due-North

horoscopos 2010

2010-01-13T19:39:00.003+01:00

Eu gosto disto dos horoscopos, ou signos ou o que seja...

Se o ano correr bem, somos os maiores artista do universo, ou quem sabe até mesmo lá do bairro.

Se a coisa der para o torto, temos sempre o raio da constelaçao, ou da estrela que nao se alinhou devidamente a quem deitar as culpas. Porque isto de assumir as responsabilidades dos nossos actos é coisa do passado, ou pra totós.

Michael w Smith - Worship

2010-01-06T22:49:00.002+01:00

Mi cd de musica cristiana de eleccion.

para escuchar...

open letter

2009-11-28T16:38:00.004+01:00

when a wii limited edition like this one...

is less valued then a few words and sketches

Vacaciones en Portugal o como ser robado en 4 pasos...

2009-11-25T16:09:00.002+01:00

Cuando se viaja a Portugal de vacaciones hay que tener en cuenta los ladrones que aparecem sobre formas distintas y en diversas ocasiones pero todas ellas bstante desagradables...

Primer tipo: Ladrones de Supermercado
Devido a falta de tiempo te vas de viaje sin comprar todo lo que necesitas y decides, al llegar al pais Luso, comprar la comida del gatito que se te havia olvidado. Cual es tu espanto al constatar que la comida del gato es bastabte mas cara (y estamos haciendo comparacion con Andorra, que segundo la opinion portuguesa es muy cara)... esto se debe, segun dicen, a un IVA que llega a atingir unos 20 puntos porcentuales.

Segundo tipo: Ladrones de Gasolinera
Al momento seguiente, e despues de km recorridos, el combustible empieza a escacear. Te diriges a la gasolinera mas proxima, y para llenar un deposito te comen mas euros que los litros de gasoil que entran en el mismo. No se exatamente cual es la escusa pero creo firmemente que sera un otro tipo de impuesto sobre los combustibles.

Tercer tipo: Ladrones de Autopista
Después de esto, ya con el deposito lleno, te decides a conocer un poco el pais... entras en la autopista e por 500 miseros km te chupan mas de setenta (70) euros de peaje en autopistas, cuyas condiciones dejan bastante a desear, y esto solo en la ida...

Cuarto tipo: Ladrones Ladrones
Cuando ya desanimado llegas a tu destino y aparcas el coche en una de las zonas mas ricas del pais (Marina de Vilamoura - Algarve), dejas el coche durante 20 minutos e cuando vuelves encuentras SOLO el coche (por solo entiendase coche sin contenido - sin bolsas, mochilas, camaras, etc y tal) y con un abujero en la cerradura...

In Portugal..

2009-11-05T17:07:00.002+01:00

Well after almost an year we´re back in Portugal.
It´s nice to find some familiar faces, its comforting to find out that despite the distance there are those who still miss us and are happy to see us.
It´s kind of sad to find that some things/persons will never change... or worst, will change for the worst.

Being Tolerant

2009-10-07T14:38:00.002+02:00

I love tolerant people!!! They tolerate everything and everybody... except those who actually believe in something different and are willing to stand for what they believe...

Ser Português (ou as razoes porque reneguei a nacionalidade)...

2009-06-13T19:43:00.008+02:00

Aviso à Navegaçao: Neste post salvaguardo as raras excepçoes que conheço e que simplesmente fazem com que a regra se faça mais notoria!

Ser Portugues é...
1. Levar o arroz de frango, a sogra, o cao, a estereofonia os putos e todos os afins para a praia (ou para passar as ferias no Algarve se for Agosto), e ficar escandalizado com a falta de bom senso "destes estrangeiros que vao para a praia mostrar as indecencias".
2. Criticar o governo local, nacional ou até o que o aloja sem obrigaçao, mas nunca fazer a sua parte para melhorar o sistema; ou entao votar na lista que dá mais bananas (eletrodomesticos, telemoveis ou que escolheu o Tony Carreira para animar!!!).
3. Viajar para qualquer país, encontrar um compatriota, passar vinte minutos a queixar-se da situaçao caótica do país e no final desejar boa sorte ao compatriota que escolheu sair do buraco (boa sorte desejo eu para quem ficou...)
4. Ter folclore estudantil/parental anual por causa das propinas, dos professores, das tabuadas (que este ano queriam impingir aos pequenos) e do raio do inglês.
5. Queixar-se sempre porque Portugal é a cauda da Europa, mas quando em presença de soluçoes gritar que estao malucos os senhores das idieas radicais.
6. Exibir o seu american express (aquele negro, que distribuem pelo correio) como se fora algo extraordinariamente único com o titulo de Dr. ou Eng. (no estrangeiro ninguem sabe o que significa, na maioria das vezes ficam a pensar que os titulares do cartao sao portadores de alguma patologia rara).
7. Passar o domingo no ''shopping'', com fato de treino (maiores de 40 anos) ou a melhor imitaçao do Cristiano Ronaldo (corte de cabelo e brincos incluidos).
8. Ir à santa terrinha sempre que possivel para mostrar o carrao (comprado em terceira mao) e a roupa de marca (nao e mesmo de marca, mas como ninguem conhece...)
9. Ver diariamente pelo menos 4 telenovelas na tv (que agora ja nao tem que ser brasileiras, porque as portuguesas ja estao ao mesmo (des)nivel), dois programas de entretenimento com ranho e lagrimas (pensar que a Maya e a Cinha sao os medidores pelos quais se seve medir a moral) um reality show com pancadaria e insultos.
10. Lavar o carro (para mostrar aos vizinhos, ir para a night ou às meninas)
11. Não ser racista mas abrir uma excepção com os ciganos, esses da europa de leste, os pretos e os espanhois (que tem a mania esses)l
12. Ir à bola, jogar à bola, ver a bola, gravar a bola, discutir a bola (sempre com ameaças mais ou menos veladas à equipa de arbitragem).
13.Gastar uma fortuna no telemóvel mas pensar duas vezes antes de ir ao dentista.
14. Ter, pelo menos 3 telemoveis, estragar um por pura incompetencia e ir à loja que o vendeu com ameaças de "parto esta $@"%&/ toda porque querem enganar-nos, os gatunos!!!"
15. Ir passar ferias ao estrangeiro (com o seu american express e o ar beto) e pensar que pode regatear como se estivesse na feira de carcavelos.

O Sonho de qualquer um, menos o meu!

This is Hobbes

2009-06-13T10:54:00.004+02:00

So, this one is Hobbes, he is two months old and came all the way up from Valencia..

always curious

Predator instinct

just playing

New Readings

2009-06-06T12:14:00.008+02:00

Metamorphosis - Franz Kaffka

The realization that no one is irreplaceable on one hand, and the capability of one moving on and growing in the other. The capability or not of human beings accept and act accordingly to change.

Drácula - Bram Stroker

The fight against evil with relics... It just doesn't fit. Evil can't be fought by Good, but can by the relics that represent it??? A tale of apparently reasonable and intelligent people finding solutions in amulets (why not a rabbit foot or a gem stone???). About the so called terror, well it wasn't that scary :(

O enigma do sofrimento - Georges Stéveny

A turning around in the finger pointing thing! The realization that many of "God's acts" are nothing but the sum of our actions with the interests and monetary correction applied. The finding that the choices we make are, has well, a limiter factor in God's actions (if we choose to be left alone, He must respect that choice...). And finally the conclusion that in the absence of good evil will prosper (there's no void).

No country for old man - Cormac McCarthy

Initially it seams like a blood bath without no cause, but has you get deeper in it, it starts to show a soulless country, with people doing things without considering wright or wrong but possibilities of success. A country were moral is decided in a coin flip!

A great portrait of a society in a deep values crisis.

Into the Wild

2009-06-03T19:28:00.005+02:00

Pic: Tosa de Brabal (Andorra)

Altitude: 2658 m

Coordinates

Latitude: 42º30'10.01 N

Longitude: 1º35'54.62 E

Route: Estany D'Engolasters, Col Jovel, Tosa de Brabal and back.

Gap: 1058m
Time taken: 5 hours
Distance travelled: 11 km

Col Jovel seen from a tree hole

Nature in all its colours

The final ascend

The summit - 2658m (8,720 ft)

In the summit with Pic De Carroi and Andorra la Vella has background

Lunch with a view...

...and what a view

Warrior's rest (usually known has Siesta around here ;))

Simple beauty

Finding the way home..
(so, this is a map, the north is there or there??? were here or maybe @#%$?œ@)

lets just go down...

see u around!!!

6 new museums #27

2009-05-09T13:59:00.021+02:00

So, what I thought would be some quite a challenge, has revealed it self quite easy. A week in London and 6 museums visited in a flash.

#1 HMS Belfast (Imperial war museum)

A place to learn about British naval heritage. Nine decks to explore from the captain bridge to the boiler and engine rooms.

Life on board... The mess, the hospital, the crew quarters, the sound, mail and clerk cabins...

A bit of her history - a small exhibition of the most important operations in which she was involved: from the battle of the North Cape to Korean War, passing thru her roll in D day.

The lower decks: the boiler, the engine and the shells rooms
We made our way up viewing the wheelhouse an the transmission station, once in the super structure...
...The Guns!!!

#2 TATE Modern

A good place for those who appreciate modern art. Originals from Dali, Picasso, Chagall, Miró, Magritte, Warhol and many others.

#3 TATE Britain

Displays the collection of British art from 15 century to the present day.

#4 The National Gallery

A true treasure!
With art works from several artists: Botticelli, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Monet, Raphael, Rembrandt,Rubens, Van Dyck, Van Gogh and Velázquez among others. A must see.

#5 Natural History Museum
The facade of the building, quite something!!!

The main hall with the Diplodocus scale model (the original is somewhere in the states)

The vault
Some of the most beautiful gem stones found in nature.

Entrance for the Earth galleries

A place to learn a bit more about our home... and how to keep it a little bit longer...

Some species form the past...

The saber-toothed tiger

The Dodos... (There goes our last female)

And Some Dinosaurs...

With a scale model nest

From HRM territories to Cephas

2009-05-02T17:46:00.006+02:00

Some photos specially taken thinking of you ;)

The importance of being...

¿Cefas, Cephas...?

Know the building???

The yellow frame magazine

The Italian job

The best for last

Our first Anniversary #82

2009-05-02T11:35:00.004+02:00

So, an year has passed since our vows... that surely deserved a celebration!
We had one... or three:
1. On the 16 of April, a romantic dinner and...

2. On the 18, 19 and 20 a trip into the mountains

3. From the 22 to the 29 a trip to HRM domains in England

ps. about the 2nd and 3rd items, there will be further explanations in posteriors posts.

My first pair of Converse #100

2009-05-02T10:14:00.004+02:00

So, in all these years I never had a pair of Converse shoes (always felt like they weren't me). Dani loves Converse shoes and so, when we got of the Hospital, I offered him a red ones. It wasn't his size so I went to the shop to change them... there i saw these (it was the last pair) and there you go...

Their actually quite comfortable.

Get out of that slow dead

2009-04-11T11:41:00.003+02:00

Muere lentamente

Muere lentamente quien se transforma en esclavo del hábito, repitiendo todos los días los mismos trayectos, quien no cambia de marca, no arriesga vestir un color nuevo y no le habla a quien no conoce.
Muere lentamente quien evita una pasión, quien prefiere el negro sobre blanco y los puntos sobre las "íes" a un remolino de emociones, justamente las que rescatan el brillo de los ojos, sonrisas de los bostezos, corazones a los tropiezos y sentimientos.

Muere lentamente quien no voltea la mesa cuando está infeliz en el trabajo, quien no arriesga lo cierto por lo incierto para ir detrás de un sueño, quien no se permite por lo menos una vez en la vida, huir de los consejos sensatos.

Muere lentamente quien no viaja, quien no lee, quien no oye música, quien no encuentra gracia en sí mismo.

Muere lentamente quien destruye su amor propio, quien no se deja ayudar.

Muere lentamente, quien pasa los días quejándose de su mala suerte o de la lluvia incesante.

Muere lentamente, quien abandona un proyecto antes de iniciarlo, no preguntando de un asunto que desconoce o no respondiendo cuando le indagan sobre algo que sabe.

Evitemos la muerte en suaves cuotas, recordando siempre que estar vivo exige un esfuerzo mucho mayor que el simple hecho de respirar.

Solamente la ardiente paciencia hará que conquistemos una espléndida felicidad.

Pablo Neruda

Million dollar smile

2009-03-28T15:44:00.004+01:00

A few months ago, and in an attempt to overcome my well acknowledged social phobia, I've decide to salute a gentleman with whom I usually cross at the street every day.

The first time that my "Hola, Bon Dia" came of, the gentleman was quite surprised (has was I), but he actually answered me back and from that day on, its an habit for us to salute whenever we cross each other.

Last Sabbath morning Dani started to have double vision, on the afternoon we went to the E.R.. After many tests and examinations there was no apparent explanation for the case, the doctors couldn't find a physical reason, so Dani checked in and I stayed with him.

On Sunday, after a short and bad night. I wake up to find out that Dani's was still seeing double, the doctors wanted him to do many more test and have to keep him in the hospital... Despite of that I had to go to work.

So I leave the hospital, tired, worried and a bite scared actually. Has I cross the hospital doors and take a few steps, the first person I see is the gentleman, who salutes me with his best smile... I hardly answered him back, but that smile gave me hope and shown me that God was with us. In that moment I felt gratitude. I tried to pull one good deed and it came back to me and ten thousand times better....

"Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God's will."
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Ps- One week has passed, since wednesday Dani has been at home resting and is fully recovered.
Ps1 - All the medical and auxiliary staff at the hospital was great. Thank you!

101|1001

2009-03-28T14:08:00.003+01:00

A while back, I saw on someone’s website that they were following a meme called “101 in 1001”.

THE IDEA

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

The Prize:
Many accomplishments, lots of fun and some great stories.

THE LIST

101 | 1001
1. Tell at least 5 people about this list and inspire at least one person to join the Day to Zero project
2. Put an extra euro into savings for every item checked off (0/101)
3. Donate 5€ to charity for every item on this list that is not accomplished after 1001 days
4. Report achievements
5. Celebrate the journey with a nice dinner out, no matter the final results
6. Start a new list when this one has been completed

Travel / Exploration
7. Visit a new country (0/1)
8. Visit a new Continent (0/1)
9. Visit 10 new places (0/10)
10. Stand in 3 countries at the same time
11. Climb Coma Pedrosa (2942 m)
12. Climb Toubkal (4167 m)
13. Take a hike in the mountain every two months (0/16)
14. Do a parachute jump
15. Take a hot-air balloon ride
16. Take a cruise
17. Find a geocache
18. Create a geocache
19. Go to port aventura
20. Learn to ski
21. Learn to play tennis
22. Go scuba diving
23. Go to a rugby game
24. Make a journey by train
25. Visit a lighthouse (inside out)
26. Show Paris to Dani
27. Visit 3 new museums (0/3)
28. Travel form Andorra to Puigecerda only by mountain trails (that’s what ATV’s are for)

Fun
29. Fly a kite (self made preferentially)
30. Build a sandcastle
31. Make 3 very odd snow mans (0/3)
32. Photograph 5 different sunsets (0/5)
33. Photograph 5 different sunrises (0/5)
34. Create online galleries of my digital pictures
35. Record a song
36. Review all MacGyver series
37. See all Star Wars saga in a day
38. Solve the Rubik’s cube
39. Finish my puzzle and place it

Education
40. Learn basic Russian
41. Improve my Catalan to b level (take the test)
42. Learn to play “Lagrima” by Tarrega in classical guitar
43. Learn 3 poems by heart (0/3)
44. Learn the name and be able to locate 15 constellations (0/15)
45. Be able to maintain my language calendar for a week
46. Learn how to really use my camera
47. Learn to make an origami

Mind / Soul
48. Read 66 books I’ve never read (0/66)
49. Go to an opera
50. Go to a classical concert
51. Read the Koran
52. Read the Torah
53. Read my bible tree times (0/3)
54. Make my bible study daily and actually be on the correspondent date (0/1001)
55. Memorize 3 psalms (0/3)
56. Write a poem for Dani (0/1)
57. Make a good drawing (0/1)

Body / Health
58. Run 3 times a week for the 1001 days (0/429)
59. Drink 2 L of water for one month in four different months (0/4)
60. Lost those last 10 lb.
61. Be vegetarian for a month in four different mounts (0/4)
62. Do not order take out food for 3 straight mouths (0/3)
63. Do not drink soda drinks for a mouth in four different months (0/4)
64. Wake up every day at 7 am for a mouth in four different mouths (0/4)
65. Floss every day (0/1001)
66. Put braces
67. Treat my feet once a week (0/143)
68. Do not spend more than one hour in front of the computer in week days (0/143)
69. Get an eye examination

Environment
70. Be able to take a shower in less than 5 minutes, and keep my daily showers in less than 10.
71. Never turn on the heat above 22º C
72. Create two deposits for cardboard and plastic and recycle them
73. Maintain my three plants alive for the 1001 days experience

Personal / Family
74. Donate blood
75. Send Christmas cards to family and friends
76. Finish my 366 reasons list – Dani knows what I’m talking about – (180/366)
77. Call mum and dad at least once a week (0/143)
78. Make 12 thematic dinners for me and Dani (0/12)
79. Invite all friends for dinner
80. Celebrate every Sabbath with a special meal (0/143)
81. Write a recipes books
82. Have a proper celebration of our first anniversary
83. Prepare a thanks given dinner (0/1)
84. Give 8 things “just because”
85. Have a pet
86. …

Misc.
87. Buy a telescope
88. Buy two mountain bikes (one for me and one for Dani)
89. Buy shelves for the basement and place them
90. Buy 4 new pieces of furniture for the house (0/4)
91. Get window drapes for my room
92. Create a savings account
93. Save 20% of my earnings for a year (0/12)
94. Try sushi
95. Frame more photos
96. Make my bed, every day, before leaving home (0/1001)
97. Wash the dishes, every day, after every meal (0/1001)
98. Buy all filters for my lx3
99. Pick up things on the moment they fall to the ground.
100. Finally buy a pair of converse
101. Place things, after use, in the right place and ready to be used again

Beauty

2009-03-11T17:29:00.005+01:00

Discontent (with my work, my achievements, my goals. In a simple word, with my life) has been the definition of me for quit some time now. Every little task was met with resistance. But now I see that the discontent covered a deeper misery.

In the search of the ultimate epiphanic experience, the utmost beauty, the perfect moment, I lost touch with reality, with the world, with myself.

I see how arrogant one must be, to think that there is such a thing as set of moments that express "the magnificent beauty". How blind I've been in the expectation of something that was not the expression of the true reality (rude, unkind and ugly).

For months, I complained that there was too little to me. I asked the world to give me more, to give me all. And the all I had, only shown the emptiness of myself.

I stopped trying to find, to have. I started to be, to do. And in every moment of being, to be the best one can be, to do the best one can do. Destroying the ordinary, the ugly and the rude in me, and finding, in every accomplished task, the perfect beauty of a completed duty.

But, if you want to find true beauty...

this sure it's in the right path.

The day after...

2008-12-01T00:31:00.004+01:00

There are those who have to go up the mountain...

2008-11-30T23:48:00.011+01:00

... and there's the lucky one's to whom the mountains are just there!!!!!

The awakening:

Our balcony

The view from there (still snowing)

Playing in the centre of Andorra la Vella

the making off of the snow man....

hard, hard, hard.... funny work!!!!

And, ladies and gentleman....

the final result

the armless snow man... amazing!!!!

The best Sabbath day present!!!

The first Snows of the season

2008-11-05T17:56:00.006+01:00

Location: Estanys de Tristaina (Andorra)

Coordiates: Latitude: 42° 38' 60 N

Longitude: 1° 30' 0 E

Elevation:2486m

Date: 13/09/2008

Time: 1h30m

Stargate, Snowgate.... :)

Pic de Tristaina (2876m)

Estany Primer

Estany del Mig

Casamanya

2008-09-27T13:48:00.018+02:00

Montaña: Pic de Casamanya (Andorra)

Altitud: 2740 m

Salida: Col d'Ordino

Desnivel: 769 m

Tiempo: 1h:45 m

Nuestro objetivo

El camino por en medio del bosque...

Ya se ve el pico entre los arboles...

Dejamos el frescor del bosque...

Empieza el ascenso. Y que ascenso!

Subes, subes, subes y descubres que estas en la cumbre... del primer abollamiento!

...despues de este, solo unos 4 ó 5 mas!

Las vistas desde el pico...

La Coma dels Llops, el pic de Coma Pedrosa y el Pic de l'Estanyó!

God's fingers sobre Ordino

Empieza a quedar-se negra la cosa... los cambios climaticos aqui son fantasticos!!! Y a la velocidad de la luz!!!

En la cumbre depués de 55 minutos de duro ascenso...

La bajada ya con nubes y lluvia :)

Asi ya me gusta el clima!!!

Llegada al coche. Mojados pero muy felices!

Uma má notícia

2008-05-18T18:51:00.005+02:00

Esta semana vou preocupar os meus amigos (quiçá conhecidos) como nunca os tinha preocupado. Há uns minutos suspirei fundo e, num momento de reflexão de aproximadamente 5 segundos, porque há decisões reflectidas que se tomam num momento e decisões precipitadas que passamos anos a acarinhar (coisas da relatividade temporal), cancelei a minha conta hi5.

Traditions...

2008-05-18T15:15:00.002+02:00

Tradition - The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation.

Nowadays we hear more and more about traditions and the importance of maintaining the old traditions. Seams like we've spread apart so much from what we use to be, has human beings, that in order to have a glimpse of our past we must keep and even revive the old traditions.

So we fight, and fight hard to maintain alive the traditions and customs created by our elders, in an attempt of keeping an identity, in an attempt of sharing experiences. Because we want to save the times that long have pass; "because in the good old days..."

Yes, in the old days things were different, people were different! Because, in the good old days, things were made by principle or had a good reason to be made (like in the story of the monkeys, in which they are all sprinkled with cold water every time one tried to reach the banana, so they all start to beat the one who tried to reach it). Now, when we do something just because it used to be done like this, once again were just like the last four monkeys (the ones who never had a sprinkle of cold water),but who beat the new guy anyway because "it has always been this way.."

It is with some repugnancy and superiority that we do remember old Rome times, when men and beast used to fight, most of the times to dead, has a form of entertainment. Are we so far apart from dose times?

Pensamientos por decir

2008-04-29T15:46:00.009+02:00

CRECIÓ EN MI FRENTE UN ARBOL,
CRECIÓ HACIA DENTRO.
SUS RAÍCES SON VENAS,
NERVIOS SUS RAMAS,
SUS CONFUSOS FOLLAJES PENSAMIENTOS.

Octávio Paz