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The Transgrancanaria Every 2 weeks, Edition 18, 12th Mar - 25th Mar 2010
Photo by Carlos Díaz-Recio BACK IN October 2003 a group of nature loving friends and sportsmen proposed a challenge; they suggested celebrating a race which crossed the island of Gran Canaria, through some of the most spectacular sites and natural areas of our island. The challenge had to be completed on foot and in less than 30 hours. In the first race the organisation managed to attract a total of 65 participants and so they decided to call it ‘The Transgrancanaria’. Seven years later the Transgrancanaria attracts well over 1,000 runners from all over Europe, as well as local and national sportsmen and women who today
view this race as a ‘must’ in the sporting calendar. The race has evolved over time from a distance of just over 70 kilometres to an astonishing 123 kilometres in the main race of this years’ contest. Further categories have been created in order to attract the participation of the less professional sportsmen and women, who in turn want to enjoy our island in this way. These included; Transgrancanaria: with a total distance of 123
kilometres and an altitude difference of 7,200 meters, maximum time for completion 30 hours. Transgrancanaria South- North: with a total distance of 92 Kilometres and an altitude difference of 5,300 meters, maximum time for completion 24 hours. Half Transgrancanaria: with a total distance of 43 kilometres and altitude difference of 1,930 meters, maximum time for completion 14 hours. Continued on page 11 ...
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
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Island Information Inside Edition 18 Page 5
School Demonstration
Page 11
Emergency and Useful telephone numbers in Gran Canaria Las Palmas Airport:
National Police
Germany - 928 491 880
Health Centre
928 579 000
Las Palmas
Italy - 928 241 911
Appointments 012
Masapalomas 928 764 000
Luxembourg - 928 243 431 Netherlands - 922 271 721
International Pension Centre
Sea Rescue
Norway - 928 495 035
0044 191 21 87777
900 202 202 & 928 467 757
Portugal - 928 233 144
www.thepensionservice.ov.uk
Emergency Line: 112 Police, Fire Brigade Ambulance:
Transgrancanaria Race
Page 16 Focus on Mogán
Page 27 Dannys´ Profile
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928 492 112
Sweden - 928 260 884 Consulates:
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Bereavement Benefit 00441912183847
British Consulate Fire Brigade
Consul: Matthew Vickers
Taxis:
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Las Palmas 928 446 444
Edificio_Cataluna,_C/Luis
928 154 77
0044 191 2181999
Maspalomas 928 762 671
Morote 6, 3rd Floor,
or 902 192 019
(www.dh.gov.uk) HMRC (Tax)
Playa del Inglés,
Las Palmas
San Agustín, San Bartolomé de
Opening hours:
Consumer Issues:
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Tirajana 928 762 671
Mon to Fri 8.30am to 1.30pm
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928 735 311
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index_en.htm
0044 151 210 2222 Age Concern España
Local Police
www.ukinspain.com
Province - 092
Irish Consulate:
International Directory
902 003 838
Las Palmas 928 304 600
195, Leon y Castillo, Las Palmas
Enquires: 025
(www. acespana.org)
Maspalomas 928 764 000
Telephone 928 297 728
Guardia Civil
Austria - 928 782 500
UK Operator:
Swimming Safety
Province 062
Belgium - 928 461 718
900 990044
Red_flag: No swimming
Las Palmas 928 762 898
Denmark - 928 264 764
Puerto Rico 928 736 817
Finland - 928 224 358
Lost/Stolen credit cards:
S. Bartolomé 928 750 222
France - 928 292 371
900 974445
Yellow_flag:Swim with care Green_ flag:Safe to swim
Markets in Gran Canaria Agüimes In front of the municipal swimming pool Thursdays 09:00-14:00 Arguineguín La Plaza Negra: Every Tuesday 08:00-14:00 CC Ancora Every Thursday 08.00-14.00 TARA Second Hand Market, Plaza de Pino Seco, Arguinegín Every Saturday 9.00 onwards Arucas Calle Francisco Gourier: Every Saturday 08:00-14:00 Gáldar General Market Plaza de Santiago de Apostól: Every Thursday 08:00-14:00. Gáldar Collectors’ Market Guaires, 26, Tel: 928.55.21.40 Ingenio En el Ejido: First Sunday of every month 09.00-15.00 Jinámar Ramblas de Jinámar (Telde): Sundays 9:00-15:00 Las Palmas Rastro Terrace on top of the bus station Every Sunday 8.00-14.00 Maspalomas Second Hand Market CC Faro 2, Campo Internacional, Maspalomas Saturdays and Sundays 10.00 onwards Maspalomas Artisans’ Market Next to Global Bus Station Meloneras Mercadillo en Meloneras: Every Thursday 10.00-17.00 Mendizábal Calle de Mendizábal, Vegueta, Las Palmas Third Saturday of every month Moya On top of the bus station: Every Sunday 08:00-14:00 Playa del Inglés Artesan market, at Parque Europeo, (next to the Minitren) Everyday except Sunday 19.30-23.30. Puerto de Mogán Traditional craft market Plaza del Parking, Puerto de Mogán: Every Monday 09.00-14.30 Puerto de Mogán General Market El Muelle Deportivo: Every Friday 08:00-14:00 San Fernando San Fernando Municipal Market, Maspalomas. Every Wednesday and Saturday: 08:00-14:00 San Fernando Municipal Market Skating ring in San Fernando Every second Sunday 09:00-14:00 San Mateo Every Saturday: 08:00-20:00 and Sundays 08:00-15:00. Santa Brígida Underneath the municipal park in Villa de Santa Brígida. Every Saturday 08:00-20:00 and every Sunday from 08:00-14:00 Santa Catalina Mercadillo in Las Palmas de G.C. Art Gallery of Parque de Santa Catalina Every Sunday between 08.00-14.00.
Santa Lucia Mercadillo de Santa Lucia: Every Sunday 8.00-14.00 Santa María de Guía Plaza del Casco Historico Every Tuesday and Sunday 10.00-14.00 Telde Plaza de San Gregorio, by the bus station Every Saturday 08:00-14:00 Teror Around the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino Every Sunday 08:00-14:00 Valleseco Mercado Municipal : Every Sunday 08.00-14.00 Valsequillo Calle Isla de la Gomera : Every Sunday 08:00-14:00 Vecindario Agricultural Market Recinto Ferial Every Monday 08:00-14:00 on La Karpa, Avda. de las Tirajanas Every second Saturday 08.00-14.00 Vecindario General Market Recinto Ferial Every Wednesday 08.00-14.00 Vegueta, Cultural and Craftsmanship market Plaza del Pilar Nuevo, Las Palmas de G.C. Every Sunday of every month (except July, August and Sept.) 10.00-14.00.
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The Canary News does not accept any responsibility for claims made by advertisers, either in advertisements or advertorials, nor can it be held responsible for any inaccuracies, errors, or the non appearance of advertisements or advertorials. This publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors as a result of poor quality artwork or logos supplied by advertisers and no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage caused by any error or inaccuracy or nonappearance of an advertisement or advertorial. Every effort will be made to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of articles and advertisements in this publication, however the publisher does not accept responsiblity for claims or opinions in the same. Reproduction of any part of this newspaper without the consent of the publisher is prohibited E & O E. Edita: JDC Canaries SLU, Imprime: Artes Graficas del Atlantico S/A. Deposito Legal GC - 747 2009 C/Los Dragos 19, Zona Ind. Arinaga, Fase IV 35188, Aguimes, Gran Canaria
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
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Events
EUROPA
gestion inmobiliaria immobilien real estate
PLAYA DEL INGLÉS TOP FLOOR. Bright, furnished three room apartment with balcony. Central. Quiet. Near Yumbo. Only three minutes walk to the beach. Heated Pool ! Price: 114.000 euros
Avd. Alemania 10, Playa del Ingles 35100, Gran Canaria
Tel: 928 765 813 Fax: 928 765 800
Email: info@europa-immobilien.com Web: www.europa-immobilien.com Open: 10:00 - 14:00 hrs. Monday - Friday 17:00 - 20:00 hrs. Monday and Wednesday
PLAYA DEL INGLÉS
Apartment at the street down to the beach! This furnished apartment consists of: One bedroom, bathroom, livingroom, separate kitchen and balcony. Low monthly community fee. Complex with pool and parkinglots. At 2 minutes walking to the beach ! Price: 69.000 euros
PRICE: 390.000 euros
PLAYA DEL INGÉS “Las Camelias” Wonderful apartment with seaview, very well situated and quiet. It is a sunny one-bedroom apartment with a large balcony, equipped with all details and completely furnished.Complex with a nice pool and proper parkinglots. PRICE: 112.000 euros
PLAYA DEL INGLÉS
PLAYA DEL INGLÉS,
PLAYA DEL INGLÉS,
BEACH PROMENADE Luxurious two-bedroom-apartment with large balcony and direct view to the sea and dunes of Maspalomas. Situated in a small, private, quiet complex with heated pool. Unique property !
Beautiful completely renovated and furnished apartment with 54 m² living area. It consists of one bedroom, livingroom with kitchen, bathroom and balcony. Complex with large pools and proper parkinglots. Low community fee !! PRICE: 98.000 euros
2º Beachline Avenida Madrid. Excellent 1 bedroom apartment with a large balcony, livingroom, full-fitted kitchen and bathroom. This apartment is recently refurbished, tastfully furnished and equipped with all extras.The very well maintained and beloved complex has a large swimmingpool. PRICE: 139.000 euros
SELLING PROPERTIES FOR 24 YEARS !!! Fiestas and Upcoming Events Photograph Exhibition By Carmen Martorell. Till 31st March, 17.00 to 21.00 hrs. Sala Ateneo, C/ Colon Nº 18, Vecindario. Photograph Exhibition “Welcome to Paradise” Till 26th March. Casa Africa, Las Palmas. Painting Exhibition “Volcanoes” Till 14th March, 10.00 till 20.00 hrs. Elder Museum, Santa Catalina Park, Las Palmas
12th to 14th March, 10.00 till 21.00 hrs. Parque Sur, Maspalomas. Trekking Degollada de la Cumbre – Cruz de Tejeda – Las Lagunetas. 12th March from Teror. 3 Kilometers for 2 hrs, Low Difficulty. Price: 5€. For More info: deportes@teror.es 6th San Bartolome Trek. Tunte – Arteara Necropolis. 27th March. For more info 928 76 42 01 or 928 77 09 62. Carnival Events.
Anna Meenaghan”s Art Exhibition ‘The Eye of the Beholder’ 12th March - 5th April at ‘La Sala de Arte’, Neptuno Hotel.
Carnival Dress Exposition. 11th to 22nd March, Mon - Sat, 16.00 till 21.00 hrs. Maspalomas Lighthouse, Maspalomas.
Photograph Exhibition “Corners of Arucas, an Image of the Crisis” 18th March to 15th April. Fundacion Mapfre Guanarteme Arucas.
San Bartolome de Tirajana:
Solidary Tasarte. 20th March, 20.30 hrs.Concerts, shows and exhibition, all artists will perform free as all the money generated will be given to the families affected by the storms. Entrance fee 10€. Fiestas en Casablanca, Santa Luisa de Marillac. 12th to 14th March. Tamaraceite and San Lorenzo, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Maspalomas Opportunities Fair.
11th March; 21.00 hrs, Street Parade, Yumbo CC. 21.45 hrs, Presentation of Carnival Queen Candidates, Yumbo CC. 22.00 hrs, Preselection of Drag Queen, Yumbo CC. 12th March; 21.00 hrs, Oficial Opening of Chiringuitos Yumbo CC. 21.30 hrs, Heineken Party, Yumbo CC. 13th March; 21.00hrs, Carnival Queen Gala, Yumbo. 23.30 hrs, Grand Carnival Queen Party, Yumbo CC.
14th March: 17.00 hrs, Infant Carnival, Yumbo CC. 19.00 hrs, Infant Carnival Queen Gala, Yumbo CC. 15th March: 10.00 hrs, Carnival Without Barriers, Yumbo CC. 20.00 hrs, Grand Salsa Night Sponsored by Habana Club, Yumbo CC. 16th March: 20.00 hrs, Salsa Workshop Sponsored by Habana Club, Yumbo CC. 17th March: 21.00hrs, Gran Dama Gala, Yumbo CC. 18th March: 21.00hrs, Drag Queen Gala,Yumbo CC. 19th March: 12.00 hrs, Saving of the Sardine, Playa del Ingles. 13.30 hrs, Day of the Tourist, Sampling of Canarian Food, Anexo II, Playa del Ingles. 21.00 hrs, Tourist Gala, Yumbo CC. 23.00 hrs, Heineken Night, Yumbo CC. 20th March: 17.00 hrs, Grand Carnival Parade, from Viuda de Franco through Avenida de Tirajana till Yumbo CC. 22.00 hrs, Grand Carnival Fiesta “Mogollon”, Yumbo CC. 21st March: 18.00hrs, Parade of the Sardine,Yumbo.
20.00 hrs, Reading of the Testament, Yumbo CC. 20.30 hrs, Burning Of the Sardine, Yumbo CC. 21.00hrs, Firework Display,Yumbo CC. Santa Lucia: 6th March; 20.00 hrs, Carnival Gala, Official Opening and Election of the Queen, Pensioners Centre in Santa Lucia. 10th March; 21.00 hrs, Murgas Reunion. 11th March; 17.00 hrs, Infant Carnival Fiesta, Musical shows, Bouncy Castles, Workshops and activities, San Rafael Plaza. 21.00 hrs and 22.00 hrs, “Alegoria del Carnaval- The Sea”, Victor Jara Theater, box office in the Ateneo Municipal. 13th March; 19.30 hrs, Grand Carnival Parade and Fiesta “Mogollon”, From Cruce de Sardina through Avenida de Canarias to el Doctoral. 22.30 hrs, Dj and live Music, San Rafael Plaza. 14th March; 19.00 hrs, Burial of the Sardine, Parade from el Doctoral through Avenida de Canarias till the San Rafael Plaza, there the testament will be read and the Sardine Burnt followed by Firework display.
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
www.thecanarynews.com
Local News
Lidl, Vecindario Opens ... Another new store of Lidl, opened its’ doors to the public on Thursday 4th March at C/Fernando, Guanarteme, 100, Santa Lucia de Tirajana.
prices. However, if you are a ‘brand shopper’ you will not see many here. Most of the brands are ‘own label’ at greatly reduced prices compared to your ‘household name’ brands. Choice in each department is fairly limited, but if any of you have shopped at their stores on the mainland of Spain, you will know that some of them include a fresh meat and cheese counter which is always very popular because of choice and price. So perhaps in their future expansion plans, they may decide to incorporate this section.
It seems the population of the Canary Islands have anxiously awaited these openings for quite some time, so I went along to see what all the fuss is about. Although they are calling this the ‘Vecindario’ store, it is easier to find if you take the main road to Santa Lucia de Tirajana, and as I pulled into the spacious car park the attendants, in their smart new uniforms, directed the traffic flow to ease congestion. At 10am, the store was already quite busy because of the widely publicised ‘the cheapest supermarket prices on the island’ and anxious customers were queuing to snap up the bargains.
As a German owned chain, it was evident that a good deal of the produce was aimed at this market, including the ever popular wurstel sausages, and after wandering around for a while I did see some good
Good bargains can be found if you use large quantities of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, bottles of red, white and rose wine, fizzy drinks, biscuits and some spirits. The best bargains however, are the weekly special offers – usually household and gardening items – at really great prices. By Ann Turner
New Boobs in Gran Canaria! “I wasn’t apprehensive at all. We’d done research on the ‘net beforehand and seen the hospital; it was brand new and spotless. I had an interpreter with me throughout my time there so there was no problem with communication. “Everything was taken care of for me. I was driven back to the hotel and someone was always on hand if I needed anything.” The operation took just 50 minutes with a silicone implant inserted through a half-moon incision to minimise scarring. She stayed in the hospital for one night.
MOST PEOPLE bring back items of pottery or bottles of the local wine as souvenirs from their holidays. Emma Gallagher went one further – and returned home with a new set of boobs!
more on her mind.
According to one of the UK’s leading medical tourism providers, The Medical Travel Group, surgery abroad is still proving a popular option, combining a medical procedure with a holiday.
“George said he loved me just as I was but I wanted to look my best on my big day.”
“If I’d had it done in the UK I would still have had to cook the tea, do the school run with Wade, do the housework.
Emma, who works in Superdrug, began exploring breast augmentation and came across the idea of having it done in Gran Canaria.
“But because I was away all I had to do was chill and concentrate on me. It was lovely and I didn’t even have to take painkillers.”
“I got brochures for having the surgery done here and abroad and there was very little difference in price, plus I had the added advantage of the three of us getting away on holiday together.
According to The Medical Travel Group breast augmentation, as well as a stay in a four-star hotel on a B and B basis, costs around £4,000.
And that’s exactly what attracted 30-year-old shop assistant Emma to Gran Canaria. “I’d always been self-conscious about my figure,” she admits. “I was an A or B cup and always wore padded bras. To be honest, it used to get me down. Clothes never quite fitted as well as they should and somehow I just didn’t feel right in myself.” Emma, who lives in Skelmersdale and is mum to nine-year-old Wade, says she thought about breast augmentation in the past but nothing came of it. But after she and her partner George decided to tie the knot – they plan to wed in May – it weighed more and
Museum Staff Reduced The Canarian Museum in Las Palmas says it is forced to reduce
“Especially because I was trying wedding dresses on and they just didn’t fit as well as they should.
“All we had to pay for were the flights, the accommodation and transfers were part of the deal. I hadn’t had a holiday for a couple of years so it seemed ideal.” The three travelled last November with The Medical Travel Group, spending an initial week together. Then, at the beginning of the second week and with George and Wade having flown home, Emma underwent surgery at Hospital San Roque Maspalomas.
staff drastically although it hopes the measure is only temporary. The museum, which receives thousands of visitors every year, including many researchers who study its valuable historical collections of documents (particularly old newspapers), filed recently for permission to lay off 14 of its 18 employees and its head is taking a 20 per cent pay cut to tide it over the current troubles.
“Afterwards, I could just relax in a way I’d never have been able to do at home.
Emma is adamant that her experience was money well spent. “I got a lovely holiday and my heart’s desire with a new figure. It’s been brilliant.” A spokesman for The Medical Tourism Group says people are becoming increasingly open to the idea of going abroad for surgery. “Confidence has grown in the system.”.
The downsizing means certain departments such as the library and archive will have to close for several months. The private museum’s plight, caused mainly by the drop in funding from public institutions, has led to calls for it to be made part of the public museum network
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
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Surfrider Foundation Europe comes to Arguineguin …and they need you! For the fifteenth year running, Surfrider Foundation Europe is organising the “Ocean Initiatives”, a major eco-friendly event devoted to the protection of our coastline, lakes and rivers and this year we will be involved right here in Arguineguin and in San Andres in the north of the island. On Saturday 20th March, Surf Canaries is working with the Surfrider Foundation and is organizing the 2010 beach clean in Callao, Arguineguin (the surfing beach to the left of Fusion). Almost simultaneously, Club Oleaje (from the north of the island) will be cleaning San Andres beach (a beach local to them). This event, apart from being very important and improving our beach and the wildlife, should also be a fun and very social event! Surfrider Foundation Europe has been operating for 20 years now and this year is launching a major environmental programme on the management (or rather lack of management) of macrowaste and its failure to be processed as pollution in Europe. What are the Ocean Initiative’s objectives? 1. To educate more and more schoolchildren and the general public about the protection of the coast, oceans, lakes and rivers, as well as increasing awareness on ecofriendliness.
Local News
subject and they in turn won’t have an incentive to make keeping our coastline clean an objective. As residents in Gran Canaria, almost all of us rely in some way on tourism. Setting a momentum and getting politicians to think more in the direction of cleaning our ocean will definitely help Gran Canaria in the long term as a tourist destination. Last year, the Ocean Initiatives beach cleans attracted a record number of participants. More than 20,000 volunteers gathered together and over the course of one weekend cleaned 500 sites in 24 countries. Macro-waste; a hidden form of pollution! Macro-waste is effectively litter in the sea. But did you know the European institutions still do not consider macro-waste to be a genuine form of pollution? There is therefore very little data on the macro-waste that ends up in our rivers and on our coastline. Even though the UN estimates that each kilometre of ocean contains 120,000 floating pieces of plastic and that certain parts of our oceans contain six times more plastic than plankton! So please come along! Bring your gloves, party atmosphere and let’s help the ocean that we all enjoy. At 10:00 am, Saturday 20th, on the car park of the football stadium in Arguineguin!
Internet Arrives at our Mountains.
2. To study the impact of the waste on coasts in both qualitative and quantitative terms. 3. To bring the problems to the attention of our elected representatives, the authorities and the media. These beach cleanups are organised once per year throughout the world on the first weekend in spring. During the winter, litter and waste accumulates on our beaches so right now is an opportune time for a clear up. Cleaning a beach as a collective group shows the local authorities that the general public has an awareness of pollution issues, want to improve coastal areas and as voters, hopefully there should be a political influence for future policies on the subject. If no-one does anything, the politicians think that we (the voters) don’t care about this
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A community formed by 11 Mountain Municipals from Gran Canaria, La Palma and Tenerife, with over 90,000 inhabitants have created a virtual platform with free software which will enable their neighbors to electronically process information and communicate with their Ayuntamientos.
In the larger and more financially stronger municipals this has already happened.If one needs an empadronamiento Certificate we no longer need to travel to the Ayuntamiento to get one or even to communicate a change of address. With this new platform these more isolated communities will be able to access the public institutes and carry out their needs without having to travel the long distances which separate them. Unfortunately this initiative will have to be followed with two further improvement; the installation of ADSL lines to ensure the smooth running of the connections and the training of these populations on new technologies and the use of internet, especially the older members of these communities.
Parents Protest Against local School. The parents of the 2nd grade children of the Oasis Maspalomas School have begun protests at the doors of this educational institution and will carry on doing so until the current substitution problem which is affecting their kids is solved. They demand that the Concejeria of Education of the Canarian Government take action against the current situation, and that a permanent solution is found before the consequences of such a fiasco affect their children drastically. The problem arose last year after the teacher of these children had to take sick leave, and for nine weeks the children had no tutor and were shared amongst other classes. During this period the class received 4 different substitute tutors until eventually, in April, a more permanent solution was found or so they thought until the end of term. But with the beginning of the new term this situation arose once more, and is due to the fact that the tutor suffers from a serious illness which demands a long period of time to cure. He announced he would return by December 2009. Unfortunately when he was expected back he did
not arrive, and neither did the substitute teacher. It was not until 22nd February that the substitute finally arrived, giving parents and children confidence back in the school. The happiness was short lived as last Friday the substitute tutor handed in his resignation from the centre.
This has caused both parents, and the children affected, not to want to go back to school and has resulted into protests by them in front of the school on a daily basis. The parents have presented a total of 5 written petitions to the Concejeria of Education together with 6 by the school itself and 1 by the Ampa. They have also asked to meet the Regional Director and Territorial Directors of Education to formally ask for a solution, but in the meantime the parents have said that they will no longer take their children to the school until the situation is solved. By Tito Cabral
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
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Local News
New Road to Teror will have the Latest Technology Bridge The present road works which are taking place on the GC-21 and currently join the city of Las Palmas and the area of Teror, will reduce the travelling time between these two areas to just under ten minutes and will be finished by the 30th of June.
This first phase also includes the construction of a massive bridge which crosses the Teror valley and covers a total distance of 261 metres. The bridge is extremely innovative as it is constructed on two supports which then hold the bridge with metal cables.
It is the first such technologically advanced bridge to be constructed on the Canary Islands and is the second to be built in the Spanish territory; the first being located in Guipuzcua and of smaller dimensions to the one in Teror.
We have been informed by the Public Buildings Concejeria that during the past weeks the work has reached 80% of its final completion, which means that the first phase of this project will come in on time.
The project which has a budget of 9mâ‚Ź contemplates a further 2 phases, which as mentioned previously will shorten the distance between the capital city and the area to just under 10 minutes.
This first phase includes an extension of 1.65 kilometres between the entrance of Teror and the Miraflor neighbourhood. This new road will reduce the current distance by 1.5 kilometres and avoid the tunnel entrance at the Puerto del Molino, which at the moment causes traffic problems to all users.
This road is the biggest communications project to be carried out since the end of XIX century in this municipal, not only for the budget spent but also for the magnitude of construction.
Las Palmas Receives 500 Cruise Ships this Season.
As informed by the president of the Ports Authorities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Javier Sanchez Simon, the number of cruise ships visiting the ports of our community have for the second year running increased by 14 per cent, receiving a total of 500 ships during the winter season. This according to Javier has occurred for a number of reasons; firstly the Canary Islands are a well known and desired holiday destinations by Europeans specially British and Germans who in turn are seduced by the idea of enjoying a cruise holiday around the islands. The cruise ship companies
By Tito Cabral
also value the fact that the islands are close to each other and offer a good choice of different tour possibilities due to their characteristic differences and uniqueness, at a very low cost for the ships. Added to this, the Canarian Government has carried out several studies in the past years highlighting the attractiveness of the Archipelago and the benefits of sailing in our waters, studies which today have proved profitable. As Sanchez points out the cruise ships do not bring immediate profitability to the islands, but opens its doors to future visitors who are travelling on them.
characteristics of the Las Canteras beach, not only due to its uniqueness as an urban beach, but also for its natural and ecological values. As well as the Las Palmas promotion, other islands were also present at this fair, El Hierro, Lanzarote, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Filipinas, and Malta amongst them.
Military Rescue Team Celebrates 100,000 Flight Hours.
Las Palmas Promotes Diving In Madrid Fair. The Concejeria of Tourism of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria this month travelled to Madrid in order to promote our island as a diving destination in the Dive Travel Show Fair.
The Military rescue team called SAR Canarias has celebrated its first 100,000 flight hours since it was first formed in 1955. This squadron based in the military base in Gando has rescued 2,232 people at sea and evacuated a total of 3,800 since it began.
The group headed by Ricardo Gonzalez, Concejal of Tourism, travelled to the Spanish capital city and put forward Gran Canaria as a nautical holiday destination, which is favoured by international professionals of this industry. Special attention was directed at the Las Canteras Fotosub which will celebrate its second edition next October. Ricardo Gonzalez has taken advantage of this opportunity to highlight the
The celebration which took place last February at the Base and was presided over by the Chief of State of the Air force, Jose Jimenez Ruiz, paid tribute to the bravery and effort of more than ,1000 professionals who form this squadron and have managed to safe so many lives. The unit which began under the name of 51 Rescue Squadron and based in Tenerife, then moved to Gran Canaria and established itself as a vital team. Today it is formed by 4 Super Puma Helicopters and 3 Focker-27 airplanes as well as 145 people who work daily for our security.
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
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News
Hydroelectric Plant in Gran Canaria The Cabildo of Gran Canaria is backing an ambitious project which consists in the building of a hydroelectric plant located between the Las Niñas and Chira reservoirs and the Soria dam. This plant will supply the island with half the energy requirements in a renewable and clean manner. This initiative by the Canarian Government achieves more importance and international relevance as it is closely monitored by other European islands that are following closely the development and experience of this reversible hydroelectric plant. This makes Gran Canaria an international reference in the implementation of this innovative type of production of clean energy, together with the similar project which is already under construction in
the island of el Hierro. Similar plants are being developed in the islands of Tenerife, La Gomera and La Palma, although the Gran Canarian plant is far bigger and more ambitious, therefore counting with a total of 200 million Euros out of the total 500 which has been awarded for all plants together. Having said this the Gran Canarian Cabildo will be spending a total 340 million due to the incorporation of a new water jump from La Presa de Las Niñas which will make it possible for the plant to supply half the energy requirements of the island. The creation of this plant is a project which Endesa has been working on for the past decade, it symbolizes a revolution in the provision of energy as it will allow them to regulate the frequency and power in an instant
way, fact which was not possible with wind generated power due to its poor quality. At present wind mills have to be turned off when the power consumption decreases during the night, in this case the power generated by a group of mills will be used to send the water back up to the reservoirs ready for the next day. Further to the reductions of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere generated by the present thermal plants the water supply in the reservoirs will have special importance as a supply of water to extinguish future forest fires, which at present is not always guaranteed. Further to the construction of the plants the project also includes a desalination plant located in the village of Arguineguin which will have the capacity of producing 14,000 cubic liters of fresh water a day,
this will not only supply the necessities of the Hydroelectric plant but also the irrigation needs of the local farms and plantations. We have been inform that the project is only pending on the Environmental authorizations in order for it to begin, this is due to the fact that the plant will be located inside a natural protected space and obviously the impact has to be assessed before commencing. As always, I’m all for these initiatives which not only guarantee the supply of energy to Canarians home but do it in a clean and renewable way. We will monitor the development of this massive project and keep you informed at all times. By Tito Cabral.
Geneva Motor Show 2010 trends up on, is the way front and rear lamps bleed into the surrounding body panels and thus progressively integrate into the rest of the exterior design.
Walk around the Geneva Auto Show and one of the biggest differences between the cars on display in 2010 and the cars that were here over ten years ago is the number of designs that are blurring the boundaries between different types of car. Over the last ten years manufacturers have significantly expanded their ranges with new types of car to find new sales opportunities and to appeal to an increasingly particular customer. And one consequence of this is the classic sedan is no longer the dominant car-type it once was. Another observation visitors to the Geneva motor show might make, is the way car designs are more holistic than ever before, with all of their components integrated more seamlessly. One of the most significant trends in this area, that Car Design Research has recently picked
There are numerous other car design trends visitors to the show can see – check out new small SUV Crossovers such as the Mini Countryman and the Nissan Juke, the way small premium cars are taking off with the Audi A1 and the Aston Martin Cygnet. The slick new compact Citroen DS High Rider and Alfa Romeo Guilietta and the lastest ‘uber’ sedans from Germany: the BMW 5 series and Audi A8 are all also packed with new design ideas. The Death of the Sedan? For much of the mid-20th century dominant car body-type was the ‘threebox’ sedan (so called because in profile there are three boxes: the engine or hood area at the front, the main taller cabin
area in the middle, and the trunk area at the rear). During the seventies, eighties and nineties, the hatchback eroded the sedan’s dominance in Europe and parts of Asia, just as the SUV did in the US.
types that are alternatives to the sedan. And as these premium brands have historically been trend-setters, other brands - including Chinese brands - will undoubtedly follow. Bleeding lights
But, over the first decade of the 21st century, the international market share of the sedan body-style rose again as the Chinese car market grew almost exclusively on the back of sedan car sales. Yet now, brands such as BMW, Mercedes Benz and Audi, are growing their range of cars with new body-
Lights used to sit on the upright or near upright front and rear ends of cars, and long before that they sat on the car’s separate fenders/ wings. Then they began to recline as the fronts of cars became sleeker, and to wrap around into the sides to reduce the apparent length of cars’ overhangs. The next step in the evolution of car light design was when they became the corners of a car and connected the side, upper and front or rear surfaces. Now we’re seeing a new trend; that of the car light that bleeds into the surrounding body panels with its shape now being defined more by the shapes of the surrounding elements and some of its corners bleeding into thin strands that reach out of the main light graphic.
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
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Letters to the Editor
Please write to us and The Canary News will award the Letter of the Week a Free COMBO meal at Fusion Restaurant & Lounge Bar in Arguineguin (See advertisement below for address) The Canary News reserves the right to edit your letters and accepts no responsility for readers’ opinions.
Letter of the week The Editor, Your interesting article on car importation addressed most of the important aspects of the subject very clearly. There were just two things about which I was unsure and perhaps you can help? 1. According to the article, a tourist or someone not resident on the island, can drive their car for 6 months before registering it on GC plates. How is it possible to be on the island for 6 months without being resident? I was under the impression that if you were here for two months you had to become resident? 2. My other question flows from the complications caused by the new residencias that we have. I understand that one can import a car when you move here and only pay a reduced tax if you have owned that car outside the UK for at least 6 months. Is this true? How is this affected by obtaining a residencia, which you must do, I understand, after 2 months here? How long can you have a residencia before losing the tax advantage of being able to import your car with your belongings? Many people just come here to rent for a few months at a time for holidays, and so have presumably had to have a residencia for some time. Does this mean that one forfeits the right to import your goods and car at the reduced rate should you decide to move here permanently? If so, can you return your residencia, leave the island for 6 months and then return with your belongings and a 6 month old car and no residencia and so not pay the full importation taxes? A lot of questions I am afraid, but all around the ticklish subject of importing your own car and the effect of the new treatment of residencias on this island. Thank you for continuing to publish such a helpful newspaper, we live in such complicated and difficult time that we all need basic information if we are not to fall foul of legal pitfalls and your newspaper helps us enormously. With good wishes for the future, Tim Clarke Tim, we have forwarded this on to both Phoenix Trans Internacional, who supplied the article, and solicitors Rivero & Mendoza to see if they can answer your questions. Ed
We agreed to this and when we arrived at our destination the fare was E62. I took a E50 note from my wallet, gave it to the driver and then looked for other notes to make up the fare. Meanwhile my E50 note in the driver’s hand had transformed itself into a E10 note. I know that I gave the driver a E50 note but he insisted I had given him only E10. Since I could prove nothing and we had a ‘plane to catch I gave him the extra money, but I was furious at being ripped off by someone who is, after all, in the tourist trade and who makes his living from tourists. In case you’re interested the taxi was a green and white Skoda. It’s number was 66 and it had an extensive crack in the windscreen on the passenger side. It was called by the Camaina Apartments at 9.40a.m. on Sunday Feb,14th. The driver was young and had long hair. He wore glasses to drive. Yours faithfully, J.G. Gourlay We are forwarding your email to the tourist office in Mogan, with the hope that they in turn send it to the correct department in the Council for action. If we receive a reply we will certainly let you know, and thank you for warning our readers. Ed Dear Editor, I agree with the views of Mr Maxwell and the couple from Norway. I have been to many countries and to other islands in the Canary Islands. I had a hire car on the island. I was charged by the minute to park in various places. In Mogan I was parked for an hour; 45 minutes was free but the extra 15 minutes cost me 3€, and as for the price of drinks, a cola 3.85€ beer 4.50€. Two toasted sandwiches and two colas 17.00€. These were the average prices everywhere. The worse experience was on leaving at the airport. I was at the check in desk at 12.00 and still had not reached the front by 13.00. Then they decided to move the desk to another part of the airport. We then reached the front at 14.15. We had two new cases, one was damaged on arrival, each case had the same stuff in it on leaving the UK. Nothing had been added since leaving the UK. Now they decided they were overweight and we had to pay 45.00€ or leave the excess behind. My wife and myself will not be back to Gran Canaria. Kind regards, Colin Cross No comment. Ed
Dear Sir,
Dear Editor,
My wife and I have just returned from a holiday in Puerto Rico, where we have been going since 1996. We have always found the local people to be very friendly helpful and generous and we love it there.
I wonder if any of your readers can help us. We have a bungalow in Playa del Ingles and have Sky satellite TV. As we are in a bungalow we can only have a standard size dish on our roof which means we cannot receive ITV, BBC etc. We have been told that there is a new device available that is attached to the dish to boost the signal receiver to receive ITV, BBC etc. Can anyone tell us if this is true and where we can get one and have it installed.
However I’d like to issue a warning to other visitors who have to travel to and from the airport by taxi. We arrived on a Sunday and were told by the tourist information desk to expect to pay E50 for a taxi to Puerto Rico. This proved to be the case. But our return journey was less happy. The reception at our apartment ‘ phoned for a taxi and the driver told us that, in spite of there being notices in his cab saying that the fare to the airport was E50, he had to use his meter and Sundays were more expensive.
Thank you for your help, W Porter Anyone able to help Mr Port? Please email editor@ thecanarynews.com Ed
Dear Editor, Wow, what a truly fantastic newspaper you printed. My wife and I have been on the island for many years, 15 to be precise, and have seen other newspapers and magazines come and go. I can honestly say that since The Canary News has been here we never fail to pick up a copy. We love the local news sections written by Tito, but by far the best has been his reporting on the Las Palmas carnival. We have never bothered to go to this, but after reading his articles, we are definitely going next year. Might even book a hotel for a couple of nights to treat ourselves. We have seen a lot of changes over the years, and keep reading your letters from people complaining about prices, and being ripped off. I can agree and feel sad that this is the state of things. We too never eat out anymore, and prefer to drink in our own house, but before we always liked to have a meal out a few times a week. Not anymore as it’s just too expensive here. We still love the people and the sunshine and have no regrets about moving out of England, but we are now looking to move to mainland Spain where you can get more for your money, we are pensioners. When we do go, we will still read your paper online, as we love it and will still want to know what is happening on GC.Congratulations to all of you at The Canary News, but especially Tito for bringing so much joy into our lives. Alan & Brenda Tilson Thank you for your nice email; one of many about the coverage of the carnival in Las Palmas. I feel we should also mention Nico here, our young graphic designer, who did a magnificent job in placing the various photos supplied by Tito. Ed Dear Editor, With regards to the comments of Jez Cook and the owners of Le Maree (Issue 16), I will return to Mogan soon and hope I can find somewhere that sells a large beer for less than either 5€ or 4.50, and 3€ for a small water, and I will name the two establishments I had a bad experience in, (if this is allowed.) I am constantly reading about tourists who come here and do what most will do when they believe they are being “Ripped off”, vote with their feet, so please in future when lots of businesses start saying things are bad, it’s not just the recession, it’s also bad business practices, these businesses need to look at why people don’t return. There are still lots of tourists, Ok numbers are down, but how can you escape the fact you go past some bars and restaurants and they are constantly full, and others are constantly very quiet. It’s NOT JUST the recession, it’s bad management, prices or quality of product. The recession is always a good excuse to get out of admitting bad business practices. In my opinion this is a wonderful place to retire to, as my wife and I have, and if businesses want to return to the halcyon days of the 90’s they must start giving tourists what they want and at a price they think is just and reasonable, not just what they think they can get away with because they are only here for a week or two. Kind regards, John Maxwell.
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
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Letters to the Editor
John why not try ‘The Waypoint’ on the front? They are always so helpful and cheerful, or for a special evening ‘Saffron’ again on the front. I have eaten many times at both places (very different) but have been pleased with the quality, service and more importantly value for money. Ed
are to be able to travel to a lovely, warm destination without a passport or limit as to length of stay. Viva Canaria!
A completely different viewpoint! Ed
She also informed me that Spain is not like England I can be sent a real electricity bill first and then an estimated bill for the same month with totally different meter readings and I must pay them both. Is there an organisation that I can consult who would act as a go-between?
Dear Canary News I am having horrendous problems with Unelco. My meter reading was much less than the bills that were being sent and I used their telephone number to ask for this to be corrected.
In the past I think there were telephone numbers in the Canary News of a Consumer Advice Agency or similar. Yours faithfully, Name withheld by request.
No problem said the man on the other end somewhere in the peninsular, it will take a few minutes but it will be done. That is when the problems started. The amount in dispute is not great but I have now been to their offices in Las Palmas 5 times. Four hours talking to advisors and 9 hours waiting plus 5 hours driving to and from Las Palmas.
The only assistance we have been able to find for you is the following, so hope it helps. Ed
Regards, Mitchell Granger.
Dear Editor, My wife and I are from Western Canada and have spent the last two months in Playa del Inglés. Unlike most of your recent letter-writers, I have only praise for Gran Canaria. The houses are well-kept and the streets are clean; the only people that I have noticed not cleaning up after their dogs were tourists. The drivers are more courteous than at home - again, except for some tourists riding bikes on pedestrian pathways. The prices in shops and restaurants are usually advertised; if not, I don’t set foot there. I didn’t realize that hassling from vendors was a recent development, but find most of them easy to ignore, put off, or chat with. My wife doesn’t like being accosted by male shopkeepers when she is walking alone, but the aggressive ones are not native Canarians and need to learn how to behave in Europe. We find the prices here reasonable and the salaries low. Next week we’re going to England, where lodging will cost four times as much as here and food at least as much. It cost only 40€ for two of us to fly here from Gerona, and the cheap flights are subsidized by Spanish taxpayers in order to encourage tourism. Going home to Canada will be forty times as expensive. Canarians can’t be blamed for problems caused by tourism, immigration, and adherence to the European Union. Europeans should realize how lucky they
The first 3 times I talked with the same lady and seemed to be making headway. Alas, it appears that she has left or been transferred to another office. The new lady understands English very well but insists that everything in her computer is correct and I must Pay, she has never heard the saying rubbish in = rubbish out! She does not listen nor does she understand the problem, which is complicated, but it would be wouldn’t it. It is Unelco! She decided last week that if the meter was read again it would tell her everything, I asked how, and she replied that it would. This week the meter needs reading again to make sure that it is closed. From this I deduce that I am suspected of interfering with the meter. I am not.
‘The Spanish European Consumer Centre (CEC) is a public service organisation for consumers who require information or assistance in connection with the acquisition of goods or the use of services in a country other than their own. We are part of a European network, ECC-Net, of organisations and institutions which operate in a similar way, have similar competences and objectives, and are located in each of the Member States of the European Union. The European Consumer Centre can help you if: You are a citizen of a Community state who purchases goods or uses services in any part of Spanish territory. You are a Spanish citizen who acquires goods or uses services in a Community state other than Spain.’ http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/index_en.htm
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
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Family Life
Forging the Link ...
IF YOU’VE ever turned to your parents or your partner’s parents for help and support with childrearing, you know how wonderful grandparents can be. Although physical distance and parenting differences can come between grandparents, their children, and their grandchildren, encouraging a close relationship can benefit everyone involved.
Chart a family tree.
The Benefits of Bonding With Grandparents
Safety Away From Home.
Establishing a bond with grandparents can benefit kids in many ways. Grandparents can be great role models and influences, and they can provide a sense of cultural heritage and family history. Grandparents provide their grandkids with love, have their best interests at heart, and can make them feel safe.
Visit often.
Whether grandparents live nearby or you’re planning to visit, don’t forget to make safety a priority. Grandparents may not be accustomed to having young children in the house, and the presence of household dangers could mar visits with trips to the emergency room.
They also encourage a child’s healthy development. Overnight trips to Grandma’s house, for example, may be less traumatic than sleepovers with peers and can help kids develop independence. Another benefit — grandparents may have lots of time to spend playing and reading to kids. Such dedicated attention only improves a child’s developmental and learning skills.
If your child’s grandparents live nearby, make an effort to carve time out of your busy schedule for regular visits. Encourage grandparents to drop by your home, too. Plan regular trips to see out-of-town grandmas and grandpas. Even if visits are infrequent, anticipating and planning the next trip can help your child regard that time as special.
My own earliest recollection of my grandfather was when he would have soft boiled eggs and ‘soldiers’ for afternoon tea. He would dip a ‘soldier’ in the bright orange egg yolk and kindly offer the first one to me, which I ate with gusto.
Stay in touch with technology.
Both younger and older kids enjoy learning about their ancestors and relatives. Encourage grandparents to share stories of their families. You can even provide paper and drawing supplies so they can chart the family tree.
Use the telephone and email to talk, write, and send pictures and sound files of your kids to grandparents. If they don’t own a computer, send videos of the kids in action. Or have a grandparent record a reading of a favourite story and play it for your child at bedtime. Say cheese. Post snapshots of grandparents in your home and point them out to your kids often. Or keep family pictures in a special photo album and page through it while naming the family members. Mail.
Tips for Staying in Touch
Kids love receiving mail. So send grandparents a box of stationery and postcards and some stamps and ask them to write regularly. Another way to encourage communication is to have your child write letters every week on the same day — both kids and grandparents will anticipate the regular communication.
In today’s world, though, families may be scattered across the country, and jam-packed school and work schedules may interfere with regular time with grandparents. Despite physical distance or busy schedules, you can encourage your children to develop a closer bond with their grandparents.
Pass it on. Many grandparents have hobbies or special skills — such as knitting, woodworking, or cooking — that they’d love to pass on to their grandchildren. Provide kids with the time and tools needed to learn these skills from their grandparents.
Use a household safety checklist and collaborate with the grandparents to childproof the home, ensuring that dangerous items and substances — such as cleaning products, medications, razors, and knives — are out of reach or locked in a cabinet. Consider walking through the home with the grandparents to address any potential safety hazards. They may not realize that small or breakable items pose a choking or safety risk. Taking these precautions ahead of time can free children and grandparents to make the most of their special time together.
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
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Photo by Carlos Díaz-Recio ... Continued from front page. Transgrancanaria Starter: with a total distance of 18 kilometres and altitude difference of 750 meters, maximum time for completion 10 hours. The Transgrancanaria does not pretend to become an elite sporting event and hopes that sportsmen and women of all categories participate; not to end up in the first positions but to allow all to achieve their own personal goals and objectives by completing such harsh and physically demanding events. The date chosen for this years’ event was Friday 5th March to Sunday 7th and although the organization was concerned about the weather not being good enough for the event to take place, especially considering the storms which we have experienced during
Local News
Before starting, there was a very emotional scene when the speaker Pablo Cardona, asked the racers to pay tribute to a participant who could not be there with them this year. The previous Sunday, Oscar Pollan Tabuyo who was training for the event lost his life in a tragic accident. This 39 year old from Leon would not be joining his fellow colleagues again, and so runners and spectators held a minutes’ silence in his memory. At midnight the signal was given and the race began; participants raced off into the darkness in Playa del Ingles, then from here they would follow the coast line to Maspalomas and then climb to the centre of the island following the Maspalomas Canal into the mountains. I must say it was quite a sight to see the massive group of red lights (which every runner had to wear, as required equipment) jumping up and down in the darkness. It looked a little like a massive red serpent moving through the blackness of Maspalomas. After following the canal to the
From Tunte the participants headed straight for Roque Nublo where they were expected to arrive as dawn broke. Both Miguel and the British contestant Lizzy were putting even more distance between themselves and the other entrants and really started to dominate the race. From here the race would continue downhill until the finishing line which was located in the Plaza de la Musica in Las Canteras Beach. But before this the racers would find a last refreshment point located in Teror, right at the foot of the magnificent church. Slowly but steadily groups of runners
arrived at this last ‘watering hole’ and quickly made a stop to regain the strength necessary to face the last length of the race.
As expected from the early stages of the race Lizzy Hawker crossed the finishing line first in the womens category; she completed the race in just over 16 hours and gained an impressive 11th position overall.
Photo by Carlos Díaz-Recio
The main race and the south to north categories, congregated in Playa del Ingles on the night of 5th March, and to mark the occasion the organisers set up a massive display which not only caused a good deal of excitement between the participants, but also attracted a suitably impressed audience of passersby. At 15 minutes to twelve the racers were called to assemble behind the starting line; the excitement could be felt in the air as most of them stretched and swallowed their last gulps of water and isotonic beverages before starting.
beginning of the mountains, the runners then followed the valley towards Fataga; up to an area named Los Vicentes and from here along a dirt track which took them to the Ayagaures reservoir.They continued their journey to Tunte, San Bartolome de Tirajana.
2nd Position Men – Francisco Javier Lopez. 3rd Position Men – Alfonso Cabrera. 1st Position Women- Carolina Aleman. 2nd Position Women – Laura Barrera. Half Transgrancanaria: 1st Position Men – Jose Francisco Gutierrez. 2nd Position Men – Evaristo Almeida. 3rd Position men – Fabien Podeur. 1st Position Women – Lara Klassen. 2nd Position Women – Monica Raquel Reyes.
Photo by Carlos Díaz-Recio
Only 13 hours, 4 minutes and 14 seconds after the start of the race in Playa del Ingles, Miguel Heras crossed the finishing line in Las Canteras and became this years’ Transgrancanaria 123 champion. He was followed by Arnau Julia from Cataluña who crossed the line almost an hour later than Heras, the third position was taken by last years’ winner Adolfo Aguilo.
the month of February, in the end it gave the runners the opportunity to participate in a mixture of both hot and cold temperatures; but fortunately no rain. Having said this it is expected that participants will get wet, muddy and dusty, but more especially to have fun!
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The rest of the races finished as follows; - Transgrancanaria South- North: 1st Position Men – Jose Luis Arribas.
Transgrancanaria Starter: 1st Position Men – Luis Angel Rebollar, 1st position Women - Isabel Gonzalez. All in all a fantastic sporting event for women and men that should gain our admiration for such tremendous achievements. As far as I am concern these are super humans who are not only physically prepared but also extremely strong minded and determined. I have thoroughly enjoy the event as a mere spectator and will ensure that I am available next year to enjoy this experience again. But in the mean time I will look forward to the next extreme race which will take place at the beginning of next month called the K42, which I’m sure will also present a fascinating challenge. By Tito Cabral
It was at this point that the runners were provided with the first refreshment from the many water and food stands in order to regain strength and continue the long journey ahead. At this point several runners had already distanced themselves from the rest of the participants. This was the case of Miguel Heras, who was participating for the first time and was proving to be a hard contestant to beat. In the womens category we have to highlight Lizzy Hawker, who was not only leading her category, butwas maintaining a very impressive overall 5th place. Photo by Carlos Díaz-Recio
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
Scandinavian Scene with Nina Blaafjell Norwegians at the Carnaval in Arguineguin
has not been here for the Carnaval previously and was pleasantly surprised by the number of people partcipating and how much effort had been put into costumes. Birk and Bendik were dressed up as Vikings for the event and were very excited about watching the parade. The whole family agreed that it was great to take part in the event and were planning on ending the evening with some food and drinks while watching the entertainment in the market square. The recent carnaval in Arguineguin was a great success with one of the most colourful parades yet. A vast number of locals dressed up and followed the floats on the route down to the market square. More and more Norwegians living in or visiting Arguineguin are also taking part in the annual festivities. The Canary News spoke to Bjørn Tønnessen who lives in Arguineguin. He said that although he and his wife Kari watch the parade every year it is the first time he has dressed up. The main reason for dressing up this year was a visit from daughter Bianca Tønnessen Vestvik and grandchildren Birk and Bendik. Bianca has visited her parents here many times of course but
The Norwegian Club’s Annual Environmental March collecting rubbish from the routes in the mountains they so regularly used for hiking. The March started from the park in Puerto Rico before twisting its way up the hill and over the mountain. The march stopped at la Plaza Noruega for a break before marching on into Arguineguin. In previous years the march has ended at the church square but due to the renovations taking place there, it ended at Plaza Pino Seco slightly further up the valley. The Norwegian club in association with Mogan council arranged the 21st annual environmental march on Sunday 7th March. The first march took place in 1989 and was an initiative by members of the Norwegian Club to contribute to the environment by
A crowd had gathered to greet the march and to enjoy the entertainment which would conclude the day. The president of the Norwegian Club Else Marie Bråten was very pleased with the turn out from both partcipants and the crowd greeting the march at the square.
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Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
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Local News
Weekend Carnival in Arguineguin AFTER THE massive celebrations in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria which lasted for just over a month, now the Carnival takes its yearly pilgrimage down our island around the villages and towns. Last weekend from 26th - 28th February the fiesta took place in the fishing village of Arguineguin, and being a small village, the budget for this celebration is quite modest so it only lasted the weekend, but this does not mean they did not live the Carnival with the same intensity as all Canarians. The party commenced on Friday night with a Gala celebrated on a purposely built stage in the market area of Arguineguin. This was surrounded by several food and drink stands offering several specialties such as Argentinean grilled meats cooked right in front of you, kebabs, and hot dogs and burgers. These were complimented by fairground attractions for the entertainment of the younger ones of the family, as well as several raffle stands in which you could win a great variety of colourful prizes.
the poor families who life in the adjacent buildings to this spot, how do they sleep? Saturday was reserved as the big day for the Costa de Mogán Carnival, the Grand Parade took a modest number of floats around the main streets of the village, again colour and music took over Arguineguin with participants throwing sweets from the top of their floats to the many waiting children. The parade went on for a couple of hours ending between the harbor and market place of the village, then they all congregated together and carried on with the party until the Mogollon or final Grand Gala started.
Everyone lined up, following the coastal line and waited for the fire to consume the paper and cartoon figure, which again I must point out was a lot better than the one in the capital. A spectacular firework display followed, which illuminated the sky with bright colours and sparkles. The night ended with yet another live concert followed by DJ sessions for the younger party goers. Although the Arguineguin carnival is more modest and only lasts a weekend, the people of this coastal village live it with the same intensity as the rest of the Canarians, and we have to highlight the massive involvement of its’ people both in the preparations as well as the execution of the fiestas, and of course the gratifying feeling of seeing the active participation of foreign visitors. By Tito Cabral
The whole village seemed to be there, people of all ages and more importantly of different nationalities took part in this years’ spectacular; it is very gratifying as a Canarian to see foreigners taking an active part in our celebrations, again the night ended in the early hours of the morning. The Gala which was hosted by Eva Robinson included several musical acts, but the most special ones were those carried out by the children from the local schools. It was quite a sight to see the proud parents cheering their sons and daughters from the front row of the stage. This show was then followed by a live concert with the best Salsa music on the island, people dressed up in their costumes danced till the early hours of the morning. One can’t help thinking about
As with every Carnival it has to end with the burning of the Sardine, and this was paraded through the streets of the village and taken to the Arguineguin Beach where locals and foreigners congregated curiously. The mourners followed behind with their cries of sadness, and I was especially pleased to see that on this occasion the sardine did not seem to be affected by the crisis, like the Las Palmas one.
International Womens’ Day Celebrated on the 8th of March each year, the International Day for Women, signifies the fight for equality and emancipation of women, and was inspired by the German Feminists group. Last Monday it celebrated its 100th birthday. The German and Socialist activist named Clara Zetkin and a friend of Lenin, proposed this day in a feminist conference celebrated in Copenhagen in August 1910; a proposal which was unanimously accepted by the delegates of the 17 countries represented. The first celebration took place on 19th March 1911, and hundreds of thousands of people congregated in several European countries, but particularly in Germany and Austria, demanding amongst other things the right to vote for women. The 8th of March was permanently made the official day in 1917. On this day thousands of Russian female workers went on strike and demonstrated publicly in St. Petersburg Square demanding peace and bread.
Without any doubt women have conquered and achieved a great number of civic, political, social and working rights. But after a century, in many countries complete equality with men has still not been achieved, and women are still suffering to some degree with discrimination and oppression.
It was not until 1977 when the General Assembly of the United Nations under the pressure of the feminist movements of the sixties and seventies, that 8th of March was officially declared International Womens’ Day and incorporated into the calendar of celebrations of the United nations. It is this effort, determination and hard work that women today are closer to achieving equal rights with men, but unfortunately millions of women all over the world are still waiting for that most important right which all human beings deserve, Equality! I would like to congratulate all these women who through history and at present have demonstrated with their determination and will power that they are no less than anyone else. By Tito Cabral
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
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Spanish Lessons with Theresa Coe and pretty). As you can see, the Spanish rarely bother to include the words for ‘he/she/they’ etc. and don´t even have a word for ‘it’ as a subject pronoun.
Lesson 13
A closer look at adjectives
There are two key things to remember about using ‘describing words’ in Spanish. 1)ADJECTIVES NORMALLY GO AFTER THE NOUN. So, tengo un apartamento precioso, moderno y céntrico is the correct way to say that you have a beautiful, modern and centrally-located apartment. 2)ADJECTIVES MUST AGREE WITH NOUNS IN GENDER AND SINGULAR/PLURAL. Just as all nouns (things) in Spanish are masculine or feminine, singular or plural, so adjectives must follow suit. Many describing words end in ‘o’ and this letter can be changed to ‘a’ to describe a ‘feminine’ thing – but don´t forget to add an ‘s’ for plurals. For example : Es un tio alto y blanco (he is a tall white guy). Son tios altos y blancos (they are tall white guys). Es una fiesta estupenda/aburrida (it is a great/ boring party) Las flores son frescas y bonitas (the flowers are fresh
2b) NEUTRAL ADJECTIVES. Unless we´re talking about certain adjectives to describe people (such as nationality), adjectives not ending in ‘o’ are usually neutral and only change from singular to plural. Examples include verde [bair-deh] y azúl (green and blue), grande, interesante and horrible [oh-reebleh]. So, necesito unas mesas grandes y verdes means ‘I need some big green tables’. Don´t forget that when making plurals, if a noun or adjective ends in a consonant, you have to add ‘es’ instead of just ‘s’ to keep the word sounding Spanish: Los niños tienen ojos azules [a-zoo-les] NOT ‘ojos azuls’ – the children have blue eyes La mujer es muy servicial (the woman is very helpful) BUT las mujeres son muy serviciales to make the plural. Meaning changes with SER and ESTAR In the last two lessons, we´ve seen whether to use SER or ESTAR, both meaning ‘to be’, in English. Interestingly, the meaning of an adjective will change depending on whether we use ser (the normally ‘permanent’ form) or estar (often for temporary states). Here are some examples: ENFERMO (ill) and LOCO (crazy) Peter está enfermo (Peter is ill) is correct, as this is a temporary state. But if we accidentally say ‘Peter es enfermo’, we mean that´s he´s a sicko – a very offensive comment.
The same applies with LOCO. ¿Estás loca María? (Are you crazy, María?) is a common-enough reaction. But ¿Eres loco? should be avoided at all costs. ABIERTO/CERRADO (open/closed) We use ser to describe people´s inherent characteristics. For example: Juan es muy abierto pero su novia es más cerrada. (John is very open but his girlfriend is a more closed or private person). With ‘estar’, we´re talking about temporary states: ¡Qué lástima! La tienda está cerrada (What a shame! The shop is closed).Or, ¿Por qué está cerrada la ventana? (Why is the window closed?) GUAPO As above, ser guapo/guapa is to be a good-looking person. However, to say that someone LOOKS good (a temporary state), we use estar: ‘Pedro, estás muy guapo esta noche’. (Pedro, you are very handsome tonight). RICO (rich OR delicious) Ser rico/rica means to have money. So, no soy rico (or rica for a woman) means I´m not rich. Estar rico/rica means something is tasty: la comida está muy rica (the meal is very delicious). Top Tip: Sound Spanish! To comment on others´ news or experiences, try using Qué followed by an adjective to sound really authentic. For example: ¡Qué fantástico!/Qué emocionante!/Qué interesante!/Qué irritante!/ Qué cómico!/Qué triste!/Qué terrible!/Qué asco! (How fantastic/exciting/ interesting/irritating/funny/sad/ terrible/disgusting).
If you have any questions or comments relating to this column or the Spanish language in general: Please email theresacoe@gmail.com
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
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‘The Canarian Lawyer’ We are a British couple who own a bungalow in a complex with the majority of owners being German. We have received an invitation to an owners meeting with the invitation being in Spanish. The German owners received their invitations in German. We asked the German President of the community for a copy in English and we were refused. We pointed out that the German owners received theirs in German and we were told this was because the majority of owners were German. There are a number of British people and a number of other nationalities who speak English in the complex. Can we demand by law a copy in English for equality with the Germans?
First must analyze the Owners Community Statutes in order to verify if there is some norm concerning the language of the communications in the community of property owners. Furthermore, if in the Statutes is not set anything about that, then you can request a Meeting of Owners. Now, to request it, you must fulfil the requirements of the law on property horizontal: • To request a Meeting of Owners, it must be requested by a quarter of the owners, or a number of them representing at least 25 % of the quotas of participation. (Article 16) If instead of convening an Extraordinary
Your Questions Answered Meeting, you prefer to wait for the next ordinary meeting, you should know that: • Any owner can ask the Owners Board to consider and decide on any topic of interest for the community. For this purpose, you shall submit writing specifying clearly the matters that you ask for to be treated, to the President, which will include it in the agenda of the next Meeting to be held. For the validity of this type of agreements it is sufficient the vote of the total majority of owners which represent the majority of participation quotas. (Article 17) In definitive, you must consider the following: • If there is any rule in the Statutes of the Community about the language of communication to the owners.
Web and Computer problems?
How can your system get infected? The primary way rogue anti-virus software gets on your system is the result of you, the user, clicking on a malicious link in an advertisement or similar pop-up message. The wording contained in the advertisement is usually something alarming, designed to get your attention and attempt to convince to you scan your PC or clean it immediately with the offered tool. The fake program only detects problems that don’t exist and may even create some real problems.
Have you seen an advertisement or similar pop-up messages telling you that you computer is infected and offering a free PC scan or to clean your computer of supposedly infected files? They try to scare you into running their program. NEVER run any scan offered in this way. They are almost always attempts by malevolent persons or organizations to install malicious software (malware) such as a Trojan horse, keylogger, or other spyware. Such software is referred to as rogue (fake) anti-virus scareware. They try to scare you into paying
• You must get the percentage established in order to request a Owners Meeting. • You must send a letter to the President of the Community before the convocation to the next Meeting, in which you have to specify clearly you request, in your case, the approval that the communications are written in English for the owners who speaks that language.
info@thecanarynews.com them to remove problems that either do not actually exist or have been placed there by the program itself.
How to Spot Rogue (Fake) Anti-Virus Software
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The names of the fake programs sound legitimate, and often, in a further attempt to make the malware appear legitimate, the programs may prompt you to pay for an annual subscription to the service. Here are a few of the names used: Micro Antivirus 2009, MS Antivirus, Spyware Preventer, Vista Antivirus 2008, Advanced Antivirus, Antivirus 2008, Antivirus 2009, System Antivirus 2008, Ultimate Antivirus 2008, Windows Antivirus, XPert Antivirus, Power Antivirus, Ultra Antivirus 2009, Green AV, Anti-Virus 360, WinDefender and RegistrySmart Any kind of website can host ads for rogue anti-virus. However, the most likely sites for this type of malware are porn sites, movie trailer sites and social networking
sites like Twitter, Facebook and My Space. Especially notorious are file sharing P2P sites like uTorrant and Limewire. Some varieties of rogue anti-virus programs may get installed on your computer just by you visiting a website with a malicious ad or code, and you might never know you’ve been impacted. Why won’t your valid anti-virus and anti-spyware programs protect my computer? Though good antivirus and anti-spyware programs will protect against many threats, they cannot protect against all malware threats, especially the newest ones. There are millions of different versions of malware, with hundreds more being created and used every day. It may take a day, a week, or even longer for anti-virus companies to develop and distribute an update to detect and clean the newest malware. Remember too that anti-malware programs can be overridden by user intervention. What can rogue anti-virus software do to my computer? Just about anything, especially if you are using administrative-level access, like most users do when using your computer. Rogue anti-virus software might perform many activities, including installing files to monitor your computer use or steal credentials, installing backdoor programs, or adding your computer to a botnet. (Make it a zombie). The malware might even use your computer as a vehicle for compromising other systems in your home or workplace network. Rogue anti-virus software can also modify systems files and registry entries so that even when you clean off some infected files or registry keys others might remain, or even allow the infections to be restored and active again after your system is rebooted. Rogue anti-virus programs can install malicious Trojan files and make dozens of changes to your computer to ensure that the malware stays on the system and stays active. This type of malware often blocks access to valid security sites (anti-virus and anti-spyware companies, and operating system and application update sites like Microsoft) so that you won’t be able to patch or clean your system by visiting those valid sites.
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
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Feature
Around the Island AS WE are constantly trying to keep our readers up to date with what is happening on the island, new places to go, new things to see, The Canary News has decided to re-visit some of the long established areas which Gran Canaria is famous for. We shall still be reporting on the ‘out of the way’ villages and places, especially when they are celebrating fiestas and special events, (we have to keep our ever popular Tito Cabral occupied!) and will travel inland to bring you special places of interest, but for the next few issues we are going to cover the main tourist areas where visitors who are new to the island want to know more about. We have decided to start with Puerto de Mogan, especially because over the past few months, we have received many letters either complaining or applauding the businesses, prices and customer service experienced in this unique little port.
Puerto de Mogan Puerto de Mogan, on the south-west coast, is the most picturesque resort on the island of Gran Canaria and has, what some claim to be the best climate in the world. Summer daytime average temperatures are normally in the high twenties to mid-thirties Celsius, usually with a refreshing sea-breeze. In winter temperatures are only a few degrees lower and also our daylight hours are longer than those in Europe. A pedestrianised area consisting of two-storey apartment buildings has roof terraces and gardens bursting with bougainvillea, palm trees, birdof-paradise flowers, hibiscus and other gloriously colourful plants. It is built around a marina and fishing harbour, which gives the bars and restaurants lining the quayside interesting views and a special ambience. Channels between the marina and the fishing harbour, pass under arches in the buildings and between the port and the beach, led to it being dubbed the “La Venecia de Canarias” (the “Venice of the Canaries”) by a publicity campaign. The Hotel Club de Mar has rooms overlooking either the beach or the
marina, as do many of the apartments in the harbour area. Before the resort of Puerto de Mogan was built on land reclaimed from the sea, the village of Playa de Mogán consisted of a jumble of houses interwoven with narrow passageways and steps clinging to the cliff, and a few fisherman’s huts along the beach. Avenida de la Castillete, between the old village and the port area marks the original shore-line. In the absence of a harbour, the fishing boats were launched from the beach. Over the last few years the area behind the beach has been developed, with luxury apartment buildings looking out over the beach of golden sand imported from the Sahara, and beyond to the port and the Atlantic Ocean. A couple of hundred metres back from the beach is the Hotel Cordial Playa Mogan, a beautiful five star complex with every amenity one could wish for.
good Italian, German and Chinese restaurants. Two definitely not to miss is The Waypoint and Saffron (see their ads in The Canary News) where value for money is top of the agenda. There are several banks and supermarkets, shops selling clothes, souvenirs, and much more. For particularly top quality jewellery, sunglasses and fine porcelain pay a visit to Paraiso Jewellers where you can browse at your leisure. The owner Jeetu and wife Anita, know how to put customers at their ease, and there is never any pressure to ‘buy’. Perhaps this is why they are so successful! Monday brings the relatively new crafts market, where you can buy authentic Canarian products and which has proved immensely popular with the Scandinavians, whilst on Friday there is a large open-air market which fills the two plazas on the marina side of Puerto Mogan and lines the road from the boatyard almost as far as the end of the harbour wall.
On the promenade, restaurants, offering a variety of cuisines, are a great place to watch the boats and the Yellow Submarine coming and going from the harbour entrance across the sheltered bay, which is ideal for safe and easy swimming. There are sun loungers, parasols, pedaloes and canoes for hire on the beach. Beyond the rocky mole protecting the beach the sea is a little more lively and would suit stronger swimmers especially if they like to snorkel, and for those who want a bit of excitement, there are jet skis for hire, parascending, big game sport-fishing excursions and submarine trips round a local wreck. If you want to learn new skills, there is a diving centre offering PADI courses and a sailing school offering RYA accredited classes and practical training. For the less energetic there are dolphin-spotting trips and ferry trips to Puerto Rico and Arguineguín. Take the glass bottomed ferry boat for a more leisurely outing. Puerto de Mogan has some excellent restaurants serving locally caught fish, Canarian and Spanish specialities, and for variety there are also some very
There are stalls selling shoes, clothes, leather goods and watches, many bearing designer logos - try your hand at getting a real bargain. You can buy African carvings and drums, secondhand paperback books, fruit and vegetables, beach towels, sarongs and swim wear. Look out for the locallyproduced crafts such as exotic candles and glass sculptures.
Puerto de Mogan has excellent facilities for “yachties” whether they need temporary moorings in the marina, repairs and servicing or wish to stay for longer periods. Some who arrive like it so much that they never leave! Others stop off here before joining the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) or crossing the Atlantic Ocean on their own. The varadero (boatyard) by the fishing harbour has a boat lift and locallybased specialists in various boat-related crafts are able to carry out most types of repairs and services. There is a chandler’s shop and a hardware store a short walk from the boatyard. This year Puerto de Mogan has been swarmed with Norwegian tourists all seeking the sun, the fine restaurants and top quality shops, but perhaps more importantly the good manners and kindness of the many business owners which the rest of the island seems to have forgotten. Life is very tranquil in this special little corner of the island; you won’t find bars blasting out loud music, nor be harassed by street traders and people trying to sell you all manner of things. Most of the information has been provided by the Tourist Board of Mogan By Debbie Wenn
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
www.thecanarynews.com
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Feature
The Waypoint ‘Service With a Smile’
Owners Alberto, Stella and Lord & Lady Brighouse A family owned and run restaurant, husband Alberto, wife Stella, son Cristian and daughter Pamela really know the meaning of service with a smile. This Argentinean family have been on Gran Canaria for eleven years now – 5 years running the Chaplin Video club, and 6 years as the owners of the popular Waypoint restaurant in Puerto Mogan.
The Waypoint has been chosen by one of the government training colleges who regularly send a trainee chef to them for ‘hands on’ experience. The lucky person gets to not only work with the staff for three days, but also gets paid
in law who live in Puerto Mogan. Of course they soon discovered The Waypoint, and the Argentinean connection with Alberto and Stella was soon forged. As Lady Mary told me, no one knows steak like the Argentineans.
As I sat down to take notes about the family business, I was immediately struck by the warm friendliness of Alberto and Stella, despite the fact that they were very busy serving customers. The Waypoint is situated in one of the most prominent positions on the beachfront in Puerto Mogan,; right on the corner where guests from Hotel Cordial Mogan, out for a walk, pass right in front of it. The spectular views over the bay and up into the hills makes this the ideal spot to relax and soak up the atmosphere. As I sat with Alberto he told me that many different nationalities come to his restaurant, and indeed whilst there he pointed out Norwegians, Germans, Irish, English and a large group of French from the port of Marseille which included a world famous croupier from the casino. Alberto explained to me that the reason his business is so successful is that he only uses first class ingredients for his dishes, coupled with the fact that his prices are extremely competitive. A staff of seven, which includes the whole family, make sure customers are dealt with efficiently and swiftly, and always with a smile and good humour.
by Alberto! Stella, is waiting to receive a silver award for her outstanding speciality ‘tapas mixta’ dish, which I tried, and found absolutely delicious. As I stood to leave Alberto took me over to a nearby table and introduced me to two of his customers who return year after year; Lord and Lady Brighouse from Kent. An absolutely charming couple, Lady Mary Brighouse told me that as a young baby her parents took her to Argentina where she eventually met husband Lord David Brighouse. They are a well travelled couple who love coming back to Gran Canaria to spend time with their son and daughter
It was nearing lunchtime, and within half an hour The Waypoint was packed to capacity; not one table was available as the family busily attended to the needs of their hungry guests. At the end of the meal, a nice little touch was the offer of a local liqueur, ‘on the house’. If you find yourself visiting Puerto Mogan, I can highly recommend The Waypoint for its’ good service and excellent food at some of the most reasonable prices on the island. By Debbie Wenn
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
Twitters from the Atlantic with Barrie Mahoney
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Barrie’s novel ‘Journeys and Jigsaws’ (ISBN: 9781843865384). - Book 1 From Teacher to Drag Queen which is now available on the island. Just call: 928 729 277 and we will get a copy to you. Price 13,99 euros. © Barrie Mahoney
The End of The Siesta? A RECENT report by a Spanish Government backed commission urging the country to switch its clocks to Greenwich Mean Time will, no doubt, strike at the very heart of Spanish culture and tradition, if not the Spanish psyche. The proposal is aimed at shaking up the typical Spanish daily existence – with its lengthy coffee breaks, two-hour lunches and late evening meals and is the result of a survey conducted at Spanish embassies in other European countries into host nations’ daily timekeeping. It has taken me several years to adjust to the idea of the siesta and, I have to confess, it has been one of the most difficult adjustments that I, as a Brit, have had to make in Spain. However, the initial irritation of finding that shops, offices and the like have all closed at the time when I need them most has all but disappeared, as I too have adjusted and now take part in the siesta tradition. The siesta is a very sensible idea in a hot climate when the temperature is at its fiercest. What better than a snooze after a leisurely lunch? The siesta was born not just out of the necessity of slowing down in the afternoon heat, but the fact that, traditionally, many Spanish men and women have two, relatively low paid part-time jobs, with the
second job beginning after the siesta. Typically, the Spanish working day begins at about 8.00am, with a 30-minute break at 11am, then lunch usually starts at 2.00pm or 3.00pm, with people returning to work about two hours later, then often working on to 8pm,
dinner as late as 10.00pm or 11.00pm. It is a long day and the siesta has become an essential way of life for many Spanish working in towns and villages, although
much less so now in the cities than in the past. However, returning to the recent report, Spain has been identified as one of the least-productive countries in Europe despite the fact that, in theory, it is the European country where most hours are spent at work. In the Canary Islands we already have Greenwich Mean Time and the pattern of life is very similar to that on the Peninsular, so I doubt that a change to GMT would make much difference to the local way of life there either. I well recall visiting our newly built property in Gran Canaria early one afternoon to take some measurements before completion. Although the property was unlocked I could see no one working there. Initially alarmed by the lack of security, I entered the property and went upstairs only to find four workmen fast asleep on flattened cardboard boxes in the main bedroom. It was siesta time and I didn’t have the heart to disturb them! Reports such as this latest one from the strangely named, ‘National Commission for the Rationalisation of Timetables’ come and go and, if I am not greatly mistaken, it will take much more than a report to wrench the beloved siesta from the hearts of our newly adopted countrymen. Forgive me, I must go now, it is time for my siesta!
Property of the Month
HOW WOULD you like to live on the Costa Blanca? According to the World Health Organisation this area of Spain, and in particular Torrevieja, is one of the healthiest places in the world to live because of its’ dry, hot climate.
town hall. You can get most items over here, including a new overseas postal service from companies like Marks & Spencer, and Next. British supermarkets are everywhere, or you can shop at the ‘Spanish chain Mercadona’ who also stock foreign foods.
In previous years, many older people sold up in the UK and chose to ‘retire to the sun’ where the cost of living was considerably lower than that of the UK, thus ensuring that their pensions went further.
Transport is very good with regular flights to most airports in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. Motorways stretch from the very bottom of the mainland, carrying on through France and then Italy, so it’s really easy to get about. Public transport is good and very cheap ...
However in recent years, young families started moving to the area primarily because of the better standard of living and the safer environment for their children. The ‘world crisis’ has also affected Spain, but life is still easier and more laid back over here. Torrevieja has a large British community which continues to grow year on year. We have our own local government representative who ensures that our voices are heard when it comes to providing facilities for the old and young alike. Support groups increase with each passing year, together with leisure clubs, charities and of course new British businesses. You don’t need to speak Spanish, although it is great fun to learn, and many local councils provide free Spanish courses for foreigners once you register at the
All this and the sun too! I am offering a front line, fully renovated and furnished two bedroom apartment in a very popular but quiet, residential complex near Torrevieja. You really don’t need a car here as everything is within easy walking distance including a hospital, post office, supermarkets, restaurants, bars, or if you want to go further afield the local bus stops inside the complex. The complex is about 20 years old but has been maintained exceptionally well because of its high number of residential owners. Outgoings are very low and full British television and broadband services are available. The other residents are very friendly and
look out for each other; we normally meet around the swimming pool or at our local bar for a chat and a beer. The Apartment – overlooking the complex swimming pool. This is bright and spacious and has been completely renovated; open plan modern kitchen with high gloss white units, dark red marble work surfaces and splashbacks, touch sensor hob, fan oven, fridge freezer, washing machine, arched wall leading to the lounge area which is furnished to complement the kitchen, dark brown leather settees, long matching wall units, coffee table and side tables. One full wall has ceiling to floor sliding patio doors complete with vertical blinds. High gloss white ceramic floor tiling throughout the apartment. All fully furnished including soft furnishings. So the big question – how much? The unbelievable price of 85,000€! 40% lower than the true market value for a quick sale. For further information please email propertyofthemonth@thecanarynews.com
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
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Cookery
Potato Soup with Saffron and Mussels 3 tbsp Spanish olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 500 g potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 bay leaves ½ tsp saffron threads, crushed 1 ltr good quality fish stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper Some fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish (optional)
Serves 6
Ingredients: 1 kg fresh mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded 150 ml dry white wine
Method Before starting, check that all the mussels are closed, or tap them a few times, to close them. Throw out any that remain open! Now, put the mussels and wine in a shallow pot. Cover and put on a high heat until the liquid begins to bubble. Take them out one at a time, as they open, so that they don´t overcook, placing them in a strainer over a bowl, in order to keep the liquid. Discard any that remain closed.
Meanwhile, heat the oil gently in a medium pot, stirring in the onion and potato cubes and cook on a gentle heat for about 5 minutes. Now strain the mussel liquid through a very fine strainer and add to the potato and onion. Add the bay leaves and stock and bring the soup to boiling. Now turn down the heat, until the soup is simmering gently, stir in the saffron and cook gently for 15-20 minutes. Now, you can remove some or all of the mussels from their shells, or remove one side from most of the mussels (this decision is yours!). When the potatoes are well cooked, discard the bay leaves and whiz the soup in a blender until velvety smooth. Now stir in the mussels, re-heat if necessary, and check the seasoning. Garnish with the parsley. Serve very hot.
Meatballs with Spinach Tocino de Cielo
Serves 4-6 Ingredients:
Serves 4 Ingredients: 400g lean beef (minced), 400g lean pork (minced) 8 mushrooms (sliced), 100g spinach (cooked and chopped) 2 eggs, beaten, fresh bread crumbs (soaked in milk) flour, fresh parsley (chopped) Spanish extra virgin olive oil For the sauce: 2 onions, chopped 2 spring onions, chopped 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped Spanish extra virgin olive oil Small glass beef stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper Method: In a bowl, mix together the two meats, spinach, egg, bread crumbs and salt. Roll about a tablespoon amount of meat to form a ball, toss in the flour. Do this to form all the meatballs then fry gently until browned. To make the sauce: saute the vegetables in a pot with the oil, adding the stock if they become dry, and salt and pepper. Cook gently for 15 minutes, then blend in a food processor and return to the pot, carefully adding the meatballs. Stir in the mushroom slices and parsley and cook gently for a further 15 minutes.
10 large egg yolks, 2 whole eggs, ½ kg sugar, 1 glass water Method: Heat the water in a pot and mix in the sugar, stirring constantly, to make a syrup. Cool slightly. Pour a little of the syrup round the sides and bottom of a smooth sided baking tin (caramelise), and allow to cool. Meanwhile, lightly beat the egg yolks with the two eggs and little by little pour the remaining syrup into this mixture. Pour this into the mould/tin and cook in a bain marie for about 20 minutes, until the pudding is firm. Cool and tip out onto a serving dish.
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
www.thecanarynews.com
Fashion
The Paris Shows The City of Light’s eightday-long ready-to-wear marathon moved into day four with shows by Jean Paul Gaultier, Spanish leather maestros Loewe and Dutch design duo Viktor & Rolf. Lanvin dazzled with a collection that, though starker than in seasons past, felt spot on. Designer Elbaz, who has returned the formerly flailing house into a label coveted by women of taste the world over, has an uncanny sense of what women want - and he once again succeeded in delivering the goods.
Sultry Amazons in negligees and jodhpurs, and modern-day Nefertitis in identical blunt-cut black wigs hit the Paris’ catwalk, as the French capital’s winter 2010-11 ready-to-wear shows were paraded into the limelight. Christian Dior designer John Galliano was out of the gates with a sexy equestrian-themed show that synthesised two of the luxury label’s recent looks: riding gear and lingerie-as-outerwear. Cropped tweed jodhpurs were paired with ruffle-y tops in whisperlight chiffon, and the girls pranced down the runway in stiletto-heeled riding boots that would certainly get you killed if you dared mount a horse in them.
Maison Martin Margiela left the models’ rear ends out in the cold, with a willfully difficult collection of backless pants and heinous anvil-shaped, fur-covered headgear that was more tiresome than edgy.
The looks, mostly in a somber palette of black, charcoal and navy, went seamlessly from dangerous day to sultry night. There were black power suits with sculptural shoulders that formed 90 degree angles and nipped waists, as well as asymmetrical silk sheath dresses with rhinestone-studded zippers running down the back. The cocoon coats were perfect, with glinting studded leather belts. Christian Dior fielded an Amazon-inspired collection at the springsummer haute couture shows last January. But while Galliano’s couture equestrians were creatures of the day, the ready-towear women were night riders who mixed naughty lingerie with their sturdy horse gear. An electrical storm, with flashing lights and a soundtrack of clapping thunder and thumping hoof beats, set the tone for the racy, romantic show. Cropped tweed jodhpurs were paired with skimpy lingerie tops and trenches in buttery maroon leather, and the models wore thigh-high riding boots with stiletto heels. Leather - the horsey material par excellence - was seen everywhere, from little jackets with pinched waists and ample peplums to flippy skirts in punched leather so fine it looked like lace. Even a black strapless cocktail dress was made in vampy black leather.
Charmings sporting painted-on moustaches bravely shouldered layer upon layer of chunky oversized blanket coats, hole-riddled sweaters, scarves and shawls on their tiny frames. In keeping with Westwood’s hallmark excess and irreverence, the rarely matching layers were a hodgepodge of competing prints and clashing colours, with zany accessories piled high. Fashion scaled the ivory tower at Issey Miyake, where complicated mathematical theorems found expression in fabric. On hand at the display was Cornell University Professor William Thurston, whose Geometrisation Conjecture inspired the label’s designer, Dai Fujiwara. Thurston’s theory was described in the collection notes as “a comprehensive vision of eight geometries that are sufficient to form an ideal shape for all possible three-dimensional topologies.” Pedro Lourenco, the 19-year-old Brazilian, wowed the audience of jaded fashion insiders with his bold and kinky collection of leather looks. Lourenco delivered A-line dresses in colour blocked paneling in black, ecru, sand, chocolate-coloured leather, with suggestive peekaboo windows of fleshcoloured tulle. He worked the leather to within an inch of its life, coaxing it into inventive shapes and building it into sculptural mosaics.
At the Vivienne Westwood show, would-be Prince
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Mesa y López,32
Triana,61
C.C Las Arenas
Vecindario ( opposite to Víctor Jara theatre)
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
www.thecanarynews.com
21
Health and Beauty
Cleansing and Detoxing Our Bodies but here is just a sample of ideas to consider:
Any time is a good time to pay attention to cleansing the body, but here on Gran Canaria, prepare now for the coming hotter months. People have cleansed throughout the ages to remove build up of toxins and impurities in the system which constantly drain our immune systems. There are countless ways to cleanse,
1) Digestive Cleansing One of the most comprehensive ways to rid the body of the accumulated junk (mucous and build-up) in our digestive track. Digestive cleanses may involve fasting, wheatgrass juice, or juicing, cayenne pepper, enemas and colonics. Each of these is intended to assist the body in the process of elimination (particularly the elimination of all the “bad” things we’ve ingested over the years). Often the results of digestive cleansing – after the initial “reaction” stages of headaches or irritabilityinclude feeling more “clear-headed”, lighter, more aware, less fatigued, energized. 2) Skin Brushing / Dry Brush Brushing your skin with a dry body brush is one of the best ways to clean
your skin. It may feel kind of odd but it is more effective than brushing your skin with a wet soapy brush or sponge.
3) Pranayama Incorporating a breathing practice, with breath retention, and focus on expelling all the air out of the lungs helps invigorate and cleanse the lungs. Many yoga studios offer a pranayama class or incorporate pranayama in their scheduled classes. 4) Tongue Scraping / Tongue Cleaning Ever notice that slimy white (or
A little Light Heartedness I love this Doctor!
Q: Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true? A: Your heart only good for so many beats, and that it...don’t waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speeding up heart not make you live longer; it like saying you extend life of car by driving faster. Want to live longer? Take nap. Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables? A: You must grasp logistical efficiency. What does cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So steak is nothing more than efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef also good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And pork chop can give you 100% of recommended daily allowance of vegetable product. Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake? A: No, not at all. Wine made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that mean they
take water out of fruity bit so you get even more of goodness that way. Beer also made of grain. Bottom up!
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? A: Can’t think of single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No pain...good! Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you? A: YOU NOT LISTENING! Food are fried these day in vegetable oil. In fact, they permeated by it. How could getting more vegetable be bad for you?!?
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? A: Well, if you have body and you have fat, your ratio one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio two to one, etc.
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle? A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only be doing sit-up if you want bigger stomach.
sometimes yellow, if you’re sick) film on your tongue? Sounds, gross, I know, but that’s the mouth’s eliminatation system and one of the causes of bad breath (the rest of it is coming from your digestive system). A tongue scraper can be used to scrape off coated tongues first thing in the morning. 5) Detox Bath Use a combination of epsom salt, sea salt and baking soda to help pull out toxins from the skin (another great way to eliminate toxins). This one can be especially beneficial to ease emotional imbalances. 6) Water Flush Most of us know that it’s important to stay hydrated and drink lots of water. A Balinese healer gave me another tip… drink 2 litres of warm water first thing in the morning to flush your system, not easy!
Q: Is chocolate bad for me? A: Are you crazy?!? HEL-LO-O!! Cocoa bean! Another vegetable! It best feel-good food around! Q: Is swimming good for your figure? A: If swimming good for your figure, explain whale to me.. Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle? A: Hey! ‘Round’ a shape! Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember: Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO-HOO, what a ride!!”
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
www.thecanarynews.com
Health
Is that “Pinta” Really Healthy Ann Mather, Celebrity Nutrition Advisor, FamouslyFit.com
increased incidents of high cholesterol – nothing to do with meat?
We all know that calcium is extremely important for healthy bones. 95% of the calcium in our body is stored in bones and teeth. There is a huge debate going on about how much calcium we actually need and whether milk and dairy products are indeed the best source. Without a doubt, milk has one of the highest levels of calcium, but it also contains high levels of saturated fat, and may not be as digestible as we think!
What else can we say about milk? If we look away from the calcium debate, there are some other interesting issues to consider about milk. The hormones and antibiotics fed to cattle end up in our own food chain and have been linked to ovarian and breast cancer, prostate cancer, and atherosclerosis and heart disease. • Synthetic growth hormones have been linked to infertility in men who drank lots of milk as boys Milk becomes contaminated by pesticides and insecticides – some tests have indicated that milk contains up to 200 times the safe levels. This has led to concerns about asthma, intestinal bleeding, colic, ear and throat infections and allergies in children
There is increasing scientific evidence that the “pinta” may not be as healthy as it first appears. What is absolutely clear is that our consumption of dairy based products has increased hugely in the past 70 years – we no longer have plain milk and the occasional piece of cheese. Go and look in your local supermarket at all of the dairy based products that we are being tempted with – cheeses, ice cream, yoghurts, puddings and deserts, cream and so on - and now we are being presented with all sorts of milk based products that are said to help balance the beneficial bacteria in our guts! Where will it end? Where Did We Get Calcium From Before Dairy Milk? At a common sense level, we are the only species on the planet that continues to drink milk after we have weaned, and we are the only species on the planet that drinks milk belonging to another species! Drinking the milk of a dog or cat would be unthinkable, so why are we so happy drinking milk from the cow? And since the human species has been on the planet for millions of years, one has to ask the question “Where did we get our calcium from before dairy milk existed?” The answer of course is from other foods that are also rich in calcium – green leafy vegetables and dried beans especially!
Asthma & Immunology. Dr. MorrowBrown also considers that the number of people intolerant to milk has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. Who Should We Believe About Milk? There really are two views – the first that the recommended daily dose of milk of 3 glasses will help to prevent osteoperosis. In very moderate amounts, there is also some evidence that it may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and colon cancer. Yet, even with our increased consumption of milk and dairy products, incidents of osteoperosis continue to increase and result in more than 1.5 million fractures every year.
Their research is now focusing on Vitamin D – which appears to play a critical role in developing and maintaining healthy bones. It is possible that the lack of Vitamin D is contributing toward the increase in osteoporosis. We are hiding away and covering up more than ever from the beneficial effects of the sun on our skin! It interesting to note that in countries where the average consumption of dairy products is less than 1/3 of the recommended amount for adults in the USA and UK, the incidence of bone fractures is actually quite low (e.g. India, Japan and Peru). These countries lead more active lives and are exposed to higher amounts of sunlight, again indicating that these may be more important factors.
Ten Fold Increase in Food Intolerance In a leading article in the Daily Telegraph, top Doctors, Scientists and Nutritionists reported that there has been a 10 fold increase in people with food intolerance in the last 25 years. As a food intolerance practitioner, I am aware of the increasing evidence that the number of adults showing intolerance to dairy products is increasing. Allergy UK states that nearly 40% of the adult population now has intolerance to dairy products. Their views seem to be backed up by leading specialists such as Dr. Harry MorrowBrown, Specialist in Allergy and Respiratory Medicine and International Fellow American Academy of Allergy,
that, in the longer term, the current recommended doses of calcium do not reduce the incidents of osteoporosis and that dairy milk can cause leaching of calcium from the bones. Further, their studies showed that calcium supplements equally did not protect against fractures. Indeed, they suggest that supplements taken in the absence of adequate Vitamin D increase the risk of hip fractures.
Saturated Disease On the other side of the debate is the argument that the increased consumption of milk and dairy products is leading to other health problems such as coronary heart disease and prostate cancer. Studies at Harvard University have concluded that milk does not protect against bone fractures and that too much dairy is liked to prostate and ovarian cancer. Their evidence suggests
Fat
and
Heart
We all know that heart disease is on the increase, yet our consumption of fatty meats is on the decline. So let’s look at milk. Even skimmed milk contains high levels of saturated fat – with 25% of the calories still coming from this source. At the end of the day, there is no waste in the food industry so the fat that is stripped out from the milk is being put into other products that we then consume – ice cream, baked goods, butter, etc. Is this the real reason for the
Pasteurization – the heat treatment used to kill harmful bacteria – does not kill off other chemicals and foreign substances in the milk. It also destroys many of the good enzymes in the milk and may reduce the usable vitamin content by up to 50% Milk contains blood and pus from the cow – originating from the udder or insufficient cleaning of the udder and teats before milking. Although governments adopt “acceptable” levels in testing the quality of milk, I am not sure that I want any of it! Milk and dairy products are highly acid forming in the body and to neutralise this effect, the body uses calcium and other minerals to level out the pH balance which can decrease the store of calcium in the body – leeching it from the bones. Milk contains the protein casein – this is the base for one of the strongest wood glues and cow’s milk has 300 times more casein than human milk Cow’s milk lacks essential fatty acids human infants need for neurological development. Babies drinking whole milk in their first two years develop allergies, colic, diabetes; milk causes internal bleeding in children, which contributes to anaemia With all of this in mind, perhaps milk and diary products are not the innocent and enjoyable food source that we have been led to believe. It may actually be a slow acting poison that is leading to increased levels of disease in the Western world. With increased evidence that we don’t need to consume as much calcium as we thought, should we not revert back to what mother nature provided us – rich sources of calcium that come along with fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds and pulses – perhaps much more digestible than milk and without the other hidden problems!
Issue 18 - Friday Issue 12th March - Thursday 25th March 2010 2010 - The Canary News 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March
www.thecanarynews.com
23
Summer Sun Workout
Get Toned and Ready for Summer with the Female Face of Famously Fit
Lee’s Top Trainer Tips
Amy Guy (aka Gladiator Siren)
Lee Latchford Evans, ex Steps Star turned Celebrity Personal Trainer, shares his top Trainer Tips!
This is the third in my five part series to target those bits usually on show during the summer - legs and arms. For this one, you do need some small weights - two water bottles will do!
Weighted Side Lunge - Inner Thighs Repetitions
Step Three
I recommend 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side - every single day!
• Bend forward with a straight back, chest open • Lower the weights in both arms towards your right ankle.
Step One • Stand with feet together holding a weight in each hand. • Take a big step sideways with your right leg.
Here is how to do it!
Step Two • Pushing your weight over toward the right, bend your right knee • Keep your left leg straight • Ensure the right knee remains over the right ankle
• Push back to the centre • Repeat by stepping sideways with your left leg.
Next week - Triceps Kickback OK! MAGAZINE FULL OF FAMOUSLY FIT PEOPLE!
Ann Mather, Executive Editor, Famouslyfit.com
Quality of life is fundamentally about two things - health and fitness - being able to continue to do things easily, without disease, illness, pain or discomfort. With fitness, people normally think about strength, speed, endurance and flexibility. However, there are NINE components of fitness involved in active daily living. Check if you are training your body in all of them! Strength: The ability to exert force with muscles contracting against resistance (e.g. the ability to lift lower, pull or push an object) Power: The ability to undertake an explosive burst of movement, combining strength and speed (e.g. changing instantly from a walk to a run) Agility: The ability to undertake a series of explosive power movements in rapid succession (e.g. darting from side to side) Balance: The ability to control the body's position, either stationary (e.g. standing on one leg) or while moving (e.g. climbing over uneven ground) Flexibility: The ability to achieve an extended range of motion without being impeded by excess tissue, i.e. fat or muscle (e.g. touching your toes) Local Muscle Endurance: A single muscle's ability to perform sustained work (e.g. cycling with the legs) Cardiovascular Endurance: The heart's ability to deliver blood to working muscles and their ability to use it over a period of time (e.g. fast walking or jogging over distance) Strength Endurance: A muscle's ability to perform repeated maximum contractions (e.g. running, jumping, or digging in the garden!) Co-ordination: The ability to integrate a number of components of fitness so that effective movements are achieved (e.g. tennis, bowling or a step class where the legs and arms are moving in a coordinated fashion). Cardiovascular endurance is considered the most important to develop as it ‘feeds’ all of the other components of fitness.
• Stand with feet hip distance apart, • Position shoulders, hips, knees and heels following a straight line down • Stand with both feet pointing straight forward, in parallel • Hang arms at sides • Pull your belly button in slightly toward your spine - about 20% • Lift the ribs up (don’t push your chest out!) holding the chest in a proud position • Lift the shoulders, take them back slightly and drop the shoulder blades down and relaxed • Imagine someone pulling the top of your head toward the sky NOW YOU HAVE A NEUTRAL SPINE! Stand in front of a mirror and see how long you can hold it. Start all exercises in this position - and keep coming back to it. It will help support and stabilise you, and will protect your lower back.
WARRIOR WON’T EAT WARRIOR WON’T EAT TV GLADIATOR WARRIOR
- WORD PUZZLE TTHE V GLADIATOR WARRIORARE – WORD PUZZLE HIDDEN WORDS THINGS
THAT WARRIOR WOULD NOTTHAT EAT!WARRIOR WOULD NOT EAT! THE HIDDEN WORDS ARE THINGS ANSWERS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
W Q H P G E K E E V S C D N I
S S E A C H O C O L A T E Y S
S N R H D P E G C O U Q D E C
F P I N O N L O A L S U I Q X
E P T S D N T B K L A V E R O
S E L A I U Y W E Y G M R C Q
P T R R F R P G S S E P E R H
N M H X M G I C E C R E A M G
T O F F E E S I A N O Y A M I
Q U G C E R D C C E L L K R A
G F C Y F S Q V E A L E P O A
V J E X I S T I U C S I B V F
T S R E E T C E E C A N F X S
T J A S C C S M T S L S N D H
Y R T A E Y G Q T G L S O D E
COMING SOON - LEE’S CARDIO CRAZIES
Katie, can these be put somewhere else in the World club page – upside down?
(sadly mayonnaise has ex been spelled – the American – but if I change it, I Lee Latchford Evans, Steps Starwrong turned think it willPersonal upset other words. Celebrity Trainer, introduces his new series on Cardiovascular Training icecream, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, lollys, toffee, burgers,
Go to ...... sausagerolls, chips, mayonaise
www.famouslyfit.com
ICE CREAM, CAKES, BISCUITS, CHOCOLATE, LOLLYS, TOFFEE, BURGERS, SAUSAGE ROLLS, CHIPS, MAYONAISE
Step Four
The Components of Fitness
TIP ONE - NEUTRAL SPINE This is a term thrown around a gym floor or in the classroom environment and can sound a little foreign. It basically means good posture and the correct way to start any exercise movement. It is essentially putting your body in the correct alignment.
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
www.thecanarynews.com
Community
ORT C COMF
R
ORNE
‘CHICKEN SOUP’
My dear old grand-mother always trusted her ‘Chicken soup for the sick’ recipe when we were ill as children – convinced it had medicinal qualities. Last week, recovering from the recent tummy bug that has been on ‘fast forward’ around the island, I was looking up my grandma’s old recipe when I came across some clippings entitled “Chicken soup for the soul”.
Intrigued, (and forgetting the cooking!) I began to read inspirational stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things; tales that move the heart and rekindle the spirit, making us thankful - often causing tears, laughter, and goose-bumps on life’s way. Here is one I personally found most powerful and moving. No
apologies that it depicts another individual “going the extra mile” in a selfless act of loving service . The littlest fire-fighter. The 26-year-old mother stared down at her 7 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukaemia. Her heart was filled with sadness. Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up and fulfil his ambitions. That was no longer possible, but she still prayed her sons’ dreams may come true. She took his hand and asked, “Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be when you grew up? Did you ever wish or dream what you would do with your life?” “Mummy, I always wanted to be a fireman.” His mother smiled and said, “Let’s try to make that wish come true.” Later she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Arizona. She explained her son’s final wish and asked if it might be possible to give him a ride around the block on a fire engine. Bob said, “We can do better than that. If you’ll have your son ready early Wednesday morning, we’ll make him an honorary fireman for the day. He can come down to the fire station, and attend all the fire calls, and if you’ll give us his size, we’ll get a real fire uniform, helmet and badge of the Phoenix Fire Brigade, especially made for Billy”.
drama presentation of
“The Last Supper” March 26th and March 28th
Spanish Performances
English Performance Friday, March 26th
Sunday, March 28th
Calle Galileo 42
Hotel Melia Las Palmas
20hs
11hs and 18:30hs
all three performances are open to the public
Free Admission for more information contact: Christian Life International Church 928 26 97 91 www.christianlifeinternationalchurch.com
Three days later Fireman Bob collected Billy, put on his uniform and escorted him from the hospital to the waiting fire engine. He helped steer the truck back to the fire station. The little boy went out on three fire calls, riding different fire engines, the paramedic’s van, and even the fire chief’s car. He was also videotaped for local TV. Having his dream come true, plus all the love lavished upon him so deeply touched Billy that he lived three months longer than his doctors thought possible. One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and his nurse called Billy’s family to the hospital. Then she remembered the day he had spent as a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked would it be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy. The chief replied, “We can do better than that. We’ll be there in five minutes – but please, when you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not really a fire. It’s just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members. Oh, and please open the window to his room”. Five minutes later a fire engine arrived and extended its ladder up to Billy’s third floor window. Fireman
Bob plus five more fire-fighters climbed up the ladder into the room. His mother gave permission for all of them to gently hug him and tell him how much they loved him. With his dying breath, Billy looked up and asked “Chief, am I really a fire-fighter now?” “Billy, you most certainly are, and the Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand”. The little boy replied, “Yes I know - He has been holding it all day, and the angels have been singing too.” Then still smiling, Billy closed his eyes ... one last time. Blinking back the tears as I finished reading, I realised I no longer needed my old Grandma’s ‘Chicken soup for the sick’. Chicken soup for the soul was by far the better remedy! This amazing true story became the foundation of the universal “Make a Wish” charity, which grants magical wishes to children fighting critical illnesses - to enrich their lives with hope, strength and joy. As you read this, over 20,000 children in the UK alone are living with life-threatening medical conditions. In 2010 over 1,000 of these needy youngsters will turn to the foundation to make their dreams come true. Unless we work in one of the emergency/ rescue services we are unlikely to be called upon to literally save a life. But we may find ourselves in situations where, just like Fireman Bob, an opportunity arises to enhance the quality of life for one precious soul – sometime, somehow, somewhere. And if Billy’s story has been ‘chicken soup for your soul’, perhaps you would consider supporting the “Make a Wish” Foundation... and make a dream come true for just one more “little fire fighter” . Kay Owen. March 2010 . E mail. info@make-a-wish.org.uk ( Telephone:- 0044 1276 40 50 60 )
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
www.thecanarynews.com
25
Horoscopes
ARIES Mar 21 - April 20 You are more appreciated and admired than you realise. You’re needed for the very special energy and enthusiasm that only you can bring to a sleepy situation.
CANCER June 22 - July 23 Your current air of confidence and selfsufficiency is causing others to imagine you are unapproachable. Confess your vulnerability. This will not disempower you.
LIBRA Sept 24 - Oct 23 Have you really, done anything to upset a particular person who is now giving you more of a hard time than you deserve. Don’t feel bad; feel hopeful. Justice will yet be met!
CAPRICORN Dec 23 - Jan 20 Remember, what looks like a molehill to you is a mountain to someone else. Show due respect or it may end up becoming a mountain to you, too!
TAURUS April 23 - May 21 Avoid judgements and opinions this week. And if you feel someone is awarding (or deducting) you marks, shrug your shoulders and laugh. What’s important now, is that you develop a meaningful connection... not that you get all the right boxes.
LEO July 24 - Aug 23 Ask yourself some searching questions and then share those answers without fear. This in turn will produce honest responses from someone else.
Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22 Getting to the truth about what someone feels may prove tricky this week, especially as sometimes, what we think we feel and what we truly feel are not quite the same.
AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19 Sport? Politics? Fashion? Gossip? Pick any topic, so long as it is shallow. Do try, though, to avoid questions that none of us can answer or facts that none of us wants to face
GEMINI May 22 - June 21 Be aware of your feelings this week but don’t be a slave to them. Coming up soon is an encounter or experience that makes you feel truly, wholly excellent.
VIRGO Aug 24 - Sept 23 You’re being guided, by a kindly sky, towards an option that’s better and brighter than you dare allow yourself to imagine! If you can’t yet see what that is, you soon will!
SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 22 This week, there are some things that you can’t switch off from. You not only have to watch some dramas, you have to play an active part in them.
PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 It’s fine to want something. It is not OK, though, to want anything (or anyone) so badly as to lose all sense of perspective. Your objective may be wholesome enough, but the intensity of your passion is perhaps inappropriate.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY My life was going nowhere until I looked in the mirror and told myself this year would be different and I would make a difference for ME... because no one else is going to live MY life.
Brain Teasers
The last one took the basket with the egg in it.
He lived in a lighthouse
The rest were women
Pour the second into the fifth
26
The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
www.thecanarynews.com
Sport
Sir Alex denies takeover bid Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has rejected claims he is supporting a potential takeover of the club by a group of wealthy fans. It had been suggested Ferguson would invest his own money in the club if the bid by the “Red Knights” succeeded.
is legal, but Harris, who is the head of merchant bank Seymour Pierce, has said it did “not create a good impression of the directors’ governance of the company”.
Cyclist Gert Steefmans hurt in Whirlwind
But Ferguson insisted the reports are “absolute rubbish - there is not an ounce of truth in it”. On Sunday one of the “Red Knights” told BBC Sport that they had had no contact with Ferguson. A United spokesman added: “[The owners] the Glazer family and the manager enjoy 100% trust in each other.” The debt level of more than £700m incurred under the Glazers on a once-debt free company has caused unease among some supporters. Thousands of fans have joined the green and gold protest against the Americans, who bought the club in 2005, by wearing the colours of Newton Heath - the club was renamed Manchester United in 1902. And the Manchester United Supporters Trust, which is running a vocal campaign to bring about a change of ownership, says membership has doubled to about 100,000 in the past month, with much of that growth coming following the “Red Knights revelation”. Ferguson has some friends among the Red Knights and has said he has “no problem” with the protestors. “There were plenty of green and gold scarves on Sunday and I was delighted to see them supporting the club,” he said. “We are quite happy. As long as they are supporting
According to The Observer, senior City financers allied to the consortium had claimed Ferguson was supporting the controversial bid. The so-called Red Knights include Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill, acting in a personal capacity, lawyer Mark Rawlinson and financier Keith Harris. It has been reported that 60 investors have pledged up to £1.5bn ($2.26bn) to buy the club, but a statement from the Red Knights last week said the figure was purely speculative. US sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer, who bought United for £800m, has said the club is not for sale, while the club’s chief executive David Gill said the owners were “running the club the right way”. According to the latest accounts that were released in January, debts at United’s parent company Red Football Joint Venture have increased to £716.5m. Red Football Joint Venture is owned by the Glazer family and secures its debts against the football club, but the accounts also confirmed that six of Malcolm Glazer’s children were each given loans worth £1.67m from the parent company. All are directors of Red Football, and such a practice
“It’s different [now],” said Hamilton. “We’ve learnt from experiences.” Hamilton said he would work well with Button, who arrives at McLaren as the reigning champion, just as Alonso did in 2007. “We understand each other very well,” he said. Both Alonso and Heikki Kovalainen, the Finn who partnered Hamilton at McLaren in 2008 and ‘09, have claimed that McLaren focused on the Englishman to their detriment.
Belgian cyclist Gert Steegmans broke a collarbone after being caught in a whirlwind in the Paris-Nice prologue. The RadioShack member was lifted off the ground as he sped 75km/h (47mph) downhill during Sunday’s time-trial. An eye-witness from the RadioShack team, Dirk Demol, said: “Tree branches flew in the air and a second later Gert was lifted in the air too. “He was blown away from the road and tumbled over and over many times. I’ve never seen such a thing in my life.” RadioShack, the current team of seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, confirmed Steegmans also injured his shoulder and suffered “road rash” (grazing) all over his body. However, the team estimated the 29-year-old sprint specialist, who was expected to be RadioShack’s leader in the upcoming classics races, will return to training in just three weeks, using plates and screws to secure his fracture, with the operation scheduled for Monday. “It took 12 minutes for the ambulance to arrive while we waited and could do nothing,” Demol added. “Gert was screaming all the time. He seemed to have broken more than one thing.”
Manchester United they can wear whatever they like. “I have no issue with the Red Knights. I know some of them. I don’t deny them the right to protest. “If they want to try and buy the club that is entirely up to them.”
Amid bitter recriminations, Alonso left McLaren after one year but Hamilton said he would not make the same errors alongside Jenson Button in 2010.
Holland’s 2008 world cyclo-cross champion Lars Boom won the prologue, staged in the town of Monfortl’Amaury just outside the French capital. German veteran Jens Voigt came second, with American Levi Leipheimer taking third. Welshman Geraint Thomas was the highest of Team Sky’s finishers, coming in 15th by covering the 8km route in 11 minutes 16 seconds. The eight-stage, 800-mile race ends next Sunday in Nice.
Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he mishandled the situation alongside Fernando Alonso during his Formula 1 rookie season at McLaren in 2007.
But Hamilton said he did not agree with their point of view. “At the beginning of my first year I was up alongside the two-time world champion and he was seen as the
guy to win the world championship and I think at the time I misinterpreted and misunderstood the goals and the understanding of how the team worked. “But since I’ve been here they do everything to give us individually the best package possible. I’ve never had more than the guy next to me, we’ve always had equal opportunity, which is the greatest thing in a team. “It’s not easy to manage that, because one guy can be ahead of the other. “Inevitably people say things sometimes when they haven’t done so well,” he said. “You say things out of anger; you say things that you potentially don’t mean. That’s how I see it from the others.” Hamilton added that he had made mistakes in the past, and that the 2010 world title battle would be so close that winning it would depend on minimising errors. “Having made lots and lots of mistakes in my career, hopefully this will be a year of a lot fewer!” he said. He says he is particularly looking forward to racing against seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, who comes out of retirement with Mercedes this year and has never shared a grid with Hamilton. “It’s different to having the young Michael, who’s building his way up and is at his best. [But] I’m sure he’s going to be just as good as he ever has been. “It’s great for the sport, great for the fans, and for me it’s going to be a great experience to have such a legend on the track with us.
Hamilton told BBC Sport he had “misinterpreted and misunderstood the goals and how the team worked”.
“In testing I had a little bit of time behind him [on the track], and it was crazy to think, ‘This is Michael Schumacher in front of me, wow. This guy’s won seven world championships and I’ve done it once and it was so hard.’ To do it seven times is remarkable.”
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
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Daniel Alcock
Danny’s Profile Who am I? Daniel Alcock, Nationality: British Age: 32 Occupation: Surf Coach for kids’ at the Surf Canaries Club. Reporter for The Canary News on surfing and water sports Time on the island: 6 years Dannys’ story …To make it brief, I worked in sailing and was offered a job to sail a yacht from the UK to Gran Canaria, which took me 17 days.
I brought my surf board with me, and spent some time exploring the waves on the island and then I got a job in the sailing school in Puerto Rico. I stayed there for 2 ½ years, then decided to start the surf school. Favourite wave on the island: Too many to name… Time surfing: 16 years Music: Ben Harper, Makako, Chillies. What have I been doing the last couple of months and why have I been away? Earlier in the year, it was my pleasure to spend some time with Martin Dunn, coach for the Australian Surf Team in
27
Sport
Tenerife. The experience was incredible, and with the rest of the coaches from the Canary Islands, we learnt such a lot from this living legend of the surf world. Now I am looking forward to putting all of this into practise in the Surf Club training sessions! Later we were involved with the launch of the 24th ARC regatta which sets off from Las Palmas. This amazing event lead meant I was away from the islands for almost a month; chasing the boats in as they arrived at their Caribbean destination. Just last week, we were back in Tenerife, this time for a historic worlds’
First International Conference for the Protection of Waves and Coastline. This event brought together people from all over the world to discuss man’s impact on the world’s waves. It focussed specifically on Spain and the Canary Islands and we learnt a great deal from countries who already have experience on the subject. And finally we have been out and about enjoying the exceptional winter of waves around the Canary Islands. Happy Surfing! By Daniel Alcock
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th February 2010 - Issue 16
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Golf
Villegas eases to Florida success
part in a “truly global” multi-million pound fake golf clubs fraud. The gang sold golf clubs they falsely claimed were made by numerous wellknown manufacturers. Auction website eBay told Snaresbrook Crown Court heard it was the largest counterfeiting scheme it had seen. Mastermind Gary Bellchambers, 45, of Rainham, east London, was jailed for four years and three months. Two others were jailed for 16 and 12 months. Three people were given suspended jail terms. The court heard counterfeit clubs were made in China before being distributed throughout the world by the gang.
Colombia’s Camilo Villegas maintained his advantage to win the Honda Classic at Palm Beach by five strokes. Villegas shot his worst round of the week - a 68 - but still managed to claim his third PGA career win and his first since 2008. He finished his round with a 15-foot birdie with Anthony Kim back in second on eight-under. Justin Rose was third on seven-under after he equalled the course record with a final round of 64. His round contained seven birdies, of which five came in his first six holes, but was not enough to get him back into the world’s top 50 and qualify him for this week’s CA World Championship in Miami. Fellow Englishman Paul Casey finished a further shot behind in a share of fourth place with Fiji’s Vijay Singh. Although Villegas dropped three strokes in five holes on the back nine, he finished in style. He went into the final round with a three-shot lead but quickly doubled that advantage with four birdies in his first 10 holes. He nearly lost his grip on the lead with three bogeys on the back nine but the rest of the field were unable to capitalise. The Colombian, who began the week promoting a Nationwide Tour event in his homeland, said: “It’s been a long week but it’s been a good one and I’ve loved every second of it. “Tournaments are four rounds and I played three pretty good ones,” he said. “I was lucky in one. It’s never as easy as you think. I played great the front nine, then I made a couple hiccups and missed some putts, but I stayed patient.”
Members of fake golf club gang jailed Three people have been jailed for their
They sold tens of thousands of items, with more than $3m (£2m) paid into their PayPal accounts. But the scheme unravelled after pensioner Christine Manz complained about two fake Acushnet golf clubs she bought on eBay. If a purchaser complained, the gang would usually offer a refund straight away to avoid attracting attention. But when Ms Manz complained, Bellchambers was in Thailand so did not receive the letters. Havering Council in east London began investigating and eventually brought a prosecution. Judge Jacqueline Beech said: “When a golfer purchases clubs bearing a brand name, they are paying for years of research and development and a golf club that represents the cutting edge of technology. “The expectation is that the clubs will help them improve their game or certainly not make it worse.”
Rose aiming British surge
to
join
It is a fair bet emotions are rather mixed in the Justin Rose household. There will be delight that his form seems to be back but frustration that he can’t demonstrate it at Doral this week. Rose’s third place at the Honda Classic was his best result since finishing runnerup to Rory McIlroy in Dubai more than a year ago. His closing round of 64 equalled the PGA National course record and helped him bank $380,800 in prize money, but it wasn’t enough to earn Rose a place in the elite field for this week’s WGC CA Championship in the suburbs around Miami airport. The 29-year-old may have improved his world ranking from 76 to 58, but he must watch on as a group of fellow Englishmen contest the second World Golf Championships event of the 2010 season. “I’d struggle to make the English Ryder Cup team,” Rose admits. “I feel like I’m a pretty good player, so that speaks volumes for how strong English golf is right now.” Rose is a very good player, but has underachieved since claiming the European Tour’s Order of Merit with victory at Valderrama in the 2007 Volvo Masters - the same year in which he finished second at the WGC event in Akron - one of three second places he’s had in the USA. Since then, the likes of Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and Martin Laird have registered PGA Tour victories, but for Rose, the cupboard remains bare after 154 attempts.
His career has always been a start-stop affair with streaks of excellent results that have provided memorable peaks contrasting with troughs of indifferent play that have left him way short of fulfilling his potential. Rarely has there been any kind of middle ground consistency, so perhaps this third place will herald a spell of inspired results. They will have to come quickly to enable Rose to play the first major of the year at the Masters. He needs to climb into the world’s top 50 and has the Transitions Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in the coming weeks to earn his place at Augusta. After his closing 64 on Sunday, which began with four straight birdies and followed a third round 67, Rose said: “The funny thing about golf is that if you try too hard to come out and go low it goes the other way. All weekend I felt really relaxed. “I kind of hit a little sweet spot in terms of enjoying my golf and just staying nice and composed and I think today probably is the most composed I have been for a long time. “I see a really big difference with him mentally now,” said his wife Kate. “He’s excited about what he is working on. He’s very positive and he’s been playing really well for sometime.” In a period where there has been no shortage of results for British golf fans to celebrate, Rose has been rather overshadowed. Now it seems he may be ready to become part of this success story once again - after his week as a reluctant spectator.
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
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To place a classified advert, simply fill in the coupon on page 31 and drop off at Property Abroad, Aladdins Cave, Fuze Bar or Cafe Florin. See ads for locations. Email: sales@thecanarynews.com or Tel: 928 774 818 PROPERTIES FOR SALE Private
PROPERTIES FOR SALE AGENTS
Maspalomas, Campo Internacional Bungalow, 2 bed(s) 146.000 Euros 21438-AK ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria. com*** Puerto Rico, Center Duplex, 3 bed(s) Family house - Excellent opportunity! 155.000 Euros 21470-LM ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria. com*** Arguineguín, Patalavaca Duplex, 2 bed(s) Excellent panoramic views over the sea 230.000 Euros 21486-LM ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria. com*** Maspalomas, El Tablero Flat, 2 bed(s) Nice building 175.000 Euros 21548-RS
***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria. com*** Montaña La Data Single-family house, 4 bed(s) 280.000 Euros 21601-LL ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria. com*** Arguineguín, Altos de Arguineguín Canarios I Bungalow, bed(s) 115.000 Euros 21622-AK ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria. com*** Arguineguín, Patalavaca Apartment, 1 bed(s) 99.000 Euros 21646-LL ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria. com*** Puerto Rico, Center Duplex, 2 bed(s) 147.400 Euros 21650-LM ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria. com*** Mogán, Playa and Puerto Apartment, 1 bed(s) Nice, bright apartment 168.000 Euros 21655-TB ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria. com*** Puerto Rico, Amadores Apartment, 2 bed(s) 98.000 Euros 21673-MV ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria. com*** —----------------------------Apartment at the street down to the beach! This apartment is renovated and furnished. It consists of: One bedroom, bathroom, livingroom, kitchen and large balcony. Very good
location only a few footsteps to the beach. Price: 120.000 Euros Europa Real Estate 928 765 813 info@europa-immobilien.com PLAYA DEL INGLÉS, OUTSTANDING BUNGALOW WITH GARAGE AT THE BEACH PROMENADE. This unique dreamhouse with aprox. 100m2 living area and largeprivate garden consists of living-diningroom, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large terrace and solarium with spectacular view to the dunes of Maspalomas and ocean. The bungalow is equipped with all luxury. Heated community swimmingpool.PRICE: 588.000, Euros Europa Real Estate 928 765 813 info@europa-immobilien.com PLAYA DEL INGLÉS: Spacious, very bright and quiet one-bedroom apartment in top- condition situated in a well maintained complex with parkinglots, swimmingpools and teniscourt and all amenities close. Price: 110.000,- euro PLAYA DEL INGLÉS, TOPFLOOR APARTMENT WITH UNIQUE VIEWS. Breathtaking seaview to the
dunes and lighthouse of Maspalomas. Bedroom and livingroom have access to the exeptional large dobble terrace with whole-day-sun. The beachpromenade is at one-minut-walking distance and several shopping centres are nearby. Sufficient parkingfacilities available. PRICE: 126.000 Euros PLAYA DEL INGLÉS, BUNGALOW WITH GARAGE Excellent and quiet located bungalow on a closed plot that offers perfect privacy. It exists of: 2 bedrooms, livingroom, full fitted kitchen, bathroom, 2 large terraces and private garage. This respected bungalow complex is very quiet and centrical situated and has a large pool and tenniscourt. Low monthly community costs. PRICE: 276.000. Euros SAN AGUSTÍN, GROUND FLOOR BUNGALOW WITH LARGE TERRACE AND SEAVIEW. This bungalow forms part of a small private complex with pool. The beach of San Agustín is only 3 minutes walk away and also the shopping center is nearby. The bungalow consists of: 1 bedroom, livingroom/ kitchen, bathroom and a terrace
of 24 m2 with sea view to the beach of Playa del Inglés. The monthly comunity costs are only 40 Euros. PRICE: 138.000 Euros EXCELLENT LARGE APARTMENT IN SAN FERNANDO This bright and spacious apartment of 82 m2, is completely and tastfully furnished and contains a livingdiningroom, 3 large bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, full-fitted-kitchen with separate laundry room and small patio. The monthly community fee is only 17.- € Price: 175.000.- Euros VECINDARIO – CITYCENTER GREAT OPPORTUNITY Recently new built 2 bedroom apartments with garage to move into. Living-dining room and one bathroom. The independent kitchen is full-fitted and completely equipped. Construction with excellent materials. Precious building with elevator and only 6 units. Financiation Possible! Price only: 90.000,-- Euro PUERTO RICO Bungalow with panoramic seaview over the beach and harbor of Puerto Rico. 100 m² Living-area, 3 bedrooms and 2 large sunny terraces. Parking-lot and Pool. Price: 330.000 Euros
PLAYA DEL CURA, EXCLUSIVE APARTMENT WITH PANORAMIC SEAVIEW This apartment has 72 m² livingarea and a large very private terrace of 36 m² with whole-day-sun. Bedroom and bath are ensuite. Situation and the use of only the most luxurious materials make this real estate to an unique exquisity. Price: 290.000 Euros SAN FERNANDO, CORNER DUPLEX FAMILY HOUSE This very bright semi-detached house consists of: large livingroom, full-fitted kitchen with dining corner, 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, several terraces with beautiful seaviews and a spacious independent (guest) studio. PRICE: 295.000,-- € SAN AGUSTÍN, DREAM BUNGALOW with beautiful view over the ocean. 64 m² Living-area, 2 bedrooms, full-fitted kitchen, bathroom and 32 m²-large sunny terrace. Parking-lot and Pool. Monthly communityfee only: 78,- Euro. PRICE: 290.000,-- € Europa Real Estate: 928 765 813 info@europa-immobilien.com ------------------------------------Puerto Rico Cosy apartment in a quiet complex with a very nice
Contact us to share your news and celebrate your anniversaries. See page 31 for more information
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
atmosphere. Parking outside the door and outstanding sea views. Pool, children’s pool, poolbar and sun terrace. The apartment is sold fully furnished and ready to move in! Ground floor and large garden area directly in front of the patio so great for sunbathing or for children! Great bargain! Ref. PR584. Price: €69,500. Tel. 928141202. DREAM HOMES www. dreamhomesgrancanaria.com Puerto Rico Beautiful apartment for sale in Puerto Rico. The two bedroom apartment was recently refurbished and has a private terrace (20m2) with seaviews. Brand new kitchen and seperate dining area. Sold completely furnished and ready to move in to! Complex with communal swimming pool. Bargain! Ref:PR650.Price:€98,000. Tel: 928141202. DREAM HOMES www. dreamhomesgrancanaria.com Maspalomas Nice cosy duplex with garden area to the front. Completely refurbished throughout and fully furnished and ready to move into. Property of 60m2 and has one bathroom upstairs and another downstairs. Quiet complex in a quiet residential area. Ref. MP635. Price: €132,000. Tel: 928141202. DREAM HOMES www. dreamhomesgrancanaria.com San Agustín Fantastic bungalow for sale in San Agustín. The bungalow is totally refurbished and has air-conditioning, fully equipped kitchen even with dishwasher. Bungalow in very popular complex with heated pool, childrens area, pool bar, supermarket and tennis court. Viewing strongly recommended. Ref. SA654. Price: €137,000. Tel. 928141202. DREAM HOMES www. dreamhomesgrancanaria.com San Fernando Fantastic house with 4 bedrooms for sale in San Fernando. Very centrally located. Supermarkets and shops for the daily needs are within walking distance. The house is sold unfurnished. Great opportunity to buy at this price! Ref.SF614. Price: €216,000. Tel. 928141202. DREAM HOMES www. dreamhomesgrancanaria.com
Playa del Inglés Refurbished apartment in Paraiso Maspalomas. Very well run complex with various swimming pools, hairdressers, supermarket, restaurant and pool bar. Satellite TV incluiding Spanish, English and German channels. All bills are included in rental price. Ref:PI547.Price:€600/month. Tel: 928141202. DREAM HOMES www. dreamhomesgrancanaria.com
Properties Abroad Estate Agents
PUERTO RICO INSURANCE, MORTGAGE & FINANCIAL ADVICE Tel: (0034) 928 562 467 Fax: (0034) 928 562 454 Email: info@propertiesgrancanaria.com Web: www.propertiesgrancanaria.com
FLATS TO
RENT
of which has its own balcony or terrace. The kitchen is fully equipped with an oven, 4-ring ceramic hob, fridge/freezer and a dishwasher. There is also a ultilty room with washing machine. Pets are allowed. Ref. : SN639. Price: €1.200/ month Tel. 928141202. DREAM HOMES www. dreamhomesgrancanaria.com Tauro Newly built, modern villa near Tauro. Private garden and pool. Four spacious double bedrooms and two living areas. Marble floors and fully furnished throughout to a high Standard. Air-conditioning. Rental price includes gardener and pool maintenance. Ref. TR543a. Price: €1.700/ monthTel. 928141202. DREAM HOMES www. dreamhomesgrancanaria.com ---------------------------------------
Tuesday from Mid October to the end of April. On average walk is about 4 hours with areasonable amount of ascentand descent. All walks are free and at your own risk. If you areinterested contact Rambling Roger on 928 798150 or 666 170 553, or by email at Roger@Fincabritanica.com
SERVICE Dana Ptacinsky Asrilant
LEGAL TRANSLATOR AND INTERPRETER C/Luis Doreste Silva 56, 6º-2, 35004, Las Palmas de G.C. Tel: 686 412 345 dptacinsky79@hotmail.com
Puerto Rico Studio for rent in Puerto Rico. Nice view over the harbour and the sea. Close to all ammenities. The Studio also has a terrace and the complex offers a communal pool and parking area. All costs are included in the rental price. Ref:PR653.Price:€500/month. Tel: 928141202. DREAM HOMES www. dreamhomesgrancanaria.com
Sonnenland Large family home for longterm rental on secure residential complex. Off road parking available for residents and the complex has a very nice pool area and childrens pool. There are five double bedrooms, each
BRITISH MECHANICS Free Collection and Delivery Service Service and Repair all Makes and Models
CALL ANDY ON 620 343 228 OR CALL TERRY ON 693 451 067
San Fernando 2 bedrooms in spacious house,shower,tv,dvd,adsl. Share kitchen,patio,lounge and roof terrace.5 mins walk to all amenities. €300/€350 per month inc all bills . Tel 928 760 143 / 626 306 826 SONNENLAND, Apartment for rent, one bedroom, views to sea and swimming pool, TV, Washing machine, 450€ monthly, all costs included, Tel: 665 520 979
We buy and sell Cars
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Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm Mobile 699 062 789
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Cafe Florin Calle Alfreces Prov. 29 Shopping (opposite Hard Rock cafe)
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MECHANICS
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FOR SALE 1, 2 and 3 Bedroom flats to rent in Arguineguin and Puerto Rico from 600 Euros all inclusive Complete restaurant items for sale as new condition including Call sunloungers, tables, sofas, 618 647 027 chairs, sold as a lot. Contact
Puerto Rico Spacious two bedroom flat with a balcony overlooking Puerto Rico and the water park and a rear terrace. Complex is only 4 years old and has a jacuzzi with spa jets, minigolf, swimming pool and baby pool as well as a “petanca” (Spanish bowls) pitch. There is an undergorund car park and a car parking space. Fully furnished throughout and very light and airy corner property. Ref. PR460a. Price: €700/month Tel. 928141202. DREAM HOMES www. dreamhomesgrancanaria.com
PROPERTIES FOR RENT:
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Ground floor Yumbo Centre Playa del Inglés LEISURE
Roger’s Ramblers meet every
Free tandem bike rides for blind people or people with any other physical disability who are unable to ride a bike by themselves. Also free excursions into the mountains in my car for people in wheelchairs together with a companion. Minibus trips can also be arranged at an agreed reasonable cost. For more information call Franz at 699 124 985. WANTED. Second hand books, in good condition, to be sold in support of Registered Childrens’ Charities 1) RUBBISH DUMP CHILDREN in Cambodia 2) ORPHANS/ SCHOOL projects in China. Please drop books off at Bar Wine and Marmalade, Arguineguin. donations gratefully received. Contact kay.r.owen@gmail. com Together we can make a difference Drinking Problem?
International, English speaking AA meetings every Friday at the church in the Kasbah (door on the left hand side) Playa del Inglés, 8.30pm. Monday 12pm in San Fernando, behind Market Maspalomas and Tuesday 7pm at the Catholic Church (enter by the stairway on the right hind side), Behind the taxi rank next to the police station. Do you believe that you have a problem with alcohol? Perhaps you are looking or some help? Alcohol Anonymous meet in Telde on Mondays and Thursdays from 20.00 until 21.30. Call 928 202 638 TARA CAR-BOOT SALE EVERY SATURDAY - 9 AM AT Plaza del Pino, Arguineguín Free Entrance for shoppers and registered charity car-boot sellers. Non-charity sellers DONATE only 5 Euros for each stall. Please bring your own display supports. Come and enjoy the friendly atmosphere at the TARA Community Car-Boot Sale to find the best purchase bargains in town and help abandoned and abused animals to boot.To donate useable toys, clothing, household items, furniture, books, sporting equipment...WHATEVER...to help our fund-raising efforts please contact us. Contact Sanna Tel: 620 978 709; Email: sanna@taraanimales. org to pick up your donated items if you cannot deliver them to the car-boot sale. Volunteers always gladly welcomed. TARA Animal Respect Association, A registered, Non-profit Canarian Animal Charity Tel: 607 671 617 Email: info@tara-animales.org Web: www.tara-animales.org Arguineguin Cultural Society meets every Thursday at Tío Pepe bar from 20.00 at the C.C. Ancora in Arguineguín. As mentioned previously in TCN, the group were looking for a place to build up our string puppet stage and to train people in the making and operating of string puppets. The group has now found a suitable place in Arguineguín and if anyone is interested in joining them please call Peter on 639 229 414 and go to the meetings on Thursdays. Grupo Montañero de Mogan. Every Sunday all through the year this group arranges guided walks in the magnificent mountains and beautiful valleys of Gran Canaria. The walks are guided, and the members come from all over Europe, and also many Canarian members. Meeting place: Commercial Centre Ancora,
Aladdin`s Cave
Issue 18 - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - The Canary News
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Arguineguin. Time 08.00. Departure 08.15. Leaving from San Fernando (Viuda de Franco) 08.00 or 08.30. For more information call before 12.00 on Fridays 689 919 580 Can you spare a few hours each week to help feed stray and abandoned cats in San Agustin? There are special feeding places, all the cats are sterilised, have names and are very healthy. Of course, we will buy the cat food. We only want help to give the food to the cats.Please call Christina on 928770 019 for more information. Join the library in Maspalomas with your NIE number and passport and picture or residencia. No charge. English books and other European languages too. Also free internet access.!! The library hours are 8.00 am till 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm to 10 pm Monday to Friday. Biblioteca Municipal Maspalomas, Casa del Cultura Maspalomas, Avda De Tejeda 72 Phone 928 720 035 Amigos contra el Sida is a charity that provides support for people with HIV and Aids and has information about sexually transmitted diseases Amigos contra el Sida - Friends against Aids Av. Alejandro del Castillo, Mercado Municipal, 2º floor San Fernando Maspalomas Contact: 695 578 004 Timetable: Tuesday and Thursday - 9:00 to 15:00 hour. Amigos contra el Sida Calle El Escorial nº 7, Vecindario Teléfono: 928 149 570 Timetable: Monday to Friday - 9:00 to 14:00 hour. Website: www.amigoscontraelsida.org Support Maria Templeman’s Dog Rescue. You can find Maria’s stall in Arguineguin market on Tuesdays and Mogan
market on Fridays. You can also find Maria in Maspalomas market next to the big, main flood light on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Money raised from Maria’s stall goes to funding dog rescue in Gran Canaria, including vet and kennel fees and re-homing dogs.
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FARO 2 MARKET 15 & 29 Nov, 13 Dec. BOOKS sold in support of Registered Children’s Charities (Home and Abroad) Over 500 books from 1 Euro. Also book donations wanted - can collect - Contact kay.r.owen@gmail.com or drop books off at Wine and Marmalade Bar in Arguineguín
THE CANARIAN PRO BREASTFEEDING runs a Support Group every Wednesday from 6pm until 8pm at the C.C. Botanico, Local 135, San Fernando. Anyone needing help and support concerning breastfeeding can also call 637 564 296 (leave a message if there is no answer with name and telephone number)
WANTED
Portable clothes racks and/or folding tables for the Faros Car Boot Market stall. Needed to support Kay 'Comfort Corner' Owens' favourite children’s charity. Can collect, please contact Kay on 928132045 kay.r.owen@gmail.com
MON TO FRI 10am to 8pm SAT 10am to 1.30pm For appointments please tel 928 561 771
MOTHER AND TODDLER GROUP EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM 4PM ONWARDS Different activities every week in the local Puerto Rico area Meet othermums with children of all ages. Call Jo Pike on 639 153 547 You can even leave a message on their
‘face book’ wall!
ADDICTIONS ALCOHOL & DRUGS Let us help you overcome your problem in a painless way. Contact us for a confidential consultation It can make a real difference On your road to recovery Tel: 928 934 097 Mobile: 619 391 040 Email: addictedgc@gmail.com
BUY, DONATE, SWAP BOOK LIBRARY All proceeds go to The Red Cross. Cristina´s Money Exchange, Local 261, Phase 1, CC Puerto Rico
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The Canary News - Friday 12th - Thursday 25th March 2010 - Issue 18
Telephone: 928 141 202
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Mobile: 676 406 679
Dream Homes , C.C. Yumbo Local 411/10 , 35100 Playa del Inglés , G.C. info@dreamhomesgrancanaria.com www.dreamhomesgrancanaria.com
For Sale
Puerto Rico
Playa del Inglés
Meloneras
Price: 209,000€ Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Beautiful home in residential end of Puerto Rico. Master bedroom has en-suite marble bathroom. All marble floors and fitted wardrobes. This property has 2 covered parking places and an external storage room. It has a large terrace area. Excellent value for money and can be sold furnished.
Price: 189,000€ Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Refurbished duplex with 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and a cloakroom. Nice sized new kitchen. The property has a spacious living area. Sold fully furnished. There is air conditioning in all the rooms. Excellently situated. Very quiet and well kept complex. Great value for money.
Price: 1229,995€ Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Wonderful Duplex in an exclusive area in Meloneras. It has 2 bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms and terraces both in front and in the back. The house is fully refurbished and sold completely furnished. A parking space is included in the price and the gated complex has a communal swimming pool and tennis court.
For Rent Sonnenland
Pasito Blanco
Sonnenland
Price: 600€/month Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1
Price: 1100€/month Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2
Price: 1200€/month Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 2
Totally refurbished dúplex for rent in Sonnenland. Groundfloor with living room, kitchenette and guest toilet. Second floor with bedroom, bathroom and balcony. Complex has three communal pools and a tennis court. Bills are not included and minimum rental period of one year.
Very exclusive three bedroom bungalow for rent in the marina area of Pasito Blanco, next to the Meloneras golf course. Totally refurbished. 24 hour gated security and private beach area. Fully furnished and air conditioned. Available only from September till August.
Large home for longterm rental on secure residential complex. Off road parking and the complex has a pool area and childrens pool. Every double bedrooms has its own balcony or terrace. The kitchen is fully equipped. There is also a ultilty room with washing machine. Pets are allowed.