stand up and be counted

As you can see I have added a hit counter to my very (mass) popular blog! I chose the apple design as it is appropriate to the Cider (sidra) reigon where I live. So send my link to your friends and then I can get a nice surprise and think i'm a web-mistress extraordinaire!

star ship enterprise

There is a new confrence centre being built in Oviedo which looks like a cruise ship has docked in amoungst some tower blocks. I will watch its progress. Here are some 'Pipas' sunflower seeds, I bought from a vending machine because I like the drawing on the packet, and my name is pippa.

A loud alarm clock

The rest of the regon is covered in snow and we can sigh a breath of relief because the Bears get to hybernate this year. We were woken at 6am with our windows rattling from the base boom of thunder to be followed by a hailstorm which filled our garden with a thick layer like snow. Lots of bright lightning and very loud thunder claps. All this made me burry myself even further under the pile of duvets. The storm lasted two hours and now Oviedo is coverd in hailstones.
Incase anyone was curious what our tiles look like in our 'kitch-en' heres a small portion of the pattern.

Hoodie

Just when you were thinking I was living in an upmarket town, I went and did a getto montage.
I like the graffiti aroung here, it is less 'rude boy' and more cute doodle!
Here someone has caught my new Spanish style stomoch very well.

Video art and dinner

We went to galleria espachio liquido in Gijon and saw an interesting video instillation by two artists from Asturias 'fiumfoto'. Then I prepared many different mezas as you can see all was eaten. My studio doubles up nicely as a dining room.

then the rain came down

Here Rob is illustrating how the weather has been all upsidown here in Oviedo. What with a heatwave during January!

regenerate

These are a couple of buildings in a street in Gijon (xixon) I like the graphics on one , and the deralict state of the grand building! The rest of the street has more historic structures but they are covered in scafolding.

Blowtops

We went to a gig lastnight, The Blowtops from Buffalow N.W played, very theatrical rockerbilly sound with an edge of hammond organ. The singer spent most of the time in amoungst the audiance or rolling on the floor.
I didnt get a picture but heres a shot of a tacky shoe shop in town, the multi coloured cowboy boot emporium.

Making do

Mostly I have been learning verbs and translating Jack and the bean stalk into Spainsh. Oh I visited a botanical garden in Gijon (xixon) which had some nice natural pools in the river with steps going down for the boijoise bohemians to swim during some time ago? I also played air hockey, pictured here with javi, who won every game. I liked the picture above the pool table in the games room.

post it note exhabition

I was invited to make a piece of work for a group show in Istambul. The criteria was that it had to be on a post it note. My piece is a tribute to the brave journeymen who risk their lives in un-seaworthy, overcrowded fishing boats in hope to reach Europe from West Africa. The passage takes no less than two weeks and many die. The survivors who reach the Canaries are so glad to see a lighthouse and dry land, that the feer of being caught is outweighed by relief. Having reached the Canaries the African migrants are nursed by the Red Cross and then deported by the Spanish authorities. It is reported that a high percentage of thoes deported go home, raise funds to pay the smugglers and try again.

A little glimpse of Scotland

We had a lovely time in Scotland and Sussex, now its the struggle to get back into some routine, not straight away because Spain has its three kings festivities on the 6th so more holidays until 8th January. Pictured above is a drive to Tongue estuary.