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MAGÍ - 30ANYS

My brother made 30!!! hAPPY BIRTHDAY BRO!

BRUNO - 24 HOURS

I hope Bruno had the best time ever while transiting London. 24 hours is not much and I have been working and all but we managed to do a London Night Tour including some bars in Soho!

LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS

Yesterday was the Last Night of the PROMS. This event is quite espectacular and I love it.

The Proms, (The BBC Proms), is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts held in the Royal Albert Hall in London. Founded in 1895, each season currently consists of over 70 concerts, and additional Proms in the Park events across the UK on the last night.

Proms is short for promenade concert. The Proms were originally created to reach an audience not used to go to concerts and listen to music, that´s why audiences were allowed to stand, promenade and stroll and even eat and drink. Promming now refers to the use of the standing areas inside the hall (the arena and gallery) for which ticket prices are much lower than for the reserved seating. (and you can still eat and drink!)

The Last Night concert is very different from the others. The concert is traditionally in a lighter party mood, with flags and balloons and crackers allowed. It consists of popular classics followed by a series of British patriotic pieces. This sequence begins with "Land of Hope and Glory", Edward Elgar´s March, followed by Thomas Arne´s "Rule, Britannia!" and concludes with Hubert Parry´s "Jerusalem" and the British National Anthem "God save our gracious Queen" .

The guest conductor this year on the Last Night was David Robertson, from Boston, and he gave a very good little speech toward the end, talking how terrible humans are to other humans because of their differences. In an orchestra, every musician, every instrument and the way it plays and makes the sound are all different and yet, we need them all to complete the orchestra, we can´t spare not one single one of them.

Bravo!

watch the finale at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/events/Proms/b00mvfl6/

watch from 1.10.00 ...

BCN: LA DIADA, BEARS SITGES AND THE NEW TERMINAL

Quick trip again to BCN for my days OFF!

Flew for the first time to the brand new terminal 1 at BCN airport. It´s huge and beautiful. I was there when we actually opened the old terminal back in 1991 and we thought back then how beautilful it was and how big, we wondered if we were ever going to fill up all those gates?

Well, the answer is yes, so much so that the new terminal has now been built. So same feelings are back and I hope in a few years time it becomes busy and crowded. Economy growth. The world is smaller and smaller. A long trip to Singapur or Hong Kong was a once in a lifetime thing... now it is closer than you think.

This time I went straight down to Sant Salvador as my family were awaiting for a big reunion and to celebrate La Diada or the national day of Catalunya.

And on the same day a big bear party in Sitges, I went with Sergi and found Jonathan, met Kath & Gina, and saw Jesus as well. A good night out!

The crew at Queenz bar... I know some of them ;o)

Now, two hours and back to work! -and it´s sunday!! :o(

11 de setembre, Diada Nacional de Catalunya

GROW UP

So yes, I´m 38, but still growing up. Part of being a manager is becoming a credible and respected person. At a meeting today infront of 14 other managers I work with I had to expose a problem and a possible solution and get them to agree to that.

Not a single sentence I could finish without some of them having a laugh, taking the issue lightly, and interrumping with their absurd comments. This has deflated me now.

I need to learn to say what I think and their behaviour was unacceptable. I expect respect and to be listened to when I talk serious work matters.

Now, I should not blog about this, I should have spoken up about it there and then.

Lesson learned?

Watch the space...

in the meantime....

some eyes to cheer me up!

LATE FOR WORK!

Today I was late for work. Two cars parked on my street were blocking it as there was no room left for anyone to drive through... have you heard that one before?

Why would someone do that?

It´s a thirty pound fine for causing an obstruction unnecessarily plus 150 extra to pay for recovery because after calling the police, the only solution was to tow one of the cars away.

Back in the office they obviously didn´t believe me!

see below Vicky (my little blue Fiesta) blocked by the Mitsubishi Warrior and the Fiat Punto.

BCN: LAURA & IRINA

The trip was too quick. I must now return to Barcelona pronto next weekend because my friend Carla became mother for the second time. Daugther Laura is doing fine and I owe a visit!

On the other hand, my sister-in-law is doing fine and Irina is all fine and well, Can´t wait to be a real uncle in February!!!

BCN: JUAN, MATHIEU and THE PUERTO RICAN!

After some rather disappointing news at work I decided to jump on a plane to Barcelona.

Well, not really disappointing, just frustrated to the fact that I did not get a promotion, but the question is, did I really want it after all? no.

I feel in need of change, but, define change... not sure what change I really need or I am looking for. Best is to stay put and try and grab opportunities, when they happen. This one was not meant to be. We shall celebrate!

On my flight down to Barcelona I met Juan, a flight attendant, who was a successful lawyer but one day he decided he wanted change, the opportunity came, and next minute he left his career to become cabin crew, and he doesn´t regret it at all. His work flexibility allows him to every now and then still help out at the Courts. He is now no longer under the huge pressure he had before and is enjoying life better. He was brave!

I think change is always good, if it´s a success then you celebrate the change, if it is failure you can still make out a positive: you have learnt what it is you definetely don´t want.

Let´s change!

On one of the nights out I met french supermarket manager Mathieu. Lovely guy. (Agh! Is he the one?) He is not a hunk but he has definetely nice eyes, beautiful face, a true gentleman! I am not looking for a perfect body after all, just a nice persona! Unfortunately I had to decline an invite for a second night out as I had dinner already arranged with the boys and it was my last night. We went for an evening diner menu at restaurant Unico. Not nice. Food was not all that good at all! It gave me indigestion. The food. And Mathieu, who happened to be dinning at the same place with some other bloke! Not sure who the other guy was but he definetely avoided any conversation to take place and simply said hi... hm...

So that was embarrassing really... especially when my friends asked -oh! Is he not the one you met yesterday? meaning -you´ve been dumped - again!

What cheered me up though was the loveliest dark skinned hyper white teethed tall and fit puerto rican that I met whilst waiting for my return flight to board. This lovely creature sat next to me -with his girlfriend- I tried to be cool and avoid any type of eye contact, I did not want to give him the pleasure to think that I fancied the thing in the slightest! Minding my own business I see they both leave when my flight is called (yes! they´re on my flight!!) ... but no, they don´t join the queue at the gate (damn!) Nevermind. Two minutes later he comes back. Alone. Smiles and asks are you not going on that flight? I said yes I am but I´ll wait till there´s no queue... I tried to look like, you know, done this so many times! - it worked! he was really interested and kept asking questions about me and we had a nice chat. He was coming to London but unfortunately on a different flight, they were confused with all these codeshare business... I quickly enquired and he said yes, he was travelling with his girlfriend (¿?) I left it at that and said my goodbye. How rude of me I never asked his name, shook his hand... (where was the girlfriend gone???) but hey, I am a true expert on M.O.´s. And guess what, he is up in London and I am sitting home writing this... talk about wasting time!

LET´S CHANGE!!!