Amsterdam On A Winter Afternoon

No need for words.

Enschede At Night

Enschede is a city in Eastern Netherlands, just a few kilometres away from Germany. I enjoyed very much going for a walk around this city. It gets dark at about 5 o'clock, so I turned out to be a night tour. I hope you enjoy its beauty as much as I did.

Christmas Doors In Holland

When Christmas arrives every house becomes an enchanted house in Holland. I have come to think that elves, fairies and people who have the power of magic live in them.

White And Green

I found some traces of green and white here and there. Beauty is in the details.

Red And Green

Have you ever wondered why the colors of Christmas are red and green?  Perhaps here lies the answer, a typical landscape of the north of Europe.

Winter Beauty

Everything is wet and, yet, so beautiful here in Holland. 

Window Shopping In The Netherlands

I just love to look at the shops windows in Holland. They are so beautiful.

Wrapping presents

Getting ready for Christmas.

A Little Green Bird

English

If you are not a native speaker, please use Google translator to listen to this story. Do not read it without listening.

Si no eres nativo, por favor, usa Google translator para escuchar esta historia. No la leas sin escucharla antes. Debes copiar y pegar el texto de abajo en el cajetín de Google Translator y hacer click en el altavoz que aparece al final del texto en inglés.
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Paul wanted very much to be rich but he couldn't figure out how. One night he dreamt with a little green bird. In his dream he asked the bird "Who are you?"

The bird answered, "Luck".

What do you want? asked Paul

I came to remind you of your promise, said the bird

What promise? asked Paul. But the bird didn't answer his question. She just said:

"There are four types of wealth. The first one is the wealth you can obtain committing crimes. The price one pays for this kind of wealth is so high I don't even want to mention it. Besides it is not worth entering into details because those involved in these practices don't  fully understand the consequences of their decisions until I come to charge them the price.

The second type of wealth you can obtain with your God-given talents: business skills, a nice voice, an attractive look, or a special gift in any field. The more money one gets through this kind of wealth, the higher the price one must pay; usually having no real friends, suffering the envy of everyone, being unable to trust anyone, exhaustion, or being constantly worried about the possibility of losing it.

The third type of wealth is the one that you inherit. The price one pays for this kind of wealth is a total lack of ambition and willingness to work for results. To many it might seem a very a low price to pay, but believe me it's a very expensive choice which one only fully understands at the time of death.

The fourth type of wealth is given through lotteries or unexpected events. The price one pays for this type of wealth varies depending on when and how much money one gets, but one must usually pay the same price as in wealth number two and three.

Wow! said Paul, now that you told me all this it seems very difficult to make a decision as to which kind of wealth I would like to have.  What do most people choose?

None of them, said the bird, they choose to have wisdom instead.

And what is the price they pay for wisdom?

All the hardships of life.

© Mónica Tapia Stocker 2012

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Spanish

Pablo tenía muchas ganas de ser rico, pero no sabía cómo. 
Una noche soñó con un pájaro verde.

En su sueño le preguntó al pájaro "¿Quién eres tú?"

El pájaro le respondió: "Soy la suerte".

¿Qué es lo que quieres? preguntó Pablo.

Vine a recordarte tu promesa, dijo el pájaro.

¿Qué promesa? preguntó Paul. 

Pero el pájaro no respondió a su pregunta. 

Sólo dijo:"Hay cuatro tipos de riqueza. 

La primera de ellas es la riqueza que se puede obtener cometiendo delitos. El precio que se paga por este tipo de riqueza es tan alto que no quiero ni mencionarlo. Además, no vale la pena entrar en detalles porque los que participan en estas prácticas no entienden completamente las consecuencias de sus decisiones hasta que yo les cobro el precio.

El segundo tipo de riqueza que se puede obtener con los talentos que te da Dios: habilidades para hacer negocios, una  bonita voz, un aspecto atractivo, o unos dones especial en cualquier campo. Cuanto más dinero se recibe a través de este tipo de riqueza, mayor es el precio que hay que pagar, por lo general no tener amigos de verdad, sufrir la envidia de todo el mundo, no poder confiar en nadie, agotamiento o estar constantemente preocupado con la posibilidad de perderla.

El tercer tipo de riqueza es la que se hereda. El precio que paga por este tipo de riqueza es una falta total de ambición y voluntad de trabajar para conseguir frutos. A muchos les parece que este es un módico precio a pagar  pero, créeme, es una elección muy cara que sólo se entiende perfectamente en el momento de la muerte.

El cuarto tipo de riqueza es el que se recibe a través de loterías o eventos inesperados. El precio que se paga por este tipo de riqueza varía según el momento y la cantidad de dinero que se obtiene, pero por lo general se debe pagar el mismo precio que en las riquezas segunda y tercera.

¡Guau! dijo Paul, ahora que me has dicho todo esto parece muy difícil tomar una decisión en cuanto a el tipo de riqueza que me gustaría tener. 

¿Cuál elige la mayoría de la gente?

Ninguna, dijo el pájaro, en lugar de riqueza optan por tener sabiduría.

¿Y cuál es el precio que pagan por la sabiduría?

Todas las adversidades de la vida.

© Mónica Tapia Stocker 2012

The Canary And the Seagull

English

If you are not a native speaker, please use Google translator to listen to this story. Do not read it without listening. Si no eres nativo, por favor, usa Google translator para escuchar esta historia. No la leas sin escucharla antes. 

A nice yellow canary, who lived by the sea, watched the seagulls fishing and flying every day from his cage as it was placed right in front of a window. He envied very much the seagulls because they were free to go anywhere they wanted.

On an autumn afternoon, when his owner opened the window to ventilate the room, a seagull landed on the window-frame, so close to his cage that the canary had a chance to talk to the seagull.

-Hello seagull. How are you today? asked the canary trying to be friendly to his admired seagull.
-I'm fine. And you? asked the seagull.
- I'm very sad, answered the canary.
-Why are you sad? asked the seagull.
- Because I'd like to be like you. I'd like to fly and fish everywhere, and I can't, said the canary.
- What a coincidence! cried the seagull.
- Why? asked the canary intrigued.
- Because when the winter comes, I often think that I would like to be like you. You are not free but you won't starve or freeze to death out here.
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Tales of the soul/Cuentos del alma

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Note: If you're trying to learn Spanish, please read this version of the story and not the one shown on Google translator.

Spanish
Un  bonito canario amarillo, que vivía al lado del mar, veía a las gaviotas pescar y volar cada día desde su jaula ya que estaba situada justo en frente de una ventana. Envidiaba mucho a las gaviotas porque eran libres de ir donde quisieran.

Una tarde de otoño, cuando su dueño abrió la ventana para ventilar la habitación, una gaviota aterrizó en el marco de la ventana, tan cerca de la jaula del canario que éste tuvo la oportunidad de hablar con la gaviota.

-Hola gaviota. ¿Cómo estás hoy? -preguntó el canario tratando de ser amable con su admirada gaviota.
-Estoy bien. ¿Y tú? preguntó  la gaviota.
- Estoy muy triste, respondió el canario.
¿Por qué estás triste? preguntó la gaviota.
- Porque me gustaría ser como tú. Me gustaría volar y pescar por cualquier lugar, y no puedo, dijo el canario.
- ¡Qué casualidad! -exclamó la gaviota.
- ¿Por qué? -preguntó el canario intrigado.
- Porque cuando llega el invierno, a menudo pienso que me gustaría ser como tú. Tú no eres libre, pero no  morirás de hambre o de frío aquí afuera.

Christmas Cards II

Finally, witht the help of Roberto I managed to make a Christmas card that I like.

DIY Recipe Box II

Index tabs

This is the second part of this tutorial.

Materials:

• Labels
• Plastic film
• Tabs (download image above. To download just right click image and save as image)
• Index card
• Cardboard cards
• A pair of scissors

Instructions:

• Print the tabs on label paper. Cut them out and adjust their size to the index card tabs. Before sticking the tabs, stick a  piece of white label to prevent seeing through the tabs' original color.
• Cover each tab with plastic film. This will protect them from dust and grease.
• Put some cardboard cards in between the index cards. I folded my cards to fit the size of the box.

Special touch: As this recipe box is for my mother-in-law I have added a magnifying glass to the box in case she has trouble seeing the letters.