Evidentemente Yo

Changing perspective

2009-10-08T12:55:00.006+02:00

About four months ago Dan and me were in Taco Bell, (the new "all christian" restaurant in Madrid), with David and Tyler. Both are missionaries in Madrid, from the states. Moreover David is what we can call a priest. His resident permission in Spain says so. He studied theology, so sometimes we call him "Reverendo" David.

Anyway, we were there and Dan and me were talking about how great it would be to have a more... rational bible study. Something more interactive, and somehow, intelectual thing, than what we had in church right now. Just gather in a flat together, with a piece of Bible to read, and try to talk about what God is trying to tell us in Bible. That way we can all share what we think God has teached us, and learn from each other. It's a give and take study.

The good thing is that David has studied. He can read ancient greek, so when we have doubts he can go to the original fountain (during the studies he has his greek new testament), and clear the languaje doubts we may have. Finally one thing i love about our gatherings is that we always finish trying to understand how to apply what Bible says to our daily lifes. Otherwise we would not be a group of believers trying to learn and understand God's will, but just a group of people that loves words and likes to argue about pieces of literature.

So... now that i have explain all this, i can explain why the title of the post... is like that. We have been studying Luke for about three months, and finally reached the half of the gospel(maybe a little bit more). And till now two big ideas have been appearing in almost all of our studies.

The first one is about the Kingdom of Heaven. Where is it? How is it? What do we know about it? What does it mean to us? It is supposed to be here, now, and at the same time it is still coming... so... somehow it hasen't arrived yet... but at the same time, it's here, now... again. And another important thing, we're supposed to belong to it. And that somehow should affect everything in our livings. Our minds should be focused in that key reality.

And when we do it... everything changes. Our perspective of life, world, people, work, problems... Suddenly, what seemed to be important it isn't anymore, and what looked to be a grain of sand in a beach becomes a big mountain. To be conscious of a bigger reality beyond this, and to live that consciousness... well... it changes everything. I suppose that's one part of what Jesus meant when He said he was making everything knew. Cause a new reality appears when you see everything through the glass of the Kingdom of Heaven. And you understand your life has a new meaning, your priorities change... everything is still the same, but your perspective is brand new.

The second thing that has been appearing lately in most of our studies is the question: "Who is Jesus?"
And this is a question that appears several times in Luke. People was wondering the answer, the king too, even the disciples. The answer to that question is something that gives sense to all the rest of the gospel, and sense to christianity. Most of the people recognice Jesus existed. A lot recognice him as a great moral master. Some even recognice that he was a prophet and that he died on the cross. And some of us even believe that he rose up from the death.

There have been a lot of "good" men in History. A lot of prophets of all religions. Believers could say that Jesus wasn't the only one who rose up from the death. So somehow human beings should stop focusing on what Jesus did. Because the difference between him and all the others are not his acts. He himself said his followers would do bigger things than him.

So in this second point what we have to change is our perspective on what he did. And this perspective can only be changed when the question of who he really was is well answered. Without than answer all His acts don't mean anything. With it, a whole new rality and comprehension can open our eyes, mind and heart.

Madrid 2.0

2009-08-24T10:54:00.004+02:00

Eleven months ago i moved to Madrid. And next, weekend i am starting a new phase in this... i would say "horrible", but let's just say, "city without sea", that will fit. Anyway... i have spent eleven months here, and from my last decisions, it seems that i will spend, if God doesn't comeback before, the next eleven too.

I haven't wrote much in this last year... actually... i think this is my second post... Anyway... a lot of things have happened in this last months, so i'll try to make a little resume, so that i can read it later... and think about it.

I have continuing travelling, although it sucks that with the EU i can't have new stamps in my passport, i finally knew Switzerland and Chzec Republic. And went back to Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. And as i said in my last post, i'm still looking for a home. Next year travelling plans are still in the air. I have an invitation to finally go to the States, that really excites me. But my sis will go back to Poland, and maybe i will visit her again. Yesterday i was thinking with a friend to go back to Lithuania... just Lithuania, but he went even more crazy, and through of a road trip through all Europe... to Lithuania. That would be great... and knowing my experiences in road trips... we'll probably end in Lithuania... but only God knows how we would reach it.

My and my workmate, and friend, Dan, got fired in february. And both founf a job one month later. He's earning more, but not so happy, i am earning less, but learning a lot. So it looks pretty fair. Anyway, about myself, i prefer my new job. The atmosphere in the other job became a little bit strange, and to be real we didn't have much work, so we wew being payed for doing almost anything. In my new job, sometimes i miss a little bit more organization(but i think is something not so strange in the little spanish businesses), but at least i am learning a lot. Right now we don't have so much work(Madrid closes in august), but still i have things to do.

And my workmates are nice people. And my boss too.

So next weekend i'm moving. As i said, new flat. Bigger, much bigger, and new. With new flatmates, with whom i not just share a good friendship but also a couple of hobbies, and some dreams. I think that's the thing that most excites me about next academic course(yes, still thinking as a student).

I am also thinking about signing up in History, in the distance university... mmm... I should check this out this week... time is running out.

These last months i have also learnt a couple of things. Probably the most important one, at least is what i think. Is that despite what i like to think, i don't know everything. Moreover... i know very few things. That's hard for someone who has always been so proud of his own self confidence, and his mind clarity.

I also learnt to be careful when i am surrounded by friends, by a not hostile circle. That can make me feel too confortable, and i lose tension. And when i lose tension, somehow i lose control of me and the beast i have(and all have), inside. And that's not good... i got tired of asking for forgiveness to people... and that don't really value it.

... and i have learnt more things... but i think this is getting too deep... and personal.

Searching for home.

2009-08-22T12:08:00.004+02:00

There have been ages since i last wrote here. The last time was when i still was in Madrid, living happily with my couple of roomies. Since then, some things have changed.
I changed my flatmates, during the summer, and somehow it has been a little traumatic experience. To have more than 4 people living in a flat that is still small for three, during one whole month can be hard, moreover if you're the only one working in it.

But anyway. I still had time to travel a bit. I went to Switzerland(Geneve), with one of my flatmates and his beautiful girlfriend. Nice country, nice city. I found it a bit simillar to my hometown, but with even less nightlife.

After that i went to Poland, to Wroclaw, not Warsaw, to visit my sister, who was making her erasmus there, and who will make her two years master there. We algo went to Prague, to visit what is called the most beautiful city in Europe. I must confess i think there's a lot of marketing in that quote. Of course, Prague is really amazing... but it would be hard for me to say that is the most beautiful. What i can say is that is the one with more tourists. I still haven't been in Rome... but i'm wondering if the amount of tourists is simillar to Prague.

After visiting Poland i realized how much i missed Lithuania and my friends there. So i planned a trip to Kaunas and Klaipeda to visit old friends, and remember nice memories. Jesús came with me in this trip(and i am still waiting for him to pass me the pictures). Tnis was a different trip from the others.

I remember when our plane was flying, i told Jesús i was going back to my second home. He told me, "well... third one". And i had to answer him that i would consider the Basque Country as my first home... but i still can't consider Madrid as my second home. For now, Madrid has been just a phase. I don't know if it will become a home for me... but for now it isn't. So, yes, i considered Lithuania as my second home.

And i speak in past, cause after the trip my mind changed a little bit. What i found in Lithuania was what i expected. Super nice people, cheap country, true christianity, hospitality,... But it was also something else. Or maybe... it was that something else that i missed. I still don't know what it was exactly, or maybe yes. But things were different. Of course Jesús came back completely amazed by the country and people there. But somehow, i think as i already knew all the things that usually amaze firstcomers, i was expecting something else of my visit. Or at least what i already had in my first stage there. I really don't know. Sometimes i think, "aha, this is what has changed, this is what i missed this time". Other times, i don't really know why somehow i was a little bit deceived by my visit,... i can't say what i was expecting from it, butfor sure was something else, or something different.

So after my comeback to Madrid, my conversation with Jesús came back to my mind. I still can't consider Madrid as my home. And somehow i couldn't consider Lithuania as my home either, (maybe that was what i expected? a home where it wasn't?). So during this year i have visited four different countries, and somehow i still feel as if i haven't found my place in this world.

I remember speaking with Jurgita about my travelling dreams... maybe i am willing to travel, just because i am willing to find a place to be,... and i need to search for it. I was also thinking that probably i will never find my 100% home in this life, that would match my beliefs... so i should not be so frustrated, but sometimes i am too human, and i am.

I still don't know where i will search my home next year. There's a possibility to comeback to Lithuania, with a different purpose this time. And also i'm thinking of finally getting out of Europe and go to the States. And i would love to go to Asia next Summer(i think that has been my "dream" for the last three summers). But, i don't know.

Next weekend i'm moving, still in Madrid, but a different flat, and different flatmates. I must confess i am very excited about this. The flat is brand new, huge, we have enough space to host a lot of people, is not so far away from church, and although geographically is further from my job, by underground is closer. I think i will get on very well with my flatmates(or we will kill each other in a couple of months). We all work and in the same sector(IT), and i think i will be able to learn a couple of things from them.

Of course, you're all invited.

I love you

2008-12-16T00:39:00.004+02:00

A good friend sent me a comic book drawn by one of his friends. I haven't finished reading it, but till now the most impacting drawing has been this:

The translation goes moreless like this:

"I love you"
"Like the adults do?"
"No, truly."

This last two years i have heard a lot of adults speaking about love... and that drawing nearly broke my heart... sad but true.

Average relationships vs. Punctual Gifts

2008-12-01T11:26:00.003+02:00

Nearly two months since i moved to Madrid and i think i have to break my silence. Not to talk about Madrid and why i moved... just to write about thoughs that have come to my mind during this two months, and that in the last week have taken shape.

One good thing about Madrid, at least, is that here i have much more friends and relationships than in my hometown. That gives me the possibility to somehow experience and analize more people and situations that take place with them. Of course, sharing a flat helps. It's never easy... and probably sometimes it's really hard. At the same time, while analizing other people, sometimes i discover new things about myself. Some are good things... some are not so good... and most of the time... it's just what it is, not bad, nor good, just reality.

This last week i have been thinking about gifts, especial presents that people that loves you gives to you to show they do. Although i like presentes, i have never been able to appreciate them too much. I mean... to show the people that i appreciated it. You can give me a book that i have been looking for for two years... and i will only be able to say "thank you". Most of the people would start jumping, clapping hands, shouting their happiness,... i just said thank you and felt really bad for it. Tried to explain that i was really happy for that gift... and again, felt really bad for not being able to appreciate that present in a way that my friend could understand how grateful i was.

But reality is that althoug i can be thankful, and that i like gifts, i don't appreciate them much. At least i don't appreciate them as much as most of the people do. That has been something that i have known for a long time. Is all about the laguajes of love and all that stuff, my languaje is not gifts, bla, bla, bla... no problem. But this last week i have realiced, that it was not just that.

I have noticed that if i don't appreciate gifts it's because most of the people that give them to me, don't have an average good way of treating me. I think it's difficult to speak myself... What i mean is that i appreciate more if someone cooks for me 10 days in a month a normal meal, rather than if someone makes a huge supertasty dinner just once. I appreciate more someone that takes interest for me every week, rather than a puctual superdeep conversation once a year. Of course, with people that lives far away that's difficult. But now i am speaking about people in Madrid, about the people close to me.

Some like to show me their love for me with one punctual thing, really good thing, from time to time. Others like, maybe not to be so... excellent, but take the work of doing it many times. I have understood that i appreciate this last much more. I think that maybe is because i think i would like to be an all day everyday friend, not a once a month one... And probably with some people we are... with some others we can't, i don't know.

Just words.

Charles Barkley

2008-09-21T22:27:00.003+02:00

Probablemente la mayor boca de la NBA, y el tio además era bueno.

La altura está sobrevalorada: he jugado con muchos paquetes muy altos.”

“Creo que mi peso ideal es el peso en el que esté cuando estoy en la pista.”

“No me suicidaría. Soy una de mis personas favoritas.”

“Mientras Bird esté en la liga, seré el segundo peor defensor del baloncesto.”

“Pensaba que Bill Laimbeer es el tipo más despreciable y desagradable de todo el baloncesto… pero por otro lado, siempre lo respeté como jugador.”

Tras remontar un partido en el que llegaron a perder de veinte puntos: “Éste es un partido que, si lo pierdes, te vas a casa y le pegas a tu mujer y a tus hijos.”

Como contestación ante la gran cantidad de demandas interpuestas por asociaciones feministas tras esa última declaración: “Me meo en esas mujeres.”

“Iba a donar la cantidad de mis multas a los sin hogar: pero es que al final de la temporada iban a tener mejores casas que yo.”

Tras la victoria de Brent Barry en el concurso de mates del 94, fue el primero en sacar conclusiones: “Un blanco ganando el concurso de mates, la NBA está en decadencia. Necesitamos otra marcha del Millón de Hombres”.

“Soy la mejor persona que conozco.”

A Oliver Miller, compañero de equipo en los Suns con continuos problemas de sobrepeso: “¡Ni siquiera puedes saltar lo suficiente para tocar el aro a no ser que te pongan un Big mac en lo alto!”

Sobre su contratación por los Rockets: “Me acuerdo sentarme con los Rockets y decirles: “Sí, me voy a retirar”. Ellos dijeron: “Bueno, te daremos nueve millones de dólares”, a lo que respondí: “¿Tenéis un bolígrafo encima?”

“Hey, Stanley, serías un gran jugador si fueses capaz de decir dos palabras: estoy lleno.” (Hablando con el peso pesado Stanley Roberts).

Al retirarse: “Esto es justo lo que América necesita: otro negro sin trabajo.”

Sobre el contrato de Kevin Garnett: “Es un montón de pasta. Y lo está ganando un negro. Qué gran país es éste. Imagínate si supiese jugar.”

A Kenny Smith, compañero comentarista y ex-jugador: “Me gusta que los Celtics sean competitivos, porque era muy divertido ir al Boston Garden: te escupían, te tiraban cosas y hablaban de tu madre. Como si estuviese cenando en casa de Kenny.”

“La iba a denunciar por difamación de personalidad. Pero entonces me di cuenta de que no tengo personalidad.” (Sobre Tonya Harding, ex patinadora)

“¡Me encanta Nueva York: tengo una pistola!”

“Mi familia me criticó cuando dije que Bush sólo se preocupa de los ricos. Así que les recordé: “Eh, ¡que soy rico!””

“Si no ganara más de tres millones de dólares jugando al baloncesto, la gente correría en dirección contraria si me viese por la calle.”

Justo antes de su famosa carrera contra el árbitro Dick Bavetta: "No tengo nada contra la gente mayor; algún día quiero ser uno de ellos.”

Ernie Jonson, comentarista de la TNT: “¿Cuál es el problema de los Knicks en este momento?”Charles: “Que no son buenos.”

EJ: “Auburn es una muy buena universidad. Supongo que para graduarte allí realmente tuviste que trabajar muy duro y esforzarte al máximo… Charles: “20 puntos y 10 rebotes también te ayudan, no creas…”

EJ: “¿Te reconocieron en Dakota del Sur?” Charles: “Sí. Fue fácil porque yo era la única persona negra allí. Cuando me veían caminar por la calle decían: “Aquí viene otra vez”. Y cuando volví al año siguiente gritaban alucinados: “¡Ha vuelto, yujuuu!””

“Esta es mi agenda; Me levanto por la mañana, decido donde voy a ir a jugar al golf, y bebo cerveza todo el día.”

“He sido rico y he sido pobre. Ser rico es mejor.”

Sobre cómo Jerry Krause fue capaz de mantener su trabajo como General Manager de los Chicago Bulls: “Jerry debe tener fotos de la esposa de su jefe montándoselo con un mono”.

“Tengo una pregunta: ¿Alguna vez has visto a Gollum y Sam Cassell juntos en el mismo sitio?”

“Al Gore es un perdedor. Pero tan sólo es el segundo mayor perdedor de Washington. Los Wizards son los mayores perdedores en Washington.”

Antes de enfrentarse a Cuba en los Juegos Olímpicos de Barcelona ´92: ¿Qué que sé sobre Cuba? Pues que el país lo gobierna un andrajoso que fuma puros… eso es todo lo que sé.”

Sobre cómo Michael Jordan debía afrontar los agobios de la fama: “Contrata guardaespaldas. O haz como yo; golpea a unas cuantas personas y dales 10000$.”

“En mi ropa interior no viene la talla. Simplemente hay una etiqueta que dice: ENORME.”

Al ex-jugador y compañero comentarista Reggie Miller: “Reggie era el extra de Brokeback Mountain.”

“¿Tengo un problema con el juego? Sí, tengo un problema con el juego. Pero realmente no es un problema... porque yo me lo puedo permitir.”

Charles: “¿Sabes cuál va a ser un equipo interesante este año? Los Utah Jazz.”KS: “¿Interesante desde un punto de vista positivo o desde uno negativo? Charles: “Todavía no lo sé.”

Durante las finales de la NBA, Ernie Jonhson señala a un cartel en el que se lee: “Barkley = Tonto, Van Gundy = Más tonto.” Charles: “Hey, al menos ese tío sabe quien soy. Yo no tengo ni idea de quien coño es él.”

"El sexo y el golf son las únicas cosas en las que aun siendo malo en ello, puedes pasar un rato agradable.”

"Sabes que todo se ha ido a la mierda cuando el mejor rapero es blanco y el mejor golfista negro.”

Kenny Smith: “Se puede ver que Voshon Lenard ha estado un tiempo lesionado porque ha ganado un poco de peso.” Charles: “¿Un poco de peso? ¿Le llamas a eso un poco de peso? Eso es como decir que lo del Titanic fue un pequeño accidente marítimo. Vamos hombre, si creo que usa la misma talla de calzoncillos que yo.”

Se supone que debemos parar de comer cuando él lo haga? ¿Y qué ocurre si seguimos teniendo hambre? Joder, puede que el haya picoteado algo antes de venir a comer.” (Sobre las normas de protocolo antes de comer con Rainiero en el Palacio Real de Montecarlo.)

“Pese a ser un rookie Christian Laettner va a ser el hombre más fuerte de la NBA la próxima temporada. Se está pasando el verano llevando las maletas de 12 tíos.” (Laettner era el único jugador universitario del Dream Team del 92).

Imagination and filling equations

2008-08-27T11:58:00.006+03:00

This last two weeks i have been wondering about how complicated can relationships be. Moreover when our own imagination comes into the equation. I mean, relationships are never easy. I understand very well the affirmation a famous philosopher did, (can't remember is he was Freud or Froyd), "hell are the others". And somehow he had part of reason.

Relationships are difficult, we have somehow to die to ourselfes, and try to understand the others. Give ourselfes to them, understand them, and fight against our own selfish desires to try to make their life a little bit better. I think this is part of what christians preach when we say that we have to "kill our flesh". But we are humans, and to fight against our instinct is really difficult. Still, despite this "animal" instinct, the property of being human also gives us the chance to choose. And that option becomes much easier when you choose to give yourself to someone that has also given itself to you.

What i mean is that when you have a friend that has proved you how much he loves you, is much easier to love him back. Is part of our human trader mind. Give something in exchange for something... love for love.

And somehow, most of the times this is what we expect of a relationship. To take back as much as we are giving. And when we receive more, we naturally try to give back... is all about filling the equation. I suppose that like the ancient scientists we are afraid of emptiness.

So, till now the situation was complicated but we could afford it. It's very mathemathical, just an equation and we have to continually balance it, not as difficult as we supposed. But, sometimes, in some cases everytime, imagination plays with our well balanced equation. And then, things get really complicated... and the only ones to blame are ourselfes.

What i mean... is that a lot of times our mind plays tricks on us. Makes us think that that person who we love so much feels the same about us(and i am not talking about romantic relationships). Once reality hits you in your face, and you realize that when you though you had a friend in someone and you just had a "known"... it feels bad. You feel fooled. You feel stupid. You want to go to that person and tell him how much he has deceived you. How much he has hurt you. But the real thing, is you're the only one to blame. Probably he did not do anything to make you think he considered you a friend... but you did, and your imagination made you think he felt the same about you. And now the equation is unbalanced and you feel bad about that person, but you know he has no fault. So what now???

Festivals

This summer i went to a couple of festivals. The well known Jazzaldia and the Festival Gospel Castellón. Both were quite good, although i believe last's years Jazzaldia was better... more jazzy than this one, wich most of the music was good... but i would not call it jazz.

Anyway, one band in each festival impacted me. In the jazz one an italian duo called musica nuda, (check the videos, much better than the tracks). It was an strange duo, a girl singing and a double bass player. Just that, so at first sight it may look a little bit boring. But they were italians... and this race has some kind of charm, ideal for the stage. The concert was really funny, and both musicians were awesome.

In the Gospel the band that i liked most was Sarah Kelly's, really good american rock. If you like Alanis, Sheryl, and so on... this sounds better, at least live. And her testimony is... well... impacting.

Teenagers, basketball and books.

2008-07-04T22:56:00.006+03:00

A lot of friends have accused me of liking teenagers too much. And well... i have to confess it, it's true. Some weeks ago an american team came to my town, and i ejoyed very much the time i spent with them. Now i am pretty sure that one of the main reasons of this was that most of them were teenagers.

But there is a logic reason why i like so much to spend time with them. And this doesn't mean i just enjoy my time when i am in their company. I also enjoy time spent with other people. But what i have discovered about teenagers is that their lack of maturity helps them not to take life so seriously. That means that when i start saying silly things without thinking about them before opening my mouth... they don't get upset!!!

They just think that is one more silly thing in life they don't have to take so seriously... laugh... and continue with their lifes without judging me because of that little moment of madness. Older people can't do that. They get upset with anything silly that i say, take it seriously, think about it, and judge me. There are some close friends with whom i can say silly things and nothing happens. This ones have also the advantage that i can talk about more serious things knowing they are enough mature to advice me. Probably with them i can be myself more that with anybody else.

Then it comes basketball... wich i am missing this summer cause i can just play once every two weeks. What i like about it is... well... because i am not as bad as playing football. That's one reason. The other reason why i always look foward for the next day when i'll play basketball, apart from meeting those nice guys i have mentioned before in my blog, are the concrete rules.

Basketball is easy. Has concrete and simple rules. You have to throw the orange ball trough the ring. You can't travel more than two steps without bouncing, etc... Is a known rectangular world, no surprises. You don't have to think more than to whom you will pass or when you will shoot. The options are finite. You have no more than 4 possibilities to pass... I like that... not to think, just play... time flows... while you're in that tiny little world, enjoying the game.

Books are also a rectangular world. But they permit me to be anyone... in anyworld. Probably that's one reason i like sci-fi books so much. They not just aloud me to be anyone at anytime... anywhere in this world. They also make me wonder what would be to live in other dimensions, planets, worlds... When i'm reading this world stays behind, while my mind can travel free...

Teenagers, basketball and books have always been like an emotional vaccation... some kind of places where i feel more free... where i feel more like being myself... or like being what i would like to be, how i would like to be.

My face/Mi cara

2008-07-02T19:18:00.003+03:00

So, in ten days my friend Fran and his supernice girlfriend Ana Amelia are getting married. And thanks to Fran i will attend it... but... i have to decide what to do with my face... my beard. After thinking a little bit, and asking a friend who said that beard makes us more interesting(i suppose to women), i have decided to make a questionary(on the right side of the blog).

Help me to solve this dilemma!!!

En diez dias mi amigo Fran se casa con su guapisima novia, Ana amelia. Gracias a Fran podré asistir a la boda... pero... tengo que decidir que hacer con mi cara... mi barba. Después de pensarlo un poco, y de preguntarle a una amiga que me respondió que los tios somos mas interesantes con barba(para las mujeres espero), he decidido hacer una encuesta(en la parte derecha del blog).

Ayudadme a resolver mi dilema!!!

My Worlds

2008-07-01T13:15:00.004+03:00

Last month i have been thinking about the different worlds that i have lived in, or that i am living in right now. Two weeks ago a team from Tulsa, Oklahoma, came to my city, just to encourage the newest church in it, and try to spread the gospel a little more in Spain. I am not going to speak about what i think of what they did and so on. Just that i enjoyed very much the time i spent with them. Somehow they where a breeze of fresh air for me. A whole weekend speaking in english again, to feel that you're not part of the city, but a tourist. To feel the people staring and you cause you're surroundeb by 20 blonde noisy teenagers screaming and running. And without even caring about it. They made me remember my happy days walking around Europe, getting out of my daily routine, and feeling part of something more that what i am here in my hometown. I know that is just an illusion, but sometimes it feels good to live one, in helps me to get my emotions on vaccations.

Two weeks before this nice americans came here i had a "club day". This means that the people from the club in wich i play gather to play all morning. And later go to the beer festival, and have sausages and beer. I think basketball is the most kind side of my less christian life. This life sometimes is hard cause you can't never be absolutely yourself. Or maybe you can, but sometimes you can't share all of it with others, just because you're in a different wave from them. But anyway... as i have said they are the kind side of it all. I really enjoy their company, their jokes(although sometimes are a little bit weird), and their friendship. I really love those guys, and sometimes it breaks my heart to think about the lifes they're living, that is not bad at all... but i really believe could be better.

This last weekend i went to ContraCorriente, the biggest christian youth festival(or that's what i want to think), in Spain. I think that my main motivation for continuing going to it is just to meet some friends. Well... not some, but a lot of them. And they are those kind of friends with whom you can really be yourself fully. I know if i can count on someone(apart from God and my family), they are the ones. The hard thing is that i can just meet some of them once every one or two years... and coming back home, where they are not, is hard. But so it's life. This is the world i would like to live each day, and it's the most unreachable one.

Purchuggalll

2008-05-12T18:40:00.003+03:00

More than a week has passed since we came back from our lighting trip to Lisbon, but i have been busy, i am indeed, but the memory of my thesis... is too boring and sometimes discouraging, so let's pour my opinions about Portugal now...

So portugese people is moreless what i expected. Small, brown, and full of hair. But really nice people. I couldn't met many of them cause Postugal is strangely invaded by spaniards, but the few i met were really nice, spoke softly(i like how portugese speak), and were very kind. I don't think we're so kind with french... so maybe between Spain and Portugal there is not this ancient hate that exists between french and spanish. The guy in charge of the hostel even called me "brother". Maybe he was christian? Probably not...

Anyway, people was nice. The country, from my humble point of view, not so much. Well... it was nice, but i don't really liked it. Talking with my uncle yesterday he described perfectly Lisbon with one word, "decadence". He said that city has a permanent decadent ambient. And it's true. Is not that is not rich, (not as much as Madrid or Barcelona, but not poor), or that is an old city, or somethig like that. Is that there is a decadent ambient that surprised me. More if we think that since Portugal went into EU, like Spain, it has suffered a really big economical growth. But when you go to Lisbon, at least my sensation was the opposite.

My uncle said that he loves that kind of ambient... i am not sure that i liked it. Anyway, i think my opinion was also based on the fact that we went there with a car. And driving in Lisbon is just crazy. Small streets, up and down, trams everywhere, not traffic lights... and drivers honking(that's american stuff i think) all the time. Really crazy. If you ever go, be sure not to do it by car. Or if you do it, park it somewhere and forget it all the time you spend there.

And apart from all that... Portugal is moreless like Spain. Nice coasts, nice palaces, good food,... more chaos, more silence. Strange combination. One of those countries were you realize how scandalous spaniards are.

Team

2008-04-27T21:00:00.002+03:00

So this year, after coming back from my european course, i joined my "all life" team. The basketball team from my neighbourhood. The difference this year is that some of the player with whom i was playing where the ones i used to train... about 5 or 6 years ago... or more. Now they have grown up. So i just joined them to play sometimes along the week. Not games, just train with them. I didn't want to compromise my saturdays keeping somebody who could play always from doing it.

But after some months, reality is that i am not only playing with them during the week... but also training them, going to their games as coach... And also training a junior team, with one of my senior teammate(too much mmmmms in that word? Drift i need you).

So anyway, there, up in the picture is the junior team that i train. From left to right and up and down: evidently me, Dani, his cousin Javi, Aitor, Iker(his brother and my teamate), Papa(i really don't know his real name), Gotxon(that was the first time i saw him, smart guy he came for the photo), and Valencia.
They are very few, but usually we count with some more players from the category the club has under them.

So they are the bad team, they are really bad, believe me. And the older ones are suppose to be good players. But reality is that as a trainer i have just won two matches with the olders. And all of them with the juniors. The first reason for that is that the juniors, i want to believe, are more serious than the seniors. (The videos are an example of that, the senior team dining.)

The other reason is that the juniors are so bad, and so innocent playing that they don't really have up side downs, like most teams have, during a game. It doesn't matter if the other team plays good or not, they moreless play the same way all the game. And the other team(and last weekend also their parents), finishes frustrated and throws the match to the garbage bin. I like the constant way they have got to play. Is a pity they are so bad, but their mentality is one of the bests i have ever seen in a team trained by me.

The seniors are something different. Much better players, but a really bad team. They don't know how to pass the ball. And that, doesn't matter what they say, is the most important thing for a team that plays basketball. Not the shoot, not the bounce, the pass. And that is something they don't do. Moreover i don't know how they do it... well i know... but we always end every game arguing one with each other... So in general they are all nice people... but... they are some viruses in the team... that don't just make it not work as a team, but also sometimes create a rare ambient.

Anyway... there was no virus in the dinner we had in a "sidreria"... wich is a... typical basque restaurant. Not high "cuicine", but home made... and really expensive. This time we had the luck of meeting a "hen night" or "bachlorette party" or whatever it is called the last party a bride has before her wedding(if that is not correct this time is Tere and Keilah's fault). So the table next to ours was full of mad girls looking for funny guys. And i must recognice that some of my teammates are really funny. The result is in the videos.

Filling the heart

2008-04-24T17:41:00.004+02:00

I have always liked that image. Some people think that is a little bit gore... but com'on i am the guy who can't watch "House" or "Grey's Anatomy" cause gets sick when they start talking, and sometimes showing, all that medical stuff... I know better than you what is gore, and that picture isn't.

So i have always liked it, and i think it's because i can feel identified with it from time to time. I mean that from time to time i feel like i have wasted all that's left in me, in my heart, and feel really empty, with the need of filling it up again. I suppose that's something quite normal. If you have lived your day fully, you should feel a little bit empty. Not just tired, but also empty, as if you have given all that was inside of you. And you need to fill your deposit again, because tomorrow a new days awaits... and you would like to live it as fully as today.

But sometimes i feel like my deposit is not enough to arrive to the end of the day. Someone comes to me and asks me a little bit of my fuel cause he has run out of it... and... crap, i am empty, i have nothing else to give. I usually feel a little bit guilty about this. Probably because i don't know how i always achieve to finish my day, to arrive to the goal. But somehow i think that maybe my incapability to give someonelse a little bit of my energy during my trip might make him stay for a long time stopped at the side of the road, waiting for someone with a heart more filled than mine to be a little bit more generous than me.

Probably my problem is that sometimes i am conscious of my limits. You know... i still have energy in me... but is just for me. Is the energy that i need to end my day, if i give it away, even to a beloved one, the one who is going to be lost in the middle of nowhere is going to be me. I suppose that that has got just one name, selfishness. And at the same time lack of trust. Trust that when i am going to be completely empty someone will come and fill me again. I suppose that i have never liked to depend on no one... but i still think my life would be better, if i would accept to empty my heart more usually, and therefore accept to fill it again.

Welcome!!!

2008-04-15T17:57:00.003+02:00

Some have to leave, and others arrive. I think that's life. That cute thing you see between a couple of cheeks is called Morgan Grace and is the first baby of one of my mates(my God, he is even younger than me!!!:S)

Anyway... good news have to be spread even more widely than the bad ones. And the arrival of Morgan Grace Smith, and the good helth of her mum, are good news. So.. welcome to the world!!!

One talker aping two.

2008-04-01T16:55:00.004+02:00

I usually never quote texts in my blog, but i found this poem in a book i was reading. Is a kind of answer the poet gives to those that think that when we, christians, pray, we make the part of the prayer, and also, the part of the answer. I like very much the last two verses:

They tell me, Lord, that when I seem
To be in speech with you,
Since but one voice is heard, it’s all a dream,
One talker aping two.

Sometimes it is, yet not as they
Conceive it. Rather, I
Seek in myself the things I hoped to say
But lo!, my springs are dry.

Then, seeing me empty, you forsake
The listener’s role and through
My dumb lips breathe and into utterance wake
The thoughts I never knew.

And thus you neither need reply
Nor can; thus, while we seem
Two talkers, thou art One forever, and I
No dreamer, but thy dream.

Easter

2008-03-26T19:18:00.006+02:00

So, Easter came, and Easter went... And after vaccations, i can make a little resume of my free week. My first one from the working point of view. Ok, so Easter started with the blood of passion painting my finger. Yes, here in Spain is costume, at least in the south to hurt yourself to ask God for forgiveness... so i hurt myself... just playing basketball... and of course it was not on purpose. After breaking my hand, almost all my fingers, and now this, i can say it, basketball is an extreme sport!!!

But, i cheered up that same night, in the concert to wich Javi had invited me. Deke Dickerson was the name of the band... well... it was the name of the guy... whose band played. Band... they were a trio. Rockabilly or rock and roll music to be more concrete. Simply awesome... they all sang, they switched instruments, double bass included, and was a very funny concert. "Deke" Dickerson, "Crazy" Joe, and "Sugar Balls", AKA, in that concert, as "Cojounes de Asucar". Really good and funny(and free) concert. Here's a little video... not good sound, but just to make you taste how funny the concert was...

Two days later we headed to Hossegor, to a capitalist party!!! Yes, lots of nice clothing brands have their stocks and factories in that french village. And once a year, on easter, they make a huge outlet park. So there we went. 5 hours of queue in the Carhartt shop had their wage, and now i have two new jackets, four trousers, two shirts, a present, and two hats more. Ah, and five pair of socks. Curious day... you can save a lot of money in clothes if you like the expensive brands, and go there with the idea of not buying clothes again till next year. And that was my idea.

That same nigh we spoke with Ainara, living in the states for... 6 months now? Don't really know. Anyway... my new iTouch is on the way. I know, i know...why not an iPhone? The ones who know me well noe the reason, i'm not going to spend 100$ more for a thing that i don't like as a mobile phone is.

So the next day we went to Eibar. To see my beloved friends in one more concert. I haden't seen them since Becca's wedding in September, so it was really nice to reunite with them, and to have a nice conversation with John. And... how could i forget, to confirm that this year i will probably go to ContraCorriente... i don't want to miss Blindside.

And after that... calm... and then the storm. Maria came from Barcelona with her boyfriend and Xabi, and we went to face the sea. It is really nice this days. Last week it broke the road, some benches, a market, two clubs, one massage centre, and left us with nearly no beach. But the waves were awesome, they still are, although i think it will be difficult to see again such amount of destruction.

Party!!!

2008-03-18T13:28:00.003+02:00

Some months ago i found this nice drawing in the XKCD webcomic(see my links list). And well... for many people probably such situation is quite sad. To be in a loud party, dreaming with being with your laptop somewhere else. But i felt quite identificated with it. In LT, i had the opportunity to feel like that in several parties. The good side of the story is that i didn't need to dream much. When i got bored of drunk people looking for more drinks or sex, i just left. (Funny that someone described me as a party boy... what would spaniards think of that description of myself?)

But anyway... sometimes parties can be fun, at least at the beginning. And you never know when you will find someone that is also dreaming with leaving it. I spent 10 months of parties without finding it... but who knows? Maybe is just a matter of continue looking.

Now my brother is in Lisbon, Portugal. And was far as i know he is trying to avoid parties, probably because of the same reason why i left them a year ago. I hope he finally finds the good point of going to parties... and have the wisdom to leave them when he starts dreaming with other things.

Harmonica is now played in Heaven

2008-02-27T18:41:00.006+02:00

Yesterday Paco died. I though that i had to write something about it, just because is a too much serious thing, and a too beloved friend to let his goodbye pass without saying a word. It would have been strange to write something in my blog after his depart, without naming him.

So i think is better to do it now rather than in two weeks. Apart from that, what can someone say in such situation? Yesterday i talked with several friends, and even phone others... and in all cases the reaction was silence, there's nothing left to say, he has gone, and we can't do anything about it.

But, thinking coldly, and that is something that i don't know why i am good at, there are at least three things that confort me.

The first is that i really bealieve that this is just a "see you" rather than a "good-bye". And that in some time, only God knows how long is it going to take me, i will meet him again, and we will just continue making bigger the list of good moments i have had the privilege to share with him... making it bigger for all eternity, that sounds cool.

The second thing is that i don't believe in free christian deads. I believe that somehow, somewhere, sometime, God will use this tricky situation for His glory... i think Paco would be glad to know that. At least i hope that when i die, my death means something good for someone.

The third thing that makes me happy, is to think the huge privilege that God has gifted me meeting Paco. A good friend has left, but at least i have known him, and that is something to be happy with, i can just say "thank you God, thank you Paco".

Although that it's not his best picture, i know that he loved it... i can also imagine, that maybe that is what he is doing now in Heaven... the other options are, playing football with Jesus, and complaining that He doesn't defend enough, or making the Father taste a little bit of his super politically incorrect humour. I will miss him a lot while i await to join him.

Some pics...

2008-02-14T13:25:00.005+02:00

I am following Ryan's example... maybe this is funny.

1) Answer the questions below.

2) Take each answer and type it into Photobucket (www.photobucket.com) or the google image search.

3) Take any picture from the first page of results and post.

4) Don't explain, it's funnier that way!

The age you will be on your next birthday:

A place you’d like to travel:

Your favorite food:

Your favorite animal:

The town in which you were born:

Your favorite color:

The town in which you live:

The name of your pets:

Your name:

Your last name:

A bad habit of yours:

Your first job:

Your favorite kind of music:

Your crush/ love:

What car do you drive:

St. Valentine's day

2008-02-14T12:33:00.003+02:00

I think i have to dedicate this post to all my nice friends with someone to tell "i love you" in this special day:

I think the rest of us will understand our situation when we see the real aspect of Cupid:

But anyway...

Where is God? - 2

2008-02-12T18:28:00.002+02:00

So although a lot of people is trying to explain me that we have to meet with other christians, cause that is the sure way to connect with God. Cause there, in the meetings, for sure we will find God. And if we don't do that... then, something is wrong with us. So, despite all this reasons, i find that i can't be sure to find God in a christian meeting. At least as far as that meeting is made of human beings. Of course, i don't mean that meetings are useless or that is impossible to find God in one of them. I am just saying that is not a mathemathic evidence, not a logic reasoning, that if we asist to one christian meeting, we will find, for sure, God asisting to it too. Of course, i believe we should gather, at least because one of those miracles i have talked about might happen, and we should not want to miss it.

So, another belief that is more and more being introduced in church, at least in protestant one, is that God is were people is very expressive. I mean... if in a meeting you sing loudly, you cry, you shout your prayers(very nice and humble ones), you dance, jump, etc... then you're connected with God, you're sensitive to the Spirit. And if all your prayermates do the same... God is there!!!

When i was in Barcelona i stayed at the place of a guy from a pentecost church. He told me that some weeks ago he went to a not carismatic church. The average age in that church was between 70 and 90. An organ, and two hundred grandpas and grandmas... imagine the scene. So they all started singing together one of those ancient anthems... and my friend told me that his skin turned into chicken skin. That somehow he could feel the joy of God listening that, for some people, boring music, sang with all those old voices. He told me he realised the reason of this sensation. It was that all those old people were happy praising to God like that. They were satisfied with that kind of worship, they happy offering those ancient anthems to God.

Of course, not speaking in tongues, and of course not dancings and jumpings, remember the average age. But still, somehow, God slapped my friend's face and told him "i am here". Of course, however knows me probably would know how happy this experience made me. Cause i am a not very expressive person. And i really don't enjoy much too expressive worship. Despite that, i don't consider i am more insensitive than the average believer to God's Spirit.

So from there i turned to Bible, as a goog protestant. Oh, surprise!!! Just before he started his ministry Jesus did something. He went to the desert and spent there 40 days... alone, looking for God. In the quietness, stillness and lonelyness of the desert. Moreover, there is one prophet, one of the big ones, that met God. And just before he met him, fire came, but God was not in the fire, and a hurricane, and an earthquake... but God was in none of those... God was in a gentle breeze... Curious... it seems that although God loves powerfull expressions and espectacle... He is not in them... curious... it seems that, we, shy people, not very expressive, and that long to look for God in the quietness of our secret places, or just in a lonely walk, we still can have hope that one day we might find God!!!

I would say more... it seems that we have more probabilities to find Him rather than the people with an espectacular spiritual life, and a null secret spiritual life. Still curious.

Where is God? - 1

2008-02-11T20:00:00.000+02:00

This last months I started again to asist to the prayer meeting in my home church. And this meetings sometimes make me remember the story a friend told me in Lithuania about a supercarismatic prayer meeting somewhere i can't remember. The thing is that although everybody was shouting, praying, jumping, etc... you know, the kind of things that very pentecost people like to do to probe themselfes they are nice christians. So although all this spiritual party, a little quiet girl went to the leader of the meeting, and told him, "i'm sorry, but God has told me that he is not here". So everybody was quite of surprised... so they continued praying... even louder... and... some time later the little girl spoke again... "God has told me that he is still not here". I can imagine the face of that people... probably they though that the girl was disconnected with God, trying to ask for attetion, or who knows what.

But anyway... the story reminds me usually of a quite important question, i think, at least for believers. Where is God?

Well... first of all i think we should say... that God is everywhere... cause we believe that He is omniscient... Yes... ok... and if we want to be more concrete, we could also say: God is wherever He wants to be, he is God. So... those two asserts are quite clear for me.

But some people go to Bible, and read some promises God did to believers, and they logically conclude that when some previous conditions are true, then, God should be there. One of those promises is in one psalm, can't remember the number, where it says that Gog pours blessings in the armonious gathering of brothers. How nice. But... when i see church nowadays... i think is pretty difficult to find completely armonious gatherings of believers. It's a disgrace, but we're humans, and the people that we can't swallow are humans too. And when you gather together more than 5 people, i think is quite difficult, if not impossible, to to enjoy one by one, the presence of everyone. And the few times that this might happen... i would call it miracle. Of course, reality is hard, and is even harder for nice christians like we are, to admit that we can't see that stupid guy sitting in front of us. So instead of that we smile and say, "God is here, look all of us smiling!!! That means that we are all celebrate the presence of each other." But is a pity... God doesn't look our pretty smiles, but our black hearts.
So, i think is quite difficult to asure that God is somewhere because everybody is gathering in a happily manner.

The other promise He did, and this one is always used in prayer meetings, was that he would be wherever two or more gather in His name. So, the logic conclusion that all smart christians find, is let's find at least another believer, gather with him, and make the magic spell "In the name of Jesus". And that's all... with that spell God has to be with us. And a lot of people believe that is true!!!
But, ok, i started to think a little bit further... cause sorry, is difficult for me to believe that with a spell were obligating God to come to us. He also said that if two of us agree in something he would give it to us. But i can't believe that if i convince someone to ask God for a couple of Ferraris(one for each), He would give them to us... mmm... although i have never tried... maybe i should?

So, what does it mean "in the name of Jesus"? I started by thinking in an easier example. Something like and embassador going to one country in the name of a king, for example. What does that mean? Somehow it means that whatever that embassador says, and does... is what the king he represents would do. So extrapolating the example to our situation. When we gather in the name of Jesus, it means that each act and word that we say, is what Jesus would do in such situation. Interesting... can we assure that each time we gather "in the name of Jesus" we are really praying, saying, acting the way that he would pray, say and act??? As i have said before we are imperfect and stupid human beings... So each time that we really gather in he name of Jesus, is not because of us, but because of the Holy Spirit living in us, another miracle.

Bus thoughs

2008-01-07T01:06:00.000+02:00

So, here i am in the bus... on my trip from Madrid to Barcelona, rethinking and annalyzing all this days i have spent with my friends... from all over Spain to be true. So retaking my thoughs... we could sum up the weekend... as really good i think. Maybe a little boring, cause when everybody is resting... you finish tired of doing nothing, tired of being tired and resting...

So anyway, i have learnt that when you find someone kind of similar to yourself... being myself... is quite hard to get on well with him. Not because we don't like each other(i am speaking about myself), just because i think is quite hard to break the ice with another piece of ice. When you realize that... well... is funny... but you can't do anything... So it ends being a little bit sad.

I have also realized that somehow my childhood was traumatic. It seems thar everyone played to Mario videogame... everyone but me!!!:S They pass screen after screen saying, "oh how bad i am"... i think i couldn't pass any screen... And they remember all the tricks and things!!! How cand they??? I remember playing to Mario in one or two birthdays... of course i was as bad as today... but i can't remember anything... So now i understand why i am as i am. I was not a Mario freak, and that made a huge scar in my life...

We spent New Year's Eve in a house of a friend of a friend. More than 21 people there, it was cool, although i barely knew half of the people there... and i couldn't know very well the rest. But i think all of them were cool people. I liked it, is good to go to a place and see that people receive you as well as they can. You know... one smile, a nice word... all the things i can't do. Funny. Anyway, i also learnt that i offended a good friend some years ago. Is quite strange to realize how a word as simple as "lemonade" can harm. Anyway... i am finding that i spent half of my time harming the people i apreciate and love, and half of it asking them to forgive me...

I also focused a little bit more my thoughs about relationships, you know, boys, girls, and so on. I think talking with girls makes me think about that, and sometimes, just sometimes, i arrive to conclusions. Or maybe it was to observe my friend's first girlfriend... that was funny too.

Black is black

2007-12-07T13:17:00.001+02:00

If you have read about the silence and all that i wrote some days ago, you may be able to deduce(is that english?), that lately i have been thinking a lot about people's tongue. About what they say and what they don't say. As christian i have also conclude that words and their meaning have a critic importance for us. At least they should have. In general i think that for humans words should have this critic importance, and that we have to know as well as we can their meaning, and when the meaning of one word is not clear... lets use more than one to make it. For christians i really think this importance should be bigger. First of all because our beliefs are transmitted through the Bible, wich is a compilation of words... the Word of God... and i think that is quite important to understand clearly what God is telling to humanity, what are you basing your life in.

But, there is always a "but", lately i have been thinking that somehow, human nature is to be liars. That's the conclusion that i have found to base why people swear. Is as if people usually lie... but when we come to a serious business, we swear, as if saying, "ok, usually i am a liar, but this word i am going to keep, to i swear by, bla, bla, bla, to bla bla bla, and bla". And usually this vows are very serious, and are taken in front of witnesses, so that if we say "black", everybody hears it, and if we try in two months, to change that black into grey, we can't... and if we do that our word, and our vow, will lose all its value forever.

So, somehow, christians, we don't like to swear, i think is because we all pretend that we never lie, (hahahahahaha:D). But more and more, i am finding christians that when they say black, two months later they pretend to have said grey. And then i ask myself, "why the f**k havent't you said grey from the first time?". It really pisses me off, to see that. And i don't mean someone that drops one opinion, and after some months, something in his life makes his opinion change. I think that is quite normal. He said black, and recognices it, but now he realises that it was not black, it was grey. That is ok. What i mean is people that said black, and after sometime, they pretend to have said grey, or yellow or blue... or at least to mean it. That is nonsense for me. Well... not son nonsense... i have found to reasons at least for this behaviour.

The first one is that people is simply stupid. They drop words without thinking. And aftersometime they realise that what they dropped so happily was not the truth. But their pride doesn't let them say, "hay, i was wrong". No... they pretend to have said something different, or to meant something different from what they said. This is the group of people that never thinks of their words, that can't control their tongue. I think that moreless we all are part of this group, at least i can be counted in it. Not always... but the one that has never spoken without thinking it first, can throw the first stone.

The second reason i have found why people says one thing and really means other, is because they are hypocriticals. They think blue... but they choose to say red instead. Because people will think better of them that way, or something like this. But usually this is the worst thing they can do, cause sooner or later actions speak louder than words... and they will not behave blue if they think red.

I think this last is the worst kind of word distorsion. Cause is a conscious way of lying. But sadly is the one that i am finding more in the church. That church of the people that are suppose not to lie. And i feel that is quite sad to find out of church atheists and people like them, unbelievers, that are more consequent with their beliefs, right or wrong, than christians. And well... how do we want people to believe and understand what we believe if we fail to do what we say?

Why is this? Well... as i wrote some monts ago i don't like to think about the evilness in people. Although i know it exists, and i know that lots of "christians" know perfectly, and sadly, what they mean, what they say, and how they behave. I also find worried how the distorssion of words is made by christian stupidness. People doesn't know what words mean!!! They think that white means blue, and blue grey!!! They don't read bible with a dictionary at hand!!! So most of the times when they find something that they don't understand... they use their imagination(some call their imagination "holy spirit"). They don't try to look in the dictionary what that strange word means. They don't ask wise men, or read wise men books, to study and reach the meaning God wanted to give to several words... They just suppose...

I believe that humans should be responsible for the words they dropp... and christians, somehow have got an even more important responsibility in this... But we are to lazy... How sad... how evil...

James 5:12
"But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment. "

Por que los pingüinos.

2007-11-09T12:07:00.000+02:00

Porque somos lentos, pero seguros.

Y aunque a veces no somos seguros y nos caemos, siempre lo hacemos con gracia.

Y aunque perdamos el paso siempre nos recuperamos.

Porque tenemos dos modos de desplazarnos: Modo trineo.

Y modo "ganstaz".

Porque somos unos cachondos.

Porque no nos dejamos mangonear.

Porque no sabemos lo que es el dolor.

Porque somos pacientes... pero todos tenemos un límite.

Porque cuando atacamos lo hacemos en grupo.

Porque no tenemos piernas encima de nuestros pies y nos da igual.

Porque protagonizamos pelis que hay que ver.

Porque en realidad si que volamos!!!

No aceptes imitaciones.

Pon un pingüino en tu vida.

Enjoy the Silence

2007-11-08T12:39:00.000+02:00

Lately i have been watching how more and more society, and therefore church, hates the silence. At least the "new school" churches. Yesterday i went to a prayer meeting, and i think that when you tell someone you were in a prayer meeting, the idea that comes to mind is a group of peple in reverent quietness. That's the "old school" idea of prayer, and of church. But nowadays, the opposition of this ideas in protestan churches(and others), the freedom we want to preach, has taken us just to the opposite side. As awful as the continual silence is the continual noise. So yesterday i found myself praying, asking God for forgiveness for our horrible, terrible, awful praise. Because is not just that we sang badly... that is quite normal, none of us is Frank Sinatra... but somehow people can't be happy singing awfully... they have to scream, to shout how bad they sing. So we were screaming Jas' song, and at the same time i was thinking, "oh God forgive us for destroying such a nice song." And giving thanks to him for hearing not our voices but our hearts. Well... for sure He didn't hear my voice cause i couldn't sing with so much noise around me.

But this is not an exception. In most of churches silence is a tabu. When a preacher reads a verse imediately starts talking about it, and shooting more verses, and words about them. Without allowing the listeners to think what the verse says(and remember is suppose to be God's Word), or to think what he wants to explain. In praise it seems that we have to play all instruments all the time. I had a little discussion about this with some people from my church band. Is difficult to see a profesional band playing all the instruments at the same time with all their power. most of the time some of the instruments are quiet, or just making little details to complete a song. But in churches all instruments must be played, all the time, as complicated as the player cans. They have to show how good they are. The result usually is a horrible mixture os noises. The silence is a embarrasing thing.

But is a needed thing. At least i need it. I like the reverent silence i feel when i get into one of those old catholic, orthodox or old protestant churches. The peace that reigns inside those buildings. I like to stare at the sea just hearing the waves crashing against the cliffs... I like to walk in silence through the beach walk. I like to pray in silence and just concentrate in what i am saying. I like to think in silence about that friend that i miss, or that girl that i am in love. I like to be with a friend in silence, that probes that we don't need words to be friends, to communicate. It's funny how people get nervous when the silence reigns in a meeting. Can't we be for a moment in silence? Thinking how good is to be with that friend? Thinking what my nexts words will be? What i want to talk about with him? Instead of that most of the time we just say word after words, the important thing is not to be in silence... But I need silence!!!

And the reason why i need it is quite simple. The silence gives a reason to be to the noise. To the nice noises please, such as music. Because music without silence is nonsense and viceversa. I love music, and i love it because i can appreciate it, and the silence is what makes me appreciate it!!! I saw a friend a couple of weeks ago, and she hasen't got voice right now... and her silence made me appreciate my conversations with her, and i missed them even more than ever...

Silence makes us appreciate music, so let's don't understimate it.

About people and mice.

2007-09-17T17:02:00.000+02:00

This couple of last months... well... have been a little bit strange i suppose that i am somehow still recovering myself from what people around me call "cultural shock". I don't know. What i know is that i have nearly lost all my lithuanian, and little by little i think i am also losing my english... And i can't permit that, so here i am trying to write not too wrongly in that languaje.

So this last months have been trying to probe one decission i made some years ago about how to live my life. And when everything turns wrong... i try to remember that decission, and somehow it makes me feel... more peaceful? i don't know... Sometimes i think i am just fooling myself to keep my eyes blind from reality.

The thing is that some years ago i read somewhere that is not a shame to be fooled or betrayed by your friends... what is a shame is not to trust in them. So till then, i am trying to live like that. Trusting my friends, or the people that at least, i consider my friend. Trusting in their love for me over everything else that could make them betray me, and even in such cases trying to think that there is a very good reason for their attitude. Of course... sometimes... i can't avoid think that they were not behaving the way that friends should. But... at the same time i think is not my problem. I just can try to be as best friend as i can, trust in them as much as i can... if they betray that trust... i can't feel ashamed anymore... is their problem, their shame.

Moreover, what has been probing that decission this last days has been also something about i read some years ago. It was something like... "never confuse elviness with incompetence". And sometimes i see people harming people and i just think, "ok, they are so stupid, son incompetent". And somehow, although i can't excuse their acts i can give reason for them. But sometimes... i can't see the incompetence... and i would like not to see evilness... so my thoughs about that people just turn to blank.

I don't know... too many things in my head... this entry is a mess. Sorry, and no pictures this time.

For all...

2007-08-02T19:57:00.000+03:00

Lituania es como la coca-cola... espero que os guste.

Maps, numb3rs and videos...

2007-07-19T17:50:00.001+03:00

Following Sandro's example, now that i have time before i start studying... i was going to say "again", but i think i will leave it without it. So, before i start studying to try to pass the only exam that i have in september, and on wich my future depends, at least my thesis. I will try to make numbers, of this erasmus year that has finished. I would also like to post a video Paolo did, please notice that was Paolo who did it, i have nothing to do with Berlusconi and such fellows.

Numbers:

48: credits i passed in VDU.

23: nationalities of people i met, and some are still my friends!!!

15: countries i visited in ten months, not bad.

12: ryanair flights.

11:trains in the same number or countries.

10:hostels i have tried.

9: courses i passed.

9: gigas of pictures.

7: times i hitchiked.

7: kinds of vodka i tried.

7:houses i have stayed.

5: exams i did, and of course, passed.

If you have any other number you would like to know... ask.

Swansea/Barcelona

2007-07-03T19:10:00.000+03:00

Con Simeon y Rachel delante de su pijisima casa en su pijisimo barrio.

Well... after two weeks around Europe, i am finally home. Back to San Sebastian, yes, at last. I started my trip in Kaunas, of course, took a flight from Ryga to Liverpool and there a very expensive train to Swansea, where Drift, and his future wife, were waiting for me.

En el castillo de Cardiff.

Tras dos semanas dando tumbos por Europa por fin he vuelto a casa. Sali de Kaunas hace dos semanas, rumbo a Riga, y de alli a Liverpool, y de Liverpool por fin a Swansea, donde Simeon y su prometida esperaban ansiosos mi llegada(bueno, lo de ansiosos es por darle el toque dramatico). En Swansea y Cardiff no descubri nada nuevo. Dos tipicas ciudades britanicas, con mucha gente, muy civilizadas, muchas casitas de ladrillo, muy caras y muy mal tiempo. Eso si, el mar y las playas entre acantilados molaban. Y la cultura en torno a la musica y el arte alternativo tambien. Cosas que no existen en España, salvo quizas en ciertos circulos en Madrid y Barcelona.

Pues he ahi una playa galesa...

In Swansea i spent five days, hanging out with Drift, Rachel, and their friends. There i understoop how wrong i was when i though my english was good. At least now i know is not good enough for Wales. I also experienced how handsome englishmen are... and girls... girls are... they have a cute english, lets leave it there. About Swansea and Cardiff(cause i also went there), i just can say that is all that you can espect from british cities. With lots of brick houses, rain, nice cliffs, good music culture and a lot of people from all places. I also have to congratulate Drift for his future wedding with a girl, i think, perfect for him.

Con Arnau y Miriam en el Parc Güell.

So, from Swansea i departed in a cheaper train to London, and from there to Barcelona. Where some friends, and some lithuanians were waiting my arrival. Well... i waited for Irma in the airport, but anyway. I spent some days walking Barcelona, the beach, Gaudí, Colón, Las Ramblas, etc... You know... the typical tourist stuff. Also talking a lot with Miriam, and hanging out with Arnau and my lithuanian mates. Ah, we also went to Montserrat... just a nice mountain with a monastery on the top... Nothing we don't have in the Basque Coutry.

Vygas, Irma, Julious, Skeiste and Miriam.

Y hablando de Barcelona, desde Swansea, pasando por Londres, me fui alli. Donde ciertos lituanos, y Miriam me esperaban. Bueno a algun lituano le tuve que esperar yo, pero pal caso es lo mismo. En Barcelona vi lo tipico que se ve, y ademas fuimos a Montserrat... que es como lo de Aranzazu que tenemos aqui, pero version catalan con una virgen negra, pa no ser racistas. Alli tambien pude comprobar que el ultimo gran pilar que quedaba en nuestra sociedad, Maria Vergara, habia caido en manos del amor. Si es que no somos nada.

Julious and me on the top.

And now i am back home... Still unpacking things, arranging erasmus papers, thinking of my next year's final thesis(with a quarter of century on my back i think i am enough old to leave the faculty), and deciding what to do, and where, with my life next course.

Y eso... ya estoy en casa... pensando que hacer con mi vida, desempaquetando aun, haciendo papeles y pensando en mi proyecto fin de carrera, a ver si el año que viene consigo que me den el titulito de marras, que ya me estoy volviendo viejo para seguir en la facultad(un cuarto de siglo, ahi es nada).

En el Hospital.

2007-06-05T17:49:00.000+03:00

Pensaba que ya no me quedaba nada mas por ver en Lituania... pues si me quedaba, un hospital. Y es que llevo un par de semanas un poco pocho, realmente lo unico que me pasaba era que tenia la garganta algo cogida. Pero ayer me puse realmente malo, casi hecho la pela un par de veces, con la nariz mas congestionada aun de lo que la suelo tener yo, y tosiendo todo el rato, con la garganta dolorida e hinchada. Asi que hoy decidi ir al medico despues del examen que intente hacer y que no hice porque se les volvio a olvidar mandarlo, pero bueno, eso es otra historia. Ahora el hospital.

Tras muchas vueltas, David y yo por fin lo encontramos, yo esta mañana estaba francamente malo y algo desanimado(mama, estoy mejor, no te preocupes). Asi que alli fuimos David y yo a preguntarle a la mujer de recepcion si hablaba ingles. Esa pregunta se vio automaticamente contestada con la huida masiva de todas las recepcionistas a una esquina, a seguir atendiendo a personas que hablaran cristiano, o sea lituano. La verdad que la situacion era graciosa. Al final David, con sus peculiares maneras les llamo la atencion sobre mi estado de moribundez, y por fin una mujer se atrevio a tomarme los datos. De paso secuestramos a una chica joven que pasaba por ahi, y que si sabia ingles. Asi que medio por señas medio en ingles les explique mis sintomas: tos, dolor de garganta, vomitos(producidos por la tos), nariz congestionada y fiebre(lo de la fiebre lo dije pq me han dicho que si no no me atienden, realmente creo que no he tenido fiebre).

Bien, de ahi a otra oficina a registrarme. Ahi, al principio me decia que tenia que pagar... y yo erre que erre que ni hablar, que yo no pago, que soy estudiante y europedo, y tengo una tarjeta de la seguridad social europea, y que yo no pago. Asi que la mujer hace una llamada... y me dice que no tengo que pagar, que todo esta bien. Asi que ala, vuelta a recepcion a dar mas datos. Por fin me llevan a un doctor, que como no, no sabia ingles. Asi que mediante señas, y respondiendo a las preguntas que me hacia en lituano muy despacito, le volvi a explicar los sintomas, y le dije que habia tenido 37 de fiebre, y que estaba medio pocho desde hace 10 dias, pero que ayer me puse malo del todo. Pues despues de eso, el hombre me ausculta, me lleva a hacer un analisis de sangre y una radiografia... y vuelta a la consulta. Tonces me empizan a preguntar algo... con una mujer que se me habia colado en la consulta. La mujer intenta ayudar, y llama a la nieta, que dice que no sabe ingles, seguro que mentia. Y alli, la mujer, el doctor y la enfermera todos hablando cada uno en una cosa. Al final, me han dicho que vale, me han dado todos los papeles pa ir a la farmacia, y ala, mañana vuelves.

Asi que mañana continua la historia.

24-7Lithuania

2007-05-31T22:19:00.000+03:00

Preparing the masterpiece conspiracy.

So long since i last wrote... anyway, let's do it chronologically. Last 19th and 20th of May we had the first 24-7 prayer room in Lithuania ever. At least the only one that i have heard about... and it sounds really good that i had something to be with the first 24-7 prayer room in Lithuanian History(probably is not the first one... but let me have my little moment of fame).
Bueno, ya hace tiempo que no escribo, asi que voy a intentar retomar el blog cronologicamente. Los pasados 19 y 20 de Mayo tuvimos la, creo, primera sala 24-7 en Lituania. Seguramente no sera la primera, pero a mi me hace ilusion eso de decir que tome parte en la primera sala que se montaba aqui... asi que lo digo, porque ademas, no he oido, ni nadie me ha dicho, que se halla hecho algo similar antes... asi que mira.

Davydas, lider de alabanza en potencia.

So, anyway, what it really was, was a 24 hours prayer room. In a very special evening i explained to Dovile, the youth leader in church, what 24-7 is, with Monika's help, monika is my official translator in church. After that nice dinner Dovile took most of the responsability, doing a fantastic job thinking that it was the first time that they were doing such thing in church. She, with the teenagers though about themes, pictures, etc... to decorate the room. And i must say that i didn't expected it to look so cool.
Bueno, lo que en realidad fue fue una sala 24 horas. Para ser la primera vez, no nos daba para mas. Asi que tras una cena muy especial que Dovile y Monika me prepararon, le explique a la lider de jovenes, Dovile, de que iba 24-7, con Monika, mi traductora oficial en la iglesia. Tras esa cena Dovile tomo la mayor parte de la responsabilidad, coordinando a los jovenes para decorar la sala, llamando a lideres para crear puntos de oracion tematicos, etc... La verdad es que pa ser la primera vez que la tia hacia esto, lo hizo perfecto. La sala quedo mas chula de lo que yo esperaba, la verdad.

Ahi pone algo asi como que Dios te ve, escucha y habla.

We could see the wage of our work on Sunday. The walls of the room were full of prayers, one of the leaders of the church went at 9pm, and couldn't leave the room till midnight. I could see teenagers crying in God's presence... It looked like a Mastercard commercial, "candles: 10 litas, strings for the guitar: 34 litas... God moving: priceless". (I know the price of the strings cause i bught them). They liked so much, that they decided to maintain the room as it was, so that the people that couldn't see it during those 24 hours could go there to read the prayers, and also to continue praying during the week. Now we have to pray that this room is not something that people forgets, but something that they are looking foward to repeat. Yes... that weekend was cool.
Pero bueno, el pago del esfuerzo lo pudimos ver el Domingo. Las paredes de la sala estaban llenas de oraciones, uno de los lideres de la iglesia fue a las 9 de la noche y no se pudo ir de la sala hasta las 12, a mi me impacto ver a jovenes llorando en un pais tan frio como este, etc... Parecia un anuncio de la mastercard, "Velas: 10 litas, cuerdas de guitarra(que compre yo): 34 litas,... Dios moviendose: No tiene precio". Les gusto tanto la sala, que el Domingo decidieron mantenerla toda la semana para que la gente siguiera pasandose por alli para orar, leer las oraciones, etc... Y ahora toca orar que esta primera sala de oracion se vea acompañada de muchas mas. La verdad es que molo el finde.

Niiiiiiiiceeeeeeeeeeeeee...

Klaipeda, Nida ir Palanga

2007-05-14T16:48:00.000+03:00

Yeva, Monika, yo, Irma y Rasa.

So, last weekend David and me decided to go to Klaipeda, to spend the weekend with some beautiful and really nice lithuanian girls. Monika, one of those girls, came with us, and helped us to hithicke. You need to speak at least russian to hithicke succesfully in eastern Europe. The weekend started with the best pub i have seen in Lithuania. A jazz pub with live music, and of course with a really good jazz band. David and me were all the time asking ourselfes what are we doing in Kaunas having such place in Klaipeda. Anyway, it was a really great place.

Perdido en el paisaje lunar de Nida.

El finde pasado David y yo decidimos irnos a Klaipeda, en la costa lituana, a pasar el fin de semana por alli con unas cuantas guapisimas y majisimas chicas lituanas, de esas que tanto abundan por aqui. En el viaje, a dedo, nos acompaño Monika, una de esas chicas, porque viajar por aqui sin saber ni ruso ni lituano esta dificil. El finde lo comenzamos en el mejor pub que he visto desde que estoy en lituania. Un pub de jazz con musica en directo, con la banda, la peña bailando... la caña vamos. David y yo no se aun que hacemos aqui perdidos en Kaunas.

Con Irma viendo las dunas.

Next day one woman from church borrow us her car, and that gave us opportunity to see Nida, the piece of earth that "protects" Lithuania, and also Palanga, the lithuanian Benidorn. But before that... the race!!! I bet to Irma, our host, that i could win her in a race. So as Atalanta and Hippomenes, we raced... and like Hipomenes i won... but no, we are not getting married, the bet was of other kind. If i would have lost, i would have gone the rest of the day in tighs... as i won, she had to go next day to church with the make up i was going to do for her. It was funny.

Cada uno pa un lado, algo asi le paso a Colon y llego a America.

Bueno, al dia siguiente una mujer de la iglesia nos dejo un coche, asi que nos fuimos a Nida, que es la peninsula de tierra que protege la costa lituana, y a Palanga, que es el equivalente lituano a Benidorm. Pero antes, Irma, nuestra anfitriona, y yo echamos una carrera. Le gane yo, desde luego, asi que en vez de llevar mallas el resto del dia, lo que paso fue que ella fue al dia siguiente a la iglesia maquillada por mi.

Flipado por la colina de ls brujas.

So, that day we went to see Thomas Mann museum in Nida, witches hill, the dunes, and Palanga's beach, with fireworks cause they were opening the summer season. Next day we hithicked back, and two guys from church took us in their car. A really nice weekend, you can read a little conclusions about it, in the post before the russian one.

Fuegos en la playa.

En Nida vimos las dunas,el pueblito, la colina de las brujas, el museo de Thomas Mann... todo muy bonito. En Palanga fuimos a la playa, y vimos fuegos artificiales, porque ese dia abrian la temporada de verano. Al dia siguiente volvimos a hacer dedo y un par de tios de la iglesia nos trajeron hasta la puerta de casa. Realmente un magnifico fin de semana, mas conclusiones sobre en el post previo al ruso.

Aunque al principio parecia que no... la carrera la gane yo. Irma causo sensacion al dia siguiente en la iglesia.

Россия

2007-05-13T20:27:00.000+03:00

Moscow/Moscú.Parte del grupito delante de la archiconocida iglesia de San Basilio.

Ok, so it's time, at last, to write something about Russia. The trip route was to go to Moscow alone, i mean, just students, 10 of us. From there we took a train to St. Petersburg, where we had to meet our coordinators. From St. Peterburg Liene, Sarmite and me were going to Tallin, capital city of Stonia, cause non of us had have the opportunity to go before, and this seemed to be our las opportunity in our erasmus to go there.

Philipp y yo delante de la catedral ortodoxa de Moscú.

Bueno, por fin ha llegado la hora de escribir algo sobre Rusia, y de paso poner fotitos mas tipicas. El plan del viaje era, y fue, ir hasta Moscu los estudiantes solos, 10 de nosotros. De alli coger un tren cama para San Petersburgo, donde nos reuniriamos con nuestras coordinadoras erasmus. Y de San Petersburgo, Liene, Sarmite y yo nos fuimos a Tallin, capital de Estonia, ya que esta iba a ser nuestra ultima oportunidad de conocerla en este erasmus.

Dentro del Kremlin, con la campana rajada de Pedro el Grande.

So, there we went, nearly 20 hours of bus, in the horrible, the worst i have ever experienced in my life, russian roads. The best word to describe Moscow is "huge", a huge city, where everything is big. Shops, squares, the underground, streets, markets... everything. Moscow is a perfect picture of the Russia that at least western Europe people imagine. A very soviet city. Full of police, i must say that althoug all the stories of corrupt police that we have heard, the ones that we met were very nice to show us the way to our hostel. They even took the laptop out to show us the way. Once we arrived to the hostel we found that there was no place for us. But thanks to Katja, one of the girls in charge, we could sleep in one empty kitchen. She also took us to have dinner, and to a street market were David and me spent time trying to deal with the sellers, although we really didn't want to buy anything... but it was funny.

La plaza roja, cerrada por las celebraciones del 1 de Mayo.

Asi que palla nos fuimos, casi 20 horas insufribles de autobus por las carreteras rusas. No habia viajado nunca por carreteras tan malas. Ademas, era la carretera principal que lleva a una ciudad de 20 millones de habitantes, increible. La mejor palabra para describir Moscu, es "enorme". Todo en esa ciudad es grande, y la verdad es que es la imagen perfecta de lo que los occidentales pensamos que es Rusia. Una ciudad muy sovietica aun. Con policia en cada esquina, casi toda corrupta. En eso de la policia nosotros tuvimos suerte y no se como preguntamos la direccion del hostal a unos que fueron tan majos que nos sacaron hasta el portatil para buscar el callejero en internet, muy comica la situacion. Tambien fue comico, aunque no nos lo parecio entonces, llegar al hostal y descubrir que no teniamos reserva. Menos mal que Katja, una chica majisima del hostal nos metio en una cocina vacia y ahi dormimos. Tambien nos llevo a comer por ahi y a un mercado callejereo donde David y yo pasamos el rato regateando con los tenderos, aunque realmente no estabamos pensando en comprar nada.

Mi polski y yo en una de las estaciones de metro.

So, my conclusions about Moscow. For me it looked like a huge city in the middle of nowhere. The last civilizated city before you arrive to the great asolation of Russia. Althoug there are more cities in the east, very big also, but that was the idea that i took. I felt like in this movies about a not so far kind of apocalintic future where men live in big cities without connection between then, where chaos reigns everywhere.

La plaza roja de noche, con la iglesia de San Basilio al fondo y el Kremlin y el mausoleo de Lenin a la derecha.

En fin... mis conclusiones sobre Moscu. A mi me dio la sensacion de ser una de estas ciudades gigantes que aparecen en estas pelis y libros sobre futuros apocalipticos. Con ciudades enormes, en medio de ningun sitio, aisladas entre si, y donde lo que reina mayormente es el caos y la corrupcion. Tambien me dio la sensacion de ser la ultima ciudad civilizada, a pesar de que hay mas ciudades por ahi perdidas, antes de llegar a la inmensa y solitaria estepa rusa.

The group, without italians, but with Katja, the nice russian girl.

St. Petersburg/San Petersburgo.

En la plaza de L'Hermitage.

After a night in a russian bed train, this means that we had a room for moreles fifty persons sleeping there together, we arrived in St. Petersburg. The second city of Russia, and probably the most beautiful of all eastern Europe cities, (i don't consider Budapest and Prague eastern eurrope, but center). The city was absolutely different from Moscow. More turistic, less police, the sea,... you didn't feel so inside Russia, as in Moscow.

Dando brincos delante de la iglesia moscovita de San Petersburgo.

Tras una noche en un tren cama comunitario. Eso significa 50 personas durmiendo en el mismo vagon como si fueramos ganado, llegamos a San Petersburgo. La segunda ciudad mas grande de Rusia, y para mi, la ciudad mas bonita de Europa del Este, (si no consideramos Budapest y Praga como Europa Central). San Petersburgo es un poco lo contrario a Moscu. Una ciudad mucho mas cosmopolita, turistica y con menos policia. No te sentias tan en Rusia.

Sarmi y yo delante del intento de Basilica de San Pedro a lo ruso.

St. Petersburg is impossible to see in three days, wich were the days that we spent there. Just because there are more things out of the city, of the zarist age of Russia. The city itself is full of palaces, churches, etc... everything very imperial. Really nice.

El "Aurora" barco historico porque ahi comenzo la revolucion sovietica en no se que region del pais.

San Petersburgo es imposible verla en solo tres dias, que fue el tiempo que estuvimos nosotros. Mas que nada porque fuera de la ciudad hay mas palacios y cosas de la epoca zarista de Rusia. De todas formas la ciudad en si esta llena de palacios e iglesias, todo muy imperial. Realmente muy bonito.

Con mis coordinadoras en el salon del trono.

My conclusions about St. Petersburg, are that this city is moreless a northern Paris. Very similar palaces, they have their own Versalles, and even the style of the buildings and palaces is very similar to the frenche royal style. Apart from that my conclusions of the russian trip are simple. never again a trio with so much peopel and with a clear leader. I would like to make this trip again but with my closests friends.

En el delta del rio, con una de las dos columnas rojas detras y L'Hermitage al otro lado.

Mis conclusiones sobre San Petersburgo son que es una ciudad muy similar, si no igual, a Paris. Es como Paris, pero en frio. Tiene palacios del mismo estilo, incluso su propio Versalles version rusa. Aparte de eso, mis conclusiones sobre el viaje ruso son simples, nunca jamas volver a hacer un viaje con tante gente y sin un lider claro en el. Molaria hacer este viaje de nuevo, pero con mis amigos.

Delante del palacio de Catalina la Grande.

Tallin/Tallin.

Con parte de la ciudad vieja de Tallin, y el mar, detras.

And from St. Petersburg to Tallin with my two latvians. I think that i liked more Ryga than Tallin, but this city was also very nice. Much more medieval that the Ryga. It looked richer. I think that the best of the city is that it's medieval walls still stand there, and because it is build in a hill you have really nice views of the city.

Con Sarmite por las calles medievales.

De Rusia a Tallin, en Estonia, y tiro por que me toca. A mi personalmente me gusto mas Riga, igual es porque estaba menos cansado, pero Tallin tambien molaba. Es una ciudad muy medieval, con pinta de ser la mas rica de los tres paises balticos. Lo que mas mola es que tiene todas las murallas aun enteras, y que al estar construida sobre una colina, tienes vistas muy chulas sobre el resto de la ciudad.

Amazing Grace

2007-05-13T01:28:00.000+03:00

So, last wednesday i went to the students dinner/gathering that the guys from Agape organize, here in Kaunas. It was a strange day, just one of the students, apart from me and i don't count cause i am already christian, was there. Coincidence was that that day the aim of the gathering, i think was to try to get more confidence with the students. And just one of them was there, surrounded by six christians trying to convert her. Well... it was funny, but the girl, the student was a girl, was brave enough to share some of her thoughts.

So, when they were giving her thanks for coming, even alone, etc... she just answered that she now enjoys a lot coming to join the group. And that, for her, is a surprise how they show such a love for her. That the main reason why she kept on coming was that, the love that she felt in that house. I think that for them was even more amazing than for me, but i really felt very, very, very happy for my friends. The words of this girl sounded as if God was telling them: "You're making a good job, you're in the right way". I felt so happy for them, knowing that they were goaling the objetive that every christian should have, be witness of God, loving people as He does.

And now, here i am in Klaipeda, the third city of Lithuania, and the main one in the coast. I have come here with David and Monika, spanish and lithuanian. Hitchicking, of course. We have spent all day having a round with Irma and Rasa, two girls from Klaipeda. Something that David told me quite surprised me. He said that the main reason, i think he said the only one, why he was jealous of my choice in life, about God and all this stuff, was the people that i was having opportunity, to meet and to be surrounded by. He said something like: "I envy that you're surrounded by all these people... and they all are so nice!!! Good people." It was strange... i know that when he speaks about the people around me, he just doesn't talk about the lithuanians, cause he had the opportunity to meet Dan, several times when he came to visit me.

And i know that Bible says that we should be proud just to know God... but i can't avoid to feel proud of the people around me, proud of the friends that God has given me, and he is still giving. People that is an example not only for me but for my "unbelievers" friends. And i can't avoid to feel uncomparably blessed by God when i see how people describe the friends of a guy who not so many years ago had any, and still doesn't do anything to deserve them. Amazing grace.

Just in Russia/Solo en Rusia

2007-05-07T13:03:00.000+03:00

I am still waiting to compile all the pictures that we took from Russia, and once i have done that, select the best ones to explain how our trip was. But meanwhile i put some pictures of things that you just can find there, at least some.

Aun estoy esperando a recopilar todas las fotos del viaje a Rusia, una vez tenga hecho eso, seleccionare las mejores para explicar como fue el viaje. Pero mientras os pongo algunas fotos de cosas que solo puedes encontrar en Rusia, al menos algunas.

Aparcamiento de limusinas en la plaza de L'Hermitage, de todos los colores y sabores.

Toilettes buses...

Ale, que ultimamente hay mucho mono de boda...

The coolest supermarket i have ever seen... it looked like a palace.

Fotito de estrangis de una misa ortodoxa rusa.

La floristera decidio que le iba a dar suerte y se sento a mi lado.

Que por falta de marcas no sea.

The Kalashnikov is the biggest russian exportation... here the bodka model.

Galleta Maria Fontaneda, version rusa.

Ahi pone "Todo a 100".

El pizza hat.

El ejercito, que venia a por nosotros.

El Lada, orgullo sovietico.

Desde Moscu.

2007-04-29T22:51:00.000+03:00

Lo que hay que ver... tengo todas las instrucciones del blog en ruso, flipa. Bueno, es lo que tiene escribir desde un ordenador moscovita. Y eso... estoy en Moscu, este teclado no tiene acentos ni enies... y si que tiene un moton de simbolitos cirilicos de esos tan divertido es inentendibles.

Las primeras impresiones no son malas del todo, nos han hablado muchisimo de la corrupcion de la policia rusa, pero aun no la hemos sufrido, y esperemos no hacerlo. El cirilico es un cisco, y no mucha gente pispa el ingles, asi que el tema esta complicadillo. Venirse aqui sin saber nada de ruso, o sin un contacto es chungo. Suerte que tenemos a las letonas con nosotros. Y ahora tambien tenemos a Katya, la jefa del hostal. Una tia mon de maja que nos ha llevado a comer hoy a un sitio buffet de esos de paga y come todo lo que puedas.

Muy divertido todo, vamos. Maniana por la noche nos piramos para San Petersburgo... ya pondre fotos de todo esto cuando vuelva a Kaunas.

P.D.- Supongo que habreis notado ciertos cambios en el blog... es que ando intentando hacer experimentos con el PHP y el HTML, y la verdad que la cosa es un rollo, pero ya veremos, espero que dentro de poco vuelva a estar bonito. Ala, pasadl bien.

Welcome to "plan B"/Bienvenidos al "plan B"

2007-04-15T14:37:00.000+02:00

So, in one of the last posts, you could see in the map, moreless the route that was planned for our european tour. The plan begun correctly, we flew from Kaunas to Frankfurt-Hahn, and from there to the airport next to the lake Balaton, in Hungary. There we discovered that it is the biggest lake in Europe. We slept in one hostel, with a very friendly hungarian guy, and from there, bording all the lake, we took a train that carried us to tha capital city of Hungary, Budapest.
Durmiendo en el aeropuerto de Frankfurt-Hahn. A orillas del lago Balaton, el Benidorn alemán.

I recommend strongly to all who haven't been there to go. They told us that the Buda part of the city was the most nice, but for me both were really beautiful, each one different to the other, but beautiful too. In Budapest we spent two days, watching the parliament, the cathedral, national museum, the imperial palace, the castle, opera and so on. Really incredible city, full of history.

Cerquita del palacio imperial húngaro. Cesar y yo en la plaza de los héroes.

En uno de los ultimos posts podiais ver el mapita con la supuesta tour que ibamos a hacer por Europa. El plan comenzo correctamente, tomando el vuelo a Frankfurt-Hahn, y de alli a un aeropuerto en el lago Balaton, que luego ha resultado ser el lago mas grande de Europa. Ese primer dia dormimos en un pueblecito al lado del lago, regentado por un tipo muy simpatico que nos dio un monton de informacion sobre Hungria, y especialmente sobre Budapest, la verdad es que el tio muy muy majo. Al dia siguiente por tanto, tomamos un tren que bordeando todo el lago nos llevo hasta la capital húngara. Con el palacio Imperial al fondo, en la otra orilla del Danubio.

Y sinceramente, recomiendo a todos los que no hallan estado alli a que vayan, porque la ciudad es una pasada. Dicen que es mas bonito el lado de Buda, pero la verdad, es que tanto ese como el lado de Pest, son muy bonitos, cada uno a su manera. Se notaba que la ciudad tenia muchisima historia a sus espaldas, ya que de todas las que visitamos fue en la cual vimos mas cosas. El palacio imperial, la ciudadela, la opera, los puentes sobre el Danubio, el parlamento...

No, no es Minas Tirith, sino el mirador al lado de la catedral. Desde el palacio Imperial, con el Parlamento al otro lado del rio.

Something bad to say about Budapest, it was full os spanish, and one of those spanish told us that Bratislava was not worth to see. And, stupid of us, we believed him. I say this, cause i truly think that Bratislava was worthy. But... this opinion gave us the opportunity to think of a plan B. The options were to stay one more day in Budapest, to go one day early to Austria... and therefore, to go one day earlier to Slovenia. None of that options convinced us too much. And them... the critical moment. I saw a map. So i shot the possibility to turn south instead of west. And as the idea grew up, we decided to change all our tour. Changing Austria and Eslovaquia for Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia. Welcome to "plan B".

Asi quedo el mapa final del viaje. Homeless totales, es lo que tiene viajar sin un duro.

Algo en contra de Budapest, estaba petadisimo de españoles, y uno de esos, con el cual dormimor en el Hostal, y que estaba de erasmus alli, nos conto que Bratislava no merecia tanto la pena. Asi que alli estabamos, entre la disyuntiva de seguir con el plan, y arriesgarnos a que lo que decia el tipo aquello fuera cierto, o estar un dia mas en Budapest, o ir un dia antes a Austria, y por lo tanto a Eslovenia. Y ahi llego el momento critico del viaje, el primero de ellos... yo cogi un mapa. Y como en los mapas las distancias parecen tan pequeñas... Bienvenidos al "plan B". Vayamos a Belgrado... y alli ya veremos para donde tiramos. Segun la idea crecia en nosotros, fundamentalmente en los tres chicos de la expedicion. Decidimos cambiar Austria y Eslovaquia por Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina y Croacia.

Aprendimos a dormir en cualquier sitio y cualquier postura.

So, that night, we took a train way to Belgrade. We spent two days there, walking through the castle, really nice, eating in a terrace with the Danubio behind us, and going on party with gipsies. Interesting for us, how the serbians all the time tried to give us good image of their country, asking us to speak well of them in Spain. Also curious the greek ortodox churches there. One of then had all its lamps made of bullets.

Al pie de la Ciudadela, en Belgrado.

Asi que esa noche tomamos un tren nocturno rumbo a Belgrado. Alli estuvimos dos dias, paseando por la ciudad, visitando la ciudadela, que estaba muy bonita, comiendo pescado en una terraza a la orilla del Danubio y yendonos de fiesta con unos gitanos, (eso ultimo en concreto solo Monica y Cesar). Dos cosas sorprendentes, la primera los esfuerzos tremendos que hacian los serbios por dar buena imagen hacia el exterios, dandonos saludos para España continuamente, y pidiendonos que hablaramos bien de Serbia alli. Y la segunda cosa curiosa fueron las iglesias ortodoxas griegas, especialmente una cuyas lamparas estaban formadas totalmente por balas.

Comiendo a orillas del Danubio, de vez en cuando nos permitiamos ir de pijos.

Tras una noche en un hotelillo enfrente de la estacion de trenes, tomamos un autobus nocturno a Sarajevo. Tuvimos que coger el bus porque aun no hay linea de tren entre estas dos ciudades.

"A Sarajevo se va por allí." Restos del bombardeo de la OTAN.

After one nigth in a old hotel next to the train station, we took a night bus to Sarajevo. We had to take the bus, cause after the war, they still don't have railway between those to cities.

Sarajevo, lo blanco es el cementerio militar musulman.

Sarajevo was a surprise. The first impression was really bad, because our bus din't left us in the main bus station, but in one lost one, i the outskirts. Our mood changed, once we took a taxi to the center. There, Sarajevo becomes a relly nice and very interesting city. It's situated in a valley, so the natural enviroment is really nice. In the old town, you could think you were in Africa, Turquey or Arabia, thanks to all the bazars, and that 80% of the population is muslin, so the city was full of mosques. But although this, right now three different religions survive in that city in a peaceful way. It was funny to think how, we spanish, always speak about that in our country, lots of different cultures and religions were there along History. But in Sarajevo, not along History, but right now, muslins, catholics, ortodoxs and jewish were living.

¡¡¡Fanta azul!!! Monica estaba intentando ubicarnos.

Sarajevo fue una sorpresa. Llegamos a las 6 de la mañana a una estacion secundaria de la ciudad, en mitad de ningun sitio y con un frio que pela. Asi que se nos cayo el alma a los pies. Pero luego, tras coger un taxi que nos llevara al centro, y encontrar el hostal de turno, la ciudad resulto ser realmente bonita. Esta situada en un valle, totalmente rodeada de montañas. En la ciudad vieja uno puede sentir que esta en algun sitio al norte de Africa o en Turquia, debido al bazar, y a la cantidad de mezquitas que hay, el 80% de la poblacion de Bosnia es musulmana. A pesar de ello, ahora mismo en Sarajevo hay cuatro religiones distintas sobreviviendo mas o menos pacificamente. Me hacia gracia pensar como en España alardeamos mucho de ser un pais multicultural a lo largo de la Historia y todo eso, pero en Sarajevo ahora mismo, estan viviendo, al mismo tiempo, repito, musulmanes, judios, catolicos y ortodoxos griegos.

Tomando te turco.Si que estabamos cansados, si.

Aparte de eso, esta fue la ciudad mas pobre que visitamos en el viaje. Aun podiamos ver las heridas que la guerra habia dejado en las calles de edificios. Y tambien en las personas. Desesperante que los unicos extranjeros que habia por alli eran todos españoles.

En medio del bazar sarajeviano.

Apart from that, that was the most poor city we visited in our trip. You can still see the wounds of the war in the streets and buildings, all of them full of shots marks, and some still destroyed by bombs. Disappointing the amount of spanish we found there. Ah, i nearly forgot Jurgita's postcard. Our erasmus coordinator made her erasmus year in Vienn, so she expected us to send her a postcard from there. We sent her a postcard from Sarajevo telling her how wonderful Vienn was.

"Aupa Patxi!!!" Recuerdos de tiempos pasados.

We spent in Sarajevo one night, and the next day, early in the morning, we took a train to Zagreb. Zagreb looked more like a normal european city. The most representative building of the city was the cathedral, and i think they are working hard to get into the EU as soon as possible. We just spent one afternoon there, not so much to see in Zagreb, but it's a nice city to live. I think that probably is more interesting to go to Croatia with a bicycle and make a tour with it through the coast.

A la catedral le estaban haciendo una restauracion bestial. Haciendo amigas en Zagreb, porque fumaba que si no alguno le pide en matrimonio.

Despues de pasar una noche reparadora en Sarajevo, yo creo que despues del viaje en bus se convirtio en el dia mas duro de todos, al menos para mi, tomamos el tren matutino para Zagreb. Ciudad totalmente europea, moderna y todo eso. La catedral mola, de todas las que vimos en Yugoslavia era la mas grande de todas. Aparte de eso no hay mucho que ver en Zagreb, aunque la ciudad es bonita, y molaria vivir alli. Eso si, lo que molaria de Croacia es pillarse la bici y recorrerse la costa con ella.Delante de la estatua de alquien. Delante del teatro.

Next day we arrived in Ljublijana, were Vanja and Ana were waiting for us... thanks to that we went there, who knows where we should have ended if we dind't had to meet them there. In Ljubijana we tried typical balcanic food, we visited the castle and old town. And at last i got the explanation for the Ljublijana flag, a dragon on a castle. That dragon is supposed to be the one that protected the golden fleece that Jason took.

En la plaza mas chachi de Liubliana, con el poeta y su musa. En la torre del castillo, con toda la ciudad a nuestra espalda.

Al día siguiente llegamos a Liubliana, parada obligatoria porque Vanja y Anna, estudiantes erasmus el semestre pasado, nos estaban esperando. Alli probamos comida tipica balcanica, parecida a la que ya probamos por nuestra cuenta en Sarajevo, visitamos el castillo y la part vieja. Y me entere de que el dragon que figura en la bandera de la ciudad, y que esta por todas partes en ella, es el mismo que protegia el vellocino de oro que Jason robo.

En la fuente de los tres rios. Haciendo amigos japoneses.

Next day in Slovenia we were supposed to go to the beach after a quick trip to the slovenian alps. So we went to Bred, a little village next to a lake, with a castle on top of one of the cliffs next to the lake. And from there, we started our trip to slovenian coast. But... then, i took a map... and said that going to hw italian coast was much easier... so we decided to go that direction... and once i studied better the map... i realise that we were only 140km far from Venice... The idea was clear. Welcome to "plan B version 2.0".

En Bled, con el castillo y el pueblo detras. Con los pinreles en el lago... estaba un poco fria el agua.

Al dia siguente el plan era hacer una visita rapida a Bled, una pueblecito con un castillo la mar de chulo en los alpes eslovenos. Asi que alquilamos dos coches, y nos fuimos palla. De alli se supone que teniamos que ir a la playa eslovena. Pero los conductores y en general todos menos yo, andaban algo tocadillos, asi que tras mirar el mapa decidi que era mas corto tirar pa la costa italiana. Y hacia alli ibamos cuando descubri que en el mapa ponia "140 km Venezia". Esta claro lo que paso a continuacion. Bienvenidos al "plan B version 2.0".

"A Venecia se va por alli." ¡¡¡Venecia alla vamos!!!
Pillamos algo de atasco.

Asi que esa noche visitamos Venecia durante dos horas, y volvimos a Liubliana a las 3:30 am... con nuestro probre conductor Cesar al borde del coma por agotamiento. Suerte que cuando me pongo soy un buen conversador, y que haciamos paradas continuas para descansar. Y eso, aunque estuvimos solo dos horas en Venecia nos dio tiempo ha hacernos una idea de la ciudad, y a ver la plaza de San Marcos, los dos principales puentes sobre el mayor canal, etc... Muy bonito todo.En la plaza San Marcos.Foto homenaje a Paolo, con su misma sonrisa:D David y yo en el palacio del Dux.

So that night we visited Venice for two hours, and return to Ljublijana at 3:30 am... With our poor driver, Cesar, nearly dying. But... Venice was beautiful, we walk through the city, visited the two main bridges over the main canal, and of course San Marcos square. With the cathedral, the palace of the Dux, etc...

El puente Rialto, creo...
Con los cuatro tetrarcas, Monica nos dijo que la estatua es del siglo IX.

And from Slovenia, to Graz, from Graz to Standsted in London, and from London back to Kaunas. In total we visited 5 countries, and we passed through three more.

"Direccion Venecia: No pasa nada chabales, que yo conduzco."
"Llegada a Liublina a las 3:30 am: Muero."

Now, wich is the method to follow when you travel without knowing where you're going to be next day? It's simple. When you arrive to the new city, the first thing is know how, how much, and when, are you going to go to the next stage. Just after that you need to know how is the currency of the country called, and how much it costs in euros. That way you will also know how much the trip costs. From there you have to look for a hostel, just walking through the street, and stopping in information offices, and hostels. Once you have the hostel... the last but not the least, is to learn how to say "thank you".

Tomando el solecillo en Graz antes de tomar el avion de vuelta.

In Hungarian something like "coisinom", and in the ex Yugoslavia respublics, "bala", "vala", "Balá", "Hvala", and so on... just bala with different accents.

Y de Eslovenia a Graz, de Graz a Standsted en Londres, y de alli vuelta a Kaunas. En total visitamos 5 paises y pasamos por otros 3. Me llenaron tres paginas del pasaporte de sellos.

Todos para uno y uno para todos.

Antes de acabar el post es pertinente explicar el metodo seguido en esta aventura. El metodo que has de seguir cuando haces unviaje sin saber muy bien donde vas a estar al dia siguiente. Cuando llegas lo primero es enterarte de cuanto, cuando y como vas a llegar a la siguiente estapa del viaje. A la vez echas cuentas y averiguas como se llama y cuanto vale la moneda del pais en cuestion. De alli vas a buscar un hostal, eso lo haces paseando por las calles y preguntando con cara de turista sin un duro, que es lo que eramos. Y por ultimo cuando todo eso esta conseguido te enteras de como se dice "gracias". Y ala, a verlo todo que mañana nos vamos.

Esta cara se le ha quedado a David despues del viaje.

Por cierto, en hungaro es algo como "cosinum", y en los paises de la ex Yugoslavia siempre "bala", pero con distintos acentos. Nosotros le poniamos el español.

And that's all.

Y eso es todo.

Trip's thoughs.../Pensamientos viajeros...

2007-04-10T15:16:00.000+02:00

Sharing is love?

That's what David loves to say all the time, especially all the times he wants someone to share something with him. "Sharing is love, my friend". And well... i don't want to discuss that sharing is something beautiful, something that we should practice more, at least me, etc... But i must discuss that love is more than sharing. Because for him, as far as i have understood his thoughs, sharing is love, and love is sharing, and i can't agree... "as nesutinku".

Sharing can be love, just can be, and for sure love is not sharing. Sometimes sharing can be love, but most of the times sharing is just something about justice. When you find an apple in the way, you share it with your partner, cause it's the fair thing to do. Sharing is fair.

But love... love is everything, love wants all, love doesn't want anybody to share anything, love wants everything. And when you trully love somebody, you want to give that somebody, not just one piece of you, you want to give yourself completely. Somebody said in the antique times that there is no bigger love than giving your life for your friends. All your life, if you're in a death or alive situation sharing is not going to serve you for anything. In such situation you have to chose, nothing or all, black or white.

Real love is exigent, it's hard, most of the times is not fair, and for sure doesn't like sharing. Looking at it that way it doesn't seem so good... but stupidly, it still works today, so... it must have some great pros, life will probably teach us about that.

Los complices tambien son culpables.

Aunque fastidie, los complices de un delito, o por no ponerlo tan a la tremenda, simplemente de algo incorrecto, tambien son culpables. Puede que no de la misma manera, puede que no de forma tan clara, pero son culpables. Si tu ayudas a un asesino a escapar, aunque no hallas participado en el asesinato, seras complice del mismo, y como tal seras juzgado.

No me sirve eso de, "no, yo no mate a nadie, solo conducia el coche, el problema es suyo." Ni hablar. Ya lo siento pero a veces, toca examinarnos un poco y ver de que estamos siendo complices, aunque sea mucho mas comodo cerrar los ojos, no se si de esa manera viviriamos tan tranquilos. Evidentemente... si estamos dispuestos a cargar con esa culpa, o si simplemente no vemos nada incorrecto en nuestros actos, que a veces parecen mas inocentes que un asesinato, adelante. Pero como se suele decir "uno cosecha lo que siembra".

European Tour Dates '07

2007-03-29T13:36:00.000+02:00

Bueno, por si acaso alguno va a pasar por ahi en estas proximas fechas, yo dejo ahi el mapa, y aqui las fechas de nuestro itinerario. La aventura comienza el proximo Lunes por la tarde, previa escala en Frakfurt-Hann, viajamos con RyanAir por supuesto, llegamos al lago Balaton, en Hungría el día 3 de Abril. Dando vueltas por Hungría y por lo tanto Budapest, estaremos creo que tres noches. El día 6 por la mañana llegamos a Eslovaquia, ni idea de lo que veremos allí, de eso se ocupa César. El día 8 por la mañana llegamos a Viena, y una vez allí, si hay suerte viajaremos por la noche para ir hasta Salzburgo, si no hay suerte, haremos noche en Viena, y al dia siguiente por la noche pondremos rumbo a... Eslovenia, cuya capital no se escribir correctamente. Par de días en Eslovenia, y el 12 de Abril vuelo desde Graz, en Austria, hasta Londres, noche en Londres, y vuelta a Kaunas el día siguiente.

Unas vacaciones de Semana Santa moviditas. En el precio no quiero pensar, los 4 vuelos nos han costado, en total, 110€, lo cual no esta mal... a unos 27€ por vuelo. Así que ahora ya sabeis donde buscarme las proximas dos semanas.

Pasadlo bien.

Latvia

2007-03-19T16:03:00.000+02:00

Here we go Ryga!!!

Otro finde fuera, esta vez nos hemos movido hacia el norte, hacia Letonia. En realidad es mas probable, aunque no mucho mas, que mas que Letonia, os suena mas el nombre de Riga, su capital, y seguramente la ciudad más conocida de los tres países bálticos, dicese: Lituania, Letonia y Estonia.

The freedom monument. On the top Milda, and each star she is holding represents each region of Latvia.

Soviet trams!!!

Pues hacia alli fuimos el Viernes por la mañana, naturalmente, haciendo auto stop, tras hacer el viaje en tres coches distintos, llegamos a Riga pa la hora de comer. Los viajeros esta vez eramos David, las dos letonas locas y yo. Esa primera noche la pasamos en Riga en un hostal, David y yo, mientras que Sarmite y Liene iban a ver a sus respectivas familias.

I neither know what the Bremen musicians were doing in Riga.

Mmm, huge chocolate coin!!!

Tras la noche llego el dia, y con el la pateada por toda la parte vieja de Riga, realmente merece la pena, esta todo muy cuidado, y muy reconstruido tambien, pero sigue manteniendo el encanto. De todos los ciudades de la ex URSS que he visto... que en realidad solo han sido en tres países, jeje, es de momento la mas europeizada y rica de todas. Aunque por lo que me contaron el coste de la vida aún esta por los suelos. Y eso que mercedes, lincolns, y las limusinas de rigor no faltaban.

David and me in the House of Blackheads.

In St Peter's church, with it strange and characteristic tower.

El Sabado por la tarde pusimos rumbo a Cêsis, un pueblo al lado de la aldea en la que vive Sarmite, ya que esa noche la ibamos a pasar en su casa. Tras ver el castillo del pueblo, conocimos a su familia, hasta la abuela. Y nada, todos majisimos, y muy hospitalarios a pesar de la humildad con la que vivian. Hospitalarios todos salvo el perro asesino que tienen, mitad chow-chow, mitad lobo. Que viene a ser como un husky de estos, pero color canela y lleno de pelo.

With Sarmite in Cêsis, i love you too!!!

David and me with the complet family, the dog is barking behind us, trying to break the chain, and bite us.

El Domingo fue el cumpleaños de David, que ha dejado de ser joven para convertirse en un carroza de 26 años, desde aquí, felicidades de nuevo. Ese Domingo pasamos por otro castillo, de camino a Riga. Castillo en letón se dice "pils", asi que cualquier ciudad que tenga esa terminacion significa que tiene un castillo, que lo sepais todos.

Happy Birthday David!!! Mmmm... cake!!!!

With Sarmite in the "pils".

Y eso, tras volver a Riga, cogimos un camión, sí, un camión, y volvimos a Kaunas en el. Y así acabó nuestro fin de semana en Letonia. Por cierto, gracias se dice "paldies".

Please, take me with you to Lithuania!!!

Goodbye red truck!!!

Bielorrusia "es pasiva".

2007-03-13T16:29:00.000+02:00

Primera parada en Bielorrusia, primera fotito con Mister Lenin.

Bueno, a ver si funciona esto de hacer una entrada medio bilingüe para que los no hispanoparlantes se cosquen de algo de lo que cuento sobre Bielorrusia. Bueno, en realidad intentare decir algo en ingés para que Marta Polski se entere. (Marta, i was just saying that i'll try to write a little in english so that you can understand something... you owe me one).

Con cara de "donde nos estaremos metiendo".

Ok, so, our trip started on Friday morning, not knowing exactly where we were going to stay once we where in Belarus. My partners in the adventure were Cesar, David and Mónica, spaniards, Sarmite and Liene, latvians, and Adam Polski. Thanks to God, Sarmite and Liene spoke russian, and know that i see the trip in the distance, i wonder what would have been of us without russian parlants in the team.

Bueno, ahora que veo el viaje este más en la distancia, me pregunto que habría sido de nosotros si nuestras dos letonas, Sarmite y Liene no hubieran venido con nosotros. Y es que el cirilico es chungo, muy chungo. No hay manera de pronunciarlo correctamente, y encima... el ruso es otro idioma, asi que ya el tema queda completo. Pero bueno... nuestro viaje comenzo el viernes a las 7:10 de la mañana, con la unica información de que ibamos a Minsk, a dormir en casa de alguien. La aventura comenzaba con las dos letonas nombradas, David, Cesar y Mónica, y el polaco Adam. No todos retornariamos, (luego lo explico esto, pero asi tiene mas vidilla la cosa, no?)

Cerca del centro de Minsk, "yo creo que si que pasamos". Pero no, al final optamos por el puente.

Fiesta friki debajo del puente de marras.

So, we where supposed to stay the first night in Minsk, at the house of one guy member of the hospitlity club (http://www.hospitalityclub.org/), club of wich Sarmite was member. So, as the guy wasn't in Minsk on Friday he left us some of his friends... well not really friends, just some of the hospitality club members to pick us up on the afternoon. What really happened is that we spent half afnernoon walking through Minsk, and half of it, in a freak party with drums, and fire, and candles, under a bridge... yes, under a bridge.
Entonces, Sarmite nos habia encontrado sitio en la casa de un tio miembro del "Hospitality club" (http://www.hospitalityclub.org/), como ella. La cosa es que el tio en concreto no estaba. Asi que al final mediante conocidos y sin saber muy bien como, acabamos en una fiesta friki debajo de un puente, con tambores y peña haciendo malabares con fuego y cosas asi. Dos horitas en la fiesta esta, chupando frio y en ayunas. Por fin les convencimos a algunos para que nos llevaran a una pizzeria a comer, y de alli al piso del tio este. Donde nos esperaban unos ucranianos y bielorrusas y no se que mas, dispuestos a seguir la fiesta toda la noche. Nosotros nos fuimos a dormir.

Con mi amiga Olga en el centro de Minsk, a ver si nos devuelve la visita en Kaunas.

Iglesia en construccion del tipo "tarta de cumpleaños rusa".

From there we went to have dinner, at last!!! And from the dinner we went to the flat of our host, wich was full of ukraine guys, belarusian girls, and so on. While the freaks continued the party all night long, we went to bed, because next day we had to go to... other city, don't ask me it's name, cause i don't remember it, and although i have it's name in a picture, it's impossible for me to pronounce it. So, next day we went to this city, We spent half of the day hitchhicking(i don't know if it's spelled like that), and we went to a kind of ska concert, of a belarusian band. Interesting, i must say that the local in wich the concert took place was cool. Although i think that it wouldn't achieve the minimun european union safety laws. Even the belarusian. Later our host, who was the promoter of the concert, explained us, that it was an illegal one, because it took too long to take all the permissions... so it was easier to just do the concert, without any permission. Cool.
Al dia siguiente pusimos rumbo a una ciudad de cuyo nombre no me acuerdo y mucho menos se leer. Nos acompañó Olga una chica bielorrusia con la que hicimos migas en la fiesta friki, realmente la chica mas normal de todos los que habia alli. Vale, fuimos a la ciudad esta haciendo auto stop, ya que nos habiamos propuesto tener una verdadera aventura y viajar solo de esta manera dentro de Bielorrusia. En la ciudad esta nos esperaba otro miembro del Hospitality Club que nos invito a un concierto ska del cual era promotor. La sala de fiestas molaba, pero dudo que cumpliera siquiere la normativa bielorrusia sobre seguridad en salas y eso. Ademas el concierto era ilegal ya que el tio nos dijo que no habia pedido ningun permiso porque la burocracia era muy lenta y tal, asi que a saco.

"Espasiva, que alguien me lleve... a Nosedondichni."

El toro de los Osborne, versión bufalo bielorruso.

That night our host explained us a little bit of belarusian culture, society and politics. I finished baptizing him as the "Amateur revolucionist". Cause he was all the time complaining against Lukachenko, the last dictator in Europe, and he was trying to explain us how belarusians didn't do anything against him, and he was trying to do... but i think that he really didn't wanted to get wet in all this stuff... As all the others.
Esa noche el muchacho este nos hablo un poco de Lukachenko, que es el ultimo dictador que queda en Europa. Nos puso algunos videos de las protestas contra el, etc... el chico iba muy de revolucionario... o sea... en plan, estoy en contra del Lukachenko, que es un dictador comunista, pero viva el Che y Fidel, etc... vamos... yo le bautice como "Revolucionario Amateur". Un poco de pacotilla, el tio iba en contra de todo, pero no se mojaba en nada, no se. De todas formas fue interesante todo lo que nos conto sobre la dictadura, como vive la gente y todo eso, luego otras personas nos confirmaron que si... que viven en una dictadura con todo lo que eso conlleva.

Tic, tac, tic, tac... "Pues no parece que se animen a recogernos oye, asi que venga a hacer fotos."

Next day, that's Sunday, we went hitchhicking to a town between the ass of Belarus and Minsk. We had lunch there, and we prepared to do the last part of our return to Minsk. That was funny. Two hours hichhicking with Liene till a nice guy told us that we were in the wrong road, but it was too late, so other nice guy took us to the railway station, and there we took the train to Minsk. It took 5 hours to go from this town, 130Km away from Minsk, to the latter. Although i must say that the belarus train was also an interesting experience.
Domingo, vuelta a Misnk, despues de parara para comer en un pueblo tambien alli, en medio de ninguna parte vamos. Del pueblo ese tomamos direccion definitiva para Minsk. Aqui he de explicar que haciamos auto stop por parejas, una chica con un chico, siempre uno de la pareja sabia algo de ruso. Asi que Liene y yo vimos como nuestros compañeros nos iban dejando atras... mientras nosotros seguiamos alli helandonos de frio con el ininteligible cartelito en el cual debia de poner Minsk en ruso. Dos horas despues, ya de noche, un simpatico bielorruso nos informo de que estabamos en la carretera incorrecta, que casi nadie iba a Minsk por ahi. Tras pasar por una gasolinera para preguntar como ir a la estacion de trenes mas cercana, fuimos caminando hacia alli, hasta que otro simpatico bielorruso nos recogio en el coche, y nos acerco. Una vez en la estacion, preferimos no tentar a la suerte, y volvimos a Minsk en tren. Lo cual tambien fue una experiencia, solo faltaban las gallinas en el tren aquel. Total, llegamos a Minsk, que estaba a 130Km, cinco horas después.

Estación de metro, estaba prohibido sacar fotos, pero no se dieron cuenta de la cara de terroristas que tenemos, asi que no paso nada.

Tabla de los "greatest hits" de la construccion bielorrusa.

At last we arrived to Minsk. There we went quite directly to the flat of our host, this time he was with us. Next day we had a quick look to Minsk, lunch, and then took the bus back to Kaunas. With the pertinent stop in the toll, very funny experience watching the alcohol and tobacco dealers trying to get our help to pass through the toll with the maximum number of vodka bottles and tobacco packets.
En Minsk, fuimos mas o menos directamente al piso de nuestro hospedante, que esta vez si que estaba. A la mañana siguiente vimos lo que nos quedaba por ver de Minsk, que no es mucho, la verdad. Comimos, nos despedimos, mande una postal, porque no tenia dinero para mas, y ala, vuelta a Kaunas, previo paso por la frontera. En la frontera tres controles, y un monton de mujeronas pidiendo ayuda para pasar de contrabando vodka y tabaco.

Delante del Palacio de la República, viene a ser un palacio de congresos.

Con un juguete sovietico que por lo visto se puso muy de moda en la guerra mundial.

My personal conclusion, Belarus is not really a country where you can see a lot of interesting things and buildings. But our trip was more about experiences and people, than watching inanimated things. Using just banknotes instead of coins sucks. People is much friendly than in Lithuania. And cities seem to be buil in such big sizes that it looks as if they want to make people feel little. To finish... Belarus is a little bit passive country... they complaint a lot about Luka, but half of the population supports him, and the other half just stares...
Bueno, conclusiones del viaje. Eso de que la moneda este tan devaluada que solo tengan billetes es un rollo tremendo. No hay manera de manejarlos comodamente. Eso si, tengo varios de 10 rublos que son una monada, como los del monopoly, vamos. Además, la ciudad de Minsk, en concreto, esta construida a lo bestia. Todo esta lleno de grandes espacios, los edificios son monumentales, las calles anchisimas, etc... Liene me comento que se sentía pequeña en esa ciudad construida tan a lo grande, y concluyo que quizas la habian construido a posta de esa forma para hacerle sentir a la gente lo pequeños que son. No lo se. Además allí la gente es mucho mas abierta y amigable que en Lituania. Este viaje ha sido más de ver y conoces a gentes y su sociedad y cultura, que de ver edificios y monumentos inanimados. Y por último, decir que aunque hay algunos que protestan contra Luka y su sistema dictatorial basado en el miedo a perder el trabajo o los estudios, Bielorrusia es, esencialmente, pasiva con respecto a este tema. "Es pasiva" significa tambien "por favor" en ruso.

Imprenta Underground

2007-03-01T17:07:00.000+02:00

La palanca que hay ahi, se podia quitar, sirve para abrir la trampilla que da acceso a la imprenta

Y es que los de la alabanza Underground se creen que han descubierto algo con eso de irse bajo tierra y tal y cual, pero no. Esta mañana estuvimos en casa de un hombre que durante la ocupación soviética montó, el solito, una imprenta clandestina debajo de su huerta. Entre los años 1980 y 1990, editó más de 130.000 libros con su imprentita. Que además es un cacharro a la antigua usanza, con los caracteres grabados en laminas de plomo, a mano, y todo eso...

Por ese huequillo se entraba.

Después de la entrada un par de pasillos, unas escaleras, y ya estamos, el el cubiculo, todo exacabado por el mismo.

Con la ayuda del gobierno lituano el hombre ha montado ahora un museillo en su casa con un montón de fotos y así. Nosotros hemos tenido la suerte de poder verlo todo teniendole a el de guía. Y creo que eso ha sido lo mejor, poder decir que hemos estado con el tio que se tiraba nosecuantas horas todas las noches metido en su agujero imprimiendo desde biblias y catecismos católicos, hasta libros de Historia Lituana. Sorprendente como el vejete iba dando repasos al montón de fotos que tenía en casa, contandote de estudiantes, curas y guerrilleros lituanos, a los cuales los rusos iban atrapando y fusilando o decapitando. Y el hombre te contaba todo eso, de gente que seguramente conocio, entre las fotos estaba la de su hermana, sin despeinarse.

Ahi están las letras y todo eso.

Nosotros tres con Vytautas, en el agujero que excavó y al lado de su imprenta.

Como le dijo Borja, al final lo mejor ha sido el honor de estar con un hombre que el solito se propuso poner su granito de arena en contra de la dictadura sovietica y en favor de la libertad, poniendo en juego su vida y la de su familia.

Curious lunch

So, after the visit to the Ungerground printer, we went to have lunch with Egle, Borja's mentor, and her friend. She asked us to make a game, and we all agreed. Close your eyes, and answer these questions(first read them, and then close your eyes):

You are alone in the desert, suddenly you see one object in the sand. What is it?

You see a wall, just that. What's behind it?

You continue in the desert, you find a plate. What do you do with it?

You are in the coutryside, and you see a horse. What's your relationship with it, and what does the horse do?

So, after the questions, Egle explained to us, what each answer meant. The first one was who we are. I was a book. The second one anwers what we think about death, and all that stuff. Here my answer was really extrange, a digger preparing to destroy the wall. The third is about love, the plate is your love, so what you do with it is what you do with your love. Surprisingly i was the only one who answered that i would take the plate with me!!! I must say that the plate that i imagined was very fashion and looked expensive!!!
About the horse, the horse is the love. So your relationship with it, it's your relationship with love. I though that the horse was mine, and it was running towards me.

I think that comparing my answers with the others, mines where more... better, at least talking about love and all that stuff... so even if i know that it's a quite silly game... i would like to think that is has got a little bit of truth!!!

Pasadlo bien.

How to save a life:

2007-02-23T16:58:00.001+02:00

Hace una semana estuve con mis visitas en el campamento de Invierno para chabales que organizan las iglesias libres de Lituania, toma ya. El lema del campamento, aunque dudo que el grupeto de españoles lo supiera era algo asi como "La amistad mola". Claro que lo de "amistad" por lo que me dijeron tambien se puede traducir como "comunidad", o simplemente estar juntos... que creo que viene a ser comunidad, no? pero bueno, da igual. Que lo que querian era decirles a los chabales que estar juntos, que ser amiguetes y todo eso mola.

Menudo descubrimiento, no? Bueno, quizas para alguno si que lo sea. De todas formas, a raiz del lema del campamento y todo eso, durante ese finde, y aun ahora, no dejaba de sonar cierta frase que dijo alguien famoso en la Historia. Debió de decir algo así como "tomate tiempo en escoger a tus amigos, pero tomate aún mas tiempo en cambiarlos".

Y a veces es muy chungo mantener el buen rollo con tus amigos y todo eso, porque siempre hay roces, malosentendidos, etc... Y a veces tienes que decirles cosas, porque son tus amigos, pero no porque tu quieras decirselo, sino porque debes. Y Cuando haces eso... a mi me suele pasar, los amigos se te rebotan, y muchos te deshechan, y por lo tanto has de cambiarlos. Supongo que esta bien cambiar de amigos si son así... pero a mi nunca me ha gustado. Menos aún cuando de repente uno se da cuenta de que no es amigo mas... de que ha pasado algo, que no se sabe que ha sido, y la amistad y confianza se ha perdido... Y te quedas un poco con cara de tonto preguntandote que ha pasado, y si sería mejor estarse quieto para no empeorar lo que no sabes, o si deberías hablar para tratar de arreglarlo.

Yo, despues de varias experiencias creo que es mejor callar cuando no sabes que es lo que esta pasando, callar y observar, a ver si logras enterarte de algo, y puedes hablar con conociemiento de causa.

La foto es una de las paredes de mi habitación, cogida la idea de un clip de "The Fray", queme recuerda un poco a lo que he escrito y a lo que siento, aunque no se si me he explicado muy bien:D Ala, pasadlo bien.

De ríos y hombres...

2007-02-20T18:32:00.000+02:00

En Kaunas existe cierta tradición referente a los ríos y los hombres... a los matrimonios concretamente. El tradicional después de la boda que el novio cruce a la novia en brazos por un puente de los varios que atraviesan los dos ríos de Kaunas. Cuanto más rápido y sonriente realice el novio esta agradable tarea, (agradable dependiendo del peso de su señora, para que luego digan que el fisico no importa), mejor augurio es para su matrimonio. Evidentemente tirar a la novia es lo peor que te puede pasar. Supongo que por eso en este país se ven tan escasas rollizas... a ver quie les cruza en brazos el puente luego.

Pero bueno, continuando con los rios, Kaunas tiene dos. Que por lo visto son matrimonio. El Neris, que es chica, y el Nemunas, que evidentemente por su terminación en "as" todos habreis identificado inmediatamente como el hombre de la casa. Estos dos rios se unen cerca de la parte vieja kaunesa. Estos días atrás con las temperaturas rozando los -20ºC la intersección estaba la mar de bonita. Con el Neris repleto de icebergs pequeñitos, y el Nemunas solo con patos y cisnes. Muy bonito todo, y muy frio.

Y eso, ese video que pongo lo grabé cuando fuí allí con Dan, lo que más impresionaba, al menos lo que más me impresiono a mí, fue el sonido que había allí, producido por tanto hielo. Es lo que tiene este país, el frio te puede hacer pasarlo mal, pero a cambio puedes tener experiencias interesantes, como caminar sobre el agua, no exactamente como Jesús... pero una aproximación, ya escribiré otro día de eso.

Si vienes en Febrero...

2007-02-05T13:12:00.000+02:00

Si quieres venir a visitarme en las próximas semanas, he aquí algunos consejos que espero te sean útiles:

1º - Traete dos calzados, uno para destrozarlo, es decir, unas zapatillas viejas, que si no vuelven jamás a España no vayas a echar de menos. Y otro calzado a prueba de lagos, aquí cada dos por tres el hielo de las calles se derrite, y se quedan hechas una pena, por cierto, tengo que comprarme botas urgentemente.

2º - Si por la calle te pidieran la documentación intenta no sacarla, si no te queda más remedio, hazlo, pero no la des, a nadie. Si no te queda más remedio que darla, trata de no perderla de vista... si la pierdes de vista ora mucho.

3º - Traete ropa de abrigo, han anunciado minimas de -14ºC por la noche los próximos días.

4º - Memoriza "nesuprantu", eso significa "no comprendo" en lituano, siempre es útil.

5º - Si vas caminando por alguna calle desierta, de esas aqui son casi todas, y ves algo sospechoso, da la vuelta, sobre todo de noche.

6º - Intenta pensar que las litas son euros, así gastaras menos.

7º - Si te sientes observado por la calle, no te asustes, no están muy acostumbrados a las personas morenas y atractivas como nosotros. Bueno, a las chicas atractivas sí, pero no con ojos oscuros, y morenas naturales.

8º - Si eres chica y ves un italiano que intenta hacerse pasar por argentino, huye por tu honor.

9º - Si eres chico y ves alguna chica rubia que te mira fijamente, huye, es una Fifa, a esas su honor les trae al pairo.

10º - Si hablas ingés, recuerda esto, no sabes inglés.

11º - No te escandalices, recuerda a que vienen a lituania el 99% de los erasmus, esencialmente la parte masculina.

12º - No les digas a los lituanos que Lituania no mola, ellos ya lo saben, pero les molesta que se lo recuerdes.

13º - Traeme cola-cao, chorizo, jamón, croquetas, queso... y demás viandas tipicamente españolas como prueba de buena voluntad, sino lo haces yo paso de responder por tu seguridad:P

14º - Casi se me olvida esta, no olvides decirme el día de llegada y la hora, así como el día de salida y hora de tus vuelos, si no no podré ir a recogerte, o llevarte al aeropuerto.

Espero que esta información os sea de ayuda, si teneis alguna pregunta concreta que hacerme, no dudeis en escribirmela.

The show must go on.

2007-02-03T12:43:00.000+02:00

Pues sí, "the show must go on", y ya estoy en Lituania, continuando este año tan interesante. Ayer ya fui por primera vez a la iglesia con el grupito de chabales, que siguen mas o menos tan majos como siempre, ya tuvimos la primera fiestecilla en el piso de Borja, en la cual el turco la lio, porque le dejo la alfombra hecha una pena... Vamos... que ahora si que puedo decir que he llegado a Lituania. Estos días aun les andamos cogiendo la medida a los nuevos erasmus, entre los que se encuentra mi nuevo compañero de habitacion, un polaco llamado Adam, que la verdad parece bastante simpatico, muy enrolladete y tal... ya veremos, de momento las tres noches que he pasado con el podemos decir que han sido satisfactorias. Ya han llegado los dos turcos; turca y turco, él ya vomitó en la alfombra de Borja como he dicho, y ella... creo que la chica que vi ayer era ella, no se habla con el, a pesar de venir de la misma universidad. Tambien ha llegado la danesa, que en realidad es alemana estudiando en Dinamarca, y tambien los dos españoles nuevos... De momento solo nos faltan la alemana que estudia en Alemania, y... Miyukiiii... que creo que llega a finales de Febrero primeros de Marzo, ¿quién sabe?

En Kaunas por lo demas todo sigue como lo dejamos, pero bajo una capa de hielo que hace nuestra vida mucho mas intensa cuando salimos por ahi. Yo puedo decir que aun no me he caido. Ah, a todo el mundo le ha llamado la atencion mi pelo y mi barba, pero ya les he explicado que lo de llevar bufanda no va conmigo, por eso la barba, y que cualquiera se afeita o corta el pelo con la rasca que hace. Que por otro lado no es tanta, al menos esa es la sensacion que tenemos, igual es que nos hemos acostumbrado. Ademas, lo cierto es que dentro del dormitorio, se esta bastante bien, yo vivo aqui en camiseta y pantalones cortos. Y eso... esperemos que el show continue siendo tan exitoso como el cuatrimestre pasado.

Frankfurt, Mainz y Dublin.

2007-02-02T11:09:00.000+02:00

A lo tonto a lo tonto, con esto de tener que venirme a Lituania, y volver luego a España, y volver a irme, me estoy viendo media Europa haciendo los transbordos con RyanAir. En vez de pasarnos 5 horas aburridos en un aeropuerto lo que hemos hecho ha sido pasar un par de noches en cada sitio, y asi vemos en lugar, y ala, un sitio mas que he visto.

Borja, Goethe y yo.

A la vuelta pa España en Navidades me fui con Borja a Frankfurt y Mainz. Mas bonito Mainz, eso si, y todo muy aleman, muy ordenado y todo eso, todo el mundo muy civilizado. Frankfurt es una ciudad que por lo que me han dicho los alemanes odian, una ciudad para trabajar pero cuya vida nocturna es bastante escasa. Yo lo que puedo decir es que con todos los puestos navideños, curradisimos por cierto, estaba muy bonita. Ah, son ciudades, sobre todo Frankfurt, en las cuales es dificil ver Renaults, Fords y coches normales asi... alli todo son Porsches, BMW, Audi, etc... una pasada vamos.

En el mercado navideño con la iglesia luterana al fondo.

Dublin

James Joyce y yo.

Bueno... Dublin... no era feo, a mi lo que mas me gusto fue un pub tremendo en el que nos metimos a probar la famosa Guinnes, que he de decir que no estaba mala, y el Trinnity College, que te daba mucha sensacion de esos antiguos campuses britanicos, asi muy bohemios y muy del tipo "el club de los poetas muertos". Por lo demás Dublin no tenia nada en concreto resaltable ni especial. Estaba lleno de Leannes, eso si... pero bueno... nos lo pasamos bien, y ya podemos decir que hemos estado alli.

St. Patrick's Cathedral.

...o son tontas.

2007-01-19T19:01:00.000+02:00

Estos últimos días se ha ido forjando en mi cabeza cierta imagen sobre la cual muchas personas ya me habian advertido. Y es la idea de que las mujeres son maquiavelicamente retorcidas. Y, lo siento mucho, pero esos terminos intrinsecamente conllevan cierto grado de maldad, las mujeres son malas. Aquí saltarán las alarmas de más de una, y es que generalizar siempre ha sido injusto, pero en este caso la unica diferencia que yo he visto es que hay mujeres que son retorcidas de forma consciente, y hay muchas otras que lo son de manera inconsciente. Pero todas ellas, tienen una linea de pensamiento y comportamiento mucho más resbucada que la de cualquier hombre normal.

Tengo algún amigo cuyo libro en su mesita de noche es "El Principe" de Maquiavelo, pero no la primera edición, sino la comentada por Napoleón Bonaparte, hábil estratega, pésimo político, lo de autocoronarse emperador fue diplomacia de la buena. Pues bien, creo que si juntas a un par de mujeres que pongan en practica y saquen de su inocente fachada todo lo que llevan dentro, seguro que te sale un edición de "El Príncipe, comentado por la mujer" mucho mas interesante que la de Napoleón. Seguro.

Para las mujeres que se sientan ofendidas por todo eso de ahí arriba, solo comentar que la otra opción que me queda es pensar que las mujeres son muy, muy, muy, muy tontas. Y sinceramente... me cuesta creerme eso... así que las mujeres, o son retorcidas, malvadas incluso, o son tontas.

En busca de la crisis.

2007-01-11T23:58:00.000+02:00

Hablando con algunas personas la semana pasada, he estado recapacitando sobre una de las principales razones que me ayudaron a decidir irme a Lituania. La búsqueda de crisis en mi vida. Esto suena quizás un poco masoca, pero tampoco es para tanto. Llevo viviendo crisis toda mi vida, y supongo que la mayoría de personas en este mundo también. Con crisis no me refiero simplemente a situaciones malas, simplemente a retos que a uno le ponen en situaciones poco cómodas. Y al final a base de acostumbrarse a superar esas situaciones y esos retos, uno descubre que se siente incomódo cuando vive una vida falta de crisis.

Algunos de los alumnos erasmus del pasado cuatrimestre estuvieron el Helsinki y Estocolmo, y me comentaban lo curioso que era que en dos países tan ordenaditos, tan perfectos, como Finlandia y Suecia, la tasa de suicidios fuera de las más altas del mundo, y el alcoholismo estuviera haciendo estragos en los jóvenes. Pues eso... falta de crisis, cuando el ser humano se encuentra con que la vida es un encefalograma plano... lo que hace es aburrirse, y el aburrimiento es fatal. Al menos yo tiendo a aburrirme, y eso para mi es lo peor que hay.

Asi que teniendo un año por delante en el cual me iba a limitar a hacer lo de siempre, o al menos lo del año anterior. Es decir, organizar un par de Alabanzas Underground, ir a los retiros de siempre, hacer un par de viajes por ahí para vez a tal o cual amigo, aprobar el numero minimo de asignaturas aceptable para los años que llevo en la facultad, etc... Todo ello sin pasar agobios económicos, que para eso he sacrificado los dos últimos veranos currando. Vamos... un año rutinario, aburrido. Así que ala, me piro a Lituania. En busca de la crisis, incluso en busca de los malos momentos, que aunque parezca que no, son los que a mi al menos, más me han hecho crecer como persona y todo eso.

Al final malos momentos no he pasado ninguno, salvo el del primer día, cuando te impresiona bastante llegar a una ciudad donde no conoces a nadie, y donde la primera impresión es la que provocan un montón de edificios soviéticos que se caen a trozos. Pero bueno... lo que cada vez veo más en mis amigos y conocidos, es que muchos de ellos andan detrás de las crisis que les esquivan, cambiando de ciudad, trabajo, país, etc... lo que haga falta... Espero que a ellos les vaya tan bien como me está yendo a mi.

Good bye, nice to know you.

2006-12-16T13:31:00.001+02:00

Este cuatrimestre se acaba... y aunque seguro que me dejo a alguien, he aquí algunos de los amigos que he podido hacer, con algunos me lo pasaré el cuatrimestre que viene espero que tan bien como este... a otros quién sabe cuando volveré a verles, si lo hago algún día.

Pedro y Alejandro, spanish power!!!

Ella, Aljandro, In... algo... y las twins.

Julia, Martin, Marinne... y Anita...

Marta creo que no sabe hacer el simbolito de Star Trek... pobre...

Toni y Martin, viva la KTU!!!

Ji... la de detras es o Sofia o Emilia, y Sabina.

Anita, Jurguita... y Vanjita, que ya que estamos con los "itas".

Celine, Eric, Charlotte, Damos, Chep Pel(que no tengo ni idea de como se escribe pero se que no es asi), Marie, Ana e Ilze.

Con David y Julia... y ese brazo parece de Martin...

Con lo modositos que eran Fernando y Fransuá cuando comenzó todo esto...

Charlotte con... Miyuki!!!!

Con Ilze, y las gemelas... no francesas, belgas!!!

Hey!!! Won!!!

Pitif(Chris), Eric, Zep Pel, Donata, Damos y Ji.

Con Paolo, el terror de las nenas.

Con Vilma, si, como la de los Picapiedra.

Ágape Kaunas: Peter, Jennifer, Jason, Kellie, Shannon, Matt y Teanna... unos americanos aqui perdidos, rompiendo los prejuicios "europedos" hacia los estadounidenses.

Borja y Sandro... no comment.

Santa Claus, alias Damos, con Asta, la jefa de las mentoras.

A ver... Yo, Sandro, Sofía o Emilia, Emilia o Sofía, Marie, Marta, Julia, Borja y Rasa.

Damos con el "Latvian Team".

Tal para cual, Borja y Arnaud. Don Quijote y Asterix.

Leanne, Mindaugas y yo.

Valys o Balis o Balys o Valis, y yo.

La clase de lituano... ya conoceis a todos.

Sarmita, "mejor pelo femenino" y Liana, "mejor sicopata femenina". Mas conocidas como las "letonas locas".

Pobre Stefan, un juguete en manos femeninas.

Soy la envidia de Paolo: Leanne, Egle, yo, Julia y Ugne.

El grupo de adolescentes... a ver... creo que Migle, Vaira, no se, Gabrielle, Aqua, Monika, Dovile, no se, Lukas, Johannes, creo que Justas, y Davydas.

Everything is possible in Kaunas.

2006-12-15T12:07:00.000+02:00

Ese fue el lema con el cual comenzamos el periodo erasmus aqui los españoles. Y vistas las ultimas aventurillas... al final va a ser cierto.

El otro día fuimos a casa de Egle a comer con su familia. Egle es la mentora de Borja, mi ex compañero de habitacion, y por extension, tambien es mentora mia. Es una especie de paginas amarillas ambulante, y una chica simpatiquisima. Bien, pues a su casa nos fuimos Borja, David y yo. A comer la tipica comida lituana... o sea, patatas con carne, y a partir de ahi, lo que sea. Su familia resulto ser tan simpatica como ella, y el mas simpatico de todos su padre, al cual alguien le dijo que teniamos curiosidad por probar los licores tipicos lituanos... asi que a ello. Comenzo poniendonos un chupito de no se que licor orujeño casero, vamos... unos 50º. Estuvimos media hora tocandonos la traquea en plan de "hay algo que me rasca por ahi dentro". Continuo con un licor un poco mas suave de frutas silvestres o algo asi. Y acabo con uno de limon que hacia el abuelo de Egle. El de limon fue el que nos parecio mas suave, y el mas rico, claro que despues de meterte los 50º de antes, ¿qué no te parece suave? Pero bueno... le dijimos que el de limon estaba el mas rico... pues ala, hasta que no acabo la botella el tio no dejaba de servirnos, y nosotros tres alli diciendole que no que no, y el dale que te pego, que no era pa emborracharnos, que era solo pa divertirnos, "just for fun". Al final superamos la prueba, y acabamos la botella del limon, y le convencimos de que continuar con la botella del orujo del comienzo no era una buena idea. Yo creo que las uvas nos salvaron... es que nos metiamos chupito, y a continuacion medio racimo de uvas, que habia que seguir comiendo... que era "just for fun", asi que no queriamos emborracharnos. La pobre Egle estaba sorprendida, nos decia que su padre no bebia nunca... si es que al final los españoles somos una mala influencia.

El secuestro del Rey.

Estuvieron pensando el enviar un dedo para demostrar que aún seguía vivo, pero al final se conformaron con la foto. Por supuesto, la amenaza fue idea del "pshyco" Fernando.

Continuando en orden cronologico, al dia siguiente Borja recivio por fin el rescate exijido para obtener la libertad de Su Majestad don Juancar. Lo que pasa es que Borja ha llenado la cocina de su piso con fotos del Rey, Gil, Berlusconi, y el presidente de Bielorrusia... (Ese que ha dicho que si, que ha corrompido las elecciones de su pais, porque no obtuvo el 80% de los votos... si no el 90%, pero es muy humilde). Y claro... foto del rey que ven los republicanos, foto que cogen. Hubo quien queria directamente cargarse al pobre Juancar, pero aun hay respeto a Su Majestad incluso entre los republicanos. Asi que preservaron su vida. Eso si, habra que ver si Borja quita de su piso a Berlusconi, el toro de Orborne, Gil, etc... La foto hay que reconocer que es persuasiva.

La apuesta.

8 de la mañana, Jurgita, David, y su loncha de jamón.

Creo que Jurgita no va a volver a hacer una apuesta con un español nunca mas. Pobre. El otro día estuvimos cenando en el piso de una italiana, y Jurgita, la coordinadora de los erasmus se vino tambien, porque era la ultima noche con nosotros de Ella, la sicialiana. No se como paso, pero Jurgia no se comio el trozo de jamon que le toco. Ante eso los españoles le mostramos nuestro ofendimiento, y le pedimos que se lo desayunara. Y no se como paso, Jurgita le dijo a David que ella se lo desayunada, si el desayunaba con ella, al dia siguiente a las 8 de la mañana en su oficina. Pues David se puso tonto, yle dijo que si el aparecia a esas horas por su oficina, ella se tenia que venir con nosotros a la pista de patinaje. Jurgita tiene panico al hielo porque hace diez años se le ocurrio ponerse a patinar, y se rompio una pierna. Y eso... el resto de la historia imaginarosla, con el shock aun encima de ver a un español a esas horas en su oficina, Jurgita ayer estuvo patinando con nosotros.

Erik Mongrain

2006-12-09T17:39:00.000+02:00

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Ya que esta de moda poner videos en los blogs, el otro día alguien me paso una video de este tio... y la verdad que no lo hace mal, no?

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Paint-ball

2006-12-09T14:59:00.000+02:00

"Nasios pa matá"

Bueno, el otro día estuvimos haciendo paint-ball. Y bueno... la verdad es que nos lo pasamos pipa. Eramos dos gabachos, un africano, una lituana y yo; contra dos españoles, un italiano, un frances y otra lituana. Vamos, la ONU metida a hacer la guerra con bolitas de pintura. Y sinceramente, a pesar de los prejuicios morales de algunas personas, que si eso es como la guerra, y muy violento y tal y cual... y que quieres matar al oponente... Al final desde mi punto de vista violento no era la verdad. Vamos... si tu ves por la calle a unos crios jugando a indios y vaqueros... aunque con la Play, eso es imposible hoy en dia, no les dices nada. Pues esto era lo mismo, indios contra vaqueros, solo ke mucho mas divertido. Ademas, me hacian sentir importante cuando los españoles del otro equipo se ponian a gritar "a por el vasco, a por el vasco". Como si dandome a mi se hubieran cargado a mi equipo. Asi de importante soy.

"Llámeme subcomandante Marcos."

A mi casi siempre me daban en "to l'ojo".

En fin... por lo demas, para explicar como era la cosa, tuvimos que ir a una zona de pabellones industriales, meternos por un callejon, embarrao, que lleva asi desde Lenin, y al final llegar a un local... bueno... no muy muy grande, pero lo suficiente, con obstaculos hinchables y todo eso. Una vez alli nos dieron toda la ropa, mascaras y pistolas. Nos dijeron que no cogieraos bolitas del suelo, que podian atascar las pistolas. Imaginaros el caso que le hicimos. Yo cogi cerca de 100 bolas del suelo. Y bueno... la cosa era que cada equipo se ponia en un lado, y ala, a disparar como locos, hasta que uno de los dos equipos tenia a todos sus componentes eliminados... y vuelta a empezar. Parece una chorrada, pero segun le vas cogiendo el tranquillo a la estrategia, es bastante divertido. Eso si, depende como te den, las bolas pican que da gusto, lo mejor es que te den en la cara, porque con la mascara, no pasa nada... solo que luego la tendras llena de grasilla el resto del tiempo, porque las pintura de las bolas es mas aceitosa que otra cosa.

Ah, la otra cosa interesante, tres horas menos de 15€.

David, como las chicas, llevaba chaleco.

Lithuanian Women.

2006-12-04T15:30:00.000+02:00

These last weeks i have been talking quiet a lot with some lithuanian women, even some men, about Lithuania culture, about how people is in this country. So, maybe the image that my mind has made of people in this country is not true... but is the one that all this lithuanians have made in it. So, for me, one curious thing in Lithuania, is that almost all of the troleybuses drivers are women... better don't talk about how they drive them, but they are women. They have explained me, that this is because troleys are easier to drive than buses, so that's why women drive troleys, and men buses... but in Spain, most of public transport, although we don't have troleys, is driven by men. At the same time, i have heard that women are more in universities, than men, so female sex, is getting into higher education in this country, than men. It looks, like in the troleys, one day this country may be driven by women, although they laugh when i tell them this idea.

"Hay que acabar con la prostitución. Porque tarde o temprano te acabaran pillando." Increible.

This is probably because this country is as machist, or more, as Spain. There is a advert near the dorm, against prostitution in Lithuania, where you can read that we must finish with prostitution, not because is bad, not because the treatmen women receive, not because the money mafia earns... but because one day they may catch you. That's the reason why the goverment wants to erradicate prostitution, ridiculous. But, from my point of view, lithuanians are paying a big tax for their machism. For example, you must drink, if you are a man, the more you drink, the more man you are. Maybe that's why in this countries, such as Lithuania, alcoholism percentages in men scare. And from my point of view, being drunk all the time makes you a worse person. Or even if you're not drunk... being an addict, to anything, doesn't make you better. So the price for being a real man in Lithuania is really high... one man told us, that eating meat all the time and drinking beer were the two thing a real man can do... just that.

Of course, some people tells me that little by little things are changing. Lithuania is becoming an open country, and people are more friendly, at least in Vilnius. There, in the capital you can feel that Europe in etering Lithuania. Some lithuanians don't like that, some are longing that Vilnius spirit fills as soon as possible the rest of the country. In my opinion they will gain a lot if they are more like Vilnius. Just because people there are more friendly, i don't mean that they are not friendly people in Lithuania, just saying that is hard to find them.

Laura, la profa de lituano mas enrrollada del mundo, al menos eso dicen los que han conocido a otras. Y yo lo apoyo.

But, coming back to women, almost all of women i have met are really nice. Really friendly. I have male and female teachers, and the men seem to be cold, shy... when i go to speal to them, they look as if they don't really know what to do or what to say to me. On the other hand, Laura, our Lithuanian teacher is really cool, i enjoy going to her classes, she makes you talk, and you can't feel ridiculous in her class, just because everybody speaks Lithuanian as bad as you, and she really doesn't laugh at you, but with you.

Jurgita, que con veintiseis añitos es responsable de los 50 erasmus petardos que hemos venido este cuatrimestre.

Jurgita is the Erasmus Coordinator of the Uni. She works really hard for us, she is very responsible, and she has a sense of humour that sometimes scares me. But anyway, she has done a really hard work, so that we felt as comfortable as possible, although we make her fall in the skating ring... i think she still loves us... and that she will keep David and me in her heart forever.

Dovile, que viene a ser la lider de jovenes, y Monika, que lleva la alabanza de los jovenes, y ocasionalmente la de los Domingos. Monika es tambien mi traductora oficial.

And, Dovile and Monika, wich are my main contacts in church, are also women!!! Although you can find in Kaunas church some nice boys, you still can feel, that is not their fault to be like they are, cold, shy, not friendly, is just the way lithuanian boys are. In the dorm, for example, all the girls smile at you and sometimes say hello, how are you?, do you have any problem? i hope you enjoy your time here, etc... Boys just look at you with angry face, and sometimes whisper a silent "hi". And almost all of the mentors, who is people that must help us in our time here in Lithuania, are women!!!

I don't know, what would happen if women in Lithuania were not as they are... probably their country would lost a lot of foreign supporters... I hope that the lithuanians that read this don't offend... but that's the image i have in my mind, taken out of what i have seen and spoken.

Šiauliai II.

2006-12-03T20:35:00.000+02:00

So, last weekend i went to Šiauliai for the second time in my life. This time the reason was just to spend time with other christian youg people. Visit a church that was celebrating their anniversary... and... learn a little bit more about Lithuania and it's people. It was curious that the church in Šiauliai was celebrating their 15th anniversary, although the church existed for much more many years, only 15 years ago, they could register it, and start it legally. Till then, they were for lots of years one of many more clandestine churches in the U.S.S.R.

Barret es el de la izquierda con cara susto. Abajo: Monika, Jo, Rasa, Rasa, no se y Milda. Mas gente que conozca: Dovile esta a mi lado, y al suyo Lilita. La chica encima de la planta con jersey a rallas coloridas, tambien es Dovile. La chica pelirroja de la izquierda es Aurelija, y el chico que esta a sulado es Valys... o algo asi. Del resto no me se el nombre:S

The gathering was funny. I met new people, and knew better others. They said to me that it was a single people gathering. You know what i mean with that. But the truth is that everybody who is young was invited, married or not. Almost everybody knew everybody... except me, of course. There was a "but" in all of this, but... not very serious, the "but" that is in all christian gatherings, festivals, camps, conferences... food... you must be a good cooker if you want to cook for 25 persons, and still make the food taste good. Well... it didn't taste bad... but... you know... christians.

Despite that, Barrett, the cooker, made a really good job to make us spend a good weekend. The best? A lot of free time to meet new people, and talk with... not so old, friends, something really strange in christians meetings.

Erasmus Days 2006

Bueno... y ahora llega la hora de contar este finde. Nos fuimos a Vilnius ¿Por qué? Porque eran los dias erasmus en Lituania. Es decir, nos cogen a los erasmus de toda Lituania, nos llevan a la capital, y nos meten en un hotel, del hotel, a la catedral de la ciudad. De la catedral, nos vamos andando por mitad de Vilnius, con la poli por delante nuestro cortando las calles, hasta un casino-club, alquilado para nosotros. Una vez hecha "kalejira", llegamos al nombrado casino. Y alli... fiestuqui. Comenzando por un concierto folk, de unos tipos muy simpaticos, que hacian a la peña bailar. Luego clases de baile con una tia que sale en el simil lituano de "aqui no hay quien baila", o "mira quien baila", o algo asi se llama el programa ese en España, ¿no? Bueno, tras bailotear un poco, nos servian la cena. Lo que pasa es que habia que esperar tantisimo a la cola, que Alejandro, Borja y yo nos fuimos al Mac Donalds de al lado. Tras la cena, concierto ska, de una banda llamada Inculto, que canto hasta en castellano, aunque no les entendi nada. En medio del concierto, partimiento de la cacho tarta erasmus, y luego mas concierto... y despues del concierto disco hasta las 5. Todo eso iba con unas 5 consumiciones o algo asi. Claro luego podias gastar todo lo qe quisieras, a partir de las 5 consumiciones. Y... eso... a las 5 de vuelta al hotel para dormir la mona, y a la mañana siguiente de vuelta para Kaunas, monto total unos 35.000€, algo mas de cinco kilos de las antiguas pesetas. La verdad es que la fiesta molo, y si no piensas demasiado en que el ministerio de educacion y cultura te esta pagando la borrachera, porque todo estaba pagado, si no de que nos ibamos a juntar tantos erasmus, con las ganas que les tienen los italianos a las lituanas, y alli habia pocas... eso, que si no piensas en lo ridiculo que es que la administracion publica te pague la borrachera, pues puedes tener la fiesta sin ningun cargo de conciencia. Bueno... en realidad es una chorrada, pero no me dejaba de resultar curioso que un pais que no es muy rico, nos pague semejante fieston a unos degenerados como los erasmus, pero bueno.

The only worth pic of the party, Borja, Marie, Charlotte and Ilze.

En si la fiesta estuvo muy bien, y si te gusta bailar o beber, o las dos cosas, fue un fieston de no te menees. Para mi, que no me gusta ni beber ni bailar, simplemente estuvo bien, pude tener un par de conversaciones interesantes, una antes e inacabada, y otra despues... y con un final raro. Pero bien.

Pasando al ingles: I don't understand why everybody was so worried about me. Just because i wasn't drinking or dancing. You explain to them, that you just don't like dancing or drinking... and the still ask you if everything is ok. Well, it would be better, if i could maintain a normal conversation with someone who is not drunk. Or even if i could maintain it with someone drunk, at least a conversation i could hear, cause the music was extremely loud. And that was all. I was very happy staring at the musicians of the ska concert, the guitarrist finished it with only four strings... i think he shoul bring two guitars to their concerts, as every normal pro-musician. And still people came to me to ask me if everything was ok. "I am triying to enjoy the concert, is that a problem for you if i don't dance, and just listen??" One of the spaniards, didn't knew that a ska band had play... and i don't start asking him if everything is ok, if he feels good... or something stupid like that... he just was drunk... i just wasn't... what's the problem?

Sometimes people bores me with their preocupation, ther are never there when you need them, and they want to help you when they can´t. Human beings fate? I really don't understand it.

Sovietiniu Skulpturu Muziejus

2006-11-22T13:42:00.000+02:00

Las banderolas molaban, la verdad.

Also known as Gruto Parkas. It's the park we went to visit last Sunday. It's a really nice place in the countryside, where someone decided, instead of destroying all soviet scultures and symbols, make money with them. A really capitalist way of thinking. So, in this park you can see most of the statues that decorated Lithuania not so many many years ago. And... well... nothing else interesting... it seems that the only interesting places in Lithuania are these hot spots, like Gruto Parkas or Crosses Hill, Vilnius, and maybe the coast, but i still haven't been there. But used to a country as Spain, so focused of tourism, this sometimes is strange for me.

Clavaditos, oiga.

What i found more curious in all this about Gruto Parkas is that, although communism was supposed, is supposed, to be a political and economic model where everybody is equal... again, and again, and again, the scultures of Lenin and Stalin repetead, as if they were some kind of goddess. I haven't seen this cult to a political leader anywhere... maybe in Cuba and China? I don't know, but never in a capitalist country. So i find strange how they contradict theirselfes. What would think Lenin of all these? Who knows?

"Peaso" grupo erasmus, de izquierda a derecha: Toni, Marinne, Julia, Hey Won, Leanne, Marta, Ana, David, Vanja y Stefan. Arriba: Martin, Lenin y yo.

Stefan... The German

2006-11-21T22:19:00.000+02:00

Como diría Alejandro: "Somos serios, somos alemanes."

Yes, Stefan is german. But truly german, not like the fake german Julia. Stefan has everything that you would expect in a german guy, if we forget about punctuality.I think he is one of the smartest eramus students here, but, maybe because of that, when you stare at him, you have the sensation as if he goes always in first gear... extremely slooooow. Brian woul describe him as an abstract person, most of the time living is his world, probably thinking about tonights hands in front of his laptop. Yes, Stefan is ill... but he knows his illness, and enjoys it... so, what can we do? He is a poker addict, but he is quite good, i think, and when he is not, he has some stadistic programs that help him to play good. So his illness is not so bad that he gets millionaire debts with mafia, and such things that only happen in movies. Stefan most of the times wins... and sometime loses... a lot... yes... Well, but he is a good guy, likes to explain things, something people who not understand him always, as me, i'm sorry guy, but your german accent is terrible... where i was? Ah, yes, he doesn't mind in explaining thing 'till we understand completely what he is saying. So he most of the times has the look of a master, and we look like stupid pupils... well... when he speaks about stadistics i can barely understand him, but i can't answer for the others, (thank you "memeces"). He is as shy as clever. And he loves beer... since i am here, i have only once seen him drinking one thing that was not beer... truly german. Ah, other thing that is strange in a german, his football is as terrible as his accent... He broke the mith about german football, that they win always and all that...

Stefan(de rojo) enseñandonos a beber cerveza con chupito... las florecillas no se a que venian... ¿Demasiado chupito en la cerveza?

And that's all, to finish wih something good, althaoug he is always late... he is always, that's something good, some people here sometimes don't appear late, they just don't appear:S

Diez días.

2006-11-17T10:50:00.000+02:00

Diez días sin escribir nada son muchos días, asi que intentaré resumir brevemente lo que ha pasado estos diez días... y ala... Bueno, en primer lugar me he dado cuenta de que apenas me queda poco más de un mes aquí, y aún he de hacer bastantes deberes, así que en parte por eso creo que he escrito menos, o sea nada, aqui. Porque ahora el tiempo de aburrimiento lo tengo que pasar leyendo aburridos apuntes en ingles, eso si, mi ingles espero, esta cogiendo nivelon. Bueno...

BC Zalgiris-FC Barcelona.

Pues allí estuvimos la semana pasada, y oiga, como gritan los lituanos estos, es cierto que el basket lo viven a tope. El estadio del Zalgiris es de risa, o sea... seíamos... dos mil personas? poco más.. Pero como gritan. Cada vez que el Barcelona atacaba no habia manera de hablar con el de al lado. Para mas inri nos toco detras un crio que parecia la niña del exorcista, que garganta... En fin, a pesar de toda esa presión, el Barcelona gano, los lituanos se fueron super contentos porque su equipo habia jugado bien, y el partido, porque no decirlo fue realmente bueno, pero mejor aun fue la actuacion de Navarro, y claro, por eso gano el Barça. Al partido nos fuimos diez erasmus, toma ya... Un valenciano que iba a animar al Barça pero una vez alli decia que no le salia, asi que animo al Zalgiris. Un madrileño que decia que si se esforzaba podria animar al Barcelona, pero que tenia el dia vago. Un albaceteño que decia que el Barça no era español, y que el ha vivido mas en Lituania que en Cataluña, asi que a animar al Zalgiris. Luego estaban tambien las gemelas belgas, esas van en contra del equipo al que anime yo. Orreanne... seguro que su nombre lo escribo mal, que no se con quien iba, pero estaba entra un lituano y el madrileño, asi que con el Barça seguro que no. Y luego nos quedamos con el riojano, que si que animaba al Barça, pero como estaba lejos, como si nada. Julia, la alemana, que parecia estar en un estado de coma consciente, y simplemente aplaudia de vez en cuando de forma indistinta a uno y otro equipo. Y luego Leanne y yo, que eramos muy graciosos. Cada vez que el Barça conseguia canasta habia unos segungos de silencio por la decepcion del estadio... y ahi se nos oia a Leanne y a mi aplaudiendo, "plas, plas, plas...". Yo al Barça, ella a Gianluca Basile. Si es que no se que tienen los italianos...

Sielos 2006

Esta banda molaba.

Sielos significa "alma" en lituano. Y el Sabado pasado fui alli. Para explicarlo en su version corta, Sielos es un festival de eurovision cristiano. Aqui en lituana no veais como les mola eurovision y todo lo que tenga que ver con ello. Bueno, la cosa es que alli nos fuimos los jovenes de la iglesia, con el jeep de la iglesia, y con la furgoneta de la iglesia(si, todo eso de la iglesia), y con el coche de un lituano... muy lituano... en fin... de todo tiene que haber en la viña del Señor. Pero bueno, palla nos fuimos. El festival este es lomas grande que tienen los protestantes en lituania, pero lo comparten con los catolicos. Asi que por alli andaba el Obispo, todo de negro con un peaso crucifijo doracon al cuello, que mas que un cura parecia un rapero de estos americanos, mas chulo que un ocho, a tope con la chabaleria, y todo eso. Por lo demas, el festival duraba desde las 4 de la tarde hasta las 12, de forma ininterrumpida. Y bueno... la cosa comienza con 5 horas de... gente que pasa encima del escenario toca dos cositas, y ala, pa casa machotes. Y luego a eso de las 9 comienzan a pasar bandas un poco mejores... Lo cual es un poco triste porque todas las bandas malas o buenas, tocan 3 canciones como mucho. En fin... me gusto una banda que van a sacar disco, Mustard Seed... pero se van a cambiar el nombre, no me pregunteis por cual. Tambien me gusto una banda de catolicos supergraciosos. Todos asi vestidos muy molones, plan Korn, menos el cantante. Este llevaba una boina del reves, con las tiras esas en la cara. Y unos pantalones negros, de vinilo... asi bien ceñiditos, marcando trasero. Y ala, de esa guisa a pegar gritos mientras que daba saltos... al menos ra gracioso.
Y al final la entrega de premios, los que me molaron a mi, y los del catolico loco(por cierto, profesor de musica de mi universidad), no ganaron nada. Todos los premios se los dieron a bandas asi jovencitas. En teorisa votabamos nosotros... asi que yo creo que hubo mucho colegueo... pero bueno, bien. Al la cosa esta fue en Marijampole, al sur.

Je, je... que majo que era el tipo este.

Entrega de premios, al ganador, la edicion de una tirada de 5000 CDs, el año que viene participo!!!

Ya es viernes.

Y a lo tonto ya es viernes. Y tengo que estudiar algo, porque esta tarde comparto en el grupo de jovenes, y luego voy a una especie de encuentro de Agape, que van a proyectar cortos, y lo que es mas importante... nos van a dar comida. Y mañana el plan es ir a patinar sobre hielo, todos los erasmus, y luego el grupito de magnificos nos vamos a hacer una super tour, por todas las opticas de la calle peatonal pa probarnos gafas y sacarnos fotos. Es que aqui las gafas son mas baratas, asi que es algo planteable. Y el Domingo excursion. A Grutos Parkas, que es lo que aqui se le llama el Disneyland Comunista. Y es que los lituanos cuando se cargaron el comunismo, cogieron todo lo que habia, y lo metieron en un parque, pa los turistas. Y de ahi a Europos Parkas, el parque del centro de Europa. Y es que el centro geografico europeo esta al lado de Vilnius, y han montado una especie de museo de arte contemporaneo al aire libre... ya veremos.

Más majo que las pesetas.

2006-11-08T22:42:00.000+02:00

"So this is a cross? How nice the crosses."

Usando su propia frase podríamos describir a Alejandro, uno de los 5 españoles que quedan en el dormitorio, y al segundo al que conocí cuando llegué a Kaunas. Voy con el a clases de lituano, y soy casi tan responsable como el... bueno, no. Alejandro es con diferencia el español mas responsable, y seguramente uno de los estudiantes mas responsables del grupo erasmus que conozco. Se pasa el dia haciendo trabajitos y cositas... aqui la carrera de periodismo es otro cantar. Y bueno... Alejandro es el tipico tio que no te puede caer mal... y con el cual te tienes que esforzar para caerle mal. De hecho a todo el mundo le va diciendo que son mas majos que las pesetas. Menos a las polacas, pero es natural despues de la miradita que le echaron cuando les pregunto si bailarian tango con el, le comprendo(por cierto... que paso con el tango? tengo que hablar con Egle:S).

Vamos, que es un buen tio, de esos que yo, y las tres mosqueteras describiriamos como "too nice"... demasiado bueno... un buenazo... Alejandro, que te queremos, leches!!! Je... bueno, el tio ademas tiene un blog, no tan majo como este, pero hace lo que puede, si le echais un vistazo dejadle un comentario, que estaba algo agobiadillo con el blog, y un comentario siempre anima a no dejarlo.
¿Momentos inolvidables con Alejandro? Todos los que requieran ingles. Y es que el tio tiene un ingles de Castilla la Vieja que lo flipas... asi que... lo siento Alejandro, pero es divertidisimo estar en una conversacion en ingles en la cual el este por medio. Eso si, hace mas esfuerzos que la mayoria de españoles por mejorar... sobre todo muchos mas que Borja, lo cual es facil... pero vamos, que el tio no se amilana ni deja de hablar ingles a pesar de lo malo que soy con el... asi me gusta campeon!!!

Making Marie happy... you're too nice!!!

Y eso... que a pesar de que escribo sobre el, no penseis, como todo el mundo ha ido haciendo en los post sobre personas anteriores, que tengo un rollo raro con el, solo somos amigos:P

Whatever people say I am, that's what I am.

2006-11-06T18:36:00.000+02:00

Today i was being curious, searching through friends of friends blogs... Just trying to find something interesting to read, or something interesting about my friends, or about my friend's friends. You know, when you are bored, although you have to clean your room, tidy up your wardrove, think what you are going to cook fo today's lunch, or thinking that you might need juice, and you should better go and buy it... you don't want to do none of this things, and instead you start reading the blogs of people you don't know. Days in Lithuania are becoming longer... well... shorter, because the sun gets down at about 4:30, so time seems to be stopped. And so i was, reading things in the net, when i found a comment of a friend speaking about me!!! Now i realise that maybe it wasn't good that i read that comment... just because when that person wrote it, probably he never though i was going to read it, so is like if i have introduce myself into some kind of private space... Well... it's done, so now it doesn't matter, i have read it.

It was a good comment about me. Just saying how wonderful i am... well... no with that words... But moreless, to make it short, that's what the comment said. And... well, i usually never give much importance to good words for me from others... But i felt good, knowing that this person cosiders me a friend. But not because of what it wrote, but because he wrote it without any obligation, he spoke of me on my back, with freedom to say what he really thinks of me... and still wrote good things. I felt appreciated, much more than when people say to my face that they love me, for example. I started thinking about it, and is not the first time that i have had that sensation. I remember talking with someone and telling to me, that her sister respected me, and considered me one of her best friends... that's great, her sister was telling good things about me to people, on my back, when people usually are really sincere. I don't know if you have had this kind of experience, surprising someone speaking about you privately, and finding that what he was saying about you was really good.

I think that maybe that's why i appreciate so few good words to my face, and that's why saying nice words to people in their presence is something so difficult for me to do. And that's why i always try to be nice on people's back, 'cause for me, that has much more worth. Maybe they will never know what i am saying about them, and maybe they will never know how much i love them, (and that, for sure, is a pity). But i hope that if they, someday, hear what i say, they valorate it as much as i do.

Šiauliai.

We are family!!! (And no, Alejandro isn't daltonic, he just hasen't got taste)

Obligatory stop in the lithuanians toilettes.

We are the champions my friend!!!

By the way. El otro dia nos fuimos a Šiauliai. Eso esta al norte de Lituania, y de Kaunas. Nueve estudiantes nos alquilamos una "flagoneta", y ala, a la aventura. Ibamos cinco españoles, como siempre los unicos tios enrollaos somos los españoles... bueno, menos yo, que segun me interesa me hago el español o el vasco, pero que tambien soy enrollado. Bueno, eso, Nos cogimos una "flagoneta" de nueve plazas, y aquello parecia un minibus de la ONU. Bueno, de la ONU femenina, porque los españoles tenemos la costumbre de hablar en castellano entre nosotros, y luego, normalmente yo, solemos tener que traducir un poquillo de que iba la conversacion a las chicas. Las chicas cada una de un sitio, Ana eslovena, Ella italiana, Marta polaca y Julia alemana. Asi que ala, palla nos fuimos, con Ella como conductora que decia que en Sicilia conducen tan bien como en Lituania, y que por lo tanto mejor conducia ella. Yo creo que es una chica tan responsable y nos tenia tanto miedo que preferia no dejarle a nadie la resposabilidad de conducir. Aunque a la vuelta nos trajo David y no hubo ningun problema, aunque si, los lituanos conducen como cafres.

Entrance to the Hill.

Pedro and Ella in the middle of Crosses Hill.

Pero bueno, nos fuimos a Šiauliai porque allí tienen lo que por aquí llaman la Colina de las Cruces. He escrito algo sobre el tema en la web de 24-7, aunque la historia exacta no es esa, por lo visto el tio que puso la primera cruz, lo hizo porque Dios le curó a él, y no a su mujer. Aunque es un poco raro, porque los lituanos no saben muy bien a quien curo o dejo de curar Dios, solo que las cruces son acciones de gracias a Dios. Pero bueno, comenzando por el principio. La colina esa esta formada por unas cien mil cruces que a lo largo del pasado siglo, y lo poco del presente, los lituanos, y todo aquel que quiere han ido depositando como agradecimiento a Dios por algo. La costumbre esta por lo visto de puso de moda en la epoca de ocupacion sovietica, porque con la gracia que les hacia a los comunistas todo el tema este del cristianismo, nada mejor que tocarles las narices llenando la colina esta de crucecitas. Y bueno... ahora los lituanos lo estan explotando como lugar turistico, y creo que tambien como lugar de peregrinacion.

One of the sides.

Crosses everywhere.

Y es normal, porque de la colina esta fuimos al pueblo en si... es poco mas o menos como Kaunas, una ciudad sin nada de nada, salvo una calle tocha peatonal mas o menos maja. Y ya esta, en Šiauliai no habia mas. De alli nos fuimos a Panevezys, con rayita encima de la z, pero no la puedo poner con este teclado. Y en esas ciudad habia aun menos cosas, de hecho, creo que lo unico que hay es mafia. Estuvimos dando vueltas con la furgo preguntando a la gente que a ver donde estaba en centro y todo el mundo nos decia que ellos no tienen ni centro ni parte vieja ni nada... vamos, genial. Al final paramos delante de una iglesia, y de ahi, dando un par de vueltas encontramos la calle peatonal omnipresente en todas las ciudades lituanas. En esa calle nos tomamos el chocolate caliente mas puro y espeso que halla probado en mi vida... y ala, de vuelta pa Kaunas, que habia prisa porque Borja celebraba la fiesta de inauguracion de su piso.

Borja, me, Julia, Marta, David, lil' Ana, Ella and Alejandro.

Fiesta!!!

De la fiesta poco puedo decir, estaba llena de erasmus y de "fifas", no se como se escribe, pero es como llaman aqui a las lituanas rubias con faldas cinturon... ya me entendeis. Asi que nada, me busque un sillon en una de las habitaciones que estaban mas tranquilas que la cocina atestada de gente, y ahi, todo acomodao estuve hablando con la gente con la que normalmente hablo, me decian que parecia el padrino, solo me faltaba el gato:D. Ah, bueno, tambien conoci a Joao, un portugues muy simpatico que mueve su meñique de una forma muy extraña. Y eso... luego me pude escabullir pronto porque Julia estaba hecha polvo y Leanne tambien se queria ir, y necesitaban a un caballero de reluciente armadura que las acompañara... que sacrificio:P

Julia, the not german.

2006-11-04T19:05:00.000+02:00

First of all i have to congratulate Julia for her birthday. So... HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIA!!! Now, Julia's ID says that she is german, but after a exhaustive investigation i've founded that Julia is something between french, lithuanian and norden irish. It's clear, Julia's roomate is Leanne, and she went for a weekend away, so Julia had to be Leanne for sometime... and now... something of Leanne is left in Julia... something norden irish. It's a little bit lithuanian, you should see her telling people in lithuanian that she doesn't speak Lithuanian, with a perfect Lithuanian accent. Who do you want to fool? You're lithuanian, only a truly lithuanian girl can say with such politeness and good accent: "As nesuprantu lietuviskei". So, she is lithuanian. And... i really don't know why she is french... but... she is. So, Julia is a nor german, who wants to be german.

Julia mostrando su lado más norirlandés.

But sincerely, is okay not to be german. Each time i say that word i feel like calling someone a germ... So Julia, is better not to know what you are, than being a germ, ok? Ok. So, she is not german, but she is nice(i would never say that so directly if she hasen't asked me to say it because is her birthday, happy birthday!!! this is my present, calling you "nice":D). Something else to describe her? She is tall, she is smart, and not as responsible as Marta, but much more serious than Leanne, that's good, Julia is Leanne's concious half... they make the perfect couple:) And with Marta they are what i call my three musketeers... Or maybe "Esteban's Angels"... hey, i like that one. So Julia is one of my angels. Her name isn't pronounced as in Spanish, althoug is a latin name, she pronounces "Yulia". Borja started calling her "Dortmun", can you think why?? Because she comes from Dortmun?? No... i think she didn't, i hope i am not wrong but i think the only thing she does in Dortmun is study... and... i really don't know wich is her hometown:S

Mmm... she is nice, and most of the times she is happy... or that it seems, cause she is always singing, but not opera, you know, only italians and germans sing opera, and she is neither italian or german. But she sang for us the german anthem. And it sounded like a song for kids. I think when she is mother she will sing the german anthem to her kids when she wants them to go to sleep. So... and this is mine, i think Julia is a tender person. I think that's why i think she can't be german, they don't have fame of tenderness... and i think she is extremely tender, you should see her singin her anthem with such tenderness... as if it's going to break. And we are always asking her to call thing by their german name, and she never says "no", that's cute:)

Al lado mio parece aún más maja.

Ah, and she gave me a tape fo my injured finger, (don't worry mum, is just a little cut, while i was changing a bulb), so she saved my life!!!(It's not true mum, but it's her birthday i have to say nice things to her, don't worry about my health, i'll show you my finger on the cam). So, thank you very much for the tape, my finger
is safe now:)

Mmm... and that's all.

Surfing with the Alien.

2006-11-03T11:44:00.000+02:00

Borja has moved to his new flat, and now i am alone... great! But that's not the point, the point is that on Wednesday he, and his flatmates, the sick italian, and the rich french, celebrated the inauguration party. I'll try to describe it, a quite big flat, with a lot of erasmus students, and a lot of blonde lithuanian girls. Altogether trying to get drunk as fast as possible. The people without that description was the first in leaving the party... between 1 and 2 am. So there i was a little bit lost 'till i found a good sit. For now on in every Borja's parties i hope that will be my reservede sit. In one of the bedrooms, the most quiet place of the party. So there i was surrounded by "my" girls, Julia, Marta, Le, and even Borja or David can be considered girls in some moments:P Ok, there i was, and at some moment i started a serious conversation with Marta about drinking, and getting drunk. She told me if i didn't felt a little bit like an alien with everybody around me drinking... and with me staying sober. And well... my answer of course was... of course i feel like an alien, and??? What's the problem??? Well... i really didn't saw it... but thinking about it, i realised that some years ago probably i would have drink as everybody else, not because i like it,(first of all i don't drink because o don't like it), but because everybody is doing it. Maybe i even would have get drunk, and that's something that i can't aprobe. People gets drunk because they feel better, they emotions sensations increase, and they feel better... for some moments. With all my respect, from my point of view that's stupid. It's the same as if you take drugs, the only difference is that alcohol is legal.

So, some years ago that's what it would happened. But i think, that no so far ago i decided not to move because of the people. This sometimes is problematic, it's hard to find a balance, and i think that's why much people think of me that i am not very sensitive. Maybe. I think this happens when i want to be so independent from people that i pass. But on the other hand i have chosen to try to be faithful with what i believe is correct, even if that beliefs make me an alien. I really don't mind what people thinks of me when i am being faithful to myself and to my beliefs.

Someone said that we should love the people next to us... i think that's the next part i must improbe:P

Mamma Ella

2006-10-31T20:54:00.000+02:00

This is a tribute post to Ella. Ella "the Godmother", Ella "the sicilian", "Mamma" Ella. Well, Ella is the only italian girl in the dormitory, and, i am sorry for the italian guys, but she worths it's own post. That's because she is so different to the italian guys... and because she is the only italian girl... and because the italian guys have never cooked for me, and Ella has done ir a couple of times, just because she wanted. That's Ella, she enjoys cooking, not only for me, don't start thinking bad things, just think bad about Le, but for half or more of the erasmus students. I think she is one of the most responsibles students in the dorm... serious... adult??? I don't know how to express it well. She speaks half of the languages of the eastern Europe, plus english, a little bit of french and spanish, and of course italian. I think she is not bad in laguages:P

Que salero y que arte sirviendo el cuscus!!!

Furthermore... she is my neighbour, the one who borrows me... like a strange kind of "fregona" that the lithuanians have, and i must thak her for it, cause now my room shines because of her "fregona". And she is cooking right now for Alejandro, Sandro and me, and for her, i hope. And she is a really good cooker... I am remembering last January in Madrid, thank you God for Sarah and her cookings... so thank you God for Ella an her efforts to make people join in a kitchen and have a really good time.

I have to go for dinner, pasadlo bien.

Bendrabutys=Dormitorio

2006-10-28T17:07:00.000+02:00

Vista desde mi cuarto.

Bueno... va a hacer casi un mes que me mude, de mi pisito en las afueras de Kaunas al dormitorio estudiantil en pleno centro. Durante este mes me ha tocado compartir habitación con Borja. Bueno, en realidad a quien le ha tocado ha sido a el, pues llego antes que yo. Hemos tenido que compartir la cocina con un porron de lituanos... bueno... lituanas sobre todo, porque la residencia esta lo que mas tiene son tias. Y si soy sincero tampoco hemos compartido mucho la cocina, porque lo que hacen los lituanos es llegar, poner algo a cocinar e irse. Luego vuelven, y se lo llevan a la habitacion donde cenan. Los erasmus como casi nunca cenamos solos, siempre lo hacemos en la cocina. Y por lo que he oido para los lituanos eso es un espectaculo, entrar en la cocina y encontrarse a media ONU cenando alli como si una sociedad gastronomica se tratara les impresiona. Lo curioso es que ellos reconocen que mola... pero que jamas lo harian... Pobres.

Esta es mi habitación sin Borja, el armario de la ropa esta en el pasillito que da entrada al cuarto, al igual que el baño.

Alguien me advirtio para que no me mudara al dormitorio, pero la verdad... es que es un sitio que mola un monton. Viniendo aqui acabas conociendo a casi todo el mundo erasmus, e incluso logras cierta confianza con algunos, y luego te montan viajes a Polonia y asi... Si no quieres, nunca tienes porque estar solo. Es un sitio ideal para conocer otras culturas, especialmente curioso es observar a las coreanas y a Miyuki, de Japón. Además la gente es de lo mas tranquila. Nos montamos nuestras fiestillas en la cocina, pero siempre de forma bastante relajada, así que mola. Además, tengo la sensacion de que aqui los chicos, de querer algun rollo, solo les interesan las lituanas, y las chicas pasan de los tios, y solo quieren pasarselo bien. Vamos, que tengo un dormitorio lleno de erasmus responsables, lituanas simpaticas, porque lo son casi todas, y lituanos bastante, o timidos, o bordes. Pero bien.

El dormitorio ademas, creo que es el mejor de todo Kaunas, las habitaciones, pasillos, baños, lavadoras y cocinas estan nuevas. Y ahora nos andan arreglando las escaleras. Lo unico que va a quedar de la epoca comunista van a ser los ascensores, y las porteras que nos abren la puerta. Y a las que puedes sobornar para que te dejen pasar a tu ligue con una caja de bombones o una botella de vino.

El "sofá", la nevera, mi guitarra, el armario de la comida... La vaca-tigre se llama "Tzepel". Se la regalo a Julia y Leanne, la coreana de nombre Tzepel, o como se escriba, y estas me lo han dejado a mi aqui.

Y despues de todo este mes. Me quedo solo. Si, mi compañero de habitacion ha dicho que hay poca fiesta asi que se ha cogido un piso, con un italiano salido y un frances forrao, y ala... a montar partys multiculturales... ya veremos, yo creo que nos van a echar de menos, pero bueno. Yo me he quedado la habitacion para mi solo. Asi que ahora... por un lado mola. Estoy solo, he transformado su cama en una especie de sofa, he cambiado todo el mobiliario, y ahora la habitacion parece mas grande. La he limpiado, y no veais como brilla. Incluso la he decorado con algunas fotos, un par de canciones, una postal de Cracovia, una cruz naranja fosforita londinense, y un calcetin. El calcetin viene a que un dia aparecio con nuestra ropa en la lavadora, asi que yo me he quedado con uno, y Borja tiene otro en el piso, tambien puesto en la pared de su habitacion. Que bonito. Bueno, lo malo de haber perdido a mi compañero de piso, es que corro serio riesgo de que me eldilguen a otro compañero. Y claro... vuelta a cambiar todos los muebles... y orar porque ese compañero mole... porque con Borja todo genial... pero me consta que por ahi hay cada especímen suelto... que vaya... espero aguantar al menos lo que resta de cuatrimestre solo... y si no nada... Al que venga nuevo le tendre ke informar de mis reglas, "tu limpias, a las 10 en la cama, y calladito". Juas... bueno... ya veremos.

Viaje a Polonia

2006-10-24T14:51:00.000+02:00

With our friend Copernicus, Evidentemente Yo, Leanne, Julia, David and Martin.

Bueno, hagamos un pequeño resumen de mi viaje relampago a Polonia. El grupo estaba formado por David, riojano, por Julia de Dortmun, Leanne, que es nor irlandesa y Martin, austriaco. Ademas de por mi, que soy de aqui, y por Borja, valenciano, con el cual nos ibamos a encontrar en Cracovia. La conclusion general del viaje es que es muchisimo mas comodo viajara en tren, y al menos en Polonia muchisimo mas barato y rapido que el autobus. Salimos el Jueves por la noche dirección a Torun, que es la ciudad de Copérnico. Y pasamos alli el viernes, la verdad es que es un ciudad pequeñita, pero muy bonita, con una parte vieja, llena de casitas de ladrillos, y muchas iglesias tambien de ladrillos, y una especie de castillo. Asi que nada, pasamos el dia viendo la ciudad esa, comimos tortas... que en Polonia parece que no saben comer de verdad, asi que ese dia desayunamos, comimos, y casi cenamos tortas. Por la noche, fuimos a un pub irlandes, la mar de chulo, con tres pisos, y muchos sofas, y mesas enormes... estabamos como en casa... Conocimos a algunos amigos de Marta, porque Torun, es tambien su ciudad, "Martalandia" le llamabamos. Y luego fuimos a un hostal barato, barato, y normal... donde pudimos comprobar, que si, que Leanne tiene mucha facilidad para caerse de la cama.

Torun streets...

Me and the northen irish... in the irish pub...

Martin... sleeping... in the train... well... he looks like he is sleeping, i can't understand how he can.

Leanne and Julia... they were the reason why Martin had to sleep like that.

We in Warsaw, Marta, me, David, Julia, Leanne, and Martin... behind us is a kind of museum, and congresses building.

Al dia siguiente cogimos el tren hacia Cracocia(Cracow en el mapa), con parada en Varsovia, para salir de la estacion sacarnos una foto con una especie de museo, y volver a meternos en otro tren. Je... bueno, la historia de los trenes es buena. Cuando ibamos a la estacion cogimos el bus correcto pero en la direccion contraria, asi que acabamos al otro lado de la ciudad, y tuvimos que coger otro tren... Pero bueno... a la vuelta casi lo perdemos... y entramos en el bus justo justo... lo que me estraña es que el Domingo durmieramos en Kaunas, pero bueno. Pasamos toda la tarde en Cracovia, viendo la parte vieja y todo eso, la iglesia de los dos hermanos que competian para ver quien construia la torre mas alta, y claro, el que perdio se cargo al que gano. La historia de Cain y Abel en la revision polaca. Vimos el castillo de los reyes, y el dragon que echaba fuego si mandabas un sms... Y eso, Cracovia molaba, sobre todo los tranvias... he montado en tranvia!!!:D

We in Cracow, Borja is the one on the left, and the girl with pink scarf is Magda, a girl they knew from Cracow.

Cracow's cathedral.

Auschwitz entrance, full of jews with their flags and all that.

Auschwitz.

Just a picture to say, "i've been there".

Getting into the gas cameras, and crematoriums. They don't permit pictures inside.

Bueno, al dia siguiente viaje a Auschwitz Birkenau. A ver el campo este tan famoso. Y bueno... siendo sincero, me lo esperaba mas impresionante. O sea... lo tienen tan plan museo, tan bonito, con arbolitos, y cesped y todo... y las casas de los presos tan bien recosntruidas y cuidadas, que yo lo que pensaba es que el sitio mola para hacer unos macrocampamentos de verano, pero bueno... Impresionaban las imagenes de la peña viviendo alli, y la montañade pelo para explicar como cortaban el pelo a las mujeres para hacer tela con el. Y los hornos de cremacion y las camaras de gas tambien te daban algo de yuyu... Pero no se... creo que ver los codumentales, en blanco y negro y todo eso... impresiona mas. Bueno, si que impresionaban los judios, habia una cantidad impresionante de ellos. Todos con Kipah, muchos con bandera de Israel, y un grupo se puso a cantar salmos en mitad del sitio, todos abrazados en corro. Leanne y Julia se tiraron la mitad de la visita llorando por culpa de ellos. Y tambien habia mogollon de grupos de niños llora que te llora. Bueno... no tan niños, no se permite la entrada a menores de 14 años, creo que eran. Y eso... despues de la visita al sitio este, corriendo a por el tren de vuelta, que cogimos de milagro... luego autobus, y llegada a las 4 de la mañana a Kaunas...

The comeback.

Pero bueno... el viaje molo, la peña molo... y ya puedo decir que he estado en Polonia:D

Más bruta que un "arau".

2006-10-24T00:17:00.000+02:00

That's how David describes Leanne. Why? Because she lives in a farm... although she says no, she lives in one, or at last, in a little zoo. She has ducks, chickens, a horse, a goat, four dogs,... In Spain, even in the Basque Country we call that a farm, so we will say that she lives in one. She is really hiperactive. she can't stay more than five seconds without touching or jumping or shouting or laughing or singing, or dancig... or all that things at the same time. And sometimes she can be... really... "bruta", brute???, i don't know the properly word for that in english... but in the trip to Poland, we called her the Little Lumberjack Blacksmith Farmer Leanne. She is also a football player, not only that, she was the captain of her team, and they gave her the award to the player that most swear in a year.

Leanne en medio de Turun... siendo ella misma.

Ok, that's Little Le. But know, as she is reading me, i must say also good things about her. She's protestant!!! Like me... we were thinking of burning all catholic churches in Cracow, but we didn't had matches... next time:P She is from Northen Ireland... Like the Guinnes... well... Guinnes is just irish... but she can be irish if she wants. Ok, and more... she is really funny... I must say that the trip to Poland had a really good mood, and one of the guilties of that good mood, was for sure Little Le. She is always happy, smiling, it reminds me a little bit of Sarai... just a little bit. Ah, don't try to taugh she a cards game, her attention has a limit... five seconds. But, she is the one in the gang that breaks the ice, that makes other make stupid things, so that we can all have fun... except Broja, when she laughs at him because of his muscles, poor Borja. And... i think most of the people enjoy spending time with her... so... she is cool!!! We love you Little Le... our Little Le sister... we have all agreed that she is going to be our little sister... 'cause she was the more little in the group... Ok, one of these days i'll write about our trip to... as Leanne would say POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOlaaaaaaaaaaND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Polish.

2006-10-13T23:28:00.000+02:00

Let's talk today about polish people. Polish women cocretely, i'm sorry Kubus, but you are the only polish guy that i know, and you're not here, so... Polish in the dormitory are, nearly, as much as spaniards, but we are onl guys, and they are only girls. I really only know tow of them. Rasa, who is not truly poslih, but a strange mixture of lithuanian an polish, and Marta, who, i think is polish 100%, but i am not sure of this. That's because there are other three polish girls: Sabina, Emilia and Sofia. First of all, i don't know who is who. And second these three are a little bit... i don't know how to say "borde" in English... they are "the edge", ok? Probably this is only because they don't understand Spanish humor, i don't know. Poor Alejandro the other day tried to invite them to join us in tango lectures, (i'll explain this later), and what they did was to look Alejandro with very open eyes, from his feet to his face... as thinking "who the hell you think we are to go with such a boy as you to tango lessons?". Poor Alejandro... Anothe strange custom they have is to speak Polish in front of you... although we have said to them how unpolite this is. By the way, have you ever heard polish? It's like hearing Canal+ when you haven't got decoder. Very funny... but just for a while...

On the other hand, we have Marta and Rasa. Rasa showed me yesterday how many bad words in Spanish can a person know, without knowing clearly what they mean... or yes, but i prefer to think she didn't knew what she was saying. She also discovered to me that the song "Tengo una vaca lechera", has a dance. I have to ask her to record the dance in the camera and show you. It's quite funny to hear the song, with polish/lithuanian accent, and with the dance, all in one.
We also have Marta, (i even don't know if it's "Marta" or Martha:S), more serious than Rasa i believe, but much more friendly than the others 100% polish girls. We are going with her to Cracow(Cracovia), next weekend. She is going to show us her city, wich a don't know were it is, or wich is its name, Cracow, and also Auschwitz... i don't know if it's well spelled. Doesn't matter, we convinced her to carry us with her... so i hope we won't be heavy charge for her. Curious things about Marta? The way she understands "pijama party". She just wears normal clothes and puts on them her pijama. The opposite of Borja and me, we put our "pijamas" under our normal clothes:P

Esta es la cena internacional que el otro dia los chicos montamos a algunas chicas. De izquierda a derecha: Miyuki(Japon), Ella(Italia), Alejandro(Madrid), evidentemente yo, Sandro(Italia), Leanne(Irlanda del Norte), Julia(Alemania) y Marta(Polonia).

Next day.

Next day i'll try to talk about the germans, or italians, koreans, japanese, lethonians, irish, french, or wathever... Have a good time!!!

Trip to Trakai and Vilnius

2006-10-08T17:13:00.000+02:00

Para que os situeis. Rasa es de Klaipeda, y Monika de Silute.

So, as Rasa has asked me to write in English, i'll try. Please english parlants, don't laugh, i don't talk English at all, so imagine how i write it, ok? Simeon, i am thinking of you, if you read this, please don't remember it to me, ok? ok.

El castillo de Trakai, en la islita.

El de la gorra es Johannes, el aleman, luego Davydas, la rubia conductora y Monika.

El patio del castillo.

That's it, me and some friends went to Trakai and Vilnius this weekend. Trakai it's near Vilnius, in the way to Kaunas. What Maria said about lithuanian driving it's true(i'm sorry Rasa). But i must say, that it's not only driver's fault, here roads are awful. And we also got there in a Jeep with lots of sounds, and they weren't for the radio, it didn't work. So, what can i say about Trakai and Vilnius? Trakai it's precious. With a castle, in the middle of lakes, good weather,... Really nice. I discovered in this trip that there are only three important names in Lithuanian History, Vytautas, Gedimimos and Mindaugas... Vytautas is the greatest duke this country has had. Mindaugas is the only king they have had. And Gedimimos, i think, was the brother of one of them, or perhaps Gedimimo was the king? I can't remember:S

Moses, el coreano, y Monika. Esa es la puerta de la puesta de Sol. En su interior tiene una iglesia donde estaban celebrando misa.

Ok, from Trakai we went to Vilnius, to a guitar shop, to buy strings for my guitar. Here guitars are much expensive than in Spain, i must say. And from there, we went to Moses home, to eat some kind of korean sushi. Moses is korean... and his mother prepared this sushi... So we practiced a little bit with the japanese sticks. Quite surreal to eat japanese sushi, whit koreans, in Vilnius... with a german:D There Monika tried to be like spiderman. But i must say to her, although Moses likes spiderman, i don't think it's a good way to conquer him, falling down the stairs acrobatically;) (Ok, bad joke, forgive me:P) It was just a fright. Monika is still alive... his arm... i'm not sure.

Se que a alguno le va a molar esa foto... y a alguna?

El Castillo de Gedimimo... si rima y todo:P

He, he... From there we went to take a walk around Vilnius. We saw the Three Crosses hill, a hill with three crosses in memory of 14 monks that were killed by pagans. We saw some churches, i liked the ortodox church, they don't have chairs, it's curious. And we went to Gedimimo's castle... i think Gedimimo was the brother... or... perhaps it was Mindaugas castle? Mmmm... i think it was Gedimimo's castle. Ok, the castle is just a tower, but they call it castle... Lithuanian proud, i suppose. Vilnius is a city... better than Kaunas, you have more sensation of security and of cleanliness... But nothing of other world. But Trakai it's really nice:)

We had dinner in Belmontes. It's a kind of park with rivers and fountains, and cascades, very beautiful. And it has some restaurants. It was a pity that it was night, so we couldn't see all the park. Ah, be careful when you ask for dinner. They might say you that they don't have something if you ask for it in English.

Belmontes, a que esta bonito? Habia cisnes y tal... el lugar idoneo pa declararte, asi que ya sabeis... os venis con vuestra chica a Lituania, y ala...

And... that's, moreless, all... we came back to Kaunas with our beautiful blonde driver... and survived:D

La rubia conduciendo.

9 Fortas.

La entrada.

De izquierda a derecha, evidentemente yo, Borja, Sandro y Alejandro. Al fondo 9 Fortas.

Venga va, ahora en castellano. El otro dia estuve con Alex, Borja(mi compañero de habitacion), Sandro(el italiano loco) y Egle, la mentora de Borja, y por extension la mia, en 9 Fortas. La historia de 9 Fortas viene de la epoca de Alejandro II, zar de todas las Rusias... o sea... de Rusia. (Oh, no. Estoy sin leche, y no para de llover... mañana toca desayunar yogur:S). Bueno, la cosa es que este zar queria "blindar" Kaunas, asi que lo que hizo fue construir 13 fuertes alrededor de la ciudad. Cuando los sovieticos se cargaron todo el tema este de las Rusias, lo que hicieron renovar el fuerte numero nueve, y concentrar alli todas las fuerzas que antes estaban divididas en los otros fuertes. Cuando los nazis llegaron, el fuerte este resistio 11 días. Y los nazis lo convirtieron en prisión. Y se pusieron a fusilar sovieticos, judios, y todo lo que pillaran. Despues cuando los sovieticos reconquistaron todo esto, mantuvieron la prision, y se pusieron a fusilar judios, cristianos, y todo lo que pillaran. Curiosa las historia que nos contaban, de 64 presos en la epoca nazi, que huyeron. 37 se perdieron en el bosque y los capturaron a la mañana siguiente. Los 27 restantes lograron huir, hoy en dia 3 aun viven. Lo curioso es que los 27 supervivientes eran judios, el resto no.

Sala de visitas, en un lado el preso, al otro la visita, y en medio los guardias.

Cuarto de los presos, creo que entre 30 y cuarenta ahi. Ni colchon ni nada, claro.

En el cartelito, que no creo que se lea, pone, "Al lado de este muro los nazis fusilaron y quemaron personas entre 1943 y 1944."

En fin... ver estas cosas es durillo, porque la verdad es que las celdas daban pena. En una poco mas grande que mi habitacion metian a 15 personas dejandoles solo un agujerito pa respirar. La mitad se desvanecian por falta de aire. Luego tambien tenian una celda humeda. En la cual las paredes continuamente sudaban agua. Y una celda "sanitaria", sobre la cual estaban las escaleras, de forma que quien estaba alli encerrado no podia descansar nunca porque los pasos en las escaleras resonaban una barbaridad. En fin... duro de ver... pero interesante, en España no tenemos cosas de la 2º Guerra Mundial, asi que los españoles estabamos bastante flipadillos.

Monumento en memoria de los muertos. La chica de la derecha es Egle.

Y eso

Y eso, hoy yo y mi guitarra hemos debutado en la iglesia con los jovenes que estaban encargados hoy de llevar la alabanza. Y dentro de un par de semanas creo que los erasmus vamos a ir a Varsovia, o al menos intentarlo, con una polaca muy simpatica. Aun sigo buscando equipo de basket. Y espero visitar algun dia de estos Klaipeda. Y... eso... a ver si me pongo a hacer los deberes de lituano... o igual los hago mañana antes de clase, y asi lo llevo fresco... no se... bueno, espero que disfruteis las fotos;) Pasadlo bien.

Trolebuses.

2006-10-01T19:15:00.000+02:00

Vale... eso que veis ahi arriba es... sorprendente nunca mejor dicho. Los lituanos, al menos algunos, lo ven como un gran avance tecnológico sobre los paises occidentales, ya que esa especie de autobuses no usan gasolina, al menos eso se supone, yo no me creo que ese mazacote se mueva solo con electricidad, pero bueno... eso me dijeron. La cosa es que a eso le llaman trolebus. Y es algo curioso, ir dentro de el, bandazos, sentir como el conductor va dando frenazos y acelerones aparentemene ilogicos. El otro dia descubri que cuando le esta dando el billete a a alguien, practicamente se paran... no son capaces de conducir y darte el billete a la vez. Pero bueno, no todo el mundo compra el billete cuando se sube.

Los hay, como yo, que lo que hacen es comprar el billete trolebusero en un quiosco. Y es que habra cosas que falten en este país, pero quioscos hay casi tantos como paradas de autobus, o mas. Bien, la cosa es que es mucho mas sencillo que si no sabes lituano compres el billete en un quiosco, mas sencillo, y mas seguro para los viajeros que vayan contigo en el trolebus. Tu vas a donde el quiosco y le dices "troley"... y a continuacion yo le suelo decir "ketari", que viene a ser cuatro, porque los billetes hasta ahora que no tenia el mensual, los pillaba de cuatro en cuatro, asi el viaje al quiosco me cundia mas. Cuando le dices eso lo normal es que te enseñe los tres o cuatro tipos de billetes que tiene, y entonces, le dices cual quieres(hay billete normal, billete estudiante, billete jubilado, billete mensual normal, etc...).

Bueno, una vez que ya tienes tu billete, lo que tienes que hacer es esperar al trolebus que tengas que coger, y cuando llega, te metes por donde puedes, y vas a unas maquinitas y lo ticas... tu mismo. Eso lo han heredado de los comunistas, aqui todos confian mucho unos en otros. Bueno... no tanto, de vez en cuando se suben controladores a ver que todo el mundo tenga billete en regla, y ticado. Cuando hacen esto, cierran las puertas del bicho. Asi que tened cuidado, que sino os pasará como a mi. Que me cerraron las puertas en mi parada, y yo iba de puerta a puerta buscando una abierta queriendo bajarme, y no podia, ya que estaban pasando en control. Supongo que pensarian que me queria escapar... asi que una especie de lituana se plantó delante de mi con cara de malas pulgas, a gritarme en lituano. Algo se encendio en mi cerebro al fin, asi que le enseñe el billete, a continuacion me pidio el "estudentas no se que...", que era la tarjeta de estudiante, que tambien le enseñe. Y santas pascuas, a volar libre como un pajaro hacia mi cutrisima facultad... de eso hablare otro dia.

Bueno... cosas curiosas de estos trolebuses es que realmente nadie vigila si la gente los paga o no. El otro dia, se subio un hombre que al hacerlo, pidio el billete a los que se bajaban... de forma que viajo con el billete de otro, y cuando se bajo, le dio el billete a otro que subia... de forma que con un solo billete viajaron tres personas. Se lo comente a una lituana muy maja llamada Egle, y me estuvo comentando que ese era el espiritu comunista. Ayudarse unos a otros. Claro... que con ese tipo de ayuda... ayuda al "escaqueo", no me extraña que acabara el tema sovietico como acabo. Y curioso, ella me daba la razon, que asi no iban a ninguna parte.

No hay semáforos.

Y continuando con el tema de circulacion vial. En Kaunas apenas hay semaforos. Hay, eso si, unas rotondas del tamaño de la Luna... y bastantes pasos de cebra. Pero apenas hay semaforos. Y para compensar la escasez de semaforos lo que si que ocurre es que los conductores paran, siempre, en los pasos de cebra. Incluso cuando van lanzados... mas de uno seguro que se ha sentido frustrado conmigo cuando me ha parado y yo he tardado mas de la cuenta en darme cuenta, (cuantas cuentas llevo:S), ¡de que pensaban parar! Ya se lo he explicado a los lituanos. "Cuando vayais a España, no cruceis si vienen coches, que en España de hacer algo lo que hacen es acelerar".

Y eso... mañana me mudo al dormitorio estudiantil, con un compañero de habitacion valenciano, y otros 30 estudiantes erasmus mas o menos. A ver que tal.

¡Pasadlo bien!

Más fotitos.

2006-09-30T16:17:00.000+02:00

Paisajito del rio de Kaunas... el rio esta hecho una porqueria... pero claro... no se ve en la foto, si es que soy un artista.

Hablando de arte, has visto mamá lo bien que como? si es que me estoy convirtiendo en un Arguiñano, el arroz a la cubana mi especialidad:D

A esto pensaba titularlo "espaghettis sicodelicos" o "la rebelion de la pasta", que os parece?

He aquí el grupito de adolescentes de la iglesia. Le estan felicitando el cumple a una tal Viola.

Ayuntamiento de Kaunas, es bonito, eh? No como la catedral, que sinceramente es horrible.

Vista bonita desde el puente. Hoy se estaban casando unos en esa iglesia, se ve que los sábados son días de boda, porque he visto tres en la parte vieja hoy.

Hablando de puentes, en ese encontramos un vestigio de tiempos pasados...

Este es el castillo de Kaunas... que de castillo yo creo que no tiene nada, pero bueno... asi le llaman.

Mola la matricula, eh?;)

Fotos de Kaunas.

2006-09-27T12:32:00.000+02:00

Vista semiaerea de Kaunas.

Calle principal de Kaunas... con todos los bancos, y las tiendas y restaurantes pijos... Precio medio de una comida aquí unos 4€

Esto es durante un "curto"... A pesar del cacho edificio que tienen no son más de 50 o 6o miembros, jovenes incluidos. Más de la mitad de las canciones son iguales que las españolas, pero en lituano. Es lo que tiene que todos traduzcamos del inglés:P

Y esta es la iglesia protestante... el edificio es parecido al de Vitoria, varios pisos, sala pa los jóvenes con ping pong, villar, cocina, etc... oficinas, lugar de reunión, escuela dominical con escaparate... tiene mejores instalaciones que cualquie iglesia que halla visto en España.

La sinagoga judía, a ver si me paso un día.

Antigua iglesia ortodoxa, ahora es iglesia católica del ejército lituano.

Algunos jóvenes de la iglesia... el chabal se llama Dovydas(David), la de azúl ni idea, la rubia Rasa(Rocío), la pelirroja Aurelija(Aurelia) y la que sonríe tanto ni idea.

2006-09-21T10:17:00.000+03:00

veamos si se ve el foton este...

Londres

2006-09-20T17:22:00.000+03:00

Bueno, comencemos por el principio. En el principio, Esteban viajo a Londres, y paso alli un par de días con algunos amigos. En casa de unos ingleses muy tipicos, con tipica casa inglesa, tipicos niños ingleses, etc... todo muy ingles. Bueno, yendo un poco al grano, tratare de explicar brevemente cual es la impresion que dejo Londres en mi vida... que poetico queda. En fin, lo que puedo decir de Londres es que es carisimo, y que esta todo cerrado a todas horas. Sobre todo los sabados. Y bueno... es curioso caminar por la zona financiera a eso de las 6 o asi, cuando todos los "yupies" han salido del curro, y se juntan masivamente en los pubs pa tomarse la tipica cerveza inglesa. Es llamativo ver los bares esos hasta los topes de pingüinos... Y bueno, que mas... los coches llaman la atencion, la peña tiene unos cochazos que lo flipas. Una limusina hummer vimos, por cierto, ayer vi otra aqui en Kaunas. Y bueno... molo estar en la iglesia de John Wesley... no se... casi tocar un trocito de historia del cristianismo, pues esta bien. Por cierto, estuvimos un ratillo en el culto metodista, y bueno... es supertradicional, pero el reverendo, que era un tio joven toco una cancion, el solito al piano, que yo, personalmente me cague por la pata abajo de lo chula que estaba. Y bueno... eso... realmente tampoco habia nada resaltable. No vimos muchisimas cosas... asi que eso. Me quede con las ganas de ir a Baker Street, eso si... espero que la proxima vez que vaya pueda darme una vuelta por alli.

Ah, bueno, si, resaltable lo de que conduzcan por la derecha, no por el hecho en si, si no a la hora de cruzar la calle. Miras siempre al lado de donde no vienen los coches, y al principio es algo confuso. Y lo malo es que al final te acostumbras, y cuando llegas a un pais normal, de nuevo tienes que cambiar la forma de mirar para cruzar la calle... en fin... creo que poco mas puedo decir de londres. Me gustaria poner alguna foto, pero el picasa este no se muy bien como funciona, y lleva media hora buscando el blog o algo asi, ya le preguntare a Xabi.

Kaunas.

Vale, a lo que os interesa. Kaunas. Bueno... este sitio, despues de mi tercer dia aqui, yo lo describiria como cutre. El primer dia era supercutre, hoy es solo cutre. Y bueno... cosas curiosas... lo de los trolebuses, que son autobuses del año de la pera, pero con cables... como el tren, pero en autobus. Y son viejisimos, pero eso si, llevan TV. Y es curioso, porque uno entra y pica su propio billete... aqui por lo visto se confia mucho en la gente. Pero de vez en cuando viene un controlador, y si te pilla sin billete te cobra 6€, una fortuna aqui. Y bueno, la vida es barata... Los lituanos son rubios, y las lituanas son horteras. Y bueno... es que es solo mi tercer dia aqui:s poco mas puedo decir. Ya os ire contando y a ver si logro solucionar el tema este de las fotos... aunque de momento no he hecho ninguna de lituania:S

Viso gero!!!

Embrace

2006-04-19T13:18:00.000+02:00

Si os gusta Coldplay...

Nature's law

I tried to fight the feeling, the feeling took me down,
I struggle and I lost the day you knocked me out,
Now everything’s got meaning and meanings bring me down,
I’m watching as the screening of my life plays out.

Every day I fight these feelings,
For your sake I will hide the real thing,
You can run all your life; for mine, I will chase...

You should never fight your feelings,
When your very bones believe them,
You should never fight your feelings,
But you have to follow nature’s law.

I’ll live with never knowing, if knowing’s gonna change,
I’ll stop the feeling growing, I will stay away,
Like a broken record stuck before a song,
A million beginnings, none of them the one.

Every day I fight these feelings,
For your sake I will hide the real thing,
You can run all your life; for mine, I will chase...

You should never fight your feelings,
When your very bones believe them,
You should never fight your feelings,
But you have to follow nature’s law.

I wrote her letters and tried to send them,
In a bottle I placed my hope,
And it’s the last will of good intentions,
Seek your will, you’ll give it to me,
Don’t make me wait,
You build me up, now take down,
But I will stand my ground,
And I’m inspired when I’m found.

You should never fight your feelings,
When your very bones believe them,
If you let them show you’ll keep them,
I know you’re hurt but soon you’ll rise again,
again, again, again, again, again, again, again..

You should never fight your feelings,
When your very bones believe them,
You should never fight your feelings,
I have to follow nature’s law.

Lo que merece la pena.

2006-03-27T23:43:00.000+02:00

El otro dia estuve hablando con alguien, que no recuerdo quien era. Puede que fuera la Polaca, ¿quien sabe? Luego lei el blog de, creo que Kenny, aunque me suena haber leido mas de esto en algun otro sitio, no se. Y al final, plantenadome que podia escribir en el blog, se acabo de formular la pregunta en mi mente: ¿qué merece la pena?

Y es que siento la presion que tiene el que mi anterior post halla recibido 32 comentarios, algunos hechos por mi, cierto, pero muchos otros de la gente que se supone me lee, digo se supone, porque ciertos comentarios me hacen dudar de ello. La cosa, es que uno cuando se pone delante del panel este que esta en blanco, se pregunta, que gaitas puedo escribir que le merezca la pena a alguien pararse, y perder su precioso tiempo leyendolo. De hecho, que puedo contarle a alguien, sobre lo que he vivido, o lo que pienso, que merezca la pena. Algo que le resulte interesante, que le guste, y ademas, ojala, le sirva de algo.

Y es que hablando con esa persona recuerdo que le pedi, "cuentame algo", y ella me respondia, que qué releches queria que me contara, si en su vida, ni las vidas que le rodean pasaba nada. Que qué me podia contar que resultara importante para mi, interesante. Y despues de que me dijera ello, yo muy machote, y muy buena persona cogi y le solte "para mi es importante todo lo que lo sea para ti". Toma ya, lo que no comprendo es como no se me arrodillo alli mismo, y me pidio matrimonio:P Ah, claro, que se supone que eso es lo que debemos de hacer nosotros los hombres... se me paso. Bueno... la cosa es que a primera vista eso es mas o menos una mariconada, asi de claro. Y yo se la solte, igual por eso sigo soltero, medio riendome. Pero lo curioso es que analizandolo friamente... creo que dije la verdad.

Suele decirse que "la belleza esta en los ojos del que mira", pues quizas sea tambien verdad, que las cosas interesantes estan en los oidos del que escucha. Y eso me lleva a pensar que normalmente no suele ser lo más importante qué te estan contando, sino quién lo está haciendo.

Ahora idme comentando todas las excepciones que existen sobre esa "regla":P

Un ramo de flores.

2006-02-26T17:58:00.000+02:00

La vergënza es algo curioso. Ultimamente ando pensando bastante en ella, porque observo que a muchas personas les dan vergüenza a veces cosas simplemente ridiculas. Con lo de ridiculas, me refiero a que los motivos de su vergüenza son tan infatiles, tan irracionales, que yo les llamo estupidas o ridiculas. Por otro lado siempre ha habido motivos de vergüenza que he comprendido, entiendo que a una persona con dos dedos de frente le de vergüenza su cobardia, su deslealtad hacia un amigo, o quizas un pasado poco pudoroso. Incluso puedo comprender ciertos complejos que en este siglo son tan tipicoscomo los complejos fisicos, etc...

Lo que no acabo de comprender es la vergüenza que cada dia mas, se impone a los sentimientos, a los buenos sentimientos, es obligado aclarar. Supongo que muchos habreis visto el ultimo anuncio con el cual coca-cola nos viene haciendo reir en los ultimos meses, (seguro que es de factura argentina). Pues me llamo especialmente la escena esa en la cual el tipo dice algo asi como "en honor a todos los que aun van por la calle con flores". Y sale un tipo, presumiblemente enamorado, llevando un ramo de flores rojas, y levantando los brazos ante los aplausos del publico por su osadia. Al ver la escena algo hizo "clic" en mi cerebro, y por fin logre enfocar algo que llevo tiempo observando, y porque no decirlo, sufriendo. Y es que curiosamente el ser humano se avergüenza de sus sentimientos, de sus buenos sentimientos. El "kid" de la cuestion esta en que el tipo con el ramo de flores es un valiente, por el hecho de llevar un ramo de flores. Es decir, por el hecho de ir por la calle con un cartelito diciendo algo asi como, "me mola una tia, y le voy a regalar flores" o algo mas parco: "estoy enamorado". Y lo que no comprendo, es porque ese hecho es causa de vergüenza.

No comprendo porque hay personas a las cuales su generosidad les produce apuro, su amor hacia una chica o chico, o su servicio desinteresado a sus amigos, o mil cosas mas... Cuanto menos lo comprendo cuando todos esos sentimientos, no tienen nada de malo, o impuro. No hay rastro de maldad en ellos. Mas bien son sentimientos que en otras epocas eran casi venerados, y hoy en dia, en muchos casos son objeto de escarnio. Claro, supongo que por culpa de esa burla se han acabado convirtiendo en algo vergonzoso. Y por contra, cosas que antes eran escandalosas, como fornicar con todo lo que se te pusiera por delante, hoy en dia son razon para que todos nos congratulemos con el, o la, salido. Al igual que burlarse del chico mas pequeño y debil de la clase, o el famoso "mobbing" laboral ese...

Supongo que es un signo de los tiempos, yo que se, pero no deja de darme cierta pena. Que cosas hermosas se acaben convirtiendo en razon de risa... vergüenza inmerecida. No se... ojala hubiera muchos mas valientes con ramos de flores por la calle.

Consumir preferentemente antes de...

2006-01-29T23:10:00.000+02:00

Llevo un par de dias dandole vueltas al tema de la caducidad, y si no escribo pronto esto, creo que caducara, perdera la frescura, y de hecho, no me acordare de lo que queria decir exactamente.

Precisamente, lo cierto es que no tengo muy claro que es lo que quiero decir. Solo se que estos dos o tres ultimos dias he estado pensando en que practicamente todo en este mundo tiene una fecha de caducidad. Supongo que es normal, algunas cosas caducan porque nos da la gana, como las modas, sean del tipo que sean. Otras caducan por seguridad, comfort o precio, como el famoso Ford T. Hay cosas que se resisten a caducar a pesar de que claman al cielo por su ataque al genero humano, que no al sentido comun, como la esclavitud. Todas estas cosas van poco a poco caducando en el mundo. El tiempo pasa, y ellas pasan con el, y algunas son olvidadas, otras guardadas en el baul de los recuerdos. Pero realmente... no son cosas que pensandolo friamente, pueda decir que me dan pena que hallan desaparecido.

Algunas son de agradecer que lo hallan hecho, otras simplemente me dan igual, viviria igual de bien si estuvieran de moda los tupes de los años... (ni idea, no se de que años eran tipicos los tupes tipo Elvis, lo siento), pero viviria igual de bien con ellos, que con las greñas que llevo ahora mismo.

Y en toda esta voragine de cambios, porque eso significa el tiempo, cambio. Me he dado cuenta de que hay ciertas cosas a las cuales no se como ponerles caducidad. No se como poner caducidad a mis sentimientos, y me pesa saber que algunos de ellos caducaran, normalmente lo haran antes los sentimientos buenos. Me pesa saber que conozco a personas cuya amistad me caducara tarde o temprano. Me da pena saber que habra sueños y metas, que caducaran. Pero me preguntaba como soy capaz de decir, "hasta aqui". La fecha de caducidad de esto se ha vencido, he de tirarlo.

En primer lugar eso es chungo de decidir si realmente no quieres tirarlo. Pero claro... si uno tiene un coche que no funiona por mucha pena que le de... o es aun mas peculiar que yo, o se acabara deshaciendo de el. El problema mayor surge cuando no sabes realmente si eso que tienes entre las manos ha caducado o no. Si lo miras y te dices a ti mismo, con total sinceridad, que no tienes ni idea de si ese coche tiene aun para medio millon de kilometros mas, o si te dejara tirado en la proxima esquina. Y bueno... con un coche igual no hay tanto problema, pero cuando uno lo que hace es examinar una amistad, un sentimiento, sueño, o cualquier cosa un poco mas profunda que se os ocurra... pues... el problema se convierte en morrocotudo. Si alguien conoce alguna clave para leer la fecha de algo a lo cual se le ha borrado dicha fecha que me lo diga, por favor. (No me digais que lo huela, ni que trate de ver si ha cobrado vida propia, ya lo he intentado, y no funciona).

Bueno, me dio por seguir pensando, y la verdad... que se caduquen las cosas, por gracia o desgracia es algo inevitable, que hay que aceptar. Pero... lo que me dio mas quebradero de cabeza fue pensar que las personas tambien pueden caducar. Y teniendo en cuenta que yo soy persona,(neeeng!!!), pues... Me encuentro ante la horrible noticia de que yo podria caducar cualquier dia de estos. Y no se... yo cuando pienso en algo caducado me acuerdo del chorizo soldado a algo parecido al queso que tenian ciertos amigos en su frigorifico,(una semana mas y aquel engendro si que habria cobrado vida propia, os lo garantizo). La cosa es que aquel bicho era bastante patetico, y desagradable. Y... cualquiera de nosotros, comenzando por mi, podria convertirse en eso:s Al final me entro la preocupacion porque me di cuenta de que hay pocas cosas mas tristes y pateticas que convertirse en un ser humano caducado. Y por desgracia no he sido capaz de ponerme a mi mismo fecha de caducidad, asi que es probable que el dia que pase ni siquiera me de cuenta.

Pasadlo bien.

"Me da igual."

2006-01-21T00:10:00.000+02:00

El otro dia me hice consciente, quizas por primera vez, de al menos una de las razones por las cuales suelo caer no muy bien a las personas. Y es que este finde pasado cuando una persona me dijo, muy amable y simpaticamente "cada vez me caes mejor", estuve a punto de soltarle lo que me paso por la cabeza durante el siguiente nanosegundo. "Me da igual". Y es que... me daba absolutamente igual lo que pensara de mi esa simpatica persona. Asi de sencillo, normalmente me importa muy poco lo que piensa de mi la gente. Me he dado cuenta, sin embargo, de que las personas a las que aprecio, las que conozco, pues si, me importa, a veces en extremo, lo que piensan de mi y de mis actos.

Pero las personas que no me conocen... o que lo hacen desde aproximadamente unas pocas horas. Pues la verdad, es que todos mis actos los realizo basicamente como si no existieran, porque me da igual lo que puedan pensar de mi... no me conocen, asi que... ¿qué mas me da? Y claro, creo que ese pasotismo, que suelo mostrar muy expresivamente, ese... "no me importas nada". Hace que las personas piensen de mi que soy un borde asqueroso que jamas apreciara a nadie. Pero, craso error, al final... si, soy odioso y todo eso, pero si que llego a apreciar a las personas que se han preocupado por atravesar esa barrera mia de indiferencia, o les ha dado igual dicha barrera, y se han preocupado en conocerme.

Viendolo desde otro punto de vista, supongo que lo que pasa es que soy un elitista de mierda, gloriosa union de palabras que escuche por primera vez de una persona casi tan borde como yo, ya hace algunos años. Y si, probablemente sea algo elitista con la eleccion de mis amigos, y es que creo que es de obligado cumplimiento ser asi. Es como si vas cogiendo manzanas... procuras coger las que no tienen gusanos. Y a pesar de todo a veces se te cuela alguna.

Lo malo es que hay personas que, me temo, identifican mi menosprecio como un rechazo. Y no es asi... simplemente estoy eligiendo. Joe, si al final ademas de elitista voy a ser un prepotente... me estoy comenzando a dar asco a mi mismo, asi que no sigo, que si no a saber que mas cosas malignas encontrare en mi:S Pasadlo bien.

Ande yo caliente...

2006-01-17T23:58:00.000+02:00

...y riase la gente. Asi reza el gran dicho que se invento el sabio don Calderón. Y la verdad, siempre lo he tenido como una de las máximas, o lemas, de este país llamado España. Quiero decir, que siempre me ha parecido que el caracter de los españoles, de su zoociedad, era el que ese verso describe. Es decir... mientras que yo viva bien, me importa un bledo lo que diga la gente, lo que pase en el mundo, el que importa soy yo, solamente yo. Me doy cuenta segun escribo de que iba a decir que ese verso es falso, y ahora me doy cuenta de que puede que no sea tan falso. Es como si estuviera dandole vueltas al tornillo... y de tanta vuelta que le he dado me lo encuentro en la misma posición inicial, pero mucho mas incrustado... a ver como soluciono esto:S

Bueno, la cosa es que siempre he pensado que ese era el caracter de la mayoria de los españoles. Maricon el ultimo y salvese quien pueda. En serio... de hecho, creo que yo mismo he tenido, y tengo la mayor parte de las veces, esa mentalidad. Hacer lo que sea necesario para vivir bien yo, sin importarme demasiado como vivan los demas. Supongo que ese es un deseo muy humano, ¿no? No solo algo español. No lo se.
Lo que ha estado ocurriendo estos ultimos meses es que fijandome en el comportamiento de varios de mis compañeros de clase, y otras personas, me estoy dando cuenta de que la segunda parte del dicho es falsa. A la gente, en general, ni de coña le da lo mismo lo que diga la gente de ellos. Mas bien muchos de ellos parece ke viven sus vidas en funcion de lo que diga la gente. Por lo tanto el dicho es mas o menos, que si, que lo primero yo, pero tambien lo primero que es lo que piense la gente de mi. De manera que intentemos vivir lo mejor posible, pero en funcion de que la gente piense bien de nosotros. Por lo tanto, ande yo caliente... pero que la gente no se ria por favor. Y de hecho... en algunos casos, comienzo a ver que hay personas que sacrifican su comodidad por lo que piense la gente.

Y francamente... esto a primera vista puede parecer hasta correcto. Poner primero la opinion de los demas antes de uno mismo. Pero esa actitud, a fin de cuentas, la encuentro tan erronea como la anterior. Y es que uno no puede vivir su vida como los demas quieren que la viva. Es una gilipollez... mi vida es mia, para que yo la viva como me de la gana, los demas ya tienen su propia vida para vivirla como ellos quieran... pues que lo hagan, ¿no?

Pero bueno... si al fin, continuamos dandole vueltas a la tuerca, llegamos a la conclusion de que el señor Navio, si que tenia razon. Y es que lo primero, siempre soy yo. Si es mas comodo para mi, vivir en funcion de lo que piensa la gente, nadar a favor de la corriente, porque eso significa menos esfuerzo, lo hare. Pero lo principal siempre soy yo. Y para bien o para mal, ademas, a mi normalmente me suele importar poco lo que piense la gente, me da igual si rien o lloran.