Holidaying in Calella
Posted by: slync81 on: 14 October, 2008
I went on holiday to Calella in Spain this year and had to blog it because it is truly a beautiful village.
It is an hour away from Barcelona city and set along the coast, so it has very easy access to the beach. There are LOADS of hotels, which I am surprised about because I’d never even heard of Calella before booking a hol to Barcelona! But its a gorgeous little town.
The streets are all sandy and very clean, there are loads of shops and restaurants, as well as a really cool market that takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The town is light-hearted and everyone is really friendly. In the evenings there is a lovely buzzy atmosphere as shops stay open later because of the siesta in the middle of the day, and people spend time socialising with each other outside.
The beach itself was lovely, though the sand wasn’t that fine, in fact it was quite grainy and where it met the sea it was quite rocky and sharp. Going into the sea itself was quite scary at first because it wasn’t shallow at all - there was a massive dip and the sea was suddenly very deep. The waves were quite big as well so I don’t recommend for children, but I didn’t mind that as long as I could see to jump over them!
There was quite a few tourists from different countries in Calella, such as Italy, Germany and France and also some local people who came originally from African countries such as Gambia and Senegal. So it was a mix of people from different backgrounds. I would recommend this little resort for families, couples and elderly people. Younger people and couples would also enjoy it as a short holiday. However although there are lots of bars there’s not much nightclubs - only two. Apparently there are more in Barcelona.
A word of warning though - make sure you arrive at the Barcelona Airport while the metro is still running. We arrived after 23.00 and were quoted 80 - 100 Euros for a taxi to Calella. We took a night bus to the city centre and then another one that runs every hour to Calella. There were loads of friendly people that helped us out along the way, but we didn’t reach our hotel until after 2.00am. Travelling to Calella needs to be planned properly.
Overall a 4 out of 5.
Sugarbabes too busy for Tim-man?
Posted by: slync81 on: 8 October, 2008
It would seem that the Sugarbabes don’t really have an idea on how to prioritise their workload so that they can utilise opportunities that will benefit their career. They have turned down an offer, no sorry TWO offers, to collaborate with hit producer Timbaland because they are ‘too busy’.
Busy doing what?! What the hell can they be ‘busy’ doing that would prevent them from working with the most talented producer of all time. Some people just don’t seem to understand the scale to which this man works.
He has worked with/for:- Read the rest of this entry »
£15 Pin-Free Purchases @ Pret
Posted by: slync81 on: 6 October, 2008
I have just discovered from a colleague that if you use a debit or credit card to purchase something in Pret a Manger, and the amount totals under £15, you do not have to provide a pin number OR sign for the purchase. They simply swipe your card and that’s it.
Now excuse me if I am being slow here, but when the hell did that come in?! And why is this allowed? The whole idea of the Chip and Pin system to lessen the chance of fraud yet this little loophole means anyone can make purchases under £15 on a card and they don’t have to give any form of authorisation.
Working with Pret A Manger’s bank, Ingenico developed a card payment service, which is being introduced throughout the company’s 150 stores.
The Chip based system caters to peak shopping times and high customer throughput, allowing customers to use their credit or debit card without entering a PIN or giving a signature when paying less than £15.
Ingenico Website
So it becomes clear. This has been brought in to increase the amount of people that can be served. A benefit for the shop, but where is the benefit for the customer? Read the rest of this entry »
Pocketknives, penknives? No, Jacket Knives
Posted by: slync81 on: 3 October, 2008
- In: News
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I cannot fathom the insane idea behind selling jackets with penknives in them. Especially with the whole intense climate around knife crime at the moment.
It completely irresponsible to sell knives as part of a jacket - taking them out of the kitchen and directly into the hands of young adults who then have the opportunity to use them. Why do that? Why make it ‘cool’ to own a coat with a knife attached? Read the rest of this entry »
Failed by her parents, the police and the media - poor Maddy
Posted by: slync81 on: 4 September, 2008
- In: News
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It is amazing how the general public of Britain has rallied behind the parents of the missing Madeleine McCann.
In a way, it shows how we can support a good cause if we really want to (or if its pushed in our faces enough!), but I don’t feel that the parents have had enough criticism, because whenever anyone does publicly tell them off about carelessly deserting their children in another country to go out a dine with friends, they shrug it off. I don’t care what anyone says, what they did was careless behaviour and is actually classed as neglect under child abuse.
The only people I feel sorry for in the whole sorry situation is Madeleine and her younger siblings who were also at risk. And I support the parents’ efforts to get her back, not because of their pain and anguish (they bought it on themselves), but because of the suffering that Madeleine is going through, being away from her parents, friends and family.
I never thought that the parents were right in the head to leave Maddy on her own, and when they became suspects in the police investigation I wondered if there was some truth to it. Now it has come to light that the Portuguese police may not have done their jobs properly, everyone seems to be looking to blame them for the reason Maddy has not been found by now. But I have to wonder if its possible for a missing child to receive so much publicity all over Europe and not been found yet. It makes you wonder Read the rest of this entry »
X-Factor Frenzy
Posted by: slync81 on: 15 August, 2008
It never ceases to amaze me how much the public can be manipulated by the money hungry. Never before has there been such an interest into the judging on X Factor, or Simon Cowell giving his glowing opinion on his fellow judges and new contestants yet there seems to be a media frenzy surrounding the whole thing.
The new X-Factor panel
It wouldn’t be anything to do with the fact that ratings were down on last years show would it? Or that the show is about to be aired? Or that since Leona Lewis, its been hard to watch acts that are less talented so less people are tuning in?
Hmmm… it seems so to me. When you think about it, X Factor is not the show everyone thinks it is. What is its purpose? To find a new act that has that ’special something’ and them make into superstars, or at least popular record selling artists? Well, with the exception of Leona Lewis, who of anyone that has been on that show can actually be classed in that way? Read the rest of this entry »
A White Beyonce? She’s not worth it
Posted by: slync81 on: 14 August, 2008
I am absolutely DISGUSTED that the latest ad campaign by L’oreal features a picture of the most talented, popular and iconic black woman in the entertainment industry with strawberry-blonde hair and white skin. I am even more shocked that Beyonce has allowed herself to appear in the media looking bleached and washed out to advertise a product.
Why is she photoshop’ed to look that way when she is black? Why can she not be appreciated for the way she is? It sends a bad message to young black women that dark skin and original hair and features isn’t acceptable because its not just the case that her hair colour is different, her SKIN has been lightened. Tell me what product L’Oreal sell that does that so dramatically - because that is actually what they are advertising. And don’t give me that crap about Read the rest of this entry »
Waste of the Human kind
Posted by: slync81 on: 30 July, 2008
- In: News
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It has been revealed this week that human fertiliser is being utilised by supermarkets to grow grains for their own brand cereals. The product, known as ’sudge’ is being used on at least 3,000 fields in the Midlands (Yahoo News)
The shocking thing is, the use of this product has been legal since 1998!
It is absolutely disgusting that human waste is being used to grow food aimed for consumption. I don’t buy the reasoning that it is ‘treated’ and therefore safe or imbecilic attitude of ‘well what do you expect we should do with the large amounts waste we produce’ - NOT feed it back to us! Read the rest of this entry »
Striking: The media’s interpretation
Posted by: slync81 on: 23 July, 2008
- In: News| Uncategorized
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A three-day strike that may hit holidaymakers needing swift passports is starting.
Nearly 3,000 passport staff will leave their posts in a row over pay and the Government’s office closure programme. The strike will hit the UK’s seven regional passport offices and 68 interview offices, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said.
The stoppage - which comes at the start of the school holidays - means that anyone who discovers their passport has expired may have to miss their holiday.
For an extra charge, new documents can usually be obtained in one day but this service will be unavailable during the strike. Travellers waiting for ordinary passport applications to be processed will also face delays.
The protest is over a 2.5% pay deal. The sum has not been awarded to all staff, with longest-serving employees receiving no pay rise for the fifth year running. Yahoo News
This is completely typical of our media. The above quote from Yahoo News is similar to many others in newspapers, websites and broadcasts about this story. They all start with highlighting the inconvenience of the strike to the British public before explaining why the strike is taking place.
This is how they trick us into thinking that strikes are unnecessary or more of hassle than its worth. It is not until the fourth paragraph in the article that the reasons why that amount of staff will be walking out. And it is announced as though there has been no warning or that the public are being made to suffer.
In some instances the public does suffer; like when teachers, nurses or emergency services go on strike. But if you cannot prepare yourself for travel by checking your passport at an adequate time to get it renewed, then its not anyone else’s fault.
This kind of attitude in the media encourages the public to think of people who strike and stick up for themselves as troublemakers. Read the rest of this entry »
Minority TV
Posted by: slync81 on: 19 July, 2008
- In: News| Uncategorized
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… Hollyoaks, Emmerdale and Australian soaps such as Home and Away were picked out for having no virtually no ethnic minority characters.
Viewers cited Asian corner shop owner Dev in Coronation Street and black single mother Denise, who had two children by two different fathers in EastEnders, as examples of stereotyping and tokenism in soaps.
Ethnic minority viewers accused all broadcasters of tokenism and stereotyping, screening exaggerated and extreme representations of minorities and failing to reflect modern ethnic minority culture. Yahoo News
This is not surprising at all. It may be to the white people who watch these programmes and haven’t realised it, but minorities have had to become used to not seeing a reflection of ourselves on TV. It’s so normal now that its not strange to us either.
When you consider that ethnic minorities make up 8-11% of the population in the UK and also the continuing negative attitudes towards ethnic minorities, it is not surprising that these soaps don’t bother to include them in their story-lines and if they do it is simply to emulate ’stereotypical interaction characters’ as a backdrop for white characters (and viewers).
In the same report (commissioned by Channel 4), US tv shows were praised Read the rest of this entry »
