Spanish-style siestas to cut down on electricity consumption

Faced with an energy crisis as the summer arrives in Japan, one prefecture is adopting a habit that was previously anathema to hard-working Japanese - the midday siesta.

The town council of Gifu, in central Japan, has decided to adopt Spanish working hours in July, August and September, Staff are being told to turn off their computers, the lights and the air conditioning and go home for a nap or leave the building to go shopping or for a walk.

Why people still think of spaniards enjoy a nap everyday??  the usual work hours are from 9am to 7pm.. with 1 hour to have lunch.. have been years since my last nap..

ATTENTION BAR AND RESTAURANT OWNERS!

At least one staff member must speak Spanish.

Yes, maybe you think is unbelieveble but most of resorts bars or even restaurants in spanish coast don't have anyone who speak spanish.. how many english are living in there or how big are the english colonies in the coast??

It has been brought to our attention that in the Cabildo’s Tourism & Planning Department law regulating bars and restaurants, published as decree 90/2010 on July 22 2010, certain minimum conditions are stipulated, and failure to comply could lead to inspectors charging you an on-the-spot fine of up to €3,000.

The decree states quite clearly that you must have staff who speak Spanish. We presume that employing one Spanish speaking member of staff would fulfil this requirement.

Yeeess!!!! Real Madrid won their 18th Spanish cup

A single goal by Cristiano Ronaldo (103rd min) was enough to give Real Madrid victory in a Final that went into extra-time. They have proven to everyone they can beat any team they want.

Real Madrid dominated the first half and then relied on goalkeeper Iker Casillas' second-half stops as Barcelona took control after the restart in an intense atmosphere at the Mestalla Stadium (Valencia FC).

Next up it’s the Semi-final Champions League Wed 27 April (Santiago Bernabeu), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 (Camp Nou)

Spanish wine (Where are they?)

Oh my god!!! how difficult can be to get a good wine (cheap and known for my pocket) in England, here you have a little bit of culture-tips and my own selection. Prices are in Euro because I have just found two of them in Tesco, (Albariño «Rias Baixas, the best choice to me) I really don't understand why it's so difficult to find them when they are cheaper and the taste is much more better than the other wines.

In recent times the Spanish wine industry has really come onto the world scene with a whole new range of wine styles which have adapted to market demands and an enormous improvement in quality.

Spanish wine - labels

-Bottles labelled Joven (Young) are the juniors.
-Crianza is aged for one year in a barrel and one year in a bottle before release.
-Reserva spends one year in a barrel and a further two in the bottle.
-Gran Reserva is aged for a minimum of two years in wood and held in the bottle for three.
You may also notice the initials DO on a bottle.
It stands for Denominación de Origen - literally meaning "Denomination of Origin", portraying where the wine comes from.
This now has an "upper level" for the very best wines - Denominación de Origen Calificada - or DOCa

Top selection

• Ribera del Duero Crianza 2005 - Bodegas Resalte Peñafiel - 26€.
• Ribera del Duero Viña Mayor Reserva 2004 - Hijos de Antonio Barceló - 19€.
• Rioja Crianza 2006 - Bodegas LAN - 9€.
• Rioja Reserva 2005 - Bodegas Beronia - 14€.
• Rioja Reserva 2004 - Bodegas Ondarre 13€.
• Albariño «Rias Baixas Lagar 2009» - Bodegas Bouza do Rei - 10€.
• Ribera del Duero 2006 - Bodegas Dominio de Atauta - 24€.
• Albariño «Rias Baixas 2008» - Viña Nora - 13€.
• Syrah-Petit Verdot Dominio de Valdepusa Caliza 2006 - Marqués de Griñón - 12€.

Another good reason to learn a foreign language

Expats who speak Spanish 'ward off dementia for longer'

USING Spanish in everyday situations and sticking to regular classes can help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, say doctors.

Learning a foreign language could put back the first signs of dementia by at least five years, recent research has shown.

Expatriates in Spain are at a particular advantage, since those who regularly use the language they have learnt are even more likely to fight off Alzheimer's than those who have merely studied one and let it lay dormant.

Tattoos in other language.

He figured he’d make it something that means a lot to her but it is improperly conjugated. It literally translates to Love Her Madly but the verb love isn’t in its proper form.

“Ámala locamente”, "La amo locamente" would be better, but I'm not sure about “locamente” has the right connotations or if he meant "con locura", anyway Please, if someday you decide to get a tattoo in Spanish get someone who does speak it.

via fuckyeahtattoos

One day to be millonaire

Hi everybody,

As I said in One week to be millionaire I have bought a number to play Spanish Christmas lottery, tomorrow all together we will be playing to win 3.000.000 euros. For now, I have just received a few ideas of what to do with the money. what a shame if you send nothing because you are shy ;-)

It's not too late, send your idea about what you would do with the money so if we win the first prize, one of those ideas will become true chesterfield.people@gmail.com

Keep your fingers crossed for a Christmas windfall

One week to be millionaire

The Spanish Christmas lottery (The Fat One - El Gordo) is the biggest lottery in the world and also one of the oldest (1812). While the first prize is 'only' 3€ million, As measured by the total prize payout, the Christmas Lottery is considered the biggest lottery worldwide. "El Gordo" has the biggest prize pool of any lottery in the world, last year totaling over two billion euros!

The morning of December 22nd my mind will swimming the Caribbean Sea with my own yacht, drinking champagne with a lot of friends around.. You will think I am getting mad but if you compare the probability between winning the Euromillions (1 of 76.275.360) or Spanish Christmas lottery (1 of 85.000) you will see that with a little bit of luck, my dream would become true.

Now, here's the deal, I will buy a ticket for all of us, you just have to send an email to chesterfield.people@gmail.com with your idea about what you would do with the money so if we win the first prize, one of those ideas will become true.

Keep your fingers crossed for a Christmas windfall

WHO TO KISS, WHO NOT TO KISS??

It doesn't matter how long I have been here or how long I have known someone, I will always have the same problem, I don't know how to say hello.

Spanish people usually shake hands between men, two cheek kisses between women, two cheek kisses between man and woman (except when you are at work, in this case both will try to keep the distance) and when you really know someone a hug is fine.

However in England is completely different people usually just say Hello, shake their hands each other, just one kiss and the variation of cheek kissing and then go in for the one arm hug or a two arm hug.

when you are a foreign in Spain the rules are easier but when you are the foreign in England you never know what to do, if you try to shake your hands and other person want to kiss you will seem rude, if you try to kiss someone may they think you are going too far and the last one, when someone knows you are foreign and they try to copy the way you are and you don't know how many kisses one or two.

Oh my god, even say hello can be extremely uncomfortable.