Last Business Trip for a While...

I went to London almost on a last minute call, to meet with some people on a Saturday in Bath, for work purposes. I was really looking forward to it. I knew it would be a lot of fun, and it was!

I stayed at Stav's in Notting Hill. The Turk's housemate was away for the weekend, Glastonbury (which once again this year was accompanied with rain). Nice pad Stav!!
He had just finished some set of accountancy exams and hadn't gone out to celebrate. And that night, I had a friend from the French Lycee in Lisbon (LFCL) who I hadn't seen in a while who was djing @ The Key in Kings Cross.
As soon as I got to his place we started drinking and then headed off to a bar to meet up with Sebas (Muuuuullllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!), another LFCL who had just started his new professional experience in London, working for Norman Foster's and partners Atelier!
Straight on to The Key, saw Anibal who unfortunately had already mixed! His set ended up being shorter than planned... It was a great night anyways!

Next day, a little hungover and under slept, I got the train down to Bath and had the meeting which went really well. And what a nice place it is! For old times' sake, for lunch I went to a JD Wetherspoons and had a burger and a pint! Lol.

Back at Stav's and after a little snooze to recover for that night, Broomy joined us and while we were waiting for the rain pouring to calm down, we were enjoying a nice Spanish wine. I had booked a table at Aziz, an oriental restaurant near Fulham road, which was actually owned by an Iranian guy, so I felt at home! Maboy Harris joined us, Mula and some other friends. Food was great, the company too and we even got treated with a belly dancing show!
I had asked my mates to take me to a cheesy venue, to remember those nights at Uni in Nottingham, and they chose Inferno's in Clapham, we had such a great laugh!!

The next day, Pedro and Joao came round for an english breakfast in a Greek café and only Brazilians worked there! No missed flight, and there went another business trip, allied with a lot of 'divertissement', as always.
Probably the last one since we recently hired a new manager, who has decided to focus more on the internal market...

This Summer in Lisbon

Work Takes me to... Sao Paulo!

Indeed. Some can consider themselves very lucky. I guess I am in that lot.
My company was selected for an entrepreneurial encounter organised by Madrid's Chamber of Commerce, linking together and promoting business implementation between these 2 metroplitans, Madrid and South America's financial capital, Sao Paulo.

Speaking Portuguese and having dealt with inscription and all other bureaucracies, adding to the fact that we were manager-free, I engaged in this trip and decided to stay at my very good friend's Cezar (Mo!!) apartment, giving me the chance to see him again 4 years after he left Uni, and spare my company on over 500eur worth of Hotel expenditure!

So I made sure I made the best from this adventure. First night we went for dinner at Jam Warehouse, great sushi! But being tired from the trip, the night ended there.
Next night I went for dinner with a friend, Isabel, from the same internship program, who is actually working in Chicago but she was in Sao Paulo at the same time on a business trip too, how random!!!
We went to Rodeio for good old Brazilian Rodizio, the most random thing of it all was that that same night, Brazilians were celebrating Valentine's day, being one of the few people not celebrating it on Feb the 14th!



Ok. So after tuesday and wednesday, two full days of non-stop meetings with potential clients and partners, and after finding pretty much the most adequate and interesting associate to enter the Brazilian market, there was the official dinner of the encounter with all the participants and organisers. That was held at Vento Haragano, with free caipirinhas for everyone!! Then we went on to Skye Bar, awesome view at the rooftop of a hotel!
We ended up at the private party of Companhia Maritima, designer label which had had its fashion show that day, at the Sao Paulo Fashion Week (SPFW). At Royal, with a live band playing electro-samba and the presence of fine models including Fernanda Lima...

Thursday day off: I chill and relax by my friend's pool, prepare a meeting with a consultancy firm scheduled for the afternoon and in the meantime, to see more of the city and have a more productive 'sejour', decide to go and see an exhibition on Charles Darwin at the Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo (MASP).


---- Too bad if you don't understand Portuguese... Couldn't find the official quote in English, but it basically states that 'Man's limits of his Knowledge can only be pushed by the fertility of His Imagination' ---- Or at least that's how I see it!

Later on, my last night, I manage to get tickets to the SPFW! Cez and I check out the Triton fashion show. We chill and drink free campari's in one of the VIP lounges and we even allow ourselves to miss another fashion show for which we had invites... Thanks ASW!



Things we're looking pretty good. Dinner at Kosushi with a couple of his female friends who unfortunately had to go home, early meetings the following day... We head off to Disco, where the private party of Triton his being held! In we go, open bar - only vodka, brilliant!
Not satisfied enough, we decide to leave and aim for more accessible crowds, Cafe de la Musique... Unfortunately finishing the night off empty-handed.. Well not quite, Temaki Express was there to cheer us up!

What's Been Going on...

After I went to Lisbon at then end of May, I got back and had the chance to go to Seville for a meeting and visit the place. Great afternoon afterwards with my colleague, trying tasty local food adding a refreshing tinto de verano...

Had another visitor that weekend, Martinha came to check out La Movida again, as she used to live here. I showed her my side of Madrid! 1st night houseparty and Pacha, and at the end I was caught spending a penny by a policeman, apparently against the main entrance of one of the mbest guarded buildings in town, the Supreme Court...

Next day Feria de la Tapa, tapas and cañas for 1€! In the evening, the unmissable Maison Blanche with other friends, then Le Marquis where I met up with Gilles, Marcello and others, and still onto to Gabana!





On Sunday, it had to be the typical hangover remedy: La Latina.

By the time I had recovered from that weekend, with a midweek dinner with Gilles, his girlfriend, Paixao and Johnny Big, I was heading off to Lisbon again, I had the wedding ceremony of Mrs. and Mr. Jesus!!



But I made sure I'd prepare for the day before: Surfing at Guincho, then Dinner at Valmor Residence, followed by Bairro Alto. Obviously, we ended up at Lux, where as soon as I get in, I see my colleague from work wearing a Flamenco Dress, how random!

And obviously....

The World Is Your Oyster

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

I recommend...

It’s been a while since I last recommended something, so I better make this one worthwhile!

There’s a never-ending list of great things I experienced lately, from restaurants, to clubs, to places and music…
Let’s start somewhere.

Buzzmarketing, by Mark Hughes

It’s a very instructive book on how to make the most of this powerful tool we have, to sell a product, an idea, to obtain as many clients as possible, called marketing.
It criticises the old fashioned methods applied to use it. It’s quite revolutionary, and by giving specific examples and case studies, altogether with a very simple and direct writing, you can clearly understand and assimilate how to reach the same results with this new modern marketing technique with a very small budget or almost inexistent, rather than having millions and millions to spend on marketing strategies and get practically nothing out of it. Direct marketing, or buzzmarketing, is letting the others speak about your business or product, by word of mouth. Don’t buy publicity, rather let your clients do it themselves…

Food suggestion: Chocolat, ice-cream shop in Milan.
Probably the best ice-cream I have ever tasted!! I went there on a Monday night at around midnight, and it was packed, you had to queue!! But it’s definitely worth the wait… A must in Milan!

Music!!!
Fujiya & Miyagi – Collarbone. Great electro-rock tune, with trendy and modern melody… (it’s always hard to describe what you can relate music to!)
The Klaxons – Golden skans. The remix (whose author I am still trying to identify) is huge! Smooth , energy-pumping electro-rock (yep, seems I’m quite into it now…).
Fat Freddy’s Drop – Any tune. Buy the album!! A mixture of jazz, reggae, bossa and chill out, straight from New Zealand. I saw them in concert last year in Paris, they kept on improvising, they rocked!

Birthday Celebrations Continue

Madrid and Milan weren't enough. There had to be more.

Not the best of news, my Dad was feeling ill and I felt he needed some support. After family consultations and discussions, I made sure I would fly over to L.A. and give him some support.

And so I did. 1 week, Stop-over: London.

5hrs in London waiting in transfer... as if!

After some careful time calculations, I decided to meet up at a pub on the same tube line as Heathrow with some friends back from uni and other Portuguese immigrants who really are scattered all over the world. A quick couple of pints and sausage and mash whilst catching up with some of your best buds, what else can you want??

I was really impressed to see such a big turn up (around 15!) at such an early time for a Sunday morning!


Cheers guys, it was awesome.

Then off to L.A. Spent a lot of time with my Dad and that was great. It really felt good. And he his feeling better. I was able to see most of my family too, including my cousins.
Once again, these bastards made sure I had a good time...

Went to Belmont, Day After, Area and a Persian - Jewish engagement party, all in just one week... L.A. at it's best!

Check this out, it happened the day before I went surfing to this same beach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB9mxYliuMo

I got back to Madrid, cheeky dinner at Maison Blanche with uncles who were visiting, and next day, official opening of Le Marquis, crazy...




Saturday, off to Lisbon. Was going to work Monday and Tuesday, visiting a food fair and having meetings, but the price was the same as flying out on Saturday, and the 'computer' said yes.

Nonstop. Went surfing 3 times, cool dinner with friends then on to Lux, sushi @ Estado Liquido with great company, and saw Sporting Lifting the Cup at Jamor!