Life from an outsider’s perspective… Life from an outsider’s perspective… The life of an expat Australian starting a new life in Spain. A former research scientist now runs a pro road bike hire business. Cycling in a place with no flat roads! The importance of Mental and Physical health in todays society... Articles
Spoiled for choice: bicycle disc brakes rotors available in five sizes: 5.5
2008-03-10 12:58:00 If you have a bicycle with disc brakes, you’ll soon find there are many possible choices for the rotor sizes. From a tiny 5″ all the way to a whopping 9″! The next time you need to replace a rotor, consider the following points. Advantages of bigger disc rotors: Larger disc rotors obviously give much more power ... More About: Choice , Disc , Bicycle
Suggested Spanish TV programs?
2008-03-09 14:21:00 Here in the north of Tenerife, we have about 15 free Spanish TV channels and zero english ones. Spanish television can be an enjoyable experience. First I reccommend reading this article about spanish television customs in preparation, and only watch the suggested TV shows described briefly below. Spanish Comedies- If you have an advanced understanding of Spanish, ... More About: Programs , Island Life
A glimpse of future motoring?
2008-03-06 22:06:00 I think this is the way of the future. It’s a new 100% electric car which is very inspiring. Of course some will say that we’re moving the pollution from the car to the source of the electricity (power stations). But in the future, we can always choose where our electric energy comes from. If ... More About: Inspiration , Future , Motoring , Glimpse
The benefits of travelling light.
2008-03-05 21:20:00 This is a dual-part article on the how and why of travelling light. This part inlcudes some pertinent facts about travelling light which you might not have thought of. Part 1 offers some very sage advice. More About: Inspiration , Travelling , Light , Benefits
?The only baggage you can bring is all that you can?t leave behind? -U2
2008-03-05 19:57:00 Between 1999 and 2005, I was fortunate enough to travel to many foreign countries. In the year 2000 I bought a round the world ticket offered by Oneworld visiting more than 10 countries throughout my journey. In 2005, I went and did it again. This time there were 21 different countries on my itinery and ... More About: Inspiration , Leave , Baggage
Meridian Zero, the one and only local metal rock band.
2008-03-05 15:35:00 Meridian Zero is a local ‘homegrown’ metal rock band based in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. They do give me a lot of inspiration, especially when I see the individual band members playing separately in the videos below. How they manage to create new music by melding all the sound contributions together never ceases to amaze ... More About: Band , Metal , Inspiration , Rock , Local
Online marketing campaigns: aim for targeting or saturation point?
2008-03-03 05:07:00  It’s been two weeks since I last wrote an article for “That’s business”, so I thought it was time to reflect upon this topic. In mid 2007, I set myself the following simple goal: to quadruple the number of web visitors by the end of the year. The target was 200 daily web visits, which at the time ... More About: Marketing , Online Marketing , Online , Campaigns , Point
Online marketing campaigns: aim for targeting or saturation point?
2008-03-03 05:07:00 It’s been two weeks since I last wrote an article for “That’s business”, so I thought it was time to reflect upon this topic. In mid 2007, I set myself the following simple goal: to quadruple the number of web visitors by the end of the year. The target was 200 daily web visits, which at the time ... More About: Marketing , Online Marketing , Online , Campaigns , Point
Making sense of chaotic Spanish drivers.
2008-03-03 03:53:00 You may not be able to think of anything more chaotic than a crazy spanish freeway, and in many cases you’d be absolutely darn right. But there is an underlying order in chaos, and this is what I’ll attempt to extract and share with you here. As many regular readers know, after many delays, I recently obtained my ... More About: Drivers , Sense , Spanish , Island Life , Chaotic
Watching Spanish television. Some reccommendations.
2008-03-02 13:47:00 Here in the north of Tenerife, we have about 15 free Spanish TV channels and zero english ones. Spanish television can be an enjoyable experience. First I reccommend reading this article about spanish television customs in preparation, and only watch the suggested TV shows described briefly below. Subtitles & language preferences: The good thing is that if you ... More About: Television , Watching , Island Life
Shimano vs Microsoft. When you?re sitting at the top, the only way is down?
2008-03-02 00:21:00 In the bicycle industry, there’s a common analogy often drawn between shimano and another well-known business monopoly, Microsoft . Both have (or had) a majority market share. Both employ ruthless business tactics. Both arguably produce products with “planned obsolescence” in mind. Both excel at introducing new products that are not backwards compatible. Of course none of ... More About: Business , That , Shimano
What is ?synchronicity??
2008-02-27 19:02:00 you happen to be browsing my blog or forum, and you notice that a lot of the posts are made by a person who calls himself 'synchronicity'. You then go into google and type "what is synchronicity", this page appears and you're lead straight back here again! Given access to ~1 trillion internet pages, and you come full circle in only one loop... that's what I call synchronicity! More About: Synchronicity
Finding a needle in a haystack
2008-02-27 17:35:00 I’m pleased to announce that I have recently become an official sponsor of www.pedaltheocean.com! As a part of the pedal the ocean team, my designiation is ‘Canary Islands support advisor’. One of my current tasks is to help Greg Kolodziejzyk find a dedicated support boat + skipper to aid him on his -trans Atlantic quest. His aim is ... More About: Inspiration , Island Life , Haystack
The Irony of a close-knit, well-integrated society.
2008-02-23 03:58:00 Consider this: a society is able to perform many tasks, share work, trade labour, food and everything else required to stay alive. A strong, interactive community obviously makes life easier than a loosely bound one. On the other hand, a solitary individual would face a tremendous challenge in facing the same environment alone. So it could be said that ... More About: Society , Irony , Close , Integrated , Knit
Volume of CO2 emmissions compared to the total volume of our atmosphere:
2008-02-21 15:02:00 As far as I’m concerned, anyone who thinks that our way of life doesn’t affect the environment (climate included) is an idiot. Sorry, but some people still continue believe that we can spew as much CO2 into the air as we want and it will have no long-term effect on the Earth’s climate. You only ... More About: Total , Atmosphere , Volume
Mission Impossible: Driving in Spain, a rite of initiation.
2008-02-21 03:03:00 In many cultures, the passage of childhood through adulthood is defined by various types of initiation cermonies or “rites of passage”. In Vanuatu they exchange pigs, mats, kava, and other goods between a child’s father’s and mother’s families. In indigenous Australian and African tribes, they perform face painting rituals and circumcisions. Similarly, throughout Melanesia and Polynesia, tattoos are used ... More About: Driving , Spain , Mission , Impossible , Island Life
Exploring the Atlantic ocean with biomimetic submarine human propulsion.
2008-02-20 01:24:00 Ciamillo dropped out of engineering school in his third year, but that didn’t stop him from becoming an engineer in his own right. In his 6,000-square-foot cypress-framed workshop in Nicholson, Georgia, he and his staff develop and market a series of bicycle components using various CNC (computer-numeric controlled) machines. The 0G (Zero Gravity) TI, Ciamillo’s ... More About: Inspiration , Human , Ocean , Exploring , Submarine
Pedalling across the Atlantic ocean. A new world record attempt.
2008-02-15 12:36:00 In Dec. of 2008, Greg is planning on pedaling his human powered boat “WiTHiN” 3000 miles across the Atlantic ocean in less than 43 days setting a new world record for the fastest human powered Atlantic crossing. Pedal The Ocean explores the limits of what is possible with human power. 2700 miles from Canary Islands to ... More About: World , Inspiration , World Record , New World
The ultimate quest for happiness. What is the meaning of life?
2008-02-15 02:50:00 We live in a time like no other. We’ve essentially won the struggle for life and dominated the planet and now we wonder what the real purpose of life is. I could say that “the point of life is to live”. You may think that’s a bleeding obvious statement, but to succeed against all the ... More About: Life , Happiness , Meaning , Quest , Ultimate
One for the Aboriginies: A formal apology from the new Australian Governmen
2008-02-13 12:40:00 This just in: a historic moment in Australian history -Priminister Rudd from the new Australian Government delivers a formal apology for the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples of Australia, in particular “the stolen generation”. Yes he actually uses the words “we apologise” and TEXT of the formal apology to Indigenous Australians to be made in federal parliament by ... More About: Inspiration , Apology , Formal
Driving me insane; the legendary Spanish driving test.
2008-02-13 03:45:00 In case you hadn’t realised, this has turned into a 5 or 6 part series on getting your license in Spain. Today I attempted the final driving exam for the first time (yes in Spanish ). I just got back and I failed. This is despite completing over 3600 practise theory questions in Spanish and almost 30 hours of compuslory ... More About: Driving , Insane , Test , Island Life
Spanish driving lessons, a billion-dollar-a-year industry.
2008-02-11 18:13:00 In Spain, if you want to get a driving license, official driving lessons are compulsory. There is no such thing as learning to drive with family members or friends. Not only that, but unlike the USA and Australia, learning to drive an automatic vehicle is also not an option. Furthermore, both the theoretical and practical driving standards ... More About: Business , Industry , Driving , Dollar , Spanish
Predicting the weather, Canarian style.
2008-02-08 12:47:00 Here I’m going to attempt to demonstrate the ways in which local Canarian people are able to predict the local weather patterns reasonably well. Note that these observations are based from La Orotava, in the North of Tenerife: General stratus cloud cover almost never produces rain, especially if you can see patches of blue sky directly ... More About: Weather , Style , Island Life
Going Green.
2008-02-08 04:14:00 Above all else, we strive for a minimal environmental footprint. While air is free, we don’t use disposable CO2 cartridges. We reuse inner tubes by first repairing them. There’s a long lost skill in patching butyl innertubes which will definitely be covered in another article. We continue patching them until the valve no longer functions or until they ... More About: Business , Inspiration , Green , That
Pasatiempos Tinerfeños / Españoles
2008-02-08 03:43:00 Reading newspaper obituaries daily Neatly arranging clothes outside on the line so that they dry quicker Wearing slippers Sweeping terracotta tile floors Sweeping tile floors in general Watching television More About: Island Life
Important gear selection tips for climbing in the mountains.
2008-02-05 16:41:00 The most important thing to remember if you haven’t ever cycled in mountainous terrain is APPROPRIATE GEARING. I can’t stress that enough. The best gearing for climbing are the following options: 53/39/30 chainring with 12-25 cassette 50/34 chainring with 12-28 cassette 53/39 with 12-32 cassette All of these choices provide what I call “the magic 1.2 low gear ratio” which ... More About: Mountains , Tips , Gear , Climbing , Selection
On with the business!
2008-02-05 16:32:00 I think the most important thing to know when contemplating new business ideas, isn’t whether you are actually capable of providing the service or not (because we all know that yes you could do it!), but weather it is economically feasible or not. At the end of the day, you invest ALL your time & ... More About: Business , That
Who?s with me on this one?
2008-02-03 22:37:00 Thanks for stopping by… now why not sign my online visitor guestbook & add a photo of yourself? More About: Island Life
?Entrar es fácil, lo difícil es salir?
2008-02-02 01:33:00 I really really like this advert… it’s an anti drug campaign created by the program “twelve months twelve causes”, broadcast by channel 5 here in Spain. As the title of the program indicates, for each month of the year there is a new cause - awareness of an important issue. In translation, the slogan that the man ... More About: Inspiration , Mental Health , Island Life
The local recovery drink: Aquarius.
More articles from this author:2008-01-30 20:29:00 This a great tasting refreshing drink commonly available here in Spain. It’s almost identical in flavour to Staminade, another refreshing (Australian) drink that has been popular since the 1970’s. It’s really good because it’s not only cheap, but it actually quenches your thirst, unlike those hyper-sweetened gatorade & powerade sports drinks available on the market. It is ... More About: Recovery , Drink , Local , Aquarius , Island Life 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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