longboarding

Last year a longboard in a shop caught my eye. Since then I asked for it for several months until one day my parents told me: "if you want a longboard, you'll have to build it yourself. We're not buying it because you'll use it twice and then forget it in the garage..." But I really wanted the "long", rather than as a toy, as a transport. So I built one.

At first I didn't really know how to start, so I looked on the internet about shapes, materials, wheels, styles... Everything. I found which woods and shapes were the best and then I took what I could from home: my high quality wood was nothing more than an abandoned wooden centerboard, and the shape... Well, I drew it with a projector on the wall.

Luckily a friend of mine was there to help me, so we did it together. I drew the desing for the bottom and the shape, he cut it and together we sanded and painted it. After that, we went to Figueres and bought the axles and the wheels. When we thought we were almost finished, we couldn't find males nor females to fix them. We looked for them in several ironmongers and finally found some that were suitable.

It took us about a week working the whole day to build the longboard, but it was really worth it. Perhaps it is not the best, and it does have some imperfections, but I'm really happy with it and I have to say that we are very proud of our handmade longboard.

green roof

Barklays center in Brooklin is set to go green with a giant roof garden. It is planned to build several housing flats around the arena. In order to muffle the sound and to make the place more attractive, the existing roof (which is based on an iron cielling with Barklays' logo) will be replaced by a colosal garden. The garden will be built on floatating trays above the existing roof so that the plants will grow covering the old one. An air gap will reduce the sound and make the plants more likely to survive.

In my opinion a green roof will be beneficial for the zone, it will look better and even reduce pollution by making more breathable air. I'm eager to see the result and, of course, I'd like to go there to see it... And to assist to a concert, as well as visiting the city!

swim, swam, swum

I started swimming at the age of three and I went to classes until I was seven. Since then, I've always swum quite well, but just for fun.

This Autumn I decided to join a course again, to gain strength and (obviously) be a better swimmer. We started going on Fridays, but the thing is that now the coach has decided to form a club and the training days have increased to three per week. it may seem very tiring, in fact it is, but I really enjoy it! It is a kind of tiredness that is rewarding, that makes you feel great. 

On Tuesday we were learning butterfly stye, it is tough: I swallowed liters of water! However, I liked it.

By the moment I'm able to combine this with school, one hour of English, one and a half hour of German and sailing, but some days, if I have a lo of homework or I'm with exams, I must miss the class.

london

What a wonderful city!

I had never been to London until this four-day-trip with school, and this city has amazed me so much. I even think I'm in love with it;)

We were staying in a hostel in Elephant and Castel which was very comfortable, that quarter of the city is very interesting and full of people from all around the world. Even though it wasn't a specially beautiful zone, we were near from everywhere and had a lot bus stops and underground stations around, so we were very well-communicated.

The center is fantastic, all the sights, buildings, shops, streets, museums, bridges... It is all very beautiful. We've been to almost all the highlights of the city but also to some places not that famous but worth seeing, such as Covent garden or Candemn town.

London, I'll be back!

our frankenstein

Here's a podcast Nil and I have recorded, I must warn you that we're not (still not) great actors... To undersand it, think of an ipothetic love between Elisabeth and the monster.

northern lights

Solar activity producing intense geomagnetic strorms is making the northern lights visible across Ireland, Scotland and generally, northern Britain. Aurora borealis is the reaction of charged particules colliding with earth's magnetic shield, what refracts light and produces the spectacular show of changing colored lights. To be able to visualize this phenomena you just need a clear and dark sky, and as The Guardian says, a hat and a coat. If you live in the campside you'll be more likely to see them. The best hour is at nighfall and you can easily capture them with a camera, so do not forget yours!

I've always wanted to see the aurora borealis with my own eyes, but unfortunately they're not visible from Spain... So if you live in norhern Britain or even northern Europe do not miss this stunning show if you have the chance to see it. As it seems this solar activity only occurs during some days every ten or fifty years, so take your chance now because you may not be able to see them this easily for a lot of time.

big mango stolen

Has anyone seen a mango? If so, Australia misses one.

This is how a report in the Huffington post started last Monday, according to the stealing of a great mango exhibited in Queensland, Australia. It seems that an organized group of clever thieves appeard about two a.m with a crane to pull that massive fake fruit and take it somewhere. Furthermore, it is still not found! That mango represents an important tourist attraction for the city, so local police have started an investigation. Paul McLaughlin told to the Brisbane times that sooner than later they would find it, just because of the big problem it represents to have a 10m mango in your garden.

It may sound a bit absurd, but I find this new very funny and, why not, intersting. Imagine that a monument in your town disappears! Even tough, some rumors comment that this is a strategy to make publicity of the mango, so once it is returned the town will be more popular. Im my opinion, it is a funny -but not fair- way of publiciting your hometown!

For more information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/24/big-mango-stolen-australia-queensland-tourist-attraction_n_4848394.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news