English Metas Blog

April 26th 2010 , Jesús López

The Volcanic ash cloud makes loos to Airlines 1,200 Millions E. on the stock exchange.

The main European Airlines face two days of big looses on the stock exchange due to the volcanic cloud coming from Iceland, which practically has shut down the space air of the Old Continent. The coldness numbers throws looses above to 1,200 Millions E. just in two seasons (yesterday and last Friday when the wonder matters started to being noticed at the main European Airports).

Significant figures regarding companies which so far do not appear among the big size ones in Internationals stock exchange markets.

Iberia, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa are so far the most punished values from the last Thursday, facing looses above 6%. The uncertainty translated into red numbers on the screens also has left print to big airlines of low-cost, especially to Easyjet, although Ryanair has held the storm with certain solvency ( its shares only have come down 2.5% in these two seasons).

The share holders are facing an uncertainty situation in front of the possibility that the authorities may take some measures in order to support the sector and minimize in some way the damages which have being caused by the volcanic cloud.

Daily looses.

The companies have started to evaluate the impact of the ash cloud on their economy. The estimations published in the last two days pressages negative consequences to the figures of the second three-month exercise.

The volcano eruption has matched the lowliness of the income comedown comparing to 2009 , the worst economic year in the history of air sector. The international association of transport air (I A T A ) esteems everyday looses in 150 Millions E.

Air France is the most affected company by the ash , on behalf talks that yesterday said its CEO , Pierre Henri Gourgeon  a quarter part of the looses belongs to Air France.

The fore-sights by first executive of French airline are Citigroup as well. The finance entity issued yesterday a file about the impact on to the airlines regarding the enclosed in the main area of European space air. The enclosed almost all North and Centre European space air during the latest five days is probably the biggest trouble till now for the European Airlines. Could be worst than the seven days of shut-down in the US space air after the terrorism attacks on September the eleventh underlined  bank’s specialists.

British Airways asked yesterday to European Union similar measures in order to fight against that crisis situation . In their case the daily looses could reach up to 20 Million pounds in the worst.

The Lufthansa figures also could be similar to Air France , according Citi. The SAS group worth each day impact between 5.2 and 9.3 Millions E. and the airport manager of United Kingdom BAA property of Ferrovial , in 5.7 Millions.

April 19th 2010  Jesús López

Starter : Griddle Palamos`s prawns.

Ingredients : 12 fresh prawns, salt , olive oil.

First of all put the flat griddle iron on the fire, it should be heating until reaches high temperature, then put on the prawns and cook them 30 seconds aside, spread the salt while cooking , take them off from the griddle and depose in a tray one close to other oiling at selftaste.

Main Course :  Baby Lamb from the oven.

Ingredients : half baby Lamb, salt, water.

Put some water in a terracotta casserole, then the lamb previously salted holded above the edges of the casserole , keep in mind that the lamb should not be touched by the water, introduce the lamb inside the oven ( one like those tipically from Segovia area),

It should be cooking during 3 hours after that it will be ready to serve.

Dessert : Cranberrys with ice yoghurt.

Ingredients : rum , cranberrys, ice yoghurt.

Introduce in a dessert cup the sliced cranberrys alongwith the ice yoghurt then flavored everything with a rum tablespoon.

All above accompanied with a red wine bottle from Ribera de Duero.

Difficulty: easy

Preparation:20 minutes

Cooking: 10-20 min

Ingredients: 1 cup of maize flour, 2 cups of water, 3 teaspoons of salt.

Put the water in a bowl, then go adding the flour and little by little, and knead the mixture until you get it very soft. Then you have to make balls wiht the mixture, it depending on the size you want the arepas. They could be small and thin, small and bulky, medium/large and thin or bulky. When you finish, crushing the balls to get the form of “arepas”.

To cook them you have different opctions, for example: to fry them with very hot oil in a pan, or to cook them in the oven; in this way, you have to preheat it before al least for 20 minutes. To know if the arepas are cooked, spank them with your fingers and check if they sounds hollow.

The arepas can be acompanied with: only butter, or ham and cheese, chicken, scrambled eggs, or whatever you want.

Enjoy!!

In my opinion, perfection and goodness are not mutually exclusive. With this base, I think that is better to achieve a good atmosphere rather than a perfect one, because in the first case, probably you can get it. Obviously, each job demands a specific atmosphere. Anyway, the question is: Does the perfect atmosphere exist?. The answer to that is negative.

Imagine an office where all workers were helpful, proactive and they act on their own initiative. Also imagine the same office where the persons in charge of it were humble and they listen to the people around and promote and encourage the personal all-embracing development of their workers. Imagine that collaborators always give their best and give an “extra mile” when necessary and, in contrast, a reward was given to them.

You have come to the never-never Land.

Perfection doesn’t exist. Anyway, everyone can improve his own behavior and may contribute to create a better job atmosphere.

I have read that Randstad has made an Inform, called Employer Branding: when perception can become reality, that analyze which are the work aspects longed by the Spanish. It seems that conclusions are clear, although some of them are qualified depending on the sex and the age. However, Spanish people match up with a principal aspect: stability and job security, something understandable bearing in mind the very high unemployment rate that exists in Spain.

But not only stability is wanted. The Spanish want a job which offers them a good wage, with comfortable and relaxed environment, and to allow them to reconcile with their personal and family life. Sex and age differences are important since men attach too much importance to financial health of the Company and to quality of the product and services offered by it. Women emphasize the work place location, environment, long-term job security and flexibility offered by the Company in order to reconcile their personal and family life. For this, one of the principal conclusions of the Inform is that Men are more interested in the professional aspects of work and Women value social and personal aspects of it.

Also, there are differences depending on the age group. So, while older employees are looking for a prestigious Company, whose products and services are shared with these values, younger employees are looking for a comfortable and steady job, that provides them personal satisfaction and a good wage. All in all, they want a job that allows them to promote their personal life.

Times are changing.

Last week I went to the Melies Cinemes to see the Garbo Documentary. garbo is a historical personage, he was a double spy born in Barcelona. He worked during the Second World War for the Allied Forces and for the Nazi. His more important mission cosisted to send erroneous information about the Normandy desembarkation to the Germans. Thank’s to these messages the Germany army were not to Normandy, they went to Calais. The desenbarkation was a success for the Allied Forces. The Germans weren’t and they could enter Europe for France and they starded gaing the war.

The documentary was in English a subgradate in catalán, the historian and psicologyst were of differents nacionalities. It is a very interesting documentary, I recommend to be going to see it.

We can define a civil servant as a government employee; as a public servant as well. That is to say, a civilian public sector employee working for a government department or agency. Following the Collins English Dictionary we can say that a civil servant is a person who is part of the service responsible for the public administration of the government of a country, called civil service.

In my opinion civil servant are, at least, as old as the State. So, when a State exists, a civil service exists. This is true, for example, in the case of the Roman Empire. There were different kinds of civil servants. In the beginning, the civil servant were an elite, because of they could read and had the knowledge as well. For example, the imperial officials in the Roman Empire were the ones who managed the Empire. In two words, they were in charge of the government. They were appointed by the emperor for an indefinite period and his authority depended on what this would command them. We can cite the most important civil servants called “prefectus”. There were different kinds of them: The praetorian prefectus who was the head of the Guard; the prefectus urbi who was the representative of the emperor in the city and the police chief as well; the prefectus vigilium who took care of public order, and the prefectus annonae who handled the supplies. We can cite the prosecutors too, lower-ranking than the prefectus, who are charged with the most varied functions.

The same can be applied to another great old-time civilization: China.

Until the Modern Age civil servants was a special part of the society, erudite an learned people who executed the emperors and king’s orders and the best of them advised their governing class. Not everyone could be civil servant. Generally speaking, they had to be part of the nobility or the clergy, and they must be males. Women weren’t allowed as civil servants.

Nowadays, times has changed, and everybody can be civil servant (perhaps, today some of us want to be one of them). I will continue in another post, if it’s possible.

Watch, Practice and Learn!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUEE2HehCjM

The accident that I’m going to referring to happened me nine years ago, more or less.

It took place at noon in the mountain, in a forest track, to be precise. I was driving my car through the track, coming back from the village. On my right hand there was the mountain, a large wall of rocks and trees and on my left hand there was a precipice. Suddenly, at a given moment, the right back wheel hit a rock and the car became to move from side to side. Sincerely, I got frightened. I only could see the precipice and my car going over the cliff. It happened very fast, but I remember that my car was getting close to it and I swerved to avoid the precipice. The maneuver finished with my car crashed into the mountain turning right over. When the car stopped it was upside down I only could hear the horn that shut up after a few second. After that the silence was absolute.

Thanks to God I didn’t hurt myself. Anyway I avoided the precipice and I was all right but my car was total wreck.

I was in the middle of nowhere with my telephone broken. So I had to walk to the village to call the crane that took me home.

I admit that I was lucky and I had to admit that, perhaps, I was going too fast. However I’m here and I can explain it. I’ll never forget it.

I realize that I have not just one but many so this precise moment is probably the happiest moment of my life. I am a privileged person!!! (How optimistic I am today!)  

So, those are the moments, but I can’t put them all!!!:

The birth of my daughter, when I knew I was pregnant (both of the times). The day I began to share a life with my partner until we finished married and forming a family. The wedding, every trip that I have made, the first kiss when I was very very young!, weekends partying with friends.  The first time that I assist to a concert with my sister, etc…

And I will not continue explaining my life!
I can only say that every time I was and I am happy is the happiest of my life.

J

You can see the video of this song at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY3LAFJbKyY