Welcome to the Condom Shop of Vilanova i la Geltrú

A few days ago, Canal Blau visited my company, Puck Import,S.L., located in C/Ramon y Cajal, 5, here in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona). The reporting from our office starts at 8:15 and you will hear us talking about condoms, lubricants, vibrators of different kinds, massage oils etc. Canal Blau/Maricel TV is the local TV station of the comarca Garraf, so the show is in Catalan.

Our sales office is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays (11:00-13:30 and 17:30-20:00). During the rest of the week, we focus on our main activity, i.e. to market and distribute the RFSU condoms from Sweden throughout Spain and Andorra.

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Find here similar texts in Catalan or Spanish.

Pendesfera Days 2010 in Vilanova i la Geltrú

Penedesfera is the blogger community of Gran Penedès and now - with now over 700 registered contributors – the biggest and most active of its kind in the whole of Catalonia. June 11-12, we will organise the annual Pendesfera days, and after a first edition in Gelida (Alt Penedès), and a second one in el Vendrell (Baix Penedès) the time has finally to come to Vilanova i la Geltrú (Garraf), more precisely in the main building (VG 1-2-3) of the Escola Politècnica Superior d’Enginyeria de Vilanova i la Geltrú in Av/ Víctor Balaguer, 1.

Here below you will find a translation of the program. Everybody who wants, is welcome to take part - entry is for free, but you do have to sign up in advance. The panel-discussions will be held primarily in Catalan but also in Spanish. If you plan to take part physically, you are adviced to bring equipment so that you can join the comment flow on Twitter. However, thanks to live streaming, you will be able to follow the events and comment from anywhere in the world.

Friday, June 11

17:00 - Opening ceremony of the 3rd Penedesfera Days (Jornades de la Penedesfera) with local dignitaries.

18:00 - Panel discussion: “Does the Internet reinforce citizen activism?”

Participants: Roger Melcior (Rodalia.info), Daniel Julià and Anna Fuster (pimpampum), David Torras (IgualadaNeta), Dani Reguera and Jon E. Eguiluz (Colabora Euskadi), Berta Baquer and Renata Piazza (pares i mares del CEIP Turó de Can Mates)
Moderators and organizors: Redall (Gemma Urgell and Ricard Espelt)

19:30 - Concert by the LapTop Orchestra by the music school Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC).

Dissabte 12 Juny de 2010

10:00 - Panel discussion: “Digital content, technologic tools and education”

In which direction do didactic digital contents go?

Participants: Albert Garcia Pujadas (Nikodemo (CEO, Cálico Electrónico), Simon Lee (CEO, Digital Legends), Ramon Barlam, professor at lES Quercus and member of Espurna) and Narcís Vives (professor and CEO, Intinerarium).

Moderator and organizor: Trina Milan (Departament d’Educació de la Generalitat de Catalunya and STIC.cat)

11:30 - Coffee Break

12:00 - Panel discussion: “Tourism 2.0”

How to surprise tourists and make them faithful customers through web 2.0. tools

Participants: Albert Barra (initiator of the social network Turismo 2.0 and marketing oriented hotel operator (Hoteljuice), José Antonio Donaire (Director of Institut Superior d’Estudis Turístics de la UdG (INSETUR), Pilar García (Directora of Museu del Ferrocarril de Vilanova i la Geltrú),
Enric López (Director of Master Gestió Estratègica Empreses Turístiques (e-Tourism) EUHT CETT-UB) and Francesc Balagué (through video conference: La Volta al món porta a porta)

Moderator and organizer: Daniel García Peris (Patronat de Turisme de Subirats)

13:30 - A “Penedesfèric” Lunch and opportunity for members from other blogger communities to present their experience.

15:00 - “Newton’s Mandarine” - a popular science workshop by Irene Lapuente.

16:00 - Panel discussion: “Do media listen to the audience?"

How is media comsumption changing? Does the audience speak out? And do media listen to it?

Participants: Raül Llimós (Primer Toc at RAC1), Joan Carreras (3cat24.cat) and David Navarrete (Catalunya Digital)

Moderator and organizor: Sergi Sabaté, esportiu.cat

17:30 - Panel discussion: “The many of faces of innovation in Catalonia”

Innovations made by Catalans and with a direct impact on citizens' lives.

Participants: Jordi Urquijo (CEO, 1d3a): "TV on demand", Javier Galán (S21Sec): "Cyber crime, new trends, new challenges", Sandra Redón (Centre d’excel·lencia de la Generalitat de Catalunya, T-Systems): "Business Intelligence 2.0", Carles Cortada (CIO, Consorci Sanitari de Mollet), Joan Carles Castro (i2Cat): “Health care related innovation and Living Labs”), José Antonio Galaso (CitiLab Cornellà):Innovation space".

Moderator and organizor: Rafael Pardo, (eHealth expert): "What is innovation?"

19:30 Innosfera

A special Penedesfera edition of the monthly event set up by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, where the focus is on innovation and invited professionals share and debate their knowledge and experience.

Innosfera is co-ordinated by Roberto Carreras and Javier Velilla.

The Penedefera Days 2010 are organized by Penedesfera (a section of Institut d’Estudis Penedesencs) and Escola Politècnica Superior d’Enginyeria de Vilanova i la Geltrú (EPSEVG), with the support of Vilanova i la Geltrú, ADEG, DO Penedès and Fundació puntCat.

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Technorati tags: Penedès, Penedesfera, Vilanova,

Erotic Emotions Let Loose in Vilanova

Last Friday, La Sala – Vilanova’s Centre of Contemporary Art – opened the doors to two new exhibitions. The main one is called ‘Eros+Ismes: L’erotisme i la subjectivitat creativa’ (Eroticism and the creative subjectivity). It arrives in our town thanks to Art Catalunya, a co-operation between galleries which want to spread contemporary art also outside the centre of Barcelona. For 2009, they selected eroticism as a topic since it acts as an optimistic counterweight in a world marked by financial crisis, fraud and abuse.

Eros by Josep Minguell

This exhibition presents works created with different techniques, from 1964 until now - a few made by internationally famous people like Picasso, but most by less well-known artists. What I wonder, however, when reading in the program that “there has always been a connection between art and eroticism”, is why Miró and Dalí are not represented. To me, they are both obvious examples of that statement.

On the walls from left to right, paintings by José Portilla, Jordina Orbañano (Malgrat tot), and Josep Niebla (Teleporno). Sculpture by Antonio Beneyto (Eréctil).

The smaller exhibition this time is created by Alexpazumo and is called ‘Aurores emocionals’. The inspiration to it comes from the impact a scene from the science fiction movie "Soylen Green" had on the artist as a child. A TV screen showing the film occupies one corner of the hall, but the installation above all consists of of abstract formations in strong colours accompanied by sound effects.



‘Eros+Ismes’ can be seen until December 13, while November 15 is the last day for ‘Aurores emocionals’. La Sala is located at C/ Joaquin Mir 12 and entry is free of charge. The current exhibition is not the best one I have seen there but, as always, worth at least one visit. A few years ago I wondered if Vilanova really needs to have its own centre of contemporary art. To be honest, I guess not, but I will not protest since I realize that La Sala has become one of the many things I really like with this small town.

Venus Depilada by Eleazar

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Per cert: Aquest dilluns a la bustia de correus tradicional vaig rebre l’invitació a l’inauguració d'aquest exposició, la qual va tenir lloc el divendres passat. A mi, no m’importa gaire, ja que havia captat l’informació a través de mitjans de comunicació més modernes. Tanmateix i malauradament no és el primer cop que passa i per això em permiteixo preguntar: si no podem fer arribar les cartes sense retards, no seria millor deixar d’enviar-las? Si no per altres raons, al menys per estalviar paper i salvar un arbre o dos.

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Technorati tags: Costa Daurada, Penedès, Vilanova

Penedès News in English

Local news from Vilanova i la Geltrú, Garraf and the rest of the Gran Penedès.

Garraf

Local TV stations Canal Blau and Maricel have finally started to broadcast digitally (TDT).

The unemployment situation in Vilanova i la Geltrú continues to worsen. Megarubber, which laid of 51 people as late as in February, wants to terminate the contracts with another 130 workers. At Prysmian, the trade unions have accepted the offer for 25 senior workers to retire early, but not for 22 younger ones to be sacked.

A huge need for taking care of abandoned dogs and cats is a sad reality of modern Catalonia. This week the tripartit ruling Vilanova i la Geltrú decided to maintain its decision to close the local kennels (gossera) and not re-investigate, as requested by CiU. To outsiders this might seem to be a small issue, but angry posters and a list of 10.000 signatures (in a town of 65.000) are proofs of the heated emotions. For Vilanova to co-operate in the kennels of the other Penedès towns (located in Vilafranca) makes sense financially, but the voluntary workers who have played a vital role in the local one, feel left behind. Their involvement is not welcome in the professionally operated joint kennels, which, suspiciously enough, are just about to invest in a crematory.

The Vilanova Grand Marina has not yet officially opened, but this week up to 15 luxury yachts might anchor here. The names of their affluent owners will not be revealed but they come here for the Grand Prize of Formula 1 at the Circuit de Catalunya of Montmeló, where the marina offers to fly them by helicopter.

Among towns with more than 25.000 inhabitants, the budget deficit of Sitges ranks as the fifth biggest of the whole of Spain. This is partly due to a debated imbalance in the allocation of resources – Sitges receives funds based on the number of inhabitants and without considerations to the big number of tourists who also demands services carried out by the ajuntament. At the same time, Sitges has spent money on high profile cultural events, the most expensive of which was an exhibition in New York in honour of Martin Luther King. Local Mayor Jordi Baijet (PSC) confronts the situation with a plan for municipal action (PAM, Pla d’Actuació Municipal), presented this week, and a long-term plan for financial stability (Pla d’Estabilitat Econòmica) to come. Except for that he reminds the sitgetans that in 1840, when the town also had a big deficit in the local budget, the beach walk was built in an unpaid joint effort by all local inhabitants. Now, in 2009, I can not help wondering what the many expat citizens of Sitges would be prepared to do to build their town.

Sitges builds the brand of the town as actively as ever. Together with Cadaques, Puigcerdà and Vielha-Mijaran it recently started to promote itself as one of the Viles amb personalitat (towns with personality). At the same time, a poll carried out in the gay and lesbian by Community Marketing, reassured that the town maintains its position as the second most “gay-friendly” town of Catalonia, beaten only by the Gaixample area of Barcelona and followed by Lloret de Mar and Figueres.

Alt Penedès

This week, the new CiU mayor of Vilafranca del Penedès, Pere Regull, has appointed his deputies as well as the other members of his local government. Already after the municipal elections of 2007, when PSC and CiU won 8 town councillor seats each, was it clear that the socialists - who had ruled this town throughout the 30 years since the end of the Franco dictatorship - would not have an easy term of office. Still, even Catalan national media commented on the event when, on April 20, the two councillors of CUP and the one of ERC decided to support a CiU vote of no confidence against former PSC mayor Francisco Romero. In these times of crisis, Pere Regull has decided to bring down the number of full-time employed town councillors from five to two. Other locally big issues – like to reduce the vibrations of the AVE train when it passes by the town – will be harder to solve.

Baix Penedès

Calafell aspires to be Europe’s leading open-air museum with its reproduction of a 2.500 years old Iberian fortress (ciutadella ibèrica). The objective is to make archaeology available and attractive to the public without comprising scientific credibility.

Anoia

Igualada-Odena is the only airport which has applied to become the hub of corporate flying and aerotaxis, as of a plans made by the Generalitat of Catalonia. It seems that some of the other possible towns to host this infrastructure have pulled out because their runways do not meet the 2.000 meters of the specifications. Neither does the one of Igualada (1.200 meters), but there is a great unanimity among the population - a very important factor. In spite of its excellent motorway connection with the metropolitan area, Anoia is the Catalan comarca which has the highest unemployment rates.
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Penedès News in English is a personal compilation of facts from the digital news services Vilanova Digital and Penedès Digital, the pdf-version of l’Extra plus the print version of the Diari de Vilanova. All opinions expressed are my own.
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Technorati tags: Catalonia, Garraf, Penedès, Sitges, Vilanova

ENG: Trans-lúcids - the Best Art Exhibition Ever

More than once have I wondered why La Sala – Vilanova’s Centre of Modern Art – is always empty when I am there. Last Friday I got the explanation; all art interested people of this small town go there on the inaugurations. From now on I will try to do the same.

I have understood that the textile industry used to be important in Catalonia, but until now have I associated that with inland towns like Terrassa and Manresa. However, from 1870 to 1901, there used to be eight textile factories even here in Vilanova i la Geltrú and this is what La Sala currently pays a tribute to.


Three separate exhibition parts and 80 works made by 26 artist almost guarantees that everyone can find something of interest this time. Under the name “Made in Vilanova”, Pere Arenas takes us through the calender of the year and reminds us the time when clothes were sewn at home rather than bought. On La Sala’s upper floor, some students of interior decoration from the local art school have made an installation called “Ex-play”.

"Trans-lúcids", in the main hall, is what impressed me the most in terms of techniques as well as themes. It is made by artists from the Foment de les Arts Decoratives and in our local newspaper do I read that if in the sixties textiles developed from being handycraft into being an element of contemporary art, the dominating trend today is to combine textiles with other materials.

Trans-lúcids will hang until June 7, but I will come back a lot sooner to show it to my wife. And I am confident that she will agree that this is the best exhibition ever organized at La Sala. So, if you need an excuse to select Vilanova for your next Sunday lunch at the sea, here is a good one.

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CAT: Quina sensació de veure la sala gran tan plena d’obres i de tan alta qualitat. Per a mi, personalment, l’art més interessant que he vist a La Sala des de l'opertura en 2007, eren els motius del mar d’en Budesca, però Trans-lúcids és - sense dubte - la millor exposició ja que tothom pot trobar-hi la seva cosa preferida. Bravo La Sala!

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Technorati tags: Garraf, Penedès, Vilanova

ENG: A Catalan Student on “Mirant al cel”

I have wanted to see the movie Mirant al cel, by Jesús Garay, for quite some time, but have not been able to find out where to do so. Therefore, I was happy to discover that the Institut d’Estudis Penedesencs were to show it here in Vilanova, as a part of their lecture series on the franquista bombardment during the Civil War.

The plot is about a old Italian expert on the Divine Comedy by Dante, who returns to Barcelona - a city where he considers that he has never been. After all, the young pilot who flew in over the city to drop bombs was not him – it was another person, in another time. And as he was so high up in the air, he never actually saw the city, let alone had to hear the screams of horror and pain by the damage he caused.

However, a Catalan journalist who is collecting eye witness reports by survivors who were in the streets of Barcelona when bombs fell over them, has decided to force him to talk about history. To her, the Italian is one of the few living witnesses of what happened, and she wants him to ask for forgiveness to her grandfather, who fought on the Republican side, defending the city.

Mirant al cel is built up as a fiction movie but incorporates a lot of archive material. I would not have wanted to see it with a lower level of Catalan than what I have today (B) and admit that I sometimes had difficulties to understand the accents, or even more the pronunciation of some of the veterans interviewed in the movie.

In Mirant al cel, the old Italian man wants to see himself and everyone else who lived those terrible moments as victims of a war. The journalist protests that he as a pilot did not lose anything, while her grandfather did not only lose his house, but also his nation and the democracy which he fought for. Today, exactly 70 years have passed since republican Barcelona surrendered to the franquistes but these two perspectives still confront each other in discussions about the memòria històrica. Is it better to forgive and move on, or investigate what actually happened?

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Technorati tags: Barcelona, Catalonia, Penedès, Spain, Wirdheim

ENG: Christmas Cribs with Catalan References

Before the season is over I have to come back to the topic of pessebres, i.e. Christmas cribs or nativity scenes, as I have learnt that they are called. Under no circumstances must be this interpreted as a sign that my efforts to integrate are turning me into a Catholic. It is just that in Protestant Sweden we do not have anything which can match these and they are so beautifully elaborated.

And there are very many of them. In Vilanova, except for the large outdoor crib which the Associació Pessebrista build on the Plaça de la Vila every year, in their premises they exhibit fifteen smaller ones. There are benches for children to stand, so when I went there with my two little sons I did not have to lift them up but they could explore everything by themselves. Neither did I have to worry about them touching the fragile cribs since they are all placed in protecting glass cases.

The figures are being recycled year after year, but the landscapes are always built from scratch. Thanks to spotlights and thought-through modelling they look very realistic. Many scenes present traditional calm settings from Betlehem or Jerusalem, but one of the artists has put the holy family in a war zone (possibly as a reminder of what is currently going on in Gaza).


There is also an interesting interaction with references from Catalonia - above all Vilanova motifs like the Castell de la Geltrú or the Plaça de les Cols, but also a huge fictive town from the Pyrenees with a typically Catalan Santa Llúcia market. Look carefully and you will see that not even the caganers have been forgotten.

The exhibition can be found at C/ Cabanyes, 17 baixos and will remain open until January 18 (Monday-Saturday: 19.00-20.30; Sundays and holidays: 12.00-14.00 plus 18.00-20.30).



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Technorati tags: Catalonia, Penedès, Vilanova, Wirdheim

ENG: Exhibition by Betty Miller at La Sala

The American artist Betty Miller, who apparently lives here in Vilanova, currently has an exhibition called Revisió at the local Centre of Contemporary Art; La Sala (address: C. Joaquim Mir 12; phone: 93 816 90 01).

We passed by during a Sunday walk and really appreciated what we saw; first the interior of a classic living room decorated with painted copies of black-and-white photos and then old books which tell totally different stories after having been transformed into art. As I see it, Betty Miller’s works do not strive to be avant-garde but still, in a playful way, challenge some of our concepts of the world.

This exhibition will hang until November 16. Do not come to Vilanova only to visit La Sala, but if you are already here, it is well worth a visit.


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Saturday October 25, the artist herself will lead a family oriented work shop at La Sala, and November 6, she will show The Pillow Book by Peter Greenaway. We will try to take part in at least one of these interesting events.

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Earlier entries on La Sala: 1, 2, 3
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Technorati tags: Vilanova

ENG: FIMPT - a Popular Festival in Vilanova

This weekend, the 28th version of FIMPT - Festival Internacional de Música Popular Tradicional - takes place here in Vilanova, so except for our nice beaches there is yet another reason to come here for a visit.

My own taste of music is sadly underdeveloped, but I guess that I am not too wrong if I call this a World Music Festival (Mali, Trinidad, the Balkans, Ireland and Catalunya) although I, at the same time, must admit not to have heard of anyone of the artists before.

Tomorrow, Saturday, there will be concerts on selected squares of the town from 11 a.m. until after midnight while on Sunday the program starts at 19.30 and continues into the night. Folllow this link for the full program.

WARNING: In case you are allergic to Swedish, please, do not click on the YouTube screen.

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Technorati tags: Catalunya, Vilanova