l'avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt!

Errors would always serve one as an experience but only if one has the time to learn from them in order to put them right.

P.Figueras

Click the link below for the latest in MLB:

Become a Figueras Baseball Academy Sponsor and play an important role in the success of this non-profit enterprise!

Globalizando el beisbol mas Orgulloso de ser venezolano!

This is a cock-and-bull story in its fullness and you will do well if you were to bear the strength of it and manage to avoid swallowing it with hook, line and sinker in one go but in a world of probabilities the impossible can easily happen. Be on your guards. However, you don't have to leave this site to hide your laughter or utter words with closed teeth since I am totally convinced that you would be amused at my attempting to amuse you; but long live your amusement and long live my endeavour to test your discernment and humour. Broke but content I am, there is the point in writing this story and as I take my leave I ask you not to strain your voice for a sensible person like you would never engage in a fencing match of words with me or anyone else for something so trifling as a triviality while Rome is burning.  

Prime Minister's questions!

For centuries, the Kingdom of Gondwana Land have had a form of government in which its subjects have a voice in the exercise of power, chiefly through elected representatives, where Parliament is the highest legislature in the land, consisting of the Sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. King William Smilodon II is the sovereign head of state and David Triceratops (of Traditionalist Party) is the incumbent Prime Minister. Prime Minister's Questions takes place every Wednesday at 2.15 in The House of Commons, and today is such a day. My tale begins with the first formal question on the Order Paper, raised by the Right Honourable Gentleman, Peter Tyrannosaurus, a representative of the Horncastle Constituency in Lincolnshire, who intelligibly utters: "Number One, Mr Speaker". The Prime Minister then indexes the items in his agenda and communicates them to the House.

The Speaker: " Questions to The Prime Minister", he called.

David Triceratops (The Prime Minister, champing at the bit), addresses The House: "This morning I took a walk on the wild side of the capital and the heavens opened, and for all the misery in Gondwana Land, I wished I had stayed indoors for I forgot my umbrella and got soaked to the skin. Then, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues about matters which concern many of us and, while wandering the untamed greenwood of my thoughts in Westminster, I bumped into my old chum, Cave Bear Johnson. He suggested going for a drink at a new water hole by the river Thames near Westminster Bridge.  The poor Ursus Spelaeus has been in such poor health lately since its insides have been out of order for quite some time. I really felt so sorry for the beast, particularly, when it began to trudge on the soles of its feet as if it were carrying the world upon its shoulders. I hope that I am mistaken but I think that Cave Bear Johnson, has been given a vicious role, alien to its nature, since in its hopeless chaotic mind I could only detect dysthymia. Still, it needs to keep its thick fur and spirit in the shape of a fox for this summer Mayoral's plebiscite. The sky was red and grey with vested interest in foul weather; not a good sign, a real state of confusion, there was a warning shot, so I thought. There was rain and, then, more of the same. Mind you Cave Bear Johnson' flatulence was a real fly in the ointment as it ruined what it might have been a delightful afternoon. By the time we left the charming water hole, Cave Bear Johnson was three sheets to the wind and talking far too much nonsense to be sensible to the sober view of life.

The incumbent Speaker of The House of Commons is Jason Styracosaurus.  He presides over the House's debates, dictates the order in which members may speak and maintains order during on-going debates about a particular subject. He also has the authority to bring members to book who contravene the rules of the House.

The incumbent Leader of the Opposition (of The Proletariat Party) is Eduardo Megantereon. His role is to put the incumbent Prime Minister in a tight corner by raising political issues which are in the public interest.

The Speaker: "Order, order!  The Leader of the Opposition, the Right Honourable Gentleman, Eduardo Megantereon"

The Right Honourable Gentleman, Eduardo Megantereon (He felt his stomach fluttering and tusks clattering as the speaker called attention to his presence): "Thank you Mr Speaker. Indeed, we are all deeply worried about the state of the economy and unemployment in our kingdom. Can the Prime minister tell The House when he thinks that the nation's economy and employment sketches will have a brighter weather?

The Speaker: "The Prime Minister", he called.

The Prime Minister  (Bullishly): "The Right Honourable Gentleman is jolly well aware that things are really sunless on the capital front at the present time; but I can assure The House that we are doing all we can to bring sunny weather to the economy of this kingdom of ours".

The Speaker: "Eduardo Megantereon", he called.

Eduardo Megantereon (Pusillanimously): "Can the Prime Minister tell The House how he proposes to do that when his Chancellor has said a number of times that the Kingdom's economy is at the present time in the middle of a storm, and if it is so who is to blame for it".

The Speaker: "The Prime Minister", he called.

The Prime Minister: "The Right Honourable Gentleman knows pretty well that the Joker, the Highlander and their advisers, including himself, are the ones to blame for the mess in which the economy of this country is at the moment. Weapons of mass destruction! Weapons of mass destruction, my foot ".

The Speaker: "Eduardo Megantereon", he called.

Eduardo Megantereon: "Mr Speaker, the comments which the Prime Minister made are not appropriate to the matter in hand as he can't go on about laying the blame for the economic downfall at the feet of the previous administration forever. What this country needs, Mr Speaker, is viable economic reforms and a Chancellor who goes about his chores in a more responsible way so that a cure for the poor health of the economy is found".

The Speaker: "The Prime Minister", he called.

The Prime Minister (unamused): "Mr Speaker, laughter is a good antidote to stress; however, I find The Right Honourable Gentleman's unpleasant sense humour objectionable since The Chancellor of the Exchequer is doing a wonderful job while trying to readdress the economic deficit which his office inherited from the previous administration".

The Speaker: "Eduardo Megantereon", he called.

Eduardo Megantereon (Cheerily): "Mr Speaker, he is doing it again! When is he going to stop evading responsibility for the mess in which the country is at the present time and quit blaming someone else for issues that he ought to be dealing with himself.  He has to understand that he is the man in charge of the Government now, and that he can't just pass the buck to anybody since it is his office to make decisions and deal with the consequences of those decisions"

The Speaker: "The Prime Minister", he called.

The Prime Minister (Sarcastically): "The Right Honourable Gentleman is absolutely right since a bit of common sense is far more important than a diktact which tell us what to do without popular consent. Having said that, it is frightening to visualise something that we think we have experienced before when in fact we have not".

 The Speaker: "Eduardo Megantereon", he called.

Eduardo Megantereon (He tried to puzzle out what he meant without success): "Mr Speaker, I have to admit that I can't make head or tail of The Prime Minister's comments. Indeed, I have to say it is all Greek to me. Still, I won't dwell on that”. Nevertheless, I would like to ask the Prime Minister what steps are being taken to control immigration to this shores from countries outside the Euro Zone."

The Speaker: "The Prime Minister", he called.

The Prime Minister (Cheerfully):"Mr Speaker, immigration is an issue that has concerned and exasperated many of us for many years now and it is right that the we restrict the number of immigrants coming to settle in this country from outside the European Union. Indeed, we will do everything in our power, hand over fist, to crackdown on illegal immigrants who have overstayed their welcome in the Kingdom"

The Speaker: "Eduardo Megantereon", he called.

Eduardo Megantereon (Gaily): "Mr Speaker, the rising crime rate in Gondwana Land has concerned many of us, can the Prime Minister tell The House what initiatives are being put into practice to resolve this issue".

 The Speaker: "The Prime Minister", he called.

The Prime Minister (unsmiling):"Mr Speaker, this is an issue that I have given serious consideration and it is high time we recognise that criminals are products of society and the environment in which they reside. It is undeniable that criminals are now much inclined to challenge the police than in the past but we must do what we must do to eradicate the criminal element in society through counselling, job creation, sport, education and long prison terms for persistent lawbreakers".

The Speaker: "Eduardo Megantereon", he called.

"Does the Prime Minister acknowledge the need to change his economic policies which are the cause of rising unemployment figures in our Kingdom?"

The Speaker: "The Prime Minister", he called.

"Mr Speaker, The Right  Honourable Gentleman is absolutely off beam in blaming the Government for past wrongs since the current economic crisis that this country is experiencing is due to the mismanagement and maladroitness of the previous administration. Nevertheless, I can assure The House that the Government is doing all it can to bring down the number of unemployment queues.  Indeed, we are encouraging spiritual growth and personal development so that those relying on tumblerful of rice seize the opportunity to walk free from the manacles of unemployment and adapt to changes to suit their new circumstances"

The Speaker: "Eduardo Megantereon", he called.

Mr Speaker, I sometimes wonder if the Prime Minister is fully aware of the full extent of this country economic Waterloo and the damage that the austerity measures are doing to this country. He seems to base his conclusions on the microcosm of his little world where only those belonging to a social group, with the highest status, have access to. The Prime Minister and I have vastly different views on many issues but even he, himself, must agree that all is not up to par with the austerity measures that this Goverment has initiated."

The Speaker: "The Prime Minister", he called.

The Right Honourable Gentleman knows that such a comment does not bear close scrutinity since The House and the general public know that I have worked long and hard to promote equality and fairness for all in this Kingdom of ours. May I say that the welfare of this country means a lot to me and my  ministerial colleagues"

The Speaker: "Eduardo Megantereon", he called.

"Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister's views on equality and fairness need to be more congruent with reality since the fact of the matter is that there is a vast gap between the have and the have not which needs to be bridged before the country benefits from his equality and fairness vision."

The Speaker: "The Prime Minister", he called.

Mr Speaker, Despite all the notion that the Government does not care we will stick to our principles of economic reforms. Indeed, I am fully aware that a red sky in the morning usually means rain but if disillusionment arises owing to our intransigence and plan to reform the economic system of this country so be it as we are mighty convinced that we will outclass them all."

The Speaker: "Eduardo Megantereon", he called.

"Mr Speaker, we are growing towards discontentment as this goverment is not prepared to listen to those who have been most affected by the austerity reforms and prefers to focus all its attention to strengthen the effects of severe economic measures which favours the more affluent sector as it feathers its own nest  while the workingman's beer gets dear and dear."

The Speaker: "The Prime Minister", he called.

"Mr Speaker, the Right Honourable Gentleman's appetite for tall stories is commendable; however, the Goverment does not need to measure itself against some unfounded issues which have no valid justification, therefore, we will carry on with our policies  until we either sofocate in the tunnel or we find the light at the end of it."
 

The Speaker: “Alex Stegosaurus the representative of bony Caledonia ", he called.

Alex Stegosaurus: "On the question of devolution can the Prime Minister tell The House when this question is going to be put to the electorate of Caledonia?"

The Speaker: "The Prime Minister", he called.

The Prime Minister (buoyantly):"The Right Honourable Gentleman is right in asking that question but unfortunately is not up to me to decide a date for such a mandate. It is down to the Caledonian Government itself to decide the date of the referendum. However, it must be said that it is a bit unfair not to let the Highlanders know when that is going to be".

The Speaker: "Prime Minister's Questions time has run its course for the day; therefore, discussions are adjourned"

P.Figueras

A delightful tale of a travelogue with a message for everyone!

It is a truism that not all dreams come true but good things might come to those who are courageous enough to try to go beyond the boundaries of conventionality. Indeed, forging one's own path in the world of printing is not a bed of roses since the competition is pretty formidable but having a book published is the ambition of every storyteller. Moreover, an ambition is, perchance, a good enough reason to dream big and there should not be any holding back since if it is to be it will be down to one's effort and resolution; however, dreams are not made while one is asleep, since they need to be nourished with the right vibe for a longer lease of life and take them to a final frontier which might see one's dreams to be realised. Having said that one ought to be aware that not all dreams come true and past experiences have shown that tons of aspirations can crumble to the ground in the twinkling of an eye, just like sand castles subside to the ebb and flow of the tide. Certainly, in the world of printing, a cherished hope that begins life optimistically pleasant can easily become a disappointed one. Notwithstanding, it must be said that the passionate choices that one makes in life are often fraught with far-reaching consequences and, of course, those choices, together with the changes they bring to one's life, need to be analysed to measure the impact they might cause to one's sense of one's relative position and purpose in one's existence. Nonetheless, this the moment of truth and as it is expected there is a combined element of anticipation and intrepidity on my part as I begin to pen the words of my tale.

A large poultry-yard was the setting chosen for my meeting with a Satyr named Boris "The Woodland Centaur" Johnson as he seemed to have a liking for domestic fowls as a source of food. He was a creature who commanded much of draw and fear for he was capable of blowing hot and cold with the same breath. It has been said that many of its foes had fallen in the dust and beat the earth in great physical pain while trying to tackle this atypical tailed creature, part man, part goat. Sweat was pouring down my face as the sweltering heat made me feel uncomfortably hot which might have made him think that I was afraid of him, but I was not. He spoke in a quiet distinctive voice squeezing out the words as if he had an oral impediment; it was beyond doubt that his self-confidence had been enfeebled but his spirit was one of a brumby horse, wild and unbroken in the guise of the wind, free and loose and in desperate need of his surroundings. Indeed, it was for me to see that he had been subjected to mental tension which might have been putting a great demand on his natural resources of tolerance but he needed to lean on someone for help and advice.

The intensity was scorching as the day became hot-tempered, but I had an awful lot on my mind to be concerned with the heat, after all, it was fate that I was to meet this creature rather than the desire of the Gods to punish me for the audacious deed which gave the Greeks and Achilles the burning of Troy in revenge for Paris' misdemeanour when he absconded with Helen of Troy in my tale Travelling Through Time.

Indeed, Apollo and Mercury seemed to have agreed to join forces in order to warm the Earth like Hades that particular day which made the rendezvous an enthralling tryst. Certainly, the intensity was scorching and as the day grew hot-tempered, neither he, nor I appeared to be agreeable with the sweltering heat. As he cantered towards me, he was clearly in a state of disquietude as he seemed to be carrying the world upon his shoulders, but I was ready to meet and willing to help this creature from a period of time way before mine.

Streams of sweat was pouring down his forehead as he neighed, in a toneless utterance, obscenities to the Heavens which was an evidence of his disgust at the inequitable treatment he had been made to endure at the hands of the followers of the Monotheism because of his polytheistic beliefs and his outward aspect. His affable eyes stored many tears of sadness but none was poured forth. I held my breath for a moment before I was forced to chase after the wind in search of a breath of fresh air since I needed to compose myself in order to delve into the imaginary world of Greek legends where Gods and mythological monsters held people's fates in their hands. I was very sorry to see this creature from the past experiencing the pain of intolerance in our existing world, since he was obviously a being from a lost world that still lives in the imagination of modern men and the like, indeed, a world of the time before the present when men were ruled by fates and furies, and the Gods were many.

An inward joy seemed to enforce my heart to smile as we shook hands, and I swelled with pride at being treated as equal by this awe-inspiring creature. I never underestimated this creature intelligence and the goodness of his heart, and when then I knew a little more about his plight my apprehension soothed and I was able to drive the mindless trivia to one side and my mind was then filled with an unparalleled high moral of a sublime quantity which awoke in me the perspicacity that only hindsight can ever supply, and made me realised that this creatures was desperate to go back to where my imagination could only hypothesise and needed my help to do so. I took it in trust that he wanted me to help him to find the way to return to his era, and I only hoped that he had not placed his hopes far too high above the sky.  

My head was spinning and a time machine was needed. Certainly, apprehension always arrives with fear, and I was concerned with events in the past which might have repercussions to my present life for I was fully aware that the laws of physics which governs the universe would make it difficult for my going back to a seemingly lost world. Fortunately, without being angelic or Divine, I have been blessed with celestial imagination and creativity, and, in any case, I had been to the past and made it back to the present before, only this time I had a companion with me on board. My spirit was up and I had confidence in lorry loads but some dreams take a little longer to build than others. Not much ruffles my feathers not even bolts of lightning which sputtered from the sky, turning dawn into night which made the day aged and almost blind, but I knew I could solve the most intricate engineering problems without leaping at every ripple on the surface of the Earth, and as I put my signature to the device on a stormy day I came up towards the light achieving my expected success with pride;

The time travel machine was completed and our journey to the past was ready to start. With the Moon in our side, we were set to go the distance and as the lightning bolts of electricity launched the travelling device our journey to the past was expected to be a memorable one. This was very much a case of taking on the world type of thing, but I could not think of anything more exciting to do than making a trip to yesterday and live to enjoy the day. On a wave of emotion and motion the travelling time machine blasted off into space as we left the present for the past and flew without feathers or wings into an infinite sky.

The night was quickly chased away as the twilight turned into dawn and of all the good deeds I have ever done in my entire life this might yet be the best one, but I was extremely glad that I was the first person he approached to ask for help, since I believe in the final frontier, and with my unique experiences of travelling to the past, there was a multitude of reasons for my wishing to help this creature to return to his world in the wild past. My passion is to travel into space and travelling into the time before the present time has no corresponding parallel in the existing time or the time to come since I believe that time is no time which is the hypothesis of most travellers of ancient times. Slamming the brakes of the device as we reached our destination was a child's play. We stopped a few feet short of a crevasse. Nature is all powerful and it had struck a near lethal blow to the environment and the legacy of that blow was destruction. Whole communities were wiped out and Boris' village seemed to have disappeared altogether. This might explain the reasoning for the mighty vault that, literally and metaphorically, sent Boris to the future.  All in all, all was not all right but I was mighty sorry to see all the destruction on my path and Boris comforted himself as he walked with the thought that he was back to his world but the experience of this ill deed that nature had dealt to his environment and kind had embittered his soul which made him feel a fierce displeasure for the Heavens, and it needed to be recorded in the books of mankind so that this happening would be read by everyone and not be allowed to be ever forgotten.

The new Moon was very deep and full of meaningful fascinations that night with all things glittering as if by a magical illusion which added mystique to the harness of the imagination. indeed, this experience was of  real spiritual value to me for I was very touched by Boris' pain and the destruction I found before me which created an uncomfortable melancholy fandango into the darkness recesses of my mind as tried to make his pain less acute.

A stentorian rambling of a man howling at the gods was heard. It was Boris' utterance which was captured by the meandering wind of the outer space of his environment, and it was a truly passionate expression of grief, and a manifestation of an untrammelled pain and the loneliness that he was experiencing that day. The benefit of hindsight was not needed to realise that Boris' world had crashed down in obscurity, and he did not have many torches to shine along his path.

The train of thoughts continued but his pain had no bounds; however, the need to plant a seed to rebuild his world was needed and in order to do so blood, sweat and tears were in urgent demand. It is a truism that grief does not last forever, and he had to understand that in order to move on he had to believe that his makers were not his masters. I am a philanthropist at heart and the practice of helping people less well off than myself is my religion, and I have given Boris a foot in the door by helping him to build his confidence with plenty of good advice. The lions must be made to heal and what a sweet moment that might be if he were to attain so but I could not vouch for that; nevertheless, he would be pressed hard to work hard for that or his private conflicts might bring his soul and determination to obliteration. However, I had to return to my own time and kind so for the present I bade him farewell and wished him good luck for the future in his past world. Not before time, I soon found myself speeding away from Boris' world on my time travel device. Indeed, Boris' long eventful journey to the future and the past had been an odyssey and his world had become a real dystopia were things were as bad as they could be; he was so entrenched in his own thoughts and world, looking at the pale sky that towered above his head, that he failed to notice my taking off. 

The sky looked great with its brilliant lights and as the fascination of a combining amalgamation between the past, present and future - as a continuous whole and turning as if on a hinge - was still holding my attention, it has to be said that I was mighty pleased to be back to my own time and kind. 

There is an incongruity in the thinking that one cannot make a return to the past and be back to the present in time for one's evening meal at one's behest; my only hope is that my travelogue provides the rejoinder to whoever questions such an eventuality ever occur. On the other hand, the future is open to those whose minds are very distant from conventionalities and accepted views, and to those who are prepared to go beyond established conceptions and conformities. 

Outside in the bright sunlight, I know as certainly as I know anything that the present is impatient of the past as the latter more often than not seem to point to a discreditable prominence of the former with many incompatible things at once. However, I find it tiresome that so many intelligent people can remain blind to the advantages of closer union with the past since it offers one the benefits of experience that only knowledge can provide. For all that, one ought to use the past as a beacon to enlighten one's wisdom and make one's own self-discovery. Indeed, one can learn an awful lot from the past since knowledge is a light that never fails to shine and it would be irrational to suggest otherwise since there are some experiences we only ever need once. A case of deja-vu comes to mind but there is a point in searching one's memory once in a while for that familiar tale's entrance which says "once upon a time" for most intelligent folks seldom lead simple existence and their outstanding intellects enable them to see things beyond reasonable explanations.

P.Figueras

Hablas Ingles?

Pues mira que esperas aprende con nosotros, venga! Animate y visitanos en: http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras/index.asp?pageid=29561

Do you speak Spanish?

What are you waiting for? Learn with us at:

http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras/index.asp?pageid=29561

Got a Tale to tell!

Got a Tale to tell is a morality play with a moral pronouncement and a lesson in mind in identifying marriage-weary people who no longer find pleasure in a marital relationship but who do not wish to dissolve a conjugal wedlock.

Amour outside marriage

My old head coach, Paul Marchand played a game of Russian roulette when he embarked on a dangerous liaison with Miss Lucy Gaston, his secretary.   It was an extramarital affair, which began in the office, and it ended in mental pain to his wife and an embarrassment to the workers’ party to which he was a member of. He is sorry now but at my old school we were given the cane as a punishment for naughtiness and he should have be given the bullet for unfaithfulness.  Despite having been made to play the clown and having been compared to an organism, which lives in another organism, taking sustenance from it without rendering anything in return, by the tabloid, his wife forgave his infidelity and he was allowed to stay in office.  This was my head coach's greatest achievement since he was ineffectual, inefficient and above all excessively vain.

Note:

Pressing on, his behaviour is worthy of a momment's separate attention since this incident brought an extreme heated debate among his peers. The jury was out albeit in my view he was not entitled to a trial for in my book he was guilty as hell, but guilty he was found not, and as he wallowed in his jubilation the potatoes boiled dry and I was left cursing the dogma of the agnostics and the divining rod of law-makers. Indeed, I didn't like the wrong that had been done but I must not deflect from the job in hand which is my writing of this morality play. I lost ground because I did not know how to go about it but more often than not it takes one to point one in the right direction. I hope you'll enjoy it.

My tale begins in the office:

Paul Marchand arrives at his office: “Good morning Miss Gaston” (He was an old and overweight geezer, an unalluring sort of person, from Yorkshire but not a fat cat by any conventional means though he loved to give the impression that he was one. Still, he had a very responsible job in the community).

Lucy Gaston: “Good morning monsieur. How are you today (She was young, french, single and pretty)”

Paul Marchand: “I am very well, thank you, and you?”

Lucy Gaston: “I am very well, thank you, monsieur”

Paul Marchand: “Is there any mail for me?” 

Lucy Gaston: “Sorry monsieur. The postman is a bit late today”

Paul Marchand: (Looking out of the window)“Nice weather isn't it?”

Lucy Gaston: “Indeed monsieur, it is nice out there”

Paul Marchand:   (Still looking out of the window)“I hope you don’t mind my asking; ....do you have any hobbies at all”

Lucy Gaston: “Yes, monsieur (with a start of surprise), I like playing the guitar, painting, reading, photography and a bit of DIY”

Paul Marchand: “Excellent” (With a broad smile). “I like playing the guitar too and doing a bit of DIY and all the rest of it, now and again”

Lucy Gaston: “I am pleased for you, monsieur.”

Paul Marchand: (Then, taking a visible interest in Miss Gaston’s fine figure, he asked curiously) “Tell me...Are you doing anything this afternoon”

Lucy Gaston: “No..Nothing, monsieur…Why.” (She answered nervously)

Paul Marchand:”Would you like to have lunch with me?”

Lucy Gaston: “ Certainement, monsieur. But what about your wife, monsieur. Wouldn't she mind?”

Paul Marchand: “Of course she would,... if she knew,... but she is not, is she?”

Lucy Gaston: “Not on my account, monsieur”

Paul Marchand: “Excellent, I shall book a table for two for one o'clock this afternoon at Chez Fabre right away”

Lucy Gaston: “Yes, all right”

Eating out at chez Fabre

On arrival:

Waiter: “Good afternoon, Madame et monsieur. Soyez les bienvenus Chez Fabre”

Paul Marchand: “I would like a table for two, please”

Waiter: “Do you have a reservation, monsieur”?

Paul Marchand: “Yes, certainement”

Waiter: “What name, s’il vous plaît?”

Paul Marchand: “ Marchand. Paul Marchand”

Waiter: (Looking at the book reservation) “Oui, trés bien. This way please”

Paul Marchand: (Once seated, Paul consulte le menu) “Do you have a menu in English?”

Waiter: “Mais oui monsieur”

Paul Marchand: “Can I have a look it, please?”

Waiter: “Certainement, monsieur. Voilá le menu en anglais”

Paul Marchand: “Merci.”

Waiter: “Would you like anything to drink, Madame et monsieur?”

Lucy Gaston: “De l’eau mineral, s’il vous plaît”

Waiter: “Oui, Madame. Et vous monsieur, qu’est-ce vous desirez comme boire”

Paul Marchand: “Je vais prendre a pint of lager. Please”

Waiter: “Trés bien, monsieur et Madame”(He goes to bar and brings the drinks) ”Enjoy your drinks ”(and departs again).

Paul Marchand: “You... look wonderful today miss Gaston”

Lucy: “Do I monsieur?” (She responded a bit embarrassed by his compliment)

Paul Marchand: “Your calling me monsieur makes me a bit uncomfortable. Would you care to call me Paul. instead? ….Pleeease”.

Lucy Gaston: “Very well....Il n'y a pas de problem! I shall call you Paul from now on. And I hope you wouldn’t mind calling me Lucy”

Paul marchand: “Absolutely not. I was looking forward to do so, anyhow”

Lucy: “How d’you mean?”

Paul: “Well, the thing is that I like working with you and I would like to get to know you better and see more of you, you know, outside work and all the rest”

Lucy: “How d'you mean Paul? Do you..... want to have a relationship with me? Is it what you are implying”

Paul: “ Well yes. I....find you are a very attractive lady and I miss you a great deal when I don’t see you during the day, and I even often dream about you. Yeah, I want to spend a little time with you in... order to get to know you better, and, of course, to see more of you, and je veux tout savoir de toi"

Lucy ”How much more of me do you want to see?"

Paul: “All of you, of course, I want to be with you and all the rest"  

Lucy” But how about your wife”

Paul: “My wife, I almost forgot about her. Well, the thing is, ... she doesn’t understand me and the truth is that I am no longer in love with her”

Lucy: “ Really, I have heard it all before"

 Paul: “ Yeah, I suppose. The thing is..., I am... in love with you et j'ai besoin de toi"
 

Lucy: “I don't know what to say ....but I don’t feel as strongly about you and this is going too fast for me, I think”

Paul: “Okay, I understand but would you stay with me tonight at the office in spite of that”

Lucy “What do mean? …. You’d like to go to bed with me; is it what you are saying? ” 

Paul: “ Tu veux vraiment savoir? ....Yeah! I’d... like to go to bed with you, fondre dans tes bras, faire l’amour avec toi toute la nuit et Je veux voir le lever du soleil avec toi" 
 

Lucy: “Tu es très vite et certainement  you don't waste much time, do you?

Paul: "Is that a yes then?"

Lucy: "Ce n'est pas facile Paul mais... I...I won't say that I am not interested but"

Paul: "What? Es-tu vierge?

Lucy: "Certainly not"

Paul: "What's holding you back then?

 Lucy: "Nothing......Okay! I agree to go to bed with you only if we use a condom, though.  We have to be careful, you know, AIDS, foot-and-mouth disease and all other sexual transmitted diseases. Do you have a Condom?”

Paul: “No; but I’ll be careful. I Promise”

Lucy: “No? In that case we won’t do it”

Paul: “Is all right I’ll ask my driver to go the chemist to fetch me a packet of six and all that jazz”.

 Lucy: "Don't be silly, don't you realise that it may conduce to the world knowing about our affair if your driver were to tell anyone". 

Paul: " Gee! I guess that.... I didn't think of that. "

Lucy: "Dolt" (She said shaking her head). "This is a restaurant not a chemist shop" 

Paul: (ill at easy he picked up his glass and took a swig) " Sorry, I wasn't thinking properly. It is the stress" 

Lucy: " You are a fool but I forgive you"

Paul: "Look! We are in luck q

Paul: "Formidable!...  It is quite tricky to say this but I have only been unfaithful five times before in my entire life and I'm still not all that comfortable with it even though I am in a dysfunctional relationship with my wife"

 Lucy:" It is odd but understandable"

 Paul: " Thanks for being so understanding"

Lucy: " Isn't it time we get down to some zig-a-zig-ah".

Paul: (Stuck for words he looked at her aghast) " You lost me". 

Lucy:" Don't you want to be with me now?".   

Paul: "Well yes! Mais oui. Certainement"

Lucy:" Don't you think it is time we shoot off?" 

Paul: "Cool-thinking.  I have all the energy in the world to put it to work"

Lucy:" Yeah! It is time to step it up a notch then".

Paul" Step up what?" 

Lucy:"The job in hand,....well..you know.. you and I ..together and all the rest"

 Paul:"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! 

Lucy:" Now you're talking some sense!. What is it gone to be, then, the Queen's hotel at Crystal Palace or my place in Upper Norwood" 

Paul: "We had better go to your place this time"

Lucy: "Pas de problem" 

Paul: "Are we going to have something to eat before we leave"

Lucy: "Pas non!  Your luck is written in gold today for I Know a place where only saucy food is served" 

 Paul: "Well that's excellent! But where?"

Lucy: "My flat silly"  

Paul: "Got you"

Lucy: "I need a cooking pot with a long handle, though"

Paul: "D'you mean a saucepan?

Lucy: "You have a very low quotient of imagination, haven't you?" 

Paul: "Yeaah! I suppose so. Whatever that is but please stop playing up with my intelligence"

Lucy: " We had better be going before the fizziness of my passion goes flat".

Paul: "Yes, of course. But I'm warning you I got cellulite"

Lucy: " That's too apparent".

Paul: " By the way, I'm not a sheep or a member of the cattle family "

Lucy: " How d'you mean?"

Paul: " Never mind. Ce n'est pas d'importance!

 Lucy: "Well, It is smaller than average and it needs doing up, and all the rest"

Paul: "What?.. have you seen it,then? when?"  

Lucy: " Don't be daft. Not it. I wasn't referring to the size of your artillery or your hurdy-gurdy you know what. I was talking about the size of my flat"

Paul: "Blimey! That's a relief.  Let' get out here then. Waiter...Garzon, L'addition, s'il vous plait"

Lucy: "Il y a des fantômes dans ma flat" 

Paul: " What? C’est trop bruyant ici, I can't hear myself thinking. What did you say" 

Lucy:"Never mind"

Paul: "Lucy, tu es la meilleure chose qui me soit arrivée et je veux passer le restant de ma vie avec toi. Prends-moi dans tes bras.... As-tu deja aimé quelqu'un?"
 

Lucy:"Hold your horses, mate. Not in public. Et fais attention a ce que tu dis! You are going too fast"

Paul: "I am sorry I don't know what came over me. Garzon!, Garzon!" 

 Waiter: “Un instant, s'il vous plait, Monsieur" 

Paul: "Don't be too long, will you?  

Waiter: (At arrival)"Oui, monsieur, qu'est -ce qu'il ne va pas, Monsieur. Tout va bien j'espere?"  

Paul: "Oui, tout va bien mais... something came up and ...we have to get down to things or the spark of the moment will go flat. ....You know what I mean"  

 Waiter: "Non, monsieur, excuse-moi mais I don't know what you mean!

Paul: "Never mind. Here is fifty quid. That should cover the two drinks and your discerment"   

Waiter: "Oh, Monsieur, vous etes trop aimable"

Paul: "Pas du tout. C'est un petit cadeau".

Waiter: "Au revoir, monsieur et Madame, amusez-vous bien" 

Paul: "We will. Lucy, viens donc!"

Lucy: " Je suis très curieuse mais... fifty quid for a couple of drinks is far too much. Oh! Les hommes!

Note:

This is a cock-and-bull story in its fullness and you will do well if you were to bear the strength of it and manage to avoid swallowing it with hook, line and sinker in one go but in a world of probabilities the impossible can easily happen. Be on your guards. However, you don't have to leave this site to hide your laughter or utter words with closed teeth since I am totally convinced that you would be amused at my attempting to amuse you; but long live your amusement and long live my endeavour to test your discernment and humour. Broke but content I am, there is the point in writing this story and as I take my leave I ask you not to strain your voice for a sensible person like you would never engage in a fencing match of words with me or anyone else for something so trifling as a triviality while Rome is burning.   

 P.Figueras

Dream Maker

A beautiful dream which then turned into a Nightmare. What sort of dream was it? A nightly woolgathering, perchance?  

It has been said that the cold weather and this period of economic difficulties will remain with us far beyond the spring and like a living nightmare it will bring us unpleasantness and emotional intervals of fear which will disrupt our daily lives. On the subject of nightmares, I am not quite sure what happened last night in the middle of it while I was in bed in a state of sleep since I thought that I was having the most wonderful dream one could ever wish for. There was this most wonderful and beautiful specimen of a woman, I have ever seen in any of my previous dreams, lying next to me and as I looked at her I became wordless with wonderment. As we came into contact the dream became a very interesting one. She was perfect in every sense of the word and I offered no resistance to her charm for I submissively surrendered to her fancy as she chained me with her arms while inviting me to drink from the fountain of passion and vehemence which brought pleasure and gratification in tonnes to our carnal thirst. Indeed, it was christmas all wrapped up in a single night for it encapsulated and delivered far more than my expectations when I retired to bed that night. She came, gave and took nothing but my veneration. The beautiful dream soon, however, turned into the most awful nightmare at the point of much intense peak of the experience as my wife woke me up and demanded my attention.  "Go away", I muttered. I then became aware that it was just a dream which had allowed me to escape momentarily from the reality of my life. Indeed, my little dream had taken fly and my wonderfully fallacious, illusory fantacy (if it had not finished)  was all through then. The joy of having my dream woman by my side was something I had never experienced before and why in the world would I dream such a dream and not been able to whisper the words that say that I was so loving every minute of it - was well beyond me. It is not for me to get into an argument about the rights or wrongs of things on any issue but my beautiful Helen could have easily come off the ark of ancient Greece as I thought she was the same lady that launched a thousand ships at the drink before Troy was burned to the ground. I was hooked by the same charm that allured Paris to her and which took him and his brother Hector to their graves but that is another story since worse things happened ashore then. Nevertheless, I have had to trim my sails to meet the circumstances and follow a leading light away from tenterhooks and avoided chancing my arm from doing things against the rules for I am a married man and if I were to be caught writing this stuff I could end up in serious trouble with my incompatible other half. Hauling away from the penny-pinching times, leaving everything behind, plain sailing as I hope to land in dry land once I had swallowed the anchor and retired from the sea of troubles and anxieties that I have lived under in the time of my life in United Kingdom, I said good bye. The door is still open as I find it increasingly difficult to have it all my own way but I am so frustrated with the lack of progress in the current economic climate. She inspired in me an emotional triumph, as she beguiled me of the ability to control myself and my actions with delight and fascination, which was strictly tantalising to experience with her in the middle of the night. Indeed, the most surreal secrets were revealed last night as my rational demeanour succumbed to indulgence of the mind as I took pleasure from my temporarily elopement with Helen.  A gargantuan tidal wave seemed to have hit my bed as it was in a total mess as rumpled and creased pillows rested over my dishevelled hair. I found myself in such state of confusion since my wife, who is never in the mood for anything venturesome, was still tucked in bed at the break of the day and I could not explain what, in the name of the almighty, I have gotten up to before the morning came.  It was nearly Chritmas and Helen had fulfilled one of my wishes which I thought there was not even the vaguest possibility of being fulfilled. Remorse, I have none since guilty pleasures they ain't for I have been given the cold shoulder far too often and made to waste perfect erectile functions as I have never been fond of solo performance and so alone in my loneliness with my thoughts at play I beckon for Helen and for the continuation of my wonderful dream.

P. FiguerasUnited

Sad old Jack was simply mad!

Sad Jack: "I am mad and so is the world in which I live"

Salty Vicky: "For goodness' sake Jack, what are you talking about?"

Sad Jack: "You've heard me! I am mad and so is the world in which I live"

Salty Vicky: "What has gone so badly in your life to prompt you to say such a thing?

Sad Jack: "Well, last night I had a dream and it revealed my innermost fears as I took a look at the gruesome image of the world's soul and its troubles"

Salty Vicky: "What are you fears Jack?"

Sad Jack: "I see my soul scantily clad in pain, grief and hunger"

Salty Vicky: "Pull yourself together Jack and find it within you to overcome your fears"

Sad Jack: (Jerking myself up) "But how can I conquer something that is beyond me, intangible and out of my sight?"

Salty Vicky: (In a hard metallic voice) "The augury is to be continually on the move without giving in to your spiritual framework otherwise your fears will eat your physical constitution"

Sad Jack:  (Jumping nervously to his feet he found himself laughing scornfully to a picture of himself) "Hell! Hell!  It is true, I am mad and so is world in which I live"

Salty Vicky: (Staggering to her feet she slapped Jack in the face) "Gather yourself together man" Her voice was high-pitched as she was an excitable woman and it struck a responsive chord in Jack's heart as he retreated to a corner. 

Sad Jack: (Submissively, as he was seen from the outside Jack appeared to be sane but in the inside his mind was edging towards the cliff of  mental derangement)  "Please don't hit me for I was blindfolded in my dream and all I could see was the innermost of evil spreading its rage like wildfire in my thoughts"

Salty Vicky: (Indeed, Jack's mind was in the arms of insanity and psychiatric help was his only hope of getting well again since Jack was really, really mad and so was the world in which he lived) "Poor Jack" 

P.Figueras

The Batting Team

by P.Figueras - 13:30 on 13 Dec. 2012

We are blessed with good batting all the way down the batting order, we like nothing more than get a good pitch to hit and put it into fair territory.  Yeah! Perhaps, there is nothing wrong with being selective at home plate but baseball is, in my view, a game where the hitters are meant to swing the bat in order to hit the thing.  I am all for hitters swinging at the ball when it is in a strike zone regardless of the count and I would encourage players at every opportunity to swing at a good pitch and try to make connection with the ball but if they are unable to do so they should, at least, make the pitcher aware of their intentions by looking at the direction in which the ball travelled to home plate after the swing has been executed. I think it is fair to say that if a batsman is not conscious of these things, he is at the pitcher's mercy.  Nevertheless, a good batsman should have a fairly good idea which pitch he is most likely to hit and which pitch he has trouble with.

P.Figueras

Success in coaching doesn't just happen. One makes it happen!

by Pedro Figueroa - 17:24 on 12 Dec. 2012

A heavy-hearty disposition!

At times, in my mind's eye, my head seems like a simmering volcano on the verge of bursting apart and yet my eyes belie my thoughts as I try not to be at all concerned. Indeed, I am in need of a tidy mind to sort out mine and not a thicket in which I can hide from my deep and long-lasting sadness. Broadly speaking, most people's private thoughts are never recorded and, in similar fashion, far too often, less thoughtfulness is given to matters of the inner self as they are, hardly ever, expressed in words or put on black and white. A particular example is a woman in all men's thoughts which is often described in mental images but never reproduced in a picture. Having said that it is not for anyone to judge whether clinging to an unrealistic prospect is acceptable or despicable since no one has access to anyone's private thoughts. Thoughts, justifiably, are not accountable to dissemination unless, of course, the bearer wish to do so but there is nothing wrong with drinking from a merrymaking glass that doesn't inebriate, or, aspiring to a little more honey and a little less hardship from time to time; while on the subject of honey and hardship I would rather see the world be spared of the latter for we live in a world of inadequacy and inequality where far too many people are unable to raise their living standard simply because their expectations have been irresponsibly floored by the forces of mediocrity and indifference.  How much one knows and how much one cares to tell are two different things but both are influenced by, perhaps, counterproductive consequence and personal financial interest. Certainly, they cannot narrow mind one's mind once it has been broadened and we owe to ourselves to expect more than what is on offer and by the same token we ought to look at what is now proving so difficult in our world and do something about it.  We have an enormous strength in togetherness, fastened with a firm belief and the intellectual acumen to make good judgements, and overcome adversities, let us make use of those attributes for we can all be a great influence for tolerance and a good sense of right and wrong, and together and only together would we be able to make all men, perhaps for the first time, be part of a world where they have not been fully represented or aware of. Yeah! Let us effectively wipe out the existing state of affairs in the globe, without adhering to the tempestousness of Mars, and let us overcome our limitations by allowing the will of the constituency to dictate their own destine wherever they might be.  Just look in the direction of enlightenment where the good, the bad and ugly meet, it will help you realise, believe me, your sense of identity and with this in mind follow your instinct for our politicians know little more than the rest of us, and if I am mistaken, tell me, how come so much is so wrong in the world of politics.
By Pedro Figueras

William's come to age party is a cock-and-bull story in its fullness and you will do well if you were to bear the strength of it and manage to avoid swallowing it with hook, line and sinker in one go but in a world of probabilities the impossible can easily happen. Be on your guards.

William's  party and all that jazz!

William: "Guess what!... Mick's secretary has just rung to tell me that he was unable to make my party because he is out to curb inflation tonight and all that jazz. ......One can always rely on politicians; they nearly always let you down...Never mind"
Harold : "Indeed, I could not agree more; but one has to admit that their enthusiasm to feather their own nest  while the workingman's beer gets dear and dear is admirable, won't you agree?"
William : " Absolutely!... People give them some wings in the form of an electorate support and they repay that support by putting salt in their coffees. .. Honestly, it ought to be carved in stone that as one enters a position of trust and power one must consider the need and expectations of those who helped one to be in that position"
Harold  : "Regulate them I say for power makes cleans hands dirty"
William : "It is none of my concern but there are two type of people in this Kingdom. Those who do as they are told and those who reject accepted conventions, won't you agree?"
Harold : "It is a fair comment but what category does one belong to?"
William : "I haven't got a clue"
Harold  : "Neither have I! mmm..Let's make one up! ....Aristocrat class, perhaps"
William : "That sounds absolutely wonderful"
Harold  : "From now on the people of this kingdom will know us as the Aristocrat Class ones, and that is final"
William : "Hold your horses, dear boy. ...Shall I remind you that it is me who determines what is and what is not for I am the future doyen of this kingdom"
Harold  : "I am awfully sorry bro, I should have known better than raise my bidding above your inheritance power to control others"
William : "It is quite all right, Harry, I am bound to forgive your inflatable disposition, after all you are my brother" 
Harold  : "Have you asked Boris to come to the party?"
William : "I am in two minds about inviting Boris since nearly all the parties he goes to end up in fights"
Harold  : "Gee bro, that sounds good.....invite him"
William : "I don't know, though.....Boris is a sort of all right type of chap but he is just like every other politician I have come across, you know, while they are hungry for power they promise you the Earth, the world and all that jazz but once their bellies are filled with power they lose interest in those promises and then become too full of themselves to be bothered with the problems that affect everyone including you and me"
Harold  : "But it will be a laugh having him here; what a character he is. I so enjoy his sense of humor"
William : "I don' know, I will think about it....... By the way, what do you think of my going out with a commoner?"
Harold  : "It depends on who she might be"
William : "Well, she goes under the name of The Rhythm of the Night and all that jazz as she works as a stripper in a public house in the West end of London but her real name is Antonella"
Harold  : "Her nom de plume sounds wonderfully pleasant to my hearing just like the sound of the bongos at an inner city party in Rio de Janeiro"
William : "I call upon God to bless your soul dear boy because you are absolutely spot-on, she is a Brazilian national, and most certainly, she can be both hot and mild like an easterly breeze filled with promises and with a wonderful passion for life"
Harold  : "Gee brother., I am filled with envy.....Do you think I could have a close inspection of the specimen?"
William : "Certainly not!..... On your bike boy and could you stop calling me brother. It sounds too religious to me and you well know that I am not into that sort of things"
Harold   : "Understood. ...Will she stay long in Britain?"
William : "That's the thing, she finds London too slow to cope with the rhythm of her passion for thrill and excitement and I don't think she would stay here for long since she has been knocking about Europe ever since she left secondary school and she wants to carry on doing just so until it is time to pack the travelling up"
Harold  : "She seems a pretty determined type of person to me, don't you think?"
William : "Yeah, I suppose but I will certainly miss her when she leaves"
Harold  : "Are you in love with her?"
William : "I am not quite sure but I certainly enjoy her company and the rest of it"
Harold  : "I am sorry,  you lost me. ...What do you mean by the rest of it?"
William : "Well, she seems to have the ability to melt my stress away with her warm-blooded disposition, and the carnal indulgence which is always at full stretch is certainly done in the most wonderful way, and all that jazz , but it is not one-sided affair since we both enjoy the passion and the intensity of our encounters very much "
Harold  : "You seems to be very fond of ragtime music"
William : "I most certainly am. I love jazz and everything else that goes with it"
Harold  : "Don´t insult my intelligence. You know what I mean. How long has it been going on, then?"
William: "We have been carrying on for quite a while now, but somehow we have managed to keep it secret"
Harold : "If you carry on in that way, you will get yourself a bad name"
William : "It is far too late for hindsights now; she has flooded my imagination and I am okay with that. In fact, I have no regrets"
Harold  : "Does she have a sister?"
William : "I don't know but I shall ask her that question on you behalf next time I see her"
Harold  : "Gee bro., thanks. I'd marry her if I were you"
William: "Don't be silly!  I hope I am not keeping you back from your work"
Harold : "Not all; you just make sure that you don't leave out Boris from the invitations"
William: "All right! He is a good fellow really because he never lets down anyone who turns to him for help"
Harold : "I fancy a pint and some spicy food, a bit of curry would do for me ; would you give me a lift to the King's Head. I'll buy you a drink and a curry if you like "
William: "Haven't you got a car?"
Harold : "No. I had to lay up my car simply because I could not afford the petrol"
William: "I am sorry to hear that. ...I think I could do with a pint too, yeah, but I will pass on the curry because it doesn't agree with me. Yeah! I'll accompany you to the pub"
Harold : "Thanks, dude"  
William : "On the subject of politics, what is your view on David´s time in charge of the Government so far?"
Harold : "The way I see it, I doubt very much if he would survive a general election as things stand since things are not as they should be. For all that, I don't think his work has been up to the required standard. Furthermore, I think he has made a terrible mess of the job since he chummed up with Micky Vassal to police the world as expenditure has gone beyond reasonable bridle "
William : "Really"
Harold : "Yeah! I am not a bush telegraph but recently, he has come in for sharp criticism from the Opposition leader for failing to hold down inflation and all that Rap"
William : "The Opposition leader? Who might that be?"
Harold  : "Ted Peacemaker. Haven't you met him, yet?"
William : "Noah! But I will do so soon since I am going to invite him to come to my birthday party"
Harold  : "That sounds a jolly good idea since he is Boris' less idolised politician and he loves a party, especially, the Labour one"
William  : "Really!  How wonderful! ... Tell me.. Do you think that David Camelot, that is his name, isn't it?"
Harold : "I believe so"
William : "Do you think he will manage to hold on to the rope until he is rescued or will he jump?"
Harold : "Well, so far he has held out heroically to his position against overwhelming odds but the forecast is not all too good for his chances to remain in power"
William : "How awful!"
Harold  : "It must be said that he has held to his principles very firmly but I'm afraid that it will only accelerate his unavoidable downfall"
William :  "I think he ought to hold to his original plan until the political storm subside"
Harold :  "His original plan?...What do you mean?  ..I didn't think he had one in the first place"
William  :  "Well, I don't know, I just presume that he had a plan A and B so that he could fall back to if plan A did not work" 
Harold :  "As far as I can predict he must hold down prices to restore confidence in the market if he is to remain as the head of the Government for much longer"
William  : "I am very sorry to hear that since he seems to be a very likeable sort of chap"

William : "Tell me what are you thoughts about my inviting Kenneth Sauria to the party"

Harold : "Well, he is a very thin-skinned individual and therefore sensitive to criticism but he can be both electric and invaluable, which makes his occasional lack of temperamental control all the more unfortunate. Having said that, Boris Ursine and Kenneth Sauria don't see each other in the eye"

William : "What do you mean? ... Aren't they fond of each other companies?"

Harold : "That is absolutely accurate, they don't socialise together since Kenneth Sauria lost the rein of London to Boris Ursine's charge for he had high hopes of continuing doing the job that Boris is doing now"

William : "Is it all it is about, then?... How about you, Harry, are you fond of Kenneth Sauria?"

Harold : "Certainly not.  I..I.. draw ire when I hear the man muttering things about my chum Boris besides I find his intellectual ambitions discordant and incompatible with mine "

William : "That is not a sign of maturity, is it?"

Harold : "Perhaps you are right but I just can't stand his tantrum for he is a very hot-headed person who never stops to think of the results of his actions"

William : "That is most convincing but not very encouraging since I am a man of peace and I would very much desire that everyone got on well together; after all life is such a short journey that wasting precious time in finding faults with our carrying ways seems a shame"

Harold : "I promise I will keep out of his way"

William : "That is encouraging but not conclusive"  

Harold : "How does this bear on the subject we are discussing?"

William : "Well,... It is not up to me to decide on their demeanours but why can't those two ever agree on anything?"

Harold :  "There is no need to be concerned; I am sure that the whole thing will soon blow over so long as Kenneth realises that he is no longer in charge of London" 

William : "This debate has been drawn out long enough, don't you think?"

Harold  : "Absolutely! .. By the way, it seems that mini skirts are coming in gain this summer after having been out of fashion for some years"

William :  "That'll be absolutely wonderful since it would divert attention"

Harold :   "Considered yourself warned since the Government is set to impose a levy on views and it would penalise intentions"

William : "A levy for watching mini skirts  . That is the final straw"

Harold :   "I never thought you would fall for that old joke"

William : "You are a cad and a wicked person, Harry"

Harold : "What a horrible thing to say to your brother, William. Have you no shame?"

William : "It isn't an unfair measurement of your demeanour, though"

Harold :   "I am prepared to forgive and forget if you buy me a beer"

William : "And I am most willing to oblige. Waiter, waiter, two London Prides, please"

Harold : "Do you agree with nudity on the stage, William?"  

William : "By all means. My girlfriend is a stripper"

Harold :  "I am sorry; I almost forgot about your girlfriend"

William : "That's okay. old chap"

Harold : "I once went out with a contortionist and she was very fond of taking her clothes off in public" 

William : "I take that you poked the fire without looking at the mantelpiece many times then"

Harold : "Yeah! We often saw a light together at the end of the tunnel and, naturally, we could not resist a little of carnal exploration"

William : "What did become of your passion for each other, then"

Harold : "She set sail for Buenos Aires a year ago"

William : Did you try to get her back to London"

Harold : "No. That's not my style even though I had fallen for her in a big way. The thing was, she made the decision to leave me and I respected her wishes" 

William : "You look very tired, today Harry"

Harold : "I am not in the least surprised since I was abruptly awoken in the middle of the night by a loud harsh cry last night"  

William : "Was it a dog?"

Harold : "No...It was not a barking dog that interrupted my sleep so impertinently. In fact, it was the exuberance of my over fond of whisky neighbour celebrating the reaching of a much intense point of delight during carnal knowledge with her fiancé"

William : "How long did they take to calm down?"  

Harold : "I don't know but it went on into the small hours and when my alarm woke me up in the morning, they were at it again"

William : "What energy! ....No one is exempt from criticism but this is the sort of thing one ought to expect when one lives in a flat in London"  

Harold : "Absolutely!... For all that I find delight in the great charm of this vast city, namely, its conspicuous image of grandeur, expensive shopping centres and the overwhelming passion for life of its people"  

William : "I could not agree more"

 Harold : "For all that, not everything is okay in London since disillusionment exist among large number of young people who argue that they have not been given a fair crack of the whip, as it were, in terms of opportunities so that they can have a stake in London's economy and society"

William : "That is a valid argument, I suppose"

Harold : "Certainly, the capital offers both opportunities and issues for young people as danger is ever present in the streets of London. Crime and drugs are colossal issues in the capital and the recent spread use of blades among the youth as a vehicle to settle quarrels is utterly alarming to say the least"

William : "What is the solution, then"

Harold : "I don't know.....I guess it is something that David and his chums in the Government ought to deal with sooner rather than later"

William : "I think it is time for a much-needed change, don't you think?.... Do you think that Ted Peacemaker has the know-how to solve those sort of issues in London"
Harold :  "I don't know; it is difficult to tell for there are many real tough issues to be dealt with in the capital. Not even the predecessor of the Highlander, Tony Burton, has the practical intelligence to curb the present misdemeanours in the streets of London"
 
William :  "Ah!..The Joker...I was not fond of his ways as he was such a witless officious neurotic who loved to set uninvited venial faux pas right"
 
Harold :  "Indeed, he was such a stickler for detail and a very controversial sort of chap that his contentions were often unpleasant as they were designed to fit their recipients better for ding-dong rather than for argument"
 
William  :  "I think his controversy emanates from his approach to be economical with the truth and most definite his chief intention was to try to vindicate himself as a man of honour whose only interest was the well-being of the country, its people and all that jazz"
 
Harold :  "Certainly, his denying of knowing that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Kari  was a real fast since all he was doing was justifying his inclination to run with the liberal hare and hunt with the conservative hounds and I suspect that his leaping across one division and a moment later leaping back again caused many people some uneasiness"
 
William  :  "I suspect so too..... It is open to argument but I have heard that one of his main reasoning for leaving office was the fact that he had been offered a job in Santa's grotto in Lapland as a chief of fabrication since just like Santa no one believes in him any more" 
 
Harold :  "I certainly believe that the people of this kingdom have every moral right to know what people, they have elected into power, are up to before they drive another nail into the coffin of the tottering economy of this country and the dream turns into a nightmare"

William : "Indeed, modern life is so cruel but I will tell you something for nothing; a devil-may-care attitude is not going to achieve the desirable results. Up and try is my motto"

Harold :  "I will put myself forward as a candidate at the next election as I think I can do a better job than those who have had a crack of the whip"
 
William :  "Don't be so silly; leave politics to the politicians, you are far too honest to be one"
 
Harold :  "Fancy a bit of my curry?"
 
William :  "No, I don't like curry, the smell puts me off"
 
Harold :  "Do you mind if I smoke?"
 
William :  "Yes, I do. Why don't you pack up smocking?
 
Harold :  "It is easier to take a clock apart than to put it together"
 
William :  "What do you mean?"
 
Harold :  "I was referring to my smoking habit. It would take me a long time to give up this vice"
 
William :  "Later better than never or else you might end up in a hospital inhaling artificial air"
 
Harold :  "If you don't keep quiet I will ask the waiter to throw you out of here"
 
William :  "Try if you dare"
 
Harold :  "I was only joking"
 
William  :  "The economy seems to have undergone a period of world-wide bleakness recently, hasn't it?"
 
 
 
Harold  :  "Indeed!......Will you be inviting Ophidia to the party?"
 
William  : "Goodness me! No!
 
Harold  :  "Why not?
 
William :  "Simply because she defines the word frightfulness to a tee to me and besides, she is a girl, is she not?"
 
Harold  :   "Are you scared of her?
 
William  :  "Yes! She is a snake in the grass and pretty well adapted to the maintenance of high temperatures against the surrounding sleaziness and idle talk about other people in her party" 
 
Harold :  "But gossip is good for journalism since it develops and spreads rumours which help filling the vacant minds of many folks with fiction and fable"
 
William  :  "But they are not good for a just world since they are often peppered with silliness which often compel us to believe that they are in effect real when the opposite is true"
 
Harold  :  "What would you say if I were to tell you that two separate invitations for your birthday Party has been sent to Ophidia Repere and David Reptilia?"
 
William  :  "I would say that is utterly nonsense since there has not been any absentmindedness in my part?
 
Harold  :  "Even if they had been invited I would be surprised if they turned up since Boris and David will be there"
 
William :  "That is refreshing!...I will not be raising a glass in honour of their persistent absenteeism from my entertaining parties....I can assure you that"
 
Harold  :  "I am of the same sentiment since their saying things behind the back of the former Prime Minister was a subject of great controversy in recent times and it was certainly not cricket"
 
William  :  "Indeed, they over peppered the political image of a man that in my view did a wonderful job for this nation of ours as they were seasoning silliness in order to affect the free judgement of members of the Labour Party"
 
Harold  :  "Ronaldo's girl has a lovely frontal facade, hasn't she?"
 
William  :  "I suppose so.  Are they natural or artificially enhanced?"
 
 
Harold  :  "Well.. the cultivation appears to be a bit abrupt and unreal but there again the texture and colour of the wine should not be an issue if the taste is good, isn't it so?"
 
 
William  :  "Indeed, ....but I read in the papers the other day  that he had dished her for a more real specimen"
 
 
 
Harold  :  "He must be in a fragile state of mind to do a thing like that"
 
 
 
William  :  "Apparently the rumours of the split reached a wide audience worldwise"
 
 
 
Harold  :  "Do you think the split would bring his footie career to a halt?"
 
William :  "It would be interested to see how he gets on"
 
 
 
 
Harold  :  "The boy lacks sensible wits"
 
 
 
William  :  "That doesn't sound very complementary, does it?"
 
 
 
Harold  :  "I was talking about his common sense and all that jazz, you know"
 
 
 
William  :  "He was probably disgusted at the size of her hangers"
 
 
 
Harold  :  "It is all in the mind or rather it is not which might be the cause of the problem"
 
 
 
William  :  "You ought to cut back on frivolities while your head is above water, boy"
 
 
 
Harold  :  "There is a good case for defence since I feel hard done by and don't you know it"
 
 
 
William  :  "Well, if you are not already guilty you probably should be soon as there is a good case to prove it"
 
 
 
 
 
Harold  :  "I am spiralling out of control here and I feel it will be justified if I were to yell and throw things at you"
 
 
 
William :  "Rein your horses, boy, I was only trying to annoy you and amused myself at the same time"
 
Harold  :  "You have certainly achieved the former"
 
 
 
William  :  "Never mind the pain, think of the glory since it is all about the little things that you ought to be concerned with"
 
 
 
Harold  :  "Sorry, I am in a vulnerable state of mind at the minute"
 
 
 
William  :  "It is me who must apologise since I have been playing with your mind for a while"
 
 
 
Harold  :  "Tall story"
 
 
 
William :  "A little heads up would have been far more reasonable"
 
Harold  :  "Cannot face another day of this"
 
 
 
William  :  "I would not dwell on it, just work efficiently and use your time well"
 
 
 
Harold  :  "I hate the snobbishness in people but I don't go on about it"
 
 
 
William  :  "That is touching since it alienates people rather than bringing them together"
 
 
 
Harold  :  "That is the most constipated thing I have ever heard"
 
William  : "There is no danger of that causing me a tummy ache"
 
Harold  :  "Why are you making it more complicated than it already is?"
 
 
William  :  "Don't bother continuing to search; you are spinning your wheels, old boy"
 
Harold  :  "I'm sort of hungry. I would like an italian. A pizza will do me just fine"
 
William  :  "You must have been in a hurry this morning since you did not button your shirt correctly"
 
Harold  :  "Don't make a big deal of it. Besides Ross says it is the new craze"
 
William  :  "Don't listen to Ross he is talking nonsense"
 
Harold  :  "You could have warned me, old chap!"
 
William  :  "I've just done so"
 
 
Harold  :  "You will never understand. Ross is okay"
 
William  :  "I find it really hard to understand Ross on television "
 
 
Harold  :  "Is it because he lisps?"
 
William  :  "Maybe"
 
 
Harold  :  "He is in danger of losing his job, you know"
 
 
William  :  "Really. Do you know the reason?"
 
 
 
Harold  :  "Seemingly he was doing an impersonation of his boss when he showed up"
 
William  :  "Really. What an idiot"
 
 
Harold  :  "All the same, when he announced that he might lose his job there was an awkward silence which ended when I asked him to explain what happened"
 
William  :  "The thing is if one plays with fire one must expect to get burned"
 
 
Harold  :  "Well, it is not the end of the world and sure he will be fine"
 
William  :  "I don't know though since the global economy isn't doing too well these days"
 
 
Harold  :  "What do you mean, old chap?"
 
 
William  :  "He might not find another position straight away if he loses his present one"
 
 
Harold  :  "Tell me something I don't know, old boy "
 
William  :  "Of course, you would know about his plight better than anybody else since you were once made redundant, wouldn't you"
 
 
Harold  :  "Let's be honest about it, I was not laid off;  I was fired, old chap"
 
William  :  "Still, it is hard losing one's job"
 
 
Harold  :  "I suppose so"
 
William  :  "You' are soaking wet"
 
 
Harold  :  "Indeed, it is the rainy season in Westminster, and it rains cats and dogs nearly every day, and I am sick of it"
 
 
William  :  "What did you do yesterday afternoon?"
 
 
Harold  :  "Not a thing"
 
William  :  "Really. Honestly"
 
 
Harold  :  "Fancy going out tonight?"
 
William  :  "I can't go out tonight. I will spare you the details, though"
 
 
Harold  :  "Fair enough"
 
William  :  "I don't have to work today, so I'm going to sit around and do very little"
 
 
Harold  :  "You could clean your room, couldn't you?"
 
William  :  "I could but I had better leave those shores to the servants for they are paid well enough for their troubles"
 
 
Harold  :  "I cannot concentrate today. I am feeling down"
 
William  :  "That can be dangerous, Do be careful, old boy"
 
 
Harold  :  "I need a drink"
 
William  :  "It might help. I have a night-cap most nights, and I always sleep like a real Royal"
 
 
Harold  :  "I was in trouble, but you have just saved the day. A night-cap might just do the trick and send me to sleep in my Royal bed"
 
 
 
William :  "Indeed old chap...... Look at the time! ... We had better be getting along before it starts raining again"
 

The game of baseball in the United Kingdom!

By Pedro Figueroa - 13:55 on 10 Dec. 2012

The introduction of baseball in the United Kingdom has been attributed to Francis Ley, a Derbyshire gentleman, who became aware of the existence of the game during a visit to the United States of America.  In 1890, he devised a way to bring baseball to the UK and, Intentionally, he enlisted the help of Albert Goodwill an American sporting goods businessman who saw in it an opportunity to accrue his business' interest across the pond.

The game's point of greatest development was in 1938 when the first World Cup in baseball was held in England which, naturally, Great Britain won. Appropriately enough this triumph captured the interest of many people and the game reached its highest climax when it was played at a professional level in the Derbyshire area in 1939. Football and baseball shared grounds and the existence and popularity of the two games seemed assured.  However, the Second World War put pay to that thought as a twisted control freak  and brutal thug ignited the tempestuousness of  Mars when he invited the chief spirit of evil and war to these shores, mainland Europe and the rest of the world in 1940 destryoing the intellectual and sporting bindings that had united us in a mutual relationship of togetherness for so long . Indeed, the Second World War effectively spelt an end to world peace and as many people were wiped out  the  future of baseball became clouded with uncertainty; however, the decisiveness of the ally forces were greater than the enemy and the world's resilience to recover quickly from that violent disturbance won the day; nevertheless, the lessons  learned from that conflict and from a whole broad range of issues have  enable people today to work together harmoniously in complete agreement and  without hierarchical boundaries in order to prevent the iniquities of the past. However, a stumbling block is still present, though, and the tendency to look at the differences that make us different as people and not to look at the things that makes us alike need to be put aside. Structures that help make complicated process happen smoothly and simply must be introduced quickly and efficiently. It is time to draw a line or we'll never learn, never change or never grow as one nation one team. Indeed, sometimes we have to reach for something that we are not sure we can get and I am fully aware that many restrictions can suppress freedom of choice but at the same time we have to allow into our world something that we are not sure we want. It has been said that we learn from our mistakes but we have not learnt enough from one another, particularly, when it comes to other people's idiosyncrasy.

Nonetheless, since the end the war many people have been working very hard both on and off the field to bring baseball to the mass, young and old of all sort of levels and backgrounds, and their effort have not been in vain since there are about 50 teams and 1000 and 1 players currently playing the game in the United Kingdom.

The first World Cup in baseball was held in England in 1938 when teams from the USA and United Kingdom played a series of five games. Naturally, Great Britain beat the Americans four times in five games as they became the first baseball team to win the world cup in baseball. What a feast!

Past and Present World Cup Champions

Year Winner

1938 United Kingdom
1939 Cuba
1940 Cuba
1941 Venezuela
1942 Cuba
1943 Cuba
1944 Venezuela
1945 Venezuela
1947 Colombia
1948 Dominican Republic
1950 Cuba
1951 Puerto Rico
1952 Cuba
1953 Cuba
1961 Cuba
1965 Colombia
1969 Cuba
1970 Cuba
1971 Cuba
1972 Cuba
1973 Cuba
1973 United States
1974 United States
1976 Cuba
1978 Cuba
1980 Cuba
1982 Korea
1984 Cuba
1986 Cuba
1988 Cuba
1990 Cuba
1994 Cuba
1998 Cuba
2001 Cuba
2003 Cuba
2005 Cuba
2006 Japan

2009 Japan

Pedro Figueras

Hablas Ingles?

Pues mira que esperas aprende con nosotros, venga! Animate y visitanos en:

http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras/index.asp?pageid=29561 

Do you speak Spanish?

What are you waiting for? Learn with us at:

http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras/index.asp?pageid=29561 

A Legacy of the past and Helen's great unhappiness

By P.Figueras - 15:10 on 09 Dec. 2012

The past will always be the path to the time to come and enlightenment as it continues to be the source of acquiring knowledge.  How many words, anecdotes, and tales have been written and recite by highly rated inky fingers and skilled storytellers. Many, I suppose, but not many of those have served me best, as a source of learning and enjoyment, than the chronicled events of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. This accumulation of what was what of a far bygone past, has emboldened my interest in a subject that has totally captivated my attention. Indeed, The Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans passed on to us, arguably, of course, but in my opinion, nevertheless, a flamboyant and coruscating legacy of high cultural level and social development which still has a strong influence in our present –days’ civilisation. Certainly, the present cannot alter the past even though, inevitably, the new will replace the old but we owe a great deal to historians, authors and raconteurs for having preserved yesterday's past in books, manuscripts and in the memory of those whose interest in the subject has been such that they use oral communication in order to create awareness of past events and fix it in people's mind. This talented and cultivated bunch of writers and orators have pieced together fragments of an enormous historical and cultural worth and importance, and have depicted a vivid picture of yesterday's past for the benefit of people like me and those with similar interest in events of an earlier time to appreciate, cherish and adhere to.

A quest is indeed the desire to obtain something by means of effort and I would not stop taking journeys into yesterday if that is what it takes to find what I am looking for in the present. Certainly, apprehension always arrives with fear as it was the case later last night when I was in bed dormant and literally doing very little, as I saw a sudden burst of flame from my bedroom window coming from Crystal Palace Park in South London.  I got up and when I looked out of the window I noticed that my neighbours’ car was on fire. Great balls and tongues of fire, spitting from his car, raged without cessation, spreading far beyond our street before it developed into a swelling mass of smoke. At a considerable distance of the incident and in large numbers there were many onlookers huddled together into a limited space, who normally filled the street, and I can assure you that their curiosity and interest was equal to mine. Indeed, what a confounded nuisance that fire was for all concerned! Nevertheless, a journey to the past was in order as an imaginative non-physical element took over me, disembodied me, lifted me up and finally it conveyed me to Legendary Troy. As I arrived to the citadel there was a fire of great proportion taking place. It was as I saw it a blazing disquietude for the Trojans since they were trapped in their citadel with nowhere to go. The sky was read with flame that fatal night, fuelled, perhaps, with the blood of thousands of Trojans who perished, many while asleep, when the product of a Greek subterfuge gave origin to an expeditious Greek assault which culminated in a blazing ruin and an utterly humiliation of the citadel and its denizens. The ardent flames raged ceaselessly for days, crumbling Troy into dust and so after years of bitterness, strife and wars the Greek had finally defeated the Trojans. However, it was neither the raging fire that struck the citadel nor the entrapment of the horse nor the fatal mistake of trusting the Greeks bearing gifts which tricked the Trojans into difficulties and decided the fate of Troy, nor Achilles’ desire to avenge the death of his dearest friend, Patroclus, at the hands of Hector, that ultimately destroyed Troy, it was the unfaithfulness of Helen, daughter of Zeus and Leda [Tyndareus' wife who was  seduced by Zeus when he disguised himself as a swan and won Leda's fondness and ultimately paired for reproduction with her later at night as she lay with her husband Tyndareus] to Menelaus [whom she was married to] king of Sparta and Agamemnon's [the commander of the all Greek's warriors] little brother, and the torch that Paris, the feeble son of king Pariam of Troy and Hector’s younger brother, carried for Helen that led to the outburst of passion which stirred so much anger and which brought Troy to its knees.

Having survived the inferno that destroyed the citadel of Troy and its surroundings, I found Helen among some of the survivors of the conflagration which brought simultaneously destruction and loss of life on a massive scale to the kingdom of Troy and its people; her reputation was in tatters, she was literately on the floor, arousing pity, holding her head in sorrow, filled with anguish and starring at the obliteration of Troy in absolute silence and with her lips pressed together as if she would never utter another word. What she felt then she failed to verbalize and I could only imagine to hypothesise the indiscernible state of suffering she was been subjected to and the extreme unhappiness she was harbouring in her innermost thoughts at that time;certainly, she looked very uncomfortable indeed as she was visibly all that much upset, worried  tense and filled with a great desire to get away from it all since her conscience was troubling her far more, perhaps, than she ever thought it would. I was only a bystander in all that saga, experiencing and accumulating in my mind's eye an extraordinary sequence of events filled with an excessive supply of passion and tragedy but I just could not help retaining what I would like to think of as a special compassion for Helen's pain. Certainly, legend and fiction were the main protagonists of this scene and as the order of concatenation, commingling together and unrestricted by reality, unfolded before me I sensed a feeling of participation in a conflict of a world that was not mine, it would take some defining to explain the intelligible authenticity of my journey to the past and the imaginable series of circumstances I experienced in my mind while, perhaps, asleep, to many of my readers, a time traveller, perhaps, if you like, but I had no real hope of nourishing such a prospect, though, I expected it would be followed by more than a humble proportion of my readership community. Indeed, I had to pinch myself in my left leg twice since I could not figure out what was real and what was fictional. She, then, rose to her knees with tears in her eyes, much upset, as she called me over and invited me to place myself next to her. The light breeze was in her face and I could not help noticing a raised mark left on her right cheek caused, perhaps, by the stroke of a whip or a hard blow while fighting her rescuers off. However, happy to be proved wrong, of course, she was a woman of exceptional beauty and I just could not believe that so much beauty resided in one person; needles to say that she made an immediate impression on me and as I lowered myself charily to her side she engulfed me in her arms as if she were trying to wrap me up for warmth and in a nice sort of way I requited her attention.  Again, tears shot forth from her eyes as I embraced her. "κρατάω εμένα σφιχτός , φιλώ εμένα  φιλώ εμένα, κάνω what εσύ θα μα αποκτώ εμένα έξω από αυτό inferno", (honestly, it was all greek to me) she whispered in my ear which translated to "Hold me tight, kiss me, besame, do what you will but get me out of this inferno".  Il at ease, I was at a loss for words, nonetheless, the adjuration awoke in me  instinctive feelings of being in want of eating the juicy apple of the original sin which were stirring me up to embark on an ill-dreamed illicit affair which augured a combining, breathtaking surrealism of incongruous liaison of thrilling consequences with an unexpected twist and which promptly prompted in me a delightful feeling of excitement which enticed me to follow my heart and abandon my sanity. I would be a sinner if I were to say that the thought of giving way to lustful impulses did not cross my mind but the temptation represented a conflict between a provable truth and a figment of my imagination since I was not sure whether this was just a pleasant far-fetched irrational aberration of my intellect in which I was indulged in while I was awake or it was just a conventional state of things as they were or, perhaps, it was just necromancy which was allowing me to communicate with someone that was no longer alive. Indeed, my soul was ablaze, full of ardour but I was compelled by my moral ruling behaviour to abandoned my fascination for Helen and my want to take refuge in instances of incongruous sentiments. Nevertheless, if it was to be it would be down to me and I am not ashamed to declare that I continue to entertain a special feeling for her even though there was a chasm between her period of time and mine. In retrospect, it is hard to accept that I was a long way away from my inner self and not conscious of what was going on since everything seemed to be happening around me while astir and as I endeavoured to stay awake from my state of deep unconsciousness I could not help it but wishing that my outward troubles did not ended there and hoped that I could live in that environment thereafter. She, then, went on to confided in me the mainspring for the course of actions that had led to her walking out on her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta and Agamemnon's little brother. She added that, in hindsight, she wished that she had not committed such a misdemeanour for she did not like the wrong that had been done to Troy and its people on her behalf and she hated the fact that no one, not even Zeus, her father, would grant her the power to manipulate time so that she could make amends for wrongdoings and all she could do then was to ask remission for her iniquity to those affected by her folly. She explained, as she beckoned me to stand up in front of her, that the main reason for her taking the decision to abandoned Sparta was boredom and her husband's physical incapability to respond to her deeper kinds of emotion. She said that she was genuinely frustrated as she fostered the idea of leaving her husband long before Paris and Hector (youngest and oldest children of king Pariam of Troy and queen Hecuba) visited Sparta. So, strictly interpreted, it appears that dissatisfaction and certainly not love was the motive for her malfeasance since she was not in love with Paris as it is often mentioned in histrionics and dramaturgy, therefore the matter of being blind to the sins of the flesh will remain a matter for speculation but in Helen's words the pillars of Troy had a bigger weight to bear and significance than the absolution of her honour in purgatory, a fact beyond dispute, perhaps, though she did not deliberately set out to be the cause for their devastation which has prompted me to abandoned all speculation about such matter since I see it as a time avoidably wasted. Indeed, Paris was her ticket to get out of Sparta but not her dream man, as she stated, Hector would have been more suitable for that role but he was already married to Andromache; nevertheless, she underestimated the consequences of her ill-fated and risky undertaking and for that she felt a deep sadness. Notwithstanding, the deed had been done and The Greeks’ victory was completed when they made their way home taking with them the spoils of war, jewellery, valuable goods and many enslaved Trojans survivors but without Achilles, their most talented warrior, the architect of the Trojan Horse and the man behind the subterfuge that tricked the Trojans, who, ironically, perhaps, was killed when an arrow shot from Paris's bow hit his right heel, which seemingly was his only weak spot [In allusion to the deepening of Achilles in the river Styx by his mother, the Goddess Thetis, so that he should become invulnerable. Indeed, Achilles was invulnerable on all of his body except for his right heel which was not plunged into the river's waters].

In every war there have to be winners and losers, and, as it is often the case, great affliction is brought upon the defeated side by their capturing as their misfortune is generally gloated over, with malicious pleasure, by the victors. Indeed, it had all gone terribly wrong for the Trojans, much more than it could be endured and many blamed Helen's liaison with Paris the cause for Troy's undoing. Certainly, it was very easy to fall into critically unfavourable way of viewing Helen's role in the series of events that led to the citadel's terrible fate since her infidelity contributed to refuel the latent fire of passion and the bitterness, festering beneath the surface, which had existed between the Greeks and the Trojans for many years but in fairness to Helen and Paris neither were to blame since they were victims of their own circumstances. Helen was forced into an arranged marriage by her father, Tyndareus, a Sparta king and Leda's husband, with Menelaus who had, both, power and wealth, albeit, through his older brother Agamemnon, commander of the Greek warriors. While Helen was every man's fantasy, Menelaus, on the other hand, was not blessed with alluring charm and his absenteeism from Helen's bed and her unfulfilled neediness prompted her to find solace in her linking with Paris. Having become her only possible way out of Sparta, Paris had no will to break the spell that allured him to Helen which made him a serf to her enchantment that no man could refrain from, and as they eloped together they failed to assess the potential and precarious consequences that they had put themselves and Troy under.  Heaven and earth came together when Helen and Paris were ushered into an affair which irrevocably decided and sealed Troy's destiny since a thousand ships were launched and war was waged by the Kingdoms of Sparta and Troy where many were caught in large scenes of violence which threw thousands of lives away. The passage of time has not laid the ghost of this war to come to rest since the grief that caused it has not been allowed to sleep the sleep of the just for the account of the falling of Troy has not been settled yet nor wiped out from people's storing of ancient times even though greatest wars had been fought since that time after. Helen's presence in the world will always be an eternity for she was an enigmatic figure of a woman who will not be banished by the winds of change since she will forever live in every man's fantasy. As I bade farewell to Helen, in her way to meet her natural father, Zeus, in Mountain Olympus, I found that my venturing through times had been a fulfilment of, both, my acquaintance with Helen's tragic circumstances and my pilgrimage through an awaking past from which I came away with the deepest respect for Helen. indeed, when the time at which Helen and I had to leave one another arrived we both were disconsolate beyond comfort; the scene was badly lit and we were utterly exposed to the element when all of the sudden, as the wind made a wailing sound, spluttering perhaps, a fatalistic warning, an igniting discharge of electricity, followed by a loud rumble of thunder, crashed abruptly against the sky shattering the lugubrious silence of the heavens; torrential rain followed and soon we were truly soaked to the bone. Figuratively speaking, the weather conditions threatened us with obliteration but we stood there oblivious and impervious to its threat. It was time then to say our goodbyes, my heart was in my hands crying the tears that did not show when I held her hand in mine. Impetuously, I pulled her to one side where the wind did not blow and I drew her close to me; tender thoughts occurred to me as I looked profoundly in Helen's eyes, and on the spur of the moment I, then, kissed her vintage red wine colour lips and, almost instinctively we clasped tightly into one another's arms.  "επίπεδο επίπεδο lots του και παρακαλώ , παρακαλώ εμένα , κάνω what you μουστάκι , αγαπώ εμένα κάνω , εκεί όχι ώρα σε χάνω για εγώ σύντομα μουστάκι να είμαι επάνω my δρόμος", all in Greek, she whispered in my ear which translated to "Besame, besame mucho and please, please me, do what you must, love me do, there's no time to lose for I soon must be on my way", those were the exact words I longed to hear and as we held each other tight one thing led to another and it promptly turned into a passionate embrace that could have gone on forever only if Helen did not have to go. I begged her to stay but as the rain washed away my tears I knew it was no use my asking her to live on earth with me as one since it would not be rationally possible for a demi-goddess to elope together with a mere mortal time travelling troubadour from a light years world. Soon after my eyes were filled up with tears again as she dispiritedly departed  from the mortal world to the immortal one leaving behind a reputation of a fatalist woman or femme fatalist that she could not wish for and one which she could not any longer bear as it made her felt utterly uncomfortable in the harsh loneliness of  the narrow-minded world of the living which had an unremitting influence over her mortal life at that moment in time; it is a long-lived shame that she will always be thought to be responsible for Troy's fate but in her defence I would like to champion Helen's case by stating that she did nothing wrong but what she had to do since all that happened was inevitable as they were events which were predetermined by the circumstances of that period of time, and as I arrived to the present, in the same way I departed, from my journey to the past and got into my room the world seemed to have stayed still.  I realised then that it would be difficult to explain to my family and friends what I had experienced without encountering looks of inquisition since they would inevitably assume that there was something amiss even though they knew that there was no motive for my making it up. I bet they would laugh in my face instead. No, no, I could not possible have imagined all that series of events and experienced them all in my mind while asleep only Helen and I knew that I had not dreamt all that that had gone past. Now that I find myself all alone in my room and as I recollect what Helen and I had, my heart begins to break as the pain of losing Helen well up in me incessantly. Indeed, all I could do was grieve, I, then, wished, in a fond hope, that Helen was calling on me that night so that I did not have to establish the validity of my coming together with her and my journey to the past to no-one. I felt sad when she left since only I knew her sad state of her affairs.  Inauspiciously, the still of the night had a hold on me and it only took a moment’s time to realise that I had to give up any hopes of ever seeing Helen again.  I looked out of my window and noticed that my neighbour's car was smouldering.

 P.Figueras

Nom de plume

London City

Whatever it is that gets you going London has it tailor-made for you. There are thousands of years of history to discover and all there is to see and experience in just one city. Make no mistakes about it, Yeah!  It will astound you. London offers also a life experience of events of a period far back in time, which awakes unconscious appreciation for incongruous images, art and literature of an immeasurable scale. Indeed, it is like living a dream under the magical influence of surrealism but in the presence of real-time circumstances. Certainly, it is very amusing to call a city intoxicating but that is exactly what London is, it is nothing short of mind-blowing and the zest for living and infectious candour of its extraordinary people would beckon you to be part of its continual celebration, and it will, I am sure of it, have you soon drinking from the merrymaking glass of passion for life.  Yeah! London is bursting at the seams with glee and if you don't know what glee is London is the place to find out.

Celts, Romans, Vikings, Saxons, Angles, men and women of good minds in Europe and the world all surrendered, in years gone by, to London's magical spell, and its exposure to those spicey fusion of luminous cultures provided its people with great assimilation, buoyancy, forbearance and a playful disposition which delights much the fancy and the spirit of the visitors but it must be said that they have worked terribly hard to put a show for all their guests. Therefore, be assured of being received with open arms by amiable people who would be more than pleased to spare you all the time in the world to making your stay an incomparable one. Come and enjoy in full the experience, the zest and passion for life in London.

P.Figueras

English in one's mind! 

Throughout the history of the United Kingdom many people from different parts of the world have come to Britain in search of a better life for themselves and learn its language. However, there are no written documents about the first people who made the crossing from continental Europe into Britain but it is thought that two millenniums ago a group of people coming from Gaul - who called themselves Celts - arrived in Britain. As often was the case, for obvious reasons, in the time before the present one, the hospitality of the natives was not overwhelming and I don't think for a minute that the newcomers nourished a different reception as it was frosty and hostile at the best of time; nevertheless, they did not dwell on it and got down to grass roots and soon they found themselves at home with the environment and customs of the indigenous people of Britain. It must be said that it took a while but integration soon happened as they mixed with the local people for better or for worse and they became one people, one nation. The Celts were very skilful in making iron jewellery, tools and weapons and as the population grew the settlements became towns and trading centres began to develop and flourish. The Celts became much more sedentary and society became more complex and it was not surprising when many decided to move away from their original settlements and began to create new settlements of their own, and with distance, differences in custom and dialects started to developed and soon they were divided into communities in the definition of tribes. Trade was the main element which contributed most to the prosperity of Britain then and it has been said that commerce between the British Celts and the Romans took place long before the latter decided to pay a visit to Britain in 55 BC with the view to colonise the place.  As often is the case, in every society the soft-minded people seemed to propagate owing to paganism, lack of learning resources and the belief that there is someone superior to them who is keeping a watchful eye over their doings on Earth and which has kept them stuck in second gear for long period of time. Of course, the Celts were not any different to any other society as there was a small group of people who exploited this weakness by widely and efficiently applying intelligence to the little people's paganism and illiteracy and soon that small group of people became the ruling class. These people were called nobles and were in control of the government and religious ceremony. The job of the priests or Druids - as they were better known - were to confuse the minds of the people and put them in vulnerable states so that they could rule over them and use them as human sacrifices for the benefit of paganism and all the rest. Indeed, human sacrifices were carried out by priggish priests who thought themselves as self righteous and divine people. In fact, the main reason for the priest or Druids leaving Europe in such a hurry, when they did, for Britain was the fact that the Romans were trying to curb their rituals and ban them from continuing to use humans as sacrifice objects in mainland Europe since the Romans believed that the definition of freedom was not merely to cast off a man's chains but to make he live in a way that his human rights were respected to an extent and he respected the liberty of others. This was inevitably seen by the rest of the civilised world as an excuse by the Roman to deprive the freedom of others without facing criticism from the human right league which existed in Romans' time. Indeed, as promised in 55 BC a Roman fleet under the command of Julius Caesar came to explore Britain's coast line to see if there was a reason for invading the country and, of course, get acquainted with the way of life of its inhabitants. Approximately, 15000 legionnaires ran ashore at South Foreland - near Dover - to make the inspection and it seemed they were not very impressed with what they saw as the welcoming committee was not in talking mood and decided to repel the visitors by force. Nevertheless, it did not work since the Celts disorderly soldierly crowd was no match for the well trained Roman legionnaires and the former had no other option but to show the visitors a clean pair of heels. Having said that, it appeared that the Romans did not think that Britain was worth invading as they made their way back to Europe and did not return to this shores for another 100 years or so.  Nevertheless, in those days it was almost impossible to escape from the thought that they would sooner or later be back as the Romans and its Emperor, Claudius were interested in expanding their realm over the world and wield power over its people. It was in 43 AD when the Emperor and his administration made the decision to capture Britain and make it part the empire. Deftly ignoring a hostile reception the Romans landed in Britain that year and very soon they have seen what they wanted to see and began their conquest of Britain and its people. Soon the Romans elevated Britain to a different level as the Romans built roads, forts to wield power over the conquered people and their culture and language pervaded almost over the whole of the country when its people were force to embrace the Romans' way. Of course, it was not that simple as some tribes made the colonisation a bit harder for the invaders but in the end these people were driven into the mountains of what is today Wales and Scotland. Caratacus was the king of Catuvellauni people in Wales and he defended its land ferociously until he was defeated; he was captured by the conquerors and sent to Rome to be sold as a slave.  In 60 AD Wales finally fell under the Romans as the rebels and their Queen Boudicca were taken prisoners and dealt with accordingly to Romans' laws. In approximately 84 AD, the Romans made an attempt to conquer Scotland, which the Roman named Caledonia, but the Romans ended with eggs on their faces as it became a different proposition to Wales since they did not manage to conquer it. Having left Caledonia empty handed the Romans decided to bring Britain into a new order were the Romans' Laws would be applied. Latin became the lingua franca and Britain was adhere to the Roman Empire as more Romans citizens moved to live in the country and those born free under the Romans' rule were allowed to take Romans' citizenship. Indeed, the influence of the Romans lasted for almost 350 years and it has been said that Britain under the Romans was a good place to live. Nevertheless, all goods things come to an end as it was the case of the Romans' rulers in Britain as they were summoned to Rome as it had been attacked by Europeans barbarians.  Britain was left unprotected and as new invaders began to arrive at its shores people began to desert Romans' way of life and return to their previous ways of life in the country. 

Indeed, at its height the Roman Empire was colossal and it became too large to be controlled from Rome but it did not come as a surprise when political wrangles began to take place amongst Romans rulers and congressmen. Civil war broke out and the aftermath prompted many colonies to seek independence from Rome and as the Empire started to disintegrate Europeans barbarians, armed with the confidence of knowing that the Romans were a spent force, took advantage of the situation and began to wage war against the Rome as they attacked and seized the place until they had burned it. So the Romans left Britain and went on their way to Rome to try to salvage the eternal city and left the Britons to fend for themselves. The Romans' departure was met with curses and overblown phrases as the Roman-Britons felt let down by their leaving Britain unprotected from foreign invasions. Their fears soon came to be realised when in 407 AD Britain came under constant raids by the Picts and Scots who came from the northern part of the island. Things were getting very difficult for the Britons so they decided to engage the service of a group of tribes from the north part of Europe in their fight with their neighbours. The Angles, Saxons, Frisians and Jutes responded to the call-up and very soon they put the Britons' enemies in their places. However, this help from those tribes came at a price and land was the currency the Britons used to pay their helpers. Certainly, the Britons were happy to give land to those who helped them in their hour of need but little they knew that this alliance would end up in disappointment since more people from those tribes kept coming and demanding more land for themselves. Inevitably, attitudes shifted when the Britons complained to the heads of those tribes about their behaviour but there was a total failure by the chiefs to understand the Britons' complaint since common sense did not prevail and war broke out as the Britons became the enemies of the raiders who forced them to seek sanctuary in Wales and Island.  Moving on with the times in approximately 789 AD three centuries after the raiders of the north had settled in Britain another wave of desperadoes coming from the North of Scandinavia came to visit the country with the purpose of storming the place. However, a storm unleashed fury and the visitors met a strong defence that came from a very well organised army which made them to return to their vessels in a hurry and turned their backs on Britain after testing the strength of the front line of its army. Naturally enough the visitors were not about to give up their intentions of raiding Britain and within approximately two and a half years they were back. This time luck was on their side and they managed to land, raid and take what they came here for leaving a trial of misery behind for the people involved. They soon departed with the spoil of the raid back to where they came from and from there on - year after year - Britain was raided by these northern people named Vikings and in approximately 850 AD they made up their mind and decided to stay for good.

The lure of easy money and acquisition of land in Britain prompted more Vikings to make their way to these shores and as they exploited the vulnerability of the Angle-Saxon people who, in years gone by, had forced the Celts and the native inhabitants of this country to abandon their land and seek refuge in the mountains of Wales and Scotland, they became hungry for more of the same. Indeed, the Vikings were seeking to become masters in a land which offered them the opportunity to satisfy their thirsty for wealth and barbarous behaviour. Generous to a fault the Anglo-Saxon people surrendered more territory to the Vikings that they were ever prepared to cede but the Vikings wanted more land and to get their wishes they waged war against the Angle-Saxon people as their properties and land were constantly raided by the former.  The echoes of defeat were all too loud to accept without fighting back but in the end the Angle-Saxon became a spent force and within forty years or so the Vikings had managed to occupy all of the Angle-Saxon territory. There was a moment when a perfect resolution met a perfect execution when King Sweyn of Denmark decided to annexed Britain to his Kingdom as he became the very first Danish King of Britain. King Sweyn's reign was very beneficial for the Angle-Saxon as they were allowed to keep their land in return for their faithfulness to the Kingdom of Denmark but it was a stressful time for them too, especially, when King Sweyn passed away and his son, Cnut took over for the Angle-Saxon people did not trust him; nevertheless, their fears were unfounded for he was a good king as he made sure that law and order was maintained and the human rights of his people were upheld. Ethelred and Edward were the sons of Cnut and both followed their father to the throne of the Kingdom of Denmark. Ethelred was the king when Edward decided to spend some time in continental Europe and live in France. He did so until the death of his brother when he was summoned to Britain to be Crowned King.  He was better known as Edward the Confessor and he was perceived as a man of peace. He ordered the construction of the Westminster Abbey as he was very passionate about Christianity and all the rest.  He died without having produced an heir to follow him as the King of Britain so a struggle for the throne arose and all hell broke loose. There was William, Duke of Normandy, who was King Edward's cousin making a claim to the Kingdom of Britain based on a promise that Edward had made him, many years before he passed away, of leaving the crown of Britain to him after his death. William sought the help of Harold who was then a very powerful Angle-Saxon earl in Britain. In the next corner, there was Harald Hardrada a Viking King who was in love with idea of adding Britain to his Kingdom in Norway and Sweden. In order to attempt a take over the Kingdom of Britain Harald enlisted the service of Tostig who was the brother of Harold. William was not fully convinced that Harold would keep his promise to support him to claim the crown of Britain but he did not have any other option but to enlist his help in order to achieve what he had set to do. Harold and his army travelled north to engage in a battle of strength at Stamford Bridge with Harald and his troop and after three hours or so the battle ended and Harold and his army were victorious and then decided to claim the Kingdom of Britain for himself and abandon his promise to William to support his claim. Harold was crowned king of Britain in January 1066 by claiming that Edward had made him the same promise that William was claiming for the right to be King of Britain. News arrived at Harold's ears that William had landed in Britain somewhere near Hastings and he was looking forward to confront Harold for his audacious impudence. Harold and his army travelled south and on 13th October 1066 they arrived at Hastings.  

On 14th October 1066, the Norman knights, with hearts filled with passion ready to avenge the wrong committed against their employer, William - Duke of Normandy, charged up the hill where Harold's army was challenging and daring the invaders to ascend. Harold's army was more than a match for the well-trained Norman knights as they repelled their attack time and time again. It was in the second part of the fight after lunch when the Norman knights managed to break Harold's army resistance and took control of the battle. Harold did not remain in the flatland of safety and was courageous enough to join his army as he fought bravely along side them till the bitter end when he was identified by an archer who shot him dead at the scene.  "The King is dead," somebody said. Soon after, it was all over, Harold's army were in utter disarray and the retreat call was issued there and then. William and his knights had won the battle of Hastings and the shout of long live the King was echoed throughout the land of Britain.  

London 2012 Olympic Games Logo

By Pedro Figueras

 

http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras

 

The car accident that prematurely caused the demise of a man!

One ought not to appoint oneself as a judge of a game which is alien to one's nature, just because it resembles an open-air game played on a large grass field with bat and ball between teams of eleven players in the United Kingdom; with that in mind,God forbid that the know-it-all might admit he has got it all wrong. The intrinsic natural of this issue should have  been high-mindedness which might have attested to his probity and ethics. However, his refusal to accept his error continues to this day as he is determined to play the role of a wounded hare being chased by the hounds of his inner voice which have picked up the scent of his deceitfulness and whereabouts in a large barn crammed with bales of fresh mown hay. At times, it is necessary to caption the obvious as one experiences the highs and lows of emotion in one's life and there are many words that might define one's eccentricities, temperament and mien - lonely and miserable are two of them - but he was not, in any shape or form, favourably disposed towards the road of fairness. Albeit, I cannot assert that I am an excellent judge of character I often see similarities where many see dissimilarities;having said that I hate making a song and dance about it. The realm of his deception was built in a throne of lies which in the end brought his empyrean to the ground. He jumped out of the balcony and began to talk in a incoherent speech and at length about hidden depths and all the rest. He was exhilarated with emotion as he clapped his hands with vehemence as if he had been prodded by divine inspiration;unmindful of his overexcited reaction and seemingly suffering from dementia, he ran into the road where he was accidentally knocked down by a car driven by a learner . Alcohol was the stroke of grace which precipitated his demise as it divested him of his ability to think straight before he foolishly ran into the road to be killed by a car.

P.Figueras 

A stolen kiss at the left side of the ballpark!

Foreword

Throughout the existence of organised baseball, teams, like New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeless Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, and players, like Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron, Luis Aparicio and Ted Williams, must have been visited, at one time or another, by dreams of "The Hall of Fame" and stardom. It would have been a sin, from the human point of view, if they had not done so before they made it into the Majors. Having said that it is very easy, at times, to fail to remember that baseball, for many, it's just a pastime, which for good or ill, entails a contest between two sides in a match to the last inning. It is also about a magical attraction, which has brought people from different walk of life together in attachment with the game of baseball. From my own point of view, it is not that simple to explain the reasoning behind my extreme zest for baseball but I can unreservedly tell you that the power of words is not sufficient to weigh the passion that my affection for the game carries. I sometimes wonder if my achievements in the game would echo across the time to come and wonder again if the new generation of players would hear my name after I have ceased to exist and think who I was, how pluckily and competitively I played; which was hard but fair, as I never failed to give my very best in every game. A game or two was won or lost, a slippery plank at times I walked but no force ever conquered my competitive spirit and the flagstaff of my team's ship was always flying our colours as I wandered the innings in search of outs and runs as plunder for my team's cause.

Introduction

Great sporting memories can never be erased by the passing of time since they represent endurance, ability and total commitment to a cause and they will always remain registered in the minds of the participants and aficionados as a monument to competence and endeavour. Equally, there are also memorable moments in one’s life that are utterly unforgettable, especially those which one has kept, for one reason or another, vivid in one’s mind. However, it must be said that all good memories remain fresh when they have been good and this story is about a momentous time in my sporting life that the sand of time with all its mighty has failed, so far, to obliterate from my mind. Certainly, a good sportsman always has direct personal participation in the foundation of his experiences on the field of playing and for all time those experiences remain engaged in his mind as a monument to endurance, hard work and ability. Still, I must confess that I loved to indulge in idle fantasies when I was a young man as I was often visited in my dreams by visions of notability’s status; but I cannot tell a lie for I enjoyed my indulgences as they gave me feelings of happiness and satisfaction. Certainly, at times, my heart gets absolutely filled with ecstasy when my memories convey my thoughts to August 1971 as I and fourteen other people drank from the cup that cheers but does not inebriate. Indeed, we drank to celebrate a remarkable year for baseball in the Aragua State in Venezuela. Nonetheless, it must be said that the content was not champagne but grape juice from the grape bear vines of Ignacio Ramirez’s vineyard in Turmero as most of the guests were under sixteen years of age. Indubitably, 1971 was an outstanding year for baseball in this region since its junior team became National Champions of the 1971 Criollitos de Venezuela National Championship held in Puerto Ordaz - Bolivar State - in Venezuela.

My Story

1971 was a difficult year in the financial front in Venezuela since the country was going through a period of economical instability which brought great unhappiness and hardship to most of its inhabitants as the new government had once more ignored the plight of the have not and had instead concentrated its effort in helping those who had more than they could ever need in their life time. Indeed, the changes that the new elected Social Christian Party had promised before the election had not been delivered and there was a lot of discontentment among those people who had voted for the promise of change. Perchance, this is the main reason 1971 has been consistently undervalued as a vintage year in this part of the world. Nevertheless, 1971 was a very important year for baseball in Turmero, a little town in the Aragua State, as its junior team became National Champions. Still, it is August 1971 which always strikes a responsive chord in my heart for it never fails to hoist my spirit to the contentment that I felt then when victory was ours in the 1971 Criollitos de Venezuela National Championship celebrated in Puerto Ordaz. I feel privileged to have been a member of that winning team to which Ignacio Ramirez and William Castillo were appointed to manage and coach respectively by Victor Martinez who was then the representative of the Criollitos de Venezuela League in the Aragua State.

 My mind floats over with excitement as it battles the sand of time with apprehension at the prospect of my remembering my teammates’ names since I have not seen them for nearly thirty-nine years. A distempered mind is mine but at the present time it is my office to recall those distant names. Team Aragua’s Roster - Pitchers: Alonzo Acosta, José Morgado, Orlando Martinez, Jose “El Zurdo” Ochoa, Pedro Figueras. Catcher: Ramon Moreno. First Baseman: Alonzo Acosta played this position when he was not pitching. Second Baseman: Toribio Barbosa. Short Stop: Ali “Maquinita” San Casimiro. Third Baseman:  Luis Rojas. Left Field: Gustavo “El Turmereño”. Center Field: This is me (Pedro Figueras) as I played this position when I was not pitching.  Right Field: “Guabina” Villa de Cura. Substitutes: Alirio “Turmero”, “El Enano” Turmereño, “Picure” de Maracay.

August 15^th 1971, Team Aragua with all the good gifts of a winner - talent, determination and resilience, all imbued in a group of fresh-faced youngsters, eager to be a great success with the ball, bat and glove - left Turmero on an old bus for Puerto Ordaz in the Bolivar State.  It took us nine hours and thirty minutes by road to reach our destination. At our arrival we were informed that the participant teams had been split into two groups. Group A was the group they put us in. Albeit, Group A had been deemed, by many, as the group of death, the mood was buoyant in team Aragua since they were all eager to impress.  Team Zulia, Team Miranda, Team Federal District, Team Lara and Team Yaracuy were the other competitors in Group A and if the experts were going to be right the winner of the Championship would come out of this group.  Group B, if my memory serves me right, was made of: Team Anzoategui, Team Bolivar, Team Carabobo, Team Monagas and Team Nueva Esparta.

Our first game of the tournament was against Team Miranda and Ignacio Ramirez, the manager, decided to open the game with José “The Punisher” Morgado as we used to called him. Morgado dutifully rose to the occasion as he pitched seven innings conceding two hits and one run while striking out ten batters. Ramon Moreno and myself hit two-run homers respectively during the game and Toribio Barbosa hit a double with runners in second and third. Final Score: Team Aragua 7   Team Miranda 1.  

Our second game of the tournament was against the mighty Team Distrito Federal and Ignacio Ramirez, the manager, decided to start the game with me on the mound. It has to be said that Ignacio Ramirez was one of the best coaches I have ever played under and his remarkable ability to put up with the sort of things that others simply could not cope with was admirable. Indeed, he had great strength of character. His knowledge of the game together with his great managerial skils were second to none as it was he who put together this fabulous team, which in my opinion was one of the best team I have ever played for. Certainly, Ignacio Ramirez was fully aware that discipline, hard work, know-how, and preparation were fundamental in the creation and of a winning team as he understood that it was not about the nine players that took to the field at any one time for it was about the team as a whole, playing for each other and supporting one another as a unit in pursue of the same goal – success. His decision to put me on the mound paid full dividend since I struck out fifteen batters while allowing Team Distrito Federal a mere one hit and one run in seven innings. I also helped my own cause with the bat as I went 2 for 3 and two RBIs.  Final Score:  Team Aragua 5 Team Distrito Federal 1.  

Our third game of the tournament was against Team Yaracuy. Certainly, we had a momentum going into this game as we were buoyed after winning our first two games. Southpaw pitcher, Jose “El Canoso” Ochoa was selected by the manager to start the third game. Indeed, Jose Ochoa was eager to impress and he certainly did so on a bright and warm morning of August 1971 as he challenged himself that day to deliver a splendid performance on the mound. The game became a seven innings’ “mano a mano” affair between Jose “El canoso” Ochoa and his counterpart the Yaracuyan pitcher whose name I can’t, for the life of me, remember. The game was scoreless at the bottom of the seventh inning when Ochoa had to leave the game as he could only pitch seven innings owing to the tournament rules. Ochoa felt really upset about having to leave the game and as he did so he vented his feelings by uttering a strong word to the organisers of the tournament which prompted me to put my hand over his mouth in an attempt to hush him as he would have been ejected from the tournament if his ranting had been heard by the officials. He was still boiling over with indignation when Orlando Martinez replaced him on the mound in the eighth inning. Orlando stood as tall as he could on the mound as he threw himself into the game. Indeed, the eighth inning was a very exciting one since it yielded, in my opinion, the best play of the tournament as Team Yaracuy threatened to steal the game from us. There were two outs and there was a runner on second base when a line drive single to center field, where I was playing, produced the best play of the entire game at the plate; upon gathering the ball I quickly made the throw to home plate in order to stop the runner from second base scoring a run and as the throw came in Orlando Martinez, instinctively, made the cut-off and relayed the ball to home plate where Ramon Moreno, our catcher, made the tag to produce the out.  The strength of emotion felt by all those people connected with Team Aragua was tangible at that moment in time, so much so that a well-favoured girl ran onto the field from the main stand and planted a kiss on me as I was making my way to the dugout. In all honesty, I was surprised and confound, to say the least, by her audacity since I hardly knew the girl and I certainly did not know that she had feelings for me but I must confess that her daring and resolute won my heart; her name was Marlene Perez, and after the game she became my candy girl. A picture was taken of her kissing me and I vividly still record that that picture made the front page of one of the local newspapers. The headline read: “A stolen kiss at the left side of the ball park”. However, the game was not over by any stretch of the imagination, as further drama would unfold at the bottom of the eighth inning as Toribio Barbosa our third batter in our line-up hit a double to the furthest part of the right field. I was the next batter in the line-up and as the Yaracuyan pitcher threw me an outside pitch I sort of followed the direction of the ball and as I swung at it the impact produced a gargantuan line drive to the furthest part of the right and center field that developed into a triple which in turn brought Toribio home with the walk-off run. The spice was right as my emotions border on the blissful and I felt I could walk on air, at that moment in time, for this was one of my finest hour in the tournament in which I delivered the antidote to the pressures of batting four in the line-up and, of course, my revealing a natural and distinctive talent for attracting the attention of the opposite sex. Final Score: Team Aragua 1 Team Yaracuy 0.

Our fourth game of the tournament was against Team Lara and Alonzo Acosta was selected to open the game. It has to be said that Alonzo’s effort that night simply exemplified our courage and determination to succeed but unfortunately, defensively, the team was not at its best that night as it failed to offer the support that Alonzo’s performance deserved that night. Indeed, our energy levels appeared to have deserted us since we looked utterly spent and as it was expected Team Lara with a very strong line-up took full advantage of our lack of strength and made us looked pedestrians. In the end, Team Lara ran away with the game and left us feeling sorry for ourselves. For the record, it must be said that I did not take part in that game for I was suspended owing to an argument I had with an official of the tournament in which we agreed to disagree. Indeed, the strength of my willingness to voice strong opinions attracted media attention as my outburst with the official reached the organisers’ ears that decided to make me pay for my right to speak my mind and suspended me for a game. All the same it pained me to watch helplessly my team to lose that particular game. Final score: Team Lara 8 Team Aragua 1.

Our fifth game of the tournament was against Team Zulia, which in the mind of many were the odds favourite to win the tournament. Indeed, the odds were against us since Team Zulia had won their previous four games to seal their place in the play-offs and they were trying to secure a victory against us that night in order to accent their seemingly superior adroitness over the rest of the competitors. Our loss to Team Lara had certainly forced our vessel of good form from its course as many members of our team looked like lost souls in desperate need of guidance since that game against Team Zulia was one we could not afford to lose as we would have been eliminated from the competition and sent home. I have always had a tendency to take the most hopeful view and somehow I was convinced that that day we were going to get that winning feeling back after all the good things we achieved earlier in the tournament.  Nevertheless, Ignacio Ramirez deserved praise for his wisdom since he knew how to make practical use of what he had to his best advantage at that moment in time so he decided to open the game with José “The Punisher” Morgado who was in my view the best pitcher in the tournament. Morgado lived up to our expectations as he wiped the self-satisfied smirk off Team Zulia as he conceded two runs and two hits while striking out sixteen batters in seven innings. Toribio Barbosa, Ramon Moreno and myself helped Morgados’ cause as we went 2 for 4 with two RBIs respectively.  It has to be said that in every competition there have to be winners and losers and I would be the last person to gloat at the adversity of my competitors but I must confess that I felt good about myself when we defeated Team Zulia. Indeed, that game stood somewhat apart from all the others as it was enthralling and entertaining all the way through for we put pay to Team Zulia’s myth of invincibility, which enabled us to reach the play-offs.  Final score:  Team Aragua 6 Team Zulia 2.   

The Play-offs

Our first game of the Play-offs was against Team Zulia whose manager promised to make the blue sky of Puerto Ordaz red for us that night. His unnerving boastful statement did not frighten us since we were still feeling jubilant about our last win against his team. Ignacio took the decision to open the game with me on the mound.  Alas, Team Zulia had an excellent day with the bat and hit me at will. Mind you, I had an excellent day with the bat too as I went 2 for 3 but it was not enough to aid my team cause and in the end the best team on the night won the match. Final score:  Team Zulia 9 Team Aragua 2.

Our second game of the Play-offs was against Team Anzoategui, which had qualified for the Play-offs as the Group B winners. Team Bolivar was the other qualifier from Group A.  Certainly, our little adventure in Puerto Ordaz was on the brink of collapsing, as the team morale was low after we lost our first game of the Play-offs to Team Zulia. Needless to say that the team was in desperate need of a lift in order to regain its confidence and the man Ignacio chose for that task was Jose “El Canoso” Ochoa.  It must be said that Ignacio’s choice did not surprise me at all since Ochoa was well among the best pitchers of the tournament and as it was expected he intrepidly accepted the challenge. After a little prayer to the heavens, which he used to say as a way to divest himself of his fear before each game, he began his task on the mound and with every pitch he seemed to grow as tall as he physically could. Indeed, he utterly overwhelmed Team Anzoategui with his repertoire of curves, sinkers and changers all night long.  Certainly, Ochoa had dauntless risen to his challenge in a manfully manner and with great assurance as he ultimately became an instant hero for us on a night when we were in need of one. Toribio Barbosa, Ramon Moreno and myself were the main contributors to the win with the bat as we went 2 for 3 with two RBIs respectively.  Final score:  Team Aragua 7   Team Anzoategui 0. 

Our third game of the Play-offs was against Team Bolivar, the host, which was undefeated in the Play-offs after having defeated the mighty Team Zulia and Team Anzoategui.  José “The Punisher” Morgado was selected to pitch the game.  Jumping promptly to his feet and in high spirit he welcomed the challenge with a meaning grin. A persistent drizzle threatened to obliterate the earlier pleasant afternoon and the game. In spite of the spray the game went ahead and we defeated Team Bolivar at their den. Once again Morgado proved his worthiness to Team Aragua as he allowed the hosts a mere four hits and two runs while striking out twelve batters in seven frames. Third baseman, Luis Roja and catcher, Ramon Moreno were the main contributors to the score as they went 2 for 3 respectively. Catcher, Ramon Moreno, yielded three RBIs to secure the win for Team Aragua.  Final Score:  Team Aragua 3 Team Bolivar 2.

Our Fourth game of the Play-offs was against Team Bolivar as they had an identical record as us in the Play-offs. Having said that there was another game taking place that night between Team Anzoategui and Team Zulia and the news was an excellent one since Team Anzoategui had utterly deflated Team Zulia in their final game.  Final score: Team Anzoategui 6 Team Zulia 2. This result meant that both teams were eliminated from the tournament and consequently had to go home.  So it was all down to the final game of the tournament and we certainly had nothing to fear going into that game since we had already defeated Team Bolivar in our last outing. Indeed, the omens were good for us to win the tournament but we needed to formulate a plan to thwart Team Bolivar’s ambitions at their place. A sudden vivid flash of lightning yielded a crash of thunder and I sort of cursed the weather, not loud but deep, as a very light rain began to fall.  Ignacio cordially appeared to endorse my remarks as he eyed the sky keenly. Fidgeting uneasily while searching for inspiration, Ignacio made the decision to open the game with Orlando Martinez on the mound. Orlando did not disappoint his manager and his team since he duly took his opportunity to shine and delivered a great performance on the mound for five innings in which he allowed four hits and two runs. The score was 2 – 2 when Orlando left the game; I was asked by the manager to step on the mound for the last two innings. Ignacio’s decision paid off handsomely since I struck out the three batters I faced while throwing nine consecutive strikes in the sixth inning. The top of the seventh inning became a good one for us as we besieged the game and rocked Team Bolivar while scoring eight runs in the process. There was no way to stop us in the final game and like a dog with a bone I did not let this one lay, and at the bottom of the seventh I struck out the first batter I faced. One down, two to go. The next batter hit a fly ball to left field to yield the second out and it made me feel good about myself.  Tears of mortification spelt tragedy for the home fans as their team were in the throes of debacle at the last huddle of the competition. Jerking himself up, the third batter I faced, more in fear than in anger, lifted arrogantly one of his fingers up in my direction. With a challenging smile I turned my back on him. My first pitch was a head maker, which narrowly missed the target; still, he winced as if the ball had struck him, his movement on the floor were far too hilarious for words. However, the umpire was not amused by his absurd pretence and asked him to get up and get on with the game.  Staggering to his feet nervously perhaps he resumed his batting. There was not any doubt that the stars were glowing for me that night, as they seemed to have come out to watch the game and judge my total commitment for the cause of my team. Indeed, the force was with me and with every throw I made from the mound to the plate my confidence appeared to reach an orbit that was far from the conventional levels that I had experienced in the past.  The heart of the matter, as far as I was concerned, was to go for broke as this game represented the ultimate challenge in our quest to be victorious and take the National Title home with us, and, course, I was mighty determined to ensure that no divine intervention was going to prevent me from achieving that goal. Certainly, I used my practical know-how to my advantage and utilised it and the time I spent on the mound to good purpose as I killed any forlorn hope that Team Bolivar might have had when I struck out the third batter who was on full count before he swung at the last pitch I hurled and which in turn delivered the coup de grace to the host team and their fans.  Indeed, It was a real debacle for Team Bolivar as they had great hopes of landing the title. On the other hand, we had risen to the occasion and made our common dream a reality, as Team Aragua became National Champions of the 1971 Criollitos de Venezuela National Championship. Almost instinctively, Marlene, ravishingly beautiful, ran towards me on the mound where I remained after the final out.  Indeed, this victory became a source of great pleasure for all those connected with team Aragua.  Needless to say that I grabbed the limelight with my staggering display on the mound against the host team but it was Ignacio Ramirez we thanked most as it was him who created a winning mentality within the team which enable us to win the tournament. Orlando Martinez, Marlene and myself posed on the mound for the photographers with one of those photographs making the first page of The Universal, one of the national newspapers in Venezuela, and the headline read “Cayo el telon Aragua campeon” (“Curtains down Team Aragua are the champions”).  Not in my wildest dreams could I have dreamt such a day. I held Marlene's hands tight, very tight, my heart was throbbing and words temporary perished on our lips as we hugged in an unbidden embrace and a kiss. Tears of happiness sprang into Marlene's eyes and it felt as though time had stood still.  All of the sudden an ignited firecracker produced an spectacular colourful spark which brought us back to the ballpark as clouds of smoke filled the air.  The explosion halted our excitement which was aflame with passion. Alas, this was as good as it got since we had to run on to the diamond for the benefit of the press and all that jazz.  The morning after the night before was a painful affair since arrangements had been made for us to leave that morning. It meant that I could not say goodbye to Marlene and that broke my heart. The very first thing I did at my arrival in Turmero was to write a letter to Marlene who I was missing badly. My letter was never answered and I lost all contact with the love of my live. I still remember the very first kiss she gave me when the strength of her emotions made her to leave the stand and ran towards me when I was making my way to the dugout. Indeed, I did not score with Marlene but for the records,Toribio Barbosa and myself went 2 for 4 respectively at that final game. Final score:  Team Aragua 2 Team Bolivar 10.

1971 Team Aragua Line-up

1. Toribio Barbosa 2B 4     

2. Luis Rojas 3B 5 

3. Ali "Machinita" SS 6 

4. Pedro Figueras CF 8     

5. Ramon Moreno C 2 

6. Alonzo Acosta 1B 3     

7. Gustavo "El Turmereño" LF 7 

8. Guabina of Villa de Cura RF  9  

9. José Morgado P 1     

Subs:

Orlando Martinez

El Enano

Alirio

Acure

El Flaco

By P.Figueras

The search for the Holy Grail of passion for life might be found in London

London

My first impression of London was of a fairy tale city, a remarkable kingdom and, as it is often the case, good tales get speedily about like a fast turbulent current in a large natural stream of water, worthy of comparison to the river Thames.  Maybe, it is because I live in London that I like it so much but it is like living a dream under the magical influence of surrealism but in the presence of real-time circumstances. Certainly, it is very amusing to call a city intoxicating but that is exactly what London is, it is nothing short of mind-blowing and the zest for living, together with the communicable forbearance to unrestrained indulgence of the soul, honesty and straightforwardness of this extraordinary city and its people, would inevitably beckon you to be part of its continual celebration, and it will, I am sure of it, have you soon drinking from the merrymaking glass of passion for life and from the beery glass of ale. Come to London and experience a magic kingdom on Earth. It will be worth your while and your expenditure too.

P. Figueras

A risky enterprise is only justified if the outcome turns out all right!

"One only gets out of life what one puts into it". This was the subject of an e-mail I received the day before Christmas Eve. Indeed, it was a patently true statement that had a strong emotional effect on my Inbox since it was designed to mar the spirit of the festive season and destroy my data.  It all came to a head when I, naively,  decided to open the e-mail to read its content and an unbridled digital loop greeted me unexpectedly. The thought of a piece of code surreptitiously introduced into my computer system caused me anxiety and I beseeched the Almighty that my old antivirus software would deal with the malign bug. Soon after, the antivirus stung into action and the loop whittled away the intruder. Game over; I clapped my hands with joy to break the fretting of my uneasiness. 

P.Figueras

"It makes me even more determined to just get on with things"

P.Fgueras

Dear everyone 

Is it often necessary to caption the obvious to draw attention to the crossroads of success and failure?  Apparently so.  Why am I not surprised? Nevertheless, one must be mindful of the intellectual limitations imposed to simple--minded souls by the decent-minded people.  Curiously enough, I am greatly amused by the self-appointed virtuosity of many unenlighted individuals who avocate expertise and perspicacity.  Still, one needs to work hard at one's listening and comprehension skills as one experiences the highs and lows of emotion in one's life for a fundamental misunderstanding of a utterance can easily produce active hostility.  Certainly, an intractable person is hard to deal with but an instant and positive response must be the correct approach to take control of the situation.  it might sound a bit soft but is not the be all and end all as it is up to the difficult person to adhere to the rule of comportment.  Indeed, it is fine to have a dream but when one is trying to build a kingdom, one does not build one's castles in the air since buildings of that sort need to be fortified and well rooted into the earth in order to make them more stable. This is the reason for my believing that a good education is the most important start in life anyone can have. The need to be prepared to face the ups and downs of good and bad luck in life and succeed in today's world is of paramount importance and it is my personal belief that everyone regardless of race, skin colour or creed must be given the opportunity to develop their natural ability to gain skills in order to achieve their maximum potential so that they can make a positive contribution to society as a whole. The wild bare-backed illiteracy which once ran untameable for so long has now been conquered entirely in my homeland by the present administration but penned in it must be kept, at all time, or its controlling could prove to be a mare's nest. Indeed, a more open-minded attitude to receptiveness of learning and interest must be encouraged and applied throughout the world as a whole if the effort put into getting rid of illiteracy is not to be proved worthless. I have had the good fortune to travel to a number of countries and I have watched kids struggling in a world which is not the one that a civilised society would have devised in its mind for them since these children ought to be at school instead of working for a living.  It pains me enormously that I can do functionally very little to alleviate their plight. However, I have come to realise that if I don't not step out of my comfort zone and make the resolution to advocate the case of the have not, evil influences will move furtively and forcefully in their surroundings and as those evil influences encroach in their way of thinking and behaving they will spread dangerously into the core of society; that most definitely would generate a problem for law and order, and the moral values prescribed by society . Nonetheless, there is a fine line between having the courage to stick to what one believes in and acknowledging that the plans one thought would prosper were going nowhere and many was the time I experieced those feelings but I was not going to give up, instead they made me more determined to just get on with things. It must be said that it was not easy for I had to wrestle with doubts which were primarily the source of continuing uneasiness and unsettling feelings that accompany such an enterprise but on reflection my faith in mankind  and what I was endeavouring to do carried me through. There has been a positive progress but I am going to give you a challenge: "Make a great diving catch, throw to first base to get the double play and one more thing, help us to nourish, inspire and give the world's misery a well-needed touch of guidance through baseball and softball. It can only get better. Thank you for helping us to advocate and bear the weight of the world's predicament. I can assure you that your understanding will be most appreciated. I am looking forward to hearing from all you.

Best regards,

 P.Figueras

Head Coach,

Figueras Baseball Academy

From time to time in every sport an athlete appears who is universally regarded as the best in the world. In the 1912 Olympic Games held at Stockholm, Sweden's capital, Jim Thorpe, a part native American, was such a person. He is the only man ever to have won, both, the decathlon and the pentathlon. He set world records in both events making those triumphs most impressive. However, Thorpe's medals were taken away a year later since it was found that he had been paid for playing baseball at the beginning of his career. In those days, of course, being paid for playing sport was against the principles of track and field. Between 1913 and 1919, he then went to play Major League baseball for the New York Giants, Boston Braves and Cincinnati Reds. In 1920, he went to play professional American Football and joined the Canton Bulldogs, one of the big teams in the league at the time. His football career ended in 1928 but  he will always be remembered as the greatest versatile sportsman who has ever lived. In 1982, the International Olympic Committee presented one of Thorpe's daughters with replicas of the medals which her father had rightfully won seventy years previously.

P.Figueras

London Baseball At The Palace and Roundshaw in Croydon

"Venezuela, certainement vous me manquez! Mais, it makes me even more determined to just get on with things" 

Charisma is often carried by the soul in its innermost parts and in the ability to having good judgement resides the strength of metamorphosing oneself and one's environment while remembering that "Learning is for life and the prize is a good education". Indeed, it is of fundamental importance to be able to have the right attitude to be prosperous in life but attentiveness, preparation, persistence and determination are the tools one needs to generate success.

P.Figueras

Check out the following links for the latest in Major League Baseball:

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?video=200803092416287

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/player/mp_tpl_silverlight.jsp?w=mms%3A//a1503.v108692.c10869.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/10869/v0001

"El destino del Ejército es guarnecer la frontera. ¡Dios nos preserve de que vuelva sus armas contra los ciudadanos".

Simon Bolivar

Leftist moi, my left foot certainly is!

Left defines, in political science, the portion of the political spectrum associated with socialism. The term derives from the seating arrangement of the French revolutionary parliament in the 1790s, where the socialistic representatives sat to the presiding officer's left. Those who associate themselves with the left favour greater popular sovereignty and democratic control over political, social, and economic life, and regard social welfare as the most important goal of government. Modern liberalism may shade off into socialism, the standard ideology of the left in most countries of the world; communism is a more radical and sharply defined leftist ideology. While in sport, and certainly in baseball and boxing a southpaw or a leftist, it refers to a left handed pitcher or a boxer.

Nothing will be left to chance when our members success is on the line!

Figueras Baseball Academy is going through an extraordinary moment since it has unveiled an aggressive acquisition strategy that includes expansion and commercial enterprise in order to garner revenues. Indeed, the academy is challenging itself to weed out the weak by harnessing its reputation in pursuing the best of what is available. The academy has been a window on working class kids for many years now and it has never ducked its responsibility to its members for we are aware that there is a fine line between aspiration and disillusion, therefore, concerns about how far an individual can go have been raised, and in order to find an answer to those concerns we have done a lot of self-questioning and good so we have come to the conclusion that rambling on is an option albeit, it is not a solution since far more must be done to keep our members coming back for more.

P.Figueras

Visit the following link for the latest in Major League Baseball:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/homepage/narrowband.jsp

"Creo que mi gloria ha llegado a su colmo, viendo a mi patria libre, constituida y tranquila, al separarme yo de sus gloriosas riberas".

Simom Bolivar

The battle is on to broaden one's horizons.

Making one's voice heard in the world is far more easy than sticking to what one promises, as doing what one  says it is not always what one means to do. Still, forging one's own path in the world is not a bed of roses since challenges and perils are always at the water hole ready to erupt from the deep to snap up one in their huge jaws. Certainly, I have always been very keen about taking chances and venturing into the unfamiliar and the more chances I take the more interesting the world seems to be. Indeed, balancing obligations with creative pursuits and spending time with one loved ones is always a challenge and a rewarding one. Moreover, as one delve into the world within, one's feelings and one's intuition become more perceptive and the more one explores the more one discovers, and as one's mind grind inspiration from one's discoveries it opens up a new world of ideas which trigger developments as unexpected as they are dramatic but it is mighty important that one is fully prepared to take the next step which is the key to success. Certainly, at times, taking decisions are a matter of assessing the situation and gathering facts and sometimes certain situations involve a different approach. Nevertheless, often a blend of what one has experienced in life and what one's instincts tell one are the only points that need to be taken into consideration in order to reach a decision and what is wise before one's sins catch up with one.  

P.Figueras

Visit the following link for the latest in Major League Baseball:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/homepage/narrowband.jsp

El descontento nace de la carencia de oportunidades y afecta mas al que tiene ambicion.

Everyone has got an opinion! Indeed, what is yours worth? Nevertheless, there is no point arguing with those who insist they are right. Besides one needs to be open-minded about new ideas and all the rest since life is too short for just you know what. At its best, this year has been an annus horribilis for most people as the economic downturn has been a constant source of pain, and the upturn in the time to come cannot be predicted precisely . All in all, it has been a tough year with, what it seems, a perennial struggle to make ends meet.  Notwithstanding, I accept that the well will always be impatient of the sick just as the young will always be impatient of the old but, sometimes, shouting wake the echoes of the silence and it is good to vent one's opinion and despair loudly, once in while, to the world in the hope that someone somewhere would hear them even if they don't wish to listen to anything beyond their cosy womb of carelessness.    

P.Figueras

"La enseñanza de las buenas costumbres o hábitos sociales es tan esencial como la instrucción".

Simon Bolivar.

The other day, I was asked by a friend of mine to write an article about my country aimed at British tourists. I was clearly excited about the prospect of my writing such an article and the thought of mining a career in journalism came to mind. Yeah! I was thirsty for success but I knew that success was a journey not a destination. My confidence was up, I was immune to fear so I began to write out the introduction. My first consideration was to write about baseball in Venezuela and all that jazz but I realised that I needed to emcompass the tourist industry and relevant issues so that it could fulfill the purpose of my writing the article and the delineation of the items in it which would be purposely aimed at British holiday makers going to Venezuela and help them to make the most of their trip. It is a fact that a country which wants to develop its tourist trade must back up its efforts by advertising abroad. That would be my first contribution to the world of advertising and it is also my first recommendation to the tourist industry as a whole. Venezuela's contemporary state of affairs has been solidly influenced by oil revenues which has turned the country into one of the most industrialised and wealthy nations in Latin America. Venezuela is also known for their world famous baseball players, such as Alejandro Carrasquel, Alfonzo "Chico" Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio, Enzo Hernandez, David Conception, Tony Armas, Cesar Tovar, Victor Davalillo, Roberto Marcano, Camaleon Garcia, Oswaldo Guillen and Johan Santana. In fact, between 1939 and 2007, 199 baseball players born in Venezuela played baseball in the Majors. Indeed, baseball is the national game of Venezuela. Deep in the countryside, Venezuela has large areas of unspoilt beauty and I can assure you that the variety of landscapes will not fail to impress anyone. It vaunts snow-capped peaks and chains of mountains along the Andes and the Caribbean coast line rising up to over 2500 metres above sea level. The southern part of Venezuela is clutched tightly by the Amazon and its wilderness where one will find the highest waterfall in the world (Angel Falls). Rivers, plains and savannahs in the heart of the country are anglers' paradise on earth. The Orinoco river is perfect for holidays and pageantry in Venezuela tends to go down well with tourists. Caracas, the capital of the country, has everything a tourist could want. You name it, Caracas has it and it does not suffer from sky high prices. Caracas is never boring. There is always something going on and its main attractions are set out in most guide books. My wife, Sally, fell in love with the Venezuelan countryside at first sight. Venezuela extends a welcome to all tourists to discover its landscapes, mountains, rivers, cities and its people. It will be an enjoyable experience. It is worth a visit.

P.Figueras

 It will be an enjoyable experience. It is worth a visit.

If it is the physical ease, well-being, exultation or paradise that move you, like the opportunity to be a tourist, watch and play baseball, and become an international baseball emissary for your country at the same time, Venezuela is your destination. Certainly, for many years baseball has been a subject of great enthusiasm in my homeland and it is a long-established activity which has come to be regarded as a part of Venezuelan people's make-up and passion for life. In truth, the love for baseball has never been at a low ebb in the heart of the nation as a whole and I very much doubt that happening will ever come to be a consideration in the mind of the aficionado. Albeit, there have been times of political and economically disquietude the game has never become less important to the Venezuelan people since it not only represents an entertainment but a way of unwinding after a busy or tense time at the office. Having said that Venezuela has a resilient population which has enjoyed a democratic system in the true sense of its definition for nearly sixty years which is more that can be said about any other country in Latin America, and I am fully confident that it will remain so for many years to come. In recent years, with the accession of Hugo Chavez to the presidency of the nation, Venezuela has become a major player in the international emporium and it is fast becoming a destination area for tourists from around the globe. the names of many of past and present baseball players, such as Alejandro Carrasquel, Alfonzo "Chico" Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio, Enzo Hernandez, David Conception, Tony Armas, Cesar Tovar, Victor Davalillo, Roberto Marcano, Camaleon Garcia, Oswaldo Guillen and Johan Santana, are still being chanted by their adherents forever more without any signs of coming to an end.  In fact, between 1939 and 2007, 199 baseball players born in Venezuela played baseball in the Majors. Indeed, baseball is the national game of Venezuela. Nonetheless, each year thousands of holiday-makers are drawn to Venezuela and many go back there year after year with the same reason as the first one that took them there: eagerness to find out about unfamiliar regions, customs and local art. Indeed, Venezuela is steeped in enlightenment, customs and local art. Venezuela's fauna and flora are unique;  it is a near-perfect place for bird-watchers and the hospitality of its people is second to none. Deep in the countryside, Venezuela has large areas of unspoilt beauty and I can assure you that the variety of landscapes will not fail to impress anyone. It vaunts snow-capped peaks and chains of mountains along the Andes and the Caribbean coast line rising up to over 2500 metres above sea level. The southern part of Venezuela is clutched tightly by the Amazon and its wilderness where one will find the highest waterfall in the world (Angel Falls). Rivers, plains and savannahs in the heart of the country are anglers' paradise on earth. The Orinoco river is perfect for holidays and pageantry in Venezuela tends to go down well with tourists. Caracas, the capital of the country, has everything a tourist could want. You name it, Caracas has it and it does not suffer from sky high prices. Caracas is never boring. There is always something going on and its main attractions are set out in most guide books. My wife, Sally, fell in love with the Venezuelan countryside at first sight. Venezuela extends a welcome to all tourists to discover its landscapes, mountains, rivers, cities and its people. It will be an enjoyable experience. It is worth a visit.

P.Figueras

"Yo nada deseo en el mundo tanto como hacer a Venezuela todo el bien que dependa de mis facultades".

Simon Bolivar

In every competition there have to be winners and losers but at Figueras Baseball Academy we would not encourage to gloat at the abject failure of our rival and you can rely on us to steer confidently away from any such potentially occurrence. Malicious pleasure are not overlooked but we embrace a plan of continuous improvement where everybody benefit. We believe in celebrating achievement and promoting responsible behaviour wherever possible. Indeed, we believe that all players achievement should be recognised and certificates will be awarded to those who show willingness to learn and they will also be given to those in recognition of consistent endeavour and participation in the academy community.

P.F.

"La educación literal y civil de la juventud es uno de los primeros y más paternales cuidados del Gobierno".

Simon Bolivar.

Baseball is our language Baseball is our gender Baseball is our choice of sport Baseball is our colour Baseball is our persuasion Baseball is our flavour Baseball is our tolerance Baseball is our orientation Baseball is our affiliation Baseball is our culture and diversity.

Were you aware that the highest free falling waterfall in the world, at over 3000 feet above sea level, was in Venezuela? Angel Falls - named after James Crawford Angel, a North american gentleman who discovered the falls in 1937 -  is indeed a breath of fresh air at the start and the end of its fall where clouds and water meet to gaze at the blue sky in Heaven. A thrill of wonder and winds of joy are experienced at its pick. It is certainly the greatest view I have ever seen. It has been said that one can hear the angels voices from their divine sanctuary in Heaven at the top of the falls. It seems an experience of Heaven worth to experience on Earth. But you don't have to take my world for it. Come and find out for yourself.  

Pedro Figueras

Hola a todos! Que tal!

Muchas gracias por leer mi pagina electronica. Me contenta inmensamente que mi pagina les haya despertado un interes en el conocimiento del beisbol y de la lengua inglesa. Pues mira el aprendizaje de cualquier modo que venga, bien sea beisbol, ingles, matematicas, ciencias,  yo que se, es lo mejor que la vida nos puede ofrecer y al mismo tiempo dejar; mas, sin embargo hay que aprovechar esas fuentes de aprendizaje y tomar las oportunidades cuando estas se nos presenten. Desde luego beisbol fue mi pasion por mucho tiempo cuando jugaba a la pelota mas ahora es mas que un interes. Esto se los digo por que ademas de este interes fui a un colegio de educacion superior a aprender una vocacion para ganarme la vida. Ejemplos buenos son los que toda la juventud Venezolana y global necesita y yo espero que mi contribucion al beisbol se bien recibida por todo aquel que tenga interes en el aprendizaje del juego de pelota y desde luego espero que ustedes encuentren lo que busquen en sus andares por el mundo del deporte y  la educacion. 

 Hasta Pronto.

Pedro Figueras

Head Coach

Figueras Baseball Academy 2006 

FIGUERAS BASEBALL ACADEMY

Vive la experiencia en la que apprenderas mucho mas de lo que sabes.

Mes que un'academia

Dr.José Gregorio Hernández

La beatificacion del siervo de Dios Doctor Jose Gregorio Hernandez Cisneros es lo que mucha gente en Venezuela y el mundo pide al Vaticano y al Papa hacer cuanto antes pues hemos esperado tanto tiempo que a veces dudamos si esta peticion este en la agenda del Papa. Las voces de los manifestantes de esta peticion jamas seran silenciadas pues estas voces estan determinados en seguir este clamor hasta que logremos la beatificacion de un hombre que mucha gente considera un santo pues existen testimonios orales y escritos de sus milagros y curaciones. Los extraordinarios eventos de la vida del siervo de Dios envolvio pasion, tolerancia y trajedia al mismo tiempo mas su caridad con los pobres y los enfermos fue algo que no tiene ni tendra valor monetario ya que su benevolencia venia del cielo mismo. Nuestra fe  estara siempre latiente con el siervo de Dios. 

Unete a esta peticion enviandome un mensaje a traves del Feedback

P.Figueras 

Visit the following link for the latest in Major League Baseball:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/homepage/narrowband.jsp

" Tú me pides que diga que no quiero a nadie. ¡Oh, no!  A nadie amo; a nadie amaré.  El altar que tu habitas no será profanado por otro ídolo ni por otra imagen"

Simon Bolivar

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WTswCOMlWzU =  Oscar D' leon - Mi Tierra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgzP49j3jPs Melao de caña

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpwinDrlkI8&feature=related Rumba Rumbero

Baseball is our language Baseball is our gender Baseball is our choice of sport Baseball is our colour Baseball is our persuasion Baseball is our flavour Baseball is our tolerance Baseball is our orientation Baseball is our affiliation Baseball is our culture and diversity.

Coaching Tips

A good coach would never ask his players to do something that he cannot do himself;however, he would definitely help his players to fulfil their potential through constant drills. Albeit, I take baseball very seriously I believe in treating every player as an individual and I take time to find out who the player is and what training needs he/she has. Having said that I am committed to ensuring that all players in the academy are equal participants in the Academy's activities and, that they are given all the necessary means and knowledge both intellectually and physically in order to be successful. My aim is to develop today's young players into tomorrow's professional ones. Indeed, I have been brought up with a very strong pattern that I am not to get too big for my boots and therefore my ambitions are moderate, in spite of that I believe that it is okay to have a dream. Nevertheless, one must believe in oneself and work hard towards making that dream into reality and I can assure you it is achievable but it can only be made possible by one's enterprise and resolution. Certainly, absolute determination makes all the difference in the world when one is faced with challenges since the winning formula in today's competitive global baseball markets is not with those who are too conceited to think they have the know-how keenness of vision but with those who are prepared to master the fundamentals of the game, both, in a theoretical demeanour and a pragmatic deportment, and, of course be determined to go further than their natural boundaries, particularly, when the benefits are likely to result in valuable insights. It is a fact that an idea often belongs not necessarily to those who conceived it but to those who implement it. Indeed, it is my wish to build a team good enough to take the many challenges ahead and win, of course. Yeah! Reach for the stars. Be the best since nothing’s impossible if your heart is really in it.  

P.Figueras

Electing to shout and follow one's heart!

As one enters a position of trust and power one ought to consider the needs and expectations of those who helped one to be in that position. Indeed, the path that one chooses to commit oneself to will determine one's place in life, and therefore, there is little chance of one ever turning back the clock and start all over again. It is a good thing to follow one's heart when confronting potentially life-altering decisions since one will be required to tackle issues head-on as one will encounter many hindrances in one's way. Nevertheless, one must always keep in mind that a different interpretation of a pithy contention can scale to disruption and changes may make one very unpopular, but a plan may still be worthwhile pursuing even if it could land one in hot waters. Much as one would like everyone to be happy, conjuring up a good plan could prove to be the opportunity of a lifetime. Therefore, I see no reason to explore ideas that interest one since one owes it to oneself to try out those ideas in order to ascertain their worth, capability and endurance. Few things are more irritating than having worked hard at something only to have to change it at the last minute. Stick to what one thinks is the best thing to do is my philosophy for the effort one invests in an enterprise will more than justified one's endeavour even if the final product is not the expected one.

P.Figueras

The greatest weakness of society is its foundations, make no mistakes about it, since an unevenly balanced population will never remain utterly coalesced until it is allowed to have coequal rights and universal paticipation in the affairs of its environment,  not just only in the pastry making but in the placement of its fingers in numerous pies, instead of being forced to keeping its hands to itself.  Certainly from my point of view, it is all too plain to see that the international Community, as a whole, has failed to deliver what it said it would since its equal opportunity programme has not yet fulfilled its established principles and views in making those lacking the advantages of other members of society an accredited working force so that it can compete with the active working one. Indeed, iron does not mix with clay, especially when one is trying to build a lasting, strong wall of resistance against a not submissive to authority minority but we must understand that there is a right way of doing things, Nevertheless, commitment, dedication, time, resources, research and support are essential elements in achieving one's goals in life. Certainly not, an idea does not necessarily belongs to the person who conceive it but to the one who implements it and at a time when the world is blighted by a not cool to be clever attitude with a growing number of children failing to meet the academic requirement needed to be socially successful the need for stressing the moral values prescribed by society has never been so weighty. Nevertheless, it must be said that the game of baseball is doing all it can to help but it is not all about connecting to people's passion for the game alone we are concerned with, it is about bringing together everyone, young and old, under the same umbrella. Indeed. Figueras Baseball Academy was launched with that purpose in mind and also with the intention of giving a learning hand and advice to parents on how to get their offsprings enthusiastic about learning the game of baseball and preparing them for life outside the game. It is my view that parents ought to emphasise to their kids the importance of learning an interest in finding out about things, in order to stimulate their curiosity, and, of course, I would encourage parents to support their children's school by attending open days and building relationships with coaches, teachers and galvanise their kids to think about education in the long term. There is wisdom in taking an interest in what is going on in the world and I am delighted to offer a breath of fresh air to the world and its social issues by opening a window of learning to everyone. Absolutely, I care for the world and its social issues and I think that it would be selfish if I were to say that they had nothing to do with me just simply because they do not affect me; on the contrary, I think we should always help when there is a problem in the world and give The world's misery a well-needed touch of guidance. The aim of the academy is excellence for All and it will continue to build on achieving high moral principles and straightforwardness through its enterprise. That I can assure you of.

Pedro Figueras

Would you like to be one us? 

Would you like to know who we are and what we do?   

Not so sure . Our doors are open to everyone.

We will tell you what you need to know on our website.  If you have talent we want know about it and if you are new to the game of baseball we will help you to develop your skills through our training scheme.

Again, find out everything you need to know about us at  http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras or email us at: pedrofigueras@aol.com.  

Figueras Baseball Academy 2006 

Baseball is our language

Baseball is our gender

Baseball is our choice of sport

Baseball is our colour

Baseball is our persuasion

Baseball is our flavour

Baseball is our tolerance

Baseball is our orientation

Baseball is our affiliation

Baseball is our culture and diversity

Help us to help others.

FIGUERAS BASEBALL ACADEMY

Vive la experiencia en la que apprenderas mucho mas de lo que sabes.

Mes que un'academia

http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras

London Baseball At The Palace, Roundshaw in Croydon and Clapham Common

Ball players you are wanted!

Feliz Navidad! The celebration of Christmas in Venezuela has many range of differences in the hearts of its people since Christmas is a time for family and for generosity, marked by family reunions, gifts and candy for children, gifts for the poor and Midnight Mass. Although fewer and fewer Venezuelans attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, it is still an important part of Christmas for many people. Epiphany (el dia de los Reyes Magos) is the 6th of January and on 7th of January every child goes back to school.

P.Figueras

The absence of bridges in the community makes us far apart from one another and only by working together as a part of a bigger team would we be able to make visible differences to people's lives. A stumbling block is present, though, and the tendency to look at the differences that make us different as people and not to look at the things that makes us alike, must be put aside. Structures that help make complicated process happen smoothly and simply must be introduced. It is time to draw a line or we'll never learn, never change or never grow as one nation one team. Indeed, sometimes we have to reach for something that we are not sure we can get and I am fully aware that many restrictions can suppress spontaneity but at the same time we have to allow into our world things that we are not sure we want but which we might need. It has been said that we learn from our mistakes; however, I think we have not learnt enough from one another, particularly, when it comes to other people's idiosyncrasy. It would be a mistake to treat this piece of my mind as something of little importance since there is no reason for everything just to be black and white with all of us. Nevertheless, baseball is a very complicated game, many axioms are completed and others simply do not happen at all. It ought to read that the team that plays badly ought to lose and that the team that plays best ought to win but these sort of things just do not follow in baseball since luck, as well as ability, plays and important role in the outcome of a baseball match.

Pedro Figueras

Mother Earth is not very  happy at all with all those environmental changes taking place since they oppress its bohemian nature. Indeed, where one starts isn't always necessary where one ends up but the distinctive style of the country where my ancestors and myself came from, worked and lived does not exist any longer.  Certainly, not only is mankind partly responsible for the ill effects of Mother Earth but he has also brought into existence the means to make them real and tangible. Of course, there is nothing new in that but his ill-disposed wisdom is destined to end up in tears for many.  He must be stopped since the signs, that the natural world of land, sea, air, plants and animals is changing, are there for everyone to see but many, still, choose to disregard those strong possibilities of something dangerous happening. Ill-advised, perhaps they are, but I just cannot ignore those signs and I have no option other than to give voice to my concern for the environment and views of which I am keenly conscious. And to those who don't want to hear, I have nothing else to say other than to ask them to stop, stop, stop, harming the natural surroundings" .

 Pedro Figueras

How on Earth?

I find it tiresome that intelligent people can still remain blind to the fact that the Earth is a living organism. Yet, that is not the whole story, since the most terrifying part of it is the sad truth that mankind is killing it. Indeed, Earth is being needlessly suffocated inside its milieu and the realisation that mankind is pushing things too far is frightening. But one needs to hear to listening and as I stated in a previous article, we need to realise that the Earth, like the rest of us and the rest of the creatures which form the animal kingdom, is subject to the same physical pain and emotional suffering we are all susceptible to. Certainly, many is the time when we all seem to be oblivious to the Earth's plight and many are still unaware that the entire physical structure of our bodies has a parallel similarity with that of the Earth, since we are the habitat for a whole wide variety of organisms which thrive on our bodies for they provide the right conditions for these organisms to exist inside our bodies. Certainly, our hair, skin, blood and our innermost parts make available the resources for these organisms to live in but if our bodies cannot provide those conditions for their living they will certainly die, as is the case when one passes away.  The jury is seemingly out still on environmental issues and as the world holds its breath, the thorny subject of pollution carries on without being debated properly or resolved upon. Don't be fooled into thinking that the environment issues will resolve themselves without your intervention, as they will not. How on earth would you expect to secure a clean living environment for those to come after you have left if you do naught to cure the ailments of your planet? That sums it up exactly and nothing should be left to chance since it is a must to be concerned about global warming issues .

P.Figueras

My idea is called: Going to bat for fitness – Baseball and Softball!

By Pedro Figueras">Pedro Figueras | Published: Dec 8th, 2011

Going to bat for fitness – Baseball and Softball!

My idea is to raise awareness of unfitness levels in the United Kingdom & the world, and the need to be fit for life. Indeed, I believe in the need to advise young and old people about the reasons for being fit for life and tell them, as well, what choices they have in order to reach that goal in the helical fitness of well being. Certainly, I am fully aware of the need to emphasize to people that a goal is not a destination but a journey that goes beyond complaisance. Moreover, I have a desire to drive the British people and the rest of the world to the fitness land by making them to realise the importance of being fit for life.

Indeed, I have always advocated eagerly that people ought to have a better understanding of fitness. So what is fitness? I define fitness as a state of utter mental, physical and well being which enables one to meet the demands of one’s environment.

In good health. What does it define? Health is, in my opinion, synonymous with fitness as it defines a state of thorough mental, physical and social constitution. Certainly, regular mental exercises and physical activities are fundamental in improving one’s health in order to be fit for life. Nevertheless, Carbohydrate, minerals, vitamins, protein, water and fibre are as important as self-discipline, body composition, balance, co-ordination, endurance and strength.

Who are we?

Figueras Baseball Academy is a British baseball and softball organisation that is in the immediate present in the process of making itself widely known to the United Kingdom and the world. I purposely chose and launched the academy in South East London in 2010, to be the pioneering region for breaking new ground in baseball and softball, for its proximity to the Crystal Palace National Sport Centre. The academy is committed to expanding its teams with people who have the ability to help its members succeed fully in achieving their objectives, which will, of course, make the academy approach welcomed by all concerned. In simplest terms the academy is developing a comprehensive programme and training methodology which will ensure the standard of coaching to be consistent, in all, attitude, passion, drive, enthusiasm, training outcomes and above all self-belief. The academy is thirsty for success and committed to a course of action, which will allow its members to succeed beyond their expectations. Yeah! We are committed to ensuring that all players at the Academy are equal participants in the Academy’s activities and, that they are given all the necessary means and knowledge both intellectually and physically in order to be successful. That is a promise! Lead by example is the academy’s motto and rest assure that the academy will endeavour to fulfil its promises.

The academy is currently looking at a number of locations within Crystal and Upper Norwood at which to base its headquarters. Once a suitable location has been found we will then be putting more time into publicity around the locality. The academy is also on the lookout for players of all abilities, genders and ages.

The academy also welcomes anyone else who would like to volunteer his services.

Our aim is to form a number of youth and senior teams that can compete in the Baseball UK South East League.

We are also on the lookout for anyone who may be interested in sponsoring the academy. If you would like any information on this please visit the academy page: http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras/or contact us at: pedrofigueras@aol.com.

Figueras Baseball Academy

Objectives

Short Term

1. Form a well-run and organised youth and senior baseball clubs

2. Preparation of a club constitution

3. Find a suitable location at which to situate the academy

4. Form several teams to compete in the South East Region of England

5. Organise promotional events to find people who are interested in joining the club.

Long Term

1. The development of our playing facilities

2. Organise promotional events to increase the popularity of baseball in the area

3. Attempt to encourage other local areas to consider forming a baseball club

4. To enhance the quality of life in the community

5. Promote the game of baseball worldwide

6. Promote the game of baseball with development programs by targeting young players and coaches from grassroots to proficient efficiency

Sponsorship Opportunities

We are seeking sponsorship to allow us to meet our objectives and to ensure that the academy remains active and achieving the desired results.
Our main locations for logo/brand placement are as follows:

Team
Each team within the academy will be seeking sponsorship. Logos/brands can be displayed on the team’s playing jersey and training kit.
Removable Pitch Side Advertising Boards
These boards would be put in place during matches and any other events where the public is expected to attend.
Match programme
For each match we are to produce a match programme. This will contain information relevant to academy, and will also have space dedicated to logo/brand placement.

Custom sponsorship packages can be created which include any combination of the above, and also any other sponsorship packages, which both parties agree too.

Funding from sponsorship would be used for thing such as:

1. Ground fees and maintenance

2. Training equipment

3. Transport costs

4. Team equipment

5. League registration fees

6. Coaching fees

7. Administration expenses

Help us to help others

Anyone who might be interested in sponsoring the academy, or would like more information, please contact:
pedrofigueras@aol.com
Note: Our future is your hands. A commitment is now required since we are trying to determine how much potential sponsorship exists for us to base financial calculations upon, and we would like to ask you to register your interest if you or your organisation may be interested in helping us out.

It is plain simple we need your support to take centre stage!

It is plain simple we need your support to take centre stage!
If I were to be put in charge of the running of the affairs of the world for a day I would do what needs to be done to help people from different backgrounds in the world to get on better.

Follow the road in our direction and make http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras your favourite website. Be aware of what is new and what is happening in the world of baseball. Give support to our cause, we need your help to inspire kids to unlock their learning talent through the game of baseball. Join us to take our new strategy forward and help us to make our vision a reality. Choose ample delight, pick a winner, and choose us.

P.Figueras

Merry Christmas and a very happy New year to one and all!

"Me vería como un hombre indigno, si fuera capaz de asegurar lo que no estoy cierto de cumplir"

Simon Bolivar

"De la paz se debe esperar todos los bienes y de la guerra nada más que desastres".

Simon Bolivar

My wife wears the trousers at home!

A great deal has been voiced and printed about women’s emancipation, rights, equal opportunities and all that jazz. However, I have not yet heard a man admitting that his wife wears the trousers at home. indeed, it is crucial to keep the wolves at bay without failing to see people as individuals since I would be a sinner if I were to stereotype the women species. Certainly, I am fully aware that I could be the first man to admit such a feast  but for all that I have to say that I am still a happily married man and I would not dream of treating my wife as a doormat for she would never be voluntarily subject to such a treatment. Still, under no circumstances would I consider to force the acceptance of my will over hers or place unreasonable demand on another human being since it is just not cricket. Indeed, nature has gifted me with the main components that make me a tolerant, loving and caring person and certainly, I am most aware of the importance of women in society and their role as homemakers, child-bearers and bread-winners, in many instances, since these elements are part of the basic unit of society, which defines the concept of family. Indeed, I am indebted to my wife for being so tolerant and understanding when the going gets tough and things are not what they ought to be but above all I am very grateful to her for being my wife and the mother of my child.

P.Figueras

Figueras Baseball Academy 2006

Yak! Yak! Yak! Isn't it better to be different!  Wise words, indeed, but what began  life optimistically pleasant  became incrementally disappointed once opinions were divided. Read on.

For ages I have been tiptoeing around certain issues that began as inspired solutions to certain obstacles in my way  which I had no answer to but which have to be passed. However, circumstances prompted me to do something about them and with a little effort I have been gathering enthusiasm for my quest. Ever since I have had the chance to appraise skills and dexterity in baseball I have done so without having to confine my findings to certain limits as I am very partial to the truth. Being popular has never been a concern of mine as I have always believed that is better to help someone help himself than rescue him, only to leave the source of his problems untouched. Of course, I respect other people's opinion and I accept that they may feel differently and may criticise me for not stepping in the Status Quo of existing methods of coaching as they might think I should but I think that sticking with what one's believes ought to be one's priority. Indeed, there are issues in life that one will find inescapable and that's life but they are not anything to be concerned with since they are which accents exactly such situations and forces those that are unsolved to a head. Certainly, sometimes, success involves ensuring one's facts are in order and, rather, one must not allow anything to distract one and one will soon find that others would recognise the potential in what one is doing, and, as such, one would find that they would be eager to lend a hand as soon as they have realised that one's solutions to issues were more exciting than theirs. The odds indicate that their enthusiasm will only grow as soon as they have seen the benefit of doing things one's way. Hopefully, they one day would return the many favours one has extended to them. The road to the top is full of twists and turns but to the victors the spoils, and, indeed, when one is driven by a passion for perfection one needs to be magnanimous, speak with authority, have a good all round knowledge of the game and be sure of oneself at all time for no one wants to listen to a coach who is quaking in his boots. The aim is to help one's players to progress with aspirations that one day they will make it big and into the Majors, and with new ideas on the level they might do so and come up smelling of roses without never taking a back-seat. A no-nonsense attitude to complaisance and the eradication of the myth that it is the taking part that counts must be encouraged and, in my view, it is a good recipe for success since every moth needs wings to fly. Indeed, training the young ones to shine in the dark by giving them a helping hand in their quest for brilliancy is my pursuing; for me that is what coaching is all about.

Pedro Figueras

 Check out the following link for the latest in Major League Baseball:

http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?video=200803172435175

"En cuanto a la excelencia, usted sabe que no la merezco; me contentaré yo con ser justo".

Simon Bolivar

A stolen kiss at the left side of the ballpark!  Bursting with dynamism this story makes a good read this Christmas before it makes big. It is absolutely full of exhilarating and unadulterated stuff; an absolute cracker and heart-tugging one which will cast out the cold weather and calm the stormy seas of your Christmas wishlist. You'll be blissed out. It is also free as part of this page index. This is the link to the story:

http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras/index.asp?pageid=235053

"Creo que mi gloria ha llegado a su colmo, viendo a mi patria libre, constituida y tranquila, al separarme yo de sus gloriosas riberas".

Simom Bolivar

"He who does not demand much of himself because he is always stuck in second gear and  dare not face pain without fear will achieve very little in life and will never ride on the train of glory. Indeed, one must always strive to improve oneself since failure is the price to pay if one does not hone one's tools of intelligence. One ought to be persistent in the pursuit of one's dreams for commitment amounts to primacy while learning is the gain that will make you a supreme being" 

P.Figueras

Inspire others to make it big!

London Wolves 1995  London Tournament Champions.

It is often good to vent an opinion if one has one, especially if it might make a lasting difference to the beneficiary.
Indeed, it is my belief that people ought to be encouraged to focus on what they really want out of life so that they can acquire a sense of contentment and realization.
There is never an easy way to urge someone to take action and move ahead since one must identify their needs and intent before one can fashion an action plan to fulfill those needs and purposes.
However, one must take the role of a inspirer to allow those visions to proliferate in the mind of the beneficiary so that his/her ambitions are realised. In one sentence " focus on what they want to bring about and help them become winners."

P.Figueras

Give rise to your deep-seated desire to achieve success!

In the heart of the brave, wisdom, blood and fervour have always been parts of the subject of a good outward passion in the game of basebal, both, on and off the field of playing! Aiming high is the name of the game and keeping one's perceptions in touch with reality while drinking from the cup of tolerance and understanding is the way to fulfil that aim. Indeed, a quest is a desire to obtain something by means of effort and I would not stop encouraging kids learning the game of baseball and taking journeys into yesterday if that is what it takes to find what they are looking for in the present. Alfonso Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio, Enzo Hernandez y David Concepcion are great examples of that yesterday since their experiences in Major League Baseball are by far the best examples I could think of to be followed as inspirational steps to raise up on mountains and achieve greatness. Certainly, learning is for life and the price is a good education; having said that Rome was not built in a day, you know, but perseverance is the name of the game. Yeah! Bear it patiently and keep making the same effort time and time again despite difficulties and you will soon be successful in mastering your chosen subject.
 

P.Figueras

Head Coach

Hi! Hello! It is good to see you again! Where on earth have you been?
¡Hola! Me alegro de verte de nuevo! Donde te habias metido, tio?
Salut!
Hallo!
Good morning! Good day!
Buenos días!
Bonjour!
Guten morgen!
Good evening!
Buenas tardes!
Bonsoir!

Ciao! Hello! -  Hola! Ciao! - Hi!  -  Hola! Hello! - Salve! - Hola!

Come sta? - How are things? - Como estan las cosas?

Pronto! Qui parla? - Hello! Who is it? Alo! Quien Habla?

Buon giorno, Signore! - Good morning, sir!  -  Buenos dias!

Buon giorno! - Good day! - Buenos dias!

Buona sera! - Good afternoon! -  Buenas tardes!

Buona sera! - Good evening!   -  Buenas noches! 

Buona notte! - Good night!   -  Buenas noches!

Arrivederci! - Good-bye!  -   Adios!

A presto! - See you later!      -  Hasta luego!

Ciao! - Catch you later on! - Ciao

A presto! See you soon!   -  Hasta luego! - Hasta la vista!  

Ciao! - So long!  - Hasta luego!

A presto! - See you soon! - Hasta luego!

Ciao! - Catch you later! - Ciao/hasta pronto!

See you later on! - A piu tardi! - Hasta luego!

A presto! - See you later on! - Nos vemos mas tarde, eh!

Ciao! - See you around, dude! -  Nos vemos, macho!

Ciao, come va? - Hi! How are things going? - Hola! Que tal?

Arrivederci! - Goodbye. See you soon! - Adios - Hasta luego!

Grazie, ciò sarà molto utile! Thank you, that will be most useful! - Gracias, me ayudara mucho!. 

You are very welcome! - Prego! - De nada!

Ciao!

Bonjourno!

Buona Sera!

Bonjour!

Guten abend!

Good evening

Welcome!
Bienvenido!
Bienvenue!
Servus! Willkommen!
How are You? How are things?
Cómo estás? Que hay de ti?
Comment vas-tu?/ Comment allez-vous? 
Wie geht's dir?
I am very well, thank you!
Estoy bíen ¡Gracias!
Je vais bien, merci! Je vais tres bien, merci! 
Danke, mir geht's gut!
And you?
Y Tú?
Et toi?/ Et vous?
Und dir/ Ihnen?
Good/Not too bad/So-So.
Bíen/bueno!
Bien / Comment -Ci, Comment-ça
Gut
Thank you very much! 
Muchas gracias!
Merci bien! 
Danke / Vielen Dank!
You're very welcome!
A la orden! De nada!
De rien!/ Il n'y a pas de quoi! /Je vous en prie! Ce ne fait rien!
Gern gescheh'n!/ Keine Ursache!/ Kein Problem!
Hey! Mate!/Friend!
Eh! Amigo!
Hé ! L'ami!
Hey! Kumpel!
I missed you quite a lot since you have been gone!
Te extraño mucho desde que te fuistes!
Tu m'as tellement manqué!
Du hast/ Sie haben mir so gefehlt!
What's new?

Que pasa?
Qué hay de nuevo?
Quoi de neuf?
Was gibt's neues?
Nothing much!
Nada
Pas grand chose!
Nicht viel.
Good night!
Buenas noches!
Bonne nuit!
Gute Nacht!
See you later on!
Hasta luego!
A plus tard!
Bis später!
Good bye!
Adiós!
Au revoir!
Auf Wiedersehen!

Where you start isn't always necessary where you end up. In my quest for the most outstanding players of the planet, I wish you all were acting as scouts for my cause.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I hear you say. But absolute determination makes all the difference in the world when one is faced with challenges since the winning formula in today's competitive global baseball markets is not with those who are too conceited to think they have the know-how keenness of vision but with those who are prepared to master the fundamentals of the game, both, in a theoretical demeanour and a pragmatic deportment, and, of course be determined to go further than their natural boundaries, particularly, when the benefits are likely to result in valuable insights. It is a fact that an idea often belongs not necessarily to those who conceived it but to those who implement it. Nevertheless, every generation or so, there emerges a baseball player who is a little better than anybody else. It is difficult to predict who that player would be this season in the British National League, though, but I believe that that player must have the capacity to excite the imagination in a way that no other player can. He must have a brave heart and be thirsty for success. I think that player is within the capability of every member of a team, but the most important thing would be the enthusiasm for the game which ought to carry on within everyone, and that everybody is able to go beyond the basics of the game and study all the aspects of their own part in it, and practice hard to improve their performance so that he will be recognised where it counts - out there on the field of playing. The best advice I could give to such a player would be to accept nothing less than everything and try to improve their game at all levels. Yeah! winning is important in baseball, or at least playing to win is; nevertheless, success in baseball is not necessarily winning, at all cost, that counts, it is to do with the manner in which the game is played, win or lose; sometimes the most important thing is not only to be talented but to be able to transfer that natural ability into competitive games, too. Still, baseball's phenomenal growth can be attribute to many factors, however, one of the most important is the enjoyment that the game has generated for its participants and fans, particularly young ones. In fact, baseball for those who play, or have played is much more than a game; it is a way of life bred on comradeship, attitude, skill and being part of the team, both on and off the field. One certainly does not need to be born with the physical make-up of a Roman gladiator to play baseball neither does one need to be an academic to appreciate its conception and its peculiarities since there is a home in baseball for everyone, of every creed, from any walk of life as the game caters for all kinds of people, young and old, extrovert and introvert.

Pedro Figueras

Head Coach

"La educación literal y civil de la juventud es uno de los primeros y más paternales cuidados del Gobierno".

Simon Bolivar.

Plenty to mull over.

It is human to have imperfections but it is plain wrong to ignore social issues in the community since tensions on the social front would not resolve themselves without the need for changes. As good as things seem to be, certain obstacles remain that will need to be tackled head on sooner or later since the biggest cause of antisocial behaviour is the lack of quality time among parents and children which prevents, both parties, of developing important social skills. Tired, bored, confused and demotivated children wait for parents to arrive home from work where the priority is not family activities but tedious school assignments which allows not the time to nurture their social skills and personalities. Would it not be nice if children were to be allowed to mixing with people in the community through baseball and other sports in order to discover the value of other people so that they can develop a sense of who they are?

 A game that cheers but does not inebriate.

There is nothing more unbearable than an itch that one cannot reach but one cannot do this on one's own. I don't suppose you will find it that amusing either but it could be worse.  Indeed, from time to time, the daily grind gets me down a wee bit but today it is a blissful day for getting to toppling down goals like skittles and feeding the soul with something different. In my mind's eye, I thought out a picture of an English summer game while sketching a typical vignette of the countryside and a blue sky of a quintessential British summer day. Adventure beckons but first I must fed the cat, pick up my daughter from school, answer my e-mails and change my shoes. Indeed, the sun came out this morning over the valley and flowers burst into bloom as the leaves in the common rustled in the gentle wind. A blue sky stretching as far as the eye can see filled me with fresh perspectives which harked me back to the days when I was an aspiring storyteller. My spirit was up, time was so precious none to lose .  I needed to leave the house promptly and be back before my wife's arrival from work and go into the countryside out of harm's way in search of excitement. I dragged my darling daughter, Sara, along and drove beyond the limits of city life. We arrived at Surrey Cricket ground at midmorning where a large number of people were gathered to watch a cricket match. There were eleven chaps on the field all dressed in white plus two other fellows, both, wearing baker's outfit who were refereeing the game. It would be, perhaps, inadequate to mention the name of the game of cricket, again and again since it might exceed my readers tolerance but I fear not for my readers would probably imagine how this story is going to turn since they might have faced a familiar set of circumstances. Cricket! Yeah! Then, I knew I had found my subject for my writing this allegory. An old folksy gentleman came up to me and introduced himself as George MacLovejoy-Farquar, Chairman of the visiting side. At a glance and instantaneously, I peeked beyond his appearance and saw goodness and comprehension. Indeed, he was a charming to a fault sort of fellow and he seemed to have a diamond where most people have a heart, and a voracious appetite for the good things in life, cricket, whiskey and refinement.  I also learned in the bar, later on that afternoon from one of the players, that he was a phenomenally worthy man. He had an emptied glass in his right hand and bottle of whiskey in his left one which he was gripping like a dog with a bone and unwilling to let it go. I have to document this with some thoroughness since I had, many moons ago, developed a slight peculiarity which I call the scottish itchiness since it overcomes the upper lip just before taking a sip of whisky but I was not in the position to let him know that I was steeped in sin for I too loved the aroma of whiskey. The sticks or stumps were known as wickets while the thrower and the batter were called a bowler and a batsman respectively. It was my first encroachment into a game that was as alien to me as the martians' social conventions. It is a step aside from baseball where the loud appeal, a century, divine intervention, the rain, out for a duck, a captain's performance, a captain's inning, test, follow on, declaration, golden duck, good length delivery, howzat, LBW, maiden over, night-watchman, tailender, ton, wicket maiden, yorker. and a misjudged catch are exotic peculiarities of the game of cricket.  Certainly, there are some experiences one only ever needs once since there is no point in repeating them again for they are not going to get more enjoyable. Having said that, this particular experience did not have a healthy sporting reminiscence since I thought invincible barbs were playing up that day which created a bad feeling among the players and prompted complaints from the captain of the visiting side who asked the umpire to tell the home side to turn down the volume of their cries. I thought the persiflage was a bit too much since it was designed to put the visiting team off. George MacLovejoy-Farquar had heard that I played baseball and asked me to play for his side for they were a man short. He promised to keep an eye on little Sara's whereabouts and all that jazz. Nervously looking over my shoulders towards little Sara, I elected to accept George's invitation to play and threw caution to the wind since I wanted to learn the game of cricket for the fun of it, and I was prepared to get my hands dirty and go out on to the field of playing. "It is a man's game", I heard someone said, it must have been something I said perhaps which had invisible barbs that prompted that person to shout but I did not mean to hurt anyone and out of temptation and daring I went onto the field of playing. It looks all rather complicated the game of cricket to the uninitiated but like most things in life, it is easy when you know how. Nevertheless, I was itching to come out and play the game and when I did so I was not at all surprised that the skills needed to play the game of cricket came naturally to me since I was a pretty good baseball player in my heydays. Yeah! It was a different game but a ball game all the same. While at bat, I felt somehow promptly at home in a foreign soil and I was very keen to get lots of runs in. Delivery after delivery was met with artful hitting skills and suddenly it seemed as if everything was al right. I promptly reached my ton and I was rewarded with a round of applause. Everybody seemed happy for me so much so that I was stuck for words. I never felt do good before and it was evident that my baseball skills were paying dividends.  In a upward curve my score went up and it reach 150.  At that moment a yorker found me wanted, there were claims for a LBW and I was declared out at the crease by the auxiliary umpire. I have had a good inning but I just wished that I had realised at the time before a latter-day that the teasing and the gunfire I encountered before the match was nothing more than playful remarks which had originated in the West Indies long time ago and which had been incorporated into the British game with the object of spicing the game of cricket a bit. Lunch was served and Sara and I made a conscious decision to block off the toasted goat's cheese salad, the redolence of the Swiss fondue and the Cornish pasty as we made a deliberate choice to avoid making a choice. We made it so by taking the bad habit bypass and chose to go the hamburgers' way, french fries and drinks, orange juice for Sara while I went for the local ale. Thanks God the puff adder, my wife, was not there, it was a different world, the country had this wonderful vibe where one could stroll footloose, barefoot anywhere and the best way to benefit from the influence of the energetic sun in a warm day was, I thought, to relinquish absolutely every particular item of clothing one was wearing and run like the wind in an open space.  Space for thought but it was only a minor weakness of mine. Yeah! I had a genuine desire to make it away from my void of life delectation and the possibilities were endlessly in the countryside; it could really make a difference to my existence if I were to move to the country, and the good thing about the land away from city life was that no one would come close enough to hunt one in the first place because no one was interested about anyone's business. Yeah! A rural life sounded good and moving away from London appealed to me, and I know that I would not have regrets about doing so since I would rather make a decision than regret not having made one.  Doesn't time fly when one is enjoying oneself, and doesn't it drag when one isn't. It had been a long day and although I was prepared to march on and foot it, for I felt like a Seigneur with a hint of priggishness in his dominion which was a legitimate way of a feudal lord to feel in his territory,  it was time to leave Surrey Cricket Ground and get back to my wife, my old life and  the daily grind.

 P.Figueras

A stolen kiss at the left side of the ballpark!  Bursting with dynamism this story makes a good read this Christmas before it makes big. It is absolutely full of exhilarating and unadulterated stuff; an absolute cracker and heart-tugging one which will cast out the cold weather and calm the stormy seas of your Christmas wishlist. You'll be blissed out. It is also free as part of this page index. This is the link to the story:

http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras/index.asp?pageid=235053

A stolen kiss at the left side of the ballpark!  Bursting with dynamism this story makes a good read this Christmas before it makes big. It is absolutely full of exhilarating and unadulterated stuff; an absolute cracker and heart-tugging one which will cast out the cold weather and calm the stormy seas of your Christmas wishlist. You'll be blissed out. It is also free as part of this page index.

 

 

 

 

 

"The past cannot be changed but it must be made to yield to the time to come"

P.Figueras

Coaching to win more than just a game of baseball!

Drawing from my direct personal experiences as a player and coach, discipline and absolute determination makes all the difference in the world when it issues us challenges since, indeed, self-discipline and decisiveness are the keys to open up the treasure of success when trying to master an undertaking of whatever magnitude. Indeed, the essence of baseball as a sport is to compete, and, as such, a competition involves, for good or ill, a confrontation. Certainly, coaching is the key to great community sport and the reason, though not the only one, for coaching the young ones is to bridge the absence of bridges in the community which makes us far apart from one another and to that end, as I see it, only by working together as a part of a bigger team would we be able to make visible differences to people's lives. A stumbling block is present, though, and the tendency to look at the differences that make us different as people and not to look at the things that makes us alike must be put aside. Structures that help make complicated process happen smoothly and simply must be introduced. It is time to draw a line or we'll never learn, never change or never grow as one nation one team. Indeed, sometimes we have to reach for something that we are not sure we can get and I am fully aware that many restrictions can suppress spontaneity but at the same time we have to allow into our world something that we are not sure we want. It has been said that we learn from our mistakes but we have not learnt enough from one another, particularly, when it comes to other people's idiosyncrasy. It would be a mistake to treat this piece of my mind as something of little importance since there is no reason for everything just to be black and white with all of us. Nevertheless, baseball is a very complicated game, many axioms are completed and others simply do not happen at all. It ought to read that the team that plays badly ought to lose and that the team that plays best ought to win but these sort of things just do not follow in baseball since luck, as well as ability, plays and important role in the outcome of a baseball match as in every competition there have to be winners and losers; nevertheless, it is not absolutely fundamental the winning that counts but learning to accept losing as well, I utterly agree that sport ought not to be compulsory for every child in the land but it ought to be compulsory for every school in the country to offer competitive sport as part of its curriculum. The heart of the matter is that children are crying out to play organised sport against one another and there is not a better place for this to happen than at school. Organised sport thrives upon a variety of opinion in moderation and recognition of duty to others as well as of personal rights and self interest but there is one thing we would never do, at Figueras Baseball Academy, is to encourage our members to gloat at the abject failure of our rival and you can rely on us to steer confidently away from any such potentially occurrence. Malicious pleasure are not overlooked but we embrace a plan of continuous improvement where everybody benefit. We believe in celebrating achievement and promoting responsible behaviour wherever possible. Indeed, we believe that all players achievement should be recognised and certificates will be awarded to those who show willingness to learn and they will also be given to those in recognition of consistent endeavour and participation in the academy community.

P.Figueras

Head Coach

At Figueras Baseball Academy, we want to bring a different approach to the game of baseball and instil in every player a sense of pride and decisiveness. We are very proud of the commitment and dedication that the players have shown so far. We firmly believe in having a sound defence, aggressiveness, solid hitting and a strong pitching staff on the field of playing as a rostrum for success. However, the objective of the game is not whether one wins or lose but how one is taught the fundamentals of the game of baseball, how psychology is addressed, how effective practices are in a game situation and how much fun we have from putting those drills into avail.

Pedro Figueras

Head Coach

Click the link below for the latest in MLB:

"A wiseacre is a mile short of sagacity"

P.Figueras

 Baseball Training

Indoor baseball training focusing on throwing, fielding,batting and players' mental and physical constitution.

I believe that winter is a good time to examine one's frame of mind and polish one's individual skills (improve one's fielding, batting, bunting, base running skills or develop a new pitch) so that one can be absolutely ready to face the 2012 baseball season with confidence. Certainly, it is a fact that success can only be measured by hard work and ability to progress to the next level, whichever it may be, and indeed, my coaching philosophy encompasses that sentiment ("Self-discipline and preparation are the keys to success"), as it conveys an approach to progress and accomplishment in the field of sport.  Having said that, the most important thing about one's pursuing in amateur baseball must be, at all times, the seeking of enjoyment and fun for they are the main reasons one watches, plays and coaches this wonderful game.

All in baseball

Pedro Figueras

 

 Hitch your wagon to  a star and learn from a successful coach!

 

It is absolutely necessary to rise to one's expectations time & time again.

It must be said that the road that takes people to the top of their choosing careers is very often long and winding. Indeed, it is not that easy to hit a homer off a 95 miles per hour pitch in just one visit to the home plate, you know, but the desire for success demands that one has an impressive ability to put up with the sort of thing that others simply could not cope with and work hard, of course, for what one wishes to achieve. But one must be able to listen to hear and do the things that need to be heard and done, and, of course, one needs to make sense of what one hears too. I have been in baseball long enough to realise that in order to pursue an ambition one must abandon the flat land of conformity and ignore physical pain and mental suffering especially when there might be a life-changing chance to reach for a dream and make it in the Majors. Indubitably, on the way to the apogee, one would find the going tough and, certainly, one would exhaust oneself and, as it is often the case, one would have good enough reasons to be tired but one must enlist one's natural resilience and be committed to one's dreams in order to reach the acme. Nevertheless, one must be conscious of the fact that sometimes a powerful urge to pursue an ambition could lead to one to forget the risk of disappointment and all the rest; therefore, one must be wary of pitfalls along the way and, most definite, never take things for granted, the more so because the higher one climbs, the further one has to fall. Moreover, one must be prepared to rise constantly to one's expectations by learning from one's aberrations if one wishes to achieve one's full potential.

P.Figueras  

"A nadie se debe forzar a obrar contra su conciencia y las leyes".

Simon Bolivar

"Las libertades y la defensa a los derechos humanos deben ser inviolables. Sin embargo, estos se ven aun constantemente amenazados y a la boca del cañón en muchos lugares del mundo. Que hacer? Que hacer? Y que hacer cuando estos son reprimidos?"

P.Figueras

Wrap up yourself and your wallet well this Christmas!

When I write my true inspiration is from within, not from another dimension. My ideas come from a natural source of thoughts that are wrapped up in vibrancy and piquancy. Indeed, I spruce up my ideas by trimming off the moonshine and hogwash which enable me to rustle up my visualization of things before I pen them down. Christmas, I am finding it hard to think about anything else. Attention to detail is a must, the heat is on, need to face the elements in comfort, wrapped up in wool; Chritmas being the main event, bristling with energy and power, all in all a winter's tale. Build up words from small lettered squares, sheer genius, fun-free occasions, red wine, Brussels sprout, pheasant, mistletoe, mince pies and all that jazz to celebrate the season. I have got it all figured out to keep my pecker up and insouciantly.

P.Figueras 

"Amo la Libertad de la América más que mi gloria propia; y para conseguirla no he ahorrado sacrificios"

Simon Bolivar

"The past cannot be changed but it must be made to yield to the time to come"

P.Figueras

A near miss on Annerly road!

I got into my wife's two doors corsa vauxhall car the other day, switched on the ignition, looked over my shoulders at the road behind and set off to take my little Sara to school. I drove to the end of the road and waited patiently for a chance to turn into Annerly road at Crystal Palace. There was an unending line of traffic going in my direction and I needed to get out of my predicament soon otherwise Sara was going to get detention for being late but I could not envisage a worse ordeal than this one since it appeared that there was not anyone in a charitable mood to let me through for everyone seemed to be wearing a long face and a worried look in their eyes which summed up the refusal to respond to my pleading. Luckily for me and my daughter a nice looking lady appeared to have taken pity on my plight as she slowed down and signalled her intentions with her lights to allow me to come out of my standstill position and onto the main road. There was frustration in the mind of the driver of a car that was in front of me as he, all of the sudden, without warning, decided to jumped the traffic lights and almost caused an accident as he had to slam his brakes on when the car in front stopped suddenly. His action was irresponsible since the car in front missed a little boy on his bicycle by a hair's breadth as it skidded off the road. Indeed, his lack of consideration for other road users and his desire to scorn the traffic laws were the capital reason for that happening. It was an hour late when I managed to drop Sara at school. What a journey!

P. Figueras

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z2ueC4_Apc&feature=related = Salsa! Salsa!

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

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jki4ps7Xi50&feature=related = Zingara - Spanish version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FREmStyvPnQ&feature=related = Zingara = Italian Version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvjRbnAVObo = Los 40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnPaZYCUHwI&feature=fvw = je t'apprendrais l'amour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhNu431Xss8&feature=related = Fomidable

Click the link below for the latest in MLB:

What is life without a shelter?  Does anybody Know?

What would it be like to live without a shelter? The thought is enough to dissolve anybody into tears. Tempt God to curse that happening to one, especially, when the heavens shed its tears and lightening fills one's space with fear as one seeks protection in a packing crate on the streets of a major city.  Not a deadly sin by any means but sleeping rough on the pavement of misfortune and begging to buy food to avoid fainting for lack of nourishment is by one's own importune suit of imagination a disturbing and fulsome thought of a quite course in anybody's mind. Hell's bells and buckets of blood often helping the old bill with their inquires for being homeless could mean having no rights, no money, no security and no future since laws are often designed to belittle people for being unconventional simply because of their race, sex, inclinations and way of life. One could not imagine one's life without having a proper home to live in or hardly any money to buy things and bear the ill-luck of life and the consequences of it without a fight. Precious villain let him not pass as one stands like a greyhound in the slips waiting to run at the sight of the mechanical hare as a police car parks near by broadcasting loudly the fact that what one gets out of life depends very much on what one puts into it while inforcing the law of the land as they see it fit.  From the outside it is easy to say anything with a pretence of good to conceal reproach but those words shake no one as they are a mean to invest themselves in hypocrisy and sinful wrongdoing.  What does society know?  What do they know? What the hell do  they care? For they walk the streets enjoying fur and feathers of a good life while doing their best in order to eclipse the gaiety of those who seek the harmless pleasure of life.  Indeed. it is not an even steven sort of life world-wide since the have not are never invited to have a good crack of the whip which the have more seem to have as a legitimate right. However, begging on the streets, living an unconventional life, hoping people feeling sorry for one's plight, would give one enough to get one by and through the day while praying heaven would bring one on the way a little luck, are not often things that heaven would condone. That doesn't sound so good now as there are people who are still sleeping rough on the streets, perchance, in an empty building or on a park bench as beggars cannot be choosers. Nevertheless, it is not healthy state to be a homeless as there is always danger about for there is no door to close to keep one safe from intruders and temptation to experiment with drugs and the path of prostitution which are always unconsciously hanging about painting and attracting indecent demeanour and lecherous beasts respectively. Indeed, what lies ahead of a homeless person is very predictable.

P. Figueras

“Hypocrisy is at the heart of our national character - without the oil of hypocrisy, the machinery of convention would simply explode.”

Boris Johnson

The Mayor of London

In the name of fun, pleasure and entertainment!

A cheerless sky and banks of theatening clouds intimating a hostile environment set in for the day. Indeed, in winter, darkness sets in so early in this kingdom with ice and snow at a time. Cold at the top and bottom, jackets zipped up tight, wind whipping away at your old baseball titfer, lightning flashes, thunder booms and the rain pours down: it’s not the idyllic baseball weather one would wish for, but sometimes one has to defy the elements to enjoy a ballgame in this Kingdom. It happens all of the time, mountains and valleys, rocks tumbling and crashing down producing a landslide while canyons develop, deep, dark  caves arise and shrinking mountains on top of the world come to light. Endless grass, forests grow where there is plenty of rain while deserts and seas of sand come forth where there ain´t.

P.Figueras

Inspired for great challenges a baseball coach chats about the importance of coaching baseball and softball in the capital!

It is fair to say that most Londoners are into football, tennis, rugby and cricket. Having said that, many londoners are also very much aware of the existence of baseball and softball in the capital. For all that I believe that baseball and softball have a future not only in the capital but in the rest of country since they are family games which bring together people from all walk of life and allows them to socialise in a pleasant environment.  Consider the evidence.  Besides, isn't it better to be different!  For ages I have been tiptoeing around certain issues that began as inspired solutions to certain obstacles in my way but the lack of support that I have had from those in the position to help my establishing baseball in London and the rest of the United Kingdom has been naught which I have had no answer to but which have to be passed. However, circumstances prompted me to do something about them and with a little effort I have been gathering enthusiasm for my quest. Ever since I have had the chance to appraise skills and adequacy in baseball I have done so without having had to confine my findings to certain limits as I am very partial to the truth. Certainly, being popular has never been a concern of mine as I have always believed that is better to help someone help himself than rescue him, only to leave the source of his problems untouched. Of course, I respect other people's opinion and I accept that they may feel differently and may criticise me for not stepping in the Status Quo of existing methods of coaching as they might think I should but I think that sticking with what one's believes ought to be one's priority. Indeed, there are issues in life that one will find inescapable and that's life but they are not anything to be concerned with since they are which accents exactly such situations and forces those that are unsolved to a head. Certainly, success in coaching baseball involves ensuring one's facts are in order and, rather, one must not allow anything to distract one as one will soon find that others would recognise the potential in what one is doing, and, as such, one would find that they would be eager to lend a hand as soon as they have realised that one's solutions to issues were more exciting than theirs. The odds indicate that their enthusiasm will only grow as soon as they have seen the benefit of doing things one's way and the production line begins to bring into existence the sought article. Hopefully, they one day would return the many favours one has extended to them. The road to the top is full of twists and turns but to the victors the spoils, and, indeed, when one is driven by a passion for perfection one needs to be magnanimous, speak with authority, have a good all round knowledge of the game and be sure of oneself at all time for no one wants to listen to a coach who is quaking in his boots. The aim is to help one's players to progress with aspirations that one day they will make it big and into the Majors, and with new ideas on the level they might do so and come up smelling of roses without never taking a back-seat. A no-nonsense attitude to complaisance and the eradication of the myth that it is the taking part that counts must be encouraged and, in my view, it is a good recipe for success since every moth needs wings to fly. Indeed, training the young ones to shine in the dark by giving them a helping hand in their quest for brilliancy is my pursuing; for me that is what coaching is all about.  Moreover, drawing from my direct personal experiences as a player and coach, discipline and absolute determination makes all the difference in the world when it issues us challenges and, indeed, the most important lesson life has ever taught me was to impose strict rules on myself and be tolerant to the deficiency of others. Indeed, of all the good deeds I have done in my entire life, coaching children to play baseball has been by far the most rewarding of them all since I think teaching kids new skills is what makes coaching baseball a unique profession. Albeit, I believe that dreams in baseball are made on the field of playing I utterly disagree with the view that they are made while one is dozing one's lives away. Nay, nay, dreams are not made while you are asleep, on the contrary, one needs to be very much awake for it is fundamental that one raises one's game in order to keep one's dream alive. Certainly, the difference between mediocre and superb lies on attitude, approach and dedication to a cause where enterprise and ardour are the most important items for making it big. Therefore, it is essential that young players concentrate fully in which the coach ask them to do and how a particular drill must be follow so that he can determine what steps to take in order to correct deficiencies in players' abilities to rise to challenges and all the rest. Bear this in mind, impatience is not a good trait in baseball and one must learn to listening in order to be heard and seen. Energy is my favourite word but I deplore snobbery and racial prejudice. Sweat is now pouring down my face, I take a deep breath, need a glass of water, the glass is half-full, drink from it and go back to my coaching today's drill which is entitled: The strike Zone.

P.Figueras

Everyone has got an opinion!  what is yours worth? Having said that, at times there is no point arguing with those who insist they are right as it might be a waste of one's time. Nevertheless, one needs to be open-minded about new ideas and all the rest since life is too short for just you know what. At its best, this year has been an annus horribilis for many at the rump end of a dysfunctional economy.  Many lost their jobs, my gums are giving me trouble and the wife does not know when to stop being a constant source of pain. All in all, it has been a tough year with, what it seems, a perennial struggle to make ends meet.  Notwithstanding, I accept that the better off will always be impatient of the poor just as the young will always be impatient of the old but, sometimes, shouting wake the echoes of the silence and it is good to vent one's opinion and despair loudly, once in while, to the world in the hope that someone somewhere would hear us even if they don't  listen to what we say from their cosy womb of contentment. 

P.Figueras

The Batting Team

We are blessed with good batting all the way down the batting order, we like nothing more than get a good pitch to hit and put it into orbit. Yeah! Perhaps, there is nothing wrong with being selective at home plate but baseball is, in my view, a game where the hitters are meant to swing the bat in order to hit the ball. I am all for hitters swinging at the ball when it is in a strike zone(The STRIKE ZONE is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap; the Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter's stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball)regardless of the count and I would encourage players at every opportunity to swing at a good pitch and try to make connection with the ball but if they are unable to do so they should, at least, make the pitcher aware of their intentions by looking at the direction in which the ball travelled to home plate after the swing has been executed. I think it is fair to say that if a batsman is not conscious of these things, he is at the pitcher's mercy. Nevertheless, a good batsman should have a fairly good idea which pitch he is most likely to hit and which pitch he has trouble with.

P.Figueras

Keys to Youth Swing Development

Drawing from my direct personal experiences as a player and coach, discipline and absolute determination makes all the difference in the world when it issues us challenges.  Indeed, there is a need to coach young players the do's and don'ts in regard to hands dropping and other batting issues that might be interfering with their swing at the point of contact. Indubitably, the tee ball drill will enable a coach to help young players to correct deficiencies in their swing while teaching them batting fundamentals that must be acquired in order to be a good hitter of the ball. It is of paramount importance that the correct grip of the bat and the correct stance are shown to the learner. Albeit the stance is elementary it is a very important issue in swing development. Feet just a litter bit wider than the shoulders, the knees bent, the hands must be at shoulder height and close to the body. The bat should be in a vertical position, the back elbow down, the head level so that the tracking eye has a clear line of sight to the ball and the bat must be kept still before the swing is executed. Naturally, a tee ball is not pitched to the batter and plainly it must be hit from a stationary position, placed in front of a home base. A Constant batting objective is the shifting of weight towards the back leg before taking a short stride with the front leg while the foot, the front hip and shoulder remain closed. The hands move backwards and the leading arm stretches across the chest (Watch for bat wrapping and for hands dropping), turn the back foot at a 90 degree angle. Watch for front shoulder, and the hip opening, this should produce a strong hip rotation. The belly button must be pointing to where the ball came from after the ball had been hit and the bat should be driven by the legs and hips, not hands, ensuring that the player makes a solid contact with the ball towards the fielders. From the coaching point of view repeatedly hitting the ball off the tee will improve a player's swing and at the same time he will discover that there is a sweet spot on the bat at the end of the barrel when he makes a clean contact with the ball.

Pedro Figueras
Head Cach
Figueras Baseball Academy

One will never reach the top until one is fully qualified to handle the responsibilities of one's aspirations.

What does it take to hit a 106 miles per hour pitch off Aroldis Chapman throw?

One must have an excellent eye for the ball and one must believe in one's own ability to make contact with it.  It is a fact that I always refer to the past when I give advice to my players since experience cannot be bought in the supermarket, and as it was the case, when I was a baseball player in my native country, Venezuela, I faced many good throwers and I often came on top for I had a keen eye for the ball and I always made sure that I made good contact with it.  Manuel Sarmiento of Caguas, Magallanes and Cincinnati, comes to mind since he always came second when I batted against him. However, discipline and persistence always win the day and they must always be at the forefront of everything one does since games are won or lost by either observing or neglecting those two items of behaviour on the field of playing. Indeed, I have been brought up with a very strong pattern that I am not to get too big for my boots and therefore my ambitions are moderate, in spite of that I believe that it is okay to have a dream. Nevertheless, one must believe in oneself and work hard towards making that dream into reality and I can assure anyone it is achievable but it can only be made possible by one's enterprise and resolution. Although, the signs seem right only one would know if it feels right for it is one who must take the time to make sure that things are right since one of the major causes of failure is the inability to follow good advice. Patience, simplicity and ardent interest in one's goals often do best before discomposure, for all that, one needs to be ruthless with distractions since lack of concentration is a primary factor for not taking the time to set one's goals in the right direction. Indeed, one would never be able to express one's ability to perform at the big stage, namely, Major League Baseball, until one's priorities become the order of the day. I say all this because experience has shown me that when an opportunity knocks at one's door one must be ready to take center stage in order to pursuit one's desire and perform before a global audience. Certainly, one must remember that in the game of success the winner takes it all and even though entertainment is part of the game of baseball a good performance must be delivered time, time, time and time again for the field of playing is one's stage to enact one's skills and enhance one's reputation in the game of baseball.     

P. Figueras

Head coach

Figueras Baseball Academy

A point about Venezuela and a reason as good as any to visit this land of contrasts! You can sing and dance while soaring at a great height in the sky!  And take the long view below you and fill yourself with wonder! Fascinating and illuminating stuff, isn't it?

Snow capped peaks, endless white sandy beaches, sky high waterfalls, rich alluvial soils and plenty of sunshine are all found in Venezuela. Come and celebrate our passion for life and take advantage of our benign weather. You will not be disappointed. 

P.Figueras

"Simon, Simon, gracias te doy por la patria y la nacion , por tu filosofia y  por toda la valentia que pusistes al servicio de la emancipacion. Hombres como tu son pocos mas lamentablemente no nacen todos los dias"

P.Figueras

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_55zDh04ww

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2532311321/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEJ0ybcnfN4 muerto vivo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9lOlS3eGOs&a=GxdCwVVULXdRGG6y-fTDsDBSxupxiSvJ&list=ML&playnext=1

"Parents, potential pitfalls and barriers will be encounter by your little ones while learning the ropes of life so don't be driven by the desire to be a good parent, be driven by the desire to instil in them discipline, pride and sense of achievement"

P.Figueras

Making a real difference to young ones' lives ought to be everyone's concern!

Stay the course and deliver something special, be a coach, go for it, use what you know, be important and pass on your knowledge of a sport to your children. Tell them stories of your playing days, you will be surprise to know how much they’ll enjoy to hearing those old tales. The signs are right but only you will know if it feels right.

P.Figueras

Cristian Jenner or CJ, as he was better known, was a very useful third basement in his baseball hayday playing days for the Crowley Comets and Tonbridge B.C. before he became an actor. See him in action at the link below: 

http://www.visit4info.com/advert/Carling-Lager-The-Race-Carling/20897

Moral y Luces son nuestras primeras necesidades.

Simon Bolivar.

Pedro Figueras writes on 2011-11-25 13:05 for  Experts 
Keys to Youth Baseball and Softball Development

What does it take to become an exceptional good player?

Drawing from my direct personal experiences as a player and coach, discipline and natural ability are vitally important components of the make-up of an aspiring young player to become an exceptional good one. In addition, common sense and determination to acquire, apply and master the fundamentals of the game; namely, throwing, running, fielding, hitting and thinking are also crucial skills in the road to become an exceptionally good player. He/she must be able to master at least two of these skills and carry out the other three extremely well, time and time again. Much of the time, many players failed to progress to a better things in baseball, simply because they have not given those skills the attention they demand or they have not been encouraged to do so. I do not put this down to lack of natural ability, it is more to do with the inability to follow a set of procedures and lack of self motivation. Discipline and absolute determination makes all the difference in the world when it issues us challenges but only by delivering the goods time and time again can we meet those challenges and keep our thirst for success on an even keel. It is not enough to train for the sake of training, a player must, if his aspirations are beyond playing baseball in the park, take learning seriously since it is the only sure route to fulfil those aspirations. Indeed, proper coaching is also mighty important since a talented player needs to be guided and shown the best way to use the harness so that he is able to take advantage of his natural ability. Finally, but not lastly, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of practising the basics of the game in training, time and time again, since only through this mastering will you be able to improve your technique on using those skills for you will be expected to make use of them at every opportunity during a match. Yeah! You need to able to transfer those skills, gained in training, into a real time game and apply your thinking faculties in a game situation, time and time again. From the coaching point of view it is of paramount importance that young players focus on throwing, fielding, batting and their mental and physical constitution. Yeah! Most definitely, good coaching will bring out the natural ability of your child since it will instruct him/her on how to do things in a proper manner.

Pedro Figueras
Head Coach
Figueras Baseball Academy
http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras

Why don't we just celebrate our differences and build a new world on the strength of those differences?

P.Figueras

http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp

Was Baseball invented in the United Kingdom or the United States of America?

The link below will take you to the answer:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/baseball/2800199/Major-League-Baseball-told-their-sport-was-invented-in-Surrey-not-America.html

Become a coach, take your level one certificate in coaching Baseball and Softball!

Have you ever thought of becoming a baseball or softball coach? How does the idea of coaching the sport you love to youngsters grab you?  If the idea of coaching the game appeals to you why don't you get started with your Level one Certificate in Coaching Baseball and Softball, and if you are already coaching the game why don't you find about other training opportunities available to you.  Indeed, baseball and softball need more trained coaches in order to safeguard the future of baseball in the United Kingdom. Certainly, it must be said that work and other commitments are issues that must be taking into consideration when hurling home the first pitch; however, most of our grassroots baseball and softball coaches have full time employment outside these two recreational activities and they willingly devote their spare time to the running and developing of the game as they realise that their effort will make a difference in the lives of many youngsters who are in need of a helping hand. Get into coaching baseball or softball so that you can inspire people to be more resourceful and get rid of their confused and negative thoughts which are taking hold of their existence and vulnerability.

BSUK Coaching Courses

You can either send me a feedback expressing your interest in Coaching baseball or visit BSUK on the internet for more information about the courses they run! Have a nice day and btter one tomorrow.

P.Figueras

BSUK Volunteer Baseball Coach

It is a truism that not all dreams come true but good things might come to those who are courageous enough to try to go beyond the boundaries of conventionality. Indeed, forging one's own path in the world of sport is not a bed of roses since the competition is pretty formidable but being successful is the ambition of every sportsperson, and, as with all, an ambition is, perchance, a good enough reason to dream big and there should not be any holding back since if it is to be it will be down to one's effort and resolution; however, dreams are not made while one is asleep, since they need to be nourished with the right vibe for a longer lease of life and take them to a final frontier which might see one's dreams to be realised. Having said that one ought to be aware that not all dreams come true and past experiences have shown that tons of aspirations can crumble to the ground in the twinkling of an eye, just like sand castles subside to the ebb and flow of the tide. Certainly, in the world of sport, a cherished hope that begins life optimistically pleasant can easily become a disappointed one. Notwithstanding, it must be said that the passionate choices that one makes in life are often fraught with far-reaching consequences and, of course, those choices, together with the changes they bring to one's life, need to be analysed to measure the impact they might cause to one's sense of one's relative position and purpose in one's existence. Nonetheless, this is the moment of truth and as it is expected there is a combined element of anticipation and intrepidity on my part as I begin to strive to make every interaction with the participants a memorable one. Indeed, it is up to us all to encourage and help those who are prepared to work hard in order to achieve things in the world of sport. The bar needs to be raised so that all falls into place as we endeavour to turn dreams into reality. Coaching can make the difference between success and failure so we as coaches need to commit ourselves to helping those in need of our service and meet their needs so that they can compete and achieve their goals..

P.Figueras

Who wants to be a coach! 

There should be no doubt in anybody's mind that coaching sports to youngsters is a good thing since it gives the participants the opportunity to develop social skills that can be transferred to their adult life in the time to come. Indeed, it is a challenge to coach people new skills but if you are already a qualified coach in any discipline your chances of success are sky high. It is not a case of learning a whole new set of coaching skills it is more of a case of applying your existing ones to meet the needs of the participants. Having said that you don't have to hold a coaching certificate to encourage people to take up a sport and teach them the fundamentals of a game you have played before. My father was my first baseball coach and the old chap did not have a piece of paper that credited him with such a qualification; but he had played the game at national level. Nevertheless, in any given coaching context, it is paramount that all participants are treated as individuals and with respect so that they feel welcome and their confidence is hauled up. Make sure that all your coaching sessions meet the needs of the participants and that they are accessible to anyone who wishes to take part.

P.Figueras

Crowley Comets BBC - CEB - Maine - Germany 94

A long term player development is paying off

Grassroots baseball and softball coaches are speedily sowing the seeds of community aspirations in the capital. It has been a long and winding course but grassroots baseball and softball have finally become a part of the London sporting picture.  Indeed, Baseball and softball are no longer alien games in London and the rest of the Kingdom as their followers have increased tremendously up and down the country. Nevertheless, it must be said that grassroots baseball and softball would not be where they are now without their army of volunteers who, selfless, give their spare time to the development of the sport. Coaches and volunteers, everyone involved in the game recognises your hard work and you are all, certainly, a shining example of community entrepreneurs. keep up the good work and endeavour to devise drills that turn positive instructions into fun. More of the same, please.

P.Figueras

A baseball coach performs a number of roles at all levels of the game but his/her main role is to ensure that players have the right approach to learning the game by helping them to developing their physical and mental abilities to be a success at it.  I think is fair to say that a coach, whichever the sport, will always have challenges knocking at his door so he must be fully aware of his responsibilities as a mentor and ready to deal with those challenges to the best of his ability.  Indeed, a coach must always keep in mind that players welfare is paramount to their proficiency and expectations as competitors.

P.Figueras

Help us to make our vision a reality!

Follow the road in our direction and make http://www.spanglefish.com/Figueras your favourite website. Be aware of what is new and what is happening in the world of baseball. Give support to our cause, We need your help to inspire kids to unlock their learning talent through the game of baseball. Join us to take our new strategy forward and help us to make our vision a reality. Choose ample delight, pick a winner, choose us.

Pedro Figueras

Click the link below for the latest in MLB:

http://mlb.mlb.com/index.js