Bisbal Cream: June 2010

Miercoles finds....

Nicoz Balboa mixes sinister characters, woodland creatures and cool song lyrics into bizarre but beautiful paintings. I rate these highly.

I’m a big fan of both paper-cut artist Su Blackwell and cake designer Kate Sullivan, so I was really excited to hear that Kate had created a cake based on Su's book-cut sculptures! (See pic at the end of the post for an example of Su's work.) The cake was designed by Kate as a thank you to the staff at her son's school. Such a great idea for a school party and it turned out so well! Great job, Kate!

Click here to check out Kate's blog and here to visit her Web site.

El Martes

Reading books with excellent titles is not always a sensible idea. 'What do you do out here, when your all alone' is a poor story with a title that captures exactly how I feel at the moment. A little lost, but at the same time excited and creative. How did I fill today?

Reading 'Bajarse al moro' a very good book indeed.
Finding a secret garden hidden in ivy at the back of a small purple cafe.
Spying a Fabio look alike loitering around the swimming pool... (http://humormeblog.beloblog.com/archives/fabio).
Discussing bullfighting with a Bull expert and being given a series of books on the matter!
Making a salad whilst listening to 'I'm in Miami bitch'.
Watching a brass band doing the conga in the university bar...which can only mean 'adeus Portugal'

Thats all there is, there isn't any more!

Barbie's No Biker

One of the things I love about doing triathlons is that you never can tell who is going to kick your butt or whose butt you are going to be able to kick. Sure, the guy who wins the thing is gonna be your stereotypical super lean, super fit, triathlete. But, for those of us hanging in the middle to back of the pack, we get to enjoy some surprising versions of "looks can be deceiving" as a kid in a T-shirt and cargo pants on a mountain bike blows by someone on a pricey tri bike with all kinds of gear, or a really old man out runs a group of fit looking guys half his age.

Being an underdog myself (which is my euphemism for being fat and slow), I love this kind of stuff. I experienced it for the first time at my first triathlon. When I was in line to get my race number marked all over my body, I took note of the girl in front of me. She was tall, lean, tanned, and blonde. You know, everything I'm not and Barbie is. As an adult, I know I should no longer care, but the truth is that Barbie intimidates me. Huge chunks of my adolescent years were wasted either trying to be Barbie or being depressed that I wasn't Barbie. I would like to think that I've matured a bit since then, but let's face it: I have no love for Barbie and I'm sick of her always being better than me.

So we get into the race and I survive the swim and make it to the bike. This is when I see Barbie again and surprisingly blow right past her on the bike. Just as I'm thinking that that was really weird, I meet a new woman. This woman is definately not Barbie. If fact, her butt is so big I can't believe she can sit comfortably on her bike seat. She had to be at least 50 pounds heavier than me. But she is pumping it. Fast. Up a hill. As I shift into an easier gear, she plows right past me and keeps on going. I try to follow her, but have to drop back. I can't keep that pace. She then disappears into the distance.

As I finish the bike, I find myself thinking about this woman and how she can just power up a hill like that and leave Barbie spinning miles behind her. As I transition into the run, I start to hurt. I know I must look bad because people in the crowd are starting to shout to me "Keep going, you can do it, looking strong, etc". I know I don't look strong, I look like I'm ready to keal over. I start progressing towards the turn around and who do I see? The lady who passed me on the bike. But she is not running the same direction as me. She's running towards the finish line. She's already been to the turn around. Phenomonal. I pick up my pace a little to meet her and give her a thumbs up as I pass her and yell "You're awesome, you're almost there!" I push myself up the hill knowing that I've really got no excuse if this lady can do it.

So, Barbie didn't beat me. But, I've long since stopped thinking about Barbie. I've got a new hero. A real woman. An inspiration.

Monday in Lion town.

Raa

Suit up and summer photos.

Even goats suit up from time to time.

Alessandra Sanguinetti is an Argentinian photographer whose work I found on the New Yorker's photography blog (check it out, it has some treasures!) http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/photobooth/
Alessandra has recently published a book of photos taken of her little cousins taken over various summer holidays. Somehow these strange and magical pictures of rural Argentina transport me to Cumbrian summers gone past. Days of nothingness, inventing games, and chasing chickens. Golden times.

Fumar nunca es Limpio.

Since arriving in Spain almost three months ago many interesting things have occurred. One of the slightly less positive occurrences however, has been my gradual metamorphisis into a walking cigarette. Spain is a smokey country and as a consecuence I am an ashtray girl.

These sweet dibujos by eiko maekawa give an honest,if slighlty dramatic portray of the dangers of smoking.

No soy un fan.

La Oreja De Van Gogh - Pop (Todo En 1 Remix)(2000)(Exclusivo)

Rosana - El Tàlisman (Max Baffa & Rush Team Edit Remix)(1997)(Exclusivo)

Oscar De La Hoya - Ven a Mi (Eddie's Latin Tropical Mix)(2000)(Exclusivo)

Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer (Illicit Mix)(2002)

Ricky Martin - Livin' La Vida Loca (Scissorhands English Radio Mix)(1999)

MDO - Groove With Me Tonight (Pablo Flores Spanglish Remix)(1999)(Exclusivo)

Calcetines Patrioticos

Today I will be patriotic via socks.

Mucha suerte Inglaterra!!

* Also, how bomb is my rug?

The other day my socks were Brasileiros. Lo siento Cristiano.

Viva la mundial!!

A walk through a small city.

Sometimes you forget Leon is a city. It is pocket size, but full of curious sights and characters. It s by no means dull. And I am quite excited about spending a week of exploring it alone. Here, are some images I have collected over the weeks.

Exhibit one. The herron family that live on a column.I love herrons. I'm not entirely convinced they're are birds. They are great, noisy giants that make a Jurassic Park-esuqe screatching sound from their nest everymorning as I scuttle past San Isidoro.

My favourite bird related quote of the trip:

Kerstin. 'I hate birds. They're small, evil and they're reptiles!'.

Exhibit dos. Calle Ancha. The aptly named, 'Wide street' is where bands march, swedes dance and mad french homeless dude shouts abuse at passers by. During fiesta week it was full of people, packed like sardines in a tin, singing, dancing and meandering at all hours.

Exhibit tres. Cathedral overkill I know, but it never ceases to amaze me with its beauty. Por la noche.

Al atardecer. Hot pink!!

I often spy this tiny besuited hombre walking his bear-like dog. Not a great photo, I know, but this strange couple make me smile.

More to come.

Loca por la roja

After the England fracaso, all my football fuelled passion lies with La Roja. E-SPAIN.

Following the Spain vs Switzerland teaser, many doors along the third floor corridors were left in this state. My personal favourite, was scrawled on Diego's door (which has now sadly been rubbed off), it read 'Swiss live here' (replacing what had previously been 'Gays live here').

A man wearing numerous hats selling banderas outside Barrys.

Fans after the Spain vs Chile match, nervously watching....

Full blown red and golden madness at large en calle ancha! In the photo below you can just about see a waving flag.

There was an almost cult-ish group of people dancing, kneeling, singing and generally offending Portugal. Nice-o.

It was insane.

So, I couldn't resist a pulling a super cheesy Terry Richardson pose!

Its time for Espana!!!

Wisdôme - Off The Wall (Enjoy Yourself Edit - New UK Radio Edit)(1999)

Motown Records - Motown 40 Megamix (Radio Mix)(1999)

Motown Records - Motown 40 Megamix (Radio Mix)(1999)

Tracklist:
01 - Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out
02 - Johnny Gill - Rub You the Right Way
03 - Diana Ross - Upside Down
04 - Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me
05 - Dazz Band - Let it whip
06 - Rick James - Super Freak