Fit as a fiddle, a 90th birthday party in León and other stories

Ernestina with her birthday presents and cake flanked by Olivia, her grand daughter, Pitulines (Diana) her great grand daughter and Eladio on the right, her son.  They represent the 4 generations present in the family at the birthday lunch in León this Saturday to celebrate Ernestina's 90th birthday

Good morning my friends this sunny Sunday morning in Madrid.  I hope you are all well.  I am extremely well as you will find out later.  But let me start from the beginning of the week.

On Monday I had a meeting with Pedro G who used to work for my press clipping agency, PressTracking, the people who monitor my press coverage.  Pedro left to work for JP Media and meanwhile PressTracking did not even bother to tell me.  I found JP Media to offer better services and will be signing with them very soon and one of the reasons I will do so apart from a better price and service is because of the person I know.  For me the most important thing is the people who work in the agencies, not the agencies themselves.  Some time, soon, I am expecting a call from someone I don’t know at Press Tracking but by then it will be too late. So long Press Tracking, hello JP Media.

On Monday too I had lunch with two journalists from La Razón whom I have known for many years, Emiliano C and Jesús.  They chose to go to Castellana DF, the place we last did a press conference in Madrid.  They thought it was the restaurant which offers the best hamburgers in Madrid.  That made me feel good because another journalist, Ignacio C had complained at the time telling me he thought the place was awful.  When I mentioned that to Emiliano and Jesús, they comforted me by saying that Ignacio always complains about everything.  Well I too think Castellana DF offers the best hamburgers in Madrid, on a par with New York even, and we had a great lunch in its comfy surroundings.  They even had gin tonics after lunch on the terrace but I’ve never been a one for gin tonics or for any kind of drink apart from wine with a meal.  We talked about my Motorola and Nokia days and of course how Yoigo is doing.  We had shared a lot of adventures together, mostly in my former companies and know the telecoms sector very well, so our conversation was interesting and dynamic.  It’s funny how companies come and go but people remain.  That is actually what I like best about the corporate world.

One Tuesday I went with Suzy to MediaMarkt to buy electrical appliances for their new flat.  MediaMarkt had two promotional days last week when you could buy without paying VAT, so she and Gaby took the opportunity to purchase a fridge, a washing machine and a dishwasher.  My contribution to their newly found independence was for appliances for their new domesticity.  They will now have to clean and wash for themselves so I thought I might as well help them a bit.  Thus, for just over 200 euros, we chose an iron, a chopping machine, a microwave, a juice maker, a toaster and a “minipimer” which I think is called a blender in English.

On Wednesday, the abuela (grandmother in Spanish) Ernestina, my mother-in-law turned 90.  I just hope I reach her age in the same state of physical and mental health and surrounded by a loving family.  To celebrate, the whole family was to gather on Saturday for a special birthday lunch in León.  Meanwhile Eladio rang her to wish her a great day which I’m sure she had.

On Wednesday I had my company medical.  To tell the truth in all the 5 years with the company I have never once done one.  There are two reasons, one being to have to go in at the crack of dawn on an empty stomach for a blood test.  The second is that I always dreaded the scales.  But this year I had no excuse as I already had some recent blood test results and of course I no longer dread the scales.  The test turned out to be pretty exhaustive including an electro cardiogram.  When the doctor saw the blood pressure results (12.6 and 62 bpm) she asked whether I was an athlete!  Actually I have always had a low blood count, the type athletes need to perform, so I wasn’t actually surprised when she asked the question although I was tickled pink to have results like that not long after my 55^th birthday.  Thus she pronounced me fit as a fiddle. Hopefully this is so because of having similar genes to my long living Father but it may also be because I am in good shape as I go for an hour long brisk walk nearly every day in the year and have been doing so for quite a few years now.  It’s nice to know I am as fit as a fiddle and I shall do my best to remain so too.

Thursday was International Women’s Day and brought with it the first Yoigo get together of the year, named by me Yoigo Mornings.  It was full house as usual.

There was a good turn out at the Yoigo morning on Thursday this week

People round the world were congratulating women and others were questioning that the very existence of the day denoted inequality.  Well of course it does, because inequality between mena and women has always existed and always will.  At the Chinese bank my niece works for, Sara, all the women at work were given a 200 euro tip to celebrate the day.  How nice!  I didn’t get anything.  However that day I did a good deed in that I helped a homeless woman who had just lost the flat she was living in, her boyfriend and her job to find another one.  I should say that my friend Fernando, equally touched by the story, helped Mónica to find the job. She will become what today’s El País call “ni mil eurista” (i.e. those who don’t even earn 1000 euros a month) but she will have a job and will be able to pay for some sort of shelter over her head. I felt good that day, having helped an anonymous woman from the comfort of my life at least a little bit.

In the afternoon, after my walk, I joined Olivia on a short shopping escapade to our local “mall”, Centro Oeste.  Here Oli stocked up on heaps of things, whilst, I just bought this beautiful flowery blazer from Zara.  I have so many clothes now, that I ask myself just when I’m going to wear it.

The flowery blazer I bought at Zara with Oli this week

On Friday I acquired yet another item I don’t need. At my local seamstress, García y Limón, in the high street of Villaviciosa, they have taken to selling custom made bags by the apparent ex workers of the Spanish luxury designer brand Loewe.  They sell, supposedly, just the same models but at 10 times less the price and without the logo.  So here I was happy to have ordered the very classical Amazonas model, which I have always wanted but could never afford at 1.400 euros which is what it costs in the original boutique in Madrid’s most expensive street, Calle Serrano.  And here it is. I’m no expert, but it looks great.

My new "Amazonas" bag, a copy of the famous Loewe handbag

Being Friday it was our night out.  Eladio wasn’t feeling very well and there was no particular film I wanted to watch so we just went out to dinner.  We chose the nearby De Brasa y Puchero and shared a plate of “patatas revolconas” (sort of mushy potatoes cooked in paprika with peppers) and a “sobrasada” delicious sausage.  Later we heard that the English restaurant, La Pérfida Albión, we frequent has shut down.  That’s now two of our favourite restaurants no longer available. We shall have to widen our choice by looking for new places. 

De Brasa y Puchero, the restaurant Eladio and I went to on Friday night

The next day, Saturday, was the highlight of the week.  Eladio, the girls and Gaby and I were off to León for my mother-in-law’s 90^th birthday.  We were to spend the night too.  It was very special to be going this time as for the first time in years the girls were coming too.  Needless to say we stopped off on route, as habit dictates, for a plate of ham and other cold cuts with delicious white wine at Palacio de Bornos in the Rueda wine growing town in the province of Valladolid.  I must say I love this place.  We also bought two boxes of wine for our wine cellar and some biscuits for my Father.

Eladio with "the girls" in Rueda on our way to León on Saturday

We got to León just before two and drove to Pili and Andrés’ house.  Soon the whole family was together at a new bar come restaurant in town called El Establo de Omaña (the stable of Omaña – the part of León where Montrondo is located).  It is owned by Roberto, the grandson of our neighbours in Montrondo and it is a delightful little place, decorated with a horse theme as befits its name.  Rosi, Roberto’s mother turned out to be a great cook.  She made a sort of thick fish and potato soup followed by the proverbial roast lamb which we always have at all our family celebration meals.

We were 24 gathered around a huge table, with Eladio’s Mother in the middle.

The young generation at the lunch on Saturday in León

A lovely photo Oli took of Suzy and I at the birthday lunch in León on Saturday

I had brought a box of party poppers, great little items to make any party festive and they were of course a success, although the table looked like a litter tip at the end!  The 24 of us represent quite four generations, from Diana (or Pitulines), Roberto and Ana’s two year old daughter, right up to my 90 year old mother-in-law. 

The older generation at El Establo de Omaña where the lunch took place on Saturday in León

Just after the second course Ernestina was given three bunches of flowers, one from Rosi, one from the grandchildren and three roses from her great grandchildren.  From us, adults, or the older generation, she was given a beautiful watch to replace the one she has probably worn forever. 

Happy Ernestina at her birthday lunch on Saturday

It was a wonderful meal and gathering and I, at least, liked the place so much I spoke to Rossi and her son Roberto about holding the family dinner there on New Year’s Eve.  Let’s hope we do.

Eladio wasn’t feeling very well.  So when he heard that José Antonio and Dolores were returning that very day, he decided we should leave with them.  The girls stayed behind and came back in our car today.  I was a bit upset as we were all having a great time, but understood of course.  So at just after 19h we set off home, José Antonio driving in the front with Eladio  and Dolores and I in the back with little Nuba, their delightful mongrel dog.

We caught Olga at home painting her nails in the lounge watching the television, but I decided to leave any conversation about that until later, as I was in no mood for telling her off.  She is so good with my Father but not very good with the cleaning I’m afraid.

Today has been quiet.  I think I have caught the beginnings of a cold from Eladio and just hope that we will be well by next Thursday when we will be going to Yorkshire for a long weekend, including my school reunion dinner. I can’t wait!

For me today is a quiet day but for the victims and families of the victims of the Madrid 2004 train bombs, today is the 8^th anniversary of that terrible event, the worst terrorist attack in the history of Spain.  Like all big events that touch your life, I always remember what I was doing at the time.  I was in Segovia with my fellow members of the marketing and communications team at Nokia, holding a goodbye dinner for my dear Finnish friend Anne. No doubt Anne will be remembering too that fatal next morning when we woke up and heard about the attack. 

And on that sad but unforgettable note, I wish you all a great week ahead.

Until next time

Masha

PS You can see the rest of the photos of this weekend's trip to León here

My Oscar goes to … , this year’s Mobile World Congress, home again, a visit to Suzy’s new flat, farewell Gustavo, the week I discovered Jackie Evancho, Spanish treasure, and other things.

Me at this year's Mobile World Congress

Hello everyone,

It’s Sunday again, another week has gone by and it’s nearly spring.  My week has been great but exhausting and I am still feeling tired after this year’s participation in the biggest mobile fair in the world, a sort of huge circus that takes place every year in Barcelona, the Mobile World congress. 

This time last Sunday I was on the high speed train to Barcelona, along with many other Spanish participants, including my best friend Fátima with whom I worked both in Motorola and Nokia.  That night, while we were having dinner at one of my favourite places, El Merendero de la Mari in the Port Vell, this year’s Oscars were being awarded.

And the Oscarfor best actress went to Meryl Streep, as most people had predicted, for her magnificent role as Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady”.  I was pleased for her as I always am for women stars in their 50’s and 60’s.  They all look so good these days and are a sort of role model for me, to keep on looking good. I had lots of compliments this year in Barcelona for my new figure and looks where a lot of thanks are due to Dr. Dukan but also to my other role models, my beautiful young daughters. I for one, hope to look as good as Meryl Streep when I reach 62.

The eternal Meryl Streep won this year's Best Actress Oscar for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady

As also predicted The Artist, that funny French silent film in black and white, won 5 of the top Oscars.  Hugo, by Martin Scorsese, won another 5.  One film which didn’t win an Oscar but had many nominations was War Horse by Steven Spielberg.  I went to see it with Eladio on Friday and loved every minute of it, but then I am a sucker for animals and war films.  You could call it “cheesy” but then I love sentimental cheesy films.  It was a wonderful creation, the story of a beautiful horse called Joey, set in Devon in England and its adventures in the cruel World War I.  It now belongs to my top ten films, the type you can watch over and over again.  So, my Oscar this year goes to Joey and his wonderful young owner Albert, played by the young English actor, Jeremy Irvine, in this epic film by Steven Spielberg.

War Horse by Steven Spielberg got my Oscar for this year's best film

I have digressed writing about the Oscars and should tell you about Sunday, our first and most relaxing day spent in Barcelona last week.  Upon arrival at the train station we took a taxi to our hotel, the Diplomatic where all the TeliaSonera delegates had a room.  The hotel is run of the mill but fine, the sort of hotel which could be anywhere in the world. Its salient feature is that it’s very central, on Pau Claris,  a stone’s throw from the Paseo de Gracia street, possibly Barcelona’s most elegant thoroughfare where all the best shops can be found and some wonderful buildings such as Gaudi’s Casa Battlo and Casa Mila, the city’s most well known architectural gems. 

As soon as we had settled in, unpacked and connected our pcs to internet (via my modem as the hotel’s wifi signal was very weak), we took a taxi to Port Vell (old port) to the area by Pau Villa where there are a string of wonderful open air restaurants.  The sun was shining and the place was bustling with people, both local, as well as tourists and many delegates from the Mobile World Congress (MWC).  Thus we didn’t get a table at Cal Pinxo until well past 15.30 but we didn’t mind as time that day was not a constraint.  We had the first of the three fidueas I was to consume during my stay.  It’s a dish very similar to paella but made with thin noodles and boy is it good. 

Fideua, a delicious sort of paella made with noodles

To work off the wonderful lunch, we decided to walk to the Fira to register for our MWC badges.  The crowds grew thinner as walked our way up the Paralelo Avenue and were amazed to see that we took nearly an hour and a half to do so.  Just as we reached the Plaza de España where the Fira is located we came upon the huge Yoigo building poster featuring my phone, the excellent Samsung Galaxy S2, so we had to stop here for a photo session to mark the happy moment.  My mind took me back to the first time I came to the MWC with Yoigo, 5 years ago when we were just starting and were a very small player in the market.  Who could have predicted then that just 5 years later we would be a profitable company with over 3 million customers?  The huge poster made me smile at the success story of the great little fighting brand operator I am proud to work for.

Yoigo's presence was certainly noticed at this year's MWC

We took a taxi back to our hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon working.  Later I joined my other TeliaSonera colleagues at the traditional get together which took place this year at Taller de Tapas.  However I didn’t stay for dinner as that would have meant leaving Fátima all on her own.  So as I said earlier, we had dinner at El Merendero de la Marí, right next to Cal Pinxo.  We were in bed early as we would both be in need of a good night’s sleep to face the busy few days coming up.  Fátima was staying in my room as she had been unable to find accommodation until Tuesday night.  It was great to be together again and reminded us of our cycling tour days when Motorola had a team, starring none less than the Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong.  However I was not to get much sleep thanks to my friend’s very heavy snoring.  I am a very light sleeper anyway and any noise, however slight, will keep me awake so the nights were torturous, despite the foam ear plugs I had brought with me.  The next day I bought some wax ones which worked slightly better.  But it wasn’t until Tuesday night that I got some decent slumber. 

Monday morning was spent working from our room.  Well not quite.  At one stage I took the opportunity to get a hair do as well as the luxury of having my nails painted, red, of course, after which I ventured into my favourite shop Zara where I bought two lovely jackets, one white and one pink.  It was very warm in Barcelona and the clothes I had brought were far too wintery.  Any excuse will do for shopping in Zara is the actual truth!

The pink jacket I bought at Zara in Barcelona this week

Every time I bumped into acquaintances or friends they often remarked how busy I must be.  In actual fact that wasn’t true as most of the work had already been done before getting to Barcelona and in a way I was there just to see it executed.  The activities I had prepared were multiple.  First we had a blogger group hosted by Yoigo and accompanied by my team from our PR Agency, Ketchum, then we had a Carnaval party organized for the bloggers and Yoigo shop owners on the Tuesday and lastly on the Wednesday, we were to celebrate our annual press conference, possibly our most important media event of the year. As all the work was done, previous to coming, I was able to relax and just see the activities roll out to perfection, thanks to good organization and two wonderful teams of people from our PR Agency, Ketchum and my events agency QuintaEsencia.  

For me the Mobile World Congress is all about meeting old and new colleagues and Monday lunch was a highlight as I had a date with Keka, a colleague from Nokia who I first got to know when she started as a very young trainee and I was able to help her in her beginnings.  Being a very clever and pretty girl, Keka went on to shine professionally when she went to live in Finland and then London.  After leaving Nokia she had a stint in Nepal and India, countries that have left a mark on her and today she is living quietly in her native Santiago as a writer, author and coach.  It was great to see her again after so much time and catch up on our lives over another wonderful fideua again at El Merendero de la Mari.

With Keka at lunch one day this week at the MWC

I was to see her again that night, this time at the fabulous Yoigo Carnaval party held at Cachitos, a great little bar on the Rambla de Cataluña.  I think you know I hardly ever enjoy my own professional parties but this time it was different.  I enjoyed the whole evening, talking and mixing with shop owners, bloggers, colleagues and contacts from some of our suppliers, as well as friends like Keka and also my dear Turkish engineer friend Berk whom I once dreamed would marry my daughters. But that was not to be. You can see what a great party it was if you click on this link to see the photos.

With Gloria (left) and Bea (right) at our Carnaval party in Barcelona this week. I remarked we could have been at a playboy party instead because of our head gear hahaha

On Tuesday morning I worked again with Fátima from our room but soon had to leave to attend the TeliaSonera press conference at the Fair.  It was to be hosted by my old boss Thomas J, from Nokia who today is head of external communication with TeliaSonera.  Isn’t the world a small place?  I felt sorry for my TeliaSonera communications colleagues who fell foul to a breakdown in electricity and thus the whole press conference had to take place without the use of microphones or power points.  If that had happened to me, I would have “died” but the Swedes seemed to take the whole situation quite philosophically. 

Because of the lack of electricity the press conference was cut very short and I was able to get away to have lunch with my two best friends and ex colleagues, Julio and Fátima.  This was to be my last fideua at Cal Pinxo.  If you are worried about my weight, don’t be as I am back into the Dukan diet fold this week hahahaha.

It was on Tuesday when I got to see some of the fair.  In the morning I made a beeline for what feels like home when I’m at the MWC, the Nokia Siemens Networks hall.  Here I greeted old colleagues like Antonio, Julio, Pentti, Paloma and dear Emilio B.  It’s always great to see them.  In the afternoon I visited the Nokia stand and was happy to see they were back at the fair after a few years absence.  Here I greeted Kaisa, Solange, Kristina, Mark, Claire, Xavier, Anna, Ben and it was lovely to see them and catch up on how things are today in communications at Nokia.  But it was even lovelier to bump into Jesús S, my dearest colleague at Motorola who now lives in Miami. Fittingly my dearest colleague from Nokia, Julio, took this lovely photo of us both. Jesús who turned 50 this year, remarked that when he first joined Motorola he was just 29.  Wow that takes me back a while.

With Jesús S, one of my favourite Motorola colleagues on the Nokia stand at the MWC this week

As to the fair itself, at the beginning of this week’s post, I referred to it as a sort of giant circus and that is literally what it is.  Some 60.000 delegates attended this year and goodness knows how many firms, some known some not.  The noise around the fair and the bustle are at times a little too much.  I think what most caught my attention was the Pegasus horse made of mobile phones.  If you looked closer you could see it was made by the Chinese manufacturer Huawei and it is really a work of art.  I had my picture taken with Pablo X who heads up sales at Huawei Spain and is Chinese.  I think it was the most photographed thing at the fair.

The amazing Pegasus horse made with mobile phones with Pablo X from Huawei

Most delegates, and they were from all over the world, with many representatives from Asia, were busy snapping at all the tablets and mobile phones on display.  As you can imagine, the latter don’t really seduce me after so many years in the sector.  What I thought worth photographing were other things, such as the enormous taxi queues, a Japanese lady dressed in a kimono, promoting her restaurant in town, anti capitalist demonstrators, a bit like at Davos, a woman shouting against the use of coltan in mobile phones and funniest of all, two elderly gentlemen offering accommodation in far away Sitges for 150 euros per “nigth” as they spelled it. It seems there are enormous parallel activities trying to cash in on the well off delegates.  They were a sight to see and hear.

Everyone gets on the MWC bandwagon in Barcelona.  Here, two elderly gentlemen offering accommodation in far away Sitges for 150 euros per "nigth" hahahaha

Tuesday was all about meeting people; thanks to Julio I even met the General Manager of Google Spain who has the same name as Spain’s last President, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and causes havoc when he makes a restaurant reservation.  It was also full of social events.  At 18h I had an appointment at the huge Ericsson hall where I was to meet up with our bloggers before the annual party started.  Here I met three charming Indians from Kerala who now live in Stockholm working for Ericsson.  They have developed communication via the human body and showed me how when they took a photo of me with a phone, just by my touching the back of it, the picture showed up on a screen behind us.  That was mind blowing and I was delighted it had been invented by the three delightful Indians whom I told I loved their country and remembered to say “Namaste”. I’m not sure whether they thought I was mad as a hatter.

Three delightful Indian engineers who work for Ericsson.

A little later I escaped from the party and left the Swedes and their colleagues beginning dinner at the unearthly hour of just past 18h, to get ready for a private dinner I had arranged for my team from Ketchum, QuintaEsencia and other Yoigo colleagues at the more reasonable time of 21h (no one has dinner earlier in spain).  We had the most delicious dinner at La Venta at the top of Barcelona in an area called Tibidabo at what turned out to be the most enjoyable and relaxing event of the week, so much so that I even forgot to take any photographs.

On Tuesday night I got my best night’s sleep as Fátima had left, so I was up feeling fresh and full of energy the next morning which was good as our press conference was taking place at 10.  It was great to arrive just after 9.30 to find everything ready and beautifully prepared by my teams from Ketchum and QuintaEsencia.  We held it at lovely bar called Mordisco and the setting was perfect; a lovely glass roofed room with a table in the middle heavily laid with fabulous fruit and other breakfast delicacies. 

Everything was perfectly prepared for our press conference on Wednesday at Mordisco in Barcelona

Soon the place was heaving with colleagues, bloggers and journalists.  Thankfully the turnout was excellent with some 35 representatives from the media.  If you consider the size of the fair and the amount of information shared by all the exhibitors, we were lucky to get our own share of voice in the middle of such bedlam.  That day we were announcing our objectives for 2012, some great new flat tariffs, but the most important news was the launch of a mobile voice over IP voucher.  For just 6 euros a month our customers will be able to use applications like skype or viber on their mobile phones, for the equivalent of 1 cent per minute, a bit of a revolution in the sector and something very new for Spain.  I was very pleased to follow the online coverage after the event which continued through the day and offline the next day.  As we are very innovative in Yoigo we also tweeted and posted the news on Twitter and Facebook (and on Google+ and Tuenti) during the conference itself and as we did it I thought just how the way I communicate has changed since I first started in the trade.  Everything these days is fast and immediate.

Our journalists hung around for an hour or so after the press conference, talking to us and writing the news and enjoying the food.  In a way it was a bit like a party.  Something happened on Wednesday that has never happened before; the journalists and bloggers actually clapped when the conference finished.  I think they enjoy themselves thoroughly when they are with us.  Why ever they did it, it felt good.

Soon I was rushing back to my hotel to pick up my three pieces of luggage to take a taxi to catch the 13h high speed train back to Madrid.  As on the outbound journey, I coincided with many colleagues and other familiar faces on the way back.  I spent most of the journey working, sending out the releases to the staff, uploading photos, replying to emails and the 2.45h trip went past in a flash. 

I was home just after 16h where I was greeted by Eladio, Suzy and my Father.  Very soon I was off with Suzy to see her new flat in nearby Villanueva de la Cañada. She and Gaby will be living in a very modern block of flats built specially for young people and subsidized by the local authorities.  They reminded me of student accommodation in the UK, the difference being that these colourful Lacasito (name for the equivalent of smarties in Spain) flats are spotlessly clean and have all the latest finishings. 

Suzy outside the colourful block of flats she will be living in in Villanueva de la Cañada

The flats are small but cosy and have lots of light because of their enormous windows.  They have a kitchen come lounge, one tiny bedroom, one larger bedroom and luxury of luxuries, two bathrooms, as well as lots of cupboard space.  They are not furnished so Suzy and Gaby probably won’t be moving in until the beginning of May as they need to get all sorts of things before they finally make the move.  I can feel from Susana that she is very excited about going to live in the new flat but at the same time a little sad about leaving home.  I think we all share the same feeling.  You can see the rest of the photos I took of our visit to her new flat here.

The next day, Thursday, I had to go to the office for an important meeting which kept being rescheduled to 30 minutes later which meant I missed lunch at home.  Thankfully though I was able to go for a walk with Eladio, the only one this week unfortunately, unless you count last Sunday with Fátima in Barcelona.

On Friday I was finally able to relax.  I went food shopping with Eladio in the morning and then I had another lunch date. But it wasn’t any lunch date, it was a goodbye lunch for Gustavo.  Gustavo has worked for me as the head of the PR team at Ketchum since the summer of 2006 since when he has grown professionally into the best PR executive you could ever dream of if you are a Communications Director like me.  He is leaving to work for another agency where he will head up the account for a big car manufacturer and I don’t think he knows just how much I will miss him.  He is not only a good professional but a lovely dependable and reliable person who never loses his nerve whatever the situation is.  So he deserved the best kind of send off we could give him.  With the help of the girls from QuintaEsencia and Carlos from Ketchum, we devised a lovely goodbye kit and an album of photos of his times on the Yoigo account. 

Gustavo's (in the middle holding the album) goodbye lunch on Friday

We went to a great place called El Bogavante de Almirante (lobster joint) and one of my surprises was a pack of party poppers.  Needless to say the table looked a picture at the end of the lunch.  Luckily Carlos will take Gustavo’s place and Isabel too will continue to work on the account.  Of course, they will miss him too.  But as he said in a lovely message he sent to me afterwards, he will miss me as a customer but has gained me as a friend.  I too have gained a friend.  Farewell Gustavo, I wish you all the luck in the world in the next step of your career.  You can see the other photos I took at the lunch here on this link.

The lunch didn’t finish until past 5 and I had to be home on time to go to the cinema with Eladio to see War Horse which was starting at 7pm.  Because of an accident on the way home, I had to take another way and ended up getting lost.  Thus I was home a little late and we got to the cinema just as the wonderful epic film was starting.  Afterwards we went to dinner to Fosters Hollywood, as our favourite, La Alpargatería has closed down.  It’s a poor substitute I must say.

Saturday and Sunday have been very quiet but there have been nice family lunches and it’s great to be home again.  I needed the peace and quiet in order to recover after so much activity in Barcelona from where I came home exhausted.

So, yes the week has been great.  However I am grateful that next week there are no trips planned and I can enjoy a few days of routine.  

It has also been the week I discovered a star, a 10 year old girl called Jackie Evancho who sings like an angel.  Whilst we were listening to my favourite songs on Spotify in our room in Barcelona, Fátima mentioned her.  Jackie Evancho, a beautiful, well mannered little girl from Penssylvania became famous after singing on the America’s Got Talent show last year where she came surprisingly number two and not number one. Since then she has gone on to make various albums and has sung none other than for President Obama.  Her style is what they call classical crossover and I love it.  She reminds me of Charlotte Church, although Jackie’s soprano operatic voice seems even stronger.  You look at this little girl and wonder how she can have the voice of a 30 year old opera singer.  If she can sing like this at the age of 10 or 11, I cannot begin to imagine what her voice will be like when she reaches 30. If you haven’t heard of her, just listen to her here on You Tube and I know you will agree with me that a star has been born. 

This was the week I discovered Jackie Evancho

Apart from being the week I discovered Jackie Evancho, it was also the week treasure returned to Spain and not just any treasure. Last Saturday saw the end of a journey that the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes ship started towards Spain in 1804.  The ship sunk after an attack by English ships when it approached the Portuguese coast.  200 people died and the sea swallowed its huge treasure of gold and silver that had come from Peru. Years later the 600.000 silver and gold coins were salvaged by an American treasure hunting ship called Odyssey who thought the treasure was theirs for keeping. However the Spanish authorities entered legal proceedings and in a way won the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes last battle when the treasure was returned to Spain.  I had hoped that it would help to improve the Spanish economy as it is worth thousands of millions of euros, but apparently not.  It will be considered historical heritage and as I write is being cleaned and polished and restored for later exhibition in some maritime museum.  The story has been in the news for days and the main angle is that Spanish treasure is being returned to its right owners.  But I ask myself whether that is really so and that perhaps the Peruvian authorities may think otherwise. 



The treasure from the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes ship, sunk in 1804 was finally returned to Spain last week

And on that note of a tale of naval history, I end this week’s blog.  I wish you all a great week and will be back next Sunday.

Masha

PS You can see all my photos of Barcelona here.

The girlies are back, the story behind Dr. Zhivago and other things

My girlies having a whale of a time in Africa.  In this picture with their guide Moses.

Hi everyone.  

 

 

It is Saturday and we are all at home but not for long as tomorrow I will be off to Barcelona for the annual telecoms conference, the so called Mobile World Congress.  That is why I am writing this week’s blog on a Saturday.  So let’s look back at how the week has been.

Let me start from last Saturday when I forgot to record that it was Whitney Houston’s funeral in New Jersey.  Whilst that was happening I was watching, along with many other Spanish spectators, the rerun of the marvelous film, The Bodyguard which brought her so much fame.  In fact her co star, Kevin Kostner, was at the funeral and said that he had been her bodyguard.  If you haven’t seen the film I highly recommend it.

Whitney Houston

Sunday was quite a highlight in our week.  We had visitors for lunch, our friends Benito and Loli whom we first met when we “lived in sin”, as it was called in the early 80’s in the Saconia area of Madrid.  We always talk about those days with Benito and Loli and often refer to them as the happiest days of our lives.  We were as poor as church mice, starting off in our careers but were ecstatic with joy at our new found independence and life together.

Benito and Loli came for lunch last Sunday

Of note on Sunday, the Real Madrid basketball team beat Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey.  That was a sort of compensation for Barcelona being a better football team.  They are, indeed, the eternal rivals, as are the two cities.

Sunday was also the night of the Spanish film awards, called “Los Goya”.  The film that got most awards is called “No habrá paz para los malvados” (there will be no peace for the evil) with José Coronado being awarded best actor for his part in the same film.  Pedro Almodovar who was attending for the first time in years, did not do so well for his “La piel que habita” (the skin that lives) which got three minor prizes.  Best foreign film went to The Artist, that funny French black and white and silent film which seems to be winning awards the world over and which I, for one, will not be going to see.  

José Coronado got best actor award at this year's Spanish film awards, Los Goya.

To wrap up Sunday, that was the day I discovered and started using the new social network for photos called Pinterest.  I’m not sure I can take another social network, what with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but time will tell.  A communications colleague, David, commented on Facebook the other day that a communications director he knows had warned that social networks were just a passing phase.  I’m afraid I totally disagree.  They will continue and they will develop and will not disappear.  Meantime, try out Pinterest and see for yourselves.

On Monday I was in Madrid with Eladio.  He wanted to pick up his Father’s 1940s radio which was being repaired and I was returning a handbag, a wonderful birthday gift, from that very exclusive shop, Loewe.  It’s probably the only time I have ever been there for something more substantial than a scarf or a perfume.  The prices are scandalous.  The shop is on Madrid’s  most exclusive street, Calle Serrano, where nobody seemed to notice the crisis or worry about the Government’s recent labour reform.  

After a coffee together, we parted ways as I had a lunch appointment with Víctor.  Víctor and I go way back, having met when I worked at Motorola in the mid 90’s and he was in the PR agency which worked for us, Perception and Image.  When I moved to Nokia I worked with Perception and we coincided again.  Víctor is now leaving the agency, he more or less created, after some 15 years there.  He is a great professional and even better sort of person with two qualities that I admire most: intelligence and a great sense of humour.  No doubt he will continue to be successful at whatever he attempts to do now.  In any case I wish him the best of luck in this new stage of his career.  I must mention we had lunch at a wonderful new place, for me, called Wagaboo, where they offer “fun food” with a mix of Asian and fusion cuisine.

On Tuesday the girls were arriving home at lunchtime but I was to miss it as I had two meetings at work and a business lunch, mostly for preparations for our participation in the Mobile World Congress next week.  I was only able to get home at about 6 and greet the very tired and slightly ill Olivia, as Suzy had left with Gaby to go and choose one of the flats they had been awarded.  It was not until dinner that we were all together.  Olivia was falling asleep over Olga’s excellent tortilla and had to leave us to go to bed as she would have to be up the next day at 6 to go to work.  My advice to both girls was to add an extra settling in day to their holidays in the future.  It was wonderful to see them so brown and hear their adventures and see their photos.  They have had an amazing experience.  You can see their companion Rocío’s photos in this link and judge for yourselves.  Ah and here are Suzy's too,

The girls in Zanzibar with their friends.  From back  left to right: Elena and Oli and from front left to right Suzy and Rocío

Oli happy as a sandboy with African children in Zanzibar

On Wednesday I worked from home.  That afternoon Eladio was giving for the first time a class at the UNED (Spanish open university) via video conference, something he had been preparing for weeks and had kept him awake at night as this was so new to him.  Well, as you can imagine, he passed this personal test with flying colours.  He went on to do another video conference lecture on Thursday evening and came home feeling very confident about the whole process.  I was very proud of him.

That night, Thursday, the girls had a birthday dinner with their cousins in Madrid.  Our niece Paula was turning 24.  Happy birthday dear Paula.  My contribution was a packet of party poppers bought recently online at this great page (Partyrama.co.uk) at ridiculously low prices.

The party poppers I ordered from www.partyrama.co.uk

Meanwhile Eladio and I were watching Doctor Zhivago, one of my favourite films of all times"  It was shown on TVE1 and even though we have the DVD I wanted to watch it once again.  How can I begin to describe why I adore this love story set in the Russian Revolution with Omar Sharif and Julie Christie made in 1965 under the direction of David Lean, the same director as for another legendary film, Bridge over the River Kwai. 

The incredibly beautiful Julie Christie who starred in Dr. Zhivago as the lovely and troubled Lara

Omar Sharif and Julie Christie as Dr. Zhivago and Lara in David Lean's 1965 film 

It is not just any love story.  It is the film adaptation of the book with the same name written by the Russian author Boris Pastarnak.  He won the Nobel literature prize for this book which was banned in the USSR.  Furthermore, as writer “in disgrace” he was not allowed to travel to Stockholm to receive the prize.  

Boris Pastarnak, the author of Dr. Zhivago which earned him the Nobel Literature prize which the Russian authorities forbid him to receive.

This, of course, made his book even more attractive in the Soviet Russia.  At the time my parents were visiting Moscow, hosted by the then head of the USSR Writers Union, a man called Alexei Surkov, a poet himself.  I have found literally no reference to him on internet unfortunately and can now only rely on my Father’s memories of him.  In their visit in the mid sixties, my Mother's first to her homeland, he took my parents to his Dacha outside Moscow.  It was here that he gave my parents a forbidden present, an ancient Russian icon which today graces one of the walls in our dining room.  It had been hidden away and covered in newspaper and the string marks can still be found in this pre revolutionary icon.  It was not allowed to take icons out of Russia and Surkov had told my parents that if they had any problems at customs to say who had given it to them and to give them his telephone number.  Thankfully my parents' luggage was not inspected. Surkov was famous at the time for being the man who stopped Pasternak from travelling to Oslo or Stockholm for the Nobel Prize.  He told my parents that he was Boris Pasternak’s henchman, an apt description. It was to Alexei Surkov that my Mother turned to when she first wanted to publish her Father’s poetry.  Her Father, Prince Andrei Lieven, had written poetry, just like Dr. Zhivago, I can imagine, and which my Mother loved since she read them with him as a young girl. Surkov took one look and pronounced the word: “traditional”.  It was obvious that they would not come under favour with the regime of the time, just as Dr. Zhivago’s poems to “Lara” were also banned, as you will know if you have read the book or seen the film.  The film, amazingly, was made in Spain, in Soria, Madrid and Salamanca.  I can hardly imagine there would be so much snow here as in Siberia.  My Mother loved the film but I always remember her saying there were lots of mistakes in its making and she was referring to the Russian religion and customs, something that annoyed her immensely.  I, of course, having been born in the west, would not notice any of them.  Then of course, there is the wonderful sound track, Lara’s theme which was a huge hit at the time.  My brother used to play it on the piano, something I can never forget.

So you see, it is probably because of all these memories, together with my Russian roots that I relate so much to the story and film, Dr. Zhivago.  

Friday was a lovely sunny day.  Olivia joined us in our afternoon walk with the dogs and in the evening we all went out to dinner.  The dinner was my belated family birthday dinner out, as the girls were not here for my birthday.  We went to the English restaurant, I have written about before here, La Pérfida Albión (The Perfidious Albion) in nearby Pozuelo. Here we girls feasted on fish and chips whilst the men, Eladio and Gaby, preferred the Lancashire hot pot!  

My belated birthday dinner last night with Eladio, the girls and Gaby.  It was great to be together

And that was more or less the week.  Today Saturday will be spent with the family.  Luckily for me the girls want to spend the day with me as they have missed me and I will be going away tomorrow.  So I look forward to a nice family lunch with Olga’s excellent lasaña and to shopping with the girls this afternoon.  It really is great to have them back.

And that’s it, my friends for this week.  More news from me next week.  

All the best Masha