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Meet the media - Michael Brook, editor of T3

paulstallard — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:47 +0000

Michael Brook, T3 After a short break, my meet the media series returns with a bang. This week my in

referee...way too dramatic

wsquar3d — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:15:16 +0000

Sorry i’ve been out of it this week. I’ve been trying to keep up with my studies so i’m a little backed up on here.
I just thought i’d kick things off with one of the funnier videos i’ve seen in a while. Refs always seem overly dramatic as it is, so this dude takes it to ridiculous measures so it’s like an outrageous performance. I’m pretty sure he’s acting, but it’s still…graceful…

It reminds me of South Park from last night. It was similar except dealing with professional wrastlers. Silly shit…

Peace, and unnecessarily dramatic love.

Best of the worst: some awful, must-do British experiences

sorrydadenglandisweird — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:22:18 +0000

Englishman Adam Richardson gives some insight on things to do whilst in the UK.

A note to all you culture-assimilating expats out there: admirable as your cause may be, it’s not all high tea, fish n chips and West End Musicals on this sceptred isle. I’m frankly getting a little worried for you lot, you see, that you’re getting this rose-tinted idea of the place and some day you’ll bore your grandkids with tales of a picture-postcard Britain, all scenery and politeness. That just wouldn’t be fair; there are plenty of banal, awful experiences that deserve some of your precious time over here. Yes, this country can be every bit as breathtakingly rubbish as it is awesome and it’s with this in mind that I compile the following list of truly awful things to do before you go home.

Wimpy

The former fast food giants now cling to a diminishing number of locations through the UK – as a rule, if you see one, you’re off the beaten track (or on a motorway; they’re service station specialists). I’m told Wimpy used to be the place to be, now pay a visit if you can find one and have yourself an eating experience of unparalleled shoddiness. To paint a picture: my last visit – somewhere along the M6 – was notable for a strong smell of ammonia in the restaurant (which I prayed was only urine), cold burgers, frankly odd-tasting milkshakes and a furious stomach condition the next day. Better still, it cost me the best part of a tenner for the privilege.

Grimsby

A stark contrast to the many idyllic seaside towns we have and an impressive affront to civic pride, Grimsby in Lincolnshire could be the capital of the Daily Mail’s “broken Britain”. Once known as “Europe’s Food Town”, the prodigious cod hauls the area once prospered on are long gone, along with more or less everything else. Boarded up shops, frightening locals, it’s all there to behold, just get out before sundown.

Car Boot Sales

Not necessarily a British phenomenon, but we do them pretty well; no childhood weekend was complete for me without being dragged out of bed at sunrise on a Sunday to inhale second-hand budget cigarette smoke in a big field somewhere, dodging dog shit and gazing bleary-eyed on tables and tables stacked with useless tat. There’s broken tat, stolen tat, tat that will never conceivably be sold but sits there hopefully and heartbreakingly anyway.

Cheap white cider

The easiest to achieve on this list, just go to any major budget-to-mid-range supermarket with two quid and expect a headache. Popularly dubbed “tramp fuel”, it’s also a hit with students mid-term (once the overdraft’s bottomed out), and comes under a variety of naff monikers like “white lightning”, “ice dragon”, “frosty jack”, you get the picture. In my uni days a three-litre bottle of this cost less than a pint down the pub and will get you out of your trolley in a decidedly awful way. In fact, there’s little to discern a cheap cider drunkenness from a cheap cider hangover, both of which feel somewhere between bipolar disorder and flu.

This post was written by guest writer Adam Richardson.

Eat More Carbs

DR — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:57:56 +0000

Wimpy responds on halaal certificate

halaaltalk — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:26:55 +0000

Following a statement issued by the Muslim Judicial Counsel’s (MJC) Halaal Trust last week tha

The Wimpy Burger.

the foodie — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:34:30 +0000

So part of my job means I have to visit wine farms every now and then, which involves trips to various lesser-known parts of the Cape winelands. And lesser-known means passing through small towns with little going on from a culinary perspective. And by ‘little’ I mean towns where the word ‘deli’ refers to the biltong place opposite the Total garage. Towns where Oom Tas wine does a roaring trade. Towns ruled by Wimpy…

Wimpy – yes, that quintessentially South African roadtrip pit stop. Home of The Wimpy Burger. I haven’t eaten one in years, though South Africans hoover up thousands of the things across the country each week. And not just distance-challenged people stuck a half-tank away from something better. People sit a their desk and suddenly decide “it’s Wimpy time.” So many people mow these things down, I realised I had to stop on one of my trips and eat one. Not that I’m against fast food – I just prefer a deliberately 35-day aged piece of meat to one that’s left out 35 days by accident.

So the Wimpy burger – better than I’d thought. In fact, when you’re on-the-go and looking for a fast food burger, I would recommend it. I ordered a Double Cheese Burger and it came tightly wrapped up in wax paper, with a good slab of melted cheddar-ish cheese and the classic pink-coloured tomato sauce that tastes like vinegar blended with tomato essence. But as roadie food goes, it hit the spot. In fact, it knocked the hunger and didn’t leave that sick ‘you’re an idiot for-just-eating-cardboard’ feeling in the stomach afterward, which automatically gives it a one-up on McDonald’s. It also seemed less carcinogenic than a Steers burger. It was almost disappointing that it didn’t taste worse. If they could only throw Heinz tomato sauce and some good mustard on this thing, it would be a cracking burger. Well, in terms of fast food burgers, that is.

Inspired by this, I’ve noticed several new fast food joints recently that I’ve decided to try out. I walked past one today called ‘Texies Seafoods’ with the tagline ‘Texellent Taste. Texellent Value.’ Seriously. There’s a whole new world out there…

www.wimpy.co.za

From here to Teddington...

royiii — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:06:57 +0000

Whilst not quite as far as eternity, travelling to the above destination is not nearly as easy a journey as you would think, especially from my part of the world. My trip down was improved by starting out from Norbiton, but it still meant negotiating the concrete merry-go-round that is the Kingston One way system. Once over Kingston Bridge the traffic cleared up considerably, and after turning into Hampton Wick High Street, I finally found myself Teddington bound.

Eternally Teddington?

As always I was a man on a mission, and this particular one was unfinished business, as it should have been done weeks ago before my trip to Copenhagen. After leaving my car in the very reasonably priced council car park, I made my way onto Teddington High Street. The thing that appeals to me most about Teddington is that it is strongly reminiscent of the New Malden of my childhood – the long parade of small local shops, the narrow but busy roads – all that is missing is a book store called Cannings and a branch of Tudor Williams! As with most small towns though, economic progress has not gone completely unchecked, as there were the usual smatterings of chain stores/coffee shops.

The site of the cheery yellow awning above the shop front meant that my quest was at an end – I was at the Wimpy! This place represented another blast from my past. Back in the halcyon days of my childhood, New Malden also boasted a Wimpy (back then of course, the cheery awning was red), which I kind of feel I grew up with. When I first started going as a small child, my head barely reached the top of the counter, but as I grew, the burgers I ordered got bigger, until I finally graduated from the legendry Wimpy Kingsize to the daddy of them all, the mighty Halfpounder. Naively, I assumed that the New Malden Wimpy would always be there for me, but a few years ago disaster struck – it closed down! For a while it was replaced by a poor imitation, which limped on until the site was finally taken over by a Korean owner, who turned it into a noodle bar.

As I entered the Teddington Wimpy for the obligatory Half Pounder, I did feel a bit of nostalgia. Reassuringly the look of the place was pretty much the same as the New Malden branch of old – the serving area and the table and chairs were styled in a very similar way. The menu boasted pretty much the same fare – the burger meals that I remembered were still there, including other old classics such as ‘The Brown Derby’ and the ‘Knickerbocker Glory’. These days it would take a brave man to go to the counter and order a ‘Bender’ (before you ask, this is a frankfurter based dish!). There were a few additions – Veggie, Quorn and some vaguely healthy sounding meals had been added, presumably as a sop to the PC brigade. The attractive Eastern European waitresses were a very welcome addition to the mix.

After my Wimpy visitation, I found some trainers I needed for squash in a sports store on the other side of the road, so it turned out to be a productive afternoon.

A Place to State Your Problems

lostinadream101 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:10:27 +0000

Okay guys, as it stands, I have gotten one comment, and SEVEN views. I am really disappointed.

Anyway, I always drag on about the fact that I don’t get that many comments. I know, to get comments I have to write a good blog, and so far, this just isn’t it.

So, a teacher that I know has decided that it will be totally cool to get his students to post their homework on a BLOG!!! I have never heard of that! And frankly their school’s internet-homework system, from what I hear, sucks. Now, he is being “nice” to his students. They have no text books. They only require bringing their binder, with paper, pencil, and a planner.

Okay, this is getting boring.

I tried out for volleyball today. They say I can get on the advanced team by just focusing, and being courteous to our teammates. I still know I am getting on the easy squad, I just know it. You all know by know that I am not coordinated, and I suck at all things physical. Even when I was in high school I took instrumental instead of gym, yeah, I was that wimpy. You see my problem!

Oh, and, aren’t you proud of me? I posted another blog, and this one is only one day after the last! Yay me!

Well thank you all for reading, I truly do love you. Greet the new day with open arms and an open heart.

WOODSTOCK 9

kezfaller — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 09:12:35 +0000

The reason we ended up wading through thick mud, ruining our shoes and spending a lot of time trying to find shelter from the rain, was a great one: WOODSTOCK 9. On arrival in Harrismith we were welcomed by the “half way to Durban” stop Wimpy, some Llamas as well as a torrential rainstorm.

Wisely, we had booked into a B&B in the middle of town, which had a Victorian bath, a comfy bed and an Ouma that found it priority to lock us out (twice) and wake us up early (twice). But it was dry, warm and not a tent, which we decided was a prerequisite for this weekend.

Our first words on arriving at the venue are best not repeated, but we were there for all the great bands, and we’d been through worse…I think.

By this time, the rain had slightly mellowed into a drizzle and most people started leaving their tents. The main stage was the only one that wasn’t covered, but this didn’t stop a small crowd that stood around to watch JOSIE FIELD’s set. I have always liked her music and she really played a great gig. A bigger stage suits her. She doesn’t look nearly as depressed as she does sitting on a chair at Tanz, and this made it all really enjoyable.

HARRIS TWEED played on one of the covered stages, which was a good thing because it was around then when the rain started belting down again. Only Cheri and Darryl played which I found odd, as the rest of the band would have brought up the tempo a bit to fit in with this type of event. There is never any doubt about Harris Tweed not being able to play a great set and that Cheri’s voice would be a highlight – this gig was no exception. They (apparently) had a few sound difficulties, and we weren’t sure why they would have expected such fancy equipment to work in a tent, on a field, in the rain, in the Free State, but this didn’t stop them from giving it their all and the crowd was loving it.

The only reason we endured the rain for one of TASHA BAXTER’s songs, was because a friend of mine was part of the band and we wanted to show him our support. What we heard consisted of the same old, average, radio friendly pop songs, which she sang to a handful of people holding umbrellas.

Around this part of the day, the only person who wasn’t distracted by the weather was a man dressed as Borat in ‘the’ green costume running around with “Re-Play” written across his butt. Great advertising strategy guys!

FEVERTREE got us out from under the Samsung promotions marquee, which we were hiding in because it was dry and there were chairs. After handing out a few broachers we made a quick run for it to the stage. Fevertree haven’t been much of a favourite of late, but with a few gigs under the new band member’s belts, they were really impressive. By their last song, “Friday I’m in Love”, they had attracted quite a huge crowd, which is great for a band that I see going places. Again.

Finally the rain had stopped, the sun was close to setting, there was a huge rainbow throughout the sky, and FARRYL PURKISS was on stage. Things couldn’t get much better. He hails from Durban and tours the world, so it was great to see him playing again. Not just a pretty face (sorry, but it is), he is also very talented. He’s South Africa’s answer to Jack Johnson and performs like any man with an acoustic guitar singing solo on stage should.

I don’t remember much about THE HELLPHONES set, but I do have photos to prove I was there. I don’t remember them being bad, and I think this was the band that had good stage presence. I also think this was the first time during the weekend that we bumped into fellow band supporter Juan, from the now no more Stay Astray. (I told you I’d get your name into the review). He’s a party animal…always great to be around.

Friday’s highlight was definitely EVOLVER. More and more people just kept coming to the main stage throughout the set and by the last song, they had attracted a huge crowd. These guys know how to party, how to drink Tequila and how to perform their hearts out – making them one of the most talked about acts of the festival. They will be playing throughout South Africa over the next few weeks, so make sure you get to see them while you have the chance. These guys are headed right down the road to Rock n Roll stardom.

We could hear PRIME CIRCLE playing in the background while we were trying out our cool new Wellingtons in the mud and puddles. A Prime Circle gig is a Prime Circle gig, and I doubt they brought anything new or interesting along to this set. As predicted, their remake of “As long as I’m here” got the crowd singing along – and a big crowd it was.

SATURDAY was great. The sun was shining and there was so much more on the go. There were people with a death wish doing some crazy things on motorbikes and generally everyone was a lot happier that they didn’t wake up in a leaking tent.

On a mission to find Fire Through The Window, we ended up watching the band GENTLY SCAR’D. We caught their last few songs and they weren’t bad. They weren’t particularly good either although they did attract a small crowd.

CHIX WITH STIX was another band that we listened to from the flea market area. We’ve seen them before, and these girls are amazing. The concept is as great as their talent and they are always cool to see. I wouldn’t watch them too often though as the novelty could wear off – but I would recommend them to anyone. It was all going well until someone (we didn’t bother to find out who) decided to sing. It was bad. It was like they were being punk’d or something. It ruined the atmosphere a bit, but at least it was just limited to one song giving the girls enough time to redeem themselves.

We finally found FIRE THROUGH THE WINDOW! There had been some Durban reviews about them on YBSA, so keen to see what they could do. I really loved them from the beginning of their set. They have two lead vocalists and both he and she have fantastic voices. All their songs were great and they really kept my attention throughout the whole set. This is what I love about what we do. There are so many great bands that are seldom given a chance and we do what we can to get their name out there. So, if you are in the Durban area, Fire Through the Window are a YBSA recommendation.

Next was the gig we had been most eager to see. Firstly, because we had just got a copy of their EP and could now sing along; secondly, that they are just brilliant; and thirdly, because we’d never seen them playing on a big stage and were putting them to the test…YBSA style. VOODOO CHILD really changed the whole vibe of the day. Their performance, image and skill are up there with any top band, and they seemed to attract the whole venue’s attention. Mel (the singer, not the spice girl), who features on their EP, joined Lebo on stage for the album’s first track “Megalomaniac”. Each band member has his own character, which mixed together, works wonders. This is one live act you cannot miss, and if you never thought keyboards were cool, you have to watch Alan – he will give you a new outlook because, damn, he makes them funky.

I love watching LONEHILL ESTATE. Not only do they play great music, but they are always very entertaining. Nathan Ro seems to take on a whole new character with every song and is a pro at getting the crowd involved. Their set makes you laugh, dance, jump around and wait to see what is next up their sleeve. Yip, another one we would highly recommend.

The only reason we made any effort to watch SWIVELFOOT was because Fuzigish named them the best up and coming punk band in SA. That, and Juan (the very same one I mentioned before) was handing out flyers, and he generally has good taste. (Again dude…you owe me). We also never pass up the opportunity to see people skank – gets me every time! As for the band: Wow…what a great performance. Kick yourself now if you missed it and keep an eye out for their gigs because they are going large. Quick.

What’s the drug that makes you feel invincible? There was some ‘brave’ guy on that drug who decided that climbing the lighting rig was a grand idea. With no paramedics in sight, some skankers decided to pull him down which he, in turn, read as encouragement to make it to the top. The band suggested shaking the tent but that didn’t take. Someone eventually convinced him otherwise, and he only ended up falling about seven feet before hitting the ground. He got up and carried on dancing like it hadn’t happened. Weird.

Back at the main stage, NEW ACADEMICS were just starting their set. Being a virtually unknown band, they were the real dark horse of the festival. By now, most people were relaxing/eating lunch/sitting under the trees and despite all the chatting, eating and drinking, most people’s attention was drawn back towards the stage. They were really very good, and from where we were sitting, seemed full of energy and had loads of character. They are the only new band who’s album I bought (for 60 bucks – sweet deal), so look out for a review on that. Until then I’m going to try see them as much as possible because I’m smelling a new Kickass Band around this corner.

Leading up to Woodstock there have been a few ‘Battle for Woodstock’ gigs/competitions on the run. I was really keen to see this year’s BATTLE WINNER, surely it was going to be someone good…but I was wrong. They were really one of the saddest winning anything, so sad in fact that I didn’t bother to find out their name. Saw some great bands at one of the ‘Battle’ gigs, so fear not, the future is still safe, bright and sunny.

MYEPIC had offered us a copy of their new EP, which is what brought Steve Stevens to Woodstock in the first place. We had seen them a few times before, but this gig was unbelievable. The power and the energy behind it were addictive and it all just seemed to end too soon. They have a fantastic new bassist who moves around more than any of the other band members. He’s the kind of guy that can go to a party on his own, not speak to anyone, and still have a really good time. Jeff and Grant give the band so much character, and for such a new band they really have a very distinct sound. See you at their next gig in the front row.

We have been intending to see NIEMAND for a while and they were pretty good. Very relaxed around all the madness going on everywhere else, but they still attracted a big crowd. The vocals were a bit soft initially, but the sound-man (who looked a bit like George Bush) was on the ball.

We stumbled across HIKATORI by mistake. And what a great mistake that was. I’d heard the name but had no idea that the band was going to be that good. They have a different set up to most bands from what I could see standing near the back, which was quite refreshing, and they have a very powerful stage act. See them.

We tore ourselves away as we were actually on our way to see KIDOFDOOM. For an instrumental band, they are surprisingly fantastic. I do enjoy singing along though, so a bit tough because humming doesn’t quite cut it and whistling is just creepy. Really amazed at what can be done without vocals, I see a great future for this band. Soothing yet styling. Ha ha. So cheesy!

JO DAY could be heard throughout the Free State. It was like a political rally with a few songs in between. Power to you girl! We’ll support your cause. We were also getting cold and kinda tired.

We hung around for WICKHEAD to see what they had brought back from the U.S. They decked out the stage and rocked more than anyone expected. It was awesome to see them again and they loved being back. We didn’t stay too long as nine hours of walking around (through thick mud in cool shoes) had caught up with us.

So many bands, so little time. I wish we could have seen them all, but Steve can only be in one…uhh…two places at a time.

Early Sunday morning, we joined pretty much the rest of the weary looking Woodstock crowd at the Shell garage for a quick breakfast, then made our way back to Joburg. This weekend was really a Steve Stevens highlight and we will definitely be back…just at a different B&B.

Day 140 - Quiet Times

ciaranmcg — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:29:58 +0000

Out for dinner and I dont look happy! (I was joking though )

I cant understand it but for some reason I wake up every morning absolutely wrecked. Im getting plenty of sleep but I wake up and I feel so tired. Anyway Jess let me sleep on and it was about 10:30am by the time I was up and ready to go.

We had to make a stop at the doctors surgery first near to where Les and Lesley first met (Les told me in the car, “over on that road is where I made my first dinner for Lesley!”) and me and Les waited outside whilst Jess and Lesley went in to get their antibiotics and stuff. Us two men had a really good chat about the state of South Africa and how NI and SA are extremely similar. Before we knew it they were back out again; hell they spent even longer at the Bank yesterday than at the doctors today.

Me and Jess got dropped off at the nearest mall whilst they went to visit friends, so we decided to go to the cinema to see the Proposal seeing as how neither Bruno nor HP6 were out. Heres a breakdown of the price:

2 x Cinema Tickets: 42R
Bottle of Water, Bag of Wine Gums, Box of Astros (Same size as bag of M&Ms): 42R

Its 12R to £1 so for two tickets it was about £3.65 and the same for two bags of sweets and a bottle of water! Some things are so incredibly cheap over here. The woman at the checkout was soo funny as well; when I asked her for two tickets for the proposal she was like “No sorry, im married already” and then said “the showing is free seating so you can sit anywhere you like except of the roof”. We were pissing ourselves! We went to jess’ favourite fast food chain in SA for lunch, called wimpys:

Wimpy!!

I wasnt too impressed with the food to be honest but there is this chocolate bar over here called a Milo bar that jess is obsessed with, so I got the Milo Milkshake and it was divine!:

Please excuse the iphone focusing :S

We then surprised one of Lesleys old friends by being at her house before she came back from work and I swear I have never seen someone scream so much in my life! It was so lovely to watch two people enjoy eachothers company after such a long time. The night was then finished off by us all going to a local restaurant called The Fig Tree; I had the steak, ribs and chips and I swear to God that not only was it the tastiest steak ive had in my life, but also the most gorgeous ribs ive ever tasted. Everyone definitely agreed about the ribs! And it was something like 60R which is like a fiver!!! Youd pay between £12 and £15 at home just for the steak!

Jess then went to visit an old friend and all her girlfriends for a couple of hours whilst I caught up with Ryan on msn and hear about how quiet the 12th was this year. Its funny how you do miss things about home (except for the 12th!).

Ok anyway, before I go I thought it might be interesting to point out things that stand out so far about SA:

# No white people are even remotely fat over here, although some of the black community are.
# Food, Petrol and basic living essentials are half the price; electronics and luxuries are almost double
# People are really crazy about security; making sure the doors are always locked, windows have bars across them etc but there hasnt really been a point where ive felt unsafe. Maybe thats why; who knows.
# The heating goes off in the whole country from 6am – 9am and 6pm -9pm every day so you cant have a hot shower or any hot water during those times.
# There was a power out for almost a full day; this also meant that all the traffic lights went off so cars just try and get through crossroads as best they can! Absolutely crazy!
# The people here are the nicest ive met in any country. I expected all of their family and friends to be nice but the staff in anywhere we go are always up for a bit of craic and are extremely polite, courteous and really appreciate good manners. And as Jess says, its mostly been the black people of SA who have been so nice.
# There is still a lot of racism and bigotry around here (however Les’ family and him are just as tolerant as back home but really seem to be the select few out of everyone. Im actually quite proud to be staying with a family like that.)
# Peoples cars are about 20 years in the past. Today we saw people driving 50 year old cars; the reason being that they are so expensive to buy and cant afford to upgrade.
# Everywhere is extremely dry and dusty. Really makes you miss the green fields back home.

Its definitely a very interesting country, one which I cant wait to see more of…

Full of South Western promise?

royiii — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:44:26 +0000

At last. The deed has been done. Yesterday I took the plunge and booked quite a bit of leave. It took even less effort and organisation than I thought it would, but now I am left with that perennial problem of what to do with the free time. So far no trips have been booked or travel plans made, and at the moment, all I have on the itinerary is as follows:

1) Pay a visit to the legendry shop/deli Scandinavian Kitchen, which is some where near Oxford Circus tube. I have been meaning to do this for some time but have never got around to it.

2) Go to the Wimpy – I just realised that it has been over two years since I last sampled the delights of the mighty Wimpy Half Pounder with cheese! This is a sad state of affairs indeed. The nearest sites to me are Morden and Teddington. At the moment Teddington looks to be the venue of choice.

3) By some new trainers – the ones I use for squash are on the way out. I know a good shop in Teddington though so this could be usefully combined with 2).

4) Arrange a trip to Copenhagen – this is one of the places on my ‘must see’ destinations to visit.

As you can see from the above, the list is not extensive. Items 1-3 should not really be difficult to get into motion, as all are local and involve minimal planning. Item 4 could be a bit trickier, as I will be trying to book a break within the peak holiday season. If all goes wrong, I might end up using my leave here in SW London, in that hallowed land of New Malden. Whilst this sleepy satellite town undoubtedly has its attractions (if anyone can think of one please let me know!), it is not a prospect I particularly relish.

Destination X?

Needless to say though I will keep you posted – even if it is just a case of ‘Viva New Malden’. Watch this e-space!

day of rest?

theshahmen — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:54:24 +0000

sunday. sunday? … yes sunday. what can be said about sunday…

well this is what i have done on this sunday. i got up early, which i hardly do on a sunday, and started on the daily routine… getting ready to get my mom from the airport.

got there, found it suprisingly full – or maybe due to the constuction there, the place looks so full – people everywhere, bags late again!! why do we even bother to make it to the airport on time when baggage handling is so inefficient - you might as well get to check in late, and then get your bags on time ! last one in, first one out and everyone else is pissed off at you

so , had my coffee at – wimpy i think its still called, bought for both me and my dad, a good coffee, R9.50 each – while we wait – best way to kill time… now i am getting hungry, let me get something in a way small and take away – chicken mayo on white bread, toasted… should not take too long and i get to enjoy it during the wait…

well, haha, my mom got her bags and was waiting for me to get my food… i get it and had to pay R25.90 for a sandwich !!! WTF!! well it was an okay meal for breakfast, but i’m not going to let that get me down.

on our way for lunch in camps bay… to meet my sister and her boyfriend – as they came back from vacationing in europe for 3 weeks, which for me felt like a year, but anyway – cool lunch in one of the best parts in town ! oh yeah!

we settle at the bay hotel – by asking management to let use order from other restaurants in the hotel and bring it to the front, more scenic part of the hotel. they were polite about it and even allowed us to order from the breakfast menu at 5 minutes before closing the kitchen down for breakfast (12 o’clock) these people are awesome. i order from the deli and get me a burger, but not just any kind of burger - look at this, a Prawn and Salmon burger – for only R65 – damn this is cool! i am now hungry for this great meal…

everyone orders their meal – and we get talking about the vacation my sister and her boyfriend had… it’s nice hearing their stories and we laughed about all the things they went through and felt happy for them when they made some great discoveries in adventure and sight seeing…

meals come, YES – everyones meal looks great, and everyone is happy… i get served last, not to worry, i am happy still when i see the burger… its quiet big. but… but the burger has some sort of pattie… on the menu it said, prawn and salmon – lettuce in a bun… they did not mention that its a pattie burger… so yes, i get a prawn and salmon fish pattie burger… wow, i could not believe how i fooled myself out of it… anyway, i am not fazed about it, i am out with my family and – well it taste nice… sort of, must say very mediocre for a place like that…

i’m thirsty, so i order my favourite drink… red grapetiser… that is the drink – the drink that takes all thirst and busts it like no other drink can… yeah coke is cool, but just thinking of all the sugar and the way-to-much, artificial this and that that is in there, red grapetiser any day…

great – i am full and i am quenched – now the bill… i knew the price of the burger, but i was surprised to say the least about the price for the red grapetiser R18!!! look i dont like to talk about money issues or money in general – but seriously!!! today was getting to me about the price of goods!

i mean, was it like a special kind of chicken that was killed to make me my toasted chicken mayo, or maybe since we in an airport, the mayo is brought in from france and the bread from italy and the chicken from chicken land. and the red grapetiser ?!?!? must have been purified in an aquifer were virgin maidens stomped out the goodness of the earth into this refreshing drink, not forgetting the ice blocks are shipped in from antatica ( no dolphins were harmed in the process of capturing the fallen chunks of antatica during this global warming) Ka-ching! R18 please …

cool, like i said, i am full and i am quenched – and feeling broke… gonna have to work this week for the next Day of rest…

vaguería, wimpy y juankers

glog — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:43:54 +0000

Bueno, pues hoy toca post juanker, pa uno que hago al año no os quejeis xD. Facilico y puede que útil.

Bastantes grupos de música y demás permiten escuchar canciones suyas desde su web mediante el típico reproductor flash con su botón de play, pause y demás. Puesto que son los propios grupos los que nos ofrecen las canciones en sus sites, no hacemos nada ilegal escuchándolas. Tampoco lo haríamos si nos las bajásemos directamente, pero bueno, es otro tema xD

Uno de los reproductores típicos es wimpy (30$ ¬¬). En teoría solo podemos disfrutar de las canciones cuando navegamos por su web. En teoría. En la práctica, tenemos 2 opciones:

- Jugar con los archivos temporales del navegador web. Las canciones se tienen que guardar en algún lado en nuestro ordenador no? Basta con buscarlas, ir renombrándolas y copíandolas a donde queremos.

- Aprovecharnos de la mala configuración del propio wimpy y de que la gente copia y pega archivos sin saber ni lo que hace, y bajárnoslas directamente.

Explicación xD:

wimpy.php es el reproductor en sí. Por tanto, debe conocer en qué directorios se encuentran los archivos que va a reproducir. Si le echamos un ojo al código, vemos que, si como es de esperar, nadie ha cambiado nada, podemos conocer los archivos pasándole como parámetro la acción getstartupdirlist.

Resumiendo,

wimpy.php?action=getstartupdirlist

nos dará un “listado” en texto plano con las canciones que hay en el servidor y su ruta completa. Y digo “listado” porque no tiene el formato para que sea copiar y pegar y ya, pero se puede ver fácilmente. Ejemplico:

Vamos a la web http://www.blablabla.com/mp3/wimpy.php?action=getstartupdirlist y veremos lo siguiente:

&item0=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blablabla.com%2Fmp3%2Facdc-whole%20lotta%20rosie.mp3|acdc-whole%20lotta%20rosie||acdc-whole%20lotta%20rosie|||||||&item1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blablabla.com%2Fmp3%2Falex%20godino-destination%20calabria.mp3|alex%20godino-destination%20calabria||alex%20godino-destination%20calabria|||||||

Y para bajar una canción bastaría con poner en el navegador/gestor de descargas/loquesea

http://www.blablabla.com/mp3/acdc-whole lotta rosie.mp3

¿Facilico no? Y podemos buscar canciones del grupo que queramos gracias a google, mediante la cadena:
artista inurl:wimpy.php

Por ejemplo, La Fuga: lafuga inurl:wimpy.php

Y como es un coñazo copiar&pegar&descargar, he hecho un programita que lo hace solo xD. Para usarlo basta con:

wimpy www.artista.com/dir/wimpy.php

El programa se encarga de obtener el listado, darle formato, guardar en un directorio todas las canciones de esa web. El código, de lo más tonto, en bash_sript_hecho_con_java_para_que_funcione_en_windows:

// All this software is provided under the GNU GPL and/or LGPL licenses.
import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.util.regex.Matcher;
import java.util.regex.Pattern;

public class main {

	public static void main(String[] args) {

		String cadena="",tmp="";

		//argumentos !=1
		if (args.length!=1){
			System.out.println("Miniprogramica juanquer para bajar canciones de wimpy.\r\nUso: wimpy www.WEB.com/directorio/wimpy.php");
		}

		// argumentos correctos
		else{
			// dirección correcta
			if (!args[0].toString().endsWith("wimpy.php")){
				System.out.println("ERROR: introduzca un formato de dirección correcta");
			}

			// descarga del fichero
			String direccion=("wget -O listado.txt " + args[0]+"?action=getstartupdirlist");
			 try {
				Process p= Runtime.getRuntime().exec(direccion);
				try {
					p.waitFor();
				} catch (InterruptedException e) {
					System.out.println("ERROR: no se ha podido finalizar la descarga del listado de canciones");
				}

			} catch (IOException e1) {
				System.out.println("ERROR: Asegúrse de que wget está instalado y de que se poseen permisos de escritura en el directorio");
				System.exit(1);
			}
			BufferedReader fd =null;
			try{
				 fd = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(new FileInputStream("listado.txt")));
			}
			catch (Exception e) {
				System.out.println("ERROR: El fichero no se ha podido leer");
				System.exit(1);
			}

			// lectura del fichero
			try {
				while ((tmp = fd.readLine())!=null) {
					cadena=cadena+tmp;
				}
			} catch (IOException e) {
				System.out.println("ERROR: Fichero malformado");
				System.exit(1);
			} 

			// REGEX
			String mp3="(http://.*?.mp3)";
			String[] canciones = null;
			String comando;

			try{
				canciones=cadena.split("&");
			}
			catch (Exception e){
				System.out.println("No se encuentran canciones");
			}

			// separamos las canciones
			System.out.println("Por favor, espere...");
			int Ncanciones=0;
			for (int i=0;i"+ Ncanciones + " canciones descargadas con éxito ^^");
			}

		}
	}
}

Evidentemente, se puede adaptar a lo que te de la gana, basta con cambiar las expresiones regulares y usar el gestor de descarga que queramos.

Foticos del bicho en acción:

- apuntico de empezar

- ejecutándose

- terminado

Como nota avanzada, repetir que no hay que usar cosas de otros sin saber cómo funcionan, que luego vienen las sorpresas. Por ejemplo, y sin entrar en el código, probad cosas como:

wimpy.php?action=phpinfo
wimpy.php?action=getmysql
wimpy.php?action=downloadFile&theFile=/etc/shadow

Bonita forma de adueñarnos de un servidor

Ale, ya está, ya me he distraído. Sigo estudiando xD

A 'Treasure-list' just not long enough

0ncebitten — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:15:18 +0000

Your laugh
Your blog posts
Our Picasa web albums
Our shared taste in music
Your honesty about me
Your weeding
Nurseries
Long walks on the beach
Long tears on the beach
Cuddling on a very narrow couch and hanging on for dear life
Window tinting
Talking until dawn
Crying until dawn
Church
Somerset West and its millionaires
Heaters and ‘how you burn when you walk into one’
Wimpy coffee
Searching for a lighter in a messy bag
Greyton
Sunsets
West Coast
Footprints in sand
MMS Messages
Binging at night
Crumbs in the bed
Coffee in the morning
Our ‘guess-the-song’ competitions
Prayer for us in church
Signal Hill – Christmas
Stories you share with your friends
Your honesty about your past relationships
Your actions plans in your diary (POA’s)
Our WordPress Icon
You being ‘the man’ for the day
Visiting hardware stores
Manicures
Sandra – Maria Magdalena
‘Watching’ DVDs
Our Stone Collection
Holding your hand
Our LONG-JOGS every evening
Your singing in the car
You singing “Sing to me” (ooooh ooo)

When love just isn’t enough…

This may be totally awful...

lilseed — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:06:30 +0000

I returned to my old workplace temporarily in May. I’m still working there. There is a person who works there and she is as sweet as can be, but every time she rings back to me, I find myself involuntarily rolling my eyes.

It has to be the tone of voice she uses when she speaks to coworkers. She always sounds so apologetic when she has to call you, even though that is her job – to route the office calls.

Not only is she always apologetic, but she also has to do a 1-2 minute introduction and explain why she is calling you instead of someone else. Or, if she is calling to ask a question, she has to explain why she is asking the question instead of just asking it. I don’t need a back story for everything.

So I give her an eye roll almost every time, but I don’t mean to. She is a nice person – I just wish she would just give me the call/question and let us both move on.

The Funny One: Summer Reads for Every Personality

Mon, 11 May 2009 17:45:39 +0000

The quintessential picture of summer for me is lying outside on the grass or on the sand on a sunny day (not too hot, not too breezy), sipping a Passion Tea Lemonade through a swirly straw while reading that must-have-can’t-put-down book. The only problem is not forgetting to put on your sunscreen (although that can be a problem if like myself, you tend to mimic a lobster over a bronze goddess), but getting a hold of that a-m-a-z-i-n-g book. With an information overload of books out there, how do you know what books to read? Worry no more, each week simply read the blog post that matches your personality type (or just read them all) to find a book that should fit you more snuggly than that pair of skinny jeans in your closet or your favorite gym shorts (maybe not a good thing if these fit snuggly…)

The Funny One: Are you prone to quip one-liners that make your friends think you are the real life version of Jerry Seinfeld (minus the puffy shirt, of course)? Can you quote movie lines from Napoleon Dynamite, Superbad or Stepbrothers? Do you thrive on getting a good laugh out of people? Then, I’d say you would be “The Funny One,” especially if you’ve got a sarcastic personality that could rival Jim Halpert from NBC’s The Office’s personality. Therefore, you need a book that’ll entertain you and seriously make you crack up because sometimes being funny gets tiring (believe me, you can’t always be on your game.) So call a time-out, kickback on the bench and let the likes of Chelsea Handler and Jeff Kinney loosen your funny bone for once.

Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler ($24.95)

ISBN:978-1416954125

I never watched Chelsea Handler before reading this book. I knew she was a comedian on E! with great hair, but that was about it. I picked up her book on a whim because people kept telling me how funny it was and I wanted to read a book that would catch me by surprise, shake me up a little and bring tears to my eyes. Okay, this book didn’t actually bring tears to my eyes, but it came pretty close as it had me laughing out loud (which is totally on par with being one of those crazies who sings on street corners a la Jamie Fox in The Soloist.)

The book’s cover has a midget in Mexican attire serving Handler a cocktail while she lounges in the backyard in heels—to some, the picture alone would satisfy their comedy craving. Observing the picture, I thought that Handler seemed like my kind of gal so I made a mental note to consider getting a midget in Mexican attire to serve me cold drinks because I’ve already got the heels and the lounge chair. (For some reason the closest I will probably come to this would be the cashier at Taco Bell handing me an empty cup to fill-up at the soda foundation.)

So what could Handler possibly write about in her memoir that had me clutching my side as if I ran a 3k marathon or maybe just down the street? She writes about everything and anything that you ever thought about, but were afraid to say. Her outstanding narrative makes it feel like you’re right beside her as she tells her third grade class she is going to be in a movie with Goldie Hawn to be popular (and here I thought having the Celion Dion CD in sixth grade would make me cool. Boy, was I off. )

Each chapter details adventures with Handler’s dysfunctional family, relationships, one-night stands, drinking, and everything in between including the time her then boyfriend “accidently hooked-up with a dog.” The book is a quick, fluffy read, but it’s guaranteed to entertain. However, it’s not for the faint of heart as it’s full of crude humor and language as Handler writes her humorist essays. But, what’s great about the book is that you could read a chapter here and there as each one stands alone. Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea is the perfect summer read for “The Funny One.”

If you’ve read (or liked this book), here are some other suggestions to try:

My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Handler

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Max Tucker

I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloan Crosley

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney ($12.95)

ISBN:978-0810970687

I will admit it. I have a weakness for Greg Heffley, the main character in Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. If I was in middle school, I would be doodling his name on my Jonas Brother’s folder, but I’m not. And, despite being a 20-something and way older than this book’s target market, I can’t get enough of this three book series (more on their way!) There is only one word to describe it: h-y-s-t-e-r-i-c-a-l.

The series is based on Kinney’s childhood and what makes the book endearing is that it’s so relatable because who can’t remember the days of counting and trading Halloween candy or not wanting to get up to change the channel on TV because you are too comfortable?

Greg Heffley is just your typical, skinny (wimpy), middle school student who has to deal with his parents, his baby brother Manny (who he swears is spoiled), and his older brother Roderick (who’s in a “band”.) In this book, Greg starts out his diary with his New Year’s Resolution, which is to help other people be perfect by pointing out their flaws (such as his mom should chew her potato chips less loudly.) This is because Greg says, “It’s not easy for me to think of ways to improve myself, because I’m already pretty much one of the best people I know.” Seriously, how much more self-less and thoughtful could this resolution be?

At the heart of this book, Greg needs to prove to his father that he is a man because his father is threatening to send him off to military school like their reformed neighbor. Not wanting to go to the school, Greg is forced to ditch his video games, his mom’s comfy bathrobe and his afternoon naps to sign-up for sports, more specifically, soccer.

In addition to having to play sports, Greg must try to get his crush, Holly, to notice him (and like him), find out who is stealing all the snacks in his house, get over his childhood fear of Shel Silverstein’s author photo, and try not to be embarrassed by his best friend, Rowley, who at times, just doesn’t get it (and is easily able to be convinced to bury his new video games in a time capsule so Greg can dig them up at a later date to play.) The children’s fiction book will take the average adult no more than an hour or so to read, but it’s incredibly engaging as it’s a story told in diary format with comic book-inspired drawings, illustrated by the one-and-only wimpy kid himself.

It’s also a great idea to read this book if you have children or are a school media specialist/ teacher so you will be able to connect to the literature they are reading and engage in book talks, which encourages reading motivation!

If you’ve read (or liked) this book, here are some other suggestions to read:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules by Jeff Kinney

Frindle by Andrew Clements

Happy reading!
xoxo
~e

Clever Election Marketing Strategies

Deems — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:03:00 +0000

The South African Elections are just around the corner, litereally as they’re tomorrow, Wednesday 22nd April 2009.

Wimpy are offering a free cup of coffee to anyone on election day who proves they’ve voted – see video below [via CherryFlava]

And not to be outdone – Nando’s are doing something similar offering a “voter’s roll” with the (here’s the catch though, where Wimpy doesn’t have a catch) purchase of any chicken meal. [via CherryFlava]

Some more clever electioneering marketing from Nando’s is the following advert which has the ANCYL president Julius Malema fuming and threatening militant action if not withdrawn. Take a look for yourself, you decide. [via News24]

I'll Gladly Pay You Tuesday for a Hamburger Today

lhdwriter — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:23:20 +0000

My amazement at the boldness of lending and usury is unending. It’s a kick in the pants for anyone not organized enough to have cash on hand. Usury is punishment for being human enough to desire, but not solvent enough to merit that desire.

Wimpy is the most human of all characters in the cartoon, Popeye. Wimpy’s humanity and love of hamburgers led to having a hamburger restaurant (or two) named after him.

Wimpy had another kind of boldness. An underdog boldness. Sneaky. Sly. And lovably stupid.

Poor Wimpy. This bad little habit of paying you Tuesday for a hamburger today, if done daily and always paid late, costs him seven hundred thirty dollars per year. Let’s suppose Wimpy is dining at Wimpy’s Place in the heart of Michigan, and next Tuesday is still seven days away. Wimpy’s hamburger bought on credit today for $1.66 at 12% interest compounded nightly will cost him $3.66 by next Tuesday when his debt comes due. Multiplied by three hundred and sixty five days in a year, Wimpy’s hamburger performance without prior preparation costs him $730 each year. Poor Wimpy.

Wimpy will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hambuger today. Go ahead. Charge interest. It’s easy money. Well, it might not be nice of you to take advantage of poor Wimpy, but hey…Everybody’s doing it.

Laura Hartmark is a writer and is glad you took the time to read this blog.

We may be ready but will OR Tambo be?

sandrahowatt — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:40:01 +0000

So I thought the first time I went to the airport to fetch a family member coming from CT (local) that it would be up to world class standards. Boy was I wrong. . .

So there was more than enough parking and easy to find with those green and red lights. (Thanks ACSA) So we were early and thought a cup of coffee from Wimpy would be lekker and the truth is it would have been if it never took a 15 minutes to get a waiter to see us then another half an hour to get the stuff we ordered and strange but true you would have thought after that amount of time it took to make it, it would have arrived nice and hot. JA right try freezing and the best part was my kids ordered milkshakes and they never even arrived. We then asked for the bill which took another 10 minutes and when our absent waiter decided to bring it he threw it at me and said hurry we need the table. We paid and left, I thought maybe he was having a bad day not that, that should have been a reason for all the crap service.

So last weekend we went to get my niece and guess where we decided to get coffee and something to eat. Yip Wimpy, but this time I thought I would be clever and decided that a take away couldn’t go wrong.

Huh!!!!! First we were pushed from one till to the next then when we ordered the lady behind the counter messed up the order six or seven times and when I repeated it again her manager finally took the order and surprise got it right. We were given the muffins and the two Coke Zero cans which by the way we had to take because they never had stock of normal coke. We waited for 15 minutes for my mom’s toasted ham and cheese and about 10 minutes for our coffee which was okay because we got it hot but funny thing about hot coffee when it is thrown at you it burns when it lands up on your naked arm. Anyway we asked for two and we got them and they were hot yippie. Now after the last time we didn’t expect much in the form of service but holy shit what service this time. They were rude and a terrible experience on the whole.

For my nine and six year old to say next time we can go to Spurs or Mugg and Bean is not saying much for Wimpy.

Now as for OR Tambo, I love the airport and love the fact that it is been upgraded but I will rather stick to Lanseria. The serive is better and it is all done with a smile.

Hopefully things will change before the world cup!!! Good luck to ACSA and the rest of the places there. And as for Wimpy , you need a miracle or new management and most importantly I would suggest that those waiters get a course on manners and service.

Bogota, Colombia

jabertra — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:29:13 +0000

I am in Bogota at the moment to work – essentially, even though we spent the day – playing. You might be asking yourself what Bogota is like. Well, I am going to tell you. In some ways it reminds me of Brazil. There is crazy traffic everywhere and there are billboards all over the place. Most of the construction has that decadent neglected look to it that I first noticed in Uruguay. So in a way, it reminds me of there too. But on the other hand it is much cleaner than Brazil and lush in a totally different way. Everything you hear about flowers in Colombia seems to be true – I can assure you that I now know everything about the place because I have been here for more than 24 hours! Yeah – right! But that part about the flowers is true. Get this! They sell bouquets of orchids at the traffic lights. So that puts that question out there – is there any other place in the world that sells orchids on street corners? I will wait on the answer to that one.

We started our play today in a taxi and we first went up a funicular to a cathedral on a hill that overlooks the city. The city is built between two stretches of the Cordillera de los Andes and so pretty much wherever you look from up at that height you see mountains. That is something that I am definitely not used to and in a way it reminded me of La Paz. Anyway, after our trip up the mountains we took our tour to the center of town to the old colonial section. The Spanish colonial architecture there reminded me of Peru. So I did a lot of remembering today. In the old town we visited the Fernando Botero Museum and I was reminded of other trips I have taken and just how much I love an art museum. When we were done with that we continued our tour on foot. The thing that struck me most was the police presence on the streets. There were army, police and civic guards all over the place. In fact when we went down to the President’s “Palace” the street was cordoned off and they were checking people’s bags as they went in. one of the teachers in our group tried to walk near on the sidewalk closest to the palace and was told that was not allowed. From there we went on to the square on which the Supreme Court is located. On the steps of the Supreme Court building the riot – SWAT – or Elite Troops were guarding the building complete with helmets, knee pads, those “plastic- sheildy things” they use and obviously, machine guns. That was crazy. I have never seen anything like that before. In fact, that made the bullet-bomb proof Range Rover that had the sides extended all the way to the ground that I saw in Belfast look like a child’s toy. Apparently protesters gather in the square in front of the Court building and sometimes the protesters are infiltrated by the bad guys and the elite troops are there to protect the people. Okay.
After that we had a realy nice typical lunch and the soup we had reminded me of my mom’s corn chowder. Now, that is a good memory! From there we went to the Gold Museum and it was really worth the visit. It is amazing what artisans could do with gold way back when and there is no getting past the fact that it is just beautiful! After that we went to the crafts shops and bought prezzies for ourselves and our loved ones. That part was really fun and I bought a couple of really cute things from a very nice nun. Apparently all the goods in her stall were made by women who were the prime bread winners in the family. She was so warm and friendly I wished I had more time to spend with her and look at her stuff. I was at the end of my budget, so buying was not really an option! We had a cup of Juan Valdez’s best and took a cab back to the hotel.

We worked a little tonight when we registered for the conference and attended the welcome session/reception at the school. It was really dark and hard to see, but it looks like the campus is massive. It is built on a hill and so I am worried about my high heel-bunion combination for tomorrow. It is really high here, altitude-wise, compared to what I am used to and I notice I am getting winded very easily. I had a massive headache yesterday and a bit of an upset stomache. It is a lot cooler here than home and I was cold enough leaving the school tonight that my teeth were shivering. I am such a wimp!

Futher proof for that is the following: When I got to the check-in at the airport to come here there was a problem with my ticket. To make a long story short, the travel agency had changed the status of my ticket to make it say reimburse. I was totally thrown by that and when no one at the airport could make that status change. I called the school. It was too close to take-off time to get a reasonable price on the ticket, so I decided not to go on the flight. R$5000 to Bogota seemed a tad high. The travel agent called back at one point and got me on a later flight. So that was fine. (This all took the better part of 3 or 4 hours and multiple telephone calls back and forth, mind you.) When I got on the plane by myself I recognized a teacher from another school in Brazil. I chatted with him briefly and then stayed to myself on the flight. So here’s where I am wimpy. I did not want to figure out on my own how to get myself to the hotel on my own. So I followed them around. First they got their luggage and I waited for them. Then they exchanged money, so I did too. (I hadn’t thought of doing that on my own.) Then I wandered around outside the airport to see if there was anyone there to take me to my hotel – there was not. So I followed the other teachers to the taxi stand. We are not in the same hotel, so I got in a cab on my own. The cabbie was nice enough and chatted to me all the way to the hotel. I understood him and thought I was in good shape with my Spanish – I am not by the way, but I can understand a lot! Phew! I tell you though, if those other people were not there to glom onto in the airport I might have had to have waited for the next gringo installment to arrive, because I was incapable of getting my butt outta there on my own. Pretty wimpy, right? Where did my travelling bravado go? Do you lose it after age 40? Let that be my second question out there to you!