Chinese food

Hello!
Do you like chinese food?
In my opinion, a restaurant called "Out of China" serves good food. The so called dim sum is excellent...
It's located in Muntaner, 100 (between València and Mallorca) and the owner, called Chempy, speaks perfect catalan. She is very nice!
My favourite dish, besides dim sum, is noodles with cheese and shrimp. Try it! You'll love it!
It is not expensive and there's a relaxed and nice atmosphere...
You'll tell me if you've liked it.
Regards,
Reyes

UAB Level C: A new proposal: eating

UAB Level C: A new proposal: eating: "Would you like to write about places where you can have a nice meal in the city? You would like to try a new bar or restaurant in the city....."

A new proposal: eating

Would you like to write about places where you can have a nice meal in the city? You would like to try a new bar or restaurant in the city... Here it is the opportunity to share some information about these places where we enjoy eating!

I’ll start with La Plata, a small bar in 28 Mercè Street. It is between Central Post Office and Mercè Square, in the old city. They are specialist in fried anchovies. It is the perfect place to go at midday or between eight and ten at night. After working o before going to the cinema, you can eat a plate of sardine, some olives, an onions and tomatoes salad and a piece of bread with botifarra, drinking a beer or a glass of red wine... And that’s all they have!

This bar is the kind of those which are specialists in a product, like the Tomàs with the "patatas bravas" in Sarrià, have you ever been there?

Good things in summer days

In July I had travelling plans, but my feet injury recommended: “No way, it’s time to relax”. So, I spent most of the days of August in friends and family’s houses. And that was a perfect excuse to recuperate some old tasks I had had forgotten them. Like this one: do some tomatoes canned in summer!

Look at the colour, the texture… you can almost taste it! Even certainly most of you already know how to do it, I think maybe there’s somebody who has no idea. Consequently, I’m going to explain how my family usually do it. We all got up at seven in the morning, because summer time usually is very hot in Valencia. If other case, flies would be annoying all the time, flying around the tomatoes. Firstly, you have to boil the skin tomatoes. This boiling makes easier to peel them. If you don’t want to hurt your hands, you should wait some minutes to refresh them.

Secondly, you have to push them into a glass jars, and closes it. At the same time, you have a huge pot with water in the fire to boil the jars. They have to be boiling about 40 minutes. Then, you just have to wait them to cool, and take care of them until next winter!

It’s a brilliant idea, especially in a city like Barcelona, where each year is more difficult to find tasty tomatoes in a reasonable price! And finally, despite my initials reservations, I had a great time!

New York, interesting people

The first time I was in New York I had the same feelings as Marc told. A mix of surprise and dejà-vu. I was excited every time I saw peculiar people, because New York is plenty of interesting people. When you are in New York you can take pictures to a naked cowboy in the middle of the street or is possible to talk with an old man with a pink dress worried about his puppy dressed with the same clothes as him.
I took this picture in Central Park, in Strawberry Fields. This is a place really near from Dakota building, the place were John Lennon was murdered. And at this place it's site a memorial to John Lennon. When I arrived there, I was exhausted and I decided to rest a bit. Lots of people were taking a few minutes looking at the memorial, taking some pictures and leaving quickly the area, looking for more touristic places to visit. Suddenly I saw the man of the picture and I thought that he looked like The Big Lebowski. It's not only that he looks like this character, is more than this. Is his dog, the music, the flowers, his apparence or all together but suddently I thought that he was there for any important reason. I stayed there long enough and I left relaxed with the feeling that I had honored the memory of John Lennon. Some days later, when I was in Barcelona I remembered this man, I searched Strawberry fields on internet and I found that: http://wn.com/The_Mayor_of_Strawberry_Fields_Gary_has_lived_at_John_Lennon%27s_Imagine_Memorial_for_14_years

He's been living there for the last forteen years! Pfuà!

Pica d'Estats

If you are a kind of outdoor person and love mountaineering, probably you've already climbed Pica d’Estats.The most Catalonia’s emblematic mountain. Although there are several normal routes to get there, the past year a bunch of pals and me decided to avoid normal itineraries and take an alternative trail, wilder that went through forgotten tracks . We put on 15 Kg rucksack on our back and started our hike. That day, the weather wasn’t good and there was a strong wind blowing. After a hard hiking and getting lost for two times we arrived to the Shelter of Baborte .Pic.1 It took a certain amount of arranging but we managed to settle down in relative comfort and ate supper by the light of our head torchs; as music we had the strong wind.

Next day we awaked at 5 a.m. and climb up into the daylight rather into the dark, thus we put on our headlamps and went ahead. Today, the weather was changing for the better and this time we did our route whithout too much troubles. After dark, fortunately we reached the “Boarte Shelter”. pic.2
My god! What a luxurious one!. Inside, a table with benches!. From here and after hiking a little we got the summit. The end of our little expedition was one long party.

Go to the mountains off season by this kind of paths was much more adventurous, lonelier and certainly a little bit dangerours, however, for me, was enourmously satisfactory and best of all cleared my mind and soul from daily servitudes and official atmosphere.

HANDS

Once upon a time the left hand of my godson Miguel and my own left hand.

He was only 6 “month”-old at that time, now is evidently older, he is 1 y-o.

Notice the differences, apparently are completely different, but only apparently and only in size.

In fact, even if it could hard to believe a small hand as Miguel one has exactly the same anatomical structures like my own hand.

Evidently size and manual ability are achieved with growing and training. It isn’t wonderful?

odd meal

First of all I would like to say that my collaboration lacks the intention to offend anyone, but talking about odd things when you are abroad, and regarding dogs, here is my photograph. It’s dog meat!..... I recognise that it could be a bit disgusting, but it was one of my experiences when I went to Vietnam two years ago. Before visiting that wonderful Country, I had heard that vietnamese people ate dog meat, also I had saw dogs in cages in some little towns, that's why I asked a young vietnamese man about it, and he explained us that it was true, and if we wanted, he could come with us to a specific restaurant where we could taste it. And as I’m very curious and I love to know and learn about the culture of the places that I visit….. We accepted!
At first we felt really uncomfortable, because the restaurant was located in a typical neighbourhood where you’ll never see tourists wandering, but then when we arrived at the restaurant it was worse, because all people stared at us as if we were aliens…… Then the critical moment arrived: to order the meal and to try it…. I should confess that by and large I don’t like meat, so I didn’t expect something yummy, but although I only ate 1 mm2 it was better than I thought, even it was good!

Nika

Hello! My name is Nika but sometimes I’m called Nikita. I was born in Vallvidrera three months ago but now I live at Reyes’ parents’ house. I like it there because there are two more dogs although they are kind of old and they don’t like playing with me; they get tired very quickly.
My teeth hurt and so I bite whatever I find at reach…trousers, shoes, and slippers. I don’t want to harm anybody and that is why I don’t understand when they punish or shout at me. Humans are difficult, don’t you agree?
My favorite days are Saturdays and Sundays when Reyes’ nephews and nieces come and they play with me; it’s funny and I always have a good time with them. I enjoy running after them and when they take me for long walks in the afternoons. It’s very pleasant to wander in the streets; I have a sense of freedom that I can’t reach at home. They also give me biscuits that are what I like most.
I have an easy and pleasant life but I know that when I grow up I will have to take care of the house and I will be supposed to bark if somebody walks near the gate. Meanwhile I try to be happy and not to think about future. I don’t want to take responsibilities as I know they’ll come for sure.

The "flipside" of NYC

I went to New York City last year for the first time in my life. It really was like walking onto a movie set, I felt as if I knew the place and had seen it all before, but that didn't spoil the fun. I was always a fan of those movies set in New York in the 70s and 80s that showed New Yorkers doing everyday things - their conversations, their arguments, their visits to street vendors, their walks around the city etc. What I realised then was that there were a lot of peculiar people over there.

I quickly got wrapped up in that side of the city after a few days being there. I saw so many odd things that I decided to keep a photo diary of it all. I went out every morning in search of the oddballs.

Here's one example. This guy with the bike and trailer. I just couldn't believe he would cart his dog around on the trailer. Was there something up with it? Was it lazy? I just had to stop him and find out. He told me that bike theft was rife in Manhattan and that he didn't know a single thief that would nick his bike with his brute of a dog on the trailer. That certainly is true. Then off he walked into the grocery store leaving this brute of an animal staring at me, daring me to try to nick his bike. I didn't dare of course! It makes a good picture, don't you think?

"Flipside" is an American word. It can mean "the other side" or "tomorrow". In this case I want to express that NYC has "another side" not just the famous landmarks.