TIME TO REFRESH YOUR SOUL

Perhaps the title of my post can be a bit exaggerated but why not refresh your soul with a fun hobby?
It´s no doubt that there are many ways of entertainment to forget how much trouble we have to face every day.

Personally, I don´t think for refreshing your soul, you have to go to a retreat or do yoga or tai-chi.

It´s as easy as doing a little vegetable garden, among other things, of course.

Fortunately, I have a friends who have a plot in Chiclana de la Frontera (not far from Cádiz). It´s there where we have a little vegetable garden where we enjoy planting different products and, primarily, relax and forget all the problems that affect us everday.

We have planted potatoes, green peppers, spring onions and lettuces.

However, we had to build a fence to protect plants from animals such as dogs, hens and even some rabbits.

We also look after some fruit trees.

Finally, in order to get a fertile soil, we put some dung of horse.

We hope to obtain a good harvest soon!

Note: In order to ilustrate what I´ve said, I´ve put some pictures that you can see below.

ROAST SUCKLING PIG

This morning, both my wife and I, have cooked a suckling pig for the family Christmas lunch.

Here you have the recipe and some pictures to ilustrate the process for cooking a suckling pig.

Recipe for “roast suckling pig”

Ingredients:

• One suckling pig (between 4 and 5 kilos)
• Thyme, oregano, some piece of garlics and salt.
• Lard of pig (about 250 grams)
• A glass of water
• Potatoes (optional)

Process:

• Preheat the oven for 1 hour at 150º.
• Mix the thyme, oregano, salt, garlic and lard. Spread this mixture to the pork.
• Cover with a piece of special paper or aluminium foil, ears and tail of the pork to avoid burning them.
• Put water, potatoes and pork in a baking tray.

Here you have the first pictures I made.

 

• Put the tray into the oven for 1 hour into the oven.
• From time to time, pour the sauce that you get, on the pork.

This is the look, after half an hour.

• After 1 hour rise the temperature to 190º or 200º to get the skin crisp. (keep this way for 15 or 20 minutes)

This should be the look, finally.

 

Tips:

• Keep an eye on the temperature! Not all ovens heat the same way.
• Add water if necessary.
• Make small cuts in the skin of the pork before cooking, to prevent air pockets.

That´s all.

Enjoy your meal!

THE SLEEPING VOICE (LA VOZ DORMIDA)

Following the advice from my friend Carolina, yesterday evening, I went to the cinema to see the movie The sleeping voice (La voz dormida) by Benito Zambrano (about a Dulce Chacón´s book).

To begin with I have to tell you that, in my opinion, it´s a wonderful movie.

The movie shows the horrors that some people and families suffered after Spanish Civil War.

I remember the real stories my father and, above all, my grandmother told me about that war and were very similar to the movie story.

The story is very shocking at times, specially for people who lived through similar situations in the past. I saw and heard people crying during the movie. It was very touching!

The main characters are Inma Cuesta (Hortensia) and María León (Pepita). On my view both do an excellent work.

The plot.

Hortensia is in prison in Madrid, after the War, because she is communist. She is pregnant too.

Her husband and some friends were persecuted, because of the same reason, so, they flee to the mountains.

Her sister Pepita moves from Córdoba to Madrid in order to be near her.

Although she doesn´t know nothing about politics, she will have to cooperate with the opposition in order to help her sister Hortensia.

Personal opinion.

As I told you before, the movie is wonderful.

There was a long time I didn´t see a movie so shocking and touching like this.

Therefore if I were you, I shouldn´t miss it.

If you can afford it, don´t hesitate!

That´s all.

THE SKIN I LIVE IN (BY PEDDRO ALMODOVAR)

A few days ago I went to see the movie The skin I live in (La piel que habito) by Pedro Almodovar.

Antonio Banderas is the main character, and on my view, he does a good work.

However, in my opinion, the movie has a strange and sophisticated plot.

I don´t really Know what Pedro Almodovar wants to say with this film.

I will try to explain the plot.

Antonio Banderas plays a role of a doctor who is obsessed with the change in the human body mainly in the skin, but he uses forbidden techniques.

He´s also had a big trauma because he lost his wife in a car accident a few years ago.

Some years after, his daughter suffers a rape and as result of that, she commits suicide.

The doctor knows the person who did that then he kidnaps him and, like a punishment, he starts to change his body with a lot of operations until he got transform him into a woman similar to his wife.

As you can see and as I told you before, the plot is something sophisticated.

Nevertheless, I can say that, minute by minute the plot attracts the people attention, but

I don´t think this movie is one of the most important films of Pedro Almodóvar.

Therefore, in regard to whether or not I would recommend this movie, I have to say that I don´t have any strong opinion about that.

I think that the Pedro Almodóvar´s fans should see it in order to compare this movie with other movies of this director, but if you don´t like dramas, you shouldn´t  see it.

That´s all.

Note: Sorry a lot for my mistakes. But I have to remind you that I am only an English student. Thank you very much.

A LETTER FOR YOU

A few days ago I received this letter from a friend. I think this letter could be for you too.

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore". No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say"I love you."

So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage.....And old cars... And children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special.. And so, we keep them close!

I received this from someone who thought I was a 'keeper'! Then I sent it to the people I think of in the same way... Now it's your turn to send this to all those people who are "keepers" in your life, including the person who sent it, if you feel that way. Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?

I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said.

Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do. And just in case I'm gone tomorrow...

Live today because tomorrow is not promised.

THINGS TO DO IN PARIS

Diary of my trip to Paris

Introductory remarks:
A few days ago I was in Paris with my wife and friends.
In order to practice English, I am going to write a diary about the trip and personal experiencies I had during the days I was there.
Generally speaking, we had a good days there, but, sometimes, we had some setbacks that I will explain in due course.
I´ll also add some photos in order to ilustrate my remarks.
Finally, I ´ll publish this diary in five instalments and I hope you enjoy them or. at least, may serve you to practice basic English reading

First day: Monday 18th April, 2011

That day we got up at six o´clock, had breakfast and set off early by car bound for Seville where we would take the plane to Beauvais, a town 70 kilometers from Paris.
The flight was wonderful because the weather was excellent, no clouds, and, as we were sitting by the window, we enjoyed wonderful views during the flight.
I remember a young man sitting next to me, drawing a cartoon where you could see a boy in front of the Eiffel Tower.
We arrived to the airport at one o´clock. We went to the bus station, that was not far from the airport, and we set off to Paris.
One there, we took an undergound and we arrived to the hotel.
The hotel was not very good, However it was very good located. Two minutes walking from bus and underground stations,supermarkets, restaurants and pubs.
That evening we had planned to visit the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur (The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris) and Montmartre district, and we did.
The Sacre Coeur is a big basilica located in an uptown area. From there you can see the whole city. It is amazing!
Here you have some photos about the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur. In my opinion it is worth visiting.

After that we went to Montmartre, a quarter next to the Basilica, and well-known in Paris. In this area lived a lot of famous painters in the past. Nowadays people go there to visit a square where painters paint outdoor pictures and portraits of tourists.
There you will find a lot of shops and restaurants where you can enjoy traditional cuisine. Be careful with alcohol! It is very expensive! (in some places, one beer = 10 €)
If you are going to visit Paris you shouldn´t miss this place. I´m sure you will not be disappointed.

Finally, before reaching the hotel, we passed by the Moulin Rouge. The Moulin Rouge is a famous nightclub. The place was very nice with the lighting on
Here you have one photo.

Well, that´s all.
The next instalment in a few days.

PRESENT PERFECT AND SIMPLE PAST