Hi again. Sorry for being a bit late.
I'm not going to write everyday, I must tell you, but I'll do it as soon as I can and wants. The fact is I work all day and when I arrive home sometimes I don't feel like writing, if you know what I mean, I hope you will. But today I feel like it, so I will.
As i told you before I have a lot of new experiences, people, habits to write about. I told you about this guy whom I called (and I still name him like that) "the fat bastard". He's still being a fat bastard, but he's getting better, or I believe I'm being less critical with him. The fact is he's being naughty, disgusting and sometimes even unbearable but I noticed everything's just because he wants to be my friend and that's why he's behaving like he does. He's married, but I don't know with whom, she might be a saint or worst than him, as he's always talking about nasty sex matters and his porn film collection wich seems to be really large. The most amazing is he shares it with his father in law, wich I believe is just unthinkable. I guess you know what kind of guy he is, but he's not a bad person, or at least not yet.
Let's talk about something different, let's talk about my company. It's a big amercian company, but the Spanish branch. So when the main company is efficient, and loyal with employees our mother house in Spain is another whore house (I'm sorry for being rude, but that's how we'll say it here). I mean, everybody hates everybody, there's no good bosses at all (except for one or two whom I never met) and none of the employees has good talks about them. My own, in fact, expends half the day sleeping, and I really mean sleeping, at her desk. She does it really well, so if you look at her you don't really notice, you have to get close to her, as she has her hand on the mouse, and her head up. But her eyes are closed and sometimes if something awakes her she jumps on her chair. My work mates also don't really like her, but it seems they don't like any boss at all, they are really bitchy if you know what I mean.
And also I still don't have a desk neither a computer and not even a chair. So I just wait somebody leaves her/his desk to use a PC for a while, unless somebody is on holidays, then I have a desk for some days. So it's being 2 months and I'm still like the first day. I might say they also call me "el becario" wich means I'm a student not being payed, wich is not true at all, I'm another employee and that really anoyies me, and also they don't give me enough work, wich I could be doing, and sometimes even better than them (I'm sorry for being arrogant, but it's damm true). So I have to expend 9 hours a day doing nothing, wich is horrible for the kind of guy I am, and also I could be bad for my future. I hoped it'll change but today I receive some news.
I'm being moved to another department, in the same place, but a different department. That means I have to meet new people, and also I have to forget everything I learned and the realtions I made. It's like starting again. I just hope at the new department they'll treat me better and give some work. The problem is my boss (the sleepy one) told me about that change but she likes me and she wants me to be back soon, but her boss wants me to be at the other one because there's more need for programmers there. I'm just impacient for the change, and for the next one because I'm sure they'll change me again.
I'll mantain you informed about this and all the new events in my recent life.
Farewell.
Manoel.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
The eternal Problem
Hi all of you.
I want to ask you about looking for friends. It might be just me, as I'm a bit shy sometimes (the people that knows me don't believe this, but it's totally true), or it might be the circunstances. But the fact is it's really hard to meet people. Specially when you don't have time during the week for any social life at all, and you don't know anybody here except for a few, and you don't know even where to go. I'm trying as hard as I can, I promise, but it seems to be hard nowadays.
in the past it was easier for me, I believe because I was younger and a bit more of an alcoholic. But know I'm getting old (not that old, I know) and everything is turning difficult. I can't have friends (to go out) at my working place because of the differencies: age, marital state, and also (why not telling you) because I don't think we'll link (I hope it's right to say it like that, but I'm sure you'l understand it).
It was easier at London, not because people was different but because I knew some and I could go out with them and new friends of theirs. The fact is that me and my flatmates aren't able to meet new and interesting people yet, and we're trying. I'll just wait, because I know there's some things I could do and some events I could go, and it might be just a matter of time. It's only three months that I'm here and I can't expect better.
But, as I said, some people that I met aren't suitable for myself, specially some of them (do you remember the "fat bastard"). I could be a bit elitistic but I don't think so, I just think they're not right for myself. And also there's some nice people I met, but they don't seem to want to go out with me, not because they don't like me but because they have their own social life and I might not be making enouhg effort to mix with them.
So I guess it's my own fault. I promise I'll try harder, so I'll have some more exciting stories to tell you. Meanwhile I'll tell you about my job and the people around me wich is quite interesting and funny.
Regards from a very Spanish place as Madrid.
Manoel.
PS: If ever somebody told you about the "Madrileños" being "chulos" (arrogant) I should tell you they were totally right about that.
I want to ask you about looking for friends. It might be just me, as I'm a bit shy sometimes (the people that knows me don't believe this, but it's totally true), or it might be the circunstances. But the fact is it's really hard to meet people. Specially when you don't have time during the week for any social life at all, and you don't know anybody here except for a few, and you don't know even where to go. I'm trying as hard as I can, I promise, but it seems to be hard nowadays.
in the past it was easier for me, I believe because I was younger and a bit more of an alcoholic. But know I'm getting old (not that old, I know) and everything is turning difficult. I can't have friends (to go out) at my working place because of the differencies: age, marital state, and also (why not telling you) because I don't think we'll link (I hope it's right to say it like that, but I'm sure you'l understand it).
It was easier at London, not because people was different but because I knew some and I could go out with them and new friends of theirs. The fact is that me and my flatmates aren't able to meet new and interesting people yet, and we're trying. I'll just wait, because I know there's some things I could do and some events I could go, and it might be just a matter of time. It's only three months that I'm here and I can't expect better.
But, as I said, some people that I met aren't suitable for myself, specially some of them (do you remember the "fat bastard"). I could be a bit elitistic but I don't think so, I just think they're not right for myself. And also there's some nice people I met, but they don't seem to want to go out with me, not because they don't like me but because they have their own social life and I might not be making enouhg effort to mix with them.
So I guess it's my own fault. I promise I'll try harder, so I'll have some more exciting stories to tell you. Meanwhile I'll tell you about my job and the people around me wich is quite interesting and funny.
Regards from a very Spanish place as Madrid.
Manoel.
PS: If ever somebody told you about the "Madrileños" being "chulos" (arrogant) I should tell you they were totally right about that.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Yes, I'm back.
Hi again, once more.
Although I'm not where I would really wanted to be I'm glad to be here. This is not as fascinating as it might be London or any town at England, but it has it's own charming. There's also millions of stories I got and most of them could be hilarious if I have the inspiration to tell them.
I should tell you about working at an office, wich remainds me of a TV series I watched from BBC, it was called "the office". I found some similitudes between the serie and my own life. Althoug I don't have a "David Brent" boss I have plenty of them without being bosses, specially one of them whom I gave the name of "Fat Bastard", taken from the Austin Powers Films. If you had seen that film and the guy, you'll understand what I mean. It has nothing to do with him being fat (I was fat once) but with the fact that he is actually fat and also as horrible as that guy on the film, he also gives me the creep anytime I see him. But I'll talk about him in the future as I have a lot of things to tell you about him, and I'm pretty sure I'll have some more soon. I also see how blind are spaniards (or even anybody at an office?) with new ideas. The answer for the question "Why are we doing it like that?" it's always "We've been doing it like that for ages" wich is not valid for myself. So I guess i'll have a lot to fight, unless they fire me for being too efficient.
As you see and I constantly repeat again and again I have a lot of things to tell and not that much time considering I'll tell you about things that happened some time ago, I'll try to be as fast as possible so next time I'll tell you about things that happened yesterday instead of last month, but that's going to be hard. I also have problems with my bank, they are charging me 20€ just for having red numbers (I hope it's said like that, if not just ask me about it) for just 7 days when the average is they wait 10 days to charge you anything, it's like they are stealing me that money, but that's always a problem with banks at Spain, you might know it.
My flatmates are really nice, although I have some problems with them and also some arguings, I'm not going to tell you anything bad about them. Not because they might be reading this (I'm almost sure they're not going to) but because that's something completely normal and also they are really nice. I'm sure it's totally normal to have some differences with your flatmates. So I'll leave the flat matters alone.
But, as I told you, there are millions of facts, things, curiosities I can tell you about Spain, Madrid and my new working life, so I gues you'll not be bored.
Farewell.
Manoel.
PS: I'm just waiting for you to know about the "fat bastard" hee's kind of a character. I'm sure he'll make a really good and hilarious book. I might just tell you he also remainds me of a book character from "Confederacy of Dunses" called Ignatius J, Really, but even worst.
Although I'm not where I would really wanted to be I'm glad to be here. This is not as fascinating as it might be London or any town at England, but it has it's own charming. There's also millions of stories I got and most of them could be hilarious if I have the inspiration to tell them.
I should tell you about working at an office, wich remainds me of a TV series I watched from BBC, it was called "the office". I found some similitudes between the serie and my own life. Althoug I don't have a "David Brent" boss I have plenty of them without being bosses, specially one of them whom I gave the name of "Fat Bastard", taken from the Austin Powers Films. If you had seen that film and the guy, you'll understand what I mean. It has nothing to do with him being fat (I was fat once) but with the fact that he is actually fat and also as horrible as that guy on the film, he also gives me the creep anytime I see him. But I'll talk about him in the future as I have a lot of things to tell you about him, and I'm pretty sure I'll have some more soon. I also see how blind are spaniards (or even anybody at an office?) with new ideas. The answer for the question "Why are we doing it like that?" it's always "We've been doing it like that for ages" wich is not valid for myself. So I guess i'll have a lot to fight, unless they fire me for being too efficient.
As you see and I constantly repeat again and again I have a lot of things to tell and not that much time considering I'll tell you about things that happened some time ago, I'll try to be as fast as possible so next time I'll tell you about things that happened yesterday instead of last month, but that's going to be hard. I also have problems with my bank, they are charging me 20€ just for having red numbers (I hope it's said like that, if not just ask me about it) for just 7 days when the average is they wait 10 days to charge you anything, it's like they are stealing me that money, but that's always a problem with banks at Spain, you might know it.
My flatmates are really nice, although I have some problems with them and also some arguings, I'm not going to tell you anything bad about them. Not because they might be reading this (I'm almost sure they're not going to) but because that's something completely normal and also they are really nice. I'm sure it's totally normal to have some differences with your flatmates. So I'll leave the flat matters alone.
But, as I told you, there are millions of facts, things, curiosities I can tell you about Spain, Madrid and my new working life, so I gues you'll not be bored.
Farewell.
Manoel.
PS: I'm just waiting for you to know about the "fat bastard" hee's kind of a character. I'm sure he'll make a really good and hilarious book. I might just tell you he also remainds me of a book character from "Confederacy of Dunses" called Ignatius J, Really, but even worst.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
I'm back
Hi all fellow bloggers (if you're still there).
Yes, I'm back. And I hope I'll still be here for a long time, but who knows. As I believe you know, unless it's the first time you read my blog, I'm living at Madrid.
Finally I've got a job, a good one (except for the paying, but it's my first as a programmer, so it's not that bad). I've got my own house (but shared) and a live by my own, far from my boring town, but still in my boring country. Madrid is a fascinating city, or it might be if I had enough time to see it. But as I ride the tube and bus up to 2 hours a day I have enough time to wath and spend my time with my favourite hobby. I'm not being sincere, I don't spend that much time watching, I mostly spend it reading, but if you have 2 hours you get enough time to, at least, see somebody. This is not my first time at Madrid, so I can compare what it is now with what it was, and that's good, for you.
For a little spaniard being here it's even more weird than being at London, as the number of inmigrants are even higher than at London. But also they're different. In London you get mostly Indians, Pakistanies, and colored (I'm sorry if I'm not being politicalt incorrect, I'm not racist, but how can I say "black people" without somebody being angry?) people from Africa and other countries. Here you get mostly south americans, Marroccians, Nigerians and east europeans (bulgary, romania, ...). I saw that most of them speak Spanish as well as the England inmigrants speak mostly english, but of course not all of them, but a big number (you know what I mean, I guess). So anyhow I feel like being at London because pf the tube, the inmigrants and the big cities facts, but I also see it's completly different in most ways, Spanish ways.
My plan was this post just being a brief short talk to tell you where I am, but you know when I start writing I can't really stop. But I'll leave it now. I have to be up at 6AM and that's really hard for me. As I told you I feel a bit like being in England but without the good things (well, I have some good things as well). I have millions of things to tell you, and I hope you'll find some of them hilarious, specially when I finally speak about work mates, and flat mates (they are adorable, my flat mates, I mean, but also weird in a good way, well, sometimes not that good). But I have this guy I gave the nickname of "fat bastard" because of the Austin Powers film, but that's also a long story that deserves a whole post.
Anyway, thanks for still being there and you'll hear from me.
See you soon.
Manoel
PS: working on an office is a really bitchy world, I know most of you know it, but you'll see.
Yes, I'm back. And I hope I'll still be here for a long time, but who knows. As I believe you know, unless it's the first time you read my blog, I'm living at Madrid.
Finally I've got a job, a good one (except for the paying, but it's my first as a programmer, so it's not that bad). I've got my own house (but shared) and a live by my own, far from my boring town, but still in my boring country. Madrid is a fascinating city, or it might be if I had enough time to see it. But as I ride the tube and bus up to 2 hours a day I have enough time to wath and spend my time with my favourite hobby. I'm not being sincere, I don't spend that much time watching, I mostly spend it reading, but if you have 2 hours you get enough time to, at least, see somebody. This is not my first time at Madrid, so I can compare what it is now with what it was, and that's good, for you.
For a little spaniard being here it's even more weird than being at London, as the number of inmigrants are even higher than at London. But also they're different. In London you get mostly Indians, Pakistanies, and colored (I'm sorry if I'm not being politicalt incorrect, I'm not racist, but how can I say "black people" without somebody being angry?) people from Africa and other countries. Here you get mostly south americans, Marroccians, Nigerians and east europeans (bulgary, romania, ...). I saw that most of them speak Spanish as well as the England inmigrants speak mostly english, but of course not all of them, but a big number (you know what I mean, I guess). So anyhow I feel like being at London because pf the tube, the inmigrants and the big cities facts, but I also see it's completly different in most ways, Spanish ways.
My plan was this post just being a brief short talk to tell you where I am, but you know when I start writing I can't really stop. But I'll leave it now. I have to be up at 6AM and that's really hard for me. As I told you I feel a bit like being in England but without the good things (well, I have some good things as well). I have millions of things to tell you, and I hope you'll find some of them hilarious, specially when I finally speak about work mates, and flat mates (they are adorable, my flat mates, I mean, but also weird in a good way, well, sometimes not that good). But I have this guy I gave the nickname of "fat bastard" because of the Austin Powers film, but that's also a long story that deserves a whole post.
Anyway, thanks for still being there and you'll hear from me.
See you soon.
Manoel
PS: working on an office is a really bitchy world, I know most of you know it, but you'll see.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
An Spaniard in Spain
Hi all fellow readers.
I'm sorry for being so late, but unfortunetly things have change a little. Now I'm not at England and I have many things to tell you. I'm going to get a job on a few weeks and I'll be paid finally for doing what I like, wich sounds wonderful. Meanwhile I'm afraid you won't have news from me 'till I bring my computer to Madrid and I get an Internet connection at home, well first of all I have to find a home. I have so many things to do, say but still not time to do them.
I just wanted you to know I'm still here and I'll be here in the future.
Hope I'll write again soon.
Your fellow blogger Manoel.
I'm sorry for being so late, but unfortunetly things have change a little. Now I'm not at England and I have many things to tell you. I'm going to get a job on a few weeks and I'll be paid finally for doing what I like, wich sounds wonderful. Meanwhile I'm afraid you won't have news from me 'till I bring my computer to Madrid and I get an Internet connection at home, well first of all I have to find a home. I have so many things to do, say but still not time to do them.
I just wanted you to know I'm still here and I'll be here in the future.
Hope I'll write again soon.
Your fellow blogger Manoel.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
The day after
What-u mates.
I must confess that that week was the drunkest week I ever had. In fact for the whole week I was drunk half the time. It's not that I have a problem with alcohol, it was just a question of being in the right place at the right moment (I know the sentence is not right, but I changed it for my own purpose). I found really nice going to a Pub to enjoy my book with a couple of pints, in fact I loved that moments. If you have the whole day free, if you don't have anything to do or go afer 5pm and you need to spend some time doing something nice, reading on a Pub with a pint of nice Ale (or lager) and beside the chimney (or however it has to be written) it's one of the most wonderful things in life. I really love and miss that moments. But after 3 hours being on the Pub, waiting to meet somebody or just going home meant to be drunk. You can't stay on a Pub for 3 hours without drinking 2 or 3 pints, I believe it would be cheeky to do the opposite. So I did.
The problem always was when I went home, or met the people whom I had to see, there was always a chance to get drunker. My flatmates brought more beer, or I had something to do with Alice that finally envolved drinking (like the raffle thing). Or there was just kind of a party at Alice's house with her parents, or just meet her father, brother, brother's fionce when arriving at home at the local pub. I don't want to blame Alice, but mostly it was her fault, except for the previous book beers.
So next day, the day after the raffle event, I spent the day at London. This time I promised Alice I'll help her with another fund rising event, tihs time a conference or something like that (that kind of events had a name, but as always I fogot) at the Marie Curie Hospital. I went before the event to help them (Alice and the girls at the raffle) to move chairs, furniture, machines and leave everything prepared for the event. I did help them, but I couldn't stay for the conference, I don't really know why. They had speakers, and I believe they talked about some organization or part of an organization that goes to high mountains on south america, I'll ask Alice and I'll explain it to you later. The bad thing is that the conferences seemed to be really interesting, with loads of exciting stories from the speakers, and I feel really jealous about Alice being there and not me.
Anyway, I had to meet them at the hospital later, 4 or 5 hours later. So I went for a walk on the area, wich was close to Camdem Town. They adviced me to go to Camdem Market, but you know I love to be lost and so I did. The fact is I couldn't find Camdem Market, but I had a nice walk. But I still had a lot of free time and nothing to do. Guess what I did; yes I went to the Pub to drink and read. So when the time came I was again partially drunk. I went back to the hospital and help them to put the stuff back on their original place. And after that, and talk for a bit with the girls, Alice, myself and Alice's boss (Andy?) left the place on a car. We went to Marie Curie Office at Vauxhall. The building is very posch and seems to be expensive. So I asked Andy? how it was that they had the office there, you know when you have a funding organization expending a lot on an office seems to be a nonsense. He told me the building was crap, badly made and even ill, so the owners had planned to pull it down and rebuild a new one. So the rent is very cheap, and a lot of fundings have their offices there. I wander what'll happen when they finally pull the building down.
After that Alice and I had to go to an Alice's house for a birthday party and so we did. We reach the house and met her friends. I talked with them while Alice was changing her clothes for going out, and drunk white wine. Then we left the house and went to a Pub to drink more. There's not a lot of interesting things that happened on the Pub. I was really really tired, so I was a bit silent, and that's really strange on me, you know. So I'll just tell you the interesting bits of the night.
Some French friends of Alice's birthday girl came to meet us on the Pub. I was telling Alice that everybody hates French guys, and also that I do hate Frenchs (actually it's not true, it's just part of the topic that everybody hate French people). So it happend again the same as the night before. I was told the girl speaked fluent Spanish. And after hearing that, just before telling Alice about the world and myself hating Frenchs, that I made my way to talk to the girl on my own language. I know it did surprise Alice again, how I can change my mind and even forget about pain when there's a nice lady that can speak spanish. I promise I was joking about the hating, I do not know enough French people to have an oppinion about them. So I talked with the girl, and in fact I talked a lot. It was a bit strange for me because she had a south spanish accent, I mean from Andalucia. So I was speaking with a French girl with an Andalucian accent, and I couldn't notice a strong French accent at all, it might had been I was drunk. She was really nice I say, but her boyfriend was beside her. She liked to speak with me because her English wasn't as good as her Spanish, her boyfriend translated almost everything in fact.
After a while, and as a result of me being tired I talked to Alice, who noticed my tireness, and I told her if there was any possibility to go to her friend's house and sleep. She told me she was also tired and so we went out the Pub to talk about that. But she was hungry, and I was also and we went to a fried chicken place next to the Pub and asked for some chicken. Then this big black guy came and asked for chicken. When he was going to pay some coins falled from his hand. I quickly move my hand to pick them from the floor and gave them to the guy. He was really surprised about that, like nobody ever had done something like that for him. He told me I was a gentleman and that Alice was lucky. It made me feel really well, but at the same time made me think about English people not doing what I did. The guy was really happy with what I did and he was smiling all the time. I was also happy and his smile and happy face were a very nice thing. So we left the place, eat our chicken and finally went home to sleep.
I slept on the sofa and she slept on the ground with a sleeping bag. It wasn't my choice, don't believe I'm a bloody nasty guy who doesn't care about other people sleeping on the ground. She insisted it was worst to sleep on the sofa. But it seemed the sofa wasn't the appropiate place to sleep. At 3am the other people, the house owners and some others came back home to sleep. We had to leave the lounge and went to sleep on a proper bed. That sounds really nice, but it wasn't really a whole bed. I could consider myself as lucky that night 'cause I slept with two Ladies. But I must say I sleep with Alice's feet beside my face and I didn't sleep in the middle of the bed, so I wasn't surrounded by women. Fortunatly Alice's feet didn't snorl or smell.
I hope I won't have any alcohol problems in the future.
Manoel.
PS: Thanks Alice for so many really nice moments.
I must confess that that week was the drunkest week I ever had. In fact for the whole week I was drunk half the time. It's not that I have a problem with alcohol, it was just a question of being in the right place at the right moment (I know the sentence is not right, but I changed it for my own purpose). I found really nice going to a Pub to enjoy my book with a couple of pints, in fact I loved that moments. If you have the whole day free, if you don't have anything to do or go afer 5pm and you need to spend some time doing something nice, reading on a Pub with a pint of nice Ale (or lager) and beside the chimney (or however it has to be written) it's one of the most wonderful things in life. I really love and miss that moments. But after 3 hours being on the Pub, waiting to meet somebody or just going home meant to be drunk. You can't stay on a Pub for 3 hours without drinking 2 or 3 pints, I believe it would be cheeky to do the opposite. So I did.
The problem always was when I went home, or met the people whom I had to see, there was always a chance to get drunker. My flatmates brought more beer, or I had something to do with Alice that finally envolved drinking (like the raffle thing). Or there was just kind of a party at Alice's house with her parents, or just meet her father, brother, brother's fionce when arriving at home at the local pub. I don't want to blame Alice, but mostly it was her fault, except for the previous book beers.
So next day, the day after the raffle event, I spent the day at London. This time I promised Alice I'll help her with another fund rising event, tihs time a conference or something like that (that kind of events had a name, but as always I fogot) at the Marie Curie Hospital. I went before the event to help them (Alice and the girls at the raffle) to move chairs, furniture, machines and leave everything prepared for the event. I did help them, but I couldn't stay for the conference, I don't really know why. They had speakers, and I believe they talked about some organization or part of an organization that goes to high mountains on south america, I'll ask Alice and I'll explain it to you later. The bad thing is that the conferences seemed to be really interesting, with loads of exciting stories from the speakers, and I feel really jealous about Alice being there and not me.
Anyway, I had to meet them at the hospital later, 4 or 5 hours later. So I went for a walk on the area, wich was close to Camdem Town. They adviced me to go to Camdem Market, but you know I love to be lost and so I did. The fact is I couldn't find Camdem Market, but I had a nice walk. But I still had a lot of free time and nothing to do. Guess what I did; yes I went to the Pub to drink and read. So when the time came I was again partially drunk. I went back to the hospital and help them to put the stuff back on their original place. And after that, and talk for a bit with the girls, Alice, myself and Alice's boss (Andy?) left the place on a car. We went to Marie Curie Office at Vauxhall. The building is very posch and seems to be expensive. So I asked Andy? how it was that they had the office there, you know when you have a funding organization expending a lot on an office seems to be a nonsense. He told me the building was crap, badly made and even ill, so the owners had planned to pull it down and rebuild a new one. So the rent is very cheap, and a lot of fundings have their offices there. I wander what'll happen when they finally pull the building down.
After that Alice and I had to go to an Alice's house for a birthday party and so we did. We reach the house and met her friends. I talked with them while Alice was changing her clothes for going out, and drunk white wine. Then we left the house and went to a Pub to drink more. There's not a lot of interesting things that happened on the Pub. I was really really tired, so I was a bit silent, and that's really strange on me, you know. So I'll just tell you the interesting bits of the night.
Some French friends of Alice's birthday girl came to meet us on the Pub. I was telling Alice that everybody hates French guys, and also that I do hate Frenchs (actually it's not true, it's just part of the topic that everybody hate French people). So it happend again the same as the night before. I was told the girl speaked fluent Spanish. And after hearing that, just before telling Alice about the world and myself hating Frenchs, that I made my way to talk to the girl on my own language. I know it did surprise Alice again, how I can change my mind and even forget about pain when there's a nice lady that can speak spanish. I promise I was joking about the hating, I do not know enough French people to have an oppinion about them. So I talked with the girl, and in fact I talked a lot. It was a bit strange for me because she had a south spanish accent, I mean from Andalucia. So I was speaking with a French girl with an Andalucian accent, and I couldn't notice a strong French accent at all, it might had been I was drunk. She was really nice I say, but her boyfriend was beside her. She liked to speak with me because her English wasn't as good as her Spanish, her boyfriend translated almost everything in fact.
After a while, and as a result of me being tired I talked to Alice, who noticed my tireness, and I told her if there was any possibility to go to her friend's house and sleep. She told me she was also tired and so we went out the Pub to talk about that. But she was hungry, and I was also and we went to a fried chicken place next to the Pub and asked for some chicken. Then this big black guy came and asked for chicken. When he was going to pay some coins falled from his hand. I quickly move my hand to pick them from the floor and gave them to the guy. He was really surprised about that, like nobody ever had done something like that for him. He told me I was a gentleman and that Alice was lucky. It made me feel really well, but at the same time made me think about English people not doing what I did. The guy was really happy with what I did and he was smiling all the time. I was also happy and his smile and happy face were a very nice thing. So we left the place, eat our chicken and finally went home to sleep.
I slept on the sofa and she slept on the ground with a sleeping bag. It wasn't my choice, don't believe I'm a bloody nasty guy who doesn't care about other people sleeping on the ground. She insisted it was worst to sleep on the sofa. But it seemed the sofa wasn't the appropiate place to sleep. At 3am the other people, the house owners and some others came back home to sleep. We had to leave the lounge and went to sleep on a proper bed. That sounds really nice, but it wasn't really a whole bed. I could consider myself as lucky that night 'cause I slept with two Ladies. But I must say I sleep with Alice's feet beside my face and I didn't sleep in the middle of the bed, so I wasn't surrounded by women. Fortunatly Alice's feet didn't snorl or smell.
I hope I won't have any alcohol problems in the future.
Manoel.
PS: Thanks Alice for so many really nice moments.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
The continuous story of the raffle night
Hullo mate.
I was becoming an English, so I guess I should speak like one of them.
I must continue with the raffle night. I think I left it with a couple, well more than a couple, of champagne glasses. At that time I was partially drunk and, on my own believings, being quite funny. So finally we left the place. We had to walk, but not much, but on our state we decided, they decided, to catch a cub. So I could enjoy a London cab. the inside was big, really big, and comfortable, with loads of space on the back seats. In fact there was enough space for 5 people and the seats were distributed like 3 on the back and 2 on the front, like a table. The cab driver was good, he didn´t talk that much, compared with Spanish taxi drivers, I mean, and he seem to know were he was going, compared with Spanish taxi drivers, I mean again.
So we went on the cab to another raffle, but this time it wasn't our. It was kind of a country party, I mean country music party, on a disco. Those kind of parties have a name, Alice told me but I just forgot, I'm sorry. There was a band playing country music, and people dressed with american cowboy hats and jeans. We drunk more beer and danced. It was really funny, happy and interesting.
Problems started when the band decided to play Anarchy in the UK on a country style. That anoyyed me a bit, I'm really sorry, and I was also drunk. So I decided not to dance and show my dissapointing. I just considered it ridiculous. How can you be an anarchyst playing country music? I guess Sex Pistols would be angry on their graves if they were dead (that's something I'm not sure about, but I guess they are). But people seemed to enjoy it. I told my friends (my raffle mates) about I was a bit pistoff, and they told me not to worry that much (well, I wasn't really annoyed, I was smiling) and that it's like being an anarchyst playing that song on a country style, I still don't believe it.
They finished playing, and they asked if everybody liked it, I said NO on a loud voice with so such bad luck that when I said it everybody was silent, so I was completly heard. I was a bit ashamed, as I was only joking. But nobody was neither angry nor screaming at the Spanish bastard. In fact, I guess nobody realized about what I did, they were drunk also. So the party was over (and not because of me) and we left the place.
There we were walking for a while on the streets on our ways to the different transports we chose for our back trips. I was a bit tired and also walking behind them, they were walking quite fast and I spent the whole day walking, dancing and drinking. There was a traffic sign and I tried to avoid it with the misfortune that something else was on my way. It was kind of a metal and sharp thing in the middle of the street and my right leg found it, exactly on the corner of it. So the pain was considerable high, and I had to stop just to scratch my leg and try not to think about the pain. Alice knows I have problems with my knees, so after she saw me she thought I was having pain on them and I wasn't able to walk properly, and she told the other girls and they came to help me or at least to feel a bit of sorrow for me. Unfortunatly at the precise time they decided to do it I heard two girl voices speaking in Spanish. I was so happy and drunk that I forgot about my pain and jumped and ran to say hello to the girls. The other girls saw it and they forgot about my knees. They weren't dissapointed, they just laughed and thought that it was another joke I made, or at least that's what they said. But I could noticed they were pistoff, not much. I wasn't really lucky as I missed the Spanish girls and also made the others feel disspointed.
We went home, but at that time going home meant to catch a train from Waterloo to Tonbridge, 45 minutes more or less. So Alice and I did, the other girls catched different trains or just went home on a cab (they were only two girls). Alice talks as much as I do, what is really nice and you don't get bored. The problem is I really talk a lot, in fact I never stop talking, but it's always interesting, believe me. We went on the train and there were two seats available. One of them was just empty, but the other was occupied by a slept girl and Alice didn't dare to awake her to ask for the seat. She asked it for me. So I was sitting beside the sleepy and a bit angry girl. And we talked, and talked, and talked. My voice was quite low, but Alice's was a bit louder than me. After 20 minutes, more or less (don't expect me to remember my life completely) I said "I think I was quite funny today", and actually I really believe I was. The sleeping girl said "No, you're not" and I could guess on her tone that she was really angry. I said something but I don't remember what, I guess it was "fuck off, I wasn't speaking with you". After the next stop, the person in front of Alice left the train leaving a seat beside one big boy. So the girl went there, with the boy, and she also hug him. I guess he was her boyfriend, and we (Alice and I) also guessed she was angry with him, that's why she was in such a bad mood. She could have been seating in front of him if she wanted. When we reached the train there were two seats, and one of them was beside the girl. I just wander why she wasn't seated beside her lover, and we just could bet they had an argument.
She stopped at the same station as us. And I did what I always do, and it's being a gentleman letting her leave the train before me, she said "thanks".
The point is Alice was talking louder than me, and also even more than me. Why the girl made that horrible comentary about me being funny? was it because she hated men at that precise moment? or it was just because I was closer to her and I said the unappropiate thing?
The fact is that it was a really interesting night, I promise. Thanks Alice.
See you all soon, there's more things to tell you and so many few time...
Manoel.
I was becoming an English, so I guess I should speak like one of them.
I must continue with the raffle night. I think I left it with a couple, well more than a couple, of champagne glasses. At that time I was partially drunk and, on my own believings, being quite funny. So finally we left the place. We had to walk, but not much, but on our state we decided, they decided, to catch a cub. So I could enjoy a London cab. the inside was big, really big, and comfortable, with loads of space on the back seats. In fact there was enough space for 5 people and the seats were distributed like 3 on the back and 2 on the front, like a table. The cab driver was good, he didn´t talk that much, compared with Spanish taxi drivers, I mean, and he seem to know were he was going, compared with Spanish taxi drivers, I mean again.
So we went on the cab to another raffle, but this time it wasn't our. It was kind of a country party, I mean country music party, on a disco. Those kind of parties have a name, Alice told me but I just forgot, I'm sorry. There was a band playing country music, and people dressed with american cowboy hats and jeans. We drunk more beer and danced. It was really funny, happy and interesting.
Problems started when the band decided to play Anarchy in the UK on a country style. That anoyyed me a bit, I'm really sorry, and I was also drunk. So I decided not to dance and show my dissapointing. I just considered it ridiculous. How can you be an anarchyst playing country music? I guess Sex Pistols would be angry on their graves if they were dead (that's something I'm not sure about, but I guess they are). But people seemed to enjoy it. I told my friends (my raffle mates) about I was a bit pistoff, and they told me not to worry that much (well, I wasn't really annoyed, I was smiling) and that it's like being an anarchyst playing that song on a country style, I still don't believe it.
They finished playing, and they asked if everybody liked it, I said NO on a loud voice with so such bad luck that when I said it everybody was silent, so I was completly heard. I was a bit ashamed, as I was only joking. But nobody was neither angry nor screaming at the Spanish bastard. In fact, I guess nobody realized about what I did, they were drunk also. So the party was over (and not because of me) and we left the place.
There we were walking for a while on the streets on our ways to the different transports we chose for our back trips. I was a bit tired and also walking behind them, they were walking quite fast and I spent the whole day walking, dancing and drinking. There was a traffic sign and I tried to avoid it with the misfortune that something else was on my way. It was kind of a metal and sharp thing in the middle of the street and my right leg found it, exactly on the corner of it. So the pain was considerable high, and I had to stop just to scratch my leg and try not to think about the pain. Alice knows I have problems with my knees, so after she saw me she thought I was having pain on them and I wasn't able to walk properly, and she told the other girls and they came to help me or at least to feel a bit of sorrow for me. Unfortunatly at the precise time they decided to do it I heard two girl voices speaking in Spanish. I was so happy and drunk that I forgot about my pain and jumped and ran to say hello to the girls. The other girls saw it and they forgot about my knees. They weren't dissapointed, they just laughed and thought that it was another joke I made, or at least that's what they said. But I could noticed they were pistoff, not much. I wasn't really lucky as I missed the Spanish girls and also made the others feel disspointed.
We went home, but at that time going home meant to catch a train from Waterloo to Tonbridge, 45 minutes more or less. So Alice and I did, the other girls catched different trains or just went home on a cab (they were only two girls). Alice talks as much as I do, what is really nice and you don't get bored. The problem is I really talk a lot, in fact I never stop talking, but it's always interesting, believe me. We went on the train and there were two seats available. One of them was just empty, but the other was occupied by a slept girl and Alice didn't dare to awake her to ask for the seat. She asked it for me. So I was sitting beside the sleepy and a bit angry girl. And we talked, and talked, and talked. My voice was quite low, but Alice's was a bit louder than me. After 20 minutes, more or less (don't expect me to remember my life completely) I said "I think I was quite funny today", and actually I really believe I was. The sleeping girl said "No, you're not" and I could guess on her tone that she was really angry. I said something but I don't remember what, I guess it was "fuck off, I wasn't speaking with you". After the next stop, the person in front of Alice left the train leaving a seat beside one big boy. So the girl went there, with the boy, and she also hug him. I guess he was her boyfriend, and we (Alice and I) also guessed she was angry with him, that's why she was in such a bad mood. She could have been seating in front of him if she wanted. When we reached the train there were two seats, and one of them was beside the girl. I just wander why she wasn't seated beside her lover, and we just could bet they had an argument.
She stopped at the same station as us. And I did what I always do, and it's being a gentleman letting her leave the train before me, she said "thanks".
The point is Alice was talking louder than me, and also even more than me. Why the girl made that horrible comentary about me being funny? was it because she hated men at that precise moment? or it was just because I was closer to her and I said the unappropiate thing?
The fact is that it was a really interesting night, I promise. Thanks Alice.
See you all soon, there's more things to tell you and so many few time...
Manoel.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Apologizing
Hi there.
I'm really sorry but I couldn't write these days. The reason was I didn't have an opportunity to use a computer with an internet connection and also I even wasn't at London all the time.
Now I'm too tired to write a lot but I'll do it this week. There's so many things I want to say that I'm sure I'll write many posts.
But I just wanted to tell you fellow readers that soon I'll be here again. But unfortunatly I have bad news for you.
I'll just leave you with the doubt as sometimes I like a bit of mistery.
See you soon.
Manoel.
I'm really sorry but I couldn't write these days. The reason was I didn't have an opportunity to use a computer with an internet connection and also I even wasn't at London all the time.
Now I'm too tired to write a lot but I'll do it this week. There's so many things I want to say that I'm sure I'll write many posts.
But I just wanted to tell you fellow readers that soon I'll be here again. But unfortunatly I have bad news for you.
I'll just leave you with the doubt as sometimes I like a bit of mistery.
See you soon.
Manoel.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Some events
Hi everybody.
The last week I attend some really interesting events. As a matter of fact I spent half the last week being drunk. I'm living for these week and part of the last one with a friend of Faye (and now also mine) in Shipbourn, Kent. I go to London almost everyday from there, what is a 45 minutes Train trip. Thanks to that I don't have to spend my days in the last corner of the world surrounded by birds, green grass and trees, and nothing else. And also I have nothing else, so I'm pleased being there (well if the things went wrong I could go again to Chesire, wich I'd really like in some ways, not for the cows, of course).
Anyway, the fact is that last week I had to wait for hours before I could meet the girl to go back to her house. That meant I had to spend some time reading my book at the first pub I could find. Normally it was 2 or 3 hours. It was a fantastic time, but for not feeling guilty I bought some pints. So I spent that time reading and drinking. When the time to meet her came I was quite drunk all those days, I mean not really drunk, just happy enough. The problem was on thursday and friday that later I had to go to some events.
The first one was a raffle. My friend Alice works for charity (but being paid). Her job is organizing events to get money. I would say she's a begger, but it's not exactly true, she's more polite and the money is not for herself. The event was in the reopening of a very posch bar/restaurant called Brown's. I was amazed because it was really posch and because I saw some nice girls there also. I was really happy, and mostly because of the beer. As I had nothing else to do I decided to go to the event with her and help. I didn't expect Champagne coming all the time as we sold the tickets for the raffle, but it did come. So the fact is that while I was selling the tickets with my friend I was falling slowly in a really good drunken state. We sold a lot, anyway, we were very succesful. They also gave us really nice food, so you can imagine how happy I was.
But as all you know I'm a very good observer. So the raffle in the posch place gave me an opportunity to look closely to posch people. The first thing I realized is they weren't that posch. I mean they were richer than us, but only small executive type. I could see those ugly guys with really pretty girls, that's the power of love.
Selling things to rich people, specially for charity, is a really good thing if you want to see how mean they are. The poorest the generous, the richest the mean. But that's not exactly true. If they were with their pretty tall blondies they gave more money (one of them gave 20£), but if they were alone they only give the minimun. They were very generous, all of them, even the meaniest. I wander if I had done the same thing in Spain we'd colect the same amount.
The prizes were really good, and also the price of the raffle, so we were really succesful, and drunk, and happy. Everybody was happy, specially the guy that won the 1st prize, a nice guy, he really deserved it.
Later that night more things happend, funny things, well, just two, but I'll leave them for the next post as my money runs out on the cyber.
Cheers. See you soon.
Manoel.
The last week I attend some really interesting events. As a matter of fact I spent half the last week being drunk. I'm living for these week and part of the last one with a friend of Faye (and now also mine) in Shipbourn, Kent. I go to London almost everyday from there, what is a 45 minutes Train trip. Thanks to that I don't have to spend my days in the last corner of the world surrounded by birds, green grass and trees, and nothing else. And also I have nothing else, so I'm pleased being there (well if the things went wrong I could go again to Chesire, wich I'd really like in some ways, not for the cows, of course).
Anyway, the fact is that last week I had to wait for hours before I could meet the girl to go back to her house. That meant I had to spend some time reading my book at the first pub I could find. Normally it was 2 or 3 hours. It was a fantastic time, but for not feeling guilty I bought some pints. So I spent that time reading and drinking. When the time to meet her came I was quite drunk all those days, I mean not really drunk, just happy enough. The problem was on thursday and friday that later I had to go to some events.
The first one was a raffle. My friend Alice works for charity (but being paid). Her job is organizing events to get money. I would say she's a begger, but it's not exactly true, she's more polite and the money is not for herself. The event was in the reopening of a very posch bar/restaurant called Brown's. I was amazed because it was really posch and because I saw some nice girls there also. I was really happy, and mostly because of the beer. As I had nothing else to do I decided to go to the event with her and help. I didn't expect Champagne coming all the time as we sold the tickets for the raffle, but it did come. So the fact is that while I was selling the tickets with my friend I was falling slowly in a really good drunken state. We sold a lot, anyway, we were very succesful. They also gave us really nice food, so you can imagine how happy I was.
But as all you know I'm a very good observer. So the raffle in the posch place gave me an opportunity to look closely to posch people. The first thing I realized is they weren't that posch. I mean they were richer than us, but only small executive type. I could see those ugly guys with really pretty girls, that's the power of love.
Selling things to rich people, specially for charity, is a really good thing if you want to see how mean they are. The poorest the generous, the richest the mean. But that's not exactly true. If they were with their pretty tall blondies they gave more money (one of them gave 20£), but if they were alone they only give the minimun. They were very generous, all of them, even the meaniest. I wander if I had done the same thing in Spain we'd colect the same amount.
The prizes were really good, and also the price of the raffle, so we were really succesful, and drunk, and happy. Everybody was happy, specially the guy that won the 1st prize, a nice guy, he really deserved it.
Later that night more things happend, funny things, well, just two, but I'll leave them for the next post as my money runs out on the cyber.
Cheers. See you soon.
Manoel.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
The weirdest City
Hi there.
One of the first things I noticed about London is how weird is it constructed. The fact is you can find any kind of building style on any street or borough. I mean, you just walk on London Bridge and see this horrible factory-type building that belongs to Lloyds TSB, and in front of it a very wonderful and gorgeous classic house. And then if you walk a bit more you find that egg-shape new building. That's something you'll notice on every street, and as I said on other posts it's impossible not to find a gorgeous building to look at. That's why I really love walking on London, better than using the tube (of course I do both). But even when my feet are suffering from horrible pain I keep on walking because if I don't I'm sure I'll miss something really interesting.
And you also have those luxurious hotels, with the guys with the hat and the suit at the door to help you with the luggage. That's something we don't have in my town, where the most approximate to that is an old chap dressed with an old suit who can't really manage to carry your small suitcase and finally you carry everything 'cause you feel guilty. I'll fancy to stay one night on one of those hotels, but I'm sure they are prohibittly expensive (does that expression exists in English?).
There's something I found interesting. Those big white limos with dark windows. I always wonder who is inside them. It might be a famous and/or rich guy or chick, a gorgeous girl, a politician (I won't say anything good about them), or even a group of drunken chav chicks on a stag night (is it spelled like that?). But that's what makes limos with black windows exciting, as Forrest Gump said: "Limos are like a chocolates box, you never know what you are going to find.". I wish one of them stop in front of me, pull down the window and ask me to go in. The problem with that could be either chav chicks, or an old chap (or mis) that wants me, I don't really know what would be worst.
There's something else I find weird. As well with the buildings are people clothings. You can find a guy dressed with an armani suit sitting on the tube beside a punk style mate. Or that old woman with green hair, green skirt, green and red striped long socks, and trainers beside another one dressed entirely by DKNY. I feel I bit weirdo too, as I'm just normally dressed, I don't have a particular style, just normal, so I guess that in fact I'm the less normal here, and that makes me happy.
So if I had to find a short sentence to describe London it might be "the city of contrasts".
Anyway, I feel very humorous today as you can notice.
Have a great time.
Manoel.
One of the first things I noticed about London is how weird is it constructed. The fact is you can find any kind of building style on any street or borough. I mean, you just walk on London Bridge and see this horrible factory-type building that belongs to Lloyds TSB, and in front of it a very wonderful and gorgeous classic house. And then if you walk a bit more you find that egg-shape new building. That's something you'll notice on every street, and as I said on other posts it's impossible not to find a gorgeous building to look at. That's why I really love walking on London, better than using the tube (of course I do both). But even when my feet are suffering from horrible pain I keep on walking because if I don't I'm sure I'll miss something really interesting.
And you also have those luxurious hotels, with the guys with the hat and the suit at the door to help you with the luggage. That's something we don't have in my town, where the most approximate to that is an old chap dressed with an old suit who can't really manage to carry your small suitcase and finally you carry everything 'cause you feel guilty. I'll fancy to stay one night on one of those hotels, but I'm sure they are prohibittly expensive (does that expression exists in English?).
There's something I found interesting. Those big white limos with dark windows. I always wonder who is inside them. It might be a famous and/or rich guy or chick, a gorgeous girl, a politician (I won't say anything good about them), or even a group of drunken chav chicks on a stag night (is it spelled like that?). But that's what makes limos with black windows exciting, as Forrest Gump said: "Limos are like a chocolates box, you never know what you are going to find.". I wish one of them stop in front of me, pull down the window and ask me to go in. The problem with that could be either chav chicks, or an old chap (or mis) that wants me, I don't really know what would be worst.
There's something else I find weird. As well with the buildings are people clothings. You can find a guy dressed with an armani suit sitting on the tube beside a punk style mate. Or that old woman with green hair, green skirt, green and red striped long socks, and trainers beside another one dressed entirely by DKNY. I feel I bit weirdo too, as I'm just normally dressed, I don't have a particular style, just normal, so I guess that in fact I'm the less normal here, and that makes me happy.
So if I had to find a short sentence to describe London it might be "the city of contrasts".
Anyway, I feel very humorous today as you can notice.
Have a great time.
Manoel.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
The Capital of Tourism
Hi again.
If there's a city, that I know, in the world with a lot of tourists that's London. I talked in the past about how annoying they can be, especially if they're a crowd of loudy Spaniards or screamy children. Here we have both and also Japanese, Chinese, Americans (even louder than Spaniards), French, and almost every nationality in the entire world. This time I'm not going to talk about Spaniards, in fact they aren't the loudest, this time are Americans (and some times Dutchs). But I'm not also going to talk about Americans, just about tourists.
There's some parts of London where you can find them. Those areas are exactly the ones I wanted to visit. But it's not only tourists what annoyies me, it's also school boys on a visit. If there's some places in wich silent is appreciated those are museums. I wanted to walk either on the British museum, or the Science and Natural History museums, or the National Gallery, anywhere, but sometimes I had to leave the rooms without seeing some of the finest pieces of art/history just because I couldn't stand so many noise. I thought British children were more educated, but they are as uneducated as Spanish children. It must be a question of age, not education, I'm just not sure. But I don't blame them, I blame the teachers who allowed them to run in the mummy hall on the Brit. Mus. Come on! let them rest in peace.
Those mummies where resting in perfectly peace for thousands of years but now they have to bare all those screamings, runnings, playings... I think that's not fair.
On the National Gallery they were quieter, but not as would like them to be. On the science and natural history museums they were even worst than on the British Museum. On those you have science games, so you can imagine them destructivly playing with those poor artifacts designed to entertain and educate but not to encourage violence.
And what about tourists? They weren't that horrible, in fact sometimes I looked like them with my camera. In fact I think I'm the worst of them because I take pictures of almost everything, even on the street, They must believe I'm a Japanese.
Tourists behave better on the museums than Spaniards on their owns, even if they are Spaniards (I mean Spaniards in London). They also have the guided bus sighteen tours in wich they see all London from a Bus (I really preffer walking, you have more time to see things, or not, because on a Bus you have to stop several times as the traffic is not really good here). And they also have a ship on the River Thames, and walking guided tours on the city. I must be a bad guy, but I don't give a shi... about all the info guides gives. I find no interest on knowing that a famous writer I never ever heard about lived in that small horrible house 50 years ago. What I like is walking alone so I can stop to see that building nobody notices but is so pretty, gorgeous. So there I am with my camera to take a picture of it. And also I don't find interesting joking about those poor soldiers at Buckghingham palace, I believe that's a punishment for they bad behaviour in the past, so they have to stand there without moving while a crowd of bloody bastards are telling him jokes in languages he doesn't know. I feel sorry for them, but I took a picture too.
Well. I found something to talk about, and everytime the subject of my posts is different, but it's a question of inspiration.
Kind regards.
Manoel.
If there's a city, that I know, in the world with a lot of tourists that's London. I talked in the past about how annoying they can be, especially if they're a crowd of loudy Spaniards or screamy children. Here we have both and also Japanese, Chinese, Americans (even louder than Spaniards), French, and almost every nationality in the entire world. This time I'm not going to talk about Spaniards, in fact they aren't the loudest, this time are Americans (and some times Dutchs). But I'm not also going to talk about Americans, just about tourists.
There's some parts of London where you can find them. Those areas are exactly the ones I wanted to visit. But it's not only tourists what annoyies me, it's also school boys on a visit. If there's some places in wich silent is appreciated those are museums. I wanted to walk either on the British museum, or the Science and Natural History museums, or the National Gallery, anywhere, but sometimes I had to leave the rooms without seeing some of the finest pieces of art/history just because I couldn't stand so many noise. I thought British children were more educated, but they are as uneducated as Spanish children. It must be a question of age, not education, I'm just not sure. But I don't blame them, I blame the teachers who allowed them to run in the mummy hall on the Brit. Mus. Come on! let them rest in peace.
Those mummies where resting in perfectly peace for thousands of years but now they have to bare all those screamings, runnings, playings... I think that's not fair.
On the National Gallery they were quieter, but not as would like them to be. On the science and natural history museums they were even worst than on the British Museum. On those you have science games, so you can imagine them destructivly playing with those poor artifacts designed to entertain and educate but not to encourage violence.
And what about tourists? They weren't that horrible, in fact sometimes I looked like them with my camera. In fact I think I'm the worst of them because I take pictures of almost everything, even on the street, They must believe I'm a Japanese.
Tourists behave better on the museums than Spaniards on their owns, even if they are Spaniards (I mean Spaniards in London). They also have the guided bus sighteen tours in wich they see all London from a Bus (I really preffer walking, you have more time to see things, or not, because on a Bus you have to stop several times as the traffic is not really good here). And they also have a ship on the River Thames, and walking guided tours on the city. I must be a bad guy, but I don't give a shi... about all the info guides gives. I find no interest on knowing that a famous writer I never ever heard about lived in that small horrible house 50 years ago. What I like is walking alone so I can stop to see that building nobody notices but is so pretty, gorgeous. So there I am with my camera to take a picture of it. And also I don't find interesting joking about those poor soldiers at Buckghingham palace, I believe that's a punishment for they bad behaviour in the past, so they have to stand there without moving while a crowd of bloody bastards are telling him jokes in languages he doesn't know. I feel sorry for them, but I took a picture too.
Well. I found something to talk about, and everytime the subject of my posts is different, but it's a question of inspiration.
Kind regards.
Manoel.
Sunday, October 24, 2004
3d Week
Hi there.
I hope things are going well for all you. I'm having great times and not that great times as well. That's good news, I guess. I tried for the very first time Sushi and just that worths have came here.
As time passes I notice the differences between Spaniards and English. There are some, but I still believe I need more time to notice them all. One of them is coffe. In all the houses I've been it's not very common to have sugar, because they don't have tea with sugar as I do, and because they don't normally drink coffe that much. While in Spain coffe is really common, as common as tea in England. So, as I'm a coffe drinker I had to buy sugar twice. I could have coffe on Starbucks, or in any other shop/bar, but I really like to have my first coffe just after I wake up.
Another thing I want to talk is trash. I know it isn't something you'll like to talk about, but I'm amazed about something. There's only two days a week in wich the trash lorries comes to collect the trash bags, while in my town (and I guess in the whole Spain) it's everyday. That sounds a bit weird for me. I know they have dettached and semidettached houses here, so they can put the bags beside the front door, there's no need for them to leave the bags inside the house. I also know this is quite a cold country, so the bags don't really smell a lot. But I was also told they pay a lot to the council for those services, much more than in Spain. They don't also have a lot of time for cleaning the house, so now I know why Spaniards believe English are dirty. If they go to houses in wich they have trash bags outside the house, on the front door, and they leave them there for days, and also they don't clean the house so often (because of time problems) they'll find them dirty for sure. But I also look at the whys and know the answer of those whys, so I believe they aren't that dirty, it's just they can't be more clean, it's impossible.
There's some other things, small things that makes life in England different. The bed sheets are different and bed sizes as well, and also pillows. They eat those full english breakfasts that are horrible for me, because I can't eat in the morning, it's impossible I promise, I'll vomit just trying. And also the marmite (yeast extract) wich does smell great but taste not that great for me, it's too strong. But they love it. Muffins, a lot of different bread, tea, and something called fruit squash, food is different, especially on breakfast time. Evry shop in England has millions of different things I didn't even know they exist.
Species, prepared oriental (and not oriental) sauces, noodles, pre-cooked oriental meals... But there's something we don't normally have in Spain (except at Colin's house) and it's kettles. I find them useful. If you need to prepare coffe, tea, pasta, just need a few minutes to boil the water. Why on the bloody earth we don't have them in Spain? It's not that I want to preapare tea, but for pasta and coffe they're great.
So food is different, and also food habits and timing. I'm still not used to English timing, and I'm having my lunch at different times everyday so my body is not used to anything. But I still can't have Full English Breakfast.
Well, I'm stoping now, I hope I'll still finding differences so I can continue writing. The language differences aren't valid here, we all know we speak different languages. (But I could tell you about what's rude and what's not rude here, but I think I need more time for that).
Reagards.
Manoel.
I hope things are going well for all you. I'm having great times and not that great times as well. That's good news, I guess. I tried for the very first time Sushi and just that worths have came here.
As time passes I notice the differences between Spaniards and English. There are some, but I still believe I need more time to notice them all. One of them is coffe. In all the houses I've been it's not very common to have sugar, because they don't have tea with sugar as I do, and because they don't normally drink coffe that much. While in Spain coffe is really common, as common as tea in England. So, as I'm a coffe drinker I had to buy sugar twice. I could have coffe on Starbucks, or in any other shop/bar, but I really like to have my first coffe just after I wake up.
Another thing I want to talk is trash. I know it isn't something you'll like to talk about, but I'm amazed about something. There's only two days a week in wich the trash lorries comes to collect the trash bags, while in my town (and I guess in the whole Spain) it's everyday. That sounds a bit weird for me. I know they have dettached and semidettached houses here, so they can put the bags beside the front door, there's no need for them to leave the bags inside the house. I also know this is quite a cold country, so the bags don't really smell a lot. But I was also told they pay a lot to the council for those services, much more than in Spain. They don't also have a lot of time for cleaning the house, so now I know why Spaniards believe English are dirty. If they go to houses in wich they have trash bags outside the house, on the front door, and they leave them there for days, and also they don't clean the house so often (because of time problems) they'll find them dirty for sure. But I also look at the whys and know the answer of those whys, so I believe they aren't that dirty, it's just they can't be more clean, it's impossible.
There's some other things, small things that makes life in England different. The bed sheets are different and bed sizes as well, and also pillows. They eat those full english breakfasts that are horrible for me, because I can't eat in the morning, it's impossible I promise, I'll vomit just trying. And also the marmite (yeast extract) wich does smell great but taste not that great for me, it's too strong. But they love it. Muffins, a lot of different bread, tea, and something called fruit squash, food is different, especially on breakfast time. Evry shop in England has millions of different things I didn't even know they exist.
Species, prepared oriental (and not oriental) sauces, noodles, pre-cooked oriental meals... But there's something we don't normally have in Spain (except at Colin's house) and it's kettles. I find them useful. If you need to prepare coffe, tea, pasta, just need a few minutes to boil the water. Why on the bloody earth we don't have them in Spain? It's not that I want to preapare tea, but for pasta and coffe they're great.
So food is different, and also food habits and timing. I'm still not used to English timing, and I'm having my lunch at different times everyday so my body is not used to anything. But I still can't have Full English Breakfast.
Well, I'm stoping now, I hope I'll still finding differences so I can continue writing. The language differences aren't valid here, we all know we speak different languages. (But I could tell you about what's rude and what's not rude here, but I think I need more time for that).
Reagards.
Manoel.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
From SPEC (Whatever it means)
Hi there.
I'm here again. Just trying to talk about the things that happened to me this last few days. And there are some things I'll like to talk about and so little time.
This was the flat-share-looking-week, which means I spent the last three days looking for a place to stay in. Of course it was infructuous. It's not that I couldn't find anything, it's not it's impossible to find anything. But when you have little time and you don't want to spend too much money, and you can't promise to stay a long time, the search can become "mission impossible" but of course I'm sure with more time it's not impossible, in fact I could have stayed in some houses.
But why didn't I stay on those places? I'll explain to you. The first thing that happened is I went to an agency. I had to pay 59£ for them too call people and give me addresses. I thought at the time I was at the office it was well expended money. That changed when I went to see the first house.
It was a very old house, completely dirty, dark. The room was ridiculously small and the bed... The owner, or something like that, was a pregnant east-european who looked really tired. She was nice, but she told me she was living with another 8 guys from different places. This was 80£ a week. And it's not that I'm too meticulous, but knowing I could stay in better places if I wasn't so shy... Anyway, on the way to that place I saw a group of black people on a car taking a photo from a mobile of... me? That scared me a bit.
The second was the house of an old couple from jugoslavya. The miss wasn't at home neither their son. The guy who attended me was a 70 year old parkinson poor old jugoslavyan. He needed so many time to walk up the stairs that finally he decided to tell me walk in front of me. He was very sweet. But more of the same, a tiny, tiny room, dirty place and 80£ as well. Do the Jugoslavyans stay with their parents 'till they are 50 like in Spain?
The third more of the same, except this time the old woman was english. And also 80£.
So at the end of that day I had visited 3 horrible houses in very horrible neighborhuds. I had another meeting at 7pm for the house the guy from the agency said was the best, so I was still hopeful. Then I checked the internet and saw an advert really interested. Then I called the guy, a kiwi, and went to his house. This time I was amazed. It was 90£ pw and on a very posch place. The house was inmense, gorgeous in fact. I talked to the guy, he was either nice, and it wasn't that dirty, just a bit, considering that 9 people lived on that house I believe it's normal, and it's something I can dare with when I'm in such a hurry as I am.
So he told me to wait 'till next day (today) because another couple would come to see the house. He didn't told me but I suspected the couple would pay more, because of something he said. I was dammed right. He has just sent me an email to tell me the share has been taken, dammed couples. Just one question, Why the hell couldn't he tell me the same on the phone, or by sms, I think it could have been nicer.
I forgot to tell you that on Monday I went to see another share, just for 2 weeks and from www.gumtree.com as well and it happended exactly the same thing, he told me I was late. And that's exactly what happened today. I went to see another 2 houses from the agency but I couldn't even describe them, and another from gumtree but I was also late. It seems finding a cheap house in London takes some time. If you have a job it's easier, because you can get a bedsite or a studio, for the same price and clean, without sharing with dirty filthy strangers.
Anyway. I decided to go back to Mig's house, I called him and he told me to go. I'm waiting for him to call me to check again. I'll be there as much as I can while I can't find a job and then a studio.
The other thing that happended to me was at Monday night. Hannah (Faye's sister, Colin's daughter) told me if I wanted to join them for a kind of catholic meeting. Just to have a chat for a couple of hours with other people (catholics) and argue about things. I thought I could lie if I was asked, so I decided to make Hannah happier (she earned points for bringing me to the meeting, whatever points means here). It was interesting at the begining, free food, drinks (water, cofee, milk, tea, no beer) and the opportunity to relax and chat. There I was in the middle of catholics arguing about how much they pray, or someone asked how do they do not to fall asleep when they're praying at night, or if it's good to pester to god on prayers. I just wanted to shout, to scream, to yeel them what I think about praying. One girl said something about praying because she wanted a catholic boyfriend and I thouhgt, "go out, drink something and dance, be sexy and I'm sure you'll find somebody, perhaps not catholic, but religion it's not the most important thing in life". I had a good time, and I really needed to chat with somebody. They were good people, but you know, I can't bare straight catholics for a long time, talking about conversion, talking about the meaning of life and the rules of the catholic church.
I'm sorry if somebody is offended with these, I just ask them to be patient and tolerant because I don't believe in all that ......... (put your own words, please, so it won't be my fault)
Hope you like this new post.
Have a nicer time than I'm having at the moment. Well, that's not exactly true, I had an opportunity to walk a lot and to go to a lot of different places in London, including that gorgeous house on a posch street I'm not going to live in.
Cheers.
Manoel.
I'm here again. Just trying to talk about the things that happened to me this last few days. And there are some things I'll like to talk about and so little time.
This was the flat-share-looking-week, which means I spent the last three days looking for a place to stay in. Of course it was infructuous. It's not that I couldn't find anything, it's not it's impossible to find anything. But when you have little time and you don't want to spend too much money, and you can't promise to stay a long time, the search can become "mission impossible" but of course I'm sure with more time it's not impossible, in fact I could have stayed in some houses.
But why didn't I stay on those places? I'll explain to you. The first thing that happened is I went to an agency. I had to pay 59£ for them too call people and give me addresses. I thought at the time I was at the office it was well expended money. That changed when I went to see the first house.
It was a very old house, completely dirty, dark. The room was ridiculously small and the bed... The owner, or something like that, was a pregnant east-european who looked really tired. She was nice, but she told me she was living with another 8 guys from different places. This was 80£ a week. And it's not that I'm too meticulous, but knowing I could stay in better places if I wasn't so shy... Anyway, on the way to that place I saw a group of black people on a car taking a photo from a mobile of... me? That scared me a bit.
The second was the house of an old couple from jugoslavya. The miss wasn't at home neither their son. The guy who attended me was a 70 year old parkinson poor old jugoslavyan. He needed so many time to walk up the stairs that finally he decided to tell me walk in front of me. He was very sweet. But more of the same, a tiny, tiny room, dirty place and 80£ as well. Do the Jugoslavyans stay with their parents 'till they are 50 like in Spain?
The third more of the same, except this time the old woman was english. And also 80£.
So at the end of that day I had visited 3 horrible houses in very horrible neighborhuds. I had another meeting at 7pm for the house the guy from the agency said was the best, so I was still hopeful. Then I checked the internet and saw an advert really interested. Then I called the guy, a kiwi, and went to his house. This time I was amazed. It was 90£ pw and on a very posch place. The house was inmense, gorgeous in fact. I talked to the guy, he was either nice, and it wasn't that dirty, just a bit, considering that 9 people lived on that house I believe it's normal, and it's something I can dare with when I'm in such a hurry as I am.
So he told me to wait 'till next day (today) because another couple would come to see the house. He didn't told me but I suspected the couple would pay more, because of something he said. I was dammed right. He has just sent me an email to tell me the share has been taken, dammed couples. Just one question, Why the hell couldn't he tell me the same on the phone, or by sms, I think it could have been nicer.
I forgot to tell you that on Monday I went to see another share, just for 2 weeks and from www.gumtree.com as well and it happended exactly the same thing, he told me I was late. And that's exactly what happened today. I went to see another 2 houses from the agency but I couldn't even describe them, and another from gumtree but I was also late. It seems finding a cheap house in London takes some time. If you have a job it's easier, because you can get a bedsite or a studio, for the same price and clean, without sharing with dirty filthy strangers.
Anyway. I decided to go back to Mig's house, I called him and he told me to go. I'm waiting for him to call me to check again. I'll be there as much as I can while I can't find a job and then a studio.
The other thing that happended to me was at Monday night. Hannah (Faye's sister, Colin's daughter) told me if I wanted to join them for a kind of catholic meeting. Just to have a chat for a couple of hours with other people (catholics) and argue about things. I thought I could lie if I was asked, so I decided to make Hannah happier (she earned points for bringing me to the meeting, whatever points means here). It was interesting at the begining, free food, drinks (water, cofee, milk, tea, no beer) and the opportunity to relax and chat. There I was in the middle of catholics arguing about how much they pray, or someone asked how do they do not to fall asleep when they're praying at night, or if it's good to pester to god on prayers. I just wanted to shout, to scream, to yeel them what I think about praying. One girl said something about praying because she wanted a catholic boyfriend and I thouhgt, "go out, drink something and dance, be sexy and I'm sure you'll find somebody, perhaps not catholic, but religion it's not the most important thing in life". I had a good time, and I really needed to chat with somebody. They were good people, but you know, I can't bare straight catholics for a long time, talking about conversion, talking about the meaning of life and the rules of the catholic church.
I'm sorry if somebody is offended with these, I just ask them to be patient and tolerant because I don't believe in all that ......... (put your own words, please, so it won't be my fault)
Hope you like this new post.
Have a nicer time than I'm having at the moment. Well, that's not exactly true, I had an opportunity to walk a lot and to go to a lot of different places in London, including that gorgeous house on a posch street I'm not going to live in.
Cheers.
Manoel.
Monday, October 18, 2004
Writing from McDonalds
Yes, I'm in a bloody McDonalds, writing with this annoying keyboard, but at least it's quite cheap. Anyway, that's something I would never expect.
It's time to talk a bit more about English behaviours, as it's quite difficult to write with this thing I don't know how much I'll write.
I've been on a British motorway, at night and during the day, with and without rain. So I learnt quite a lot about English drivers. The first thing I noticed was the amazing quality of English motorways. They have 3 lanes normally, and sometimes a few more. While in Spain the normal amount it's just to. The second thing I noticed is that they are straight roads, with no curves at all, just one or two in a certain distance so you don't fall asleep. I know the rate of deaths on English roads is with a long distance less than in Spain. I could say that it's because English drivers are better than Spanish, but I think it's only because they have really good roads.
I might say they don't drive really well. There's 3 or even 4 lanes and it's said and written on the sides of the motorway that inner lanes are only for overtaking. But that's just a lie. Everybody overtaes in any of the lanes. On the right, on the left, on the middle lane. There's no visible rule for that. You just drive on the lane you most like. I think that's not only unsafe but annoying, specially for a poor Spaniard used to overtake in only one lane.
The other thing I noticed, and wich most scares me is they don't respect the safety distance at all. It's said you should leave a gap between you and the car in front of you for if he suddenly brakes you'll have enough time to stop your vehicle without crashing with him. I saw they just get as close to the next vehicle as they can. That really scares me.
So I can't believe their statistics, it might be they are better drivers than us, or just they have better roads. But if I have to drive here I'll get crazy.
Changing the subject, I tell you I've been in Congleton, wich is a small town near Manchester. It's really beautiful or I should say gorgeous. It's full of cows, cow shit smell, rain, and farmers. It's peculiar, and I could see my first "boot sale" wich consists on selling all the crap you have at home and you don't want. You put all that stuff in the boot of your car, afterwards you put it on a desk and tell your children to sell it while you go to spend the money you're going to earn in the local Pub.
It was nice, and I'm sure you can find some good bargains in there. But it's also quite weird somebody would like to spend a Sunday morning selling the crap somebody gave you one day, or you bought on a boot sale.
The other thing I want to comment is I saw for the very firt time the real, the only one English typical Pub. Full of local people having beer. I had the opportunity to try local ale's. I'll say I missed the bubbles, but it does taste great. I'm sure I'll have more opportunities to drink ale beer. (I'll still miss the bubbles).
Anyway, I hope you're still enjoying my Blog. I just hope I can continue with it, wich will mean I'm still here. But I promise this is my last time on a McDonalds internet Blody machine.
One question. Would you still be reading my Blog if finally I have to go back to Spain? I promise it would still be funny. It's just a question, I hope I don't have to go back, it's just a question of me being a it lucky.
Cheers everybody.
Manoel.
It's time to talk a bit more about English behaviours, as it's quite difficult to write with this thing I don't know how much I'll write.
I've been on a British motorway, at night and during the day, with and without rain. So I learnt quite a lot about English drivers. The first thing I noticed was the amazing quality of English motorways. They have 3 lanes normally, and sometimes a few more. While in Spain the normal amount it's just to. The second thing I noticed is that they are straight roads, with no curves at all, just one or two in a certain distance so you don't fall asleep. I know the rate of deaths on English roads is with a long distance less than in Spain. I could say that it's because English drivers are better than Spanish, but I think it's only because they have really good roads.
I might say they don't drive really well. There's 3 or even 4 lanes and it's said and written on the sides of the motorway that inner lanes are only for overtaking. But that's just a lie. Everybody overtaes in any of the lanes. On the right, on the left, on the middle lane. There's no visible rule for that. You just drive on the lane you most like. I think that's not only unsafe but annoying, specially for a poor Spaniard used to overtake in only one lane.
The other thing I noticed, and wich most scares me is they don't respect the safety distance at all. It's said you should leave a gap between you and the car in front of you for if he suddenly brakes you'll have enough time to stop your vehicle without crashing with him. I saw they just get as close to the next vehicle as they can. That really scares me.
So I can't believe their statistics, it might be they are better drivers than us, or just they have better roads. But if I have to drive here I'll get crazy.
Changing the subject, I tell you I've been in Congleton, wich is a small town near Manchester. It's really beautiful or I should say gorgeous. It's full of cows, cow shit smell, rain, and farmers. It's peculiar, and I could see my first "boot sale" wich consists on selling all the crap you have at home and you don't want. You put all that stuff in the boot of your car, afterwards you put it on a desk and tell your children to sell it while you go to spend the money you're going to earn in the local Pub.
It was nice, and I'm sure you can find some good bargains in there. But it's also quite weird somebody would like to spend a Sunday morning selling the crap somebody gave you one day, or you bought on a boot sale.
The other thing I want to comment is I saw for the very firt time the real, the only one English typical Pub. Full of local people having beer. I had the opportunity to try local ale's. I'll say I missed the bubbles, but it does taste great. I'm sure I'll have more opportunities to drink ale beer. (I'll still miss the bubbles).
Anyway, I hope you're still enjoying my Blog. I just hope I can continue with it, wich will mean I'm still here. But I promise this is my last time on a McDonalds internet Blody machine.
One question. Would you still be reading my Blog if finally I have to go back to Spain? I promise it would still be funny. It's just a question, I hope I don't have to go back, it's just a question of me being a it lucky.
Cheers everybody.
Manoel.
From Cow-Town
Hi again.
Now I'm in Congleton, where my friend Faye's mum lives. It's such a beutiful countryside place, full of cows. It smells of cow shit, wich reminds me of Galicia and makes me feel at home a bit. Wherever I look I see cows, green and rain, it's such a rainy place.
Well. I thought I could write more these days but finally, even when I had enough time to do it I didn't. It seems I feel better to write when I'm in a rush. I mean it, because now I'm waiting to go back to London and I'm in a hurry.
I hope I'll write soon a new post, this time I think I'll write about English Motorways and the countryside, it's easy. I didn't have too many new experinces but being in a proper English Pub, watching a "boot sale", wich is something I've never seen, and walking in the countryside.
Weel, see you soon.
Manoel.
Now I'm in Congleton, where my friend Faye's mum lives. It's such a beutiful countryside place, full of cows. It smells of cow shit, wich reminds me of Galicia and makes me feel at home a bit. Wherever I look I see cows, green and rain, it's such a rainy place.
Well. I thought I could write more these days but finally, even when I had enough time to do it I didn't. It seems I feel better to write when I'm in a rush. I mean it, because now I'm waiting to go back to London and I'm in a hurry.
I hope I'll write soon a new post, this time I think I'll write about English Motorways and the countryside, it's easy. I didn't have too many new experinces but being in a proper English Pub, watching a "boot sale", wich is something I've never seen, and walking in the countryside.
Weel, see you soon.
Manoel.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Efficiency and Disabled
Hi again.
I'm quite amazed about how efficient a country could be compared to Spain. It seems this is a really efficient country. There must be some clever guys thinking about ridiculous, but usefull, things all the time. How much are they payed?
So lets talk a bit about efficiency in the UK. I see some bizarre (bizarre for a spaniard, I mean) things on the streets and on the tube. For example:
On the mechanical stairs you have signs saying "Please stand on the right" or something like that, I certainly don't remember the exact phrase. That's really clever and efficient. So the fastest people can walk up the stairs while the slower ones can stay on the right.
Anywhere you have tube maps, and more specific ones that indicates almost perfectly how to reach your destination. You have also somebody speaking telling you wich trains is coming, and also where is that train going to, and also he reminds you to mind the gap, the gap between the train and the station. You have also signs saying "mind the gap" and more tube maps inside the trains. It's quite difficult ti get lost at the train if you're clever enough and don't mind on asking somebody.
On the streets there's this painting I told you saying from wich direction are the cars coming. So even if you're a blody foreigner you don't have to be worried when you cross the road. When you want to cross you just have to take a look at the ground and read, meanwhile you'll be pushed by some Spaniards that just want to cross the road without looking because they're really clever, well, they aren't that clever, is always better to look I think, but in fact I preffer them not to look, so they can be kill....., ups!, I'm sorry, I was just letting my murderous instincs to fly.
But there's always a bad side on that kind of efficiency. It seems those clever guys aren't disabled or don't know any disable people. They forgot completely that some people can't read, they can't ever see. As not all the traffic lights have acoustic signals for the blinds, and as not all the cross roads have even traffic lights for pedestrians, I wonder if they can really live in this city. Somehow I haven't seen any blind yet. And it's quite hard even for non blinds to cross the roads as not all of them have traffic lights for pedestrians, just only for cars.
And about the wheel chair guys, I believe they have to "walk" (sorry, I don't know a proper word fot that) the whole city if they want to go anywhere. The tube doesn't have a lot of lifts. And, what's most strange, some of them have lifts but then they have stairs to reach the platforms. Of course it's impossible to "walk" on a mechanical stairway with a wheelchair. And on the streets, not all the crossroads have any kind of help for them as well.
So I see this is a country of efficency, but really unpolite with poor disableds. Somebody has to speak with Mr. Blair, or with the major, or with those blody clever guys that decided to put a sign saying "LOOK LEFT" instead of an acoustic signal for blinds.
It's strange that Spain is better in that sense than England. I'm amazed to see we do something more efficiently than English. At least our traffic lights have acoustic signals and paths for wheelchairs even in my little small town Pontevedra.
I hope you like it this time and also that I could stay as long here as I can really tell you all the differences between you and me.
Cheers.
Manoel.
I'm quite amazed about how efficient a country could be compared to Spain. It seems this is a really efficient country. There must be some clever guys thinking about ridiculous, but usefull, things all the time. How much are they payed?
So lets talk a bit about efficiency in the UK. I see some bizarre (bizarre for a spaniard, I mean) things on the streets and on the tube. For example:
On the mechanical stairs you have signs saying "Please stand on the right" or something like that, I certainly don't remember the exact phrase. That's really clever and efficient. So the fastest people can walk up the stairs while the slower ones can stay on the right.
Anywhere you have tube maps, and more specific ones that indicates almost perfectly how to reach your destination. You have also somebody speaking telling you wich trains is coming, and also where is that train going to, and also he reminds you to mind the gap, the gap between the train and the station. You have also signs saying "mind the gap" and more tube maps inside the trains. It's quite difficult ti get lost at the train if you're clever enough and don't mind on asking somebody.
On the streets there's this painting I told you saying from wich direction are the cars coming. So even if you're a blody foreigner you don't have to be worried when you cross the road. When you want to cross you just have to take a look at the ground and read, meanwhile you'll be pushed by some Spaniards that just want to cross the road without looking because they're really clever, well, they aren't that clever, is always better to look I think, but in fact I preffer them not to look, so they can be kill....., ups!, I'm sorry, I was just letting my murderous instincs to fly.
But there's always a bad side on that kind of efficiency. It seems those clever guys aren't disabled or don't know any disable people. They forgot completely that some people can't read, they can't ever see. As not all the traffic lights have acoustic signals for the blinds, and as not all the cross roads have even traffic lights for pedestrians, I wonder if they can really live in this city. Somehow I haven't seen any blind yet. And it's quite hard even for non blinds to cross the roads as not all of them have traffic lights for pedestrians, just only for cars.
And about the wheel chair guys, I believe they have to "walk" (sorry, I don't know a proper word fot that) the whole city if they want to go anywhere. The tube doesn't have a lot of lifts. And, what's most strange, some of them have lifts but then they have stairs to reach the platforms. Of course it's impossible to "walk" on a mechanical stairway with a wheelchair. And on the streets, not all the crossroads have any kind of help for them as well.
So I see this is a country of efficency, but really unpolite with poor disableds. Somebody has to speak with Mr. Blair, or with the major, or with those blody clever guys that decided to put a sign saying "LOOK LEFT" instead of an acoustic signal for blinds.
It's strange that Spain is better in that sense than England. I'm amazed to see we do something more efficiently than English. At least our traffic lights have acoustic signals and paths for wheelchairs even in my little small town Pontevedra.
I hope you like it this time and also that I could stay as long here as I can really tell you all the differences between you and me.
Cheers.
Manoel.
From outer space
Hi again.
Living on a different country is not quite easy. Almost everything is different. Things are slower than in Spain if that's possible. Before coming here I had wonderful dreams about it being so different from Spain as it would be a wonderful place to live. I was wrong. As it's really different from Spain, the differences go exactly on the same direction, althoug with different manners.
In Spain is not rude to tell somebody "you are rejected", in fact that's what we expect from them (unless you are a relative of any kind of boss in the office). But here they really polite, so they don't doubt on telling you "the IT market has been stopped for a long time, there's no jobs on IT" either if it's true or not. I don't really know the answer of that question, but I really know I sent hundreds of CVs with no answer. After calling them to ask if they had recieved my CV the answer was always the same "NO, send it again". As my especiality is IT I know that's not true. It might have been they deleted accidentaly (or on purpose) my CV, or they just don't have enough time to look at all the CVs they receive everyday.
So the fact is that I haven't received any nice answer from them, just only bad news. That's not funny, I believe.
So now I'm here, with not only no job but with the idea of being impossible to find a job. And if that's not enough I still don't have a house. But that's something I could fix.
So I'm a bit annoyed about English behaviours. I'm sorry not to be funny this time, but it seems life is not as easy as we normally believe.
Anyway, I'll try to stay here 'till my bank account says "empty" or 'till my mind and/or my body says "STOP". There's some things I really like from being here. Especially the loooong walks I'm having.
Next weekend I'll be in Manchester. I hope people is different there, warmer and nicer. And I also hope I can find a job there, a house, or even a life (Could I say a girlfriend too???, joking, more or less).
Ok then, cheers from London.
Manoel.
PS: I hope next time I'll be funnier.
Living on a different country is not quite easy. Almost everything is different. Things are slower than in Spain if that's possible. Before coming here I had wonderful dreams about it being so different from Spain as it would be a wonderful place to live. I was wrong. As it's really different from Spain, the differences go exactly on the same direction, althoug with different manners.
In Spain is not rude to tell somebody "you are rejected", in fact that's what we expect from them (unless you are a relative of any kind of boss in the office). But here they really polite, so they don't doubt on telling you "the IT market has been stopped for a long time, there's no jobs on IT" either if it's true or not. I don't really know the answer of that question, but I really know I sent hundreds of CVs with no answer. After calling them to ask if they had recieved my CV the answer was always the same "NO, send it again". As my especiality is IT I know that's not true. It might have been they deleted accidentaly (or on purpose) my CV, or they just don't have enough time to look at all the CVs they receive everyday.
So the fact is that I haven't received any nice answer from them, just only bad news. That's not funny, I believe.
So now I'm here, with not only no job but with the idea of being impossible to find a job. And if that's not enough I still don't have a house. But that's something I could fix.
So I'm a bit annoyed about English behaviours. I'm sorry not to be funny this time, but it seems life is not as easy as we normally believe.
Anyway, I'll try to stay here 'till my bank account says "empty" or 'till my mind and/or my body says "STOP". There's some things I really like from being here. Especially the loooong walks I'm having.
Next weekend I'll be in Manchester. I hope people is different there, warmer and nicer. And I also hope I can find a job there, a house, or even a life (Could I say a girlfriend too???, joking, more or less).
Ok then, cheers from London.
Manoel.
PS: I hope next time I'll be funnier.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
More than a Week
Well, the time has passed. It seems I'll stay here as long as I can. But the money is running out and I still don't have found a job. Apart from that I really need to find somewhere to live, so things are getting worse in some ways but in some others they're getting better.
I'm getting used to the English standards and also I miss less my family. I really like to walk in the city and watch all those marvellous buildings and enjoying the Brits.
It's just you can find almost everything you need.
There's something I forgot to mention on my last post and is that I received my first English smile on a street on Sunday. But I may say it wasn't in London. Althoug today I recieved as well my first London smile. That was nice because I thought Londoniers didn't smile at all, but at least there's one who does smile.
Anyway, I'm just here siting on "my bedroom" thinking about all that. I really like this bloody place.
This week I'm using my sight to look at what the people do on the tube. Some read newspapers, some just stare at nothing, some talk with their fellows and some just sleep. How can you sleep on a washing machine?, I mean the tubes moves like a washing machine, you go up and down, and then left and up and right and it does never stop. Apart from all the noise and the movement, how can anyone could feel safe sleeping on the tube? I'm glad to say tube should be really safe, with no crime at all, if not I know some guys who just had lefted their wallets, suitcases and even clothes.
About newspapers I should say they spoke a lot about Beckham this week and the fact he is playing well again. I might say it was just ONE match but it doesn't really matter for the press so they have their hero back again. That's more or less what they do with Raul in Spain so I'm not really surprised.
I'm still scared of the roads. Althoug I got used to look first to the right instead to the left as it is in my country (I might be wrong, it could be right in England but it's dark and I'm too tired), but if I wasn't used it doesn't really matter because it's painted on the road. So if you don't know wich side to look first you just take a look of the ground to see wich one is it. That's brilliant.
Well, I'm going to sleep now. Cheers for everybody.
Manoel.
PS: Does anybody now how to get a job on IT in this blody city? And does anybody have a cheap spare room to share?
I'm getting used to the English standards and also I miss less my family. I really like to walk in the city and watch all those marvellous buildings and enjoying the Brits.
It's just you can find almost everything you need.
There's something I forgot to mention on my last post and is that I received my first English smile on a street on Sunday. But I may say it wasn't in London. Althoug today I recieved as well my first London smile. That was nice because I thought Londoniers didn't smile at all, but at least there's one who does smile.
Anyway, I'm just here siting on "my bedroom" thinking about all that. I really like this bloody place.
This week I'm using my sight to look at what the people do on the tube. Some read newspapers, some just stare at nothing, some talk with their fellows and some just sleep. How can you sleep on a washing machine?, I mean the tubes moves like a washing machine, you go up and down, and then left and up and right and it does never stop. Apart from all the noise and the movement, how can anyone could feel safe sleeping on the tube? I'm glad to say tube should be really safe, with no crime at all, if not I know some guys who just had lefted their wallets, suitcases and even clothes.
About newspapers I should say they spoke a lot about Beckham this week and the fact he is playing well again. I might say it was just ONE match but it doesn't really matter for the press so they have their hero back again. That's more or less what they do with Raul in Spain so I'm not really surprised.
I'm still scared of the roads. Althoug I got used to look first to the right instead to the left as it is in my country (I might be wrong, it could be right in England but it's dark and I'm too tired), but if I wasn't used it doesn't really matter because it's painted on the road. So if you don't know wich side to look first you just take a look of the ground to see wich one is it. That's brilliant.
Well, I'm going to sleep now. Cheers for everybody.
Manoel.
PS: Does anybody now how to get a job on IT in this blody city? And does anybody have a cheap spare room to share?
Sunday, October 10, 2004
English nightclubs and some apologizes
I received a comment on the last post from an English chav that sounded just a bit offended. I'm really sorry if I offend anybody. I know I can be quite rude an offensive sometimes but my idea is to laugh about ourselves. So what's the point on only telling the good things with really nice words and not telling the not so good things with an ironic tone.
So I'm really sorry if I offended somebody. I'm quite tolerant with everything (well, I have some exceptions of course) and every kind of people, colour, style, religion, ...
Anyway. I had my first English night, well, they were 2 nights in fact. What could I say? The first thing that impresses me is the time. Everybody goes back at home at 1,2 more or less (sometimes more, sometimes less) and they start partying at 19:00. So it's said as they don't have so many time they drink as fast as possible to get drunk. My English friends are really proud of that, they said English drink a lot, and it could be true, but I'm sure it's comparable with Spaniards. As I noticed the quantity of alcohol in the drinks is 3 times less than in Spain. They drinked over 6 or 7 drinks during the night. My friends in Spain drink 10 drinks a night and with three times more alcohol in them. So I bet English don't really drink that much. Of course it was my first weekend and I can't really bet at 100%.
In same ways I felt at home in the disco, except for the music that it seem to be a bit better than in Spain. Of course I need more experience to verify that. And basicaly they do exactly the same as in Spain, drink, dance, talk and pull girls (or boys, of course). That's why I felt at home.
Yesterday we went to Bristol to go out. It's quite a nice town, really beautiful. I could have had a wonderful night but finally it wasn't that good, but that's a story I can't tell, I'm sorry. Anyway, the disco's staff were annoying. They asked everybody for a photo ID but they said it wasn't for aging purposes. What for? that's what I'm asking, I can't really understand what other purposes they could have. Do they really want to check if I'm not Osama Ben Laden? Later I wanted to go and buy some cigarettes outside the pub (of course the machine inside it didn't work) but they didn't aloow me to get in again if I leaved the disco (sorry, it was a disco, not a pub), so if I wanted to get back again I'll have to pay another 4£ to get in. Finally I decided to go and buy them and stay out of the place, what caused me some problems.
Another thing happend at the pub. It was something like one out one in, that literaly means one person leaves the disco, one person enter the disco, but of course that person wasn't any of us althoug we were the very firsts at the queue, VIP I guess. So that made me feel at home as well.
Anyway, I'm stoping now, I think I told you quite a lot of things again. I hope I'll stay here a long time, I don't want to leave my readers without my experiences.
Cheers, and apologizes for the chav.
Manoel.
So I'm really sorry if I offended somebody. I'm quite tolerant with everything (well, I have some exceptions of course) and every kind of people, colour, style, religion, ...
Anyway. I had my first English night, well, they were 2 nights in fact. What could I say? The first thing that impresses me is the time. Everybody goes back at home at 1,2 more or less (sometimes more, sometimes less) and they start partying at 19:00. So it's said as they don't have so many time they drink as fast as possible to get drunk. My English friends are really proud of that, they said English drink a lot, and it could be true, but I'm sure it's comparable with Spaniards. As I noticed the quantity of alcohol in the drinks is 3 times less than in Spain. They drinked over 6 or 7 drinks during the night. My friends in Spain drink 10 drinks a night and with three times more alcohol in them. So I bet English don't really drink that much. Of course it was my first weekend and I can't really bet at 100%.
In same ways I felt at home in the disco, except for the music that it seem to be a bit better than in Spain. Of course I need more experience to verify that. And basicaly they do exactly the same as in Spain, drink, dance, talk and pull girls (or boys, of course). That's why I felt at home.
Yesterday we went to Bristol to go out. It's quite a nice town, really beautiful. I could have had a wonderful night but finally it wasn't that good, but that's a story I can't tell, I'm sorry. Anyway, the disco's staff were annoying. They asked everybody for a photo ID but they said it wasn't for aging purposes. What for? that's what I'm asking, I can't really understand what other purposes they could have. Do they really want to check if I'm not Osama Ben Laden? Later I wanted to go and buy some cigarettes outside the pub (of course the machine inside it didn't work) but they didn't aloow me to get in again if I leaved the disco (sorry, it was a disco, not a pub), so if I wanted to get back again I'll have to pay another 4£ to get in. Finally I decided to go and buy them and stay out of the place, what caused me some problems.
Another thing happend at the pub. It was something like one out one in, that literaly means one person leaves the disco, one person enter the disco, but of course that person wasn't any of us althoug we were the very firsts at the queue, VIP I guess. So that made me feel at home as well.
Anyway, I'm stoping now, I think I told you quite a lot of things again. I hope I'll stay here a long time, I don't want to leave my readers without my experiences.
Cheers, and apologizes for the chav.
Manoel.
Friday, October 08, 2004
Such a wonderful place
How can anybody describe what London is? Just a big city? The answer of last question is NO.
I don't think New York is like London. You just walk around the city and everything is amazing. The people, the buildings, the food, everything. For a poor little boy from Pontevedra it's such a big new world to discover. Of course I feel a bit overwhelmed sometimes, but I think it's just a question of time to feel better and to estabilish.
And what about the museums, I don't have enough words to describe them. But I'll just say English stole a lot of things from other cultures and countries in the past, so you can see all of them distributed in more than 4 big buildings. And I also could see a mummie!!
I said Londoniers are cold, and they really are cold in the tube and the streets, they just walk as fast as they can so they don't miss next train, and then they sit without smiling at all, looking to nowhere, reading a newspaper. It's said it's rude to look at people in the tube, and it might be, but I can't do it, you know I love to look at people.
I saw my first chavs this week and I can only say OHOHOOHGGGGG!!!. They're even worst than spanish chavs. And I also went shopping (the thing I most hate) and I could see more chavs and chavs clothes. Clothing, that's something I could talk a lot. I saw English clothes at shops, and I can only say they're chavier (I believe I have just invented a word) than anything in Spain. So the believe of English being not really stylish might be true. I'll check later.
I'm also having my first English night. I was amazed to hear we'll be back at home at 12 or 1 more or less. They say you have to drink as fast as you can so you can enjoy the rest of the night, so you start drinking at 7PM and you only have 5 hours to dance, talk and find girls. I hope it'll be enough for a poor Spaniard.
Ok, let's finish it. I'll talk more and more later because there's so many things to say I won't ever finish.
Hope you're having such a nice time as I'm.
Cheers to everybody.
Manoel.
I don't think New York is like London. You just walk around the city and everything is amazing. The people, the buildings, the food, everything. For a poor little boy from Pontevedra it's such a big new world to discover. Of course I feel a bit overwhelmed sometimes, but I think it's just a question of time to feel better and to estabilish.
And what about the museums, I don't have enough words to describe them. But I'll just say English stole a lot of things from other cultures and countries in the past, so you can see all of them distributed in more than 4 big buildings. And I also could see a mummie!!
I said Londoniers are cold, and they really are cold in the tube and the streets, they just walk as fast as they can so they don't miss next train, and then they sit without smiling at all, looking to nowhere, reading a newspaper. It's said it's rude to look at people in the tube, and it might be, but I can't do it, you know I love to look at people.
I saw my first chavs this week and I can only say OHOHOOHGGGGG!!!. They're even worst than spanish chavs. And I also went shopping (the thing I most hate) and I could see more chavs and chavs clothes. Clothing, that's something I could talk a lot. I saw English clothes at shops, and I can only say they're chavier (I believe I have just invented a word) than anything in Spain. So the believe of English being not really stylish might be true. I'll check later.
I'm also having my first English night. I was amazed to hear we'll be back at home at 12 or 1 more or less. They say you have to drink as fast as you can so you can enjoy the rest of the night, so you start drinking at 7PM and you only have 5 hours to dance, talk and find girls. I hope it'll be enough for a poor Spaniard.
Ok, let's finish it. I'll talk more and more later because there's so many things to say I won't ever finish.
Hope you're having such a nice time as I'm.
Cheers to everybody.
Manoel.
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