Through the wonders of the internet, by the time this gets posted I will be in Ireland. I don’t know when, if ever, I will be back in Spain – though it may be as soon as next year.

Sevilla, in southern Spain, has been my home for the past three months. I can still remember when those three months seemed like the longest time, and I would never be heading home. Now I will be making my way to Barcelona in two days, and then heading to Dublin the following day for a week in Dublin and Belfast before winging it back to New Zealand.

I have mixed feelings about Spain.

It’s very noisy. Right now I am sitting at the kitchen table, it’s a Sunday afternoon. It should be peaceful. Instead I can hear my neighbour’s T.V turned up loud (and that’s a blessing, since the other noise we hear from that house is the couple arguing), someone down the road is blasting their car horn, the other neighbour’s kids are screaming wildly, there’s a marching band somewhere nearby and I can hear the “boom-boom-boom” of the drums. Finally, there is a garage door opposite our place that makes a god-awful screeching every time it opens and closes – which appears to be every five minutes.

None of this makes for a peaceful Sunday. Whether it’s a bad thing, I’m not sure. These are just the noises of people going about their daily lives. It just happens that when you’re all wedged on top of each other in tiny street – everyone experiences everyone else’s day to day business.

I suppose I’d be remiss to not mention bullfighting. Except that I don’t really have much insight there. The city’s bullfight ring is right across the river from our apartment. I arrived during “fight season” and on a few nights I heard what seemed to me to be the sounds of a football match; the screaming, delirious crowd roaring for the triumph of their team. It wasn’t until I jumped onto google maps that I realised there wasn’t a football stadium around. No, it was the sound of fight night at the bullring across the river.

I made a conscious decision before I left New Zealand that if anyone invited me to a bull-fight, I would go. If someone said to me, “Look, I know it’s weird and different, but you’re here to see our country so give it a chance,” I would have gone. But no one has. No one has even remotely mentioned the idea. The only bull fight conversation I’ve had was with a colleague, who also lives near the ring, about how he had a similar experience the first time he heard the sounds of the “fight”. (I “air-quote” fight because I can’t see how egging an animal on until it is driven to attack, and then slaughtering it, could be counted as a fight. But that’s just pedantics.)

So that’s really all I have to say about the bulls. I don’t feel fit to judge something I haven’t seen and don’t understand.

In the interest of keeping these posts short and readable, I’m finding I have to cut my thoughts (rambles) short. I’ve got plenty more musings on Spain, but for now I’ll leave it at that.

And Greetings from Ireland; right now I’m probably freezing my hiney off!

The city of Madrid broke its historic record of flow of tourists during the past month of October. The visitors were more than seven hundred thousand and the overnight stays were about one million and four thousand. This has been a breath of fresh air for the touristic sector which, due to the crisis, is not living a great moment. The mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, is optimistic and states that this confirms that the trend is changing and it is consolidating.

This increase is far over other Spanish cities, such Barcelona and Seville. The only one that exceeded Madrid is Palma de Mallorca.

Specifically, the increase is due to the tourist proceeding from abroad. According to the mayor, this means that the crisis is now less severe in other countries and this makes the Spanish capital appear as an attractive destination. In fact, it is possible to find nice and cheap accommodation in Madrid city near the historical centre, and the prices of holiday apartments are often lower than in other European capitals.

Situated in the southern Gilbert is the beautiful community of Seville. Phoenix being very close to the area, you can enjoy both the life of a city and also a suburb. The Seville real estate in Gilbert AZ is very affordable and there is a range of properties available in the area. Visit the nearby Riparian Reserve or the Water Ranch and enjoy your time, the San Tan Village Regional Shopping Center is also located close to the area. With lots of parks and recreational centers, you will surely enjoy life in Seville, Gilbert.

If you are considering an investment in Seville homes for sale, then there are a number of options open for you. You can make an investment in the new properties available in the area. Also there are four-bedroom homes and homes with private pools good for family living. With some excellent golf courses in the area, the golf homes will surely attract your attention. Homes with scenic view make a great choice and the luxury homes will definitely attract you. Have a look at the listings and make a choice in the Seville real estate.

Here we go, sources to artists and designers can be found on my page of links

This is just a bunch of stuff not by me – just for you to mindlessly browse through and get inspired.

In an effort to reach out to our larger community and make a difference, our friends at Gay Visalia presents their first annual Holiday Toy Drive. This year they are supporting Child Welfare Services (CWS) and their “Brighten a Child’s Winter Sky” program. There are many, many children who are in the system that deserve to have a happy holiday season. Please help them in putting smiles on those innocent little faces. Please open your hearts to those children who might not otherwise have a reason to be joyous.

You may visit the CWS website (click link here) to learn more about their program and also to get gift ideas. You can select an age group and even buy for individual children if you wish. Otherwise, we really need toys for ages 5+, boys and girls. Let’s not forget about those teens either! Gift cards are accepted and would make an easy purchase for you. Also, if you don’t have time to go out and buy something Brooke will accept cash donations and do the shopping herself.

You may drop off your UNWRAPPED toys at Lawrence Tractor Co. in Visalia or at Brooke’s house (address upon request) Also, if you are a business owner or individual who would like to provide a drop off location please contact Brooke so she can let people know (thank you!). If you work or go to school you can always have co-workers and friends get involved too.

GayVisalia would love to collect 200 toys, please help them reach that goal! The toy drive will last through December 10th. GayVisalia will be dropping off their collection on CWS’s deadline of December 11th. Those wonderful social workers will then have the pain staking task of wrapping them all but then the emotional satisfaction of delivering them and seeing happy little faces.

Thank you all in advance for your participation! Thank you for making a difference in our society. This will be the first of many outreach activities GayVisalia will be hosting. Change is on the horizon and it’s up to us to make that change. A better world is everyone’s responsibility. We can do a lot of good while trying to sway mindsets. After all, the quickest way to an adversaries mind is through his heart. Let’s love them to death!

~Peace be with you all~ Brooke  GayVisalia.com

There is quite a difference between Seville the capital of Andalucia, and Granada. The sight of Santa Justa train station itself with its many platforms, shops and extra long elevated elevators illustrates a more developed side of Andalucia as compared to the isolated Granada station.

Day 3: Seville – Cathedral & La Giralda, Alcazar, Barrio de Santa Cruz, Rio Guadalquivir, Flamenco

Seville’s most famous landmark, the Cathedral and La Giralda stand tall in the centre of the city. The Cathedral of Seville was built over the main Almohad mosque in the 9th century and is the largest cathedral in the world. What still remains of the mosque is the minaret known today as the Giralda, a tower as high as 96m with a belltop. The bell tower can be reached by climbing up 35 ramps. Ramps instead of steps were built so that the muezzin responsible for calling the prayer in the olden days could ride all the way up on a horse. For me, the highlight of the Cathedral is the view from the top of the minaret – a climb that is worth making.

Seville Cathedral and La Giralda

Gothic architecture of the Cathedral                statues on the arch of the Cathedral

soaring columns in the interor of the Cathedral

    1 of 35 ramps to climb up the minaret           arriving at the 2nd last ramp to the top

view midway of the climb, of the Cathedral pinnacles and Orange Tree Courtyard

the Giralda belltower of 25 bells

splendid view of Barrio de Santa Cruz and the rest of Seville from the belltower

Just a few steps away from the Giralda across Plaza del Triunfo, is the Alcazar. The Alcazar in Seville can be considered as a smaller scale of Granada’s Alhambra (would probably have been a better idea for us to visit the Alcazar before the Alhambra). Originally built as a fort, this fortress palace exhibits one of the finest Moorish architecture in the region.

exterior facade of Palacio de Don Pedro

Islamic carvings above glazed tiles

in awe of the multi-colured arches, high walls, and dizzying effect of the dome ceiling at Salon de Embajadores (Hall of Ambassadors or Throne Room)

Patio de las Munecas (Patio of the Dolls) – the palace’s private quarters

Patio de las Doncellas (Patio of the Maidens) – the heart of the palace surrounded by lobe shaped arches

left: Mercury’s Pond (dedicated to the god Mercury) used originally to irrigate the gardens                right: Grotto Gallery, a vantage point overlookng the palace’s gardens

Outside the Alcazar, one can choose to take a horse and carriage ride for sightseeing around the city of Seville.

line-up of horses and carriages at Plaza Triunfo

tourists riding on a horse carriage for a Seville experience

After a late tapas lunch, we head towards Barrio de Santa Cruz situated north east of the Alcazar. This old Jewish quarter is made up of narrow lanes twisting and turning around squares decorated with orange trees. We make our way to Plaza de Dona Elvira, the barrio’s prettiest square with benches covered in colourful tiles under the shade of orange trees. From this square, explore the street Gloria and the lanes perpendicular to this street. Take a stroll through Calle Pimienta (Pepper Street) said to be named after a Jewish spice merchant discovered a pepper tree on this street. Calle Pimienta joins Callejon de Agua, a tree-shaded street that runs along the walls of the gardens of Alcazar. We walk along Callejon de Agua in the north east direction, and eventually come to Plaza de Santa Cruz, another famous square where a wrought-iron cross stands in the middle of the square. It is this central cross that the barrio is named after.

Plaza de Dona Elvira

narrow Calle Pimienta                                                     shady Callejon de Agua

the cross at Plaza de Santa Cruz

As dark falls, we decide to head towards Rio Guadalquivir for a view of the other side of the river bank where the Triana neighbourhood resides. We pass Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold), a 13th century watch tower and walk across the bridge Puente de San Telmo. From here we have view of the brightly lit Puente de Isabel II, also known as the Triana Bridge.

passing by the main post office at Avenida de La Constitucion

lamppost by the river bank

moonlit Torre del Oro

Puente de Isabel II stretching across the river

We end the night by watching a flamenco performance held at Tablao El Arenal. Flamenco originated from the Gypsies and has grown to be an important part of Spanish culture. Traditionally the flamenco is performed by a singer, guitarist and a solo dancer, with the music accompanied by the clapping of the hands. The flamenco dance today has evolved with the influence of a mix of other dances which can often turn out to be quite a lively group performance. At Tablao El Arenal, the performance was made up of a series of solo dances with a group of guitarists and singers, followed by a group dance at the end. The show is targetted for tourists and is more of an entertaining performance rather than a traditional one.

flamenco finale performance at Tablao El Arenal

Seville attractions map

Je donne plus l’oreille que je ne prends la parole, j’ai l’humanisme économe.

À la croisée des chemins, on se trompe de route afin d’avoir un entretien avec le destin, même si je ne le comprends pas en suivant mon instinct.

Le silence fait partie de mon histoire sans fenêtre sur vous, ni porte de sortie pour vendre une morale donnant un sens à mes actes.

Allez savoir qui je suis derrière mon masque fait de chair et de sang, ce que je sais sur mes commanditaires comme mes victimes et où je vais d’un pas meurtrier tel le temps qui passe.

Ma mélancolie est assassine et mon tourment est une tombe d’où je ne m’extirperai qu’au dernier souffle.

Mais un doute subsiste lorsque l’on fixe machinalement les cibles mouvantes plutôt que cet horizon bancal plus résigné que fidèle.

Et le planisphère ? Il nous écrase de toute son autopsie, de toutes ses rides guerrières.

Je préfère le paysage aux voyages !

Une ville reste une ville, ces odeurs de peur quand les pas claquent sur le sol en se faisant de plus en plus pressants, le bruit des ruelles orphelines de la lumière du jour, son visage raisonnable pour le tourisme plastique, son charme pour les cartes postales, sans oublier son calme invisible et anonyme.

Ce qui me plaît le plus ce sont les fenêtres, on devine ce qu’elles cachent négligemment, on se protège dans leurs angles morts, pour ne pas être de vu, pour rester méconnu.

J’ai cet instinct de conservation presque animal qui me préserve de ce mauvais goût bien humain pour l’héroïsme de manuel scolaire.

Alors mon nom n’est qu’une anecdote dans le monde des illustres qui cherchent des échos à leur nostalgie dans un regard, dans une guitare.

Une clef fatiguée, une porte à la fois étrangère et familière, un lit d’infortune pour une personne, un cendrier vide et un horizon imparfait me renvoyant à mes respirations inégales.

Peu importe l’endroit, c’est la même chose, sans les mêmes gens…

La limite entre habitude de l’usine humaine et paranoïa des oppressés de service ? Ceux qui en parlent en observant ceux qui sont censés le vivre, ils doivent avoir plus de réponses que de questions.

À force de me demander constamment ce que j’aime, je vais finir par savoir ce que vous pensez.

De retour à la case départ en avançant sur ma piste, le décor habite mes songes éveillés, quitte à y laisser leur mémoire.

J’entends des voix, mais je préfère les mots.

Je pourrais apprendre ta langue, mais tes hésitations en disent long !

Va savoir ce je fais du temps qu’il m’est est arbitrairement imparti puisque la petite mort ne m’attend plus ?

Si l’information c’est le contrôle, nous devons être bien suicidaires!

Le problème des messagers en transit qui rêvent d’être des passagers en stand by, c’est qu’ils oublient que les autres peuvent épouser la solitude.

Dans le doute, on confond mystère et zone d’ombre, mieux vaut ne pas comprendre que de ne pas savoir dans le vaste monde.

Me taire, apparemment, c’est ce que j’ai de mieux à dire.

…

Le temps est aux adieux, nullement aux présentations.

Les choses commencent et se terminent dans un aéroport, là où les hommes viennent de nulle part et vont forcément quelque part pour quelque chose ou quelqu’un !

J’atterris paisiblement, j’arrive tranquillement, je pars sur la pointe des pieds, mais ne peut me résoudre à rester ici. Le mouvement, c’est tout ce qu’il me reste.

Avoir plus de solitude que de questionnement, voilà bien la seule preuve que le silence existe.

Les images défilent à vive allure comme pour mieux satisfaire la boîte à souvenirs.

Je ne prends pas de plaisir particulier dans mon travail. Comme les autres, les plans se suivent mais ne se ressemblent pas, tout est une question d’imagination.

Les hallucinations modernes ne valent pas les pertes de conscience d’antan, quand tout n’était que supposition et illusion.

Je suis parti comme je suis venu, sans un bruit, sans un mot, il ne me reste qu’à choisir entre les limites du contrôle et le contrôle des limites.

I don’t generally love my works in progress. By the time I begin actually writing a new book, all the romance has gone out of the thing.

The romance is in the imagination, the creation, the invention, the pure theory of writing. The joy is in dreaming up all manners of delightful nonsense: building characters and plots and settings. And then discovering all the happy accidents where your characters and plots and settings just fall into place in more ways than you originally planned, all to make your story just that much more brilliant.

But then you have to actually write the thing, and that’s where all the fun just evaporates and the work begins.

However, this new one MERIDIAN is different. You know how I know? Because I’m writing descriptions, and liking it.

Anyone who has reviewed one of my drafts will tell you that I write the best dialog ever in the history of the written word, and that my action sequences are so well-paced and dynamic that readers often come away believing they have just watched a previously unknown Die Hard film.*

But my great weakness has always been in descriptions of people, places, and things. My worlds go by in a gray haze of vaguery and impressionism.

And now, for some reason, I am crafting my worlds. My opening chapters take place in Seville, 1522, and I have devoted more than two sentences to the city. Much more. And I’m loving it.

*Self-aggrandizing rubbish.

A pre-screening interview at Seville Film Fest 2009 with Colin Farrell who plays war photojournalist Mark Walsh in Danis Tanovic’s independent film, Triage (2009).

WATCH IT HERE

The Sebastian Gibson law firm provides International Business and Entertainment representation to businesses, entertainers, artists and celebrities from offices in Southern California. Learn more at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com

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Today, Seville is one of the world’s leading centers for business and entertainment. Sebastian Gibson has had a strong affiliation with Seville since the 1980’s when he practiced exclusively in London and represented international figures and multinational companies in their business enterprises worldwide. His representation has included celebrities, royal family members, multinational corporations, insurance companies and even foreign central banks in a wide variety of legal matters.

Working with local Spanish attorneys and lawyers, Sebastian Gibson can assist you with your legal issues and disputes and protect your legal rights in Seville and throughout Spain, Europe and the World.

Some of the areas of law the law firm specializes in include, celebrity, entertainment and sports figure representation, publishing law, invasion of privacy, defamation, misappropriation and misuse of images, music, film and television law, multimedia law, internet and advertising law, modeling law, talent agent and management representation law, intellectual property, trademarks, copyrights and patent law, licensing, gaming, media, marketing, business, real estate and personal injury.

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Today, Sebastian Gibson represents models, writers, artists, performers, publishing companies and advises a host of celebrities in the entertainment field. Sebastian Gibson has also represented international insurance companies based in London as well as Canadian insurers and as a personal injury attorney today he knows how insurance companies analyze cases for settlement as well as anyone.

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Sebastian Gibson received his B.A. from UCLA, and then obtained two law degrees, the first from Cardiff University in Wales, Great Britain and the second from the University of San Diego School of Law. He graduated cum laude from UCLA and magna cum laude from Cardiff University.

If you need legal international legal representation, call the law firm of R. Sebastian Gibson today, or e-mail him from his website at www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com

More to come….(the comp i am on is sloooooow)

-2797 Cadillac Seville STS Hudson c 1209×673 photo image of -2797 Cadillac Seville STS Hudson c 1209×673
to view full size click -2797 Cadillac Seville Sts Hudson C 1209X673 photo ( -2797 Cadillac Seville Sts Hudson C 1209X673 photo )

Source: Fest21

During the presentation of “Triage,” Paz Vega expressed how happy she was to be presenting her film at the Seville Festival. The film, written and directed by the Oscar wining Danis Tanovic, has allowed Paz Vega to participate for the first time in the Festival’s Official Section. Previous editions of the Festival had screened other films in which the actress starred, but out of competition.

As for her future plans, the Seville actress Paz Vega mentioned how much she would like to work in Spanish cinema although at the moment she hasn’t been offered any roles. Despite everything, she is open to future Spanish projects and hopes that the situation changes and “I can do something here, in my country and in my language,” she concluded.

“TRIAGE”

Set during the war in Kurdistan, “Triage” tells of the life and adventures of two young friends, experienced photographers, Mark (Colin Farrell) and David (Jamie Sives), who are immersed in the war in search of images of that heartrending conflict. David decides to give up and go back home to his pregnant wife, Diane (Kelly Reilly).

When Mark gets back home, blood stained and bruised, he is surprised although at first not worried to see that David hasn’t come home. Elena (Paz Vega), Mark’s wife, is worried about both of them. Mark is exhausted, disoriented, and unable to resume his old life in Dublin. Elena, seeing that her husband’s physical problems could be due to psychological causes, decides to ask for help from her grandfather, responsible for the “purification” of war criminals at the end of the Spanish Civil War.

Paola García Costas

a world in inverse
upon which one slouches towards
simmering sentiments

sees your false idols
dreams of dances
and flat full moons
out of 8th floor windows

instead, views abandoned houses-
looks a bit like that time
we went to Tangiers

took the slow ferry
back to Algeciras
they didn’t trust our passports

I left you in Seville
drew in the orange blossoms
walked on the beach
when I reached the other coast.

-K.N. 11/2/09

It’s already an inviting destination at this time of the year, but Seville also hosts its European Film Festival this month: SEVILLE AND ITS EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL

-See the complete Seville city guide.
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Press conference for TRIAGE at the 2009 Seville Film Festival, with Colin Farrell, Paz Vega and Christopher Lee.

WATCH IT HERE

Just in time for Seville Film Fest, we have a new Spanish poster of TRIAGE featuring Colin Farrell, Paz Vega and Christopher Lee.
Courtesy of ColinFarrellFansite.com

Has a nice ring to it, doncha think?

[updated: 10 November with pic & new ending]

Yeah, don’t ask. It was one of those spontaneous moments. I was showing the apartment next door (yes, another tenant has flown the coop) and mentioned that I was thinking of finally seeing Inglourious Basterds as it was going to be the last week for it, and the prospective tenant said it was the best film he’d seen all year. Five minutes later one of the present tenants, Nieves, showed up at my door saying she wanted to go to the cinema with me. And five minutes after that we headed out with Nog, not even remotely suspecting we were going to end up not seeing the film and wanting to open a B&B…

When we got to the cinema I found out I’d been looking at the wrong cinema website and Inglourious Basterds hadn’t been showing there for over two weeks, so we headed towards home past the Bellas Artes Museum and thought we would take in the Duquesa de Alba exhibit (her private collection is on loan until January). But when we saw the massive queue we decided to keep going. And about a block up the road I saw a For Rent sign on the balcony of a gorgeous old building  – and then saw “500 m²” written below the phone number! – at which point curiosity got the better of me and I called the number just to ask how much it would cost. When the man told me he was just five minutes away and could come and show me the house right away I found myself saying that would be great, and thus it happened that Nieves, Nog and I suddenly became prospective B & B investors.

It started off as a lark, but after being taken through the entire house (four floors and two fabulous rooftop terraces) the B & B idea started to take on a life of its own. And the owner was certainly convinced that we were serious clients. Afterwards we went out for a beer and did some rough calculations and, you know, it was almost doable if we could get the owner to lower the rent, well, quite a bit actually. But there was enough space for me & Nog to share a small apartment and then have about 5 or 6 rooms to rent. As well as still being able to teach some classes in the office on the main floor, and do work online on the computer in the reception area. It was like seeing a whole new life open up with the “working at home” thing having so many more possibilites.

And then suddenly our beer glasses were empty, and Nieves said she was going to try and catch the Barça game at Flaherty, and Nog and I walked home feeling like we’d just woken from a dream. It’s actually been awhile since I’ve had such a  pleasant dream. And who knows, perhaps one day it just might come true.

Update: Went by the house again on Sunday and saw that it had been rented. That was fast! Considering we’d just looked at it the previous Wednesday. So oh well. But this time it was daylight and I was able to get a nice photo of the place. Looks great, doesn’t it?

Hey all. This week has been all about Spanish for me. The language has had a major impact on my academic life during the past few days.

Earlier last week, I was officially accepted into my study abroad program in Seville, Spain. I am extremely excited about studying in Spain for a number of reasons:

1. I will hopefully be able to achieve a high level of proficiency in the Spanish language. Learning a second language is something that I have wanted to do for a long time.

2. The program is an Advanced Liberal Arts curriculum that will allow me to take classes right alongside Spanish-speaking students directly in the Spanish University System. Hopefully this will provide me with a solid social and cultural introduction to Spain.

3. I will be living with a host family which should only help me learn the language even quicker. Hopefully, I can form a solid relationship with this family that will add to my experience… and this should be a lot nicer than living in a dorm!

4. I will have an opportunity to travel around Europe… I have never been and traveling to new places is high on my list of favorite activities.

One thing that really drew me to Bates was the focus on study abroad. I’m not sure on the exact numbers but I think just about 2/3 of Batesies go abroad. Bates provides the opportunity and the means for students to pursue academic experiences off campus and I’m very excited to be able to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Now that I am accepted into my program, I’ve spent this past week running around and relentlessly filling out forms (student visas, contracts, etc.) so that when it is time to go to Spain, I’ll be ready and able. More info on my study abroad program once I have more details for you…

Coinciding with this past week of study abroad work and excitement has been a lot of work in my Spanish class. I had an analyzation essay about several poems due earlier in the week along with the usual Spanish workload. I always find Spanish essays tricky because I know in my head what to say and how to articulate it but putting the words down on paper (IN SPANISH) can be quite challenging.

As if this wasn’t enough Spanish language, Wednesday of last week I attended a documentary as part of the Latin American Film Series here at Bates, titled: “The Other Side of Immigration”. The film consisted of interviews of rural Mexican farmers and presented the U.S.-Mexican immigration issue from the perspective of these small-town people. The director of the film was on hand and held an informative question and answer session after the documentary was shown. Check out the website for the film.

Here is the trailer to the documentary. If you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend it:

Off to go do some Spanish studying. Until next time… Or, as they say in Spanish: Hasta luego…

Cordoue en famille

Voyages Scolaires Educatifs en Cordoue

Ville andalouse au bord du fleuve Guadalquivir.

En se promenant dans ses rues on respire le métissage de cultures qui caractérisa pendant si longtemps cette ville qui fut tour à tour juive, arabe et chrétienne.

Ce mélange peut être apprécié dans le quartier juif, dans la Mosquée-Cathédrale, sur le pont romain, dans le Palais Viana, dans l’Alcazar des Rois Chrétiens et dans tant d’autres endroits à découvrir.

www.galainternacional.com