Eres / You are

I just felt the need to make an "ad libitum" (free) translation of this song. Read the lyrics and maybe you'll discover why...

http://www.goear.com/listen/ccdf22a/04-eres-dani-martin

Eres ese caramelo que quería    (You're the candy that I wanted)
Eres ese gesto lleno de valor    (You're a courageous gesture)
Eres como la primera parte de mi vida    (You're like the first part of my life)
Tan salvaje, tan amor, tan extrema como yo    (As wild, as full of love, as extreme as me)

Eres como una princesa sin tonterías    (You're like a princess without the foolishness)
Eres Beatles, eres un Rolling Stone    (You're the Beatles, you're a Rolling Stone)
Eres como la perfecta melodía    (You're like the perfect tune)
Que te llega al corazón    (That gets to your heart)
Eres paz... Eres león...    (You're peace... You're a lion...)

Es que eres la mejor sensación    (You're the best feeling)
Los besos sin miedo, amor    (The kisses without fear, love)
Como los de los niños    (Like the ones from children)
Y es que siento que eres superior    (And I feel you're way more than me)
Que me haces guapo    (You make me handsome)
Y que puedo irme a volar contigo    (And I can go flying with you)

Eres esa mano suave que me cuida    (You're the soft hand that takes care of me)
Eres una realidad en mi interior    (You're a reality within me)
Eres todo lo que alguien imagina    (You're everything anyone could imagine)
Tener cerca alrededor    (Having close around)
Eres paz... Eres león...    (You're peace... You're a lion...)

Es que eres la mejor sensación    (You're the best feeling)
Los besos sin miedo, amor    (The kisses without fear, love)
Como los de los niños    (Like the ones from children)
Y es que siento que eres superior    (And I feel you're way more than me)
Que me haces guapo    (You make me handsome)
Y que puedo irme a volar contigo...    (And I can go flying with you...)

The small things that still make me happy

Taking tons of pictures each day, The Beatles, friends that are far far away but feel very close in my heart, writing about foolish things, tomatoes, books that make me lose track of time, staring at the sea and listening to the sound of waves, a song that reminds me of good times, the smell of the sea in San Sebastián, walking barefoot, having one family on each side of the Ocean, Friday evenings with nothing to do, sleeping in on Saturdays, weekend breakfasts, sunny winter Sundays, summer storms, autumn colours, long spring days, fresh orange juice, big trees, comfortable sneakers, snow, engaging in a fantastic conversation with my sister Loretta while enjoying a "Blue Moon" and forgetting the ribs were on the barbecue, movies that make me laugh, movies that make me cry, singing in the shower, a good night's sleep,

apple crumble with custard, the scent of Grandma Nicolasa's red roses and rockrose on the hill, believing that time goes by and I stay the same, soap bubbles, discovering new wonderful places, laughing until it hurts, looking through the window on a starry night, full moons, theatre plays written by Alejandro Casona, Paul's voice, having drinks with friends, Stella's perfume, wandering around with nowhere to go, frogs, handwritten letters, meeting with friends at home for hours and hours, buying presents for people I care about, strawberry ice cream, thinking aloud, Scottish landscapes, chilling on the sofa,

little villages in Castilla y León, throwing stones in the lake, the sand in "La Concha", foulards and scarves, a good Martini, sweet and sour flavours, basketball, cheesy movies, olives, stuffed toys, big hugs from people I love, Harrison Ford, naff dresses, purple things, "Leffe" beer, black & white pictures, eating with my fingers, riding my bicycle in Pozuelo, screaming in the mountains and hearing the echo coming back, fruit salads, heavy rock music, strong colours, Navarra and its people, dusks & dawns, crossing bridges, stepping on dry leaves, fireworks, thinking that everything will be alright...

Dani Martín

It had been a while since my last concert. I think it was Bruce Springsteen's.

Last night I went to see Dani Martín (the former lead singer of the Spanish band "El Canto del Loco").

Leaving aside the controversy over it being an election "manoeuvre" from the town's mayor, I had high hopes for this concert. I had seen  ECDL  at the Valladolid Latino Festival in May 2008 and there he communicated so much energy from stage!

My perception yesterday was quite different.

I didn't like the chosen premises (the "León arena").  First, there was too much "echo" and second, I had to shake off  two spiders that were going down my arm while I was there... They seemed to be everywhere!! Eeeek!!

Besides, something happened to the lights during  the first part of the concert and we couldn't see a thing!
He chose to go for a "slower" selection of songs (his solo album "Pequeño" is more intimate, I guess). Not exactly what I was expecting...

Although it looked as if everything around was meant to ruin the show (including the weather), I enjoyed it.

This music is supposed to aim for a younger public. I guess that makes me -at least- young at heart...

I took some pictures with my phone (awful quality, but I had to try).

Now all I can say is: I hope I can go to another concert soon!!

Special meal for a special day.

The first Sunday in May is Mother's day in my country.

This year (to make it even more special & healthy) I have prepared a raw meal for my family: Brooke's raw tacos as a main course and raw strawberry cake for dessert.

I received smashing compliments and they (specially my step-dad) are not even vegetarian!

It's not that I'm trying to "convert" anyone, but I think this could be a really good experience (both my mom and my step-dad suffer from serious heart problems) and I want to prepare some healthy and tasty dishes for them, even if it's only two days per week.

Today I want to share this Strawberry Cake recipe with you.

Ingredients for the crust:

- 2 cups of raw almonds

- 1/2 cup of pine nuts

- 3/4 cup of pitted dates

Ingredients for the filling:

- 4 to 5 cups of thinly sliced ripe strawberries

- 4 pitted dates, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water and drained

- 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice

Place the nuts in a food processor and grind. Then add the 3/4 cup of dates and process until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into a very lightly oiled pie plate. Arrange 4 cups of the sliced strawberries on top of the crust and set aside.

Combine the remaining cup of strawberries with the 4 soaked dates and lemon juice in a blender. Mix until smooth. Pour the sauce over strawberries.

Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour before serving.

This is the result:

My blog was never intended to be about food, but my eating habits have become a wonderful and interesting journey (across the raw food universe), so it looks that I will be writing about that every now and then.

I already went through a veggie phase years ago, around the time I moved to London. I think it was shortly after my lovely visit to Scotland, when I went to meet my friend Elaine (she's a vegetarian too, although not a raw foodie). Those were the healthier years of my life. I "gave up" a few months after I returned to Spain, due to work and my need to catch up with the "ordinary" social life again... This country was not prepared for vegetarians, though the Mediterranean diet has always included lots of fruits and vegetables. Luckily (at least for me), that is beginning to change (slowly, but surely).

After reading about some of my friends' experiences with raw food, I unconsciously began to feel re-educated and I have found myself becoming almost completely "green" again.

If you really want to be inspired and learn more about raw lifestyle and fantastic recipes, I recommend you to follow Brooke's blog:
http://mooshymama.blogspot.com/ 
She's both a great cook and a wonderful human being. She's my raw food guru. I feel so lucky for having her in my life!

And now I should be getting ready to go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a tough day at work and I need to be rested to face it.

Good Night!!

To Celebrate, or Not To Celebrate: That Is the Question...

Today is Workers' Day (or May Day, if you prefer). It's supposed to be a national holiday in Spain, but... Is there anything to celebrate with almost 5 million people on the dole in this country? I think not! I get so angry when I think about it, that my mind gets blocked. I will leave my comments for another day, when I have a clearer head. Words don't work any longer, we need actions, but nobody around seems to be ready to do anything about it. Get real, people! This is an unsustainable situation!