Keeping the locals and tourists up to date on news, views and events around the Canary Islands If you have anything to say, write to us on info@ thecanarynews. com Pick up points from Las Palmas to Mogán
Welcome Ambassador
Left to right Matthew Vickers, British Consul, The Canary Islands, Genna D’Cruz, Managing Director, The Canary News, Chris Paxman, British Ambassador to Spain
THE NEW British Ambassador’s first official visit to the Canary Islands took place between 2 and 4 November 2009 and The Canary News was there at the official reception in Las Palmas. Mr Chris Paxman has only recently taken up his post as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Spain, having previously been Ambassador to Mexico. Amongst other events and meetings during his visit, Mr Paxman met members of the British community as well as dignitaries and local authority representatives but probably the most important task was to officially launch the new British Consul in the Canary Islands, Matthew Vickers.
Having first stopped off in Tenerife, Mr Paxman was keen to visit Gran Canaria and thank the authorities here for their continuing support shown towards the large British expatriate community. In a chat with the Ambassador, we were keen to impress upon him the problems that the island faces in these hard economic times. We drew his attention particularly to the number of British who have returned to the UK due to the job situation and the failure of businesses which rely on the tourist trade. Continued on page 6
“To all our advertisers, Please take note that our last edition for 2009 of The Canary News will be published on the 18th December. Copy for Christmas and the New Year needs to be with us no later than Friday 11th December to ensure inclusion. Our following edition will be published on Friday 15th January 2010.”
2
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
www.thecanarynews.com
Island Information
Inside Edition 11 Pictures
Page 5 Canarian Olive Oil
Pictures
Page 12
The Swedish School of Gran Canaria Pictures
Page 14 Womad
Page 28
Introducing GolfCanarias.org
Pictures
Canary News Contacts Sales: sales@thecanarynews.com Accounts: accounts@thecanarynews.com Production: production@thecanarynews.com Editor: editor@thecanarynews.com Telephone: 928 774 818 or 697 724 949
Deadline Adverts, copy changes, classifieds, clubs and editorial copy: Friday noon for the following Friday’s edition to air your views. Letters on any subject are welcomed by the Editor for publication and must arrive by 12 noon on Friday for consideration for the following Friday’s edition. Priority will be given to letters dealing with local issues. We reserve the right to amend or shorten letters. The Canary News accepts no responsibility for readers´comments. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service you can Call 928 774 818 or write to Rocas Rojas 124b, Calle Los Claveles SL, 35100, San Agustin To get your paper Looking for a copy of your FREE The Canary News then call Brian on 609 407 935 to find out where you can pick up your newspaper
Emergency and Useful telephone numbers in Gran Canaria Las Palmas Airport: 928 579 000 Emergency Line: 112 Police, Fire Brigade and Ambulance: 928 492 112 Fire Brigade Las Palmas 928 446 444 Maspalomas 928 762 671 Playa del Inglés, San Augustín, San Bartolomé de Tirajana 928 762 671 Local Police Province - 092 Las Palmas 928 304 600 Maspalomas 928 764 000 Guardia Civil Province 062 Las Palmas 928 762 898 Puerto Rico 928 736 817 S. Bartolomé 928 750 222
National Police Las Palmas Masapalomas 928 764 000 Sea Rescue 900 202 202 & 928 467 757 Consulates: British Consulate Consul: Matthew Vickers Edificio_Cataluna,_C/Luis Morote 6, 3rd Floor, Las Palmas Opening hours: Mon to Fri 8.30am to 1.30pm Telephone 928 262 508 www.ukinspain.com Austria - 928 782 500 Belgium - 928 461 718 Denmark - 928 264 764 Finland - 928 224 358 France - 928 292 371 Germany - 928 491 880
Italy - 928 241 911 Luxembourg - 928 243 431 Netherlands - 922 271 721 Norway - 928 495 035 Portugal - 928 233 144 Sweden - 928 260 884 Switzerland - 928 293 450 Taxis: 928 154 77 or 902 192 019 International Directory Enquires: 025 UK Operator: 900 990044 Lost/Stolen credit cards: 900 974445 Health Centre Appointments 012 Consumer issues 928 731
908 International Pension Centre 0044 191 21 87777 www.thepensionservice.ov.uk Bereavement_Benefit 00441912183847 Medical Benefits 0044 191 2181999 (www.dh.gov.uk) HMRC (Tax) Sol Mobility: 928 735 311 0044 151 210 2222 (www.hmrc.gov.uk) Age Concern España 902 003 838 (www. acespana.org) Swimming Safety Red_flag: No swimming Yellow_flag:Swim with care Green_flag:Safe to swim
Markets in Gran Canaria Agüimes In front of the municipal swimming pool Thursdays 09:00-14:00 Arguineguín La Plaza Negra: Every Tuesday 08:00-14:00 CC Ancora Every Thursday 08.00-14.00 TARA Second Hand Market, Plaza de Pino Seco, Arguinegín Every Saturday 9.00 onwards Arucas Calle Francisco Gourier: Every Saturday 08:00-14:00 Gáldar General Market Plaza de Santiago de Apostól: Every Thursday 08:00-14:00. Gáldar Collectors’ Market Guaires, 26, Tel: 928.55.21.40 Ingenio En el Ejido: First Sunday of every month 09.00-15.00 Jinámar Ramblas de Jinámar (Telde): Sundays 9:00-15:00 Las Palmas Rastro Terrace on top of the bus station Every Sunday 8.00-14.00 Maspalomas Second Hand Market CC Faro 2, Campo Internacional, Maspalomas Saturdays and Sundays 10.00 onwards Maspalomas Artisans’ Market Next to Global Bus Station Meloneras Mercadillo en Meloneras: Every Thursday 10.00-17.00 Mendizábal Calle de Mendizábal, Vegueta, Las Palmas Third Saturday of every month Moya On top of the bus station: Every Sunday 08:00-14:00 Playa del Inglés Artesan market, at Parque Europeo, (next to the Minitren) Everyday except Sunday 19.30-23.30. Puerto de Mogán Traditional craft market Plaza del Parking, Puerto de Mogán: Every Monday 09.00-14.30 Puerto de Mogán General Market El Muelle Deportivo: Every Friday 08:00-14:00 San Fernando San Fernando Municipal Market, Maspalomas. Every Wednesday and Saturday: 08:00-14:00 San Fernando Municipal Market Skating ring in San Fernando Every second Sunday 09:00-14:00 San Mateo Every Saturday: 08:00-20:00 and Sundays 08:00-15:00. Santa Brígida Underneath the municipal park in Villa de Santa Brígida. Every Saturday 08:00-20:00 and every Sunday from 08:00-14:00 Santa Catalina Mercadillo in Las Palmas de G.C. Art Gallery of Parque de Santa Catalina Every Sunday between 08.00-14.00.
Santa Lucia Mercadillo de Santa Lucia: Every Sunday 8.00-14.00 Santa María de Guía Plaza del Casco Historico Every Tuesday and Sunday 10.00-14.00 Telde Plaza de San Gregorio, by the bus station Every Saturday 08:00-14:00 Teror Around the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino Every Sunday 08:00-14:00 Valleseco Mercado Municipal : Every Sunday 08.00-14.00 Valsequillo Calle Isla de la Gomera : Every Sunday 08:00-14:00 Vecindario Agricultural Market Recinto Ferial Every Monday 08:00-14:00 on La Karpa, Avda. de las Tirajanas Every second Saturday 08.00-14.00 Vecindario General Market Recinto Ferial Every Wednesday 08.00-14.00 Vegueta, Cultural and Craftsmanship market Plaza del Pilar Nuevo, Las Palmas de G.C. Every Sunday of every month (except July, August and Sept.) 10.00-14.00.
The Canary News does not accept any responsibility for claims made by advertisers, either in advertisements or advertorials, nor can it be held responsible for any inaccuracies, errors, or the non appearance of advertisements or advertorials. This publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors as a result of poor quality artwork or logos supplied by advertisers and no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage caused by any error or inaccuracy or nonappearance of an advertisement or advertorial. Every effort will be made to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of articles and advertisements in this publication, however the publisher does not accept responsiblity for claims or opinions in the same. Reproduction of any part of this newspaper without the consent of the publisher is prohibited E & O E. Edita: JDC Canaries SLU, Imprime: Artes Graficas del Atlantico S/A. Deposito Legal GC - 747 2009 C/Los Dragos 19, Zona Ind. Arinaga, Fase IV 35188, Aguimes, Gran Canaria
www.thecanarynews.com
Upcoming Events HERE WE give you some of the most relevant dates during which something of general interest is happening on the island. Don’t be afraid to visit these events or even to actively participate in them, most are open to everyone and anyone. If you wish to visit a fiesta, always remember that most activities take part during the morning and then restart from about six pm. We are in Spain and both lunch and siestas are almost religious customs which all Canarians take extremely seriously. Also take into account that the main days will inevitably be during the weekend. Be adventurous and enjoy the Island like one of the natives! NINCO world cup: 20th & 21st November, Santa Brigida Sports Centre. International Slot car racing competition. 49th International Sportsfestival BLUME GRAN CANARIA in Gran Canaria. 21st till 29th November. Gymnastics competition between 11 countries and over 750 sportsmen and women. Various sporting installations in Las Palmas and Maspalomas. Consult programme on www.blumegrancanaria.com. VI Typical Canarian Reconstruction and Recuperation of Traditions. 22nd November. Reconstruction and Recuperation of Canarian customs, artesanal, and traditions. El Ratiño, Villa de Ingenio.. Maspalomas Lan Party. 20th, 21st and 22nd November. 43 Hours of uninterrupted 100Mgb of internet broadline. La Ronda Comercial Centre, San Fernando, Maspalomas. XXXVI rally maspalomas 27th & 28th November. Starting Ceremony 27th Novembre at 20:00 hours, Plaza de Maspalomas. 28th Novembre; Timed races, cercados de espino-soria, cueva de las niñas-el sequero, las vallas-los cuchillos. Watch out for closed roads between the above villages. EXPOSICION; Women and Immigration. 23rd till 27th Novembre, 10:00-21:00 hours, Casa de Colón, Vegueta, Las Palmas. For more info: Tlf. 928 31 23 73 Crib Figures and Complement Market. 29th November, 10 till 14:00 hours. Vegueta, Las Palmas. 7 Edicion Concert in Memory of Alfredo Kraus. 26th November, 20:30 Hours. Concert in memory of internationally recognised tenor Alfredo Kraus. Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, Las Palmas G.C.
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
3
News
Unhappy Holidays In these days of arranging your own flights and accommodation instead of booking a package, it is tempting to search for websites that can offer apartments, bungalows etc in the destination of your choice. Beware however as there are unscrupulous people out there who are only too eager to relieve you of your cash only for you then to find that the website is bogus and you will get nothing in return for your money. Horror stories have recently come to light on a popular Gran Canaria website telling of people turning up on the island at their chosen accommodation only to discover that no booking existed. They booked their accommodation through a website named grancanariaholidays24h.com which, it transpires, was operated from Germany. The fraud originally came to light as a result of an eagle eyed, reputable accommodation agent discovering that the bogus site was offering rooms in properties for which he is the sole agent. The fraudsters had even copied the details directly from his own website. The agent immediately contacted the web hosting company which took steps to close down the fraudsters’ websites. Further discussion in the web Forum of www.gran-canaria-info.com revealed that the crooks were also operating a site named parquesantiago24.com offering accommodation in Tenerife. Sadly, before the sites could be taken down, people had parted with money. This only came to light when a member of the Forum reported that he knew of people turning up at Villas Mirador del Mar and another apartment complex in Puerto Rico. Of course, no booking existed
and they were faced with the choice of paying again or returning home on the next flight. This is not the first time this has happened and it is doubtful that it will be the last. Only a few months ago, unwitting Dutch holidaymakers suffered from a similar scam. So what can you do to avoid being caught by schemes such as this? · Try and ascertain how long a business has been trading. These schemes are simple but open to detection therefore they are not around for long. · Google the name of the business and see if anything adverse comes up. · If prices look too good to be true then they probably are. · Be sceptical. Give the business a call and question them. If you cannot make immediate direct contact then treat that as a warning sign. · Try contacting the accommodation direct to check whether the agent is bona fide. These kind of crooks give the island a bad name even though they are not even based on Gran Canaria. BBC Radio 4’s consumer programme, “You and Yours” is showing an interest in these scams so it is to be hoped that more people will become aware of the risks they face when booking accommodation independently. If you have been caught in this way, it is important that you contact your local Trading Standards (if you are in the UK) and/or the police. The sooner these scams are stopped the better for all. By: Bruce Sutherland
4
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
Local News
La Aldea Gets Its Road.
www.thecanarynews.com
Canary Islands to Host Expo 2023? It is an ambitious project, but a group of Canarian residents from each and every one of the seven Islands have formed the Association “Canarias 2023 Islands of the World”, with plans to enter the candidature to host the World Expo in 2023.
The small village of La Aldea de San Nicolas is located on the north western coast of Gran Canaria. As a result of its geographical location, surrounded as it is by high and steep mountains, it has always been a very isolated settlement. For years its inhabitants have campaigned for a much needed main road which at last would properly connect this fishing village to the rest of the island. Work on extending the island’s main motorway from Puerto Rico has already begun and it will stretch as far as Mogán when complete but it seemed that La Aldea had been forgotten. But, on the morning of the 2nd November, excitement broke out in this otherwise peaceful community, when large construction lorries and tractors started to arrive. Using their mobiles, the neighbours started spreading the news and almost the whole population of La Aldea began to pour down in disbelief towards the trucks. Cheering and excitement spread contagiously through the crowd with neighbours gathering round the machines, some with tears of happiness pouring down their faces. The situation soon became a party, and the drivers were hugged and welcomed like
heroes. As one of them put it, “I have been in this profession for well over 30 years and I have never been welcomed to a site like I have today, it’s great!” This ambitious project has been budgeted at EUR 84m over the next three years but total construction time will be 6 years with a final cost of at least EUR 200m. The road will have a total length of 10 kms and will be composed of a total of seven viaducts, a 2,339m double tunnel, two single tunnels containing 3 lane roads, and an 87m false tunnel. Two accesses will be added to this road, one to Anden Verde and the second to Güi-Güi, as well as an intersection in La Aldea. The journey time between La Aldea and Agaete will be reduced from 45 to 20 mins.
The World Expo with its 150year history is regarded as the Olympic Games for economy, science and technological development. In putting forward the islands, the Association believes that the Community of the Canary Islands is plural, open, modern and tolerant, and now more than ever it is ready and eager to undertake ambitious long term projects such as this. It is their intention to make this an event for the people of the Canaries. On 3rd of November the project was presented in the Canarian Parliament to all political groups who, in a rare display of solidarity, voted unanimously to back the scheme. At the same time it was agreed that the
necessary procedures and administrative steps should be initiated in order for the Madrid government to put forward the candidature to the international organisations responsible for the Expo. As the president of the organisation points out, “this is not a political project although the politicians need to be involved, this is not a government project although they need to back it up, it’s an initiative for and by the Canarian people”. They want to differentiate the candidature from previous or future ones by not limiting it to one city but hold the event in all seven islands at one time. Each one with its own exposition building offering visitors a view of the island way of life all over the world; highlighting the difference in its inhabitants, their specific singularities and the way they live and cohabit. By Tito Cabral
Most ecologists are against the project, as they fear it will irreparably damage Tamadaba, a protected natural park. The people of La Aldea insist however that they have a right to faster access to hospitals, the opportunity to work outside their village and in general just a safer access road. By Tito Cabral
Mogán Gets 3 New Beaches A total of EUR 20m euros is to be invested in a joint public/ private project to restore the seafront and shoreline between the areas of Anfi Del Mar and the beach of Las Marañuelas in Arguineguín. The scheme will see the creation of a sea side promenade, the building of a 5,500 square metre solarium and the building of three new beaches. This initiative which is headed by the Tourist Consejal of the Ayuntamiento of Mogán, Tomas Lorenzo, is taking place in order to upgrade the existing facilities which will benefit both visitors and residents alike. The length of coast it covers includes the beaches of La Lajilla, La Carrera and the area between the Sunwing and Green Beach hotels, together with the beach of Patalavaca and Aquamarina. It is planned to extract the sand from the sea bed at Pasito Blanco. This significant initiative was announced just after the recent visit of Alicia Paz Antolin, General Director of the Sustainability of Coasts and Sea of the Ministry of the Environment, Rural Resources and Seas, and the Mayor of Mogan Francisco Gonzalez together with Tomas Morales. By Tito Cabral
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
www.thecanarynews.com
Canarian Ancestry A team of Spanish and Portuguese scientists has used DNA samples taken from ancient aboriginal dental remains to determine their origin and the extent to which they have survived in the current population. When the Spanish first arrived in the islands they found them to be populated by a race of tall, blonde haired, muscular people who have come to be known as the Guanches. It has always been a source of fascination as to who these people were and where they come from. Unfortunately, the Guanches did not survive as a distinct population due to persecution by and inter breeding with the invaders.
In addition to this, there was a higher mortality rate among male Guanches, who were displaced and discriminated against by conquerors.
The results conclusively confirm earlier theories that the Guanches came from North Africa. Further results provide some illumination on how the Guanches fared under Spanish rule. In the centuries after the invasion of the islands in the 1400s most relationships, involving Guanches and Europeans, were between Spanish men and Guanche women, “due to the better social position of the Spanish men compared to Guanche males.
Despite these advances, there are still mysteries to solve, such as how to determine whether the first inhabitants of the Canary Islands arrived by their own means or whether they were brought by force. There are no signs to ascertain whether they were aware of navigation or if they came in one or several waves.
5
Local News
As a result of how Guanche men and women fared, the genetic make up of the Islands’ current inhabitants differs according to sex. The average Canary Islands’ male has genes made up of 83% Spanish/European and 17% Guanche. A female Canarian however has genes which are 55% European, 42% Guanche and 3% sub Saharan African as a result of the impact of the slave trade on the islands in the 17th and 18th centuries.
From an article kindly supplied by David Manley
Canarian Olive Oil Some years ago I heard about a small business producing olive oil in the Agüimes area. I am passionate about food and cooking so this got my interest immediately. As I have mentioned on many occasions the island of Gran Canaria has a large variety of local products of a high quality which need to be brought to the attention of culinary fanatics such as myself. But it was not until I read about a recent olive oil conference, that I decided I had to find out more about the product on the island. The growing of olive trees has been taking place on the island of Gran Canaria for several centuries during which time it has become a way of life for many agricultural producers and now represents an important part of the landscape on the south-eastern mountain sides of our island.Although open to dispute, the island claims its own variety of olive called “Verdial de Canarias”, The dispute arises because it was originally imported from Andalusia, but has now evolved over the centuries, acclimatising itself to the volcanic soil and our unique climate This has happened to such an extent that the fruit of the tree is now very different from that of its ancestor. Other varieties also commonly grown are “Arbequina” and “Hojiblanca”, from which a less peppery but extremely high quality oil is extracted. Although the cultivation of olive trees is a growing industry on the island, only 20% of the olives are being harvested at present; the rest are being left to simply fall from the trees and rot. Further to this, the lack of training in cultivating this ancient tree properly has reduced production and increased the incidence of diseases and problems which affect this tree. In view of this, 3 years ago a group of olive tree growers formed “ACOLIVA”, an association/cooperative which not only believes in the sustainability of olive tree cultivation but believes in the importance of green credentials. Finally this year the association managed to produce its first ever Canarian Ecological Extra Virgin Olive Oil”. Whilst this is a pioneering local product it has also been awarded a very high quality standard by international oil experts. Following this success the association managed for the 3rd year running to organise the “III Ecological
Do YOU have a story to tell us about the Island? If so please call: 928 774 818 Or email: info@thecanarynews.com
Olive Oil Conference in the Canaries”, bringing in experts from all over the world and offering lectures and courses and the ecological best farming best practice including irrigation, ecological composts, identifying plagues and illnesses and sustainability of the industry. Further to this, workshops on the culinary advantages of olive oil were held as well as highlighting other less known uses such as in cosmetics and in the manufacture of bath salts, soaps and deodorants. Next month the association will be pressing this year’s crop of olives in Santa Lucia and The Canary News will be there to report on this rare ritual on the island of Gran Canaria. In the mean time if you would like to know more about Canarian Extra Virgin Olive Oil or simply purchase some; contact ACOLIVA on 633 35 19 94 or on their web page www.acoliva.org. Their English is not perfect but remember, those who want to communicate will! By Tito Cabral
Oakley Cup Quiz
The annual Oakley Cup Quiz has been held at the British Club in Las Palmas, with the final taking place on Thursday 5th November. 8 teams took part representing the English Speaking Schools and the British Community. The Final comprised battled out between the British Club Team who scored 58 points and the winners were the British School GC (Staff) who scored 88 points. Mr Alex Bramwell was quizmaster throughout the competition.
6
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
www.thecanarynews.com
Front Page Story
Continued from front page
Welcome Ambassador
This was something that he appreciated and promised to do all he could to ensure that the Canarian and Spanish authorities appreciate our problems. The first few packed weeks following the new Ambassador’s appointment are seeing Mr Paxman building relations with key members of the Spanish Government and civil society organisations, as the Embassy teams prepare for the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, which starts in January 2010. Mr Paxman has expressed his delight at return-
ing to Europe, and Spain in particular, at this important juncture. He has been keen to point out the growing economic relationship between the two countries with companies such as Ferrovial, Iberdrola and Banco Santander now a prominent part of the British economic landscape, whilst Diageo, Vodafone and Barclays are helping to build the Spanish economy. He believes that both countries have a busy agenda to pursue as both countries look to revitalise their recession hit economies.
The new British Consul in the Canary Islands joins the British Consular network in Spain after a successful career in industry specialising in sales and marketing consultancy. He is now responsible for the consular teams in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife as well as being the Honorary Consul in Lanzarote. In introducing the Consul, the Ambassador highlighted his management skills and customer care experience. It is hoped that these will contribute to the ongoing modernisation of the British Consular network in Spain with the aim of providing the best quality service to both residents and visitors. A measure of Mr Vickers’ task is the fact that the British consular operation in Spain is the largest in the world. An average of 17 million Britons visit Spain every year, with almost 4 million choosing the Canary Islands as their destination. The British population in Spain is estimated at 1 million including temporary residents. Over 80,000 of these long-term and temporary residents live in the Canary Islands. As part of the pro active approach favoured by Mr Vickers, an Open Day for British residents on Gran Canaria was recently held in Playa del Inglés. Attendees were informed of the position regarding UK pension, benefit and healthcare entitlements. Experts were on hand to answer questions in one to
one sessions following the main presentations. The Consular staff were joined by a representative from Age Concern España who explained what her organisation is hoping to achieve on the island. Some very useful information was imparted all round and The Canary News will feature articles concerning this in future editions.
www.thecanarynews.com
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
7
Feature
Gran Canaria Info, the number one English website for Gran Canaria my little bit to promote tourism to Gran Canaria. I think the answer to our problems is ‘quality’. If you really do your best to please your customer, you are not only helping yourself but you are in fact helping Gran Canaria as a tourist destination. So we added a system to our Directory, and will add the same system to the booking system, where people can review your services. If you deliver as promised, people will be positive about you. And if a next potential client reads a positive review, they will tend to believe that a lot more than whatever you say on your own website for example. It’s just like when you buy at E-bay, first thing you do, is checking out the selling person or company. What do other clients say of them? I think this will be an extra push to make sure Gran Canaria becomes a ‘quality destination’. I don’t mean ‘five star stuff’, just for people to be honest about their services and to live up to their promises.” “Business owners don’t need to worry. If a nasty person writes an unfair review, others will pick it out soon enough and the system automatically hides reviews that are deemed unfair by a positive number of visitors of our site”, says Lex. “I’m tinkering with those settings right now.”
Try Googling “Gran Canaria” and the website www.Gran-Canaria-Info.com ranks first in the results. With 6,000 unique visitors it’s doing much better than the island’s official tourism site on English Google versions. Gran Canaria Info has been up and running since 1998 and, Internet-wise, that’s a mighty long time! It’s not for nothing that Google loves Gran Canaria Info. The site incorporates news, a guide to Gran Canaria with interactive maps, an extensive professional photo gallery, a lively Forum, an Events Calendar, a Directory which is like a deluxe Yellow Pages and free classified ads. A busy place to say the least. “I still have a lot of plans for Gran Canaria Info” says Lex Thoonen, photographer and web builder who founded and continues to lead the volunteer team who help run www.Gran-Canaria-Info.com. “I’m adding an reservation system which apartment owners can use to advertise their accommodation. But right now, we’re working on the Directory part of the site. We are intending to have all businesses, organizations and websites
that concern Gran Canaria tourists or residents listed on our website. Anyone, either with or without a website can add their listing to it. The Directory incorporates a system where people can review the services on offer and make their choice accordingly based on the experiences of previous customers.” “What Gran Canaria Info needs now, is for anyone who has a Gran Canaria related website, or business or organization, to add their details to the site. It’s free and apart from the ‘dry details’, you can pinpoint your location exactly on a Google Map and add lots of photos and your logo. Hence the description “Yellow Pages, de luxe style.” Only if you want to offer visitors to Gran Canaria Info some kind of discount, will you have to pay a small amount for your listing. Right now, that’s 390 Euro per year, or 39 Euro per month for people who sign up in 2009. If you want to know more, check the Help button on the site about the Offering Discount Programme.” “I know these are hard times for quite a lot of businesses on Gran Canaria, so I thought of a way to add
The Canary News, is happy to announce that apart from on our own website www.thecanarynews.com, the digital version of the paper that you’re reading right now is available as well on www. Gran-Canaria-Info.com, under the ‘News’ button. This will mean that even more people will read the paper, so it’s a great way of working together to provide English speaking visitors and residents with more and better information about Gran Canaria. If you want to find out more, check the website, read the Help pages or contact Lex via the contact form. If you’d like to give him a call, you can do so on 680 641368.
8
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
www.thecanarynews.com
Letters to the Editor
Please write to us and The Canary News will award the Letter of the Week a Free COMBO meal at Fusion Restaurant & Lounge Bar in Arguineguin (See advertisement below for address) The Canary News reserves the right to edit your letters and accepts no responsility for readers’ opinions.
Letter of the week I would like to congratulate you on your paper. It is informative and interesting. But especially I like to read Comfort Corner by Kay Owen which is in the Community Section. The articles are always excellent and something from the heart. In fact, this is the first thing that I look for when your paper comes out. Sometimes, the articles touch me so much that I want to cry. I just wanted you to know that this is my favourite page. The other articles are good as well and it is good to have your paper on the island. Trudi Richardson, Playa del Cura There is always room for improvement but your kind words are appreciated. Kay’s articles often draw appreciative comments. Ed
Copy of The Canary News on line.
As a person who spends most of my time between the mainland and the island I am always seeking methods of “Keeping in Touch”. For some time now I have been a great admirer of Lex and the web site www.GranCanaria-Info.com. For me this has been a great way to find out what is going on, especially the Forum with all the ins and outs as they happen on a daily basis. As I was thinking about writing this, I was delighted to see his latest addition which is is a virtually copy of The Canary News on his web site, this saves me having to log out and log into the paper itself. Incidentally full
marks to the Editor of the paper as it has come on leaps and bounds over the last few editions. So Lex, if you are reading this, just a thank you and keep up the good work the next time I am on the island we will have a Tinto Verano for giving me such pleasurable reading. “Drifter” We’ve enjoyed working with Lex and his wife over the past few weeks. Take a look at the article on page ?? Ed
Doom and gloom
What a brilliant article on page three in the last edition. Every time I visit the island, all you hear from certain people (mostly Brits I have to say) is doom and gloom. You know, the funny thing is normally THEY are doing nothing themselves to make things better but are quite happy to damage other people’s reputations, businesses, families, livelihood and so on by gabbing about others-what a way to live!! As they say if you cannot stand the heat get out of the kitchen, get out of people’s way and get a life. Well done to the person who wrote that article -brilliant -and -love the paper. “Happy Islander” Well, I could have thought of a somewhat gentler way of putting this but my sentiments remain the same. Ed
Laptop Hack
I am currently here on holiday and staying near Aguila Playa. I was using my laptop in a public area when I was approached by two well dressed men who I took to be German. They told me that they were having problems with their own connection and asked if they could have a look at my computer. I agreed, rather too willingly in retrospect, and they proceeded to do a couple of things using the keyboard and then left. Later on I noticed that whilst I was using my laptop again, there were 3 or 4 other men around also using computers and I noticed a strange icon on my desktop which wasn’t there before. I am convinced that they were trying to ‘hack’ into my personal details etc. so I went and reported it to the tourist board who were very nice but suggested I go to the police but of course you need to speak Spanish, so I didn’t go. I am now unwilling to use my laptop until I am sure that my details are secure. I just want to warn other tourists of the dangers of letting strangers use your laptops. Name and address withheld This sounds very suspicious so thank you for coming forward with the information. There are plenty of people on the island who can help you and I have already sent to you the details of one I have used in the past. Ed
Local resident is a TV star ! Marcel Vandezande is a Belgian who has been living in Gran Canaria for the last ten years. Earlier this year he was watching a television programme on Belgian TV and an advert appeared looking for contestants for a programme called “Expeditie Robinson”. The programme is a Dutch & Belgian collaboration and is similar to the programme “Survivor” which was shown on British TV.
Marcel applied and was asked to audition for the programme in Holland. Some of the tests involved in the audition difficult to say the least and included swimming the length of a pool while holding two heavy weights. Marcel is a keen Scuba Diver and feels this probably helped him pass some of the tests especially the pool based ones. He was accepted for the programme and, in May this year, he flew to Holland and then Malaysia where the programme was to be recorded. In the past the format of the programme has been much like “Survivor” with the contestants being
left stranded on tropical islands, however, on this occasion there was a twist. When selecting contestants, the television company had promoted the programme as the first ever woman only version. 16 women were duly accepted and were split into two groups and then placed on separate islands. Unbeknowns to the women, there were also five male contestants who were dropped in the middle of the jungle which Marcel says was a surprise as the men had assumed they would also be left on an island, as in the previous series. The first episode of the series was aired at the beginning of September and it is being shown every Thursday evening at 19.30. If you are interested in seeing Marcel’s progress, a local Puerto Rico bar, Wig Wam, is showing it on a big screen every week for the duration of the 14 episodes. In reality, the series is recorded and Marcel is now back on Gran Canaria where I have been speaking to him about his experience. He says the experience was tough; especially the time spent in the jungle which has already featured in the episodes shown to date.
top right Marcel Vandezande
Marcel says he really enjoyed it and it was a unique experience with all the wild animals so close by. From what this reporter has seen it also involved eating a variety of weird and wonderful creatures that I would rather not be forced to try.
In a further twist they were given a large heavy chest and told they had to transport it through the jungle. This was not easy of course and it then turned out that it contained all the female contestants’ personal belongings ! It is not giving too much away to say that the men successfully make their way through the jungle to an island and, as the programme goes on, there are various challenges and competitions involving the contestants. Contestants are voted off every week and we are pleased to report that Marcel remains involved. Watch this space to see how he got on in the latter stages. By: Nina Blaefell
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
www.thecanarynews.com
Spanish Lessons
age, or that you´re hungry, sleepy or hot/cold: tengo sesenta años (I´m 60), tengo hambre (I´m hungry literally, I have hunger), tengo sueño (I´m sleepy) or tengo calor/frio (I´m hot/cold). You might want to ask ‘are you thirsty?’ (¿tienes sed?) or ‘how old are you?’ (¿cuántos años tienes? – literally ‘how many years have you?). Be careful not to mix up año [an-yo] and ano (anus). You don´t want to be asking people how many anuses they have!
Lesson 7 To be or not to be? Surprisingly, the Spanish often opt to have, rather than to be, when it comes to expressing themselves. This goes for age, hunger, fear – all sorts. First, let´s see how the indispensible verb TENER (to have) changes depending on who it refers to: Yo tengo (I have), tú tienes (you have), él/ella tiene (he/she or it has – though there’s no word for ‘it’ in Spanish). Remember, while it´s not wrong to include the subject pronouns (yo, tú, él etc) they are often left out as the verb ending alone usually tells us everything we need to know. Understanding how to use tener not only allows you to ask questions like ¿tienes hijos? [tee-en-ess eehoss] – do you have children? but also to state your
9
The handy phrase to have to translates as tener que, followed by an infinitive, or unchanged original verb. So ‘I have to go home now’ would simply be ‘tengo que ir a casa ahora’.
Go, go, go! Clearly, another handy verb is IR, to go. Infuriatingly, the most useful action words are often the most irregular. So while I go is voy, you go (using tú) is vas, and he/she/it/‘usted’ goes is va. The Canarians complicate matters further bay often dropping the ‘s’ off words even when they´re addressing you with the informal ‘tu’ rather than the formal ‘usted’. Even so, if you board a guagua (the Canarian word for bus), you can tell the driver where you´re going by saying: voy a Playa del Inglés/Las Palmas… etc. Or you might want to ask: ¿Vas al bar luego? (are you going to the bar later?). IR is used in many common phrases like to go shopping (ir de compras) or to go on holiday (ir de vacaciones). It even allows us to use the future tense if you stick
with Theresa Coe
an infinitive verb (ending in -er, -ir, or -ar) after the ‘a’, as in voy a ir [eer] de compras (I´m going to go shopping) or John va a comer [com-air] luego (John´s going to eat later) maybe because (él) no tiene hambre [am-bray] ahora (he´s not hungry now).
¡Venga! In joint first place for word of the week are vale (okay, as in: alright then, agreed) and bueno or pues [pwess] which both mean umm/well… and are a good way to buy time to think. However, if you really want to impress with your Spanish, drop in a ¡venga! from time to time, which serves as a commentary on just about everything, depending on your tone of voice: from ‘right then’, to ‘you´re on’, or ‘that´s surprising’ to ‘blimey!’. Venga, hasta la próxima. ¡Qué tengas una buena semana! (Right, til next time – have a good week).
This Week´s Top Tip The culture newspaper Público includes a free dvd every Friday, for only 1e50. Previous titles have included British films such as The Queen and Mrs Henderson Presents – watch with Spanish subtitles (or dubbed into castellano if you´re feeling really brave). Freebies on other days include interactive cd-roms with simple children´s stories in Spanish which can be read and listened to simultaneously, and classical music cds (www.publico.es).
If you have any questions or comments relating to this column or the Spanish language in general: Please email theresacoe@gmail.com
Happy St Andrew’s Day A happy St Andrew’s Day on 30 November not only to our Scottish readers but also those from Greece, Romania and Russia for which countries he is also the patron saint. Scotland has more reasons to celebrate now that the day is celebrated as a Bank Holiday. A wealth of traditions surround St Andrew’s Day around Europe. German folklore advises single women who wish to marry to ask for St Andrew’s help. The night before the 30th, if they sleep naked, they will see their future husbands in their dreams. Young women should also note the location of barking dogs on St Andrew’s Eve, as their future husbands will come from that direction. St Andrew is also expected to look after gout, singers, sore throats, stiff necks, unmarried women, women who wish to become mothers, fish dealers, fishmongers, fishermen, old maids – and more!
ProDeum Concert An audience, on Saturday 14th November, filled Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Las Palmas to capacity and many more standing in the Church Gardens, heard the ProDeum Choir Orchestra and band perform works by J.S.Bach, Martin Luther, G.F.Handel, and some modern music also.
Closer to home, well the Canary Islands anyway, Tenerife shares the same flag as Scotland, otherwise known as the Saltire, or St Andrew’s Cross.
The concert concluded with the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. This was a fitting climax to a wonderful concert which was conducted by Voicu Burca. The Prodeum Association is a cultural, non-profit association peforming Christian Music.
10
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
Family Life
www.thecanarynews.com
Imaginary Friends “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells” – Dr Seuss
My friend Rita has to set an extra space at the table for dinner. This is not because of some poignant memory of a lost loved one, but for her little girl’s imaginary friend, Bebo. Bebo is a small dragon who likes carrots and burps rudely at the table, which of course sends Sally into fits of giggles. He can be small enough to fit into Sally’s pocket, or when he is big turn invisible. He is also Sally’s best friend.
guishable to real people – while others say that they only exist in their minds eye.
This fantasy is an important part of child development, both cognitively and emotionally as imaginary companions are an extension to pretend play. There is noth-
By the age of seven, children are more likely to move away from their imaginary friend, when realising more clearly the line between fantasy and reality. Much like an old toy that is no longer required, children move on to other things and can sometimes simply forget their old friend – however at the age of seven over 65% of children report to having had at least one imaginary friend in their lives at some point.
The creation for a child of an imaginary friend is perfectly normal, and should be accepted into family life. From the age of 3 to 5, the line between reality and fantasy is a little fuzzy, so children often create ‘friends’ to help them have conversations, work out problems, or even act out issues that worry them. Parents are sometimes disconcerted by the thought of their child talking to someone who they have made up; however there is a great deal of research regarding imaginary companions and how it can actually be beneficial to your child. An imaginary companion is a wonderful way to help your child understand the adult world. They can use their imaginary friend to have control in their lives, as most of the time their lives are controlled by us adults about what they can and can’t do and an imaginary friend can provide them with a great deal of comfort when feeling stressed or upset. Imaginary friends can also help with loneliness as most are created before children start to attend school and before they go on to make real friends. Most importantly an imaginary companion is someone to blame when a lamp gets broken in the living room! Some children have many different imaginary friends, and some find that these friends are virtually indistin-
There is also research that suggests that children who are considered ‘bright’ are more likely to produce an imaginary friend to play with, however this is not consistent to the point that every ‘bright’ child will produce an imaginary companion. Furthermore, it has also been theorised that children who have imaginary friends are more likely to develop their language skills quicker and retain knowledge faster than those who don’t. This may be because children have more practice while ‘chatting’ to their friend than their peers receive.
A study completed in the US with 100 preschool children; 50 boys and 50 girls; also found that 27% of the children described an imaginary friend that their parents weren’t even aware of. We as parents need to accept imaginary friends as part of our children’s lives, though not necessarily encourage it. If your child asks for an extra seat at the table like Sally asks for Bebo, then this is acceptance of what your child needs at that time – but let your child give you the information and don’t pester them for what you want to know. Remember an imaginary friend is something that your child has control over, and he or she doesn’t want mummy or daddy interfering with something that is wholly theirs to control. ing to fear from your child having one or more friends; however if they do continually blame the friend for causing mischief of one kind, then this is something that needs to be addressed by you the parent.
However don’t be afraid of it, your child is showing how their imagination works and how they want to work out the daily life issues that happen to them. Maybe we could all do with an imaginary friend once in a while?
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
www.thecanarynews.com
11
Business Advice
In Search of the Elusive Prospect IT’S A fact … all businesses are suffering from the same problem … the disappearing customer! So where did they go? We asked our business advisor 121 Business Coach to investigate.
Some or all of these reasons determine where we spend our money and it is not always the cheapest prices that win over customers – Opencor is not the cheapest place to buy anything, however they are always busy, why?... convenience, they are open 24/7.’ From a business point of view, there are two things that you should be concerned with:
‘What is evident is that people are still in the market place with money to spend, the amount of money may have changed, but they are still spending’, said Yvonne from 121 business coach. ‘The difference is that customers are becoming far more discerning about where they spend their hard earned money. There are more factors coming into play in the decision making process such as who is offering the keenest prices, the biggest product choice, customer friendly opening hours, the best customer service.
Maintaining existing customers … never forget that regular customers are also prospects for new products or services…do your best to keep them. Prospecting for new customers on a regular and on-going basis. Prospecting is crucial to small business survival. In order to endure difficult economic times and grow under normal circumstances, your business will need to expand its customer base. But even loyal customers eventually use other suppliers, so you’ll have to acquire new business in order to maintain the status quo. That means expanding your sales prospects. To get started, try these techniques: List the firms that compete with your customers. Each company on that list is a potential new customer.
Solicit referrals. Offer discounts, freebies, or other incentives to customers who bring you new business. Try direct marketing. Direct marketing and mailing lists are a convenient way to identify and obtain lists of accurate, targeted sales leads for your business. Seek out similar partnerships. Prospect sharing with similar industries can provide benefits to both parties. Before you enter into this type of alliance, make sure that you can vouch for the other company. Otherwise their mistakes could sully your good reputation. Look outside your niche. Think creatively about other markets that may want your product or service. Visit trade shows in crossover industries for ideas. Consider tweaking your product or service. One way to expand into new
markets is to appeal to a broader range of customers. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities that are related to your current business. Do good deeds. Environmental groups, for example, will provide your company with referrals if they know you provide environmentally friendly services? Advertise creatively. Consider special promotions, different media, or other new ways of getting your message out. If you aren’t advertising already, now may be the time to start. As a business, you can do all or some of the above, what you can’t afford to do is NOTHING. Take the first step and contact 121 business coach for sound ideas on how to get started contact (+34) 965 744 015 Or email: info@121businesscoach.com
121 Business Coach offer The Canary News readers a free assessment session to help you identify what course of action would be right for you and your business or go to www.121businesscoach.com and download the free success wheel quiz which quickly identifies the area you will gain the most from or email your questions to yvonne@121businesscoach.com or call us on Tel: 965 744 015
12
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
Scandinavian Scene
with Nina Blaefell
The Swedish School of Gran Canaria The school offers pre-school from aged 3 and education right up to school leaving age. At the moment the school has around 40 pupils, making it very small and friendly. This is also evident when you meet the principal at the school, Lotta Olofsson. Not at all how I remember my principal ! The Canary News visited the school on the 10th November when they held a fair in the evening. The children provided entertainment with a music show while the parents and others attending could enjoy food and beverage. There was also a second hand market with a wide variety of goods on offer.
The Swedish school here in Gran Canaria was started in 1965 in Las Palmas. At that time Las Palmas was the centre of tourism on the island and also where the majority of Swedes were located. However, as time passed more and more people were moving south and in 1991 the school re-located to Maspalomas. However, the premises in Maspalomas proved unsuitable so in 1994 the school moved again to San AgustĂn which is where the school is located today
The school is trying to raise money towards new toys and activities for the playground which is what the money raised at the fair will be used for. To try to raise some more funds the school will be holding a Christmas Fair at the school on Sunday the 13th December to which all are welcome. The School is situated between the Swedish Church and the Reception of the Rocas Rojas apartments, close to the Clinica Roca. During the Christmas fair there will also be a traditional Swedish Lucia procession. The Lucia celebration is a traditional Swedish event which brings light in dark times with the girl chosen as Lucia wearing a crown of candles (electrical ones these days) followed by more girls with candles and boys with bright stars to light up the dark days. The school has also been asked to have a Lucia procession at Ikea here in Gran Canaria which will take place at 18.00 on the 11th December and is of course open to everyone.
www.thecanarynews.com
www.thecanarynews.com
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
13
Feature
Thomson and First Choice present six Gold Awards to RIU Hotels on Gran Canaria RIU Hotels were recently presented with Gold Awards by TUI Travel UK and Ireland, parent company of well-known British tour operators, Thomson and First Choice, at a ceremony held at the RIU Palace Meloneras. The prestigious awards were awarded on behalf of TUI UK by Joe Jordan, Quality Coordinator, and Katrina Passmore, Admin Team Manager, to hotel managers from the luxury hotel chain in recognition of customer satisfaction initiatives and the opinions expressed by guests staying in the RIU hotels throughout 2008. Pilar Dominguez, who is joint director of Club Hotel RIU Gran Canaria along with Atanasio Benitez Gonzalez, explained that RIU hotels have two managers to support each other in their role and she believes that this is key to customer satisfaction. Working together as a team, the directors have more time to dedicate to customers staying in their hotel and this is clearly appreciated by their guests who have voted for the Club Hotel RIU Gran Canaria for the fifth year in a row. Pilar Dominguez proudly accepted the First Choice Summer 4 Sun Accommodation award saying that she was “very proud to receive a thank you and to know that customer expectations are being satisfied.” Marina Lopez and Manuel Navarro, the directors of RIU Palace Meloneras who hosted the celebratory breakfast and award ceremony, also received Gold Awards in the Thomson Summer A La Carte category. The Thomson Winter A la Carte award was accepted by Roberto Jimenez, director of Hotel RIU Palace Maspalomas. Perhaps the greatest achievement was that of Javier Mantel and Oscar Casado, directors of Club Hotel RIU Vistamar, who managed to scoop an incredible three awards all voted for by guests saying in their hotel. Not only will the First Choice Summer 4 Sun Accommodation award hang on the hotels wall but also Thomsons Summer and Winter 4T Accommodation awards. Javier Mantel, having already decided on the perfect place to display them, gave credit to the hotels employees, claiming that the awards were given in recognition of “the strength of the team at the hotel”. He explained that his hotel caters for a great many nationalities but finds the British and Irish guests especially friendly; “On behalf of the hotel, I am genuinely pleased to receive this recognition of customer happiness and satisfaction.” “RIU have a great product, which Thomson and First Choice customers new and old appreciate, hence all the awards they continually receive,” explained TUI UK’s Joe Jordan, who meets regularly with the directors in
their respective hotels. Katrina Passmore, the Admin team Manager who has been working in Gran Canaria since March this year, is responsible for ensuring that all customers have an amazing holiday experience before, during and after their stay in resort, ironing out any challenges or giving helpful advice along the way.
operators. TUI UK is looking for good quality and service in their hotels and this is the same objective as RUI hotels. The fact that these awards have been presented today because of customer votes is proof of our success and of reaching our objective for customer satisfaction. I am very proud to be part of this team.”
“I have worked alongside the RIU hotel chain for almost 6 years in various locations including Lanzarote, Fuerteventura & Mainland Spain. It has been a pleasure today to be able to present these awards, recognising the professionals at RIU, with whom we work in close collaboration with a view to providing the highest customer satisfaction”.
The award ceremony was attended by the two managing directors of RIU hotels on Gran Canaria, Luis Garcia and Manuel Jaile, who were also clearly proud of the teams achievements.
It is the very fact that these Gold awards are decided by Thomson and First Choice customers that give credence to Maurice Damen’s assertion that RUI hotels on Gran Canaria are giving quality and a high standard of service to its guests. As the Sales Manager for the Canary Island and Madeira he understands that the strength of the hotel chain is in its employees, led by the hotel managers, offering quality, service and a friendly face to its guests. He explained that the group have close working relationships with several tour operators, but of todays award ceremony he enthused, “It is good to have support from one of the biggest tour
RIU Palace Meloneras Resort presented with the Thomson Summer A la Carte award Clubhotel RIU Vistamar presented with the Thomson Summer 4T award Clubhotel RIU Vistamar presented with the First Choice Summer 4 Sun award Clubhotel RIU Vistamar presented with the Thomson Winter 4T award Hotel RIU Palace Maspalomas presented with the Thomson Winter A la Carte award Clubhotel RIU Gran Canaria presented with the First Choice Summer 4 Sun award
The awards in full:
14
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
www.thecanarynews.com
Las Palmas
WOMAD Las Palmas Celebrates 15th Birthday. musical events in Spain, and offering Canarians and visitors a like a festival like no other. “Equally important, the festivals have also allowed many different audiences to gain an insight into cultures other than their own through the enjoyment of music. Music is a universal language, it draws people together and proves, as well as anything, the stupidity of racism.” Peter Gabriel
In 1980 Peter Gabriel and a group of colleagues had a vision and started planning a multicultural music festival which not only would give musicians from all over the world a chance to perform in front of a large crowd but would bring cultures and nationalities together with a message of peace and harmony amongst all.
With this in mind the first ever WOMAD festival was held in 1982 and since then it has travelled around the globe succeeding in introducing an international audience to many talented artists. This year WOMAD celebrated its fifteenth birthday in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, establishing itself as one of the most important
As always the Ayuntamiento of Las Palmas has set up three spectacular stages offering live concerts during every evening the festival took place and ensuring that the large range of artists both international and local could be enjoyed by all. The attendance of well over 150,000 people during the four WOMAD days proves the success of this festival. People from all the islands, mainland Spain and foreign visitors from all cultures and backgrounds congregated to simply enjoy the atmosphere and mu-
sic on offer completely free of charge. The range of artists that participated included; Spiro, Manel, Vieux Farka Touré, Elíades, Black Swan Effect, Sr. Natilla, Siyaya, Najma Akthar & Gary Lucas, Márcio Local, Roy Ayers, Manao, Yone & Timplebanda, Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara, Melingo and Oumou Sangaré. In addition the WOMAD Global Village of Shops was set up, congregating artisans from all over the world offering their hand made products, arts and crafts, food stalls offering world cuisine and participating ONG’s which facilitated information to all passers by. The younger ones also had the chance to participate in workshops specially designed for their entertainment as well as the adults. With the collaboration of the Miller Building,
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
www.thecanarynews.com
Your Questions Answered
‘The Canarian Lawyer’ Bank charges on a mortgage account My Bank is charging me a fee on an account that simply exists to make regular payments on my mortgage. Is this charge appropriate? It is wrong to charge such a fee because the account involved is for a specific purpose and had to be opened to facilitate mortgage payments. You should reclaim the charge in writing. Dispute between ex partners over child’s out-of-school expenses My ex wife signed up our son for some out of school activities that we had not jointly previously agreed. Can I refuse to pay? Initially, you can refuse to pay. The calculation of the monthly alimony for the child must include this type of cost. Therefore, if your ex-wife has signed your son up for this activity, without it having been accounted for in the alimo-
ny calculation, she cannot now demand that you make a contribution towards it. Where extraordinary expenses arise, you must pay half of those expenses duly accredited and previously agreed. Where urgent expenses are concerned, there may be no time to agree properly but this is not the case where the cost of such out of school activities is involved. Sexual harassment at work For some time now, I have been receiving the unwanted attentions of a work colleague. He has been paying me more attention than I think appropriate, insists on bringing me coffee, sits too close to me to teach me my work, and rubs up against me, etc. This may all seem innocent, but I am uncomfortable and do not know how to solve this matter. Legally is this sexual harassment? Technically no. But if you tell him that
his actions are upsetting you, then, if he is reasonable, he should change his attitude. You can claim harassment however if you feel uncomfortable, threatened or humiliated by unbearable and hostile treatment. I cannot pay the mortgage on my flat If I am unable to pay the mortgage on my flat for up to three months, can it be repossessed? Apart from the moratorium of two years that the Government has granted to people with mortgage loans who become unemployed, there is another procedure that is designed to avoid you being expelled from your property and it is useful for all kinds of people who fall into mortgage arrears. Previously, if one or more monthly instalments of the loan was unpaid or paid late, the lender could demand repayment of loan in full. The current law has changed that situation radically. Today, the borrower, under a process called “rehabilitation of the mortgage”, has the opportunity to bring the payment of the mortgage up to date in the case that one or more payments have not been made. The debtor may rehabilitate the loan if he/she pays all the unpaid contributions together with
Web and Computer problems?
Q. I have problems in Windows after installing new software. A. After installing any type of utility,
driver or other software program on a computer you can encounter an almost endless list of issues that can be caused by any of the below reasons. 1.Confliction with other software installed on the computer. 2.Issue with program. 3.Improper installation or problems with installation. If you’re encountering problems with your computer or other programs after installing new software on your computer attempt to uninstall the program and see if the issues persist. After the program has been uninstalled try
15
of free hard disk drive space. This available space allows the computer to have room for the swap file to increase in size as well as room for temporary files.
If you continue to experience issues verify that the program, game, or utility you’re installing doesn’t have any updates by visiting the developer of the program website. If you’re installing a software program or drivers for a hardware device such as a printer, attempt to get the latest software and/or drivers from the manufacturer instead of using the included software.
Hard drive corrupted or fragmented: Run Scandisk or something equiva-
This issue can be caused by any of the below possibilities. 1.Hard disk drive is short on available disk space. 2.Several software programs have been installed/uninstalled leaving behind bad files and/or confusing the software. 3.Data Corruption. 4.Outdated drivers 5.Computer is overheating. 6.Corrupt OS. 7.Bad Hardware.
Not enough hard disk drive space:
Verify that there is at least 200-500MB
Daughter taken into care I am a recovering drug addict and, because of this, my three year old daughter has been taken into care. Can I apply to have my daughter back until such time as a suitable family can be found for adoption purposes? You should apply immediately for the services of a lawyer or apply for one in officio to assist. At the moment, if the Court requires you to give your consent for your daughter to be taken away, you should declare that you refuse and, request instead the reinstatement of parental authority and custody of your daughter by demonstrating that you are taking positive steps to rehabilitate yourself.
info@thecanarynews.com
installing the program again. Note: If after installing a program you’re unable to boot into Windows, try booting into Safe Mode.
Q. My computer is running slow what steps can I do to fix it?
interest and judicial costs, and he/she pays the required amount before the auction of the property takes place. Now, the law will protect a debtor from losing his/ her property due to accumulated arrears but it should not be forgotten that missed payments generate very expensive costs and should be avoided if at all possible. This system of loan rehabilitation is a one off remedy, so defaulting repeatably will eventually lead to you losing your property.
lent to help ensure that there is nothing physically wrong with the computer hard disk drive. Run Defrag to help ensure that data is arranged in the best possible order.
Background programs:
Remove or disable any programs that automatically start each time the computer boots. If you want to see what programs are running in the background, how much memory they’re using, and their CPU usage open Task Manager. If you’ve got an anti-virus scanner on the computer, spyware protection program, or other security utility make sure it’s not running in the background as you’re trying to work. Often when these programs begin to scan the computer it can decrease the overall performance of your computer.
Hardware conflicts:
verify that the Device Manager has no conflicts. If any exist resolve these issues as they could be the cause of your problem.
Update your drivers:
make sure you’ve got the latest drivers for your computer. Especially the latest video drivers. Having out-of-date drivers can cause an assortment of issues.
Computer or processor is overheating:
make sure your computer and processor is not overheating, excessive heat can cause a significant decrease in computer performance some processors will even lower the speed of the processor automatically to help compensate for the heat related issues.
Erase computer and start over:
Finally, if none of the above solutions resolve your issues, it is recommended that you either reinstall Windows and/or erase everything and then start over.
Hardware issues:
if your computer continues to be slow after going over each of the above recommendations it’s possible that your computer is experiencing a more serious hardware related issue such as a failing component in the computer. This could be a failing or bad CPU, RAM, Motherboard, or other component.
16
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
www.thecanarynews.com
Feature
A Visit to Puerto Mogán THIS PICTURESQUE fishing port, although not very well known, is dedicated to tourism but in a different way than the other bustling beach resorts like Playa del Inglés and Maspalomas. The waterfront, a purpose built holiday resort, has buildings no higher than two to three floors and was expanded into a traffic-free village with colourful houses designed in Mediterranean style. These houses give way to narrow alleys, all of them prettily lined with small gardens and window boxes planted with flowers, mostly bougainvillea, in all colours. Puerto de Mogán also boasts a network of pretty sea-water channels – which gives this port its nickname, ‘Spanish little Venice’– linking with promenades and small bridges, thus making a stroll around this port very pleasant. The attractive yacht marina with its neat and tidy restaurants, stylish cafés, restaurants, jazz and piano bars surrounding the local fishing fleet, which is still operating, is the perfect location for an evening stroll and of course – a romantic sunset dinner.
Shopping
Mogán has all the usual souvenir shops associated with a seaside town, a fabulous shoe and leather goods shop, and plenty of choices for cosmetics and perfume. There is a new shopping centre as you enter Mogan which is well equipped with new retailers and businesses. Every Friday, Mogán port holds a massive market, where you can purchase pottery, clothes, leather goods, fruit and vegetables and a wide selection of African artifacts. The market can be reached by the ferry boat from Puerto Rico or by the number 1 bus, but please note, the bus ride is not for the faint-hearted - sheer drops on the winding coast road, usually at great speed - don’t look!! Puerto de Mógan is definitely one of our favourites! By Debbie Wenn
Puerto de Mogán is ideal for a day out, especially on a Friday morning when a huge and very attractive market occupies the fishermen’s quay. At the eastern end of the port there is a small, well-protected sandy beach – ideal if you have children holidaying with you. Other attractions are a yellow submarine offering visitors trips to the underwater world offshore, small replicas of old sailing ships taking passengers to the beaches of Puerto Rico and Maspalomas and deep-sea fishing boats offering you the opportunity of making the catch of your life with world record size tuna fish or marlins. This port is the venue for the renowned ‘Blue Marlin angling competition’ in July every year!
Mogan Beach
The small and sheltered beach of Mogán (playa) is of fine, clean, pale sand with stunning shallow blue water - a safe bathing haven for all the family. There are canoes and pedalos for hire on the beach along with sun beds and parasols. The promenade separates the beach from the recently built up area immediately behind the front line of souvenir shops, restaurants and bars.
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
www.thecanarynews.com
Mediterranean Flavours In Mogán. IN THESE times of recession it is heartening to see exciting new ventures starting up and this is exactly what happened a few days ago in Puerto de Mogán. The eagerly anticipated opening of Saffron Restaurant took place and The Canary News was at the exclusive launch party. The evening promised to be very special with a 5 course gourmet’s delight on offer, complimented by a good selection of drinks including top quality champagne.
The man responsible for this welcome addition to the restaurant scene in Mogán is Mohsen Al Hawary, who is originally from Egypt but has lived in London for the past 20 years. The inspiration behind the restaurant was a visit to the “Venice of Gran Canaria”. He wanted to offer a quality restaurant with reasonable prices. And this is what he achieves at Saffron! His passion for Mediterranean flavours has encouraged him to fuse them together in a menu which
reflects the exotic influences of Egypt, Greece, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon and many more, all cooked over an open barbecue which gives these dishes a flavour completely out of the ordinary. The use of high quality, fresh produce, both local and imported, allows the customers a chance to enjoy a dining experience that is difficult to beat. Added to this, is the uniqueness of the menu which includes the use of exotic meats and spices. All in all a totally different eating experience. The food, which is cooked in the open kitchen in full view of all the customers, is not completely finished as Mohsen has included a feature which not only keeps your food hot throughout the meal, but allows customers to extend the
17
Feature
cooking time themselves should they so wish. These small designer barbecues fit neatly on an extension of the tables thus adding to the dining experience. During the evening the diversity of the courses were consumed with gusto and towards the end, it really was a case of not being able to eat any more. It is clear that Mohsen has invested heavily in his dream. The décor and the use of materials of the highest quality reflect the good taste and class of this restau-
Puerto de Mogán by night
it is a first for Gran Canaria.This small but charming restaurant is located on the beach promenade of Mogan Playa, and offers its guests a wonderful view of the bay and beach of this fishing village. We especially recommend you pop down and witness the spectacular sunset which can be enjoyed from the sofas on the restaurant’s terrace whilst sipping your favourite drink or cocktail.
rant. Comfort and design come together in harmony to add even more value to the customers’ enjoyment. One thing that should be highlighted is the use of cold water vapour sprinklers in the terrace area.
The spice Saffron is exclusive, delicate and seductive and this is exactly what Mohsen has achieved in this exciting new restaurant. Venture down to Mogan and let him pamper you, now that his dream has become a reality.
This high-tech cooling system is the perfect solution to those scorching summer days which can make it pretty uncomfortable to sit outside, let alone eat and
By Tito Cabral
18
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
www.thecanarynews.com
Twitters from the Atlantic with Barrie Mahoney
Not exactly cool...! Who remembers the Reliant Robin? If you are of a certain age you will remember the Reliant three wheeler - the much loved (and tolerated), ageing, battered transport of Del Boy and Rodney of TV’s ‘Only Fools and Horses’ fame. Apart from having only three wheels to worry about, this remnant of British motoring history’s main claim to notoriety was that it could be driven on just a provisional or motor cycle licence; it did not require the full driving test. I remember only too well the fleeting temptation of getting such a vehicle shortly after obtaining my first provisional licence, but as a student I could afford neither motor cycle nor three wheeler at the time anyway and so the idea was quickly forgotten. This brief recollection of the past brings me to the situation regarding the little Axiam cars that are so often seen tootling along the roads between Las Palmas and Maspalomas in Gran Canaria (and, I guess, much of Spain, France, Italy and Portugal). These irritating little cars are
usually very easy to spot as they rarely move faster than 30 mph and are often trailing behind on the verges of many roads, leading a parade of angry drivers with faster vehicles frantically tooting their horns. These vehicles can be described as ‘micro-cars’ and the main reason for buying them appears to be that they can be driven without any licence at all over here. This seems to be an anomaly in the motoring laws and I understand that the police are anxious to review the qualifications for driving them for obvious reasons!
capacity motorcycle licence to legally drive them in the UK. However, this may change in the future as these little cars are very economical to run with a relatively spacious body made from a strong alloy frame, covered with non rust plastic panels. Their low-emission engines (which sound a little like motor mowers ‘on heat’) make them exceptionally “green” vehicles; and it is now possible to get various versions that run on electricity. No doubt we shall be seeing many more of these ‘kerb crawlers’ in the future! © Barrie Mahoney ““If you enjoyed this article, take a look at Barrie’s website: www.barriemahoney.com or read his latest novel,“Journeys and Jigsaws”.
I don’t think I have ever seen one in the UK, probably because they are classified as a quad bike, in view of their weight and power output. This, very sensibly requires either a full driving licence or a full, unlimited
Bahia Feliz, at only 5 minutes from Playa del Inglés! For info and tickets ask your rep, reception or call us directly: 928 15 70 60
Some thoughts post Remembrance Day: Let’s not forget: · It is soldiers, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the Press. · It is soldiers, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. · It is soldiers, not the politicians that grant our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. · It is the Military who salute the flag, who serve beneath the flag, whose coffins are often draped by the flag. If you care to offer the smallest token of recognition and appreciation for our troops, please pass these thoughts on and pray for the men and women who have served and are currently serving our country and pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.
THE FINAL INSPECTION
The soldier stood and faced his God, Which must always come to pass. He hoped his shoes were shining, Just as brightly as his brass. ‘Step forward now, you soldier, How shall I deal with you ? Have you always turned the other cheek ? To My Church have you been true?’ The soldier squared his shoulders and said, ‘No, Lord, I guess I ain’t. Because those of us who carry guns, Can’t always be a saint. I’ve had to work most Sundays, And at times my talk was tough. And sometimes I’ve been violent, Because the world is awfully rough. But, I never took a penny, That wasn’t mine to keep... Though I worked a lot of overtime, When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help, Though at times I shook with fear. And sometimes, God, forgive me, I’ve wept unmanly tears. I know I don’t deserve a place, Among the people here. They never wanted me around, Except to calm their fears. If you’ve a place for me here, Lord, It needn’t be so grand. I never expected or had too much, But if you don’t, I’ll understand. There was a silence all around the throne, Where the saints had often trod. As the soldier waited quietly, For the judgment of his God. ‘Step forward now, you soldier, You’ve borne your burdens well. Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets, You’ve done your time in Hell.’ Author Unknown
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
www.thecanarynews.com
Canarian Cookery Chuletas de cerdo a la Madrilena
KNOW YOUR SPANISH FISH
Do you have difficulty in knowing what fish is on offer in the Chuletas de cerdo a la Madrilena, as the name implies island’s restaurants? This A-Z of fish found in Canary Island is from Madrid, Spain. It is an easy and quick recipe, waters may help. This week: A-C prepared in about 30 minutes. Paprika, onions and ABADE CERNIA GROUPER FAMILY ABADEJO COD FAMILY AGUJA GARFISH ALACHA ROUND SARDINELLA ALFONSIÑO CARDINAL FISH AMARILLO ANNULAR SEA BREAM ANGELOTE ANGELSHARK ANGUILA JARDINERA GARDEN CONGER EEL ANJOVA BLUEFISH ARAÑAS WEEVERS ATUN TUNA BAQUETA CLINIES BARRIGUDA MORA REDLIP BLENNY BARRIGUDAS BLENNIES BESUGO AXILLARY SEA BREAM BICA COMMON PANDORA BICUDA BARRACUDA BOCINEGRO COMMON SEA BREAM BOGA BOGUE BOGAVANTE FANGTOOTH MORAY BONITO SKIPJACK TUNA BRECA COMMON PANDORA BRIOTA (LISA) FORKBEARD BROTA FORKBEARD BROTA DE TIERRA SHORE ROCKLING BURRITO AFRICAN STRIPED GRUNT BURRITO LISTADO AFRICAN STRIPED GRUNT BURRO GRUNT (COD FAMILY) CABALLA ATLANTIC MACKEREL CABALLITA DE MAR SEA-HORSE CABOSIO GOBY CABOSO DE CUEVAS LEOPARD SPOTTED GOBY CABOSO GOBY CABRILLA COMBER (SEA BASS/GROUPER FAMILY) CABRILLA PINTADA PAINTED COMBER CABRILLA RUBIA COMBER CALAMAR SQUID CANTARERO RED SCORPIONFISH CARAJILLO REAL RAINBOW WRASSE CARMELITA LEOPARD EEL CASTAÑETA DAMSEL FISH CATALINETA RED-BANDED SEA BREAM CATALUFA GLASS-EYE CAZON SMOOTH-HOUND CHERNE WRECKFISH (STONE BASS) CHICHARRO HORSE MACKEREL CHIPRION BABY SQUID CHOPA BLACK SEA BREAM (OLD WIFE) CHOPA PEREZOSA BERMUDA SEA CHUB CHOPON BERMUDA SEA CHUB CHUCHO COMMON STINGRAY CHUCHO NEGRO ROUND STINGRAY CONGRIO CONGER EEL CORVINA CANARIA/NEGRA BROWN MEAGRE CULEBRITA LEOPARD EEL Information kindly supplied by Peter J. Nevitt
19
garlic smother pork chops. Served with mashed or roast potatoes, it is a delicious Spanish dish, especially in the colder weather. Prep Time: 12 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic 4 sprigs parsley 1 medium onion 1 tbsp Spanish sweet paprika 5 tbsp olive oil 4 pork loin chops (5 oz each) salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
This recipe serves 4. Note: Use either pork chops or boneless pork loin chops sliced about 1/3-1/2 inch thick. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Finely chop the garlic, parsley and onion. Mix together in a medium mixing bowl. Season with the paprika, pepper and salt. Moisten the mixture with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Don’t add too much oil - it should be a fairly thick consistency. Grease a roasting pan with oil or line it with aluminium foil. Season the chops, covering them with the mixture and place in roasting pan. Spoon any remaining onion mixture between the chops.
Roast in a hot oven at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Turn chops over, piling the onion mixture on top of the chops again and roast another 12-13 minutes. If pork is cooked, but onion mixture is not fully cooked, quickly saute onion mixture in a heavy-bottomed frying pan until cooked. Serve chuletas de cerdo a la madrilena, spooning the herb sauce on top. Serve with mashed potatoes or roasted paprika potatoes on the side for a wonderful Spanish dinner.
20
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
Health and Beauty
www.thecanarynews.com
Martinica Salon New Staff New Treatments Take a trip down to Puerto Rico and you will discover a lot of changes at Lisa Selvester’s Martinica Salon. Hair Styling Recently, the salon has extended a warm welcome to Emma, the new hair stylist and, to mark the occasion, Martinica is offering highlights with a cut and blow dry for EUR 55 or a cut and blow dry only for EUR 25.
Legs and Feet Treatment Special Introductory Offer – EUR 40 Indulge yourself with the Thermal Touch Therapy for legs and feet. It’s time to give them the attention they deserve. The 45 minute therapy will cleanse, exfoliate, hydrate and moisturise and leave you with revitalised skin and muscles that are ready to take on the day.
Facial Treatments Special Introductory Offer – EUR 55 It does not end there because the range of beauty treatments has been extended. New treatments, all lasting 90 minutes, include the Dermalogica Core Facial Treatment, including Galvanic and High Frequency. Why not also try the Dermalogica Medi-Bac Treatment? With this facial, it is the end of the line for adult acne as it will help jump start acne clearing and help prevent further breakouts. Another option is to try the Dermalogica Age Smart Facial which will give you firmer, smoother, revived skin. This treatment has been specially created for clients who are concerned about sun damaged, photo-aged skin.
Nail Treatments Special Introductory Offer – EUR 35 If you are looking for a long lasting French Polish then why not let Jo, the Creative Trained Nail Technician, apply a thin layer of French Acrylic on top of your own nails? It won’t chip or smudge and can be removed after 3-4 weeks leaving no damage behind. And don’t worry if you have a broken nail, as Jo can replace it. Furthermore this special deal includes a hand massage, treatment and eyelash tint. “I was only going to place my ad for a couple of times, but the response has been so good that I decided to leave it in. Thank you TCN!” Mobile Mechanic Andy
Eye Rescue Special Introductory Offer – EUR 30 A soothing neck massage will relax you as your beauty consultant colours your lashes and tidies your brows. Give your tired eyes this little treat and enjoy the benefits of looking fresher and wide awake with Martinica’s 45 minute Eye Rescue Treatment. So, you can expect not only a warm welcome from Lisa and her team but the opportunity to indulge yourself in the extensive range of treatments on offer. See the ad on this page for contact details. Call in or give Lisa a ‘phone to book your appointment.
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
www.thecanarynews.com
A Boy On A Mission
21
Canarian Character
autographed shirt and a small financial reward. To date, this has been one of the highlights of Louis’ short golfing career. I asked Louis about the new ‘PowerPlay’ golf format his father is about to launch and he told me that he couldn’t wait to play the newly format, also to try out for the Anfi Tauro golf team which he felt sure that he would be successful.
YOU MAY think it strange that we are featuring a 12 year old boy as our ‘Canarian Character’ but, believe me, Louis represents everything most parents hope for in their young offspring. Born Louis Stevens just 12 years ago, this bright young man attends the Motor Grande school in Puerto Rico and has been happily settled there for nearly two and a half years. He told me that he is very good at school but when questioned in depth, admitted freely that he loves physical education the most. He has learnt Spanish and speaks fluently with the many friends he has made, spending some time on a weekend ‘body boarding’ down on the beaches.
However, the main subject I came to discuss was his passion for golf. Louis started playing about two and a half years ago when his father Gary, a keen golfer himself, decided to give his son an insight into this very popular sport. Louis soon discovered he had a real passion for the game and the first time he played against his father at Meloneras, where the par was 71, he managed a very respectable 131.
A dedicated, well mannered young man, it was a pleasure to meet Louis and I feel sure that with his grit and determination he will be one to watch out for in the future of golf. By Debbie Wenn
Recognising his son’s talent, Gary paid for lessons which were given by Ian Bradshaw, and every Saturday found Louis on the Anfi Tauro Driving Range practising his newly acquired skill. He told me that Ian was like a ‘grandfather’ to him, and he thoroughly enjoyed these sessions. He still takes lessons, always wanting to perfect his ‘swing’ and ‘drive’, and tries to practice at least two hours a day. Quite incredibly, Louis has won 10 out of the 11 competitions he has entered; playing against adults, and his trophies adorn the dining room of their spacious villa in Tauro. His idols, he tells me, are Tiger Woods, Ian Poulter and Javier Colomo. Louis had the privilege of ‘caddying’ for the latter when Javier asked father Gary if he knew anyone who could caddy for him in the Professional PGA tournament last year. Gary promptly suggested his son, despite the fact that Louis was only 11 at the time. This didn’t seem to bother Javier, as long as he could pull the trolley. Javier went on to win the tournament and rewarded Louis with an
STRESS A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter, it depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.” “As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.” “So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.” So, my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don’t pick it up again until after you’ve rested a while.
Thoughts for the day · Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue. · Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. · Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. · Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their maker. · If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague. · If you lend someone EUR 20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it. · It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others. · Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on. · Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. · Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late. · The second mouse gets the cheese. · When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane. · Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live. · You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person. · Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. · We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colours, but they all have to live in the same box.
22
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
www.thecanarynews.com
Health and Wellbeing
Insulin – Friend or Foe? If you are reading this series, you are probably trying to lose weight. You have to ask yourself and try to understand why you got fat in the first place. You got fat because your body is producing excess insulin – simple! It is too much insulin that makes you fat, makes you hungry, makes you mentally groggy, decreases your physical performance and increases the likelihood of chronic disease.
Blood Sugar Spikes!
Every single time you eat anything that contains carbohydrates, your blood sugars will go up. It is all about “how much”! If you are eating things that continually “spike” your blood sugars, your pancreas will produce increasing amounts of insulin to bring your blood sugar down to a safe level. It does this by telling your body to store, rather than use, some of the glycogen that has been produced.
The role of insulin
The Glycemic Load multiplies the GI by the typical portion size, or the density/quantity of the carbohydrate typically consumed. So, using the Glycemic Load, you can see that eating a large amount of Low Glycemic food could have the same effect on blood sugar as eating a small amount of High Glycemic Food. A nutri· Insulin lowers high blood sugar. tion programme that manages the glycemic load aims · Insulin puts the metabolism in storage mode. to avoid sustained blood sugar spikes is now highly · Insulin converts protein and blood sugar to fat. recommended to control spiking and avoid the onset · Insulin causes fat in the diet to be stored in fat cells. · Insulin increases the production of cholesterol by the of type 2 diabetes. body. · Insulin causes the kidneys to retain water in the The very best website that I have found, which lists 2500 foods and food products, can be found on (www. body. mendosa.com/gilists.htm). Start to study it. You will · Insulin stimulates the growth of artery wall cells. be amazed at some of the findings. For example, a · Insulin stimulates the use of blood sugar for energy. typical bowl of white rice will have the same impact on · Insulin Resistance your blood sugar as eating a Mars Bar! Certain types of The problem is that eventually, if you have your body boiled potato are worse than eating a packet of nachos! in a constant “spike” you become what is referred to as Or a bowl of macaroni is worse than eating digestive “insulin resistant”, which simply means that your body biscuits. That healthy looking bowl of Special K may needs to produce more and more insulin to get the mes- be worse than an apple muffin! sage through. That all sounds well and good – but as well as controlling blood sugar, insulin is the hormone Simplee Carbs! that actually tells your cells to receive the nutrient. In a previous article I referred to four groupings of carSo the more insulin your body is producing, the more bohydrates and have highlighted the typical glycemic nutrient is being pushed into your cells and stored load: there! Insulin is not a “bad” hormone (any more than LDL is “bad” cholesterol). You would be very ill and die without it. But in excess, it causes big problems.
Switch It Off!
So the key to safe and effective weight loss is to SWITCH OFF the insulin signal. Stop spiking the blood sugars; learn to maintain them at a more constant level. To do this, you really need to start to understand what foods drive up the blood sugar levels up quickly resulting in spiking, and which foods do not.
Glycemic Loads!
If the blood sugar goes up too much and too quickly, then your pancreas will kick in and drive it down in order to protect the brain! Oh yes, glucose is the food for our brain. Our brain consumes up to 60% of the glucose supplied by our blood stream, but it has to be a slow, constant and tightly regulated supply or it will do us harm.
There has been a lot of research on this – especially over the past 5 – 10 years – and most of you will have heard the terms “Low GI” and “High GI”. GI refers to Glycemic Index and is a measure of how rapidly the glucose is released into the blood stream. So, carbohydrates with a High GI release quickly, and carbohydrates with a Low GI release more slowly. However, there is perhaps a much more important measure to consider and that is the Glycemic Load.
Low Glycemic Load..........
Most fruits and vegetables
Moderate Glycemic Load
Whole grains and pulses/ legumes
High Glycemic Load.........
High sugar (sweets, chocolate, icecream, etc)
High Glycemic Load.........
High starch (potatoes, processed cereals, breads, pasta, rice, etc)
So it is interesting that in the typical food pyramid, and underpinning so many diet programs, the carbohydrates that we are being told to the eat the most of are actually in the main the cause of obesity and probably the increase in type 2 diabetes as well as other related diseases. Healthy eating……….See you next time. Article provided by Ann Mather Executive Editor/Nutrition Advisor Famously Fit
23
www.thecanarynews.com
- Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News Issue 10 - Friday 20th November Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009
PhysicaLee Fit!
Get Fit, Lean and Toned
with ex Steps Star turned Personal Trainer ....
Lee Latchford Evans
Louise Cliffe’s Top Health & Beauty Tips
Up until now, we have been concentrating on exercise that work and tighten muscles. This week, I am working alongside Future Fit Training to demonstrate a great stretch for the Hamstring. This stretch requires that you work with a partner and helps to reduce any tightness or over activity of the hamstrings. This will assist those of you who work in an office and may experience tightness in the back of your thighs. This will help to improve flexibility in this area.
Fountain of Youth! Our resident super swimwear model gives away some beauty tips for looking younger!
Set Up:
STOKE YOUR FIRE! 10 BEST WAYS TO BOOST YOUR METABOLISM Steve Holmes, Celebrity Personal Trainer (Livingwell) gives the best tips ever! Make sure you eat breakfast Partner A - lie face up on the ground Partner B - kneel by partner A and place one hand under their heel and the other hand behind the fold of the knee.
Action - Passive Lift:
Eat the majority of your food earlier in the day Don’t starve, eat smaller meals more frequently Get enough aerobic exercise Build muscle with weight training or resistance exercise Water, water, water!! Get enough B vitamins
• Stay hydrated - drink lots of water and flush out all those toxins • Protect your skin from harmful ultraviolet rays - use min SPF15 • Keep your skin clean - use a soft cloth and don’t scrub • Moisturise your skin everyday • Eat healthily - know what and how to eat - don’t eat more calories than you need • Keep active - don’t go for a single day without 30 minutes of physical activity • Do Yoga for the face - it’s great fun! • Be happy - laugh alot and think positively to trigger those endorphins • Go for a younger, carefree look - visit your hairdresser for a younger makeover • Try something new or wacky! • Wear colour to complement your skin • Keep those pearly whites white - everyone likes a brilliant smile • Say ‘No’ to facial hair (a man thing!) - takes years off you! • Lose the glasses - get contact lenses • Meditate for a few minutes a day every day - find time for you
Eat more protein Laugh it off Fidget
OK! MAGAZINE FULL OF FAMOUSLY FIT PEOPLE!
No time for Stress! ‘Mums on the Run’ with TV Stars Sasha Parker & Korin Nolan Partner A - to relax 100% and allow your leg to be lifted into position Partner B - push into the knee with one hand while pushing the heel towards the ceiling (the knee will initially bend before straightening)
Let’s face it, there are not enough hours in the day - and us busy mums just don’t have the time to get stressed out! But it happens to us all from time to time.... After some research, we found lots of evidence that basic yoga and breathing techniques are perfect ‘of the moment’ ways to ease tension and release stress. These can be done anywhere, and any time and in just seconds….
Forward Fold (uttanasana) Step 1: Stand up, straighten the spine by engaging the abdominals and slightly lifting the rib cage. Bend the knees a little and then slowly roll down through your spine until you can get your hands on the floor.
Active Push Down:
Step 2: Keeping the hands on the floor, straighten up your legs and feel the spine stretching as you keep pulling your head down to your knees. Breath in and out, and hold for 8 breaths. Step 3: To release, bend the knees, inhale, and gradually curl up through the spin into a standing position. Repeat 4 - 6 times, each time trying a little harder to straighten the legs.
Seated Head to Knee (janu sirsasana) Partner A - push through your heel (use 30% max effort to push straight to the floor), until your leg is resting on the floor Partner B - resist as Partner A pushes heel into your hand – Adjust resistance to maintain around max 30% from Partner A. Repeat ten times each leg: 10 lifts and 10 pushdowns
Step 1: Sit comfortably on the floor, with your legs stretched out in front of you. Straighten the spine by engaging the abdominal muscles and slightly lifting the ribs. Step 2: Extend your right leg and foot straight in front of you, and place the bottom of your left foot on the right thigh, ensuring that the right legs remains extended in front of you. Step 3: Inhale, and reach forward with your arms, extending out of the waist, bending forward and reaching toward the ankle or foot of the right leg. Try to press the head down toward the knee as you lengthen the right leg. Relax the shoulders and neck into the stretch, keeping the shoulders parallel to the floor. Breathe in and out 4-6 times as you hold the stretch.
Good luck and hope to catch you again Step 4: To release, inhale as you lift your arms over your head and then drop them to the floor beside you. next issue for another great workout routine. Repeat with the other leg, then repeat the routine 4 times with each leg.
L��
All of these stretching exercises take minimal time but have maximum effect at that crucial moment!
23
24
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
Community
www.thecanarynews.com
by Kay Owen
THE BEST IS YET TO COME When my lovely friend Jean was diagnosed with terminal cancer she set herself six “determined to stay alive until I’ve achieved them” goals. Five completed, the sixth was a last visit to her favourite island...Gran Canaria and a swim in the sea at Salinetas! Though very sick and in much pain this she accomplished. I took her picture as she came out of the water looking radiant, and as I helped her dress she suddenly said “ Kay, I have something to ask you...will you speak at my funeral?” I was speechless...my only reaction was to burst into tears. “Hey come on” said Jean, smiling she put an arm around me, ”Why so sad.... anyone would think we were talking about YOUR funeral not mine!” What an amazing selfless attitude. “I actually have one more aspiration which I’ve saved ‘til last, and will achieve in the very near future,” she confided. I was astonished. “Yes, goal number seven is to take my place in Heaven ---- and I’m ready,” she laughed, “because “though I’ve so enjoyed all six others I know for sure that the best is yet to come”. It came a few weeks later. Recently I heard of another young woman diagnosed with a terminal illness who had been given less than three months to live. Getting her things ‘in order,’ she contacted her Pastor and invited him to the house to discuss her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like and the clothes she wanted to be buried in. Everything was attended to, and the Pastor was preparing for a sad exit, when the young woman, remembering something very special, asked him to stay a moment. “There’s one more thing” she said excitedly. “What’s that?” he asked. “It’s very important,” she continued; “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” The old priest looked quizzically at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. “That surprises you, doesn’t it?” the young woman asked. “Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by your request”, he replied. The young woman explained. “My grandmother once told me this story and its true meaning, and I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love, and to those who are in need of assurance and encouragement”. She continued. “When I was a girl attending dinners and parties, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, “Keep your fork”. It was my favourite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake, apple pie, or
sticky toffee pudding! Something simply luscious and wonderful....out of this world -- yet with real substance! Well, I just want people to see me there in that open casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder “What’s with the fork?” Then I want you to tell them: “Keep your fork ...the best is yet to come”. The Pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman and said ‘Good-bye’. This could be the last time he would see her before her death. Did she even had a better grasp of heaven than he did? She had a strong belief and a sure knowledge of what it would be like, more so than many people twice her age, with twice as much life experience. She KNEW that something better lay ahead. At the funeral, friends and family filed past the open coffin. They saw no sign of the young woman’s former suffering; just the whisper of a smile on her peaceful countenance ... and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question whispered, “What’s with the fork?” And over and over he smiled too. In his message he told of the last conversation he had had with the young lady, and explained the promise to all believers...that heaven is the place where there will be no more death or mourning no more tears or pain. Thus he revealed the message of the fork and what it symbolised .He told them he just could not stop thinking about that fork ...and that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. As I ponder this message and the faith of these two dear departed, I am all the more valuing my remaining time here on earth...cherishing today’s joy... sharing lives together, and reliving precious memories of family and friends – loved and held most dear ... ’til we meet again. Maybe the next time you have finished your main course, the plates are being cleared, and the pudding is about to be served, you will be reminded, ever so gently, of these young women....of their courage, and calm assurance. And as you do so ... always remember ... “the best is yet to come”... so keep your fork. Kay Owen . November 2009. “PS - As we go to print it is Children in Need Day in the UK so it is worth mentioning that drives in aid of the appeal will be held at Faro Dos Car Boot Sale on 29th Nov and 13th Dec. Last chance to buy a good read for Christmas and to make Christmas brighter for someone somewhere.”
CROSSWORD
Across 3. Academic world (8) 9. Narrow street (5) 10. Acquire (3) 11. New Zealand parrot (3) 12. Defraud (5,6) 14. Meat (5) 16. Drama (4) 17. Summed (5) 19. God-like (6) 20. Drinking vessel (3) 22. Opera by Bizet (6) 23. Former Russian rulers (5) 25. Wind instrument (4) 26. Raw hides (5) 28. At once (11) 30. Storage container (3) 31. Ingot (3) 32. Eccentric (5) 33. Engrossed (8)
Down 1. 24 hour periods (4) 2. Body of peers (7) 4. Universal in extent (8) 5. Of delicate beauty (6) 6. Temporary expedient (9) 7. Wide open (5) 8. Pile (5) 13. Made by hand (8) 15. Not normal (8) 18. Bandages (9) 21. Heaven (8) 24. Stopping place (7) 25. Tool used for driving nails (6) 26. Common people (5) 27. Seventh sign of the zodiac (5) 29. Spool-like toy (2-2) Look for solution on page 30
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
www.thecanarynews.com
25
Horoscopes
ARIES Mar 21 - April 20 From the moment of your awakening, Lady Fortune has been smiling on you. This is your day. That chance you’ve been waiting to take? Now is the time. Get a running leap at it.
CANCER June 22 - July 23 You are experiencing a momentary sense of uncertainty about where you are headed and why. Pull over for a second and check in with your goals. Minor adjustments are all that’s necessary to get you back on track.
LIBRA Sept 24 - Oct 23 You put out a healing vibration. Those who are in quiet pain, psychic or otherwise, will gravitate toward you. Although, it’s likely you won’t even realize when someone is made well by the energy you emit.
CAPRICORN Dec 23 - Jan 20 Everyone is quirky and magical in some way, though this week your quirks are more obvious than other people’s. They act up, shout out, lean in -- and endear others to you in the process. You’ll gain a fan or two.
TAURUS April 23 - May 21 It’s no surprise that you are so wellliked. You know just the thing to say to someone to make him or her feel good. Your uncanny ability to sense what others want to hear will be demonstrated.
LEO July 24 - Aug 23 You never thought you’d make it, but here you are. The trial is shrinking in the distance behind you, and that light you’ve been looking for is closer than ever. Just a little farther now.
Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22 Drink plenty of water -- you’ll be sweating a bit. The stress you feel is well-founded. You have a lot of responsibilities to meet and expectations to live up to. But you won’t get overwhelmed, because you know how to prioritize.
AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19 A challenge at home has you looking in an unusual place for answers. You were right to shift your approach. You’ll find what you seek, and afterward, you’ll have another great tool in your problem-solving toolbox.
GEMINI May 22 - June 21 You’ll be running on all cylinders. Don’t forget that taking time out for yourself is part of moving forward. It’s likely that you’ll do your best thinking in the bathtub.
VIRGO Aug 24 - Sept 23 You’ll be making plans to invest in your dreams. It will feel scary -- then again, you’ve done plenty of scary things in your life already. You’re getting used to housing butterflies in your stomach.
SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 22 You’re so gregarious. You’re likely to attract shy or silent types who need help expressing themselves. They will gravitate toward you because your way of dealing with things invites them to do the same.
PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 A growing sense of contentment has been creeping up on you. You will have a newfound awareness of the necessary order of things. This will bring a welcome peace to you and those around you.
We have had a good response to our Junior Golf offer so decided to take further advertising telling people about our Open Golf tournament in summer. The response was fantastic! - Sabrina, Meloneras Golf, the Lopesan Group
26
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
Sport
www.thecanarynews.com
Introducing the new World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Newly crowned British heavyweight champion of the world David Haye began his reign on a whistlestop media tour. In 36 hours like few others, the fast-talking south Londoner has gone from being a merely well-known British boxer to a genuine global celebrity. And he is not hanging around after his giant-killing defeat of towering Russian Nikolay Valuev to win the WBA title last week. The bout, where Haye - a fine muscle-bound specimen but ‘only’ 6ft 3in and under 16 stone - took on a man seven stone heavier and nine inches taller, and won, captured the world’s imagination. It literally was David v Goliath, and although some boxing experts predicted a Haye victory, much of the wider public thought it just could not happen. “I dreamed about all this when I was a toddler, it was just a case of what weight I would be,” says the 29-year-old from Bermondsey. “I started boxing when I was 10, and told everyone at school that when I was older, I would be world champion.” Haye took the first steps on the journey to being a world champion at the Fitzroy Lodge Amateur Boxing Club in Lambeth. Six years later in 1996, he went with his mum to watch Valuev fight at Battersea Town Hall. The Russian inflicted a quick defeat on Neil Kirkwood. “I don’t remember a lot about it, except Valuev’s size,” says Haye. Thirteen years on, his mother is still involved, berating him with a text message amid Saturday’s big-fight hullabaloo, for calling his opponent “smelly”. Haye is a friendly, down-to-earth, family man with a mischievous sense of humour, according to friend Cathy Brown. Former female boxing champion Brown, 39,
David Haye worked with him most days for several years. She trained alongside Haye at the Thirdspace gym in London’s Soho as they were both managed by Adam Booth, who also sent them on gruelling sessions near his Kent home. “We used to train together five or six days a week, so I got to know him pretty well,” said Brown, who is 5ft 1in tall and weighed eight stone at the time. Brown said, “I was really worried about the decision on Saturday night - it was quite a close fight, and I thought they might have gone with Valuev bearing in mind what happened with my decisions”. Haye’s next fight will be a mandatory defence of his WBA title against John Ruiz, which will probably take place in London in March or April 2010. Then there’s the enticing prospect of a summer showdown with one of the champion Klitschko brothers at a big venue such as Wembley Stadium.
www.thecanarynews.com
Issue 11 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
27
Sport
EXCITEMENT BUILDS FOR A GLORIOUS 24th ATLANTIC RALLY FOR CRUISERS The 24th edition of the worldfamous annual transatlantic rally, the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) has defied the economic doom and gloom and 218 yachts will head off from Las Palmas on 22nd November 2009 en route to Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia. Not only is there a distinctly healthy entry number, but also a record 32 nations represented in this year’s event, underlining the fact that the ARC is now an international rally and the most popular way to sail across the Atlantic. The 2,700 nautical mile passage on the NE trade wind route takes the fleet, on average, between 14 and 21 days to reach its destination and the finish line. Whilst fundamentally a fun rally for cruising yachts, the ARC also offers more serious Racing Divisions, run under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC). Yachts entered in the Racing Divisions are not permitted to use their engines for
propulsion (unlike the cruisers), although use of autopilots is allowed. The current ARC course record is 11 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes and 30 seconds, held by the Italian maxi yacht Capricorno (Rinaldo Del Bono), from ARC 2006. This year for the very first time, the yachts in the ARC Racing Divisions will carry Yellowbrick satellite tracking devices. This compact and powerful technology developed by Yellowbrick Adventure Tracking, will provide a significant benefit for participants with automatic position reports uploading to the WCC website every six hours via the Iridium Network. The ARC distinguishes itself by successfully combining racing and cruising yachts with a mix of older and younger participants, all of whom thoroughly enjoy the varied entertainment that is on offer for all ages at both the start and finish ports. From the outset in 1986 when the first ARC was run, this unique event has developed its own special character. Over the past 23 years many friendships have been forged in the relaxed atmosphere, and the profound sense of camaraderie has become the hallmark of this very special rally that entices people back year after year. ARC 2009 is sponsored by the Tourist Board of Gran Canaria, the Port Authority of Las Palmas, the St Lucia Tourist Board, Rolnautic, and is run in association with Yachting World magazine.
Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia
Since January 2006, the ARC has been run by the Cowes-based independent event management company World Cruising Club Ltd, following a management buy out from the Challenge Business. WCC says that it has the best interests of the participants in mind and will always try to incorporate the most popular ideas and proposals put forward to improve the event. This was the main reason for a switch in the ARC destination from Barbados to Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia back in 1990. The yachting facilities are superior to those available in Barbados and for the first time it was possible to have all the yachts in one marina at the end of the Rally, as they were before the start, thus providing a better atmosphere.
28
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
Sport
www.thecanarynews.com
Introducing GolfCanarias.org Golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Millions of enthousiastic golfplayers enjoy the game in their home countries and abroad. Today people in Northern Europe spend serious amounts of their leisure time on golf courses across the Continent. The major problem that golf players in Northern Europe face is the climate which limits the game to a short summer period in often poor weather conditions. In the Scandinavian countries the game can only be played during a five month period which is a serious limitation on the players. As a result of this,
many golfers have found their way to the southern part of Europe to play golf. Gran Canaria and the Canary Islands as whole can offer golf players the best climate and weather conditions in the whole world. With the
Golf element. We at Golfcanarias.org add a personal touch to your golf experience. After arrival in Gran Canaria we meet you at the airport and escort you throughout your stay to make sure you will have a superb experience both on and off the golf course. · We organize golf tournaments independently adjusted to the players demands. · We organize glow golf tournaments which is an unique experience to all golfers in Northern Europe. · We organize golf clinics for players of all levels of the game. Our target for our first operational season in 2010, is that we will offer our services to more than 5,000 golf players from the England, Ireland, Wales, the Nether-
excellent golf courses that have been built, the Islands have become a true Mecca to golfers of all categories. This combined with the fact that the Islands offer great accommodation, good infrastructure and an absolutely astonishing natural backdrop gives the Canaries a great potential to attract golf players from Northern Europe. Another advantage is the increasing number of low cost air carriers that are making a holiday to the Islands affordable to a very broad public. GolfCanarias.org was formed to incorporate golf services, to promote golf tourism and to increase awareness of golf in the Canaries, where the pleasant 24-degree virtually season-free climate allows golf 365 days a year. GolfCanarias.org is an Official Event Organiser for PowerPlay Golf, and also runs the Multi Nations Challenge Cup, which involves 2,000 golfers from 8 nations competing for a € 5,000 team prize. Supported by Heineken and TaylorMade-Adidas Golf, the 2010 Multi Nations Challenge Cup will include a PowerPlay
lands and the Scandinavian countries. The founders of GolfCanarias.org are Gary Stevens, originally from England and Nils-Erik Nilsen, originally from Norway. Gary Stevens has been organizing golf tournaments for many years in Gran Canaria and Nils-Erik Nilsen has been organizing corporate events for decades in the Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands.
www.thecanarynews.com
Issue 10 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
29
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING To place a classified advert, simply fill in the coupon on page 31 and drop it off at Properties Abroad, near Santander Bank, C.C. Puerto Rico. Email: sales@thecanarynews.com or Tel: 928 774 818
PROPERTIES FOR SALE - PRIVATE LAS PALMAS
(Escaleritas). 90mS Three bedroom apartment for sale. Close to CC La Bellena and local amenities. Ideal for families. 111,000 EUR. Private sale 662 345 910. PUERTO RICO Two bedroom apartment for sale in sought after El Valle complex. Well maintained partially furnished. Large terrace and balcony. Parking space included. 218,000 EUR. Private sale: 928 726 708
PROPERTIES FOR SALE - AGENTS A HOME IN THE SUN GRAN CANARIA Sales and Rentals wanted for waiting clients Tel:928 142 675 or 605 421 213 Email: info@homeinthesun.eu (JUL16) —--------------------------Puerto Rico, West Hill Puerto Sol - Studio, bed(s) 67.000 Euros 20675-LM ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria.com*** Puerto Rico, East Hill Corona Rosa Apartment, 1 bed(s) Good Opportunity 62.000 Euros - 20712-LM ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria.com*** Arguineguín, Center Flat, 2 bed(s) New construction in the centre, very close to the beach 172.000 Euros - 21254-LE ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria.com*** Arguineguín, Center Flat, 1 bed(s) New construction in the centre, very close to the beach 136.000 Euros - 21290-LE ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria.com*** Arguineguín, Patalavaca Vista Canaria Studio, 1 bed(s) Exellent location 99.000 Euros 21454-AK ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria.com*** Puerto Rico, West Hill
Apartment, 1 bed(s) Great value! 100.000 Euros 21468-MV ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria.com*** Arguineguín, Patalavaca Doñana Apartment, 1 bed(s) 160.000 Euros - 21527-AK ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria.com*** Puerto Rico, Center Apartment, 1 bed(s) Opportunity!!! 79.900 Euros 21540-LM ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria.com*** Maspalomas, El Tablero Flat, 2 bed(s) Nice building 175.000 Euros - 21548-RS ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria.com*** El Salobre Golf Villa, 4 bed(s) Close to the Golf Course 510.000 Euros - 21573-LM ***CARDENAS REAL ESTATE, SINCE 1980*** ***Call now 928 150 650 or visit www.cardenas-grancanaria.com*** —----------------------------------Apartment at the street down to the beach! This apartment is renovated and furnished. It consists of: One bedroom, bathroom, livingroom, kitchen and large balcony. Very good location only a few footsteps to the beach. Price: 120.000 Euros Europa Real Estate 928 765 813 info@europa-immobilien. com PLAYA DEL INGLÉS, OUTSTANDING BUNGALOW WITH GARAGE AT THE BEACH PROMENADE. This unique dreamhouse with aprox. 100m2 living area and largeprivate garden consists of livingdiningroom, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large terrace and solarium with spectacular view to the dunes of Maspalomas and ocean. The bungalow is equipped with all luxury. Heated community swimmingpool.PRICE: 588.000, Euros Europa Real Estate 928 765 813 info@europa-immobilien. com PLAYA DEL INGLÉS, BEAUTIFUL AND QUIET TOPFLOOR-APARTMENT NEAR THE BEACH. This two-room apartment is situated in a very central and quiet lacation in the
heart of Playa del Inglés. Completely renovated and furnished. Very well maintained building complex with large pools and tenniscourt. PRICE: 120.000 Euros Europa Real Estate 928 765 813 info@europa-immobilien.com PLAYA DEL INGLÉS, TOPFLOOR APARTMENT WITH UNIQUE VIEWS. Breathtaking seaview to the dunes and lighthouse of Maspalomas. Bedroom and livingroom have access to the exeptional large dobble terrace with whole-day-sun. The beachpromenade is at one-minut-walking distance and several shopping centres are nearby. Sufficient parkingfacilities available. PRICE: 126.000 Euros Europa Real Estate 928 765 813 info@europa-immobilien.com PLAYA DEL INGLÉS, BUNGALOW WITH GARAGE Excellent and quiet located bungalow on a closed plot that offers perfect privacy. It exists of: 2 bedrooms, livingroom, full fitted kitchen, bathroom, 2 large terraces and private garage. This respected bungalow complex is very quiet and centrical situated and has a large pool and tenniscourt. Low monthly community costs. PRICE: 276.000. Euros Europa Real Estate 928 765 813 info@europa-immobilien.com SAN AGUSTÍN, GROUND FLOOR BUNGALOW WITH
LARGE TERRACE AND SEAVIEW. This bungalow forms part of a small private complex with pool. The beach of San Agustín is only 3 minutes walk away and also the shopping center is nearby. The bungalow consists of: 1 bedroom, livingroom/kitchen, bathroom and a terrace of 24 m2 with sea view to the beach of Playa del Inglés. The monthly comunity costs are only 40 Euros. PRICE: 138.000 Euros Europa Real Estate: 928 765 813 info@europa-immobilien.com SONNENLAND, Duplexbungalow, consisting of one bedroom, bathroom, builtinkitchen with separate storage- /washingroom, livingroom with winterterrace and garden terrace. Completely furnished and equiped with many extras(s.a.airconditioning, telephone etc.) Complex with community-pool and restaurant. PRICE:120.000 Euros Europa Real Estate 928 765 813 info@europaimmobilien. com VECINDARIO, Family house without community fees. This wonderful townhouse is situated near the large and well known shopping center “Atlantico”. With seperate study, guest room, barbecue space and a fantastic sun terrace. Including all possible luxury equipment. PRICE: 195.000 Euros Europa Real Estate 928 765 813
info@europa-immobilien.com SAN AGUSTÍN, RARELY SALES AT FIRST BEACHLINE.Chalet with 240 m2 living area and 120 m2 terrace. Completely groundfloor, luxurious. Furnished, Garage. Wonderful views directly on the ocean. PRICE: 1.700.000 Euros Europa Real Estate 928 765 813 info@europa-immobilien.com MASPALOMAS, UNIQUE VILLA WITH GUESTHOUSE This, with the latest modern technics, extraordinary well equipped real estate, offers you for example, a built-inwhirlpool in the swimmingpool and a private cinemaroom. Plot: 1.000 m2, livingarea: 300 m2 PRICE: 1.800.000Euros Europa Real Estate 928 765 813 info@europa-immobilien.com —-------------------------------------
Montaña la Data. Very large villa situated on 800m2 of land, this villa has a largte terrace and BBQ area and a 50m2 private pool. There is also a project to build a guest house on the land. There are 4 double beds, one is a suite incl; dressign room & Bathroom. Ref: MF620. Price € 685,000 Tel: 928141202 Dream Homes www.dreamhomesgrancanaria.com Montaña la Data Duplex with 3 Beds, two Baths and ircon. Panoramic views. Wooden Panelling, private garden with pool, Must be seen.€ 348,000 Monte Leon Excellent Opportunity to buy in Monte Leon. This house is valued at €3,450,000 but is much less due to necessity. The poroperty is build on 8000m2 of land with fantastic views. There is a guest house with 2 beds and 2 baths.
Main house 3 double beds, games room & large kitchen. To place a classified advert, simply fill in the coupon on page 31 and drop it off at Properties Abroad, near Santander Bank, C.C. Puerto Rico. Email: sales@thecanarynews. com or Tel: 928 774 818 Beautiful dining area overlooking mountains and pool. House 425m2. Luxury property in one of the best areas in the South. Ref: ML612 Price €2,200,000 www.dreamhomesgrancanaria. Playa del Inglés. Beautiful bungalow for sale in Playa del Inglés. The bungalow has 2 bedrooms (one double and one single bedroom), 1 bathroom and air conditioning. It has been fully refurbished (including electrics and plumbing) throughout. The complex offers a very well maintained communal swimming pool and gardens. Ref. PI594. Price: €210,500. Tel.928141202 Dream Homes www.dreamhomesgrancanaia.com Las Palmas. Apartment for sale in Playa de Las Canteras. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom and a terrace (70m2) with fantastic sea views. The price also includes one car parking space. Ref:LP569.Price:€399,950. Tel: 928141202. www.dreamhomesgrancanaia.com
Contact us to share your news and celebrate your anniversaries. See page 31 for more information
30
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
PROPERTIES to let
Sonnenland. 1 bedroom apartment. With terrace, pool and seaview. Includes, TV, washing machine. Fully furnished. EUR 450 pcm. all inclusive. Tel. 665 520 979. Maspalomas. Beautiful Bungalow, 1 Bed, 2 terraces in a complex with Communal Pool. Very Quiet and clean, only minutes from Faro 2. Monthly rent includes Water, electricity and cleaning. Ref: MP603 Price €800 Month. el: Dream Homes: 928 141202. Maspalomas. Fabulous 1 Bed Apartment, refurbished overlooking Sand Dunes. Light and Airy, Air Con.with dishwasher, Washing Machine etc. Marble floors, only steps from the beach. Ref: MP546 Price €1,000 month. Tel:928141202. www.dreamhomesgrancanaria. .com Tafira. Fantastic villa , 5 Bed, 4 Bath. Chimney and Private Garden with huge terrace of 219m2. Garage for 3 cars. Unfurnished and available for long term rental. Ref: TA583. Price €1,600 Month. Playa del Inglés Luxury 1 bed apartment near Playa Del Inglés. Luxury 1 Bed apartment nearYumbo. Fully furnished & equipped, 550€ per month + electric. 646 096 917. (JUL02)3 bed Luxury Villa Meloneras Sleeps 6 luxury villa long term let 1200€ per month Fab, safe complex with pool, onsite shop, restaurant (JUL02)3 bed Luxury Villa Meloneras Sleeps 6 luxury villa long term let 1200€ per month Fab, safe complex with pool, onsite shop, restaurant and bar, near beach and Faro shopping Call: 687 152 470 (JUL02) Guesthouse Meloneras Rooms available in modern Meloneras guesthouse with Sky and internet on great complex with pool, shop, restaurant and bar near beach, shopping, nightlife 200€ per week per room (2 can share 100€ each) 500€ per month long
Wanted: Fiat Punto with Mechanical problem - From 01, or other small car, clean body, Reg in Gran Canaria. Tel: 629 645 591 Toyota RAV4 1998, Automatic transmission, AC, like new tires,4x4, 2 door, good condition, dark green, ITV till SEP 2010 for only 3500! Call Tomas 666987495
Health
Ginseng on Gran Canary! Come and visit the only Ginseng Garden at Maspalomas, Monte Leon! Only one tour per month: Saturday, December 5th, 2009, 11am - 5 pm For more information call Joerg: 692 764349 or mailto: joerg@florafarm.de www.florafarm.de
LEISURE
Roger’s Ramblers meet every Tuesday from Mid October to the end of April. On average walk is about 4 hours with areasonable amount of ascentand descent. All walks are free and at your own risk. If you areinterested contact Rambling Roger on 928 798150 or 666 170 553, or by email at Roger@Fincabritanica.com
FOR SALE
Zanussi ZD23 Fridge/Freezer (3.5) White New Unused H168 W55. €225. Tel 671192457 Dishwasher Corbero Suprema New Unused White. €225. Tel 671192457 Cot, Bedding, Mini, Bouncer, Changing Station, Library, All from El Corte Inglés. Excellent Condition. Stacey Williams. Tel 928 726 941 Almost new SONY BRAVIA KDL 40V3000, 40inch,bought 9 months ago €1200, incl paperwork. Yours for ONLY €700 Call Tomas 666987495
www.thecanarynews.com
cars
term (2 can share 250€ each) Call: 687 152 470 (JUL02) Apartments & Bungalows To Rent from 475€ Contact: HOME IN THE SUN Tel. 605 421 213 www.homeinthesun.eu Puerto Rico, spacious 1 bedroom apt for rent. Large bedroom with fitted wardrobes, livingroom/kitchen, bathroom with washing machine, large terrace. Close to CC europa. 480€ per month, water and electricity included up to a limit. Available 1st October. Tel:928756989 after 6pm Anfi Tauro, 3 Bed Luxury Duplex, Golf Facing, Fully Furnished, Jaccuzzi, Community Pool, 1200 pcm. Tel: 687153645
Everything Included: Boat, Client Contracts, etc. 10 years of proven success fully documented put 23000€ in your pocket every month a lifetime opportunity 250.000€ 928 561 960 (JUL02) Seamstress Top Quality, Low Prices Covers for hot tubs,pools, cars, boats Awnings for homes, terraces, stores, boats Furniture reupholstered Violetta 660 061 179
BUSINESS
SPORTFISHING BUSINESS Includes Everything But The Fish Established, Successful, Operating A Great & Rare Opportunity 99.000€ Paradise Marine 928 561 960. (JUL02) Ocean Day Excursion Business Gran Canaria
Sell Your Boat? Sell Your Berth? Free website! Very Strong Local Advertising! Lose That Overhead Now! Call 928 561 960. Boat Service, Equipment, Products, Repairs Marine Engineers That Speak Your Language! Cheapest Equipment Prices from USA Warranties and Guarantees Worldwide for all boat needs Call: 928 561 960. Commercial & Domestic & Marine Refrigeration Water Filtration Air Conditioning Systems For Boats, Homes,
QUALIFIED BRITISH ELECTRICIAN 17th Edition TEL.648 437 794 – 692 309 680 TEL. 928 725 222 FREE QUOTATION!! No Job Too Small
Business German, English, Spanish Speaking High Quality Low Prices Full Product and Install Warranty Call 928 561 960. (JUL02)
Charities
Free tandem bike rides for blind people or people with any other physical disability who are unable to ride a bike by themselves. Also free excursions into the mountains in my car for people in wheelchairs together with a companion. Minibus trips can also be arranged at an agreed reasonable cost. For more information call Franz at 699 124 985. WANTED. Second hand books, in good condition, to be sold in support of Registered Childrens’ Charities 1) RUBBISH DUMP CHILDREN in Cambodia 2) ORPHANS/ SCHOOL projects in China. Please drop books off at Bar Wine and Marmalade, Arguineguin. donations gratefully received. Contact kay.r.owen@gmail.com Together we can make a difference WANTED Used tandem bike in good condition to take blind people on rides Please call Franz on 699 124 985 Drinking Problem? International, English speaking AA meetings every Friday at the church in the Kasbah (door on the left hand side) Playa del Inglés, 8.30pm. Monday 12pm in San Fernando, behind Market Maspalomas and Tuesday 7pm at the Catholic Church (enter by the stairway on the right hind side), Behind the taxi rank next to the police station. Do you believe that you have a problem with alcohol? Perhaps you are looking or some help? Alcohol Anonymous meet in Telde on Mondays and Thursdays from 20.00 until 21.30.
Call 928 202 638 TARA CAR-BOOT SALE EVERY SATURDAY - 8 AM AT PARADISE LOST Free Entrance for shoppers and registered charity car-boot sellers. Non-charity sellers DONATE only 5 Euros for each stall. Please bring your own display supports. Come and enjoy the friendly atmosphere at the TARA Community Car-Boot Sale to find the best purchase bargains in town and help abandoned and abused animals to boot.To donate useable toys, clothing, household items, furniture, books, sporting equipment...WHATEVER...to help our fund-raising efforts please contact us. Contact Sanna Tel: 620 978 709; Email: sanna@taraanimales. org to pick up your donated items if you cannot deliver them to the car-boot sale. Volunteers always gladly welcomed. TARA Animal Respect
Mechanic - Qualified English mechanic - Quality car/boat repairs - Major repairs - Servicing - ITV - Inspection - Free Estimate
Call Trevor 671 050 135 or 671 714 356
Association, A registered, Non-profit Canarian Animal Charity Tel: 607 671 617 Email: info@tara-animales.org Web: www.tara-animales.org PARADISE LOST - located between Arguineguín and Puerto Rico. Take the Balito exit (#1 Bus) and continue to the BIG CIRCUS TENT TARA Animal Charity Shop 200 sq. mtrs. In Arquinequin 67 Tanausu near Pino Seco family park Monday thru Saturday 10am till 4+pm Donated items at great prices! 607 671 617 or www.tara-animales.org TARA Charity Dog Pension HOME AWAY FROM HOME Beautiful Location – Your Pet Cared for By Dog Lovers Low Prices – Great Care 607 671 167 Arguineguin Cultural Society meets every Thursday at Tío Pepe bar
Crossword Solution
www.thecanarynews.com
from 20.00 at the C.C. Ancora in Arguineguín. As mentioned previously in TCN, the group were looking for a place to build up our string puppet stage and to train people in the making and operating of string puppets. The group has now found a suitable place in Arguineguín and if anyone is interested in joining them please call Peter on 639 229 414 and go to the meetings on Thursdays. Grupo Montañero de Mogan. Every Sunday all through the year this group arranges guided walks in the magnificent mountains and beautiful valleys of Gran Canaria. The walks are guided, and the members come from all over Europe, and also many Canarian members. Meeting place: Commercial Centre Ancora, Arguineguin. Time 08.00. Departure 08.15. Leaving from San Fernando (Viuda de Franco) 08.00 or 08.30. For more information call before 12.00 on Fridays 689 919 580 Can you spare a few hours each week to help feed stray and abandoned cats in San Agustin? There are special feeding places, all the cats are sterilised, have names and are very healthy. Of course, we will buy the cat food. We only want help to give the food to the cats.Please call Christina on 928770 019 for more information. Join the library in Maspalomas with your NIE number and passport and picture or residencia. No charge. English books and other European languages too. Also free internet access.!! The library hours are 8.00 am till 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm to 10 pm Monday to Friday. Biblioteca Municipal Maspalomas, Casa del Cultura Maspalomas, Avda De Tejeda 72 Phone 928 720 035 Amigos contra el Sida is a charity that provides support for people with HIV and Aids and has information about sexually transmitted
Issue 10 - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - The Canary News
BUY, DONATE, SWAP BOOK LIBRARY All proceeds go to The Red Cross. Cristina´s Money Exchange, Local 261, Phase 1, CC Puerto Rico MON TO FRI 10am to 8pm SAT 10am to 1.30pm For appointments please tel 928 561 771 diseases Amigos contra el Sida - Friends against Aids Av. Alejandro del Castillo, Mercado Municipal, 2º floor San Fernando Maspalomas Contact: 695 578 004 Timetable: Tuesday and Thursday - 9:00 to 15:00 hour. Amigos contra el Sida Calle El Escorial nº 7, Vecindario Teléfono: 928 149 570 Timetable: Monday to Friday - 9:00 to 14:00 hour. Website: www.amigoscontraelsida.org Support Maria Templeman’s Dog Rescue. You can find Maria’s stall in Arguineguin market on Tuesdays and
Mogan market on Fridays. You can also find Maria in Maspalomas market next to the big, main flood light on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Money raised from Maria’s stall goes to funding dog rescue in Gran Canaria, including vet and kennel fees and re-homing dogs.
TALENT SEARCH
Is your child talented? can he or she sing and dance? We are looking for children to take part in our Christmas Pantomime.Auditions will be held locally,For more information please contact
Graham on 696 552 022 or email rejuvena@hotmail.com
MISC.
Bi-lingual lady seeks English native tongue people to exchange Spanish classes/conversation for English conversation practice. Please call Gloria on 928 714 390 or 650 403 640.
Victoria, Graham and Adele of Rejuvena comments: “Our advertising campaign with The Canary News is really successful. We have had many new clients due to the response to our ad. So thank you.”
31
FARO 2 MARKET 15 & 29 Nov, 13 Dec. BOOKS sold in support of Registered Children’s Charities (Home and Abroad) Over 500 books from 1 Euro. Also book donations wanted can collect - Contact kay.r.owen@gmail.com or drop books off at Wine and Marmalade Bar in Arguineguín THE CANARIAN PRO BREASTFEEDING runs a Support Group every Wednesday from 6pm until 8pm at the Centro de Estancias Diurnas (the daycare centre for the eldery behind the swimming pool) Anyone needing help and support concerning breastfeeding can also call 637 564 296 (leave a message if there is no answer with name and telephone number) MOTHER AND TODDLER GROUP EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM 4PM ONWARDS
Different activities every week in the local Puerto Rico area - Meet other mums with children of all ages. Call Jo Pike on 639 153 547 You can even leave a message on their ‘face book’ wall!
ADDICTIONS ALCOHOL & DRUGS Let us help you overcome your problem in a painless way. Contact us for a confidential consultation It can make a real difference On your road to recovery Tel: 928 934 097 Mobile: 619 391 040 Email: addictedgc@gmail.com
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING To place a classified advert, simply fill in the coupon on page 31 and drop it off at Properties Abroad, near Santander Bank, C.C. Puerto Rico. Email: sales@thecanarynews.com or Tel: 928 774 818
Text (print in Block Capitals). Lineage, 32 cents per word inc 5% IGIC. Minimum of 15 words. (4.80€). BOXED ADVERTs
1 mod = 17€ (40 x 42mm)
PLEASE TICK APPROPRIATE BOX
Leisure
2 mods = 34€ (83 x 42mm)
Entertainment
3 mods = 50€ (126 x 42mm)
Announcements
(prices inc. IGIC)
Eating Out Employment Items Wanted
Name: .........................................................................................................................................................
For Sale
Address: .....................................................................................................................................................
Personal
Tel No: .................................................................... CIF/NIE No: ........................................................... Number of inserts: ................................................. Date from: .............................................................. Date until: .............................................. To place a classified (lineage) advert, simply fill in the coupon above and drop it off at PROPERTIES ABROAD LOCAL40B PHASE 3 C.C. PUERTO RICO NEAR SANTANDER BANK or ALADDINS CAVE LOCAL 82 C.C. ANCORA CENTRE ARGUINEGUIN. Private classified adverts must be pre-paid cashDEADLINE 12 NOON FRIDAY
Pets Properties - Private Sale Property - Agents Health Miscellaneous
32
The Canary News - Friday 20th November - Thursday 3rd December 2009 - Issue 11
www.thecanarynews.com