I had a farm, in Africa

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There are plenty of places I’d love to visit, in Africa. I’ve only been in Kenia, and that was already 21 years ago, when I was only 6. I can remember some pieces of the journey, like changing a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, recognizing the bones of a zebra, being waked up at 3 o’clock in the morning to watch the elephants drink in the pond or even a swimming pool evacuation when some lions came towards us…lovely for a 6 year old girl but quite scary if you think about it!

Seriously, it was a wonderful trip and would eventually like to repeat it to be able to enjoy it in another way. Nevertheless, as I said, for my honeymoon I’d rather visit a place where neither Enrique nor I have been in, so Kenia should be discarded from my list.

The point is that having enjoyed as I did this trip, going to Africa on my Honeymoon could be a very good idea. However, visiting Africa can be a nightmare if you don’t go in the correct season of the year. According to the Weather Man I will be lucky if Africa is my pick since May is quite a good moment to visit the continent. However, there are some countries where it may be too cold or too wet to go to in May, like Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal or Tanzania among others.

The question is, should we embark us in an exclusive safari in Botswana or would it be better to go to magnificent Egypt? Wouldn’t it be nice to relax in an island like Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius or Reunion? What about exploring the so visited South Arica or discovering the undiscovered Namibia? Can I forget of the colors of Morocco or Tunisia? What about touring the whole continent?

Have you ever been to Africa? Please let me know! And remember, if you vote giving 3 reasons why should I visit any of these countries you could win a beautiful souvenir. Don’t be shy and vote!

Wine Tasting

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Last Wednesday we went to a friend’s house to a Wine and Cheese Party. In other words, 15 people got together with the perfect excuse to get drunk.

Seriously, we thought it would be a good idea to organize a wine tasting evening and in fact we had lots of fun. The bad news is that I discovered that I have absolutely no taste. My partner -whi has asked me to keep his/her identity as a secret- and I obtained 0 out of 25 points. This fact made us, nevertherless, win the consolation prize: a 0,75 € Caprabo* branded white wine bottle.

Will I be able to distinguish a good wine among the huge number of wines that the caterer is going to show me in the following weeks? Well, for those of you coming to the wedding, don’t worry; at least I am happy to say that I have close friends in the alcohol business that will help me to make the correct choice. Thank them for the wine.

*Caprabo is the name of a supermarket in Spain

Some Astrology

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Are you fond on Astrology? If you are you will probably like the following test. Post your sign, whether you’re a man or a woman and your partners sign. I will answer you posting the results as soon as I can.

If you’re curious about what the signs say for me and Enrique keep reading. I’m a Capricorn and he’s a Virgo:

“Both Capricorn and Virgo, for being earth signs, show a sincere and magnetic attraction. The planets of these signs, Saturn and Mercury, together show all the possible diversity among earth nature: fidelity, commitment, detail, tranquility in life, and professional, intellectual and material ambition. They are usually couples that will last for long, needing nothing else but them in the love terrain. They satisfy each other and will live together in perfect harmony.”

The Big Diet

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Well, I’ve made up my mind. I am totally prepared to be the coquette I never was. And there are loads to do. As I was introducing last week, the first thing I have to do is to lose weight and to gain tone. I am soon going to try wedding dresses and cannot leave my diet for the last minute.

I weight 51 kilos today and I’m planning to weight 47 on my wedding day. Don’t get scared, for those who don’t know me, I am quite short, 154 cm. tall. The last nutritionist I visited believed that my perfect weight was 48, so I believe that 47 would be fair enough.

Diets are not my best friends. I used to eat as much as I wanted and would always look skinny. But three years ago I decided to quit smoking and somehow substituted cigarettes per food. That is why I put on quite a lot of weight. It is not that I feel bad for what I did, I feel terribly good, but still I would feel better if I was in shape as I was before.

Nevertheless, I tell you that it is much more difficult to eat less than to quit smoking. I was figuring out why I succeeded when I quit smoking: very easy, I told the world I was going to stop one day, and when that day came I didn’t dare to lit up a cigarette, I would have disappointed a lot of people. So, continuing with the tradition, I’m telling the whole world that I am going to go on a diet and that I am going to go to the gym until I am again the one I used to be. To proof my perseverance from today on, I’ll keep signing my Monday post with my weight, just as an ordinary Bridget Jones.

Yours,

Carla (51 Kg)

With this Ring I Thee Wed (II)

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People wear their engagement and wedding rings in a determined finger of a determined hand. Why and where should we wear the engagement and wedding ring? The choice relates to traditions that date classical times, referring to the fourth finger of the left hand as containing the vena amoris or "vein of love". However, you might have noticed that in many cultures the ring is also worn on the right hand. This comes from Roman tradition where the Latin word for left is “sinistra” meaning sinister and the Latin word for right is “dexter” meaning dexterity.


Who wears the wedding ring on their left hand?
- Western cultures (with some exceptions)
- Catholic people in The Netherlands
- Non Catholic people in Austria

Who wears the wedding ring on their right hand?
- German, Chile and Spanish people (except Catalans)
- Non Catholic people in The Netherlands
- Catholic people in Austria
- Eastern Europeans and Jews (traditionally)
- Many Greek people that keep with Orthodox tradition

In some European countries the wedding ring is the same as the engagement ring and changes its status by changing it of hand. For instance, as I am Catalan, I am wearing my engagement ring on my right hand but will wear it on my left hand when I get married.

Sometimes, the wedding ring is not the engagement ring and we have to ask ourselves whether to wear or not the engagement ring during the wedding ceremony. Normally, the bride may wear it on her left ring finger and have the groom put the wedding ring over it.

One interpretation says that the woman wears the wedding ring above the engagement ring to seal the engagement into a marriage. Another practice states that women should wear the wedding ring below the engagement ring since it will be closer to the heart. Still, others believe that the wedding ring should be worn alone.

Today, many occupations or professions forbid or discourage the use of jewelry (actors, doctors, electrical workers…). Also, many people remove wedding rings for comfort or safety, or just because they dislike to declare their legal status through jewelry.

Did you know?

- In the 3rd Century in Greece the ring finger was the index finger, and in India it was the thumb
- In Medieval Europe, the Christian wedding ceremony placed the ring in sequence on the index, middle and ring fingers on the left hand representing the Trinity —God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit
- The use of wedding rings for both partners is a quite recent innovation. The first etiquette book to mention it was written in 1937.
- In US today it is becoming more common, but still quite rare that a woman will also buy an engagement ring for her partner at the time of the engagement.
- In Spain, either the parents of the bride or the bride will buy an engagement present to the groom, normally being this present a watch

Where to go on Honeymoon?

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One of the most exciting things to do before the wedding is to plan the honeymoon. However, I have no clue about where I should go…there are so many places to go to! What can I do to figure out which can be the journey my dreams?

Well, I have found some few and nice tips that I would like to follow in order discard some countries and put other on the top:

1) Visited Countries: both Enrique and myself want to go somewhere we’ve never been before, so we need to check-out all the places or countries we’ve already been in
2) Weather Check: the world is big enough to have a sunny honeymoon any time of the year!
3) Magazine Subscription: I have already signed-in for online and offline travel magazines in order to get ideas for the journey of my dreams
4) Friend’s recommendation: I will ask my friends about their honeymoons, what should I do? What should I don’t?
5) Blog Voting: ask my blog readers to vote for their preferred destinations posting 3 reasons for going to a determined place.

From now on, every Thursday until the December I’ll comment on the above tips, striking through the countries we’re not going to visit to finally let you know where we are going to go on Honeymoon. For those of you who pick up our final destination before I do tell you about it, Enrique and I promise to bring or send you a souvenir from the honeymoon.

So don’t be shy and comment!

Wedding Cakes

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Last Saturday I went to Sitges to celebrate my sister’s 30th birthday. We had lunch in a lovely restaurant in the Aiguadolç port. After a while we went home and had the birthday cake.

Talking about cakes, I commented that I wasn’t planning to have a wedding cake, and curiously this fact surprised everyone, who talked about the importance of the cake in a wedding. The thing is that I don’t feel comfortable cutting the cake in front of so many people, and neither does Enrique, but I didn’t really think about the meaning of this particular ceremony.

What do you think? There are not many comments in this wedblog I’m writing in…but still I would love to have your opinion on this. Do you think I should in fact have a wedding cake? Do you think I shouldn’t? Please comment!

Name Compatibility

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Would you like to calculate your compatibility with your friends, lovers, co-workers or other relationships? Well, I know it may sound stupid, but I love playing these games.

My name compatibility with Enrique is of 85%.

Do you want to calculate yours? Check out this page!

A Beautiful Bride

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Brides always look beautiful. Well, brides should always look beautiful. Can you imagine waiting at the end of the aisle for an ugly bride? Even worse, can you imagine being that bride? Only in a nightmare.

A lot of pressure is put on the bride. Everybody is going to stare at you on your wedding day, the ones you care of are going to check every piece of detail in you: from the jewels to the shoes, makeup, hair, style, dress, bouquet, etc. So, before taking the big step you need to make sure that you are going to be as beautiful as ever. As you read bride magazines or navigate through wedding portals, a huge beauty check-list is elaborated in your mind: diet, style, make-up, spas, hair, really expensive treatments or even plastic surgery. Only after going through all of these you will here the magic words: “You look amazing!”

Meanwhile, the groom relaxes. He just needs to be impeccably shaved and well combed. And even then, nobody will look at him the way that people will stare at the bride. The point is that, oh dear! I start to feel under pressure. There’s so much to do! When and where do I start from?

Well, I will figure that out tomorrow, meanwhile I’ll say goodbye to bread, chocolate and sugar.

With this ring I thee wed (I)

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If somebody asked you about the meaning of your engagement ring you would probably answer that it is a symbol of love and commitment between two people. However, it has not always been this way. There are more myths and legends than actual facts around the engagement ring history, but I’m sure that among these you’ll find interesting stories and traditions.

The pre-historic men tied the woman’s arms and legs together so she could not escape. Eventually the bride’s legs were released and if she didn’t attempt to run away she would just wear a tied cord with a trailing end around one of her fingers.

In the 2nd Century we find the first rings offered as an exchange of love and marriage. Some claim that they were made of iron and that the Ancient Romans were the first to engrave them; others confirm that it was a gold band that symbolized the everlasting love and commitment to marriage and that it was usually carved with two clasped hands.

I also found some interesting stories related with the Catholic Church that state that in 860 A.D. Pope Nicholas I decreed that an engagement ring should become a required statement of nuptial intent. The fact that they were made of gold signified a financial sacrifice on the part of the prospective husband. Some centuries later, in 1215 Pope Innocent III declared a longer waiting period between betrothal and marriage.

However, one of the few examples that records the tradition of giving a ring as a commitment of marriage dates of 1477 when Archduke Maximillian of Hamburg gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring. You can find a reproduction of the ring in the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Vienne. The diamonds were disposed as a gothic letter “M” that referred to Holy Mary and the eternal union of Mary and Maximillian. The Venetians popularized this custom in the 15th Century; because the diamond is the hardest and most enduring substance in nature —diamond means invincible in ancient Greek (adamas; Адамас) — they believed that the engagement marriage would endure forever. Less wealthy citizens gave a Fede (faith) ring shaped in the form of two clasped hands.

In the 18th Century diamond cluster engagement rings were fashionable among the wealthy. In South Africa 1870 the newly discovered Kimberley diamond region began to flood the market with diamonds, so the prices fell. At this time people thought that various birthstones were seen to be a rarity compared to diamonds and elaborated engagement rings of sapphire, emerald and rubies with diamond accents were more common among the wealthy people.

Within 10 years the now famous De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. was formed by the Englishman Cecil John Rhodes to control the sale of diamonds throughout the world. Even today they control 65% of the world’s diamond trade. From 1880 De Beers were able to control the supply (and price) of diamonds. But how were they going to control demand when sales began dropping dramatically onwards through the great depression?

The answer to the problem was a very clever marketing campaign commissioned by De Beers that began in 1947. The slogan "A Diamond is forever" marked the beginning of a change in the history of the engagement ring. Gentlemen Prefers Blondes with its theme Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend; High Society, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Diamonds are Forever are a few among other examples that make us realize that after all, buying a diamond engagement ring isn’t really a popular ancient tradition.

Today, estimated 78% of all engagement rings sold every year are diamond. So trust me, she'll be expecting a diamond!

Silly Wed Test (2/2)

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Do not read this post before having read Silly Wed Test (1/2)

1. This will be your best man or bridesmaid on your wedding day
2. This is the person you think you will marry
3. This will be the color of the bride’s dress
4. This will be the color of the groom’s suit
5. These will be the main flowers in your wedding
6. If you chose beach you’ll have an intimate wedding, if you chose mountain you will have a big party.
7. This number states the months or years that it will take to plan your wedding

Was this what you were expecting? Post a Comment and let me know.

Silly Wed Test (1/2)

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Instructions:

a) Make sure you have a pen or pencil and a piece of paper to write down your answers. b) Answer as quickly as possible the first thing that comes to your head c) You will have the results tomorrow.

1. Write the name of a person of your same sex
2. Write the name of a person of your opposite sex
3. Do you prefer White or Pink?
4. Do you prefer Black, white, grey or brown?
5. Pick up two of these 4 types of flowers: red roses, white roses, tulips, carnations
6. Do you prefer the beach or the mountain?
7. Write your favorite number from 1 to 7

Number 14

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#1 was not what I expected
#2 was my first love
#3 was a forbidden love
#4 was a summer fling
#5 was not in love with me and I was not in love with him
#6 was just a movie kiss
#7 was the bad guy
#8 was the good guy
#9 was a ring-teen-teen
#10 was a new year’s kiss
#11 was a summer love
#12 was a relative of #2
#13 was a platonic love
#14 is the one

First Kiss

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It all started the 3rd of May of 1997. Enrique had invited me to his place to study for our final exams. It was a Saturday. The previous day we had been studying at my place: philosophy. I had a crush on him and desperately wanted to know if he felt the same. I decided to ask one of my closest friends to ask him if he had feelings for me. As impulsive as she is, she pushed me into the kitchen to make some coffee while she walked my dog with him.

After a while, when my friend and I were alone again she asked me to forget him; “Let it go. I’m sorry but there’s nothing you can do”. It was really hard to hear those words from the mouth of one of my best friends. However, that day I decided not to be sad and somehow convinced me that I would soon get over him.

This is probably why the following day I was pretty relaxed. I didn’t expect anything to happen. I went to his place around 10 o’clock in the morning and we studied Spanish for about 4 hours. After lunch we sat on the coach and watched some TV. It was 3 o’clock by then. One hour later he was still sitting on the left edge of the sofa and I was sitting on the right. At 5 o’clock we were sitting close to each other and by 6 he had his hand on my lap. At 7 o’clock we were lying on the coach. It felt like heaven.

I still had the words that my friend had spoken out in my head, however, by 8 o’clock I didn’t know what to think anymore. It was clear that he felt something. Anyhow, I wouldn’t dare to kiss him first so I decided to pretend that I was asleep, and I gently turned around towards him. At 9 he caressed my lips and attempted to kiss me, but the telephone rang.

It was his auntie, just a short call to say hi. Two minutes after his brother came home with some friends. Fortunately they had plans for dinner so they left half an hour later. At 10 o’clock there we were again, lying on the sofa, pretending to sleep. He didn’t wait to receive another phone call. He caressed my lips again and he kissed me. We’ve been together since then.

Moving out, moving in, moving out (2/2)

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There I was, in Madrid at last, in my new home sweet home living with an old friend but brand new as a flat mate. It only took us two weeks to mess things up and move out again (That is the third house-move already!). Some of our friends were already expecting this to happen; a group of them had even bet about it! Next time I’d rather get the advice earlier…I could still be looking for a flat mate but probably I would also maintain my friendship.

Anyway, my next experience as a flat mate worked out much better. By that time Tomás, one of Enrique’s best friends was living on his own in Madrid so we decided to move-in together (4). A few months later we decided that we could look for a better and cheaper place, so we did (5). Not long after that the company I was working for asked me to move to Switzerland and I agreed. As Tomás was going to have to live on his own again he decided that he needed to look for a cheaper apartment to live in; so, while he found it I decided to move to a friend’s place two months before I left (6).

Packed up and left to Horgen, Switzerland, (7) and spent 10 beautiful months before I was offered to move again, this time to Buenos Aires. I agreed (8). 4 months later I was transferred back to Madrid (9). Then, I realized that I had already been 3 years away from home and that I really couldn’t live without Enrique (within all the moves he stayed at home, in Barcelona). Last September I moved back to Barcelona, and that makes the 10th move, but still not the last. Since then, circumstances have made me move back and forward between my mom’s flat and my studio. The same studio I bought when I was 23 and the same studio that I am now going to sell. Yes, I’m naturally planning to move out again. I want to sell my studio so Enrique and I can buy a bigger flat to move in together, at last!It’s funny how the studio never really felt like home but how it is in fact being quite difficult to sell. Actually, it is the place that among other memories gathers those related with the beginning of my independency and where I got engaged, so the beginning of two very important stages in my life.

I am selling my studio-flat in Barcelona, click here if you're interested

Moving out, moving in, moving out (1/2)

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I bought my 40 squared meter studio when I was 23, back in 2002. I remember how exciting it was to move out for the first time from my mother’s house. It’s true that I had been living in Finland for about 4 months in year 2000, but this was more about independency. It was the first time that I was really moving out, living on my own and at my own expense. However, what I didn’t expect back then is that yes, I was moving, but not how and where I was expecting to.

I bought the studio in March but there was a lot to do before I could actually live in it. Enrique (my boyfriend —now my fiancé :-) and I painted the ceiling in white, the walls in blue and the bathroom in cream. We also made my bed with a big piece of wood, foam, cloth, 4 cute white wheels and a lot of imagination. I also had to buy a lot of stuff too and my economy was not as good as to spend all at once, so by the time I could really move in it was already June.

Boxes up and boxes down I slept some days in the studio but as it was already summer time I was actually moving back and forward between my mom’s flat in Barcelona, my mom’s apartment at the beach and my studio. That is why I decided that September would be the best time to move out. What happened then is that I got a job offered in Madrid and decided to leave.

So there I was, back at the beginning: show the apartment, rent the apartment, move back to mom’s flat, go to Madrid, look for an apartment, rent the apartment, and move in the apartment. To make a story short, from back then till today it feels as if I had moved in and out more than 100 times.

To be continued…

I am selling my studio in Barcelona, click here if you're interested

Engagement

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I had pictured the moment a million times in my head. But there I was, not knowing what to say. It was a Friday, the 18th of November and I had plans to have dinner with my girlfriends. Two nights before Marta called to cancel. So and so couldn't come and she had decided to postpone the occasion. So, as a normal weekday I came home from my Master. I was thinking on how tired I was and that I was happy that they had cancelled. The only thing I fancy doing was having dinner at home with my boyfriend while watching a DVD. Better if a Romantic Comedy.

It was quarter to eleven. I usually came earlier home but that day we had had a presentation day in class and we had finished at half past ten. I heard my sweet malteese barking at the door. The puppy was three months old at that time. While I was unlocking the door I could also hear some steps running towards the door. I saw him on the other side with a huge smile on his face. At the background, the tea table was beautifully set. Flowers, candles and a delicious smell. But all I could see was an engagement ring on one of the plates, just as the picture shows. I could not say a word. He was saying yes, it's true, and I was stupidly asking him if he was completely sure. In the past weeks he had been thinking how to give me the engagement ring, where to buy it...and I had absolutely no idea. It's true that I was sooner or later expecting to get engaged. After all we had been together for almost 9 years at the time. That afternoon he came to my place with his sister and prepared everything. They cooked the most delicious food in the best way and can assure that they converted that horrible day in one of the most special moments of my life.