Friday 23 September 2005

Comparison

"Las comparaciones son odiosas" we say. Comparisons are hateful. But sometimes we are thrown into situations where we cannot avoid them.
Part of my job is going house by house, like a Jehovah's Witness or a book seller (LOL). [It is actually very tiresome.] Well, I was doing so and I spoke with a man about the Post. The Spanish Post company (Correos), which belongs to the State, works awfully bad. I was telling him that I get letters only once a week; my street is new but it is in the very center of the town. He was complaining of the postman, who was leaving the letters in the corner of the street –it is a complex of about 15 houses– or all of them in the community's mail box. 'If this is his job, why isn't he doing it properly?', he told me. I had no answer. I could only compare it with the UK where it works better; perhaps because there are two companies that do the work, so it means competitivity.
This made me think about why people isn't doing thing properly, why don't they think with their brain instead of with their... whatever...
And going back to the office I looked at how dirty is sometimes the street.
The other day was one of those very windy days and all the streets were full of papers and plastic bags that were moved by the air ("There's live in the world" or something like that said the guy of American Beauty). But, in reality, it was a very disgusting experience. This wouldn't have happened if people threw things to the litter or took them home and threw them away there. I don't think this is so difficult, I do it. And I am not saying it just to say it and to lie about, but because it is true: my bag seems sometimes a dump. I've many times heard of/seen grown ups (under 50's because over 50's grew on a different society where this didn't happen that often) throw things to the floor; things like tobacco packs, tissueses, bottles or cans. And many times in front of children. This is just pathetic. I understand that they throw cigarette butts, but I cannot understand other things. And what about the people that eat sunflower seeds or pistachios while walking? Or, what when they are sitting and they leave a sunflower-rests carpet?
Since our cleaning services are not great (I don't want to compare now, again), why people don't help everybody a bit and keep everything clean?
A while ago I so another scene that I hated. The day before they had distributed the new Sí­nia, the town's magazine. It is a quite stylish yet old-fashioned magazine which doesn't look cheap at all (I have a column in it) and it is absolutely for free. So, I was walking work and I saw a few of them, 4 or 5, on the floor, on the pavement. It hurt me so much. They were in the morning in the publicity mail box of the building. Why on earth would someone just throw on the floor the hard work of so many people? And what's worse, the money of all of us? Since this is paid by the Culture Department.
I just don't understand. I am not asking them to read it all (dulls are in every country), but at least respect it and respect the rest of the inhabitants.
And of course, when things are dirty, the firsts to complain are obviously them!
As well that day I was thinking a lot on why my town has no parks and things aren't neat. But this is another story and needs to be explained another time, as Ende would say.

Wednesday 21 September 2005

Friendship

Today it was a quiet day.

I was joking with a colleague at work because she is now hanging out with the new secretary. I was telling her things like "Go with your new friend... You don't love me anymore... What does she have that I don't...". It was all a joke and it was only because this girl and I had been talking a long time ago about that. Friends that are so possessive with you and suddenly, because you do a pretty normal thing that they disapprove, stop to talk you and you became a part of the past, a former friend. This is quite pathetic.
But, at the end of the day, we are becoming a non-social society. Well, perhaps we are very social, but just through our keyboards. Suddenly we see how people chat through MSN when they live two blocks away.
In the other hand, this new technologies has given us the opportunity for, at last, be in touch with people we haven't seen in a while. Now you leave summer camp and instead of sending a few letters in a year and never again, we catch up from time to time in the cyberspace.
And another facility are web sites like Passado that gives you the opportunity of meeting your former school mates. Though, this is quite a tough and boring thing to do, perhaps, looking at our past instead of at our present. I do think that Karina was right when she sung in 1971 in Eurovision "Volver la vista atrás es bueno a veces, mirar hacia adelante es vivir sin temor" [To turn the sight back is sometimes good, to look ahead is to live without fear] from the song El baúl de los recuerdos [The memories' chest].
But, going back to the main issue which was 'friendships', I think that sometimes we do not realize that one of the most important differences between us and animals is actually language. I love language and I see that we are losing towards it. Why do we wait for him/her to call... Why do not call if what we want is to speak with him/her.
People does not understand that an easier thing to do instead of stay still is to do something.
But sometimes it is too difficult or hard to stand up from the sofa and leave the chocolate back to clean up our greasy faces and look straigh into our eyes and ask to ourselves: What are you waiting for?

Tuesday 20 September 2005

Hate

Sometimes I wonder why people is so mean, sometimes. Why do they hate so much. Isn't easier to be happy and to be nice to people? Well, I guess is a matter of choice. Or perhaps just the fact that if you are good and get shit back and if you are bad and get shit back too... well, perhaps it is easier to be bad.
But, at the end of the day, isn't nicer to be happy? When we are happy we see everything much clearer. When we are happy we wander in the streets, we say hello, good morning to that old lady that is walking very slowly in the middle of the pavement not letting you pass unless you step in the street. When we are happy we just see things different. Why, then, are we all the time making things to be unhappy?
I am not saying I am the happiest person in the world, because I am not. I am not even saying I am happy or nice at all whatsoever. But, I realize of that and, as they used to say, realizing is just the first step. I realize we should just leave unhappiness in the past and look ahead for cheering smiles.
It is hard, though. Especially when you are so miserable. You feel so miserable that don't even want to wake up. It is hard.
But, we have to. We have to keep going in our lives. Keep dreaming and keep doing. And keep forgiving.
Once I learnt that job problems are not to be taken personally. If your boss things you are a very bad whatever-you-do, perhaps it is true, but you can always improve it and, at the end of the shift, go with your boss to have a couple of pints while you laugh on how bad you are...
I am saying that because I am living a bit of problems at work. Two of my colleagues are having problems and arguing all the time. It is annoying and it has taken to a point that I JUST COULDN'T CARE LESS. It is not my business; I have learned that if I try to help them I will end up paying for my nosiness...
Anyway... They cry and all those things... just because they cannot stop a second and listen to what they say and what the other says. If they did so, their souls would wide open and really start crying for a reason.
Or this is what I think, anyway.

Sunday 18 September 2005

Birthday day

Today we celebrated my birthday. It wasn't today but on Wednesday. Then, we gathered at home some friends and my sisters and we had some sandwiches and some cake while we spoke till late night. Today we did the big party.
We went to Barcelona to spend the day. In the morning we went to MACBA (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona's Contemporary Art Museum) to see an exposition of Robert Whitman called Playback. It was fine, though we didn't really like it. Too much anxiety and destroy.
Then we went to the borough of Barceloneta to a tapas restaurant called Jai-Ca where we had tremendously good food.
In the evening we went to the theatre to watch Der Würgeengel, a Karst Woundstra's play based on Buñuel's film El ángel exterminador. It was good, though, if Buñuel surrealistlist, when it has gone through the German point of view, it becomes too different for our understanding. BTW, it was subtitled.
It has been a perfect day. I love Barcelona, it is such a beautiful city. I do love London, too, but this city, Barcelona, is really a walk-around kind of city.
When we had just arrived, while having a coffee, a bunch of Gipsy children came over and tried to steal to a British man. They where stealing him a €100 and the wallet but, thanks to my friends, who were just next to his table [I was in the other corner], we could get the money and the girls to get the wallet. Then, out of a sudden, three policemen on disguise appeared. They didn't know each other so they were showing the identification to one another.
It is amazing how many times we've seen and heard of robatories in this city. This didn't use to happen before. And how many people lives in the streets! And, forgive me, while we are helping other countries with humanitarian help. Yes, I do think we have to help who is in need, of course. But what about the people that everyday is dying in our streets? Is any country going to send a plane full of houses for them? Or full of jobs? Or hope? Or low-rate's mortgages?
I don't think so.
[This post was truncated and the rest was lost]

Saturday 17 September 2005

Just as a start

I haven't always liked English. I even used to hate it; it was the second worse subject in High School, just before gymnastics. But, hey, now I love it and I really do enjoy finding the magic within its words.
Like the other day, you might not think this was funny at all whatsoever, but I do. I was watching Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda and on some point of the movie one of the wives said "She is obviously not home sick". I had to stop it to review it. I found that so interesting. If you don't know what is it about, you won't know that she said this, meaning that she wasn't sick and at home.

Compare:

"She is obviously not HOME sick"
with


"She is obviously not HOME - SICK".

Well, I know this isn't funny for everybody, but it is for me.
I'll see you around.