about gave me such joy… I just loved it! (I still do).

I could keep doing it the old way, but e-mails and social networks make it unnecessary and silly. Besides, I don’t have as much energy, motivation or time in my hands as I used to have back then. This has got to be the biggest sign of me getting really (really!) old, because time runs way too fast in and around my life nowadays (it used to last a lot more not so long ago, didn’t it?).

Although I keep gathering "strength" and sending missives from time to time, I hardly receive any for myself anymore.  The only things that get into my mailbox are some invoices and pounds of junk mail, so now I tend to avoid being the first to go downstairs to grab them.

Christmas is peak season for me and my writings. If work is not killing me when the appropriate time comes (it's also my job's "peak season"), I even design my own cards and letters. Such fun! The only problem I find (with people I know moving around so much) is that some of my addresses are not updated anymore and, therefore, some of the letters are returned. It is then that I use the e-mail to check what’s going on, unless –of course- the letter gets lost and I think everyone got his or hers when they really didn’t (oh, well).

So even though technology has taken over, remember that there are still old-fashioned spirits who manage their way into old-fashioned customs from time to time... and that's a good thing to do!!

El Berenjenal

It is not often that I find my family in the mood for veggie food (not my case whatsoever). So when I mentioned the possibility of going to a new eco-vegetarian restaurant today and they said yes,  I was happy happy happy happy!!

Did you know that the word “vegetarian” comes from the latin “vegetus”, which means lively, fresh, vigorous,...?  And lively is exactly how I felt today!!

The place we went to is called “El Berenjenal” and it's located at Duque de Lerma, 2 (Valladolid). It is a teeny-tiny spot with a very peculiar decoration (children drawings all over the wall).

The name is very appropriate (I love  word-games!). Berenjenal is both an eggplant field and a word used in a Spanish saying that means to get yourself into a real mess (“meterse en un berenjenal”).

First thing we noticed: The bread had not been out of the oven for long. It was still warm when they brought it to our table… We all tried each other’s dishes and they were all d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s. I’ll write all their names down and then I’ll upload the pictures (of course I took pictures with my iPhone! What did you expect?). Your "mission" will be matching them (Oh, boy!! Am I in a joyful-playful-mood today!!), here we go:

·         Hummus with raw zucchini and carrot sticks

·         Veggie sushi with salad

·         Goat cheese crêpe with roasted red pepper salad

·         Cardoon-almond-cheese toasts with herbes de Provence

·         Cereal-pulse burgers

·         Red lentil croquettes with rice and cumins

 

 

 

Puente de Santa Teresa (Valladolid)

Today I went for a walk in Valladolid to see the city’s newest addition:  A bridge  that was just opened at the end of the neighborhood known as "La Rondilla”.

I must confess I loved it!!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera. Luckily, I had my iPhone with me…

The bridge has been built at the end of one of the most popular walks in Valladolid, locally known as the “Cholesterol Walk” (guess why!! LOL).



It is the first one in Valladolid to have a wooden walkway (although they’re re-building one of the old ones with this noble material), which kind of reminded me to the Brooklyn Bridge (sometimes you just see what you want to see!).




If you’ve never been to Valladolid, you don’t know how important river Pisuerga is for the city. There’s even a popular Spanish saying that goes:
“Aprovechando que el Pisuerga pasa por Valladolid...” (that would literally translate as “and now, since Pisuerga crosses Valladolid..." and it is used to introduce a new subject in a conversation that apparently has nothing to do with what you were talking about in the first place).

You can even see the tiny pier down the river. It has been there for ages, since the canoeing school is just a few feet away.

The walkway is one of the widest I’ve seen in Spain.

It even has wooden "benches" in case you need to rest somewhere along the way.

In a few weeks you’ll see flowers and plants everywhere!!




I really dislike Valladolid’s mayor, but I must admit he has done wonders for the city. And now was the best time for him to show it off, because the local elections are being held in less than a month and that means… Time to renew the city!! Valladolid’s “good looks” have increased by a thousand since I first came here. This area used to be skid row not that long ago!

Why do I find myself making my way Across the Universe...

Ok, so even if you don't know who I am, you can already tell I'm a Beatles fan. That was a good reason for choosing this title, but not the only one. I love to travel (I would do it all across the Universe if I had the chance!!), but I cannot do it as often as I would like to (lack of time & money, you know). Meanwhile, I daydream a lot...

Listen to the song again, listen to the lyrics, this is why I'm choosing it:

"Words are flying out like endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the Universe..."

I love to write, there's no rhyme or reason to it, I just do. I have been doing it for myself for as long as I can remember, but I've always been afraid to show it to others. I guess social networks and modern technology have helped me to overcome that fear. It's easier when you can "hide" behind a computer.

I am not very constant and I tend to procrastinate a lot, so I'm not quite sure about the viability of this blog... But I sure want to give it a try! I bet sometimes it will be vague, sometimes it'll be childish, sometimes I'll make lots of mistakes (that's what happens when you choose to write in a foreign language), sometimes I'll just ramble, I'll be wrong more often than not,... But please don't leave harsh comments... Just think there is a person behind the blog...