IslandConnectiions Edition 631 by Island Connections Media Group

Controlled by

1984 - 2010

The Canary Islands’ biggest fortnightly English newspaper read by thousands of tourists & residents Edition # 631 /

3rd - 17th December 2010

/ 1.80€ at Newsagents / www.islandconnections.eu / www.newscanarias.net

Storm damage

Counting the cost

Families in shock Two young Tenerife-based Britons for December sentencing

manda Lambert, mother of 19 year old Tiffany who could face a lengthy jail term in Britain after being caught, with another Tenerife-based Briton, trying to smuggle a quarter of a million pounds worth of cocaine out of the UK through Heathrow Airport, told Island Connections that she was convinced her daughter had somehow wanted to be caught.

Her daughter, along with 20 year old Jamie Daughtry, were found to have kilos of the drug strapped to their bodies before they reached the scanner at the airport. They were scheduled to fly to Australia via Hong Kong on Tuesday 16th November. Amanda told us that she had believed her daughter was working in North Tenerife at the time of her arrest, as Tiffany had left the south the previous Sunday and told her mother she had been offered a week’s work doing PR for

Christmas 2010

Tiffany and her mother Amanda earlier this year

some hotels. When the police phoned from Heathrow to tell her that her daughter had been arrested she thought it was some kind of horrible joke. “Someone said to me, ‘she’s been arrested with cocaine strapped to her body’”.

Advent Calendar Still loads of prizes to win in our Advent Calendar

Centre Pages

Amanda said that her daughter then came on the phone for a few seconds sobbing and indicated that she had been forced to smuggle the drugs and threatened. In hindsight Amanda says she should have known that

something was wrong, as the only sim card Tiffany had was a UK one and she was not her usual ‘jolly’ self on Facebook. “I think she thought she was helping out a friend”, Amanda says, who also says she believes her daughter “wanted

to back out”, but in the end, it would seem, didn’t. She says that Tiffany told her that she knew she had done something really stupid and “was going to have to pay dearly for it”, but added, “she’s such a bubbly girl, she wouldn’t hurt a fly…she’s not a danger to the public”. The death of her father a few years ago deeply affected Tif fany, her mother told us, and she left school, but “didn’t go down a bad road” and recently had started to get her life together. She had been working in telesales, and even started to study again… but that is of course now on hold. Amanda now only hopes that her presence at the sentencing, scheduled for later this month, will help and is planning to take character references, “I have to do as much as I can”. Continued on page 2

Five years after the tropical storm Delta took the Islands by surprise and left millions of euros of damage in its wake, the Canaries is waking up to another storm damage bill, hopefully not as high as in 2005.

ost parts of the islands appear to have escaped with minor damage, although some roads were closed, ferries cancelled and flights delayed. In parts of Tenerife, damage was, if anything, worse than that wreaked by Delta. Winds of up to 190 kph struck Izaña and 140 kph in Puerto de la Cruz where four people were slightly injured by falling glass. Elsewhere a 36 year man is still in hospital with serious head injuries after an iron door fell on him and in Playa de Amadores, Gran Canaria, an adult and child were injured when a large plant pot fell from a great height. In Fuerteventura, some houses in Antigua reported flooding, Morro Jable saw 12 litres of rain per square metre fall in half an hour, and in Tuineje part of a small bridge was washed away. Reports indicated that yet again the agricultural sector will pay dearly, with banana, and avocado farmers reporting high levels of damage and 31 schools in the Canaries were unable to reopen the following day due to storm damage. Continued on page 3

Amate

Walk for Life Details of this year’ breast cancer awarness walk Tourism

Page 5

Ricardo Fernández de la Puente Armas

Page 55

football

CD Tenerife

Two victories in a row lift the team out of the drop zone

Page 4 We talk to the new Deputy Minister for Tourism

Pages 21-36

Guide

Pages 8-9

The Sports Megastore 8.000m2

Motorway Santa Cruz La Laguna, Exit “Las Chumberas”. La Laguna, Tenerife. Tel: 922 62 79 00, Fax: 922 82 11 07

www.decathlon.com

7Islands

EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

The new store is located in CC El Mirador, Jinamar

continued from front page

Families in shock

the school. “We do take a hard line”, he confirmed. Her mother confirmed that Tiffany has been at Wingate, “since arriving in Tenerife at the age of six and that she had to leave in her last year of GCSEs because her father had suddenly died”.

Ryanair

Tenerife South base? The young pair were caught at Heathrow airport.

The Jinamar store is over 3,500 m2 and the opening coincided with the inauguration of this new commercial centre, just 10 minutes drive from Las Palmas airport. Primark directors from Dublin were on hand to welcome the public, who have already been visiting the company’s first shop in the Canaries, in CC Las Arenas, in their droves. This second Canarian shop, on two floors, is larger than the one in CC Las Arenas, and is a further boost to the local economy, employing more than 200 people in the area. Since the opening of the first shop in Las Palmas shoppers have been visiting in their hundreds, but not just from Gran Canaria. Shoppers from Tenerife, who in the past flew to the Spanish peninsula specifically to visit Primark shops there, are now taking the easier route, by boat or plane, to the neighbouring island. We will keep readers informed of news of further openings.

This exciting new Artesan Market will be open daily from 4pm to 10pm in a spacious covered area beside the Torviscas beachfront walkway.

APPLY FOR YOUR PLACE

NOW

Applications can be collected from

or E-mail

Island Village Reception, San Eugenio Alto paula.nicol@crowngroup.es

Publisher & Proprietor Tina Straub, Joe Schacher

Island Connections S.L. C.I.F: B-38748315 Printed by Artes Gráficas del Atlántico S.A. Dep. Legal: TF-287/93

Is published and printed fortnightly by ISLAND CONNECTIONS S.L. Adverts, texts, photos or other parts of this publication are property of the publishers. They may not be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any other form or means without the prior written permission of the publishers. This newspaper cannot be held responsible for the contents of articles supplied by our contributors or advertisers claims. The publisher reserves the right to refuse to publish adverts, texts or advertising features. Advertisements once contracted cannot be cancelled and have to be paid in full. The publishers can not be held responsible for variation on colour printed in this newspaper. Advertising conditions are to be obtained in our offices.

enerife daily El Día reports that the airline is delighted at the success of its routes to the Canaries, particularly Tenerife, and would be willing to base aircraft at Tenerife South permanently if the current incentives are maintained. Marketing manager Luis Fernández is quoted as saying the airline is in talks with the regional government to clarify which incentives are likely to continue in 2011.

Quiz question

Day 1. The Shrine of the Three Kings, a reliquary said to contain the bones of the Three Wise Men, can be visited in the cathedral in a) Canterbury, b) Cologne, c) Vienna or d) Rome?

SOON ...

At the highly anticipated opening of the second Primark store in the CC Mirador, Jinamar, the company’s deputy Managing Director Seamus Halford told Island Connections that due to the positive pressure from the public they were moving the search for a Tenerife site up the agenda.

Tiffany is currently on remand at Bronzefield and, though Amanda will visit as often as she can (once a month is the plan), Tiffany’s three brothers live nearby and can also visit. Peter Daughtry, father of Jamie, told Island Connections that he was “very upset”, but as yet was in the dark as to what had happened. He confirmed that he had spoken to his son but had nothing further to say at this time. Chris Green, head of Wingate School, where Tiffany Lambert had been a pupil, told us that people were visibly upset and shocked at the news, adding that the school runs a very strong educational programme about dr ug abuse while at the same time operating a very strict ‘no-drugs’ policy inside and outside

OPENING

Tenerife store soon?

Primark

Low cost airline Ryanair is believed to be considering setting up a base at Tenerife South airport

Cutbacks

Hospital food row erupts

Allegations by health unions that the standard of hospital meals has fallen sharply due to government cutbacks have been flatly denied by the region’s new health minister.

ernando Bañolas reacted angrily to media coverage of complaints by the unions that more expensive food items such as fresh meat and vegetables are being sacrificed in favour of chicken and frozen products as part of a €17 million belttightening exercise by the Department of Health.

taff at several hospitals say they have noticed a decline in patient meal quality since the end of 2009 but Bañolas insists that all menus are “carefully planned and monitored by dieticians” to ensure they have the correct balance. The government issued a statement saying that no shortcuts have been taken with the range of menus or standard of the food served in hospitals, although it acknowledged that budgets have been trimmed.

anarian MP Lola Padrón says her PSOE party will “pay very close attention to the situation” as a result of the allegations.

7Islands

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010

Charlie winning in Granadilla in 2009

International win

Charlie Karlsen wows Berlin Young Tenerife singer Charlie Karlsen, representing Spain, has won first prize in the Festival Berliner Perle 2010 in a gala which took place at the Casa de Cultura Rusa in Berlin at the end of November. Representing the borough of Arona, Charlie competed against 50 other young singers from 19 countries for the prize. This is not the first win for Charlie, a Wingate alumni, who in 2009, was the winner of the Festival Jóvenes Promesas which took place in the Los Cristianos Cultural Centre, and also the Voz del Atlántico prize which he collected at this year’s Universong-Festival internacional de la cancion de las Islas Canarias. He also won Tenerife’s Got Talent competition in 2008. His participation in the Berlin contest was supported by the Arona council, and was made possible via a programme to promote Canarian singers in Europe organised by ORFEUM (the organisation of European music festivals).

23,000 people were left without electricity in Tenerife, particularly in Los Realejos, Icod de los Vinos, Arico, Arona and San Miguel and it is believed that the storm was the reason for a shipwreck which caused the death of one British sailor, fortunately his companion was saved. Throughout the day of the storm Cabildos were monitoring the situation, and TV Canaries were brought live updates throughout the day to viewers, and reported their highest audience share ever following their comprehensive coverage and the state weather agency’s web, Aemet, received over eight and a half million visits

continued from front page

Storm damage

Thomson Airways initiatives

Carbon emissions cut Recently Thomson Air- tonnes of CO2 for this year, ways launched an on- that’s more than 5,000 tonnes board recycling scheme of kerosene. after successful trials. In January 2010, the With their current performance at 75.46 grams of CO2 emissions per revenue passenger kilometre (down from 76.6 g CO2 per RPK in 2007/08), they are amongst the most fuel efficient airlines in Europe. As a result of their fuel efficiency programme they have calculated savings of 16,000

Thomson Airways MD, Chris Browne, signed the airline specific Sustainable Development Policy. This policy commits them to continually improving their environmental performance. The company has introduced a series of on-board measures such as changing plastic packaging for blankets

to a paper band to hold the blanket together, sourced from sustainable forests and secured with ultra-biodegradable glue. They also switched to foaming soap onboard the aircraft, halving the number of plastic bottles used annually by 40,000. The company’s in-flight retail team also works actively with suppliers to reduce packaging on their products such as the removal of outer-cellophane on some gift items and

changes to the way they stock bars. Thomson Airways are introducing a cotton ‘Holidays Forever Bag for Life’ with the aim of reducing the amount of plastic duty free bags handed out on board and are encouraging customers to use these when they visit local stores in their destinations or as a handy beach bag. The company see these measures as constituting savings for passengers and the company. For more on the measures and flight information call into the Thomson office in Tenerife, CC. El Duque, Fañabé (Opposite the Fañabé market).

7Islands

EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

:: interview ::

Ricardo Fernández de la Puente Armas / Deputy Tourism Minister

Open all hours T

he newly appointed regional deputy tourism minister has told Island Connections that “tourism, and I mean in capital letters, is the motor of the Canarian economy, make no mistake about it. This is not to say that the government isn’t also looking to other sectors within the Canaries to help the economy, but at the present moment in time the only activity that can give the economy the immediate boost it may need, and help boost employment, is tourism”. This is one of the reasons, he says, that regional president Paulino Rivero has also incorporated the duties of tourism minister into his office, and is encouraging interdepartmental co-operation in this important area. Ricardo Fernández de la Puente Armas, who worked for 10 years as manager of the regional hotels federation, Ashotel, continued “we are a massive destination, with a

huge amount of beds on offer, and we should be looking to attract every kind of tourist who wants to come to the Canaries”. Whether people are looking for a stay in a luxury hotel, families looking for four star accommodation, others who want rural tourism, or alternative kinds of accommodation, “it’s important to stress that there isn’t just one kind of tourist….” These islands, he says, have enough diversity to please everyone. This includes, he stressed, those tourists who opt for the often derided all inclusive hotel stays. As a tourist destination, he says, the Canary Islands have to offer all inclusive holidays, because if we don’t, the people who want them will go elsewhere. “The difference between all inclusive offers here and elsewhere though”, de la Puente argues, “is that we have such a diverse offer that people will find it really difficult to stay in their hotel. We have a leisure offer that is really integrated, so much so

that people will go out”, and spend money outside the resorts. However there is no room for complacency and the need for renovation and reinvention is paramount, with €35 million recently granted by Madrid to facilitate the former. Renovation and investment by the government in the main tourist destinations is hugely important, and “let’s not forget something that is fundamental and just as important, that is private investment”. The deputy minister underlines that there’s no point in the government, the Cabildos and the local councils, working in the streets to upgrade the zones if the hotels and restaurants don’t play their part. And on how any agreement signed by this administration will stand post-elections next year, he confirmed that any programmes that are agreed now by public institutions will continue to run, adding that his department continues to honour agreements entered into

by the previous Tourism minister Rita Martín, whose departure was caused by the recent rift between the former coalition partners, the Partido Popular and the Coalicion Canarias, which led to the latter currently ruling on their own. De la Puente’s years in the hotel sector give him an edge in professional negotiation with many of the relevant agencies, tour operators, airlines, etc as well as institutional bodies such as Cabildos and councils - a real advantage. He also says the regional government’s recent participation in the World Travel Market was very positive, and he took advantage of the visit to meet with many professional representatives, and outline the advantages the Canaries offer as a destination, with the added

Fuerteventura’s

Ryanair calendar plug

Fuerteventura’s beaches are given pride of place in the new Ryanair calendar featuring cabin crew members in bikinis.

Island authorities at London’s WTM

value of reduced airport taxes, a real plus, something he says was roundly welcomed by the sector. “I do believe holidays are fundamental, for everyone, but it is true that people are taking shorter holidays, and have changed habits. But we have to adapt to the new holiday trends” he cautions. “Before we had a certain kind of client, today we have very different clients, we need to know what they want, what kind of holiday they are looking for, how are they getting here, how they are booking their holiday”.

ourism councillor Águeda Montelongo says the shots of the girls were taken on local beaches and in the sea, and sales of the 10-euro calendar will mean the island’s natural attractions will be a permanent fixture in tens of thousands of homes and offices during 2011.

yanair representative Daniel de Car valho, who attended the launch with Montelongo, said five calendars have been put on sale on every Ryanair flight in the coming period, thus guaranteeing visibility for the island among millions of passengers. The airline, which sold 3,000 calendars in the first few days, added that a You Tube video showing the fun side of the Fuerteventura shooting of the 2011 calendar, the proceeds from which will go to a German charity, drew over 100,000 hits in just one week.

TRIANA 8 / CC MUELLE / MELONERAS KIOSCO 35 / CC LAS ARENAS – GRAN CANARIA CC SAFARI SHOPPING CENTRE - TENERIFE

7Islands

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010

Breast cancer charities

Think pink D

on’t miss two important events in aid of breast cancer charities on December 12th.

In the morning, register from 9.30am onwards for a seaside stroll in aid of Walk for Life. All funds raised will be counted on the day in front of a notary, who donates his services, and divided equally between Ámate, the Tenerife breast cancer charity and the island’s branch of the national cancer charity, AECC, for use in Tenerife based breast cancer projects. There is entertainment before and after the 11am walk and raffle prizes of two day breaks in top hotels in Tenerife and La Gomera as well as free pink giveaways. Wear your gaudiest rose hued outfit and help us paint the coast pink as we walk from the Plaza at the Salytien Commercial Centre, Costa Adeje, to the Plaza de la Pescadora in Los Cristianos.

Quiz question Day 2. In what year

was the original Band Aid song Do They Know It’s Christmas? record released?

provide his son with a proper education in the use of internet” and ordered him to pay €5,000 compensation to the girl.

Tuenti

Parent held for son’s Internet prank

Lanzarote

The father of a Gran Canaria teenager has been convicted by a court on the island for not preventing his son from posting an explicit photograph of a 15-yearold girl on a popular website.

In the evening at 8pm, the Teatro Guimerá is hosting a show by the International Dance Centre in Santa Cruz with pupils from the school and the Tenerife ballets in aid of Ámate. The show is called Travelling around the World and the protagonists, Pierrot and Colombina dance to the rhythms and styles of half the world from classical ballet, to funky, hip-hop and salsa. Tickets are on sale until

December 10th from the Ámate offices in the Volunteers Centre, Calle Juan Rumeu García, 28, Santa Cruz from 9am to 2pm and the Centro Internacional de Danza Tenerife, Calle Los Sueños, 55 from 6pm to 9pm or on the same day from the theatre box office from 6pm to 8pm. This is a show full of talent at prices to suit all pockets from €6 to €12 in aid of a great charity.

n what is already being dubbed a landmark ruling which could have major consequences for social networking sites such as Facebook, the parent was held responsible for the harassment suffered by the girl as a result of the posting on Spain’s hugely popular Tuenti networking site. The court heard that the victim had to move to another school in Las Palmas because of the impact caused by the photo and the accompanying comments on her sexuality.

assing sentence in the unusual tort case, the judge said the boy’s father had “neglected his duty to

More wines exported

Lanzarote’s prosperous wine sector has managed to radically increase the proportion of its wines sold abroad.

n the space of just five years, marketing drives and activities have raised the profile of local wines in other countries to such an extent, that whereas 95 per cent were consumed on the island in 2005, the local market currently accounts for just 65 per cent.

he figures were given by sector representatives during a recent sales seminar held in Arrecife for German importers and wine exper ts, who spent several days visiting cellars and obser ving wine-making techniques in La Geria and other parts. The event, which follows the highly successful trade mission to Dusseldorf last year, heard

that three Lanzarote wine producers regularly export their products to Germany and the number is expected to increase considerably in the mid-term.

Gando

Ground staff call off action

Iberia ground staff at Gran Canaria airport called off a series of stoppages planned for late November and the whole of December following a late deal with the airline.

he staff, ranging from check-in staf f to baggage handlers, walked out on Saturday 6 November to increase pressure on Iberia to resolve ongoing working conditions issues and vowed to repeat the actions on the airport’s busiest days. An estimated 5,000 passengers, many of them UK holidaymakers, were hit by the walkout, which caused massive delays to flights.

taff representatives say they agreed to suspend the protest as a gesture of goodwill ahead of the busy holiday period, which kicks off on 4 December.

PINDORIA VIAJES S.L. MINORISTA - I.C. 625

The travel company helping you enjoy more for less

BOOK YOUR CRUISE WITH TENERIFE SUNSHINE Royal Caribbean from €749*

13 days from Barcelona

MSC from €349* MSC from €845

5 days from Barcelona 12 days from Tenerife

Thomson from €316*

8 days from Tenerife

NCL from €459*

5 days from Barcelona

Costa Cruceros from €799*

12 days from Tenerife

Pullmantur from €515*

8 days from Tenerife

*Prices are Per Person based on 2 Sharing. Inclusive of all Taxes. Subject to availability and change.

Book your Cruise Appointments by ringing 922 751 867 or e-mail us at info@tenerifesunshine.com

7Islands

EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

la gomera

Little urchins By Barbara Belt

omera’s Cabildo, in conjunction with local diving clubs, has launched a renewed attack on the large colony of long-spined sea urchins currently munching its way through sub-aquatic flora and fauna around the island’s coastline. The Diadema Antillarum, to give the urchin its proper name, is unfortunately now a wellestablished pest throughout the Canarian archipelago. All the seven island councils are increasingly concerned, after the traditional, doing-an-ostrich stance first adopted when marine ecologists sounded the alarm over a decade ago, about its presence and the dreadful implications for the future of coastal waters. No matter how

quickly these spiny creatures are cleared from the islands’ rock shelves and coasts, they reappear undaunted and in increased numbers nearby, and can quickly reestablish themselves. Signs of their presence throughout the Canaries are easy to see with just a cursory look at affected coastal areas: nothing alive, no algae, no plant life, no fish. The usual underwater diversity of plant life and small sea creatures has been replaced by a whitened, dead scenario inhabited only by our spiny friends. The exact reasons for their proliferation are still being fruitlessly argued, but one important aspect, unpopular and sensitive though it may be, is undoubtedly over-fishing. The usual spiral of ecological

Christmas forecast

Big spenders

anarians are tipped to be among the highest Christmas spenders in Spain this year, according to a nationwide sur vey. The study by consultants TNS found that people here expect to spend an average of €400 per head on presents, a figure which is above the national average and contradicts earlier pointers that the recession would be particularly noticeable in the islands. Top of the shopping list once again will be electronic devices, video games and mobile phones, which are expected to account for 31 per cent of all spending. The high spending prediction is good news for stores across the region, who are hoping for a decent festive period to save them from a bleak year. “Things look as if they are picking up after some very sluggish months. The takings over the coming weeks mark the dividing line between profit and loss for 2010” said Alvaro Rojas, chairman of the Asodiscan association, which represents the main distributors here.

Black Spined Urchins.

malpractice is easy to plot here, just as its disastrous results are increasingly obvious. Canarian waters, in the past rich fishing grounds providing an abundant harvest of diverse species of fish, are very much impoverished as we close the

first decade of the twenty-first century. The elimination of tuna and other commonly occurring species from local waters has been relentlessly carried out for well over half a centur y now, with alarm bells ringing unheeded for two decades. The finger can be pointed in various directions. No one factor caused the decline, this has been the usual cocktail of ignorance and greed. From Japanese factory boats to undersea mega-noise pollution, from irresponsible small fishing practice to warming waters. All the factors are there, with this, and other, easily predictable, results-no biodiversity, dead coastal waters, no fish. The new attack on these pests, using volunteer divers organised by the Agriculture, Stock Keeping and Fisheries Department of the Cabildo, took place off a small section of the island’s coast at San Sebastián.

Murder trial

Korean admits killing ‘daughter’ A

Korean man who has lived in the Canaries for 30 years admitted during his murder trial that he killed an 11-year-old girl who was “like a daughter to him” in a fit of rage after a bungled robbery. Speaking through an interpreter, Sang Lee said he panicked when he realised the young girl was in the house when he arrived with keys he had stolen from her father while they were playing golf shortly beforehand. The court heard that he needed money quickly and decided to steal it from his friend and fellowKorean but went berserk when he realised the girl was at home and battered her to death before fleeing to

Fuerteventura

Airport extension completed

Fuerteventura’s newlycompleted airport extension was officially opened on November 23rd by Spain’s transport minister.

If Spain fails to take the appropriate measures to lower the readings within two months, Brussels could take the case to the European Tribunal.

he latest work, the third phase of the expansion, marks the culmination of a €240 million programme which has doubled the airport’s capacity and will enable it to handle around eight million passengers a year. The airport now boasts 65 check-in desks and 13 baggage belts. The inauguration was attended also by regional president Paulino Rivero.

Air contamination

Tenerife and then to mainland Spain. However, the prosecution insisted that he had gone to the house to satisfy his sexual desires with the youngster, with whom he was infatuated, according to witnesses called during the trial. Lee denied raping the girl and said that the presence of traces of his saliva on her body were due to “the Korean custom of spitting on one’s hands before hitting someone”.

by industries, traffic and domestic heating systems, can cause asthma, cardiovascular problems, lung cancer and premature death.

Garytamin

Eight Canarian zones affected

TheEuropeanCommission has reported Spain to the Luxembourg Justice Tribunal for exceeding the authorised EU limits of atmospheric contamination with particles (of dust, metals, cement, ash or pollen, known as PM10) suspended in the air.

ight parts of the Canarian archipelago are included and affected by these emissions. Limits have been exceeded in parts of Lanzarote, El Hierro, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, as well as some areas in the south and north of both Tenerife and Gran Canaria. These particles, which are mainly emitted

Robbery

Thieves ‘followed targets all morning’

An elderly Belgian couple who were robbed of thousands of euros in La Orotava are believed to have been followed for the best part of a morning by the thieves.

ewspaper La Opinión reported that the holidaymakers withdrew a large sum from a bank to cover their stay in Tenerife. When they went to a restaurant for lunch they realised they had left their money in the boot of the car and went out to fetch it only to find three men rifling the contents of the boot. The trio made off in their own car, which was later found in Tenerife South airport. The couple identified the thieves, three well-known Romanian criminals operating here, as the men who had been at the same beach as them in Puerto de la Cruz during the morning.

The best of fashion & food Your favourite store there is also here

Open all day The OUTLET will be open on the first three Saturdays in December

Pilar, 5 (Textiles & Toiletries) 922 281 555 Bethencourt Alfonso, 10 (Simply Food) 922 286 819

TenerifeGeneral

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010

CabildoNews Reforestation

Green fingers Four hundred people were gathered together by the Cabildo on International Tree Day to plant seedling trees.

Reina Sofía airport

No second runway Spain’s transport minister has given his firmest indication yet that the prospect of a second runway for Tenerife South Airport is unreal at present. José Blanco visited the island recently to discuss investment issues with the regional and local authorities and used the oppor-

tunity to stifle any hopes that funding might be available for another runway. In an extensive interview in the Diario de Avisos newspaper, Blanco said that current passenger growth forecasts for Tenerife South, which is among the busiest in the country, “did not warrant serious consideration” of the possibility for the moment. The comments have been

criticised widely, not least because it was widely understood in political circles that a second runway figured among Madrid’s infrastructure priorities for the Canaries for the coming years. Moreover, consultations on the environmental impact of the runway have already been held, including in Brussels. Not everyone is in favour of

the project, however. Back in April, the United Left party in Tenerife said the plans were a “waste of public money”. Spokesman Ramón Trujillo added, “Tenerife South has eight million passengers a year and the authorities are urging Madrid to fund a second runway. London Gatwick has 35 million passengers and gets by with just a single one”.

La Orotava was planted with 500 new trees

The workers on the day were coordinated by the volunteers department of the island council and comprised of members of the Canarian forest engineers school, Spanish Red Cross, Scouts, CajaCanarias, the parent teachers association from La Victoria, Anaga emergencies (AEA), international relations association from La Laguna University, the in La Orotava council, union members from C.C.O.O., workers from the Hotel Tigaiga and personnel from the environment department of the Cabildo. Five hundred laurel forest species tree seedlings were planted, including the Small Leaved Holly, Faya Bayberry and the local bay trees. Once established the trees will help to minimise the erosion processes as well as improving the view and helping to preserve the biodiversity of the island.

Hiking

Walk the walk Members of the European Ramblers Association walked part of the new long GR 131 route which is being prepared by the Cabildo. The route crosses 11 of the island’s 31 boroughs and the council’s invitation to the group was to show them the quality and variety of the walks on the island and as the tourism councillor, José Manuel Bermúdez, commented, so that they would, “recommend them to their over three million members”. The stretch chosen by the council to show to the association members passes through the lunar landscape in Granadilla de Abona, which is usually accessed from Vilaflor. The GR131 route will form part of the European route E7 and the councillor took the opportunity to remind those present that, “Tenerife is a real paradise for this activity as it has thousands of kilometres of standardised routes, or routes which are in the process of improvements to bring them up to standard”.

Public travel

Safer bus stops

Request your Discount Card at our Customer Service Department (SAC).

Solicite su Tarjeta Descuento en nuestro Servicio de Atención al Cliente (SAC).

* Only valid for foreign non resident tourists * Must register and present valid passport or identification card with photograph. * Check conditons at stores for further details.

* Sólo para turistas extranjeros no residentes. * Obligatorio registrarse y presentar el pasaporte o documento de identidad con fotografía. * Consultar condiciones de uso en el Centro Comercial.

Getting the bus on the TF1 motorway should be a lot safer after the new changes proposed by the island council are put into effect. The council have approved a budget of €639,293 for the improvements to bus stops on the motorway at Puertito de Güímar, Arico service station, Granadilla industrial estate, Tenerife south airport, Las Chafiras and Guaza. Works to be carried out will concentrate on making access to the stops safer and easier by diverting pedestrians away from areas of poor visibility and the access and exit lanes for the motorway.

Quiz question

Day 3. The Messiah, was first performed in 1742 in a) London, b) Dublin, c) Vienna, or d) Jerusalem?

SERVICIO DE INTÉRPRETES A SU DISPOSICIÓN. INTERPRETER SERVICE AT YOUR CONVENIENCE.

TENERIFE: Avda. Tres de Mayo, 7. CP: 38003 - Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Tfno: 922 849 400 Horario de Lunes a Sábado de 10:00 a 22:00 H. Open Monday - Saturday from 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM.

EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010

TenerifeGeneral

enerife once again has hosted a meeting of the management committee of the ACE (Africa Coast Europe), which oversees the laying of the underwater cable which will run from France to South Africa and will have a connection point in Tenerife. Cabildo president, Ricardo Melchior and the insular councillor for economy and competitiveness, Carlos Alonso, showed members of the consortium around the NAP (Neutral Access Point to the worldwide web), currently under construction in Granadilla. The NAP is expected to be operative by early 2011 and the project has attracted plenty of interest from a host of telecoms and IT operators who are keen to set up in West Africa but from a base within the European Union. Carlos Alonso says that “being included in the plans of the ACE and other underwater systems which are being laid such as the WACS (West Africa Cable System) or Canalink, both of which will include Tenerife on their routes, is making the island an important strategic focal point in the race to open up the telecommunications market

EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

NAP

Plaza de España

ACE report between Africa, Europe and the Americas.“ During their visit ACE committee members expressed a keen interest in learning all about the NAP as a key hub for the concentration and distribution of international connectivity as well as its role as a data centre for local ICT companies wishing to compete abroad. Ricardo Melchior showed them the works which are progressing very well. The NAP building houses a set of infrastructures such as electrical systems, air conditioning, safety features etc. which have been specially designed to host the electronic systems required by ICT companies so they can carry out all or part of their business with the maximum guarantees: environmental, power supply, security and resistant to unfavourable weather conditions. ACE currently has 22 link up points: France, Portugal, Tenerife, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone,

Santa Cruz

Isla de Hielo Members of the ACE Consortium at the NAP site

Liberia, lvory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Saint Thomas and Prince, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Namibia and South Africa. The ACE system is seen as a key factor in kick starting the social and economic development of West Africa. One of the major investors in the consortium is the American company BahariCom who, in association with the CanaLink company, will supply the invest-

ment needed to enable the ACE to link up to the NAP in Tenerife. Given the importance of the NAPWACI as the centre for the concentration and distribution of connectivity for three continents from the West African coast, as well as its neutrality policy and open access for all operators, BahariCom views it as an enormously useful point from which African traffic can be channeled towards North and South America and also to European networks..

Doing business

Card cloner

Tenerife has secured a major conference coup with the news that next year’s prestigious International Partnerships Conference: Doing Business with Africa is to be held on the island.

A Tenerife shop assistant has been arrested in connection with a massive credit card fraud operation believed to have netted over €40,000.

African confer- Credit card ence coup scam arrest Usually organised in Washington, the annual event, which brings together parties from the public and private sector interested in investment in Africa, moves outside the United States for the first time ever. Ricardo Melchior, president of the local Cabildo, says the decision to ask Tenerife to host the conference is formal recognition of the island’s potential role as an investment platform for international business in Africa. Upwards of 500 business leaders from the US, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas are expected to attend the conference, preparations for which are already under way. It is hoped that the three-day event, scheduled for the end of March 2011, will be followed immediately by a series of trade missions to several African countries.

The arrest was made after a two-month investigation into complaints by more than 100 card holders earlier this year that their cards had been debited for non-existent purchases abroad. A common denominator among the victims was that they had used their cards in the same shopping centre in Santa Cruz. Police eventually matched the sales to a specific assistant who was found to have a concealed microdevice which she used to swipe the cards a second time to make the clones subsequently used for other purchases. Detectives say the assistant passed on the details to an accomplice and was probably part of a professional racket. She admitted the offences and was remanded to Tenerife II prison pending trial. The case has led to fresh warnings to credit card users not to let their cards out of their sight during transactions.

sla de Hielo is the name of the Santa Cruz council’s plans for the festive season. The main measure is to convert the lake in the centre of the Plaza de España into an ice rink for Christmas.

The rink, which will have a capacity for some 80 people, will be open to the public every day from 10am to midnight non-stop, including fiestas, from December 5th until January 10th. If you don’t want to skate, there

will be seating where you can just sit and watch all the winter activity. It is hoped that this ice rink, which will occupy 600 square metres and be filled with ice eight to ten centimetres deep, will attract thousands of visitors to the capital during the festivities, thus benefitting local businesses. Other initiatives are planned too, including a tourist bus which will take visitors on a tour of the capital during January. To date, four companies have offered to run the service.

Fatal fall

Lone walker killed in Masca The perils of the hills around Masca have once again been highlighted by a tragic accident, this time the death of a man in his 30s who was killed in a horrific fall as he hiked alone in the area. The body of the man was sighted by a Civil Guard helicopter on routine patrol of the cliffs around Masca. It is believed he fell 200 metres to his death from a narrow trail along the top of the area’s famous but notorious ravine, but his disappearance went unnoticed because he was on his own. Police later found his car parked at the roadside a short distance away. The recovered body was flown to a beach in Los Silos, where the local coroner inspected it before ordering its removal.

TenerifeGeneral

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010

Adeje Lions Clubs Santiago del Teide

Lighting up Christmas

Christmas is fast approaching and the Lions Club will once again erect a Tree of Lights in the Plaza in Los Gigantes.

ow residents of Adeje can register with the local council on line. The borough has become one of the first in Spain to comply with the new law to allow citizens access to bureaucratic matters on line (Ley de Acceso Electrónico), and from today people can register on the ‘padrón’ from home. Those wishing to avail of the new service should go to www.ayuntamientodeadeje.es, where they can now carry out an increasing number of functions as long as they are in

Tenerife Pearl

A jewel of a day

Tenerife Pearl, in Armeñime, celebrated their 14th anniversary on Saturday, November 27th. possession of an ‘electronic signature’ (a certified on-line identity which many people may already have for the purposes of tax returns). According to the local councillor for the information society, Nayra Medina Bethencourt, those registered will also be able to complete other functions such as consult rates and traffic fines and download relevant documentation.

Hotel Jardín Tropical

Gourmet days E

l Patio restaurant in the Hotel Jardín Tropical, Costa Adeje is the stunning setting for four special gourmet days from four ver y talented chefs. On December 4th, Rogelio Quintero will be offering a special Canarian menu, for the 5th, Victor Carracedo has created a menu based on Japanese influences, Javier Sánchez takes over on the 6th with scientific based innovations in cuisine and the four day feast fest ends with the Essence of El Patio from Álvaro Garcés on the 7th. Each menu consists of eight exquisite courses and costs just €75 per person or €100 with a selection of specially chosen wines to match the food. Reservations will be necessary. Call 922 746 000.

The excellent pearl depot welcomed almost 2,000 people on the day, many attracted by the incredible offer of all jewellery on sale at half price.

Public transport

Bus service

Proposals for the island bus service next year should mean welcome improved airport connections amongst other changes.

The interurban tariff of €1.30 (€1 with bonobus ticket) is to be applied to the 232 and 013 routes and connections between Puerto de la Cruz, the northern and southern airports and Costa Adeje are to be reinforced by combining the 340 and 343 services in a new 343 service which will run more frequently and over a wider daily time period to cover the demand from regular clients and tourists. Weekday services will increase by 34 per cent over the route to satisfy what is felt by the tourism sector as a long held desire particularly for our visitors for better connections between the south and Puerto de la Cruz.

www.torreswines.com

©Copyright Miguel Torres S.A.

Each light can be sponsored by donating €5 and each bulb will represent someone special and an indication that they are in your thoughts. The switchon will happen on December 6th and local bars and shops in Los Gigantes will have more information on how to sponsor a bulb nearer the date. On December 11th Santa will visit the Plaza with a Grotto featuring a tombola, clothes, cakes and lots more. Home made mince pies and mulled wine will also be on sale, all between 5pm and 9pm. The Santiago del Teide Lions Club will be in El Marqués for a Christmas concert and cabaret on December 20th, starting at 7.30pm, tickets are €6 (or €13 with buffet included). From December 22nd to 29th the Lions will be organising a food collection, trolleys will be available in local supermarkets (dry goods only please).

Tenerife & SouthWest

EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

SW / playa san juan

News in brief

Travel warning

Guía de Isora

American nightmare T

here can be no sadder voyage than to journey to the side of a son or daughter who is dying and when that voyage is complicated by travel problems, the sadness becomes a nightmare. Playa de San Juan residents Maureen and Ian Burnley, both in their 70s flew out to the USA this summer. Their 43 year old son had been diagnosed with a terminal cancer and they were told he had only four weeks to live. It was a priority for them to go over there to be with him for the rest of his life. At the travel agents in Playa San Juan, they explained the situation and asked about flights to the USA. They were told that there were direct flights to Miami with Air Europa on Saturdays and that if they booked an open ticket it would cost €2,500, a month return would cost them €1,500 and if they had to overstay they would have to pay a penalty of around €100. Bearing in mind that they would have to pay for a hotel stay in Miami and then fly to Houston at a cost of over $400, the higher priced ticket would have meant it was cheaper to fly via the UK. The couple flew out, meeting their daughter there and facing their personal tragedy and the mountain of bureaucracy

More nurseries Guía de Isora is the tinerfeñan borough with more nursery places per 100 residents in the island according to a recent study by the Canarian boroughs’ federation, Fecam. With the recent opening of the Escuela Infantil de Alcalá, Guía now offers 190 places for preschoolers, 0.93 for every 100 residents. The new facility in Alcalá is open 11 months a year from 7am to 5pm (8pm for working parents).

Fonsalía

Cash for tunnel Funds have now been allocated for the second part of the El Bicho tunnel within the island ring road project. Original plans only allowed for a one tube tunnel, but there is now to be a twin tube so that there will be two lanes in either direction. The total cost of the works is estimated at over €35 million. The idea apparently is to reduce the environmental impact of the initial tunnel plan and to improve safety. The section of the ring road between Armeñime and Santiago del Teide will cut the distance from 26 kilometres to 20 and increase the average travelling speed from 40 kph to 100. The Burnleys had a travel nightmare

it entailed. When it became obvious that they would have to extend their stay, their daughter contacted the Air Europa staff in the USA. She was informed that there was a penalty of $115, but that an extra fare payment of $633 would also apply. Maureen also contacted them and asked them to reconsider on humanitarian grounds and was apparently told that irrespective of the proof they could give from the medical staff and hospital, if they didn’t take the flight they were booked on, the couple would owe the airline

MORE THAN

JUST A LAUNDRY Probably the best quality, most reliable laundry & home cleaning service on the West Coast Apartment / home linen (bed linen, towels, duvets, bed covers, blankets etc.). Curtains, sun bed & sofa covers / cushions. All personal laundry, washed, dried, ironed, folded and packed to your requirement. Ironing and pressing service. Dry Cleaning. Deep cleaning for rugs, carpets and soft furnishings.

For information and prices call: 922 86 71 52. Located in El Varadero / Playa La Arena

money. The return flight was August 20th. Their son died at 6.30am on the same day. The Burnleys didn’t take the Air Europa flight, they returned via the UK some two weeks later. Their daughter changed her flight with British Airways three times, with no penalty. We checked with the travel agents and they told us that the information they gave the couple was, “word for word” what they had been told by Air Europa’s Spanish office. If only they had got it in writing and given it to the Burnleys,

Callao Salvaje

Foreigners targeted by PP Earlier than some were expecting, the foreign resident ‘vote’ is generating interest among the local branches of political parties.

SW/ chinyero

Eruption commemorated

The Chinyero volcano erupNovember marked the annual commemoration tion in 1909 lasted nine days as of Tenerife’s last big volcano of 18 November and affected eruption. Santiago del Teide and Guía

CRUISING AROUND MOROCCO, MADEIRA & CANARIES FLIGHTS TO ALL MAJOR UK AIRPORTS & WORLDWIDE • Thomson Cruises depart Tenerife and Gran Canaria. • Royal Caribbean - Europe and The Med. • Cruise stops at Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Madeira, Morocco and Lanzarote. • Flights between Canary Islands, Spain, UK and worldwide. • Shopping trips to the UK or other Canary Islands.

Official booking agent for Tui & Royal Caribbean

VIAJES EXCURSIONS SHOP SL

or the couple had asked for it, the problem could have been avoided. An extraordinarily sad account underlining the need to take contracts with you when you travel and get everything in writing in case, as would appear happened here, the company policy is interpreted differently in different areas. After several visits to the USA, the Burnleys are now adamant that they will never return, nor will they be using the ser vices of Air Europa again.

Viajes Agency Number: Minorista IC384

Local 8, C.C. Hotel La Niña, Torviscas • Tel: (0034) 922 714 172 Fax: (0034) 922 724 730 • Email: flightfinders@tenerife-direct.com

de Isora as well as areas on the other side of the island, particularly Garachico. Popular belief has it that divine intervention prevented an even bigger catastrophe by diverting the lava flows away from the main towns in the nick of time. Guía celebrates every year Spain’s only ‘fiesta’ dedicated to a volcano. The origins of the celebration lie in the local population’s last-ditch efforts to save their town from destruction by organising a procession headed by the statue of the Virgin Mary.

Quiz question Day 4. In Dickens’

A Christmas Carol, what’s the name of Bob Cratchit’s youngest child?

The Partido Popular begin campaigning in Callao Salvaje

The Partido Popular chose Callao Salvaje as the starting point for their information campaign urging foreign residents to register and vote in next year’s local elections. According to the numbers, 23,000 of Adeje’s 44,000 residents are foreign – 52 per cent, “proving the importance of the foreign community in our borough”, said PP local councillor Andrés Montiel. According to the party, and as reported here in the past, many residents of Callao Salvaje are fed up with the state of the village resort, with the lack of municipal cleaning, poor child-friendly facilities (there is only one unshaded park with a slide and two swings) and a general sense of abandonment. The council’s response to these complaints has been that they are powerless to do anything until the private developers in the area comply with all the requirements needed before Adeje council can assume full responsibility for the zone. However good news for residents may be in the offing, that the latest date for the commencement of work on the beach is now December 13th. However there won’t be a lot of breath holding in Callao Salvaje, too many long term residents having lived through many promised dates in the past.

Business NEWS

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010

offshore accounts

Switzerland to tax UK owner bank accounts By Bill Blevins, Financial Correspondent, Blevins Franks

ax evasion stories concerning bank accounts in Switzerland are coming at a fast rate – a clear sign that hiding money in Switzerland is an increasingly risky pursuit. Now the UK government has brokered a deal to start negotiations with the Swiss authorities to tax all UK residents holding Swiss bank accounts. Germany is in similar discussions and other European countries could follow suit. This may be a good time to review your savings to ascertain if you can use legitimate arrangements in Spain to lower your tax obligations. The Swiss and UK finance ministers agreed to begin negotiations and a declaration was signed on 25th October. Talks will start in early 2011 on the precise terms of the agreement, under which Swiss banks will tax at source the interest they pay to British clients and the

revenue passed on to the UK Exchequer. Details of this withholding tax will be negotiated next year. It is expected to be similar to the rates set in the depositor’s home country. There will also be some form of extra levy on holdings which have been held for many years without being taxed, including inherited accounts, so that they can be “regularised“. There are questions on how a withholding tax would sit alongside the existing European Savings Tax Directive (STD). Its withholding tax rate is 20 per cent but rises to 35 per cent in July 2011. A withholding tax between Switzerland and the UK would have to be broader in scope. Swiss banks have proposed a tax on the interest, dividends, capital gains and investment income earned by foreign citizens with offshore accounts. As part of the new agreement the Swiss government has agreed to provide “extended administrative assistance” to prevent anyone circumventing the withholding tax and enable the UK authorities to submit a

tax will not be deducted twice, though the new tax could well be higher than that applied under the STD. Tax planning is becoming an ever increasing minefield, but you can remove the worry and the risks through the use of available legitimate vehicles which can help residents of Spain to mitigate their worldwide tax liabilities. Consult an international tax and wealth management professional like Blevins Franks for advice on the structures most suited to your personal circumstances.

request for assistance by only providing the client’s name - the Swiss authorities will then trace the account and provide details. While Switzerland insists that the “fishing expeditions“ will not be allowed and requests should be “limited“ and “well founded“, the agreement goes further than the OECD informa-

tion exchange protocol which requires any request to include the name of the bank. Following the agreements with the UK and Germany, the Chairman of the Swiss Bankers Association, Patrick Odier, said they may set a precedent. “It may very well be the case that

some other countries may be interested and attracted to what now seems to be an agreeable solution for at least two major countries in Europe.” Once the negotiations are concluded we will find out how this new withholding tax fits in with that applied under the STD – presumably (hopefully!)

The Swiss National Bank in Berne *To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website: www.blevinsfranks.com

Business NEWS ing to the Chamber, forcing more and more companies in the sector to look to markets in other countries for opportunities. Despite the gloomy forecasts, the construction sector continues to be a mainstay of the Canarian economy, employing 70,000 people.

Your choice

Use your vote

If you have an account in CajaCanarias you can vote for the projects you want to see benefited by their social programme.

heck out in your area if any project you are interested in has registered to be included as one of the beneficiaries or check on-line at http://bancacivica.cajacanarias.es/eligetus-proyectos.aspx and cast your vote.

Construction industry

Crisis closes 5,400 firms

The ongoing recession has forced approximately 5,400 companies in the construction industry in the Canaries to close their doors due to the lack of work.

new Tenerife Chamber of Commerce study puts the total number of jobs lost due to the closures at around 75,000, with little prospect of a recovery in the immediate future. The prolonged downturn is, accord-

Luabay

Hotel expansion

The Orizonia hotel branch Luabay plans to take over 12 additional hotels.

uabay was created in 2008 and currently has three hotels, two in Tenerife and one in Murcia. The plan is to incorporate 12 more between now and 2012. Their preferred areas for expansion are the Canaries, the Balearic Islands, the Dominican Republic, Tunisia and Mexico. Luabay rent or manage hotels rather than investing in construction or purchase and they are looking for privately owned premises or those in small groups.

Tripadvisor

Sunshine choice

The users of online holiday opinion companyTripadvisor have voted Tenerife second choice as a sunshine destination for this winter.

t is the only Canarian and indeed the only Spanish destination on the clients top ten. Egypt was the top choice and following Tenerife, Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia, Thailand,

EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

Cyprus, Madeira, Dubai and Malta. The island was also the British second choice for a holiday at any time of the year behind Malaga and ahead of New York, Paris and Rome in a recently compiled list by the holiday website, Skyscanner. German holidaymakers voted it in second place too with almost 60,000 votes, this time behind Mallorca, as a preferred holiday destination in a poll organised by comparison website, check24.

Monthly bills

Water waste

Depending where you live in Spain, the price of water can vary up to 429 per cent according to an ongoing study by the consumer body Facua.

hey took 28 cities and compared the local water charges. Alicante was the most expensive and Valladolid the most economical. The study also revealed that prices on average had increased by 1.8 per cent across the country.

acua have suggested to the administrations that they join with the consumer organisations to draw up a realistic set of progressive tariffs which inhibit water waste and take into account the number of residents in each dwelling. Facua believe that there should be national norms for agreeing charges, compensation when there are problems, how many times the meters are read, minimal pressures and flow, how to cancel the service if required, what can be included in bills and the system for resolving complaints.

EU warnings

Exchange rate

Euro versus dollar

Following the much debated financial crisis in Ireland, the euro registered its lowest levels against the dollar since September.

fter the US Federal Reserveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s announcement of the issue of $600,000 of bonds, the euro hit its highest level since January 20th at the beginning of November but had soon fallen back almost six per cent on the back of the news from Ireland.

Spanish economy

Production drop

T h e O rg a n i s at i o n fo r Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), has announced that they believe the Spanish Gross National Product will drop by 0.2 per cent this year but by the end of 2011 is expected to be increased by 0.9 per cent.

he forecast is better than expected for 2010, but not as good for 2011. However the Spanish economy is expected to accelerate in 2012.

Pension risks The EU have warned that putting back the age when you can claim your pension in Spain is not enough to guarantee the sustainability of the pensions system. Somewhat unfairly the leading politicians of today are taking the blame for a pensions situation in Europe that needed regulating a long time ago. Fewer births, less workers needed with new technology and longer lifetimes thanks to improvements in health care mean that we are living with an inverted pyramid in social care. Fewer people are paying for more pensions and that means we have to pay more or receive less. Politics aside, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pure mathematics. It has fallen to the politicians of today to sort out a situation that could and should have been foreseen from a long time ago, after all what are demographic studies for? However from lack of foresight or political cowardice nothing has been done until now. We all complain, but few can refute the necessity of the measures now in place or underway in the UK, Ireland, Holland, German, France, Italy and Spain. However, the European Union has warned that in Spain the much criticised measures have not gone far enough and that the system will become unbalanced by 2030 unless something else is done. Spain is the second country in the world for longevity and the number of pensioners will double between now and 2040. The EU believes that it is necessary therefore that there is a further labour reform to increase the number of years that the people work, especially the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youth.

902 107 111

Business NEWS

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010

C.C.C.

Ale fellow well met By Sheila Collis

ith all the brouhaha over the admittedly excellent island wines, it’s sometimes easy to forget that other drinks are produced here. A tinerfeñan company now makes its own cider and of course the Canarian Company, C.C.C., has two breweries in the Canaries, producing beers which are recognised for their excellence at international level. The Tenerife brewery company was first formed in 1939, fifteen years after its Gran Canarian counterpart, although due to national and international strife, they couldn’t produce their first beer until 1948. The C.C.C. company uniting them both was established in 1994 and now forms part of an international group which enables it to offer a wider and more attractive portfolio to its clients. We spoke to the CEO, Mark Tindall who informed us that each of the products they have has its own marketing plan for the year to decide who it is aimed at, in which areas and how. The Tropical beer they produce is more popular in Gran Canaria and has a slightly younger and somewhat quirky image, always being very careful about not targeting an underage audience. Dorada is equally popular across both the provinces and aimed at a slightly older clientele. The latest marketing plan aims to show that Dorada can always add something to your life, to complement your social and celebratory occasions.

Dorada is an extraordinarily high quality beer with an excellent price-to-value ratio, brewed to German standards with 100 per cent malt, water, hops and yeast. In this year’s Monde awards in Belgium, one of the sector’s most internationally renowned recognition for beers, Dorada Especial and Pilsen beers both took gold awards and Dorada Sin (the non alcohol option) received silver. In addition to these two local mainstream beers, C.C.C. also produces or markets, Pilsner Urquell (the first blonde beer ever brewed), Miller, Carlsberg, Peroni, Guinness, Kilkenny, Red Bull, Appletiser and Granini juices. C.C.C. believe that the market is becoming increasingly fragmented which is where their portfolio with its wide appeal comes into its own. As Mark affirmed, “we have a great portfolio and something to offer every consumer”. Guinness and Kilkenny have their own loyal drinkers, the Pilsner Urquell tends to attract the Germans and an older more discerning beer drinker, the Miller brand is internationally appreciated, Carlsberg has a strong following among the Northern Europeans and Peroni is attracting trendy and especially female fans for its designer image as well as its flavour, a crisp easy drinking beer with effortless Italian style. They are a forward looking

Dorada CEO, Mark Tindall, takes pride in the group’s products

company with a young image enhanced by their use of social networks such as Facebook where their site is very popular. “It also lets you see immediately whether or not the consumer likes what you are doing” and fine tune your marketing accordingly Mark commented. Sales of non-alcoholic drinks have increased over the last few years, but Mark puts this down more to the range of alternatives that are now avail-

able and a move to healthier lifestyles than drink driving crackdowns. Dorada Sin is the beer choice of many who are returning to work, or going on to take part in sport after a beer at lunchtime for example and Appletiser with its 100 per cent purity and no additives is increasingly popular as a healthy lifestyle choice. However Mark underlined that drinking beer in moderation is not inconsistent with a health lifestyle.

As a company they actively support responsible consumption campaigns, from globally at World Health Organisation levels, to giving away free non-alcoholic drinks to drivers at some of the events they help to sponsor. They are also heavily involved in sustainable development programmes to optimise natural resource use, recycle and restrict residues as well as local social responsibility programmes from formal aid to educational, cultural and sports projects, support of charities and tourism initiatives, and donations to food banks. In their last financial year they reinvested 15 per cent of their operating profit, €2.8 million, to these projects. “It’s the right thing to do and motivational for our staff.” A further €40 million was invested in the Islands’ economy by direct purchases made by the company here. They source as much of their needs as they can locally. The industry as a whole is working to emphasise that beer is suitable for a large number of consumption occasions, for example as an

excellent accompaniment to a meal. “Beer plays a clear and valuable role in society and enhances peoples’ lives,” Mark observed. The increased choice and variety on the market is extending the demand from the clientele and attracting more and more people which is where the necessity of a range of quality products in the portfolio becomes increasingly important. Mark proudly claims they have, “something there for everybody, which at a corporate level makes us an

EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

Health

HouseCalls

Health News

Dr. De La Flor

healthytenerife@gmail.com

Medical prescriptions

Dear Dr. De La Flor credit:scottsnyde

Dear Dr. De La Flor, I was diagnosed with diabetes 15 years ago and I take metformine tablets twice per day. For a few months I’ve noticed tingling and a burning sensation in my feet. Sincerely, Norman

Dear Dr. De La Flor, I’m a singer and have had lar yngitis a few times over the past year. What can I do to avoid this? Sincerely, Joanna

Dear Joanna, Laryngitis is an inflammation of the ‘voice box’ or larynx. It causes your voice to become raspy or hoarse. It can be short-term or long-lasting (chronic). Most of the time, it comes

pain’s Minister for Health, Leire Pajín, has announced changes to how doctors prepare prescriptions, from January 2011. This move forms part of her commitment to improve the quality and sustainability of the national health service in Spain. The objective is that from January, doctors will have to prescribe the exact amount of medication needed for a patient to complete a course of

Dear Norman, Although many conditions can cause burning feet, diabetes is the most common. A burning sensation in the feet may be caused by nerve damage in the legs, also called neuropathy. Damaged nerve fibres are more likely to become overactive and misfire. The damaged nerves send inappropriate pain signals to the brain, although you might not see any external lesion (no wound or injury). Peripheral artery disease (PAD) also commonly causes burning feet. The poor circulation of blood to the feet may frequently cause pain, tingling, and burning feet, especially while walking. Your GP should be able to rule out this condition easily. The most important treatment for burning feet due to neuropathy is to prevent further nerve damage and reducing pain. For people with diabetic neuropathy, this means a combination of dietar y changes, or thopaedic measures, some medications and lifestyle changes. Burning feet treatments also include treating the pain and abnormal sensations created by neuropathy. There is a wide arsenal of painkillers depending on the severity and degree of incapacity ranging from over-the-counter to prescription pain relievers. Besides asking your GP, advice from a foot consultant may be helpful especially if you have an active lifestyle.

Exact doses from 2011 S

treatment, a measure which Pajín calculates will save the government in the region of €300 million a year. Controlling pharmaceutical costs should not only help health service coffers, but save patients a substantial amount of money too as they will only have to pay for the exact amount prescribed rather than larger packs of, for example, tablets, simply because that is the only pack size that they are supplied in. In some cases, this will force pharmaceutical companies to change the format in which they package their products. The other positive effect is that there will be an end to bathroom cabinets throughout the country being filled with half empty pill bottles. Additionally, during December, there will be an initiative to promote ‘generic’ drugs which will be accompanied by an information leaflet for the public.

Magnetism

on quickly and lasts about five-10 days. Check with your doctor if your symptoms last more than two to three weeks and you smoke since your laryngitis may be caused by more severe problems. Laryngitis can be caused by colds or flu (most common cause); reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); overuse of your voice, such as singing nightly, and irritation from allergies, air conditioning or smoke. Acid reflux is the most common cause of chronic lar yngitis. But chronic laryngitis may be caused by more severe problems such as ner ve damage, sores, polyps, or hard and thick lumps (nodules) on your vocal cords. The vocal cords are the elastic bands inside the larynx that produce your voice. Some hoarseness may occur naturally with age as your vocal cords loosen and grow thinner. The main symptom of laryngitis is hoarseness. Your voice may sound raspy, be deeper than normal, or break now and then. You may lose your voice completely. Other symptoms may include a dr y or sore throat, coughing, and trouble swallowing. With most cases of laryngitis, home treatment is all that you need. Try to rest your voice, add moisture to the air in your home with a humidifier or vaporiser, and drink plenty of fluids. Tr y some tea with lemon and honey. Avoid smoking. Use a mouth wash several times per day. An over-the-counter anti-inflammatory may reduce the inflammation and alleviate the pain. Chronic lar yngitis may need more treatment. If you keep getting laryngitis because of a problem with the way you talk or sing, you may need speech training. A few sessions may help you learn to improve your singing technique as well as using more effective breathing techniques. Best wishes!

Dr. De La Flor, licensed G.P. Holds certificates in coaching, nutrition and medical exercise from Berkeley University and the American Council on Exercise. His medical approach is highly influenced by Positive Psychology; an empowering, encompassing way of approaching patients through the study of their strengths and virtues to enable them to thrive and lead fulfilling lives, accept the past, find happiness in the present, and hope for the future. You can reach the doctor at 00-34-697.888.666 to schedule a consultation in his surgery or in your home/business.

Miracle cure denounced he organisation Facua-Consumidores en Acción, has T denounced (via the national consumers institute, the ministry for Health and Canarian Government amongst oth-

ers), a company based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria which claims to have a ‘miracle cure’ based on magnetism for Aids, cancer and a long list of other conditions.

The company, Nodacom, sells its Magnetika products in Mexico, the US and Spain through its website www.terapiamagnetica.com where it assures that its products have been able to cure patients with problems including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, Aids and some cases of terminal cancer, and even goes to the extreme not only of recommending that patients stop taking medication prescribed by their doctors, but that these drugs could have serious repercussions.

Coaching Corner :: Dr. De La Flor

Papal book

brain chemicals

great breakthrough came Resolution: when researchers found that Let’s take our meals seriously for by supplying the building blocks the next two weeks. Chaplin used of brain chemicals (neurotransto say that it takes two to make a mitters) through the food we disease, the microbe and the host. eat, we could build higher stores Smart choices can easily enhance of specific brain chemicals that, our mood, improve our health and in turn, change our mood. For help us perform at our best when instance, in WWII bomber pilots needed. A little investment evewere given dopamine to improve ry day pays big dividends in the mood and increase alertness levshort and long term. “The doctor els. Timing your intake of foods of the future will give no medicine for mental performance is critibut will interest his patients in the cal. Foods are powerful medicare of the human frame, in diet cines. Most of us consume them and in the cause and prevention of blindly and pay the consequencdisease.” Thomas Edison. Talk to es. ‘Strategic eating’ is an effecyou in a couple of weeks. tive concept that relies on your intellect and educated judgment to eat the right foods, with the right timing, for the right performance. You plan your day according to how you want to feel at a given time or for a Quiz question specific activity. Day 5. What did my true love give to me on the ninth day of Christmas?

Condom remarks pain’s bishops have rushed to clarify the media headS lines regarding the papal stance on condoms following publication of Pope Benedict XVI’s comments in the new book, Light of the World, that condoms can be justified to prevent the spread of HIV.

While there was silence from many religious quarters around the world, and more than some confusion among devout Catholics, Spanish bishops said that as far as they were concerned nothing had changed. The Catholic News Agency quoted the secretary general of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference as saying that, in fact, the Pope’s comments do not legitimise the use of condoms. At the conclusion of the Spanish bishops’ 96th plenary assembly, Bishop Juan Antonio Martinez Camino said that the use of condoms “always” takes place “within a context of immorality.” Thus, he continued, it “can never be recommended.”

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010

health directory

Health Directory Useful Vocabulary

Describing your symptoms

I have a pain (here) Tengo dolor (aquí) I have stomach ache Tengo dolor de estómago I have chest pain Tengo dolor en el pecho I have a sore throat Tengo dolor de garganta I feel sick Tengo nauseas I feel dizzy Tengo mareos I have a temperature Tengo fiebre I have diarrhoea Tengo diarrea I have cramps Tengo calambres I have sunburn Tengo quemaduras del sol I have something in my eye Tengo algo dentro del ojo I have difficulty breathing Tengo dificultad en respirar I am sick a lot Vomito mucho It itches Me pica I get pain when I pass urine Me duele cuando orino

Existing conditions I am allergic Soy alérgico(a) I’m diabetic// Soy diabético(a) Asthmatic Asmático(a) Epileptic Epiléptico(a) I’m pregnant Estoy embarazada I have anaemia/arthritis Tengo anemia/artritis I have high blood pressure Tengo hipertensión I have low blood pressure Tengo hipotensión

Looking for health care Buscando asistencia sanitaria

I need a doctor / dentist / midwife Necesito un médico / dentista / matrona

Where is the nearest hospital/doctors’ surgery / dentist / out of hours chemist? ¿Dónde es el hospital / clínica / dentista / farmacia de guardia más cercano?

Can I get treatment on the national health here? ¿Puedo recibir atención aquí por la Seguridad Social? Please call an ambulance. Por favor llame a una ambulancia

Frequency & type :

Sometimes A veces All the time Todo el tiempo A lot Mucho A little Poco Stabbing p�� ain Dolor punzante

Hospitals USP COSTA ADEJE HOSPITAL Urbanización San Eugenio, s/n, 38660 - Adeje Tels: • 922 752626 • 922 791 000 • 900 112 111 Hospital La Candelaria Carretera Del Rosario 145 Santa Cruz de Tenerife 922 602 000 hospitaldelacandelaria. com Hospital Universitario Carretera Cuesta-Taco San Cristobal de La Laguna (Tenerife), 922 678 000 www.huc.es HOSPITEN SUR Playa de Las Américas Arona-Tenerife Tel.: 922 75 00 22. Fax: 922 79 36 18 HOSPITEN C/ Pescadores, Edf. Discovery, Carretera Gral. La Cuesta. Taco 38108 La Laguna Tel.: 922 626240 Fax: 922 614355 HOSPITEN BELLEVUE C/ Alemania, 6 Urb. San Fernando. Puerto de la Cruz Tel.: 922 38 35 51 Fax: 922 37 03 12 HOSPITEN TAMARAGUA C/ Agustín de Bethencourt, 30 Puerto de la Cruz Tel.: 922 38 05 12 Fax: 922 38 08 50 HOSPITEN RAMBLA Address: Rambla General Franco, 115. 38001 Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Tel.: 922 29 16 00. Fax: 922 29 10 88 Hospital San Juan de Dios Ctra. Gral. del Norte, 53. Santa Cruz. Teléfono: 922 64 55 11 Fax: 922 64 93 52

Physiotherapy PHYSIOTHERAPIST / OSTEOPATH Officially registered Nº967 Philippe Hoogstoel Home visits Tel: 677 818 661 English, Spanish, French, German spoken

Emergency

080 092 091 062 016

Fire Brigade Local Police National Police Guardia Civil domestic violence

Missing Children> 116000

Chemist Farmacia de Guardia

24H Service

Gran Canaria Hospital Dr. Negrín

C/. Barranco de la Ballena, s/n. 35020 Las Palmas. Tel. 928 450 000 Fax: 928 449 100 Hospital Insular

Plaza Doctor Pasteur 35020 Las Palmas. Tel. 928 313 033

Materno-Insular

Avda Maritima del Sur 35016 Las Palmas. Tel: 928 444 500 Fax 928 444 288

Mar de Siberia 1 Urb. Meloneras 35100 MaspalomasMeloneras Tel: 928 063 600

Enter the website of the Federation of Canarian Chemists:

Clínica Salus Las Palmeras

www.fefarcan.com and click on ‘farmacias de guardia’ at the top right of the page.

Counselling Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) South:

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 5.45pm, Friday at 11.45am. 1st Floor Apolo Centre, Los Cristianos (next to bus terminal).

630 478 448 (24 hrs).

Lic. 06089

 GP Providing All Family Medical Services.  Success Coaching Programs for Depression, Alcoholism, Low self-esteem, Eating Disorders.

 Action Plan, Attitudinal Training designed to meet your needs and empower you to achieve greater health & happiness.

10 years of experience in the USA

00 34 697 888 666

We are the Smile Creators Dental surgery, implantology and periodontics Free bacteria test and painless elimination of same Qualified in France and USA South: C/ Amalia Alayón, 11, 1º D, Los Cristianos. Tel. 922 78 83 28 North: Plaza del Charco 6, 2nd floor, Puerto de la Cruz. Tel. 922 38 13 47

Fussengel Your home visits’ service • Chiropody • Manicure • Massages Call Claudia: 687 662 849 or eMail: fussengel@gmail.com

Clínica San Roque – Sur

Clínica Roca

De La Flor

BEST PRICES (30-40 €) & RESULTS GUARANTEED!

Dr Michael Theis Calle La Hoya 55 Puerto de la Cruz In the south on Saturdays at Hospital Las Americas Tel 922 370 897 Specialist in gynaecology

The various chemists in the Canaries take it in turns in each area to make sure that there is access to medicine all over the islands.

DOCTOR

New location in ADEJE, HOME VISITS available

Gynaecology

C/ Buganvillas 1 35100 San Agustín Las Palmas. Tel. (0034) 928 76 90 04 Fax: (0034) 928 76 12 48

Avda. de Tenerife, 24 Centro Comercial Kasbah Playa del Inglés Tel: 928 762 992

Home care or home help in your hotel or apartment from 1 to 24 hrs. Dementia care a speciality. Rates start at just €7. Tenerife Nursing and Care S.L.

Tel. 922 163 236 or 639 977 334

Dr. Luke R. Ramsay Bsc. D.C., F.C.C

Board Certified Craniopath with over 25 years experience

Back Pain, Neck Pain, Sciatica, Migraines and Sports Injuries Edif La Arenita, Loc 4, Palm Mar Tel. 922 748 904 / 661 265 344 • www.lukeramsay.com

DENTAL CLINIC FAÑABÉ PLAZA

FREE check-up and X-ray Emergency Phone Line (for Bank Holidays & Weekends)

687 744 225

Tel: 922 714 225 • Fax: 922 724 130

C.C. Fañabé Plaza, Avda. Bruselas 2nd floor (in front of Hotel Jacaranda). Playa Fañabé, Costa Adeje, Tenerife Sur www.tenerife-dental.com

EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

living lifestyle All photos: Benetton

or women, alternating ample, soft volumes with skinny fits, big shoulders are back, highlighted by details and special constructions. Glossy fabrics contrast matt ones and join up with faux leather.

A French air permeates the more elaborately tailored, very feminine styles for formal occasions. For men, there is an enjoyable vintage feel in a modern context. For evening wear, contrasts of glossy and matt, black and white, roomy and tight are often seen in colours, fabrics and fits. On sale now at a Benetton store near you.

Bateau-neck wool dress, leather belt with metal buckle and suede clogs with fake fur ankle

Sisley for him & her

Wool jacket, turtleneck jacquard wool sweater, DelavĂŠ jeans, leather belt, messenger bag with patchwork effect and lace up leather ankle boots

Puff-sleeve chenille dress and leather court shoes with plateau

Viscose waistcoat with lapels, yarn-dyed cotton shirt, denim trousers, leather belt and lace up leather shoes

Fake fur and alcantara waistcoat, puff-sleeve cotton shirt, stretch eco-leather trousers, eco-leather bag with croc print and leather court shoes with plateau

The Autumn/Winter 2010 Sisley collection focuses on personal creative freedom.

Wool coat, cotton shirt and trousers, and lace up leather shoes

living & lifestyle

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 631 :: 03/12/2010 - 17/12/2010 Health News

Breath-taking!

COLD

The Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr Negrín recently marked World COLD day with patients who suffer from this ailment.

Patients were instructed in the correct use of inhalers

Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (also known as Chronic Obstructive Pulminary Disease, COPD among other labels) refers to patients who are suffering from a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, coexisting diseases of the lungs in which the airways become narrowed, which in turn leads to a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs, leading to shortness of breath. November 17th was the day in question and in the hospital in Gran Canaria there was a scheduled activity in the breathing clinic demonstrating the correct usage of nebulizers and inhalers – up to 50 per cent of patients who suffer from COLD don’t use their inhalers correctly. The clinic, which opened last May, is for out-patients and their families, and more than 50 sufferers took part in the demonstration held on that day. The international day of events was also used to increase awareness of COLD, leading to, hopefully, greater understanding and treatment for sufferers. Generally this is considered a progressive and non-treatable condition, with smoking one of the main causes leading to a reduction in the breathing capacity of the patient, worsening over time. According to the World Health Organisation there are over 120 million persons suffering from the condition, and it is calculated that in 20 years it will become the third largest killer on a global scale.

HealthFitness

info@bfit.es

pros and cons

Anabolic steroids in sports T

he questions that have been asked recently by some of our new recruits are “where can I get anabolic steroids?” or “how big can I become in four weeks?” So once again I find myself writing an article about the ‘other side’ of sport.

What are anabolic steroids and what are they for? The important part to understand is that we are talking about anabolic steroids. ‘Anabolic steroids’ is the familiar name for synthetic substances related to the male sex hormones, for example testosterone. They promote the growth of skeletal muscle (anabolic effects) and the development of male sexual characteristics (androgenic effects) in both males and females. Steroids in general are found to be very useful in medicine for several reasons - as an anti-inflammatory, bone structure enhancement and they help people who suffer from anaemia. Anabolic steroids are also used if somebody has problems with their own testosterone production to maintain their secondary sexual characteristics or if somebody has huge muscle loss after surgery, in other words, in certain circumstances they have their uses.

In the highest level of professional sports everybody dopes. There may be some exceptions but the majority use either AS (Anabolic Steroids) or other performance or regeneration enhancing products. This is not limited to the world of bodybuilding where you obviously can see the use of steroids in the form of massive muscles. I remember the Tour de France a few years ago when they found out about blooddoping in some of the athletes. The world was shocked. I wasn’t! If you really believe that every year someone is born who will sprint the 100 metres quicker than the year before just because of training you’re living in a cloud; it’s not possible! We have genetic limits and professionals take ‘products’ to surpass these limits. Each of them has his own trainer, and besides, a physiotherapist, masseuse as well as a physician. So whatever they do, they do it under professional supervision to minimise the side effects and maximise the benefits. Never forget, these athletes work their butts off and train up to three times a day. So, bearing super athlete with his team around him in mind, let’s look at the gym ‘newbie’! This guy has just started training. He moves the dumbbell the first time. That means if he trains on a regular basis he will have success without even thinking about enhancing prod-

ucts, but there is the problem. The people who have no discipline or patience are the same ones who want to see the results they have been promised on the TV or on the cover of some magazine. I have news for them, they can not put on 20 kilos of body fat in six weeks and they certainly can’t get rid of it that quickly either, or at least without putting heart and body at risk. The interesting thing is that anabolic steroids will not help you to build huge muscles if you do not train hard, something they don’t say in the commercials! One of the reasons that the professionals can deal with using drugs is because they surround themselves with professionals, so when it comes to the side effects they are more prepared and accept the price they are paying for achieving their goals ‘abnormally’. Remember we are talking about hormones – all

Anabolic steroids will not help you to build huge muscles if you do not train hard hormones have an effect on your mood and sensivity, so getting angry or depressed for no apparent reason is normal! In men it is no joke that steroid use can lead to infertility, breast development, shrinking of the reproductive organ and penis and also premature balding, nice! In women there is the enlargement of the sexual organ, excessive growth of body hair and also male-pattern baldness to look forward to. For both, steriods affect the musculoskeletal system and can cause tendon rupture through fast muscle growth, never mind the risks

of hepatitis and HIV from ‘buddies’ sharing. Then we can talk about the cardiovascular system, high blood pressure, heightened risk of heart attack, increase of bad cholesterol and decrease in the good. The liver can develop tumours, cancers and suffer peliosis hepatis. The skin suffers too with acne and cysts, oily scalp, jaundice and fluid retention. So after all that a little mania, heightened aggression and delusional psychosis does not seem so bad! I hope that little introduction to anabolic steroids makes it easier to make an educated choice of the benefits of building muscle with less work against the side effects. Like I say, in professional sport it would be impossible to ignore them but I am not the professional you want to help you if you choose to go in that direction.

Next issue we will discover what’s on your plate at Christmas that helps you the most in consuming all that excess alcohol at this time of year.

adventcalendar2010

’ Boutique

Looking for something special for the festive season & party time? Then visit us.... Large range of Joseph Ribkoff & Exclusive Stockists of Pause Café · Sizes 10 to 20 CC El Camisón | Local 28 | Playa de Las Américas T: 922 75 29 02 | F: 922 79 69 99

Are you looking for somewhere Booking now for pre special this Christmas? Christmas parties (office parties, girls night out, birthday parties or just a romantic meal)

Fabulous Christmas Day lunch with all the trimmings New Years Eve gala dinner with small disco

Situated under Club Atlantis Hotel near Puerto Colón • Tel. 922 712 257 / 634 703 133

KRIPLUS HYPERMEDIA Prices to suit all pockets Computers and electronics for personal and office use

Installation, maintenance and technical support

Prize: Luxury Firming Diamond Facial

Prize: 40 euro voucher

Prize: Medical foot care or foot reflexology massage

Prize: Sunday carvery for 2

Prize: Round of drinks for 4

Tel: 922 703 323

Simply beautiful flooring

Venus Fashion

Prize: 40% discount voucher

Tel. 922 748 317

Prize: 2 tickets

Prize: Ticket for 2

CHRISTMAS DAY BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN

To collect a menu pass by the restaurant or e-mail paula.nicol@crowngroup.es The Carvery, Island Village, San Eugenio Alto. Tel. 922 716306 • Open daily from 10am til 10pm

21 Tenerife Off Road Centre

Prize: 2x35 min Excursions (Quad or Buggy)

22 Tenerife Sunshine

Prize: Jet Ski Safari for 2

Fab for the Festivities

Shellac Nails

Tel. 922 798 416 CC Passarella Oasis (next to the Paradise Park Hotel) Los Cristianos Open Mon to Sat 10 am - 6 pm

• On like polish • Wears like gel • Off in minutes FROM ONLY €18 • No nicks, chips or smudges • Fast application. Quick, easy and cheap.

Hurry & Book your appointment today

now! Book

Go Mexican this Christmas!

Parties of up to 30 people catered for

Hos ted by

Ctra. General 84, Guargacho Tel. 922 731 313 Open daily 12 noon - midnight

Joe Harrie

Prize: VIP double ticket

13 Liquid Shop

Prize: 1 electric cigarette

18 Divine VIP

Prize: 2 drinks packages

C. C. Muelles de Genova, Local 13-16. Avda. El Palm-Mar, Palm-Mar. Arona info@islandinteriordesigns.com • Mon-Fri 9am to 5 pm / Sat 10am to 2pm

Still the Best Carvery Roast Dinner in the South!

17 Rock Story

Loro Parque

Prize: 40 euro voucher

16 LI G HTI N G CE NTR E

Koala Sur

Freebird

James’ Brasserie

Mogu Lounge

Mon to Fri 9:30am-8:30pm Sat: 10am - 8 pm

Excellent service and English speaking staff Avda. Claudio Delgado Díaz C.C. Afortunadas, 15c Las Chafiras

Zhen Estética

Little Treasures

Angelina Gräb

Under the Tenerife Sol Hotel · Playa de Las Américas Tel. for bookings 652 364 495

23 Hotel Puerto Azul

Prize: Weekend with bed & breakfast for 2

14 DAY GUIDE

3rd / 17th December 2010 :: BBC1 / BBC2 / ITV1 / Channel4 / Channel5 / Skysports1 / Skysports2

Programmes and timings are subject to change at the Broadcaster’s discretion.

documentary >

The Day John Lennon Died

Documentary commemorating the 30th anniversary of John Lennon’s death on December 8th 1980.

ITV1 / December 6th, 10:35pm

music >

This is JLS

Special ITV1 / Chatshow - December 12th, 9:30pm

Piers Meets Elton: A Life Stories Special Rock legend Elton John

Talks to Piers Morgan about his incredible life in music, which spans over forty years and includes a huge number of hits and record-breaking tours as well as excesses, tantrums and controversies.

lton will also perform two songs live for the studio audience. There are few major artists in the rock era who have had such a long and prolific career. Since his solo debut in 1970, Elton has had an incredible run of hit albums and singles, including Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which featured Candle in the Wind - a tribute to Marilyn Monroe that Elton reworked in 1997 to mourn the death of Princess Diana.

Special show featuring Britain’s biggest boyband, JLS. Aston, JB, Marvin and Oritse give an exclusive performance in front of an invited audience.

ITV1 / 11th December, 6:00pm

docusoap >

Corrie -

50 Years, 50 Moments

The show celebrates the greatest moments on the street to mark the 50th anniversary. See Bet leave the Rovers and head to Tenerife for a new life in the sun. ITV / December 7th, 9:00pm

• Watch live or Catch Up TV • 28 Channel package for 30€ per month • Satellite quality • Easy install set top box • No dish No contract • Built-in TV Guide • Try it for free on a 3 day trial!!

TEL: 922 79 31 72 · 637 05 05 05 info@premier-satellites.com · www.premier-satellites.com

TV22

IC TV GUIDE

/ Friday 03/12/2010 Sky Sports 1 / Sports

Quiz question

3rd December - 1.00pm World Cup of Darts

Day 6. In Winter

Wonderland, who do we pretend the snowman is?

Day one of the inaugural World Cup of Darts from the Rainton Meadows Arena

one 6:00 Breakfast 9:15 Rip Off Britain 10:00 Homes under the Hammer 11:00 Real Rescues 11:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 12:15 Bargain Hunt 1:00 BBC News at One 1:30 BBC London News 1:45 Doctors 2:15 Missing 3:00 BBC News 3:05 Horrible Histories 3:30 What’s New Scooby-Doo? 3:50 Shaun the Sheep 4:00 Fee Fi Fo Yum 4:30 M.I. High 5:00 Newsround 5:15 The Weakest Link 6:00 BBC News at Six 6:30 BBC London News 7:00 The One Show 8:00 EastEnders Syed faces a dilemma as he wrestles with a secret that could destroy his parents’ marriage. Jane and Masood panic when Zainab delights in goading a nihilistic Ian. Ryan finds himself stuck between the women in his life, while Dot embarks on a new venture with help from Heather and Fat Boy. 8:30 QI 9:00 Michael McIntyre: Hello Wembley! The show features Michael’s unique take on life - from getting to grips with wine menus and restaurant etiquette, to obsessive Wii playing and condiment hierarchy in the kitchen cupboard. 10:00 BBC News at Ten 10:25 BBC London News 10:35 The Graham Norton Show Graham is joined by Hollywood star Jack Black, talking about his new film Gulliver’s Travels 11:20 The National Lottery Friday Night Draws 11:30 Primeval An news crew travels to a remote locations on Earth in the hopes of capturing a savage crocodile. 1:00 Weatherview

TWO

6:00

11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 1:00 1:45 2:15 3:00 3:45 4:30 5:15

6:00

6:30 7:00

8:00 8:30

9:00

10:00

10:30 11:00 11:50

1:25

Children’s Entertainment Programmes include The Pingu Show and Bob the Builder: Project Build It. In the Night Garden Animal Park The Daily Politics GMT with George Alagiah Due South Car Booty Ready, Steady, Cook Murder, She Wrote Flog It! Ten of the Best Pointless The Hairy Bikers’ Cook Off and Dave cook pan fried pork medallions Eggheads General knowledge quiz. Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two Edwardian Farm It’s December and Alex, Peter and Ruth face the challenge of earning a living in one of the hardest months of the year. Mastermind Britain by Bike Clare reveals how a cycle factory went to war and finds out about the Bride’s Tree - a bizarre village ceremony with a dark secret. John Sergeant on Tracks of Empire John Sergeant embarks on a 3,000 mile journey through the history of the greatest legacy the British left to India The Stephen K Amos Show Stephen shares news of his recent film offers with his studio audience, plus we discover why he will never play James Bond. Newsnight The Review Show Spider Released from a mental institution, a disturbed man revisits his childhood and recalls unsettling events involving his father, mother and the woman who replaced her in the family home. BBC News

6:00 8:30 9:25 10:30 11:25 11:30 12:30 1:30 2:00 3:00 4:00

Daybreak Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning ITV News This Morning Loose Women ITV News & Weather House Gift Dickinson’s Real Deal Midsomer Murders As Barnaby and Jones try to find links between the suspects another person goes missing. 5:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show Alan answers some of viewers’ pressing gardening questions. Plus there is music from popstar and Strictly Come Dancing judge Alesha Dixon. 6:00 London Tonight 6:30 ITV News & Weather 7:00 Emmerdale John makes a desperate attempt to get through to Holly. Viv continues to manipulate Bob into doing her bidding. Jackson does not want to be a burden on Hazel. 7:30 Coronation Street Molly stuns Tyrone by telling him the devastating truth. Nick confesses his feelings on the eve of the wedding, but will Leanne succumb? Panic strikes at the Rovers as Max goes missing. 8:00 Countrywise Kitchen Mike cooks up a lovely mutton dish and fishes for brown trout. 8:30 I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! The end is in sight - but who will fall at the final hurdle in the race to be King or Queen of the Jungle? 10:00 ITV News at Ten & Weather 10:35 The Interpreter When a United Nations interpreter overhears a plot to assassinate the leader of an African state, a Secret Service agent is assigned to investigate. 12:55 The Zone

5:55 6:40 6:50 7:15 7:45 8:40 9:10 9:40 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:05 1:00

3:25 4:10 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:30

7:00 7:25 7:30

8:00 9:00

10:00

10:30 11:05 11:40 12:10

Countdown The Treacle People Yo Gabba Gabba! Freshly Squeezed Everybody Loves Raymond Double bill. Frasier According to Jim Friends One Tree Hill Smallville Channel 4 News Summary Supernanny US Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines Lord Rawnsley puts up a £10,000 prize for the winner of a flight from London to Paris and soon his daughter Patricia, her would-be husband Richard, his rival for her hand and a motley collection of aviators are gathered, ready for the race to begin Countdown Deal or No Deal Come Dine with Me Four in a Bed The Simpsons Hollyoaks It’s the day of Steph’s funeral and Gilly rejects the plans for a glitzy celebrity-worthy farewell. Channel 4 News 4thought.tv Freaks of Nature Freaks of Nature showcases the extraordinary talents of Britain’s leading paralympic athletes who are different from the rest of us, not because of their disability, but because of their staggering athletic ability. Come Dine with Me The Event President Martinez demands answers from Director of National Intelligence. Peep Show Ben, who’s now back from hospital, offers Jeremy the ideal job. Robert’s Web Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights The Morgana Show Video Exclusive

6:00

9:15 10:45 11:45 12:40 12:50 1:45

2:15 2:50

3:00

5:00 5:30 6:00

6:25 7:00 7:30

8:00

9:00

10:00

10:55

11:55

Milkshake Programmes include Thomas and Friends and Roary the Racing Car. The Wright Stuff Trisha Goddard House Doctor Double bill. Five News Emergency Bikers Neighbours When Steph is forced to consider selling her house to cover her legal defence, Summer realises that she might have to move. Home and Away Meals in Moments Hairdresser Nicky Clarke cooks up a Mediterranean-style chicken stew. It Had to be You Two strangers meet and fall in love during the weekend that they are planning their respective weddings. Five News Neighbours Home and Away A fed-up Vittorio warns Bianca that he is on the verge of returning to Italy. Live from Studio Five Five News at 7 Fifth Gear Vicki puts a radical new four-door Mini through its paces. White Van Man Van entrepreneur Dan has a difficult job moving a truckload of antique bricks and elderly pair Bob and Pete go rabbit hunting. The Mentalist When Jane is kidnapped, Lisbon and the team delve into the past. Law and Order: Special Victims Unit After a young girl is found dead in the apartment of a vacationing couple with no children, Stabler and Benson soon learn that there have been a number of high school students having floating parties. CSI: Miami The CSI team arrives at the scene after a woman dies in a road accident. Cops in Crisis

6:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00

5:00 5:30 6:00 7:00 7:30 8:00

10:00

10:30 11:30

Ashes Cricket Carling Cup Football Ringside Boxing magazine show. Ashes Highlights Carling Cup Football Ringside World Cup of Darts Day one of the inaugural World Cup of Darts from the Rainton Meadows Arena in Tyne and Wear. World Sport Barclays Premier League World Football League Weekend Sky Sports News at Seven Barclays Premier League Preview The Ashes Australia and England meet on day two of the second Ashes Test from the Adelaide Oval. Take it Like a Fan Sky Sports football quiz Football League Weekend Ashes Cricket

6:00 9:00 9:30 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00

1:30 2:00

3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 11:00

11:30 12:00

59 | December 2010

LIFESTYLE GUIDE FOR THE CANARY ISLANDS

Good Morning Sports Fans Barclays Premier League World ATP Tour Uncovered The Rugby Club Racing News Aerobics: Oz Style NFL Houston Texans v Philadelphia Eagle. FEL Equestrian World Ashes Highlights Australia v England 2nd Test day one. Ringside NFL Ashes Highlights Tight Lines World Cup of Darts World Sport Alternative sports’ reports. Barclays Premier League Preview Elite League Ice Hockey

IC TV GUIDE

TV23

/ Saturday 04/12/10

ITV / Music

4th December - 10:25pm This is Michael Buble

The Superstar singer explores the UK during his latest tour of Great Britain and Ireland

one 6:00 Breakfast 10:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 11:30 Nigella’s Kitchen Nigella cooks up a French classic, tarragon chicken with steamed green beans. 12:00 BBC News 12:10 BBC London News 12:15 Football Focus 1:00 Freddie Flintoff: Ashes Warrior Freddie looks back at his extraordinary deeds. 1:40 Snooker Hazel Irvine, Steve Davis and John Parrott present coverage from the Telford International Centre, as defending champion Ding Junhui opens up proceedings at the 2010 UK Championship. 4:30 Final Score 5:20 BBC News 5:30 BBC London News 5:40 Walk on the Wild Side 6:10 The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson 6:40 Strictly Come Dancing Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly host a movie night special, as the six remaining stars try to put on Oscar-winning performances. 7:40 Merlin Queen Morgana begins a reign of terrible evil over the innocent citizens of Camelot. 8:25 The National Lottery Saturday Night Draws 8:40 Casualty Ruth takes revenge on Zoe by revealing to her that she is the doctor with the highest mortality rates in the ED. 9:30 The Armstrong and Miller Show 10:00 BBC News 10:20 Match of the Day Gary Lineker presents highlights from the day’s seven Premier League matches, including Chelsea’s home fixture with Everton and a London derby between Arsenal and Fulham. 11:40 The Football League Show 1:00 Weatherview

TWO

6:00

11:00 11:30 12:00 12:25 12:50 1:20 1:35 2:05 2:20

4:00 4:30

5:55

6:55