Koli

Este lugar está considerada como la postal típica de Finlandia, la vista de Koli, el punto mas alto del sur de Finlandia, no supera los 400 metros, pero no le hace falta mas para ser un sitio de visita obligada si estás cerca. Impresionante. Aún no puedo colgar fotos mejores, porque olvide el software de la cámara, pero mietras tanto tengo ésta que podeis ver mas abajo. Había oido cosas de este sitio, pero hasta que no lo ves no sabes que puedes esperar. Aqui está, señoras y señores: Koli, (con un ser humano estorbando la vista).


This place is considered to be the typical postcard of Finland, Koli's sight, the highest point of the southern Finland, it does not overcome 400 meters, but it does not need more to be a place of obliged visit if you are nearby. Impressive. I cannot upload better photos yet, because I forgot the software of the camera, but, meanwhile, I have this one you can see at the top of this text. I had heard opinions about this place, but until you do not see it, you do not know what can you expect. Here it is, ladies and gentlemen: Koli, (with a human being hindering the sight).

La Pedriza, a magical place about 60 km away from Madrid

And finally, the destination is...... Joensuu

Por fin, he sido elegido para cursar estudios de doctorado, para continuar con mi carrera científica. Mi destino final es la Universidad de Joensuu, en Finlandia, para que veais donde está, la he señalado en el mapa con un rectángulo. La verdad es que está lejos comparado con donde estuve anteriormente, en Vantaa, cerca de Helsinki. Es un proyecto muy bueno, con unas condiciones también muy buenas y espero que además todo lo exterior al "trabajo" sea excelente. Ha sido todo muy rápido y me marcho el 10 de abril, habiendo recibido la noticia el 8 de marzo. No hay tiempo para apenas nada. Así que por fin lo he conseguido. Espero que me vaya todo bien.

Finally, I have been chosen to enrol doctorate studies, to continue with my scientific career. My final destination is the University of Joensuu, in Finland, I have signallled it on the map with a rectangle for a better understanding of where it is. The truth is that it is quite far away from where I lived previously in my first stay in Finland, in Vantaa, near Helsinki. It is a very good project, with also good conditions, and I hope everything out of the"job" will be excellent. Everything has happened very fast and I leave the 10th of April, receiving the e-mails with the news on march, 8th. There is barely time for anything. Finally I have done it. I hope everything will be fine for me.

New pics at Only Pictures

Today, I have updated with some pictures my Photoblog, Only pictures, please, pay a visit if you wish. Thanks and enjoy!
Hoy he actualizado my Photoblog, Only pictures con algunas fotografías. Si quieres, visitarlo, pincha el link. Gracias y que te gusten!!

Trying to reach the sky, Marko?

Maybe trying to bring it to the The Earth, to you...
Lucky the persons who have brought it to themselves

Golden lights

HKI

More reflections

Weirdness

On thursday I went out at night and I came back walking, as I have done so many times, enjoying the calmnees of Madrid on a week night for one of the last times. At some point of the walk, I noticed I was walking along part of the same street I walked ¡¡15 years!! ago in my way to high-school (institute). I stopped and looked at the same newstand, exactly the same aspect as it had before, and those mirrors, I use to take a look at to see my reflection. And suddenly I thought how much have I changed in all these years and how many things I have lived. And where could be now that girl I saw everyday at more or less that newstand, in her way to school too, with her uniform and her folder and back bag. I hope life has treated her as good as it has treated me. I am still here and with a promising future, I hope.

El jueves salí de noche y volví a casa andando, como he hecho tantas veces, disfrutando de la tranquilidad de Madrid durante una noche de semana por una de las últimas veces. En algún punto del paseo, noté que estaba andando a lo largo de parte de la misma calle por la cual anduve hace ¡ ¡ 15 años!! en mi camino al instituto. Me paré y miré al mismo quiosco de periodicos, con exactamente el mismo aspecto que tenía antes, y aquellos espejos, que solía mirar para ver mi reflejo. Y de repente pensé cuanto he cambiado en todos estos años y cuantas cosas he vivido. Y donde podría estar ahora esa chica que yo veia casi diariamente a la altura del quiosco en su camino al colegio también, con su uniforme, su carpeta y mochila. Espero la vida la haya tratado tan bien como a mi. Estoy todavía aquí y con un futuro prometedor, espero.

This town is a different town today

This town's a different town today
This town's a different town to what it was last night
You couldn't have done that on a Sunday

That girl's a different girl today That girl's a different girl to her you kissed last night You couldn't have done that on a Sunday

El sabado 17 de marzo asistí a el concierto de Arctic Monkeys en Barcelona. Fue algo parecido a una preview de su inminente gira para presentar su también inminente "Favourite worst nightmare". El primer single del disco es Brianstorm, no, no es Brainstorm, es Brianstorm, y aquí teneis el video




Fue un gran concierto, en el que repasaron hits de su "Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not", así como presentaron temas del que va a ser su segundo largo "Favourite worst nightmare", del que eligieron 2 temas para empezar para después seguir con "I bet you look good on..." para delirio de los presentes en la sala Razzmatazz.

When the sun goes down live

Tienen ritmo, son originales, tocan bien, son jóvenes y, hasta ahora, sus canciones son muy buenas, esperando cómo será su segundo LP. Podemos estar ante uno de los grupos míticos de está época de la música. Sólo les falta seguir así. Y seguir dejándose la piel en la carretera y sacando disco por año. Están en una época de su vida my creativa y espero que la aprovechen. Los "twenties" están influenciados por esa inquietud no ya adolescente, pero de ver más allá de tus 16 imberbes años, ver la vida en si misma y, por ello es una época especial.

Parallelisms

El pasado sábado tuvo lugar un partido de fútbol, que era más que eso. No porque fuera un derby, lo era por eso, por supuesto, porque estos partidos siempre me han atraido especialmente, pero el resultado y el desarrollo del mismo tienen un cierto paralelismo conmigo.
El partido fue un baño del Atlético de Madrid a su rival, cohabitante de la capital, el Real. Pero no ganamos. Dejamos escapar una oportunidad de oro. Qué se le va a hacer.
Yendo al grano, en mi vida, a mi juicio siempre, merezco más de lo que tengo, merezco ganar mi particular partido y hasta ahora no lo he hecho. He metido tambien algunos goles y me han robado otros. También es cierto que si no los metes aún teniendo la oportunidad la "culpa" es tuya, o del destino, quien sabe si el no meterlos te guardará algo mejor para el futuro. También, si los metes y te los anulan aún mereciéndolos y siendo legales...¿qué puedes hacer? Solo seguir hacia delantes sin perder la esperanza, sin dejar de vivir (jugar) y poniendo el 100% de tí mismo en los aspectos de la vida que te importan.
Y, por otra parte, el "chaval", Fernando Torres, marcó por fin, frente al Real Madrid. Criticado por la gran mayoria de aficionados (excepto los del propio Atlético de Madrid), ningún otro jugador había sido machacado por la prensa y aficionados sobre este tema. Marcó y cerró por fin muchas bocas, aunque no conseguimos ganar. Realmente me alegré de que fuera él, uno de mis jugadores favoritos, quien marcara el 1-0. Y en fin.... ya les ganaremos.


English

Last Saturday a football match took place, which was more than it. Not only because it was a local derby, it was because of it, certainly, these games have always attracted me specially, but the result and the development of it have a certain parallelism with me. Atletico trashed its rival, cohabitant of the capital, the Real. But we did not win. We left escape a golden opportunity. But life goes on.
But coming to the point, in my life, always under my point of view, I deserve more than I have, I deserve to win my individual game and until now I have not done it. I have scored also some goals and some others that someone has stolen from me. Also it is true that if you do not score, having the opportunity it is your fault, or destiny's, who knows if not score will save for you something better for the future. Also, if you score and someone does not give it as valid, deserving it and being legal ... what can you do? You can only go on, without loosing hope and living (playing), putting 100% of you in the things that matter.
And, in other hand, the "Kid", Fernando Torres, finally scored against Real Madrid. Critisized by the majority of football fans (with the exception of Atlético de Madrid's), no other player had been harped on like he has been by press and fans. He scored and made many people to shut up, although we did not manage to win. I was really happy that he scored the 1-0, one of my favourite players,. And, well, we will trash and win them, someday...

Kalevalanpäivä

Jack Frost, son of Blast
felt ruin coming, and he
began to beg for mercy;
he uttered a word, spoke thus:
"let us make a pact
not to hurt one another
ever in this world
not in a month of Sundays!
If you hear I'm chilling things
or up to mischief again
thrust me into the fireplace
tame me in the flame
down among the smith's embers
down in Ilmarinen's forge
or take my mouth to the south
and mu tongue to summer's home
so that I'll never get out
never in this world be free!"


Hoy es el día del Kalevala.
Todays is Kalevala´s day.
Tänään on Kalevalanpäivä.

Musical post for year 2006

English speakers, scroll down, please!

Como ya hice el año pasado, voy a dar la que es mi humilde y personal opinión sobre la mejor música del pasado año 2006, y, ¿por qué no? también de la música que no pertenece a esta año categóricamente, pero que,eso si, he descubierto a lo largo del mismo.
Empezando por lo más fácil: conciertos. Este año, desafortunadamente, no he ido a demasiados. The Soundtrack of our Lives en enero y We are Scientists en Febrero. Después, en Finlandia ví a Poets of the fall en el escenario de Esplanadi, y a Damn Seagulls en Tavastia. De ellos, quizas el mejor fue el de Soundtrack of our Lives, pero de todas formas, como son tan pocos, merecen ser recordados todos. En cuanto a discos, aquí la cosa está más jugosa, he tenido la oportunidad de escuchar toneladas de música y de discos. Ahí van unos cuantos de los mejores discos de 2006. Estoy seguro que con el tiempo descubriré más, pero a día de hoy, es lo que hay:

Ya es difícil mejorar un primer álbum que ha tenido una repercusión mundial y que ha sido alabado por muchisíma gente, [Hot fuss] les lanzó a la fama, con temas como Somebody told me, [Sam's town] ha sido en mi opinión un discazo, mejor incluso que el mencionado multiventas. The Killers han conseguido eso que tanto cuesta a muchos grupos, sacar un segundo disco equiparable al primero, e incluso mejor.
Pero este año he tenido algunas cuantas pequeñas debilidades en forma de disco: Yeah Yeah Yeahs y su flamante [Show your bones] hits como Gold Lion, Honeybear, The Sweets, Turn into y Cheated hearts hacen de este disco una maravilla; Placebo ha logrado con [Meds] lo que, en mi opinión (muy discutida, cierto) no lograban desde su primer album hacía 10 años. Para mí, todo había sido empeorar. Hasta éste. Genial. Ved aquí "Drag" Live @Rock am Ring, y aquí el video de Meds. Por otro lado, Mogwai lanzaban éste año un nuevo disco, [Mr.Beast], nueva cita después del fabuloso [Happy songs for happy people], es un disco que sigue en su línea, quizás un poco más cañera y distorsionada que el anterior. En mi opinión son discos similares en calidad y estructura. No me pidáis que les saque cosas negativas, desde que escuché su ya mencionado "Happy songs..." en Noruega, tan pausadamente después de levantarme un sábado por la mañana sin prestar atención a otra cosa ya no pude dejar de admirar sus canciones. Friend of the night es mi favorita del disco, también primer single. Antes me gustaban, pero ahora....me encantan. También este año han reazado un disco homenaje a Zidane, anunque un poco más espeso y sin muchas escuchas por mi parte aún.
Y dos más dentro de estas pequeñas debilidades: los daneses Nephew con [Inter Kom ind], una continuación tremenda para el ya bueno [USAdsb]. Nephew cantan en una original mezcla de danés e inglés, con muy buenos reesultados. Es curioso cómo desde las tierras escandinavas salen cientos de grupos que merecerían estar en el top 10 de toda Europa, pero que, raramente consiguen incluso hacer un tour que llegue hasta el sur de la misma. Casi nunca vienen a España. Una pena, porque nos perdemos grandes conciertos, como he tenido oportunidad de comprobar, aunque no con Nephew. Ved algunos videos en su página web. Desde Leeds llegan ¡Forward Russia! , nombre particular donde los haya, con su [Give me a wall]. Este grupo reúne una mezcla de estilos punk, lo-fi, melódico y bailable que los hace especiales. Se podría dar a conocer como el grupo de los números, porque, hasta ahora todas sus canciones se llaman como números: Nineteen, Fifteen pt.2, Nine, Eighteen, y así sucesivamente. Hubo un par de meses en los que los oía a diario.
Desde la compañía de discos en la que debutaron nada más y nada menos que Nirvana, Sub Pop, llegan dos grupos que están en la mayoría de los "reviews" musicales del pasado año, y también en el mío: The Thermals, con su disco [The the body, the blood, the machine] y Band of Horses con [Everything all the time]. El primero, más guitarrero y sucio, más underground, pero con unas canciones geniales. Los descubrí gracias a "A Pillar of Salt" primer single del disco. En cuanto a los segundos, son más pausados, pero siguen teniendo algo de guarro en sus guitarras. Aqui el video para The Funeral.
Este resumen se está haciendo muy largo, así que voy a ir resumiendo. Me gustaría mencionar a los grandes triunfadores de 2006: Arctic Monkeys con su multimillonarias ventas de [Whatever people say I am that's what I am not], ahora el disco se ha convertido en un imprescindible, y, por lo que parece, no sólo para mí, he tenido la oportunidad de ver y oír su repertorio en el festival de Reading y la aceptación que tienen entre el público inglés es la que tiene una banda de culto. Todos cantando las letras de memoria. Aqui podeis ver "I bet you look good on the dancefloor" en directo en dicho festival.
Y algunos discos más sobre los cuales no quiero escribir porque esto se haría larguísimo:

Dashboard Confessional [Dusk and summer]
Franz Ferdinand [You could have it so much better with ....]
Amusement Parks on fire[Out of angels]

The Frames [The cost]

Jack's Mannequin [Everything in transit]
Windermere [No one wins]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
RHCP [Stadium arcadium]
Sonic Youth [Rather ripped]
Snow Patrol [Eyes open]
Dover [Follow The City Lights]
Muse [Black holes and revelations]
TV on the radio [Return to cookie mountain]
Wolfmother [self titled]
The horror The horror [Self titled]
The Kooks [Inside in inside out]
David and the citizens [Stop the tape! stop the tape!]
The Frank and Walters [A renewed interest in happiness]
The Decemberists [The crane wife]
Damien Rice [9]
Mando Diao [Ode to ochrasy]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
Silversun Pickups [Carnavas]
Maga [Self Titled]
Jon Auer [Songs from the year of our demise]
Poets of the fall [Carnival of rust]
Sexy Sadie [translate]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
The Sounds [Dying to say this to you]
Feeder [The Singles]
Russian Circles [Enter]
Jeremy Enigk [World waits]
Foo Fighters [Skin and bones]

Aquí me gustaría hacer una mención especial a Minus the Bear, (ver imagen) que ha lanzado en España una edción especial de [Menos el Oso], disco originariamente de 2005, pero que, pese a esto, está incluído en el resumen dada la repercusión que ha tenido en mí esta banda.

Y creo que, por ahora, eso es todo. de todas formas hay muchos más grupos que he descubierto este año, pero que no han sacado nada, haré un mix también para que la gente los descubra.

English

As I already did last year, I am going to give my personal opinion about the best music of last year 2006, and, why not? Also (although in other post) of the music that does not belong to this one year categorically, but that, it if, I have discovered along the same one.
Beginning for the easiest thing: concerts. This year, unfortunately, I have not attend too many. The Soundtrack of our Lives in January and We are Scientists in February. Later, in Finland I saw Poets of the fall in Esplanadi's stage, and Damn Seagulls in Tavastia. Of them, probably the best was Soundtrack of our Lives, but of all forms, since they not so many, they all deserve to be remembered. As for records, here the thing is more interesting, I have had the opportunity to listen to tons of music and cd's. Here they go a few of the best discs of 2006. I am sure that with the time I will discover more, but a today, it is what I have considered:

It is very difficult to release a seconf album better than a first that has had a world repercussion and that has been praised for a lot of people: [Hot fuss] threw them into the mainstream, with songs as Somebody told me, but [Sam's town] has been in my opinion a great cd, even better than the multisales mentioned. The Killers have reached what is so difficult for many bands: to release a second album comparable to the first one, and even better.
But this year I have had some small weaknesses in the shape of album: Yeah Yeah Yeahs and their fabulous [Show your bones]. Hits like Gold Lion, Honeybear, The Sweets, Turn into and Cheated hearts make this cd a wonder; Placebo has obtained with [Meds] what, in my opinion (very discussed, certainly) did not obtain since their first album 10 years ago. For me, every single cd they released seemed to get worse. Until this. Brilliant. You can see here “Drag” Live @Rock am Ring, and here the video shoot for “Meds”.
On the other hand, Mogwai also released new disc, [Mr.Beast], new appointment after the fabulous [Happy songs happy people], is a disc that follows its sound, maybe a little more energetic and distorted that the previous one. In my opinion both are similar discs in quality and structure.Do not ask me to tell negative things about them; since I listened to the already mentioned “Happy songs…” in Norway, after waking up a saturday morning without paying attention to any other thing, I could not give up loving their songs. Friend of the night is my favorite of the disc, also first single. Before I liked them, but now… I admire Mogwai. This year, it has been released a disc tribute to Zidane as well, although a little thicker and still without so many listenings.
And two more cd's within these little weaknesses: the danish Nephew with [Inter Kom ind], a tremendous continuation for the already good [USAdsb]. Nephew sings in an original mixture of English and Danish, with very good results. It is strange, as from Scandinavian lands hundreds of bands exist that deserve to be in the top 10 of all Europe, but they are rarely able even to tour around the Old Continent, and it is very weird that they tour in Spain. A pity, because we lose great concerts, since I have had opportunity to verify, although not with Nephew. You see some videos in their website. And from Leeds arrives ¡Forward Russia!, particular name, with their [Give me a wall]. This band reunites a mixture of punk, lo-fi, melodic and dancing styles that make them special. I could happened to be known as the group of the numbers, because, until now all their songs are called like numbers: Nineteen, Fifteen pt.2, Nine, Eighteen, and some more. There were a couple of months when I listened to them every day.
From the same label in which Nirvana made history in rock, Sub Pop, also arrive two bands that are mentioned in most of the musical reviews of the past year, and in mine as well: The Thermals, with [The the body, the blood, the machine] and Band of Horses with [Everything all the Time]. The first, more energy in their guitars and dirtier, more underground, but with brilliant songs. I discovered them thanks to “A Pillar of Salt” first single of the record. About the second, they are slower, more calm but they still have something dirty in their guitars. Here the video for The Funeral.
This review is getting very long, so I am summarizing. I would like to mention the great winners of 2006: Arctic Monkeys with their multimillionaire sales of [Whatever people say I am that's what I am not], becoming famous all around the world. Now the album has become an essential, it seems that not only for me, I have had the opportunity to see and to hear its performance at Reading festival and the support they have among the English audience is the same as a cult band has. Everybody singing along the lyrics by heart. Here you can see “I bet you look good on the dancefloor” live in this festival.
And some other cd's which I do not want to write about because this would get so long:

Dashboard Confessional [Dusk and summer]
Franz Ferdinand [You could have it so much better with ....]
Amusement Parks on fire[Out of angels]
The Frames [The cost]
Jack's Mannequin [Everything in transit]
Windermere [No one wins]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
RHCP [Stadium arcadium]
Sonic Youth [Rather ripped]
Snow Patrol [Eyes open]
Dover [Follow The City Lights]
Muse [Black holes and revelations]
TV on the radio [Return to cookie mountain]
Wolfmother [self titled]
The horror The horror [Self titled]
The Kooks [Inside in inside out]
David and the citizens [Stop the tape! stop the tape!]
The Frank and Walters [A renewed interest in happiness]
The Decemberists [The crane wife]
Damien Rice [9]
Mando Diao [Ode to ochrasy]
Catpeople [Reel#1]
Silversun Pickups [Carnavas]
Maga [Self Titled]
Jon Auer [Songs from the year of our demise]
Poets of the fall [Carnival of rust]
Sexy Sadie [translate]
Bloomington [Activando la disidencia]
The Sounds [Dying to say this to you]
Feeder [The Singles]
Russian Circles [Enter]
Jeremy Enigk [World waits]
Foo Fighters [Skin and bones]

Here, I would like to mention the band Minus the Bear, that have released a special edition of [Menos el Oso], that, although it is not properly an album from 2005, I want to consider it here, due to the effect it has had on me. A great band!

I think that, by now, it is everything I have to talk about. There are many more bands I have discovered this year, but They have not released any record. Iwill select a mix with some of their songs for the people to discover them.

2006 MUSIC!

Muy pronto , de hecho ya esta bastante redactado, voy a publicar un post con mi opinion sobre la mejor musica de 2006. ¡¡Estad atentos!!

Very soon I will publish a post with what it has been, in my opinion, the best music for year 2006.
Stay tuned!

Kun Joulu on......a monster comes

A monster with long and scary eyes comes home every Christmas

January the 10th will always be special

Hoy es 10 de enero. Este día siempre será especial porque un diez de enero de 2005 me encaminaba a Finlandia para mi primer trabajo serio y relacionado con mi trabajo. He recordado ese día como si fuera ayer, lo que hice el anterior, como me despedí de la gente y a quién conocí esa fecha.
Y quién me iba a decir que dos años después iba a estar etiquetando zapatos en un curro que no me importa lo más mínimo. In it for the money.
Y valiente y afortunado quien tenga una ocupacion diaria que le guste y que disfrute con ella. Espero que sea yo el elegido dentro de poco. Prometo no volver a quejarme para ir a trabajar.

English version

Today is January, the 10th. this date will be important the rest of my life because a january the 10th 2005 I left Madrid to go to Finland, to work in my first serious and related to my studies job. I have remembered that day as if it were yesterday, who I met, what I did the previous day and how I said goodbye.
And who could have told me that 2 years later I would be ordering and labelling some shoes in a job that I do give a f**k about. In in for the money, I may say. Yes!
Brave and lucky those who have a job that like and enjoy.
I hope I will be the chosen one soon. I promise not to complain anymore when I will have to go to work.

Today will never come again

Today is already Christmas Day, 25th Decembre 2006. Today will not come again, it will not pass again in the whole history of the world. It is an unique day as the others. But Christmas Eve used to be a special day some years ago. And it really was.
Today I have felt very worried about future, maybe for the first time. Many "What if's" have covered my mind and make me feel very bad.
As I am drinking some red wine and listening to The Appleseed Cast I know this moment will never come back, and I know that every time I will remember "that Christmas Eve when I was 30", I will remember how horrible it has been, and I will never be able to change it.
Live your life as happy as you can feel, and do not ruin any day of your life or another's, do not ruin special days, they will never come again.

Hyvää Joulua kaikille!!!

Genetic Memory // Memoria Genética

As usually: Scroll down to read the english version

Hace unos 10 días, tuve la oportunidad de ver un documental sobre un tema científico muy interesante, la verdad es que decir eso sería poco.
La cuestión suena absurda, planteada desde el punto de vista del ciudadano de a pie, pero para un cientifífico, podria tener un significado mucho más serio, y, por qué no, preocupante. La pregunta es simple: ¿Podrían nuestros comportamientos o condiciones de vida influir en el normal desarrollo de nuestra descendencia? Y ese ciudadano normal y corriente diría: No, ¿por que me habrían de influenciar las condiciones de vida que llevó mi padre o mi madre a mí hoy en dia?
Pero la respuesta podria no ser tan sencilla. Investigadores han descubierto evidencias que demuestran que, por ejemplo, las siguientes generaciones de los individuos nacidos en un ambiente de hambruna, aún sin estar en las mismas condiciones que sus padres, desarrollan las características que llevarían a pensar que tienen poca comida a su disposición. Este caso concreto fue estudiado en un remoto pueblo de Suecia, aislado en los largos inviernos lapones, u, por consiguiente, con un bajo suministro de comida. Se descubrió que, las generaciones consecuentes desarrollaban los mismos detalles fisiológicos característicos de la hambruna, aquellos que sus progenitores ya poseían, y, esto es importante: incluso sin estar expuestos a esa hambruna.
¿Cuál puede ser la clave que lleva a heredar estas características, por otra parte, tan poco deseables?
El cuerpo humano está compuesto de células, millones de ellas y de muchas clases, que dan lugar a los diferentes tejidos. Cada célula por sí sola contiene la información genética que nos define: el ADN (plegado formando los cromosomas), en 2 copias, excepto los gametos: las células que están destinadas a la reproducción: poseen una única copia de la información genética.
A grandes rasgos, el ADN está formado por genes, que más tarde, en dos procesos llamados transcripción y traducción, da lugar a las proteínas, que, a su vez, tienen, cada una, una función específica en la célula o fuera de ella.
Existen millones de genes, cada uno da lugar a una proteina diferente o incluso a más, con lo cual la complejidad de la red es grandísima. No sé si alguna vez se llegará a conocer completamente. Pero no todos los genes que existen se traducen en proteinas: hay genes que llamamos latentes: no se expresan bajo condiciones normales, con lo cual, no se ve el efecto que causaría si diese lugar a la proteina que codifica.
Ahora bien, imaginemos que recibimos un estimulo externo que hace que un gen que NO se expresa normalmente lo haga. Hasta aquí todo sería normal, el gen se expresaría con o sin un efecto en nuestro organismo. El cambio de la teoría está en que la expresión de ese gen sería heredable, es decir, se daría una Memoria Genética, transmitiéndose a nuestra descendencia. La posible explicación a este fenómeno estaría en que ese estímulo incidiría en todas las células del cuerpo humano, incluidos los gametos que serán utilizados más tarde en la reproducción, con lo cual, los hijos o hijas del individuo en cuestión tendrían un gran probabilidad de presentar los mismos síntomas que el o los progenitores.
Ilustremos esto con otro ejemplo. Se investigó en mujeres embarazadas más de 7 meses el efecto que podía tner el estrés en sus vidas, y en las de sus futuros hijos. El estrés al que se sometieron las madres debido a sus ajetreadas vidas tuvo el efecto de producir Cortisol en su organismo, y, de algún modo, ese Cortisol introdujo un cambio en la expresión de un gen, demostrándose después que los hijos eran propensos a sentir estrés, incluso si las condiciones no eran adecuadas para ello.
Y, extrapolando a las consecuencias más desastrosas que éste descubrimiento tendría: abuelos expuestos a un agente externo que causa una enfermedad alterando el ADN pasarían ese gen mutado o sobrexpresado a su descedencia, con lo cual, sus nietos, por ejemplo, tendrían una más alta probabilidad de sufrir esa enfermedad que el resto de la población normal, sin estar expuestos a ese agente externo.
Ya no sólo nosotros tendríamos que preocuparnos de que lo que hacemos sea perjudicial para nosotros, tendríamos que preocuparnos de las consecuencias que podríamos provocar en nuestra descendencia.

English

About 10 days ago, I had the opportunity to watch a documentary on a very interesting scientific topic, the truth is that saying very interesting could be a little adjetive.
The question sounds absurd, raised from the point of view of the normal citizens, but for a researcher, it could have a much more serious meaning, and, why not, worrying. The question is simple: did our behaviors or conditions of life may influence the normal development of our offspring? And this normal citizen would say: Why should I be influenced by the actions of my parents?

But the response might not be so simple. Investigators have discovered evidences that demonstrate that, for example, the following generations of the individuals born in an environment of famine, yet without being in the same conditions that their parents, develop the characteristics that would lead to think that they have little food at their disposition. This concrete case was studied in a remote village of Sweden, isolated in the long winters of Lapland, and, consequently, with a low supply of food. It was discovered that, the following generations were developing the same physiological details typical of the famine, those that their progenitors already were possessing, and, this is important: even without being exposed to this famine.

What can be the key that leads to inheriting these characteristics, on the other hand, so little desirable?
The human body is composed of cells, millions of them and of many classes, which give place to the different tissues. Every single cell contains the genetic information that defines us: the ADN (folded forming the cromosomas), in 2 copies, except the gametes: the cells that are destined for the reproduction: they possess the only copy of the genetic information.
To big features, the ADN is formed by genes, which later, in two processes called transcription and translation, form the proteins, which, in turn, have, each one, a specific function in the cell or out of it.

Millions of genes exist, each one gives place to a different protein or even to more, with which the complexity of the net is the biggest. maybe it won't be completely known . But not all the genes that exist are translated in proteins: there are genes that we call latent: they do not express under normal conditions, so, we do not see the effect that it would cause if it forms the protein that it codifies.
Now then, let's imagine that we receive an external stimulus that makes a gene that does not express normally to express. Hitherto everything would be normal, the gene would express with or without an effect in our organism.The change of the theory is that this change in the gene expression would be inheritable, that is to say, a Genetic Memory, being transmitted to our descent. The possible explanation to this phenomenon would be in that this stimulus would affect in all the cells of the human body, included the gametes that will be used later in the reproduction, with which, the children or daughters of the individual in question would have one great probability of presenting the same symptoms that the progenitors.
Let's illustrate this with another example. There was investigated in pregnant women, more than 7 months, the effect that stress could have in their lives, and in those of their future children. The stress to which the mothers surrendered due to treir harassed lives had the effect of producing Cortisol in their organisms, and, somehow, this Cortisol introduced a change in the expression of a gene, being demonstrated later that the children were inclined to feel stress, even if the conditions were not adapted for it.
And, getting close to the more disastrous consequences that this discovery would have: grandparents exposed to an external agent which causes a disease altering the DNA would pass this mutated or everexposed gene to their offspring, and their grandsons, for example, would have a higher probability of suffering this disease than the rest of the normal population, even without being exposed to this external agent.

Already not only we would have to worry that what we do in our life is harmful to us, we also would have to worry about the consequences that we might provoke in our descent.

The Lake House

I watched "The lake House" last thursday night. It was a very good film, full of love, magic and coincidencies, in this case with me.
It is the story about a man and a woman, who live in the same house (a marvellous one, by the way, see the picture) , but with 2 years of difference, and, somehow, they deliver letters to each other in real-time, just leaving the letters or messages in the letter box, also present in the picture.
But that is not the important thing to know, and, besides, if I tell you more about the film, I would ruin a possible attendance to the cinema.
On thursday I recovered a book I had to read since a long time ago. It is "Persuasion" by Jane Austen, a book that me and my class mates had to read 2 years back in time during Christmas 2004/05, just when I knew I was leaving to Finland. Of course, I did not read the book, I was lazy andI was getting prepared for my trip, and also I was reading "Pride and prejudice", also by Jane Austen, so I had enough, for me they are quite difficult books to read, so, I was not going to read 2 at the same time , No way! But then I tried twice or three t¡mes without a success until thursday, I started in the underground while I was coming back from visiting my grandma, and it grabbed me!
Then, in the film it is the favourite book of one of the main characters. What a coincidence! It seems that the book is about 2 persons that fall in love but could not be together at that period of their lifes, and then, after some years, they meet again. Some of the sentences Keanu Reeves pronounces could have been said for me some months ago. Sometimes things like this happen, a film then exactly shows something similar to what you lived, and of course touches you... it is normal.
So, definitely, I am determined to read the novel, also to practice my english after my graduation (now I am only going to finnish). And see what does it have for me, what things can I learn from the novel. You always get good things and new experiences from everything, that is why I like to do many different things.
I hope all the coincidences are back in my life. I need to believe in them again (I still do, but I have not seen them in some months), I need to believe that I will be happy in life. Let's believe and choose the right way.
Good night.

Autumn finally... or something like that

Finally, after months of a more than usual warmer temperature for october and november, it seems that the begining of the winter is here. It is true that it has rained a lot ( what a relief!) but the temperature was really warm for this period of the year. Now, more or less for a week, temperatures have dropped a little bit, although they would be similar to those during spring in Europe or even summer. Today was sunny (it is already dark, at 18:25), and temperatures were nicer, at least for me. I can' stand when the weather is not what is supposed to be in a period of the year. Something like 10 days ago I felt like wearing my coats, but I obviously couln't, it was 20 or even more. Climate change I guess.
I played 90 minutes footbal game with my team, and it was horrible, with more reason because I also played with hangover. Maybe this was the very reason I felt so bad.
Anyway, here you have the link to see the weather forecast for Madrid.
I know that for many people in Europe this would be a stupid complaint, but I need a little bit of coldness down here in Spain. I am sorry!

Blogger beta..., good or bad?

Bueno, al principio, cuando mi amigo Litri nos comunico que se había pasado a la versión beta de blogger en nuestro querido blog del Rakiss Meiniss, una punzada de incertidumbre rondó todas mis ideas acerca del diseño de la página, patrimonio de todos los jugadores y fans, y, a la vez, de mi blog, éste que estáis leyendo ahora. Realmente pasé horas hasta que "diseñé" uno que realmente me gustara y en personalizarlo, poner mil y un enlaces y códigos web de los que poco sé. Miles y miles de pruebas y presionados de ese "Vista previa". Y ahora, alarmado, veo como otros internautas se echan las manos a la cabeza y cuentan cómo han perdido TODO su blog al actualizar a la dichosa versión beta. Aparte de la incompatibilidad de algunas de las plantillas, sobre todo las más complicadas. Y la mía opertenece a ése rango, quité algo de aquí, sustituí los tamaños de algo, el color, etc etc etc. Incluso conseguí después de mucho trajín hacerlo de 3 columnas.
Con el paso de las horas, leyendo auún más comentarios y páginas web con toneladas de información sobre el tema, creo que no es tan preocupante, al menos en cuanto al diseño, más fácil, quizás, porque te permite cambiar y añadir cosas sin tener que tocar el template, cosa que tuve que hacer en este blog. De hecho ya he encontrado un template de 3 columnas muy interesante y que actualmente estoy testeando.
El problema puede resumirse en que mi blog, de 1 año y 4 meses de antiguedad, desaparezca por completo en cualquier agujero negro de la programación html. Y ahora que me acuerdo, tengo también un par de blogs más, secundarios, uno de fotografias que me gusta mucho, donde sólo posteo eso, fotografías, y otro de categorías que probablemente desaparezca con el nuevo estilo. Veremos.

Nueva cuenta adscrita a Google y más de una queja

Una cosa que no me gusta, aunque en principio carece de cierta importancia, es que tu nueva cuenta es la misma que la que posees en google (gmail), y, si no tienes una, has de crearla obligatoriamente. Un buen truco de Google para hacerse con más usuarios para su servivio de correo electrónico. Pero ya se sabe, a más grande y rica una compañía es, más tratará de serlo. Lo raro es que el rey de las búsquedas en internet no hubiera hecho nada hasta ahora con blogger, ya que fue comprado en el año 2003. Google crece sin parar, hace poco compraba también You Tube, servicio de almacenamiento de videos por excellencia del web.

No han sido ni uno ni dos los internautas que he comprobado que no gustan de Blogger beta. Algunos, obligados, por la traumática desaparición de su espacio web, y otros, simplemente porque no les ha gustado el cambio.El tema trae cola en los foros desde el momento en que se produjeron las primeras migraciones.

Recomendaciones

Mis consejos y recomendaciones son sencillos, hemos de tener paciencia con el cambio. No cambies sin estar seguro de que tu plantilla va a ser soportada sin ninguna alteración. Más vale un poco de investigación y lectura en internet y tardar un poco más en cambiar (aún no es obligatorio el cambio pero lo será en un par de meses, dicen) que encontrarte con que has perdido tu plantilla o, peor todavía, tu blog entero.
Haz un backup de TODO tu blog. Hay herramientas que lo permiten, basta tan sólo con echar un vistaz en ñblog , excelente web para utilidades de blogs. Aquí se explica fácilmente cómo hacerlo.

English version

Well, initially, when my friend Litri reported to us that Blogger had passed to beta version in our beloved blog of the Rakiss Meiniss, a twinge of uncertainty was getting about all my ideas over the designing of the website, patrimony of all the players and fans, and, simultaneously, about my blog, this one that you are reading now. Really, I spent hours until I "designed" one blog that I really liked and thousands of hours also in personalizing it. Thousands and thousands of tests and pressed of the "preview " button.

And now, alarmed, I see as other internet users throw the hands to the head and tell how they have lost ALL their blogsdue to having updated to the new version thread. Apart from the incompatibility of some of the templates, especially the most complicated. And mine belongs to those, I took something from that one of here, replaced the sizes of something, the color, etc etc etc. Even I managed, after many hours spent, to do it of 3 columns.

With the step of the hours, reading even more commentaries and web pages with tons of information about the topic, I believe that itis not so worrying, at least as for the design, easier, probably, because it allows yourself to change and to add things without having to touch control yourself, thing that I had to do in this blog. In fact, I have already found a template of 3 columns very interesting and that nowadays I am testing.
The problem can be summarized in that my blog, of 1 year and 4 months of exage, should disappear completely in any black hole of the programming html. And now that I remember, I have also a couple of blogs more, secondary, one of photographies who me pleases much, where only posteo it, you come out in photographs, and other one categories that probably it(he,she) eliminates with the new style. We will see.


New account assigned to Google and more than one complaint

A thing that I do not like, though at first lacks certain importance, is that your new account is the same that the one that you possess in google (gmail), and, if you do not have one, you have to create it obligatorily. Google's good trick to be done by more users for its e-mail service. But already it is known, the bigger and rich a company is, the more it will try to be. The strange thing is that the king of the searches on the Internet had not done anything untill now with blogger, since it was bought in the year 2003. Google grows steadily, they bought also You Tube, most famous service of storage of videos in the web.

They have been neither one nor two the internet users who I have verified that they do not please Blogger beta. Some, obliged, for the traumatic disappearance of their blogs, and others, simply because they have not liked the change. The topic brings tail in the forums from the moment in which the first migrations took place.

Recommendations

My advices and recommendations are simple, we have to be patience with the change. Do not change without being sure that your template is going to be supported without any alteration. More it is worth a bit of investigation and reading on the Internet and being late a bit more in changing (still the change is not obligatory but it will be in a couple of months, they say) that to check that you have lost your template or, worst still, your entire blog.
Do a backup of ALL your blog. There are tools that allow it, it is enough to take a look in ñblog, excellent web for utilitiesfor blogs. Here it explains easily how to do it.

Maaaaybe tomorrow, I find my waaaay hooome

Acabo de terminar de ver la película "Crash", la verdad es que me ha dejado impresionado, realmente ha sido una muy buena, después de la cual me tengo que replantear seriamente por qué no veo más cine. En fin, y ¿por qué el título de este post? Cuando el film acaba, la canción "Maybe tomorrow" de Stereophonics comienza a sonar, y es una canción que me gusta especialemente, parece que definiera mi búsqueda. El largometraje da una lección a los espectadores, esos, por qué no decir todos, que juzgamos a los personajes que encarnan los actores, y con similitud con la vida real, donde no paramos de juzgar. No sé si alguien tendrá derecho a ello, a juzgar a las personas por lo que hacen, los jueces lo tienen, cierto, pero no siempre aciertan, ni siempre juzgan moralmente.
Procuro no juzgar a nadie, trato de veras de no hacerlo, porque eso significa encasillar a la otra persona para ya difícilmente dejarla salir de ese juicio. Y qué dificil es, si, realmente lo es. Personas en este mundo hay 6000 millones, más, y creciendo. No todas son personas muy buenas, otras muchas no han nacido en el lugar ni el tiempo adecuados, pero no las juzguemos por sólo 10 segundos de aparición en pantalla, si acaso molestemonos en ver el resto de su película.


I have just watched the film "Crash", the truth is that I am impressed, it really was a good film, after which I have to seriously reconsider why do not I watch more films. Well, and, what about the title of the post? When the motion picture ends, the song "Maybe tomorrow" by Stereophonics, starts to being played, and it is a song that I truly like, it looks like it defines my search..
The movie teaches the audience a lesson, those, why not saying everyone, we judge the characters whose are performed by the actors, and with a similitude the real life, where we do not stop judging. I do not know if somebody has the right to do it, to judge the people due to the things they do, Judges have the right, but they are not always right, and they do not always judge morally.
I try not to juzgar anybody, I truly try not to do it, because that means to type-cast the other person and he/she would hardly find a way to get out that judgement. And how difficult it is, yes, it really is. Persons in this world are more than 6000 millions and growing. Not every of them are good persons, many others were not born in the correct place and period of life, but let’s not judge them just for 10 seconds of appearance on the screen, let's better take a look at the rest of his/her film.

"So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home"

Cathedral again

Promised pictures of Norway

Ridderspranget, with its impossible shapes of ice, November 2003

Aqui están dos reproducciones de las fotos que tengo en diapositivas de mi estancia en Noruega. La primera es en Ridderspranget, un lugar atravesado por un río y con una montaña(en realidad no recuerdo si era el nombre de la montaña). Hay numerosos desniveles y cañones y unos saltos de agua espectaculares. Imprescindible una visita si estás cerca. En verano, hasta se baña la gente. En invierno, como podeis comprobar aqui, ya en noviembre parte de río está congelado y las paredes del cañón son vestidas por extrañas, pero preciosas formas imposiblesde hielo.
Allí donde criaturas de leyenda como los trolls, y animales tan reales como el alce habitan, sin embargo, igualmente difíciles de avistar que los primeros. Un lugar mágico. La segunda es de una mini-excursión que hicimos a las puertas del parque nacional Jotunheimen, este es un lago inmenso que delimitaba el parque. Al fondo se pueden ver las grandes cumbres del parque, entre las que se encuentra el más alto de Noruega.
Las fotos no están muy bien escaneadas, pero, de todas formas dan una visión de lo descrito.
En el post "Three years ago"cogué otra foto tomada en Noruega. Disfrutad!

The pictures are not so well scanned, but, however, they give a view of what is described.

These are two reproductions of the pictures I have as slides, taken during my stay in Norway. The first one is Ridderspranget, a place crossed by a river and with a near mountain (in fact I am not sure if the name corresponds to the mountain). There are many drops and canyons and some spectacular water falls. Indispensable to visit if you are nearby. In summer people even have a bath there. In winter, as you can notice, here, even in november, part of the river is frozen and the canyon's walls are dressed with strange, but beautiful and impossible ice shapes.
There, where creatures of legend like trolls and animals as real as moose live, however, equally difficult to see. A magic place. The secong picture was taken in a mini expedition to the doors of the national Park Jotunheimen, that was an inmense lake that borders the Park. In the background of the image can be seen the high peaks of the Park, among them is the highest mountain in Norway, Galghøpiggen.

In the post "Three years ago" you can find another picture I took there as well. Enjoy!

New Posts

I have been quite busy in the last month, due to that I have not written anything. Now I have 2 new posts and some new pictures at Only pictures. I hope that all you visitors will enjoy them!
Thank you!!

He estado bastante ocupado durante el último mes y no he podido escribir nada. Ahora tengo 2 nuevos posts y algunas fotos nuevas en Only Pictures. Espero que toso vosotros, visitantes de esta página las disfruteis.
¡Muchas gracias!

Three years ago

Three years ago I was in Lusæter gård, Heidal community, in the middle of Norway, yes, and also in the middle of nowhere, for 6 months. The farm is quite near the Galdhøpiggen, the highest peak in the country, you can check the map above.
It was the perfect spiritual retreat that I needed in that moment. It changed my life forever, and I am very proud that it did change it. I learned many things, I saw many things, impossible to see anywhere else, I made forever new friends. I saw the Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights, moreorless 3 years ago exactly. I met nature and I saw its cruelty and its love towards all things that are inside it.
And one of the most important things I have ever done or met: Freedom. I met Freedom and I will never forget it, and I will be forever thankful to whom showed it to me. A thing that every single human being should meet in his/her life, and should look for it at least once in his/her life.

Near Lusæter gård, ascending to the little mountain Gråhø, with a magnific view

I learned the correct value of things like milk in a great and warm breakfast, milk that you had previously milk from the cows. Heat in a really cold winter. Listening to music or watching a film was the best things we could do, and I was very pleased that for once in my life I had real peacefulness and silence. And that I could see the stars every cloudless night, taking pictures of them just walking away a few metres from the room I lived in. Marvellous.
I took there very good pictures with my old-fashioned (I don't mind) film camera. It was still a good one to learn. Hopefully, let's see if I can digitalize some of the slides I took.
Norway, Norway, Norway, I have you in my thoughts every day. Maybe we will meet again for a long or a short time soon.

Madness

Yes, I think it is the name of a band, but this will not be referred to it, this will be referred to how mad and insane some persons are. I just do not understand why some people act as they do, and why this kind of things happen. Mankind is absolutely insane.

Si, es el nombre de un grupo de música, pero no me voy a referir a él, esto va referido a lo loco y lo poco cuerdas que algunas personas son. No entiendo por qué alguna gente actua como lo hacen, y por qué este tipo de cosas pasan. La humanidad está absolutamente loca.

Read about what happened:
Source: click here:


Protests over new golf course in Avila, Spain

Ecologists appeal to Regional Government to prevent the destruction of a pine forest in Avila, Spain.The Spanish trade union CCOO and Centaurea, an association of ecologists, are trying to force the regional government of Castilla y Leon to respect a sentence passed by the Supreme Tribunal Court and to stop all building activity in the Golf course Ciudad del Golf in Las Navas del Marqués. The regional government supports the construction of this new golf course and leisure complex in Avila, even though it involves the destruction of an extensive natural area of pine forests which are home to some of Spain's rarest bird breeds, including the black stork, imperial eagle and the black vulture.CCOO and Centaura have published a press release accusing the regional government of deliberately ignoring the sentence which was passed at the end of last week. According to the two associations, and contrary to the orders of the Supreme Tribunal Courts, this weekend the construction company has continued to cut down hundreds of trees and and other vegetation. The land belongs to a private company set up in 2000 by the regional administration of which 70 percent belongs to the local council, 20 percent to the Castilla y Leon Regional Government and 10 percent to the Provincial Government. All authorities are governed by the Popular Party. The ecologists and trade union representatives say that the decision of the company to carry on with its plans represents an act of "scorn towards social and legal order" and "revenge for the decision of the Courts, two days after sentence was passed protecting in the public's interest the very area damaged this weekend, because of its natural, environmental, landscape and ecological worth".Protests over new golf course in Avila, Spain
Ecologists appeal to Regional Government to prevent the destruction of a pine forest in Avila, Spain.The Spanish trade union CCOO and Centaurea, an association of ecologists, are trying to force the regional government of Castilla y Leon to respect a sentence passed by the Supreme Tribunal Court and to stop all building activity in the Golf course Ciudad del Golf in Las Navas del Marqués. The regional government supports the construction of this new golf course and leisure complex in Avila, even though it involves the destruction of an extensive natural area of pine forests which are home to some of Spain's rarest bird breeds, including the black stork, imperial eagle and the black vulture.CCOO and Centaura have published a press release accusing the regional government of deliberately ignoring the sentence which was passed at the end of last week. According to the two associations, and contrary to the orders of the Supreme Tribunal Courts, this weekend the construction company has continued to cut down hundreds of trees and and other vegetation. The land belongs to a private company set up in 2000 by the regional administration of which 70 percent belongs to the local council, 20 percent to the Castilla y Leon Regional Government and 10 percent to the Provincial Government. All authorities are governed by the Popular Party. The ecologists and trade union representatives say that the decision of the company to carry on with its plans represents an act of "scorn towards social and legal order" and "revenge for the decision of the Courts, two days after sentence was passed protecting in the public's interest the very area damaged this weekend, because of its natural, environmental, landscape and ecological worth".


En resumidas cuentas, ahora ya en mi lengua materna, y dando mi opinión personal: se cargaron una zona de alto valor ecológico (y quieren seguir cargándosela) para construir un maldito campo de golf para que los que les gusta este deporte (afición que yo, personalmente, detesto, pero perfectamente respetable) y unos cuantos chalets seguro que ni siquiera para vivir durante todo el año, sólo como segunda o tercera casa.... ¿En que se está convirtiendo este mundo?

Una puta locura.

Reflections

I love it; I love this view

Another Leaf

A corner in Helsinki at night

A Feeling painted in the ground

Helsinki sessions

Una de las cosas que me traje de mi última visita a Helsinki es un cd con 5 temas grabados en el estudio de la Kirjasto 10, biblioteca espectacular donde las haya, que, entre otras cosas e instalaciones, tiene un "estudio" donde grabar lo que te dé la gana con la sola condición de que poseas el carnet que te acredite vivir en la ciudad. Maravilloso. Una vez confirmado el hecho, y, tras la reserva pertinente, me dirigí el pasado día 4 de septiembre a dicha biblioteca, y me quedé anonadado. Una mujer perteneciente al personal de la misma me condujo a la habitación, llamemósla del pánico, y la vista era impresionante: una mesa de sonido en vertical con, lo menos, 150 botones, ésta conectada a un 8 pistas, y este conectado a un ordenador con 2 monitores TFT. Además, altavoces, micrófonos, dvd y tele, plato, una caja de ritmos (intuyo que era eso), y algo mas que no recuerdo. Y le rogué a la mujer que me explicara lo básico para poder grabar, como es costumbre, yo solo, sin agobios para tal íntimo momento. Y llamo a otra persona y en resumidas cuentas llegaron a estar 3 empleados en la sala conmigo hablando en finés y yo esperando a ver si se aclaraba cómo se utilizaba eso, y después de 1 hora y media, nada, me comunican que me tengo que ir, que reserve para otro día y que esperan que el problema se solucione.
Reservé entonces para el miércoles 6, justo un día antes de que abandonara el país. Era poco margen, pero no había otra forma. Las canciones creo que las llevaba bien preparadas, estaba bastante seguro de que la grabación iba a ser decente, no tenía ninguna presión. Había una canción que había acabado en el bus media hora antes de entrar aquel lunes, pero no importaba. La letra donde la he escrito esta escaneada aquí, la verdad es que mola el caos de escritura que hice, pocas veces he sido tan caótico escribiendo una canción, pero es que cambié y añadí cosas por doquier. Me gusta mucho esa canción, es muy buena.
El miércoles más de lo mismo, pero afortunadamente, entre que yo me habia leído un poco un manual del Pro-tools (el programa grabador) y que el chaval que vino sabia un poco más y que tuvimos un poco de suerte (todo hay que decirlo), conseguimos que aquello funcionara. Y después, tocando yo un poco más me hice con lo básico. Añadir nueva pista. Lo malo es que me quedaba una hora y media solo. Grabé 1 ó 2 en directo, sólo 1 pista y otras 2 con guitarra y voz separadamente. Quedó decente, estoy bastante contento de cómo se oye para lo malo que era el micrófono y estar yo sólo grabando sin un técnico. Y dieron las 15:00 y me tuve que ir porque otra persona había reservado de nuevo el estudio...y tenía que volver a grabar el cd!!! El día siguiente, afortunadamente tenían espacio de las 12:00 a las 14:00, o sea que echando de nuevo un vistazo a un manual del programa conseguí grabar en un cd. Además, como tenía tiempo grabé una versión acústica de "Ballenas". Querría haber grabado una nueva que tenía hace tiempo que es un hit, pero no recordaba la letra demasiado bien.
Y así abandoné Helsinki, oyendo la "más que demo" en mis cascos y mirando por última vez, quién sabe hasta cuando, las calles y suburbios de la capital finlandesa. Se oye muy bajo, pero está bien. Las "Helsinki Sessions".


One of the things I have brought from my last visit to Helsinki was a cd with 5 songs recorded at the studio that belongs to the Kirjasto 10, amazing library, that has, between other things and facilities, a "studio" where you can record whatever you want, with the only condition of having a library card that proves that you live in the city. Marvellous. Once confirmed the fact, and after the compulsory reservation, I went towards the "Bibliotek" the past september 4th and I was just astonished. A woman who belongs to the personnel led me to the room, let's call it the "panic room", and the view was impressive: a vertical soundboard with at least 150 buttons, connected to an 8-track, and this connected to a PC with 2 TFT screens. Besides, speakers, microphones, a dvd with its tv, rhythm box (I guess it was that) and something more I do not remember. I requested the woman to teach me the basics to record, as the habit is there, alone, without any stress for that intimate moment. And she called another person and, to sum up, 3 employees were in a moment at the same time with me in the room, speaking in finnish and,trying to solve the problem. In my case, just waiting to see if they clarify how to use the machine. And after one hour and a half they just said that I had to leave, that I should reserve for another day and that they expect that the problem will be fixed.
Then I reserved for the 6th , just a day before I had to leave the country. It was no so much leeway, but there was not another way. The songs I was sure that I prepared them quite good and I was quite sure too that the recording will be decent, I had no pressure. There was a song that I finished in the bus just half an hour before getting in the library, but I was not worried. The sheet where I have written it is scanned here, it is cool how chaotic the writing is, not so many times I have been that chaotic while writing a song, but this time I changed and added a lot of new sentences meanwhile. I really like this song, it is very good one, in my opinion.
On wednesday there were more problems, but, fortunately, I had read some about Pro-tools, the software I used, the kid who came knew more about it, and, with a little bit of luck, we managed to make it work properly. Then, tring other things by myself, I managed to get the basics. The worst part is that there was only one and a half hour left. I recorded 1 or 2 live, singing and playing at the same time and the rest in 2 tracks, voice and guitar separately. I am quite haoppy about the results, because the micro was a bad one and I did not have a technician.
And the clock struck 15:00 and another person came to record, and I had to come back to record a cd!! The following day fortunately they had space between 12 and 14 and I got to record on a cd. Furthermore, I had time, so, I recorded an acoustic version of "Ballenas"; I wanted to record an old song I consider a hit, but I did not remember the lyrics.
And I left Helsinki listening to the "more than a demo" in my headphones at the bus and looking through the window for the last time, until who knows when, the streets and suburbs of the finnish capital. It is not so loud, but it is ok. The "Helsinki sessions".

The sound of Silence...and rain

The sky does not have a proper colour...!!



Scroll down to read the english version!!!!!

Hoy he estado en el Parque Nacional Nuuxio, en Espoo, cerca de Helsinki, una vez mas. Que belleza!! Paisajes preciosos y el verdadero sonido de el Silencio. Acogedor y a la vez impresionante. EL sonido de la naturaleza en su estado puro, solo perturbada por los molestos aviones aproximandose a Vantaa lentoasema.
No tengo sufiecientes palabras para describir lo que se siente. Pequeñez, tal vez, sí, seguro, pero es una sentimiento mas profundo que eso, te hace re-encontrarte con lo que un día fuiste en otra vida: parte de esa naturaleza, perteneciendo a ella con todas sus consecuencias, las buenas y las malas. Y que Paz... Uno se siente pequeno y afortunado de que aun existan sitios asi y que se puedan visitar.
Y despues: Lluvia. El sonido de millones de gotas cayendo a la vez. Que manera de llover! Y esto no es muy grato si estas en medio del bosque, como he dicho antes, sin refugio alguno, formando parte del medio al 100%, calado hasta los huesos como animal libre que vive en el parque.
Y al menos, me dio tiempo a dar la vuelta, completamente calado llegue al refugio donde habia comido mi bocadillo tan solo unos momentos antes. He echado de menos unas cerillas o un mechero para encender un fuego en el sitio adecuado y secar mi ropa y mi cuerpo. Al menos no era invierno, y la temperatura era agradable. Y estaba sacudiendo mi ropa sin camiseta.... pero no se seco. Y corri como nunca habia corrido hacia el autobus, a unos 3 km de distancia, parte cuesta arriba, y con solo 20 minutos de margen para cogerlo. Y lo hice, casi sin aliento, medio mareado y sudando a todo mas sudar. Ayer hice mi comienzo de pre temporada para el Rakiss. Casi me muero.
Y en casa, una ducha reparadora, una cerveza, buena musica y algo de picar. Despues un paseo disfrutando de la noche en VIikki, y vuelta a casa. Un dia para recordar.

"Marvellous landscapes"

I have been today in Nuuxio National Park, in Espoo, nearby Helsinki, another time. What a beauty!!! Marvellous landscapes and the true sound of Silence. Warm and at the same time impressive. The sound of nature in its pure state, only perturbed by the annoying sounds of the planes arriving to Vantaa airport.
I do not have enough words to describe what can be felt there. Small, you feel small, maybe, yes, sure, but it is a deeper feeling than that, it makes you find again what you were one day in another life, part of that nature and belonging to it with all its consecuences, good and bad ones. And what a Peace.... One feels small and fortunate that still places like this exist and that we can visit them.
And then: Rain. The sound of millions of drops falling at the same time. What a way of raining! And this is not very pleasant if you are in the middle of the forest, like I have said before, being part of the nature at a 100%, with no shelter to cover at, and soaked to death, like free animal that lives in the park.
And at least I had time to go back and I walked back the way I had already walked, until the shelter where I had had my lunch just few moments before. I have missed some matches or a lighter to light a bonfire, there was a place designated to do it, in order to dry myself and my clothes. At least it was not winter, and the temperature was pleasant. I was shaking off my t-shirt...but it did not dry.... And then I had to take the bus, and I ran like I had never run before, something like 3 km uphill and with only 20 minutes left to do it. And I did it, out of breath, half dizzy, and sweating to death. Yesterday I did my pre season for Rakiss, I almost die.
And at home, a shower to get my strength back, a beer, good music and something to eat. Then, a walk enjoying the night in Viikki and back home. A day to remember.

Marvellous night lights

Self portraits

What are you thinking about Vik?

Like painters in their days did and still do nowadays, I am some kind of maniac of self portraits, i like them, not the way I am "reproduced" in the pictures, because most of the times I don´t like them, but I do like the feeling of creation, the feeling of leaving behind a part of me that will hopefully last for a long time ...anyway... Enjoy this one, or hate it.... It is a funny one, in my opinion.

Cd´s I have borrowed

I have borrowed all these cd´s from Kirjasto 10 in Helsinki. Wonderful collection of music that they have. All kind of cd´s, al considered as culture. As it should be.

Estos son los cd´s que he alquilado en Kirjasto 10 en Helsinki. Allí tienen una gran coleccion de música. Todo tipo de cd´s, todos considerados como cultura, como debería ser.

The Sea

Maybe it is because I am from a city where the word "Sea " implies a long distance to cover until seeing it, but the truth is that I have never given it the importance that it deserves.
I have always loved the mountains more than the Sea, I still do, because I grew up surronded by mountains, and also because I have never liked so much the facts that "going to the beach" has in Spain. Beach culture during summer. I practiced it during years. Summer by summer, I may say, until I was 16 or 17.
But now, today, in Helsinki, just few metres away from it, I have given it its correct value. That lovely smell, that playful sounds, that sensatin of calmness...
I started to feel better yesterday and today; Today after the course I have found it, at the end of Mariankatu, surrounding Kauppatori, and I have walked towards it. And now I am just there, by its side, enjoying the care it is taking of me. I hope this feeling will last for a long time.

Written in Helsinki, 14 august 2006, 20:20 hrs. approximately.

Rainy day

Today it is raining in Finland. It is funny than just when I am starting to feel better and that painful sadness is getting away through playing the guitar, writing and "The Sea"
(I will post something about this soon), Finland is crying, like crying its sadness out, like I have done, like cleaning its sadness and at the same time mine. Thank you.

First post in Helsinki

Now I am just some metres away from The White Cathedral at Senaatintori, Helsinki. It is like it is taking me under its protection to make me feel better. It seems that the whole city helps me to feel better.
But today is just impossible, I feel so down that nothing can cheer me up. Today I hate life. I hope tomorrow I will love it.
My life is just a rollercoaster, always up, then down, up again, referring to my state of mind. Some days I think that everything is marvellous and that I will find my place soon, that it is a matter of a short time. But that never happens, I never reach that. I need a girl, today I need a girl specifically, I need a job I would work for free in, and a need my place. Some moments I feel so tired, of waiting to those things that never come.
I would be a dead man walking if I wouldn really enjoy some moments, like yesterday at Botta, like friday, taking pictures of the sea side here in Helsinki... I have to say thanks for that.
It is time to move to Esplanadi for a while.

Once in Espa, I have not done much, I have just sat down not even looking at the people just thinking, like I usually do, and trying to understand why things happen in my life. I have fallen asleep even, I am tired today, the night was long. Then I came here and I guess I am going home now. I don know. This is so weird, how I feel. So strange.