March - The Story Of My Dog

My dog is very old, 16 years. Nearly 16 years ago, I walked along a street in Tossa, and paused in front of a pet shop where, in a small cage, was a pair of eyes, the saddest I have even seen, of a little Yorkie, so tiny he looked more like a bat than a dog. He looking at me with such intensity as if saying, I was quite sure, that he wished to be with me. I bought it.

Till then I knew nothing at all of dogs. Nor how to look after them. Never knew then that he was the one that looked after me since, for close to 16 years. Now I know almost everything there is to know about dogs, not just about March, my Yorkie. It was March you see when he became my family.

I honestly think nobody has ever loved me as much as he does. Everything I do, every little and ordinary thing I do, like eating at the table, or watching TV, there's March looking up at me with such adoration in his face, as if saying "How well you chewed your food" or " How contented you look when you watch TV". Crazy little dog, it never seems to occur to him that whether I enjoy doing those or not they are just things I do. He follows me everywhere as if his life and existence depended on it.

The days when I am sad about something, March knows always, perhaps even before I do. He would sit very close to me, and offers me his paw for no other reason just to let me know he understands. There had been days when I am in a bad mood, I would yell at him to leave me alone, not run around my feet tripping me over occasionally. He knows too I didn't mean to yell, for he always assume all my unhappiness are his fault, and he looks guilty, drops his head and lies quietly by my feet, but taking care not to touch me with his paw too soon, until I reach out to pat him on the head, or a little scratch under his chin ... then his eyes immediately light up, tail wagging at full speed, and sometimes utters a couple of soft squeaks to thank me for whatever it was that 'He' had made me unhappy. My poor March, it was never his fault. He had given me unconditional love and the warmest and the most devoted companionship.

But he is getting very old now. He began to walk much slower, and his enthusiasm for long walks and playful games is notably less. He knows it too, but takes it as a matter of course, When he has bad enough walk, he would slow down his pace at first, and if I don't pay him any heed and continues for more than a few minutes, he would just stop and looking at me saying with his eyes that "That's it. No more today." Or he would simply turn round and start walking back so I have to follow him!

I realize now that dogs accept their old age perhaps better than most people, settle better for slower pace of life still keeping their dignity. When he knocks down something, he doesn't look as guilty as when he was young, he would just look at me seeming saying "what do you expect? I am old." I sometimes have to clean up after him now, as he has become nearly blind, obviously a little deaf too, and occasionally incontinent. He still knows when I am sad or in a bad mood, and still sits close to me to comfort me. But I go to him more often now as in the beginnign when he was like my shadow, now I am his. My lovely companion is old and it's my duty now to look after him and comfort him.

Tags:march,mydog

Current Mood: Accomplished

The New Cafe-Bar Of The Bygone Days

Velodromo, a very popular cafe-Bar in Barcelona is not exactly new. It first opened in 1933, but has now with the incorporation of technical support for the service, preserving the old charm, but with refurbished and more comfortable furniture, all in traditional styles. The 2 owners wish to conserve the concept that goes back decades when going to a Cafe-Bar was a social and leisurely event, not a place to have a quickie coffee and running off to work, or to other tasks or activities, still chewing the last mouthful of croissant hurrying out of the door. More correctly speaking this is a Cafe-Bar-Bistro, a social meeting point where the personnel, 50 of them, who had gone through scrupulous selections, to attend to the customers from 6 a.m. at dawn to 3 a.m. in the middle of the night, everyday throughout the year. People who go to Velodromo can be eating a full meal at the table while someone might be peacefully reading the papers, or doing the crossword puzzle at the next table, and at a corner a group of friends might be playing cards or billiard, or an artist sketching the whole scene. Traditional and home-made dishes are served at any time of the day or night. All food is fresh and of the best quality, and brought to your table on a well laid out tray, which is left on the table if you wish, just in case you want a 2nd helping. Or, if you should be wanting nothing more than a coffee and read your novel in peace for a couple of hours, you are just as welcome. Just like the old days too, there are staff attending to you in the service rooms, shoe cleaning while you sit around and, why not, the young lady who goes between tables with flower basket, in case you wish to purchase a rose or two for your lady. Tags:cafe-bar-bistro

Current Mood: Atistic

The Rain In Spain Falls Mainly In ...

Those who are concerned about Football matches, the Motor GP in the Catalan circuit. F1, or the annual marathon run in Barcelona ... could have the peace of mind knowing short before the event starts from now on. The organization had tested out an advanced meteorological system, capable of forecasting just a few minutes beforehand when it would rain and how much, with or without thunder or lightning.

Behind this idea is Hyds, a company born of the Polytechnic University of Catalunya, first emerged at the end of 2007, now right in the midst of expansion in Spain and later in other parts of Europe. Their engineers have developed an algorithm of analysis of data that predicts rain in an area of a square kilometre, with the probability of certainty of 80%, and in advance of 20 - 30 minutes.

The company displays on screens in various boxes with maps, following the evolution of the clouds in real time, and the possibility of precipitation during the race. In case of threats of imminent rain the system sends out alerts to the computers and mobiles of the team. Key information for adopting the correct and adequate wheels.

The founder of Hyds, Rafael Sanchez-Diezma, together with 2 professors of civil engineering, explained that their strong point is prediction in a very short space of time. There are thousands of meteorological data, the complex factor is to develop an application, that analyses mathematically and extract reliable predictions.

They have 10 employees, half a dozen clients, including the water agency of Catalunya, to check how the effects of torrential rain affect the portability of water. Their past record had been good and reliable, applying the software to Formula 1 and airports.

 

Tags:rain,prediction

Current Mood: Accomplished

Don't We All?

One evening I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to finish work. Coming my way from across the parking lot, was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him he had no car, no home, no clean clothes and no money.

There are times when you feel generous, but there are times that you just don’t want to be bothered. This was one of the 'Don’t want to be bothered' times! “Hope he doesn’t ask me for money,” I thought. He didn’t. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus-stop and he didn’t look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.

After a few minutes he spoke. “That’s a very nice car,” he said. He was ragged, but had an air of dignity around him. I said “Thanks,” and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened, something inside me said, “Ask him if he needs any help.” I was sure that he would say yes, but I held true to the inner voice.

“Do you need any help?” I asked. He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great accomplishments. I expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments. I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke three words that shook me, “Don’t we all?” he said.

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the night.

Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, or how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, or how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help. Even if it’s just a compliment, a kind word, a smile; you can give that!

You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting for you to give them what they don’t have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse of something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you, through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless strange wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that. Maybe he was sent by a power that is great & wise to minister to a soul too comfortable in himself.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum and then said, “Go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help.”

Tags:help

Current Mood: Awake