When it happens, you just know

Dear readers,

I lost my phone at the weekend, losing all my contacts. The worst part is losing bits of writing that I wrote quickly in the notes. You always promise yourself to write it in the computer. But you forget. I dropped the phone outside my house. I went onto Googlemaps and saw that someone had tried to use it. It looks like they live just behind my street. We left messages asking them to return it, and recieve a reward. They chose not to respond. They lose a reward, like a lose the writing.

I can remember bits of the writing. All of it dedicated to Pamela, of course. Here is a free verse poem.

When it happens, you just know

When it happens, you just know.

The heart beats faster, the smile on your face is real.

You’re not only flying; you’re constantly dancing and singing.

You don’t risk anything to destroy it; but just want to continue how you feel.

It falls from the sky, when you’re flat down on the ground.

It makes you want to trust that special person, no matter what the past’s brought.

You’re comfortable together, with no talking nor any sound.

They do anything for you, you sacrifice whatever for them.

You’re the smiling flower in a crowded meadow, they hold you up by a stem.

They are the shoulder you cry on, or sit upon during the concert of your favorite band.

They are the blanket in the eye of the storm, and envelope you in bed at night.

Their morning breath is a lush aroma,

And their chortle makes them the comedian you love the most.

Your hearts bond, molded in that form.

But when it happens, you just know.

Prayers – part three

Dear readers,

Last, but not least, although maybe not as well known due to the length of it, is the Apostle’s Creed. I have been copying it every day for the past week or so in this little notebook.

It’s my holy notebook, you could say. The good thing is that it is helping the Apostles Creed to imprint itself in my memory.

So, here we go again.

Apostle’s Creed

I believe in God, the Father, Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth,
And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.
Suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, died and buried, he descended into hell
The third day, he rose again from the dead; he ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right-hand of God.
From thence, he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints,
The forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting.
Amen.

Prayers – part two

Dear readers,

More prayer practice today, people, and today’s peaceful little number comes probably the most well known prayer on the planet: the Lord’s Prayer. I had it drilled into me as a kid, at school assemblies and Cub Scouts. This one isn’t too hard to remember. The Apostles Creed is a humdinger, no disrespect to the Lord Himself, but it is.

Nonetheless, the Lord’s Prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in Heaven.
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give this day our daily bread,
And give us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power, and the glory,
Forever and ever,
Amen.

Prayers

Dear readers,

The days are counting near to my baptism, confirmation and communion with the Catholic Church. It will be a full house, with the cardinal himself doing the deed. It will be at Semana Santa, a holy tradition in the faith. In the last couple of weeks I have been studying creeds and prayers, which must be remembered and dictated at the ceremony: the Apostale’s Creed, The Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary. Those reading who are Catholic will know them very well, and will also remember studying them.

The Lord’s Prayer I remember from youth. The other two, no. To revise, I’ve been writing and rewriting them in a little book daily. Today I thought I would practice them on my blog, share them with the world (a lot of the world already knows it). I’m having problems with the order of them. Especially the Apostale’s Creed. Getting there though. Tonight just the Hail Mary

Hail Mary

Hail Mary,
Full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed thou art among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God.
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of death

Amen.

City of the Monkey God

Dear readers,

National Geographic released it today. It’s been a long standing rumour and quite a few friends had told me. Charles Lindbergh, the famous US aviator, had once said he thought he spotted something on of his many flight adventures when passing through Honduras. Now it’s made world news. It sounds like the title of a instantly forgettable big budget Hollywood blockbuster. City of the Monkey God, also known as White City (not to be confused with the neighbourhood in north London). American archaeologists are surveying the land, somewhere deep in the Mosquitia jungles in eastern Honduras, which has been done in top secret with help from ex-SAS soldiers to stop looters trying to grab what they can. These jungles aren’t just occupied by the deadly poisonous Barba Amarilla serpent (commonly known in English as the Pitbull Viper, and having seen how ferocious these snakes are in Trujillo, you do not want to mistakenly piss one off. They have that name with good reason), it is also famous for narco traffickers.

There have been many, many generations of Indians living in these forests. I know that one race, or tribe, is called Pech. I’ve never been there, but I would love to visit. It looks like that I will have to go sooner rather later, because when you look at what they think they have found, these normally uninhabited forests are going to be crawling with tourists, with expensive eco tourist hotels and visitor centres and you have to ask who will benefit from tourism, because I very much doubt it will be the locals (Indians and wildlife, basically). More than likely, museums have ears to the ground on this. Deforestation has already become a problem in the region.

One would automatically think that this lost city is linked to the Mayans, as Copan Ruinas is situated to the west of the country. They have, it seems, found a pyramid and many animal stone sculptures that are usually associated with the Mayans. However, from studying the 52 artefacts found so far, archeologists believe this is a different culture, one that hasn’t previously been studied, even to the extent that it hasn’t yet got a name. It could well open a big can of worms, especially in the case of pre-Colombian times. They believe the artefacts date back to 1000-1400 AD and the civilisation thrived some 8000 years ago. Why they abandoned the city remains a mystery.

There will be more about this in the coming days, weeks, months and years. I will try to follow it. Watch this space.

Top Translations website

Dear readers,

One of the reasons that I haven’t been doing my blog in the last month or so is because I was putting together the website for my business, Top Translations. This post isn’t to justify myself. It’s more so to do just that, promote my business. Please pass it on to those who might be interested.

Top Translations

Tour de Reino Unido – parte veinte tres

Dear readers,

Thursday 23rd July 2014

I haven’t touched our tour in the United Kingdom in over a month. Obviously, and I don’t need to repeat myself, due to being busy with wedding stuff. It’s also down to the fact that nothing really happened that day. Doctor appointments and talking about finances with dad. Nothing really to excite me to write nor you to read. So I’m going to beam you on to the next day.

Friday 24th July 2014

We were on the road this year. Back on the motorway on the way to Glasgow. Now I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, I have been to many great, great cities. Rio de Janeiro is one of my favourites. But one where I have some of favourite memories, not just because I have a wonderful family residing there, but more so for the vibe and energy of the city, is Glasgow. I know it has quite an aggressive or even violent reputation for some (many of whom hail from south of the border) but I’ve only seen the friendly charm that pours from every pore in the Glasweigans. Yes, you have to take it with the odd expletive. I’ve never experienced too much anti-English feeling myself. It’s not a myth. I’m sure it’s there. (I know a Honduran who went to the UK with ICYE. He likes to tell me about his trip to Scotland. He also likes to remind me that Scottish people hate the English. “Yes, we know, thank you. I’ve never really experienced it, but we know.” This is often ignored and he replies with, “Yes, but they REALLY hate you.” It’s often at that point where his ignoramus makes me want to give him a Glasgow Kiss. “What’s a Glasgow Kiss?” he says. “Arrrhh, not so William Wallace as you thought, are you!”). It did cross the mind on the way up in the car what the mood would be like, especially with the referendum looming.

I also enjoy the Glasweigan architecture. The refacing of the old tenements, as well as retouching the Victorian buildings. The middle class stone houses that you find in Newlands with high ceilings also have a fine touch that aren’t found too easily in the rest of the UK. Unfortunately Birmingham had many of its older buildings blown up in the Second World War (not all, however) and had them replaced with architectural butchery. Glasgow doesn’t get the amount of tourism that Edinburgh does, but it has a more vibrant scene, in my opinion. It also has the majestic River Clyde. Every great city needs a river. Birmingham makes up for it with canals. Though Glasgow has one sellable point that can’t be made by hand or bought with dosh, and that’s that very welcoming spirit. It can’t be touched. There’s also Fopp records. The best shop in Glasgow, probably (though Pamela was taken with Poundland).

All in all, if I were ever to move back to the UK, Glasgow would be my first place. I really do love it.

The way up to Glasgow is always a trip down memory lane. We all got to see the RAC Tower and the nearby Walsall FC ground (The Bescot Stadium I believe it’s called). We got to take a good look at it thanks to an hour’s traffic jam. Further up the motorway was Preston, which is where I studied journalism. Roper Hall and all nighters in the library came flooding back to me. Past Carlise, where I was thinking of studying, but on the open day, a dark day in November, I had a late train and I ended up getting happily snozzled by myself with a good book. A stop where I introduced Pamela to pork pies at the service station with a farm shop and pond with ducks outside, somewhere on the Scottish side of the border. We’ve stopped there since I was a “wee bairn”. Going past Hamilton, I remember going to a theme park there once with my cousin Sam. I lost £20. Sam won many jackpots on the fruit machines but only got tokens to play more (not cash! – we were a bit naive to see that we were being skinned). It was a hot day. In the evening we all went for a curry. What strange memories I have.

Whenever I enter the city, for whatever reason, I must always listen to U2’s Joshua Tree. It’s been that way since I was 12 and I had the tape in my Walkman without fail. It was my mum’s tape. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and Where the Streets Have No Name. I associate them with Glasgow. I just do. I don’t know why. But I’ve fond memories.

The rest I’ll share with you soon.

Here are the songs.