1st Round

Hi!

4 months in the Netherlands...and is time to go home "home sweet (hot) home", this is the end of the first stage of my eramus experience. In resume I can say that is GREAT, I meet a lot of people, I discover new reallities, and also I learn a lot of things...in the university but a lot more outside travelling and meeting new people from different countrys! What is sad about that is that a lot of people are leaving "soon", we'll miss them, but the memory of them will always be there, and they left a footprint in different ways...maybe I'm too melancholic...

I'm going to spend this days in Barcelona studying but also I want to spend time visiting the city...because I realized that I don't know my own city...so tourism in Barcelona!

Living abroad "alone" has good things...but also some bad things....but luckily the GOOD things are more! I'll must spend more time here, but I know when I'll finish my degree I'll go away to work and travell, there is a big world to discover!

To be continued.....after chrsitmas (exams)

Digital Love

I just want to insert this videoclip... Térence show us the movie "The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem" (Daft Punk) is really nice. If you have the chance try to watch on Youtube or download it from Internet.

Where are you from?

Maybe this is one of the questions I’ve asked more times since I’m here in Eindhoven doing an Erasmus, but also the most people had asked me. The answer is that I’m from Barcelona, from Catalunya and from Spain (I don’t have any independent feeling), but also I must say that I’m from Zimbabwe the country where my father comes from, I’ve never been there but is part of me, and one day I hope I would go there to know where part of my family comes from.

Everybody knows about Barcelona...but most of the people don’t know anything about Zimbabwe…and is not difficult to be aware about it because more or less every week there are news from there in the principal media like BBC or CNN, most of this news are bad & sad…we should pay more attention about what is happening in the world.

So this post is to report to who read it about the "reality" & situation of this country:

- Zimbabwe used to be one of the richest countries in Africa, now is the country of the poor millionaires (hyperinflation 355,000%) 1 bottle beer = cost $100 billion Zimbabwean dollars.
- 60,000 cholera cases currently
- 565 adults and children becoming infected every day with AIDS/HIV
- The lowest life expectancy in the World (34 years for women, 37 years for man)

But luckyly there are plenty of good things....is a beatifull country (Victoria fall's, Ruins ) with and interesting story and a lot of traditions. I hope things will get better....but for the moment it seems difficult, with the current "president" (dictator).

Presentation

Today I participate in my first presentation...oh my god I never recibe that much amount of bad comments about a group work...teachers take out shot guns and started to shoot to our group...it was horrible, it was a massacre. I think they didn't like nothing about our work....I hope not to fail this lecture.... But thinks like this....are experiences that help you to improve they way you work....

But I recognize it was not a very good presentation...and the content was not presented really clear, so just we slip....just the people on the video.

Eindhoven

A picture is worth more than a thousand words...so a video even more!

No More Drunk Emailing on Friday Nights

Tonight I find this interesting news "Gmail Goggles: No More Drunk Emailing on Friday Nights". Who had never send and SMS or have make a call to that girl you are in "love"...when you are drunk. Normally when someone is drunk is when starts thinking too much and feeling brave...and all the inspiration comes...and you need too share your feelings with that special person…but of course is not the best moment! You are not able to speak properly and you are fighting to don’t fall…so how are you going to be able to make a romantic phrase with any sense with you mobile phone or computer?? Sometimes I've sent messages I shouldn't sent…but I am sure that we are many people who did something like that ever.

So GOOGLE has an interesting feature to prevent you from sending mails that may you may regret later. It does so by asking you to confirm whether you really want to send that email.
So if you’re writing a mail late on a Friday night, when you may not be as sober as you would like yourself to be, you can get GMail to ask you a few math problems before the message leave your Gmail outbox.

And what better way to check than by making you solve a few simple math problems after you click send to verify you're in the right state of mind?

Paris je t'aime

Paris amazing city, I enjoy a lot the trip to Paris. Walking arround the city, visiting museums like the Louvre and Orsay, eating creps, was fantastic. By now Paris is the best city I visited in Europe....each city is different and is faire to compare but Paris although is expensive and french people are a little bit "cocky" (of course not all of them) I like it a lot.

I laugh a lot with Johana, Alex, Suelyn and Luis we spend a nice weekend.

pd: Joana I was checking on internet...and is true!!!! the Eiffel Tower grows during the summer...."Ohhh the Eiffel tower is not like a cake!?" LOL "During summer, on a hot day the iron expands so much that the Tower can rise by 17cm."

Paris, France - November 2008 from theartiiist on Vimeo.

BEST party

BEST party, it was not the best party here in Eindhoven , but the "party take place in the BEST (Board of European Students of Technology ) place, it was great....3€ with 5 drinks (beer or sangria). Nice music, nice people, and the pleace was great.

The problem was going back home, not because I was tu drunk...a little bit, but the problem was the snow! last night it started to snow....but in a crazy way. I was with my bike....and I arrived home completly white! it was amazing! Tonight I dreamed that with some erasmus people we ehre doing a snow man....xD

This morning I get up, and all my garden was white....nice view....I decided to take my bike and see Eindhoven after a snowy storm, really beautiful, maybe the "city hall" must think on putting some snow canons to keep the city like this! Is extrange but rideing arround with this cold...take away my hangover...

Den Haag

Welcome International Students in den Haag! it was a sunny day, we went with Jesica, Juan Pedro and Wai to den Haag to the "Day of the international exchange student". I expected more of the event...but it was nice, we had the opportunity to visit the city, listen to the dutch education minister and also to laugh a lot with a great english comedian that made a monologue of "The Dutch culture", really funny. In the event I meet Elisenda a girl who was doing a dutch course with me in Barcelona, it was nice to see her, and meet someone known.

The activities were a little bit borring, but lucky I had with me my craziyMalasian friend Wai, that always does something funny is crazy guy..always thinking on girls! xD I love his dancing style, that guy knows how to move!

Another extrange thing was...it soppose to be a welcome event to international students to the Netherlands...why the food of the event was "extrange food that come from....Mars", I've never eaten before such extrange lassagnes and stew...why they don't serve typical dutch food...I know is not the most "tasty" food you can eat, but I don't know gastronmy is also culture! (in that issue the Dutch are ignorants...)

Reflection

Now is time to make decisions, one exam….more than 200 slides to study, more than 4000 words to remember in 2 days? That’s possible? Of course is it….but I’m not going to do it…and even try it. I’m lazy? Maybe, but that’s and Erasmus I don’t want to feel stressed…and if things will go in the same way …in two months I’ll have and anxiety attack…I come here to study of course, but also to have fun and chill out.

So is the moment to take a decision, something must change, work load VS free time…must be equal, is a simple equation.

Maybe I write this words because I’ve got a strong hangover…and I just want to sleep, but sometimes after been “drunk”...is when your ideas become clear, and things are more simple….so Hakuna Matata, life is short enjoy the moment! And erasmus is only done once in a lifetime, so no worries!

Halloween Party

Last friday was Halloween...but in Catalunya we celebrate "La Castanyada" people eats chestnut, sweet potato, eats some kind of small cakes "panallets" and drinks Moscatell (liquor).
Here it was different...we celebrate Halloween, it was really great! party in Sandra's and Jullie's house, lots of people and lots of fun. Evertybody dress up...me too I'll put some photos. The best Jesus, it was a kind of "girl" that looks like "Scarleth Johansson" in Lost in Translation with a pink wig....the bitch version xD. Goroño another crazy "catalan" boy...was dress up like a Scotish guy, with the typical skirt (kilt)...he finish the party being like Britney Spears, this guy is a show....sawing him wearing the skirt and rideing the bike to the Bunker....is something that I'm sorry but I can't forget.

Party in the Bunker....with the visit of the Firefighters, is amazing here someone or a group of people smokes in some place...and the alarms rings...and the Firefighters go....that's efficiency and professionalism. The party in the bunker was nice..the problem was the smell...horrible...I can't understand WHYYYYYYY they put fitted carpet in the floor in discos....is really extrange....I think the solution is noseplug to avoid the food smell.

To sump up: my first halloween party, it was really great...but next time is necesary to go to houses to ask fort sweets xD.

Kind reagards,

Dutch Design Week

Last weekend was very nice, on friday birthday party of Baran, it was very nices and interesting, one of the best parties I've been here in Eindhove, nice music, nice food, and nice people, all the ingredients to spend a good time. And on Saturday I've got really early to make some work, and I went with "Naxo" to Phillips Stadium to buy some tickets to see PSV vs Liverpool, the problem is that I¡ve forgotten that the match day I'm going to Florence...aixxxx Later trip to Herleem, a small town in the south of the Netherlands...there we went to the Mcdonalds....I think each city I visit...Mcdonalds I visit, the most funny think is that I discover a new way of eating Sundy Icecream...is with french fries, recipe by Marina. Later we went to see and architecture exposition in the musuem, it was really interesting, I wasn't expecting too much....because I'm not an "arquitect expert", but it was really nice. Later we went to visit de "city", it was quite empty, but it was nice to see another place. Finally we went back to our lovely Eindhoven, I went to eat in Bruno's and Ibai's, there Terrance coock a really nice dish with nice wine, finally we went to the old Phillips Complex where I meet one spanish girl Lola...life coincidences that was working there... Finally on sunday, I recive the visit of Pol, a guy who is working in Amsterdamm, and we went to visit some expostion of the "Dutch Design Week", it was nice. To sump up a nice cultural weekend!

Oktoberfest Munchen 2008

Oktoberfest:

The most important beer party...in the world! We went 3 days it was a nice time! my first time in Germany. We rent a car and we went to Munich.....we spend 3 days sleeping in a car!

I would upload more photos....with more content!

I've been trap by love

Song of the week: Manu Chaos is great! (I didn't like it much, but now I love it) . My favourite song:

I've been trap by love

When you come I feelin better
Sky is blue you say forever
OOH OOH..I’ve been trapped by love...
Then you go so change the weather
Sky is grey bit more than ever...
OOH OOH...
I’ve been trapped by love...
I’ve been trapped by love...
I’ve been trapped by love...
I’ve been trapped by love...!


So my beer now taste so bitter
But I can’t find anything sweeter...
OOH OOH...
I’ve been trapped by love...
Then you come and I feel better
See my eyes they’re full of water
Then again you go
so change the weather...
Askin for the next together...
I’ve been trapped by love...
I’ve been trapped by love...
I’ve been trapped by love...
I’ve been trapped by love...!


When you come I feelin' better
Sky is blue you say forever
Then you come and I feel better
See my eyes they’re full of water
Then again you go
so change the weather...
Askin for the next together...
Askin for the next together...
I’ve been trapped by love...
I’ve been trapped by love...
I’ve been trapped by love...
I’ve been trapped by love...!
I’ve been trapped by LOVE

Arnau's party! (1st)

Photos of the arnau's house first party...this man knows how to make good partys!
Too much party here in Eindhoven...small city but always something to do....Just 1 month and a half, but I feel If I've been here 1 year, I don't know if that's a good or a bad feeling...because I'm going to stay here for 10 months so.....

pd: This weekend Oktoverfest in Munich! I'll put some photos when I come back.

Zimbabwe

Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny,

And in this judgement there is no partiality.

So arm in arms, with arms, we'll fight this little struggle,

'Cause that's the only way we can overcome our little trouble.

Film: "Elite Squad"

Sunday night...tiring weekend...the best think to do is watch a good movie, so I decided to watch "Elite Squad" that has won the Golden Bear, of the Berlin Film Festival 2008. Participated in the screenplay the screenwriter of the movie "City of God".

Interesting movie. Violent tale of corrupt drug-squad officers in Brazil, tryes to give a different point of view of the complex problem of the "fabelas" in Brazil.

pd: Do not let tricked by the tryler

Second Life

Working on a project via Second Life with student from the University of Honkong we must build a website and write the content.....so also Erasmus in Second Life...the world where all is possible.

Party at Home

Siempre había querido hacer una fiesta en el jardín de mi casa….y por fin este jueves lo puede hacer. Aprovechando el buen di a que hizo el jueves y que el pasado martes fue mi cumple, pues party en el jardín.

Me fui jueves por la mañana con mi compañero de piso al Liquor Store, a comprar algo de beber, porque aquí el alcohol de alta graduación solo se encuentra en tiendas especializadas, por suerte al lado de casa hay una, así que ningún problema. Finalmente visita a Xerox, una especie de "todo a 100" a la holandesa, ahí compré antorchas y combustible para darle un toque de glamour al jardín. Solo faltaron los Ferrero Rocher para rematar la cosa...bueno para la próxima.

La cosa estuvo muy bien mucha bebida, mucha comida, “soft drugs” y mucha gente. Tenía miedo por los vecinos…pero total es una residencia de estudiantes…o se montan fiestas o mal iremos.

Habrá que repetir, pero de momento el tiempo no acompaña (frío y lluvia).

Para acabar la noche fuimos para el Stratum (calle de pubs) y fuimos a al Club Rembradnt, un sitio que ya colgaré fotos, pq el sitio muy chulo…pero la sala olía a pies…no se podía soportar…, porque era insoportable, sino la próxima iré a lo Michael Jackson con careta para respirar. Por cierto anécdota, en este local conocí a una chica muy simpática de Turquía y fuimos hablar fuera, de repente apareció un camión de bomberos se plantó delante de la discoteca y los bomberos entrarón dentro…se ve que alguien estaba fumando y salto la alarma…si en Barcelona en cada local que no se puede fumar pusieran alarmas…los bomberos se pasarían las noches en los bares y discotecas apagando cigarros.

Pd: grande la fiesta en casa de Sandra, una casa 5 estrellas, es el Hotel Palace de las residencias de estudiantes de Eindhoven.