How do I spend my days when I´m in Gran Canaria?

How do I spend my days when I´m in GC? I get up, usually, at about 8.30 am. Sleeping longer is of no use: the morning will be over before you know it. First thing to do is to water my landlord´s flowers and small palm trees, a job which I´ve taken over since recently, because they don´t always have the time, and the flowers need to get watered in this almost arid climate.

After that: breakfast. Followed by a short walk on the beach promenade. The major part of the day is then used studying castellano, the spanish language. Actually they speak a rather rapid and melodious dialect here, which makes practising more interesting, haha.

After that a small lunch break follows and some further reading in the afternoon, interupted by several walks along the promenade or one or two swims in the atlantic ocean with its sometimes huge surf.

Ah yes: I take my small digicam with me usually, for my walk could turn out a very prolific photo session, as you can see on my flickr photostream.

At night (6 o´clockish) I drive to Maspalomas, a huge tourist resort further down in the south, where there´s also an extensive promenade and sometimes interesting things to photograph (watch out on flickr, lol).

Of course some days are spent in a different way, eg a trip to the mountains or to the frugal north, to the port of Las Palmas, or otherwise. It´s usually dark when I drive home.

Due to the vicinity of the equator, the sun hangs up high in the sky during most of the day, while in the early and late hours it almost drops from the sky. The period of twilight is very short in these latitudes.

New way of buying music

Buying music is now so easy! Forget cassette recorders, waiting for the song you want to appear on the radio, forget going to a record shop, just to have to buy a whole album when you want just one song.

I saw a stop motion (a sequence of still pics given the impression of a video) on flickr, and I wanted the background song: no problem. I had the title, went to iStore, bought it, downloaded it onto my iPod - done. 99 Eurocent per song. No fuss, no problems, easy, futuristic, innovative.

Thank you Steve.

Together, Beauty.

One afternoon when I was walking along the promenade which borders to the famous "Dunas de Maspalomas" area. I sat down on a low wall of natural rock for a few moments to get some rest. When I looked to the right I saw a couple of men coming closer. On of the two, the one on the left viewed from my direction, wasn´t wearing a shirt because of the warm breeze which was blowing across the dunes - he looked very handsome with his slender arms and not too muscley upper body, he was of a rather unmanly figure, more like a teenage boy. His most handsome feature though was his lovely face. He wore sunglasses which fitted perfectly into the general appearance of his face. The man who was accompanying him, on the other hand, was of a much more manly type. He had broader shoulders and he walked in a more assertive way. This made the other person, surely his boyfriend, look even more handsome.
I need to add here, that if something fascinates me and draws my attention, I start making some more observations, secretly of course. So I got up after the two had passed me and I follewed them, walking along a few meters (yards, for the anglos) behind them.

Every now and then they were holding hands, and the handsome one looked to his friend in a most attractive way, how he slightly turned his head towards him, it was the way how he looked at him with his slightly tilted head, his beautiful lips and white teeth, the small nose and the sunglasses, all of which provided a very pleasant image. The only thing which spoilt the picture was the fact that the handsome one was wearing shorts and although he had beautiful long slender calves, these were too hairy, thus disturbing the impression of total beauty.

Recorded in June 2009.

High Heels

High heels - why do ladies wear high heels? To make them taller? To emphasize their legs / calf muscles? For walking more elegantly? I´m not sure, so ladies, you´ve got any ideas?

Modeling session

This afternoon at the beach I witnessed a modeling session. The area around here with the beautiful landscape is perfect for such photographic assignments. Yet it´s hard work. The sun is burning from the sky, and it´s a different thing if you got to work in the heat or if you´re only basking. Anyway, since I´m so interested in photography I watched pretty closely how the job was being done. Nothing special, after all, just making sure that the light is right, and that you have a willing model. Changing clothes for a session for catalogue pictures is tiresome for the model, while the suncreme is melting away during the process. To make the bright afternoon light a bit smoother, a white screen was held by an assistant in front of or at the side of the model .

Recorded in May 2009.

My new home computer station

Today I´ve re-configured my home computer equipment, which consists of a main computer, a router, and two internet radios, plus the WiFi capable iPod touch.

I had to dismiss my old computer (the main computer) with its 128MB memory and only 16 GB Hard Disk (I was using only 6 GB) as administrating device of my small network, due to its old age (introduced in 1999, and Win Me became more and more unstable, no actual firewall available, and so on).

So I´ve decided to delegate the administration task to my new MacBook.

I just swapped the Ethernet cable and I really didn´t have  to make any further adjustments  which is unbelievable: Everything works just fine.

Our comfortable lives

We´re all enjoying a comfortable life aren´t we.

We have a high standard of hygiene (loo and Co, think of the huge amount of flush water that´s being used any second, and the waste has to be disposed of, and we are indeed numerous, so we´re not talking of pints but tons and tons),

convenient electricity coming out of the socket outlet,

we drive cars and fly planes,

all these are things which I wouldn´t trade in for something less.

But some day the bill for all this will be presented: the main culprit is that we´re burning carbon for energy. This surely is going to do great harm. 

Our planet has undergone lots of climatic changes, with no damages at all, the planet Earth is very solid, and there´s lots of time for adaptation and evolution.

But we creatures are so short-lived, and we have the means to influence the balance which makes our lives possible. We can´t exist in a hot environment with hurricanes, flooding and all the consequences of a warming-up atmosphere. Our planet can live with that, at least we´re using natural ingredients. But we can´t endure. 

iPod touch

I´m happy to announce that since recently an iPod touch has been added to my equipment. It works just fine, offers quick access to all important websites via WiFi, and so much more.

I don´t know how I could manage without this beautiful and useful device.

Up to now no crashes no hick-ups, no problems at all with both my Mac and iPod touch.

I might get an iPhone as well sometime, but there´s no hurry.

Photographer

 I took this photograph tonight, at the promenade of Mas Palomas / Gran Canaria.

Outside a bingo hall. Just to catch the atmosphere.

Government

A government should not intervene, but rather set an "environment", where economics can develop, like under "natural circumstances".

Also taxes should not be used to finance a lot of unnecessary administration, but should rather be used as an instrument of enforcement of governmental goals, such as buying clean cars, support of clean air etc.

So what I´m asking for is NO REGULATION please, but a creation of an ENVIRONMENT, where business and responsibility can florish. 

An official who works for the state should get paid appropriately, like in real business.

Who´s perfect?

Too big, too thin, too fat, too smart, too stupid, too small, too tall, blah blah blah...

So many different terms, such a variety, in contrast to the simply boring words "usual, normal". Which will make nobody curious, asking no questions.

But use a word out of the first variety of terms, and you´ll stir up a whirl of curiosity: "Who? How big? Whoa, unbelievalble. Tell me more, what was she saying, was she a nuisance? 

Ha, it´s much more refreshing to belong to the first category. This is easily said, though, as long as you are normal.

Problems start when you can be categorized within the first mentioned range, and be described by one of the terms "fat, thin, tall, small". Everybody´s glances zero in on you, just you! you seem to be in need of the aid of a psychologist, even.

Got me? 

Hooray Apple!

Remember one of my recent entries  when I announced that I had joined the netbook community? 

Ok, I´ve got even one step further, which I´m going to explain:

I had to take my first netbook back to the shop because the battery was broken. I swapped it for a netbook of the same brand.

With this, the trouble continued: even two faults occurred: a/ the right mouse button was dead, b/Windows XP start-up hooked, and always had to be resurrected by applying a few tricks.

I took the second netbook back to the shop, and I only had one wish: sell me quality, sell me happiness...

I´ve bought a Mac. The Mac. The Macbook.

How easy working with a computer, or notebook, can be. How easy functioning an OS can be. What a high-quality performance this notebook has, how pleasant the keys feel, how user-friendly an OS can be, how intuitive.

A dream has come true. Welcome to the exciting, unbelievable experience of owning an apple.

The next step will be getting (now, it´s better to say purchasing, or getting possession of) an iPhone. 

This is Life Art

To be totally immersed in an unimportant object - that´s life art.

Photo: copyright Monsieur Beep!

On European Conquerers, and Natives

Omg, wait for it. I´m loading my gun!!

I´d better not started this subject, but I´ll be commenting on what Conquerers did to the native people at a later time!

Presently I´m not in the proper condition to make sensible statements on the issue.

Ok, till later then...

The netbook era has begun

Yes folks, I´m happy to announce that I´ve bought a net book and I´m now able to connect to the www on my trips wherever there´s a hotspot or a friendly landlord.
This is being written by yours truly in Gran Canaria. Why have I been waiting so long to join the netbook community?
Also, I can now upload fresh pictures from my travels, while I travel.

Hoooray blogger, hooray flickr, hoooray all!!

Check flickr.com/photos/mister-beep for my photos!

Just want to add for the tech freaks that it´s a MEDION akoya netbook with Windows XP installed. And I´m using a WLAN connection, courtesy of my landlords.