30.11.06

Last day at Sun

Posted in General at 3:11 pm by Andy

Wow… 5 years in total at Sun. I must say I’ve done very well from the company. First off I had the fantastic opportunity to work with them as a student which really restored my interest in computing, and above all in programming. Some hard work and good contacts enabled me to walk back into Sun after university with a position in Spain. As a result I’ve learned a new language, lived a new life in Spain and spent time in Poland and the US. All this has seen me gain confidence immensely which in turn has driven me to reach out for even more… hence things like the Mongol Rally and the Rickshaw Run.

Last night dinner we went out for a final dinner, but I’ll leave you to read about that on www.shesagoa.com (when I get round to posting it). It is actually quite a sad moment for me, as I’ve met so many fantastic people within Sun. Yesterday I sent a mail round to every one I value within Sun to say goodbye. It was truly heart warming to get so many responses from so many people so quickly. I can only apologies for not replying to each one individually.

Anyway, to celebrate, here’s some music:

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28.11.06

Andy’s Leaving Do

Posted in General at 5:16 pm by Andy

Yup, after those of Bertrand, Ivan and Alan, it is now my turn. For my final Friday night in Madrid Philippe suggested we follow in the footsteps of Gareth and do a pub crawl along Calle de la Palma. This is a very long street in the Malasaña district of Madrid, full of bars. The plan was to start at one end and go into every single bar on the street for one beer. Given the length of the street and the number of bars, the challenge was quite unrealistic, but that didn’t stop us trying.

There were about 16 of us in the end and I think most had a very good night. A novel way to go out in Madrid and a good way to see a selection of good and bad bars in one night. The only disappointment was that after insisting that we go to the club Sala Siroco to find out that the music was terrible and there was no atmosphere. Until then, I’d never had a bad night in there. A real downer as I’ve such fond memories of the place.

Thanks to the following for coming along: Jon, Philippe, Ana, James, Ana, Pete, Espe, Isabel, Nico, Zaida, Andre, Stefan, Marta, Juan, Bernd.

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23.11.06

Guest Book

Posted in General at 8:45 pm by Andy

Thanks for all the recent comments people! Its really nice to hear from friends, especially when their spread as far apart as Great Britain, Spain, Poland and Australia.

Provided all goes well, I will shortly be on the road for the best part of a year. I should have some fantastic experiences and opportunities. In fact, it will most likely be the journey of a lifetime, but there will also be low moments. I will get home sick and I will miss my friends. With this in mind, I’d really appreciated that if you do come to visit this blog to see what I’m up to, that you leave me a message in the guest book. I know from experience, that one of the best feelings while travelling is knowing that friends and family are thinking of you.

So, get that abuse rolling… Sign the Guest Book

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17.11.06

Note to Self

Posted in Travel at 5:30 pm by Andy

I was reading through Steve Davey’s Unforgetable Places to see before you die earlier this week. A good book that I treated myself a few years back. It is full of fantastic photography and good accompanying text with tips for making your visit special (it’s quite clear to see the text is written by a photographer and possibly the reason it appeals so much to me).

I remember having a discussion with Jon about how many of the 40 places included in the book we’d been to. At that time I’d managed a whopping 3 out of 40. Jon had managed 8. I’m a lot more positive now though, having read over all of the places that are included on my route around the world. This has certainly inspired me and from this book alone I have a list of must do’s for the forthcoming year. Below is that list and no, I’ve not put this together to make you jealous (although it may well do just that), but more as a reference for myself when I get to these places. So here goes:

Taj Mahal, India
Watch the Taj change colours at dawn from the far side of the Yamuna River

Varanasi, India
Hindu pilgrimage. Arrange a rowing boat the day before, and get out on the Ganges before sunrise. Take the boat to Manikarnika Ghat and walk back along the shore to Dasasvamedha Ghat.

Golden Temple, Bangkok
Beat the crowds and the heat. Arrive at 8:30.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Get a 3 day pass. Climb to the Top Level of the temple for dawn and witness the place come to life. Join the masses at the north pool for sunrise.

Taman Negara Rainforest, Malaysia
Take a boat from Kuala Tembling to Kuala Tahan. Check out the 430 meter canopy walkway. The walkway opens early on Fridays. 8.00 am is the best time. While in the forest, spend a night in a nature hide to really experience the environment.

Uluru, Australia
Once again, witness sunrise. Also visit the nearby Kata Tjuta.

Aitutaki, Cook Islands
True paradise. Get flight from Rarotonga.

Grand Canyon
Arrive pre-dawn and watch the canyon open up in front of you. Yaki point or Hopi Point are good spots. Do a two day trek into the canyon.

A few further tips from Chris, one of Pete’s friends.
New Zealand

• Milford Sound (south)
• Jet boats in Queensland (south)
• Bay Islands (north)
• Lake Taupo - Whakapapa (north)

USA

• Yosemete
• Redwood Forest

6 Comments

12.11.06

Ben Sidran Quartet

Posted in Music at 11:41 am by Andy

After a frustrating non-constructive day trying to fix the Peugeot, Espe and I wandered down to the Cafe Central for a bit of Jazz and Blues. While in there a month or so ago I spotted that Ben Sidran was going to be performing in November. Having seen Sidran twice before over the last four years, I really wanted to return as he’s impressed me the most of all the groups I’ve seen there.

We actually went down on Friday but, an hour before the concert, Cafe Central was full. We decided to return the Saturday and this this time get there early. So arriving two hours before the concert, we got the best seats in the house… We were so close, in fact, that during the concert I could have reached out and played the Piano (but of course I wouldn’t want to show Ben how it should be done).

I’m no good at categorising music, so I won’t try. All I do know is I really like the stuff the Ben Sidran Quartet play. It’s certainly “has the groove”, as he puts it. On top of that, I find his lyrics very profound, yet fun at the same time. There where quite few references in there to current affairs in the US, and his opinions were quite clear… “This week the good guys won. Its now time for America to join the rest of the world”. “Someone asked me if I’m running for president, I responded, ‘no, I’m running from the president’”. Last time I saw Sidran in Madrid, he did a great song, titled “turn it off”. Referring to how television is numbing the minds of Americans. The same theme came up again this time… “200 channels but nothing to watch, the illusion of choice”.

Anyway, enough waffling. If you ever get the opportunity, check him out (he plays in Madrid at Cafe Central every year). For those that have made it this far, here’s a cheeky, bad quality, recording of my favourite track of the night. You will need the correct real player plug ins or Nokia’s own software to listen to this.

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10.11.06

She’s a Goa

Posted in General at 1:03 pm by Andy

That’s the best we could manage for a witty team name for the forth coming Rickshaw Run. So, here it is, our team website is officially… erm, a goer. Check it out in all its bilingual glory:

  www.shesagoa.com

It’s Friday and you know your not going to get any work done so have a good read, leave some comments in the guestbook and then sponsor us. You know it makes sense.

On a completely unrelated note, I’ve just started using the Firefox 2 web browser, and it’s great (go and try it yourself). The best feature has to be the built in spell checker. From here on, my spelling in this blog should improve!

1 Comment

Can you feel the love?

Posted in Food, General at 12:54 pm by Andy

Most of my recent posts have been about nice people that I’ve met over the last 4 years. I’ve felt the need to share how these people have influenced me. I guess I’m just getting soppy as I know I’m leaving Spain in 3 weeks time and there are a lot of people that I’m going to miss a great deal. Last night we invited David, Alberto and Paola over for dinner. I met both David and Alberto due to the Mongol Rally, and have remained friends while helping them prepare and watching them take part. Yet more people I’ll miss…

And here, especially for Paola, is the recipe for last nights dinner.

Mushroom and Potato Pie
(Serves 6)

for the mashed potato (puree)

• 2kg of potatoes
• 50g of butter
• 200ml of hot milk
• 3 eggs (beaten)
• 75g of Parmesan cheese

for the filling

• 400g of mushrooms
• 50g of butter
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Serrano ham
• Parsley
• 200g of Gruyere (or similar melting cheese)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees C.

2. Peel and boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and add the hot milk, butter and 2/3rds of the grated Parmesan. Mash together.

3. While the potatoes are boiling, fry the sliced mushrooms in with the butter, chopped garlic and parsley. Add the Serrano ham for the last few minutes.

4. Spread 1/3rd of the mashed potato along the a reasonably deep baking tray. Place the cubed Gruyere cheese out on top of the mashed potato, then poor in the mushrooms and cooking juices. Spread the remaining mashed potato over the mushrooms and cheese, covering them up completely. Finally, sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the top.

5. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

6. Serve and enjoy.

Paola, let me know if you need translations for any of the above.

Mum, hi!

1 Comment

07.11.06

Alan’s Leaving Do

Posted in General at 4:26 pm by Andy

Yep, another one. Alan left Sun a little while back, but is now leaving Spain. He and his wife are moving back to the UK via Australia (they’ve got themselves a months vacation before having to start a new life / jobs in London). Alan, Marta, James, Ana, Espe and I met up in town on Friday evening before going on for a curry in the Taj (my boycott of the place obviously didn’t last long). We then moved onto the interestingly named Cock bar (where they charge and extortionate €5.10 for a bottle of Mahou) and then another bar in the same area. A good night had by all I think, and one of the highlights for me was reminiscing about the trip to Denver that Alan and I went on with Sun in 2004. I thought I was the only person who enjoyed it as most people whinged how boring Denver was, but it turns out Alan enjoyed it as much as me.

Alan was always very sharp witted, and someone who’s humor always appealed (at least when I understood it), but typically I feel I only got to know the guy properly just before he left (although I think that comes down to the problem that I don’t talk much until I’ve had a few beers, at which point I don’t stop).

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