Club Vista Serena

Hi there,
Missed me? :-) I told you I was writing again on Tuesday, but, I'm sorry, I wasn't at the office, my 5 months baby was sick and had to stay with him.It is difficult to be a working mum with no help.
Anyway, I'm here. Have you practice your phrases? humm, what are you saying? no? , can't believe you! Well, you are excused this time but you have to practice... and to help you do it, let me tell you some basic tips about the Spanish language comparing to English.
Spanish is not as difficult as you think. Yes, the grammar is much complicated than English, specially the verb forms (we will get there someday), but spelling and pronunciation is much easier than English. The way it's written, the way it's spoken. What I mean by this is that in English you have similar words, that are pronunce completly different, for example, 'put' and 'cut', did you now that English uses around seventeen vowel sound? Well, in Spanish are just five, the same than written. And here goes your Lesson 2: Vowel Sounds
a = English sound, like in "cat"
e= like in "pen"
i= like in "pizza"
o= like in "always" remember,it's not /ou/
u= like in "book"
Just remember these are aproximately sounds.
Hope you practice these sounds for Tuesday.
I'll see you then,
¡Adiós!

Have you ever asked which kind of restaurants visit Canarian people? A very popular one is Bar Playa in El Pajar, this due to its´excellent food and prices. But do not visit it on a Sunday (opened from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. on Sundays), because you will have to wait around 2 hours before a table becomes available. This bar-restaurant is situated next to the cement factory with views on the sea. In the interior of the bar you will only find plastic tables and chairs, and do not expect you can choose a table, when it is your turn (you have to take a number upon arrival), you get the table which is available. At this place they have the best paella of the isle. The menu is written on the paper table cloth, but depending on what time it is, the available plates can reduce. Anyway the waiter will tell you what is available. I went there this Saturday with my family, my husband Ramón (Canarian), my 14 years old twins (Thomas & Emilie) and my youngest son Iker (4 years). We arrived at 13.00 hours and were lucky to get a table inmediately. Half hour later they started to give the numbers. We do not take a plate for each person, but order different plates and share. We had 2 paellas, fried octopus, 1 salat of the house, wrinkeled potatoes, choco (octopus in small parts fried with flour), fresh mackerels, 3 drinks for the children, 1 glas of white wine and 2 beers, 3 ice creams, and paid .... 38 Euros, which is approx. 26 GBP.

How you get there? Take the motorway (GC 1) to Arguineguin, take the exit of Arguineguin, afterwards you take the exit to El Pajar, after 500 meter you will come on a roundabout and you have to turn to the right, go straight ahead till you come on the cement factory. At the right handside is parking place.

If you wish to have a different Canarian experience, try this restaurant.

Anja

• JACK
  (As told by Wayne Dyer)

A fifth grade teacher began her first day with a new class. All the students were neat and well‑behaved, except for Jack, a boy in the front row, who was slumped in his chair and seemed to need a bath. She felt annoyed by his lack of effort, and delighted in marking his papers all over with her red pen, giving him a big 'F'. But teachers in her school were required to read all their students' reports from earlier years. The first grade teacher wrote, "Jack is a smart and happy boy, full of promise." The second grade teacher wrote, "Jack seems worried about his mother's terminal illness." The third and fourth grade teachers wrote "Jack seems depressed about the loss of his mother." Now she understood.
From that day on she was more patient with Jack, focusing on what he did well instead of his shortcomings. For Christmas, all the children brought neatly wrapped gifts. Jack brought something wrapped clumsily in brown paper from a shopping bag. She opened it while the other children frowned and found a necklace with some missing rhinestones, and half a bottle of perfume. She wore the necklace and put on some of the perfume. After school, Jack told her with a bright smile, "Today you smell just like my Mom."

At the end of the year, Jack told her, "You were the best teacher I ever had." About every four years, she received a letter from Jack, saying what he was doing and adding, "You are still the best teacher I ever had." He became a medical doctor, and for his wedding, he asked his fifth grade teacher to take the place of his deceased mother. She wore the necklace and put on the perfume Jack had given her. Jack told her, "Thank you for being so patient and encouraging, without you I would never have made it." She said, "No, I must thank you, because you taught me how to teach."
A Chinese proverb says, "Don't curse the darkness, light a candle."

• THE LEAKING POT

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on one end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a hole in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the leaking pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor leaking pot was ashamed of its imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want you to throw me away and replace me. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this hole in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaw, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts."
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That is because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you have watered them. For two years I have been able to pick some of these beautiful flowers to decorate our table, and many passersby have enjoyed them, too. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be any of these beautiful flowers."

We all have our own unique flaws, but it is these flaws that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. We simply ought to take each person for who and what they are, and look for the good in them. And we can take pride and pleasure in doing what we can without self-recrimination, because even leaking pots may serve a useful purpose such as nourishing beauty.

• FATHER, SON AND DONKEY

A father and his son were bringing a donkey to the market. The father was riding on the donkey, and the son walked alongside. A passerby criticized the father, "How could you let your son walk while you are sitting comfortably on the donkey?" The father got down and let his son ride on the donkey. Soon another passerby said to the son, "You are young and strong, how could you sit on the donkey while your father is walking?" So the son got down, and they both walked with the donkey. Another passerby ridiculed them and said, "How silly for you to walk, you could ride on your donkey." So they both sat on the donkey. Soon someone exclaimed, "That poor animal, carrying two strong men!" So the father and son got down and carried the donkey to the market.--It is a good idea to listen to advice, but we must decide ourselves whether it is useful.

• DOGS AS TEACHERS

If dogs were our teachers, we would learn: When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. No matter how often you are scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout, run right back and make friends. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

Love is like sunshine. If you turn towards it and accept it, you can feel its warmth. If you turn away from it, you feel cold and abandoned.

Hi there... I'm back
What? ...excuse me ... what are you saying? that who am I? Well, by the ones who know me I'm Ruth in Reservations Department, by the ones who do not know me... let me introduce myself since I will be sharing some thoughts with you too, here at the blog.
As I said, my name is Ruth, Ruth Yánez, and yes, I'm Spanish, so you will have to excuse me if my English is not perfect :-)
I was born in Las Palmas, the "capital " of this beaautiful island. I lived there almost all my life, since I have studied, worked and lived for many years abroad. I'm actually, an English teacher I got my university degree in Granada, the south of Spain, and I have worked in Kentucky, United States, as a Spanish teacher for three years.
After coming back to settle down in the island, I was a bit lost here, but I found Club Vista Serena, where I have found a second home. The enviorement here is wonderful to work, What can I say about holidaying(I don't know if this word is correct or I just have made it up) here!
I invite you all to give it a try! We all here try to make your holidays a memorable one, from the first face you see at the reception to the cleaners who come through your room always with a smile in their faces.... I feel here like at home with friendly people all around me and we all do our best to make you feel the same way.
I'm not sure what kind of things I will be writing here, since my friends Rachel and Anja, already have gave you a lot of information, so I thought I could maybe give you some tips to move around the island... yes, I know, they have already told something, but have they told you in Spanish? hahaha, gotcha... I'll be giving you some small Spanish lessons. For those of you dare to try these small phrases, go ahead, I dare you hihihi.
Lesson 1:Phrases to begin your holidays with .When you get to the airport and you want to ask where the taxi or bus stop is you can say: ¿Dónde está la parada de taxis?
¿Dónde está la parada de guagua?
¿Dónde? = Where?
está= is
We will be using these words a lot, so, learn them ok?
As you see, some Spanish words have a like thing (´) on top, this is just an entonation mark, that is where the word has the strongest emphasis.
Well, homework for today:-) learn these two phrases,
I'll come back on Tuesday with some more, ok?

I received an email today, one of those forward things that are usually a pain in the bum, but a lot of it made sense and it made me think, so I thought I'd share it with you....hope it comes in useful :-)

Here's what Maya Angelou has learned from growing older (Maya Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman. Being a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, Dr. Angelou continues to travel the world making appearances, spreading her legendary wisdo).

• "I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will get better tomorrow."
• "I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."
• "I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same as making a life."
• "I've learned that life sometime gives you a second chance".
• "I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back."
• "I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision".
• "I've learned that even when I have pain, I don't have to be one."
• "I've learned that each day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back."
• "I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
• "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Ok, by now all of you should have that Friday feeling. At this precise moment it's 4pm here in Gran Canaria and the weekend is approaching! (I work Saturdays, but hey! I still get that Friday feeling.

Here's a few jokes to get the weekend off to a good start...have a giggle!

• What's the difference between roast beef and pea soup? Anyone can roast beef.
• I'll never forget the first time I saw my husband. He was standing on a hill, his hair blowing in the breeze, and he too proud to run after it.
• A husband and wife walked up to view the body of his mother-in-law at the funeral. As he began to weep, his wife slapped him and said: “Why are you crying, you never liked my mother anyway!” The husband replied, “I know, I thought I saw her move!!”
• A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man. A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does. A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
• After she woke up, a woman told her husband, "I just dreamed that you gave me a pearl necklace for Valentine's day. What do you think it means?""You'll know tonight." he said.That evening, the man came home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it to find a book entitled "The Meaning of Dreams"
• What do you call 10 rabbits walking backwards?... A receding hair line.
• What sound does a grape make when an elephant steps on it? None. It just lets out a little wine.
• A man entered a pet shop, wanting to buy a parrot. The shop owner pointed out three identical parrots on a perch and said, "The parrot to the left costs 500 dollars.""Why does that parrot cost so much?" the man wondered.The owner replied, "Well, it knows how to use a computer."The man asked about the next parrot on the perch."That one costs 1,000 dollars because it can do everything the other parrot can do, plus it knows how to use the UNIX operating system." Naturally, the startled customer asked about the third parrot."That one costs 2,000 dollars.""And what does that one do?" the man asked.The owner replied, "To be honest, I've never seen him do a thing, but the other two call him boss!"
• Knock Knock. Who’s there? Police. Police who? Police let us in; it's cold out here!
• If a man yells in the woods and no woman hears him, is he still wrong?

And last but not least....the quote of the day: "Hard work never hurt anyone, but why take the chance."

Have a great weekend!

For all of you out there who are in luuurve! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I know this day has been marketed to death, and the prices of everything go up, but I don't care what anybody says, I still like buying my Valentine a gift, and I definitely love receiving one! :-)

I was thinking about writing about the history of Valentine's Day, but then I got bored, and thought Valentines Day Quotes would be better...take a look and see what you think :-)

• Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies -Aristotle
• Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage -Lao Tzu
• Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
• Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place -Zora Neale Hurston
• Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it...It really is worth fighting for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk everything, you risk even more - Erica Jong
• Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness - Oliver Wendell Holmes
• Love stretches your heart and makes you big inside - Margaret Walker
• Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired - Mark Twain
• Love is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day - Nicholas Sparks
• Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile - Elizabeth Browning
• To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer. But suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down - Woody Allen

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

For those of you planning to visit the Island, I thought I'd give you a run down of just some of the outdoor markets that you could visit during your stay. You never know, you could pick up a bargain, and at the same time, pay a visit to some of the other towns on the Island. Please remember...if you do go to a 'mercadillo' over here, you've got to barter! The stall holders are clever buggars and start off with high prices because they're used to tourists bringing them down - you could get something half the price it started off at! So don't be shy, barter away!

• Town: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
• Day: Sundays 8-2
• Place: Central Bus Station - San Telmo

• Town: Maspalomas
• Day: Wednesdays and Saturdays 8-2
• Place: Maspalomas Market Hall

• Town: Arguineguín
• Day: Tuesdays and Thursdays 8-2
• Place: Tuesdays in the Plaza Negra, and Thursdays in the Ancora Shopping Centre

• Town: Puerto de Mogán
• Day: Fridays 8-2
• Place: Bus Station

• Town: Teror
• Day: Sundays 8-2
• Place: The Basílica de Teror

• Town: Gáldar
• Day: Thursdays 8-2
• Place: The Plaza de Santiago Apóstol

• Town: Vecindario
• Day: Mondays and Wednesdays 8-2
• Place: Recinto Ferial

And for those of you that like a good car boot sale, every Sunday from 9-4 you can visit the one near the Faro II Shopping Centre in Maspalomas.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!