This week I was in Barcelona in a very important trade fair. I really enjoy visiting the city, as it is beautiful, has very pleasant weather, the food is generally good (but salty) and I have many good friends living there.
One thing that always surprises me a little bit of the city is the character of the locals: Barceloneses are generally proud Catalonians who have their own language and customs different to the rest of Spain (or, as they say, FC Barcelona is more than a club for a slightly less than a country).
Regardless, visit it when you have a chance, just don’t do it when there is a trade fair as the place will be absolutely full.
Tag Archives: life
Friendship
There were a few events today that reminded me of the importance of friendship in life (not that I ever forget).
- I spent a day and a half in Tampere with some very dear friends. Even though they're not people I see very often, they are very dear to me, since they've been with me since my arrival in Finland and we've had quite some history together. That they laugh at my stupid jokes is just a plus.
- I agreed to meet a friend in Barcelona whom I haven't seen in 5 years or so.
- My ex-girlfriend, with whom I am still in very good terms, found me again as we had lost touch for quite some time. I'm glad to hear she's fine.
- On a sadder note, I received a contact request from a person I have never met simply because, as her profile reads, she moved to a new city and is feeling rather lonely. I'm really sorry I can't be of no use, as I don't add contacts I don't actually know (the Myspace approach is so out of vogue…).
Macho a bordo
Cuando me subí al avión a Londres Heathrow, me encontré con una mujer que estaba teniendo problemas para abordar, ya que tenía tanto un bebé como la carreola de éste y no se daba abasto. Lo que me enervó bastante es que el esposo, que estaba viajando con ella, no se dió por enterado y simplemente se subió al avión dejándola "morir sola". Como estaban viajando a México, le pregunté a la mujer a dónde iban y ella me respondió que a Veracruz, de donde es el esposo.
La actitud del hombre me pareció espantosa, ya que si fué lo suficientemente machito para traer un bebé al mundo, tendría que también ponerse las pilas para hacerse responsable al respecto. Qué pena.
It’s sunny in London!
Back here. But at least there's good weather.
Language proficency
As frequent readers of this blog and people who have met me personally know, one of my main interests is the use of language and I speak both Finnish and Spanish with my wife (with a liberal sprinkling of English depending on the subject).
With her we've found out that who speaks better the language of the other depends on the day. Sometimes I speak Finnish better than she does Spanish, sometimes it's the reverse. Is it just because of general tiredness or some other reason?
I knew this year was going to be uphill
2007 started with us climbing the top of a hill with some friends to see the fireworks over the Helsinki metropolitan area. From that point onwards, we knew it was going to be uphill the whole year. I finished my masters, got married, continued working and kept on the move during this year. It has been tough, but definitely worth it.
What will 2008 bring?
QotD: Education, Occupation
What was your major or field of study in college? Did you wind up working in that field or using that degree? If not, what field have you wound up in?
Submitted by sneuf.
I studied Computer Engineering in Finland, and did work in that field for a while. However, almost 5 years after graduation from college I took the option of studying a masters in International Business, so now I've ended up in e-marketing, and of course have no idea what will come next in my career progression.
That's the whole point, isn't it? A degree (especially at the bachelor level) doesn't guarantee employment, as it only shows that the holder has proven his/her ability to learn.
E-Marketing
My still not that long career has taken me from very different roles. As an engineer, started in a technical area around content management, then moved to product/project management, followed by sales support for different (but related) businesses and now, starting on the 1st of January, will be doing e-marketing for specific services.
Since the area itself is so new, there is a lot to learn, but the reason that drove me to take this position is simply that this is where marketing is moving.
Any hints?
Castañas
La cabañita a la derecha de la estatua de los Tres Herreros ha sido mi fuente de castañas en Navidad desde el año 2000 (exceptuando el año pasado que tuve que comprarlas en Bruselas).
Hay pocas cosas que me hagan sentir que ahí viene la Navidad que una bolsita llena de castañas calientes.
Pink sky
Every time I see a sunset like this, I remember the first time I saw this colour. It was on the flight that took me here seven years ago. I had seen before many colours in a sunset, including reds, yellows, oranges and once or twice even greenish hues, but never these tones of pink, which I had only encountered on photographs of the Martian landscape taken by the Viking probes in the seventies (which, of course, made me feel as if I had moved to Mars instead of Finland).
It brings so many memories…