Articles by Keidi

You are currently browsing Keidi’s articles.

The Sentinella Editorial Feb 2010

January 22, 2010 in The Sentinella by Keidi | No comments

Things are brightening up in the Axarquia area this month, with the launch of The Sentinella in COLOUR! The weather has been on the dull side throughout January, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and brighten up the outlook for the masses. Our new SUNNY pages aim to keep smiles on faces for longer, and provide greater reading pleasure than ever before. We would love to hear your comments about the new look. Please email info@thesentinella.com with any suggestions, likes, or dislikes (although we know there won’t be many of the latter)!

The redesign means that now advertisers and editorial content are more evenly distributed throughout the magazine, proving advantageous to all.

Do keep on letting our advertisers know that you saw their advert in The Sentinella magazine. We owe our success to our readers, for always keeping this in mind, and for staying so loyal over the last five-and-a-half years (doesn’t time fly?!)

A big thumbs-up to Kami and Tony Knight for making the magazine look so good this month. It was a lot of extra work for them, re-jigging everything, so let’s make it clear that we’re all grateful for the effort. All together now – “thanks Kami and Tony!!”

From next month onwards there will be a new monthly article in The Sentinella, called ‘Mind, Body, Spirit’. Recently, a few people emailed to thank me for writing about such issues in the monthly editorials, and one or two suggested a page dedicated to these topics. So from the March edition onwards, look out for the ‘Mind, Body, Spirit’ section. It may open your eyes to some of the important elements of life that we often forget amidst the stress and hardships.

Note that we’re now on Facebook and Twitter. Follow us on Twitter @The_Sentinella, or @Keidi_Keating. Our Facebook fan page is called ‘The Sentinella Axarquia’, so hopefully we’ll see you there!

We have some real treats in store for our readers this coming year, so keep looking at our website, our monthly newsletter, and of course this rib-tickling little mag. After all, you don’t want to miss out on anything!

Check out The Sentinella website on http://www.TheSentinella.com

Tags: , , , , , ,

My New Juicer

January 18, 2010 in My Life by Keidi | No comments

Sorry I havne’t written for a while, but I’ve been having tremendous fun with my new Phillips Juicer, a Christmas present from my boyfriend.

Admittedly, it’s a little on the large side and it takes up a sizeable portion of my kitchen worktop, but I’ve created some delicious juices from it already. My favourite so far is apple and carrot, because it’s orange and as it’s half vegetable, I can’t help but feel healthy after drinking it.

This morning I made a purple grape juice, which certainly woke up my sleepy tastebuds, at 8am! I’m having great fun at Mercadona, choosing the fruit and vegetables to juice in the coming week. Today I bought a punnet of strawberries, a bag of pears and even some celery. There’s no need to buy oranges as my boyfriend’s dad grows them in the campo, so there’s always plenty going!

If anyone happens to know some nice juices to make please let me know so I can give them a go. Now for me it’s back to the juicer… !

Thanks for reading

Keidi

X

Tags: , , ,

New Year’s Celebrations – The 12 Grapes

January 1, 2010 in Uncategorized by Keidi | 2 comments

Anyone who has ever celebrated the arrival of a New Year in Spain, will know all about the 12 grapes!

It’s Spanish tradition to gobble these 12 little fruits – one on each of the twelve midnight gongs, to mark the start of the new year. That’s one grape a second…

It sounds easy, but believe me it’s not! :-)

Last night I struggled to breathe as I popped the last grape into my already full mouth. As a mixture of grapes and pips washed around inside, I was horrified when each member of my boyfriend’s family began kissing and hugging each other, cheeks still bulging.

Then for the champagne toast. They have a neat little song which goes like this: “Arriba, Abajo, Al Centro y Para Dentro.”

This literally translates as: “Above, Below, In the Middle, And Inside”…Although it doesn’t sound so good in English as there’s no rhyme!

So now you know how I spent New Year’s Eve to see in 2010 – how did you spend yours?! Oh and Happy New Year :-)

Tags:

The Sentinella January 2010 Editorial

January 1, 2010 in The Sentinella by Keidi | No comments

Happy New Year to all our readers and advertisers. Let’s hope that 2010 is a prosperous one for us all, full of joy, happiness, love and laughter.

Is it just me, or has Mr Frost paid a trip to Spain this last few weeks? As I sit here writing this I am wearing three jumpers, have the heater cranked up full blast, am sipping a cup of char, and I can STILL feel the chill in the air.

Oh well, only a few months of the cold weather left, before summer takes our hand and leads us into warmer days.

As I write this, I’m feeling rather excited because I have recently discovered ‘subliminal messaging’ software for my computer. I simply set this to play all the time I’m tapping away and short messages flash across the screen every two seconds. The beauty of subliminal messaging is that you don’t need to consciously concentrate to read the messages. They are absorbed into the powerful subconscious and after 21-30 days the messages are accepted as reality in the brain. The info centre in our head literally hotwires these new beliefs, and the result manifests into your life days, weeks, or perhaps months later.

Considering all I have to do is hit ‘play’ every time I switch on my computer, there’s minimal effort on my part, yet maximum results.

The subliminal messages include sentences such as ‘I grow healthier every day’, ‘I choose to accumulate wealth’ and ‘I am amazing’. The beauty of most subliminal software is that you can also enter your own affirmations / beliefs and set them to flash across your screen in the order that you choose.

Coupled with goal setting, plus daily meditation and visualisations, it provides that last boost needed to change the results in your life.

A couple of books I’d recommend reading on the subject include ‘Having It All’ by John Assaraf, ‘Ask And It Is Given’ by Jerry and Esther Hicks, and ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ by Robin Sharma. The latter book teaches the rules we should follow every day to enjoy a happy, fulfilling life, which is also on purpose.

It’s all very well setting New Year’s Resolutions, but if your beliefs are out of sync with what you commit to achieving, then sorry, but come January 15th you will most likely join the masses as you break them for the tenth year running.

Try the daily recipe cocktail of mind enhancers above and by the end of the year you’ll see profound changes in your life. And from then on, every December you’ll KNOW that the resolutions you make for the coming year will definitely NOT be broken.

Handy Hint: Before your ‘beliefs’ have you dismissing the above as ‘rubbish’ or ‘yeah right, whatever’, why not try it first, hey!

Tags: , , , , , ,

The Sentinella Editorial Dec 09

December 2, 2009 in The Sentinella by Keidi | 2 comments

Happy Christmas to all our lovely readers and advertisers! Whether you’re spending the merry days here in Spain or back in rain-sodden blighty, we wish you a truly fantastic time. I’ll be celebrating Christmas Spanish style, with my boyfriend and his twenty-five strong family. Before the arrival of Three King’s Day, their big celebration is Christmas Eve, so on December 24th I’ll be stuffing my face with a (kind of) roast dinner, followed by various desserts, plus plates of marzipan and other sweet treats. In years gone by I’ve always brought a typical English offering with me, just to add a little variety. Last year I brought mince pies with custard, which proved particularly popular, and the one before that I laid Christmas Crackers on the table for everybody. The whole family transformed into what seemed like five-year-olds as they scrabbled over silly plastic toys.

Its funny how differently two nations (only two hours away by plane) celebrate! After dinner his family throw a huge party with loud music, dancing, karaoke singing and general silliness. It’s always a giggle and as you might have suspected, a lot of brandy does the rounds! Christmas Day is a much more tranquil event and not much celebrating goes on that day, as everyone is busy nursing their hangovers. New Year’s Eve is the next biggy and then before we know it Three King’s Day arrives.

When it comes to presents, my boyfriend and I tend to take advantage of the differing traditions so we enjoy TWO pressie days – Christmas Day when we fill stockings for one another and Three King’s Day when we fill shoes in the same way. Two Christmas’s in one. I’m certainly not complaining! This year we’d like to hear from our readers about any BIZARRE CHRISTMAS PRESENTS received. Whatever they happen to be, please share with our readers and email info@thesentinella.com

As for the New Year, I’m looking forward to the holiday of 2010 and a trip to Australia, spending some time in Melbourne and Sydney. That’s not until February, but we can’t wait to see kangaroos, koalas and of course the ozzies themselves (plus a couple of British friends who have moved there). The thought of spending three weeks on a different continent is particularly appealing, as is being on the opposite side of the world! Speaking of new starts and excitement, the current incarnation of The Sentinella website will be launched sometime in December. We can’t promise an exact date as yet, but it will definitely be complete by the end of 2009, all ready for the dawn of a New Year. We have some really exciting things happening in 2010, so do stay tuned!

Tags: ,

Trip to Barcelona

November 25, 2009 in Places To Go by Keidi | No comments

I’ve just got back from six days in the Catalan region of Spain.

To celebrate three years together Chema and I spent four days in Barcelona City and two in a coastal region of Girona, Plaje D’Aro.

The best bits about Barcelona for me were Parque Guell, designed by Gaudi, La Boqueria – a colourful food market with all the fruit, nuts, chocolate and sweets you could possibly imagine and a bar full of trees with faces (right next to the wax museum).

And of course I can’t forget the human statues along Las Ramblas. Some real funny characters there, including a man sitting on the loo, a guy covered in flowers and a metallic looking figure.

Girona was rather nice too, as the hotel we stayed in offered a free limousine ride with a bottle of cava, plus a romantic dinner and unlimited usage of the spa.

It’s horrible to be back!!!

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Editorial The Sentinella Nov 09

November 1, 2009 in The Sentinella by Keidi | No comments

This month’s front cover says it all! Yes, my first published book, Sol Searching, is finally available to buy, read and enjoy!

My publishers have compared it to Bridget Jones’ Diary and my first radio interview can be accessed via my blog, www.Sol-Searching.com. You’ll also find articles and interviews on an array of websites, including www.absoluteaxarquia.com, www.seabreezespain.com and  www.inmalagatoday.com I’d like to thank these website owners for their kindness and support. 

Sol Searching is now available to purchase online at www.Amazon.com or www.Amazon.co.uk priced 9.99GBP / 12 Euros. Alternatively buy a copy from The Sentinella stall at the Tuesday Farmer’s Market, El Trapiche, or from Arkwright’s main store, in Puente don Manuel. Or if you want a more personal touch email info@thesentinella.com and I’ll sign one for you, ready for collection at the Farmers Market in Trapiche. Sol Searching would make a great Christmas gift, or why not just self indulge and receive a healthy bout of the feel-good factor just because you deserve it?!  

Local author Joanna Styles, who has written several books on relocation and Spain, said the following about Sol Searching: “Escaping the hamster wheel of daily life in your home country is the stuff of dreams for millions. Keidi Keating is one of those who turned the dream into reality. Choosing to cut all ties with her life in London, Keidi moved lock, stock and barrel to southern Spain. Five years later and she’s still there .As Keidi quickly discovers, life in Spain isn’t all a bed of rosas. Even on the sun-drenched Costa del Sol, it can pour with rain, jobs are few and far between and well-paid ones almost non-existent. The expat community is a weird mix and making lasting friendships can be as frustrating as finding a good job. But if you stick it out and Keidi does, Spain is a land of opportunities. After five years on her Spanish roller coaster, Keidi has found plenty.

Moving abroad is probably one of the most challenging things life can throw at you, but with perseverance, the right attitude and a bit of luck, it’s also one of life’s most rewarding as Keidi finds out. This refreshing and light-hearted look at relocation is a welcome addition to the many books on Spain. Enjoy!”

There’s more about Sol Searching later on in this issue I’d love to know what you think of it, especially as I’m toying over the idea of a part two!

Anyway the clock has just struck twelve and I’m still in front of the keyboard. My bed is calling…

Tags: ,

Interview on In Malaga Today

November 1, 2009 in Audio by Keidi | No comments

Another interview for my book Sol Searching, by Tim at In Malaga Today. Listen to it by clicking the link below:

Interview On In Malaga Today

Tags: ,

Medieval Market

October 26, 2009 in Places To Go by Keidi | No comments

Me at the Medieval Market, in Malaga

Me at the Medieval Market, in Malaga

I tend to find Sundays in Spain a little tedious. No shops are open for heaven’s sake…

But this Sunday as I racked my brains for something to do and somewhere to go that didn’t involve simply plotting in a bar scoffing my face with tapas and paella, I saw a light.

A medieval market was advertised on a local website so my boyfriend and I trudged along to check it out.

Sunday perfection! A whole park-full of stalls, and all made up to look medieval. Even the stall-holders were dressed up in old-style clothing. What a brilliant atmosphere! I even bought a few Christmas pressies there.

And I couldn’t resist a fat slice of home-made chocolate and walnut cake – mmmmmm

Tags: , ,

Mind Body Spirit Festival, Marbella

October 26, 2009 in My Life by Keidi | No comments

Mind Body Spirit Festival in Puerto Banus

Mind Body Spirit Festival in Puerto Banus

Another action-packed weekend, this time at the Mind Body Spirit festival, in Puerto Banus.

Not so much a festival I wouldn’t say, but more like a room full of stall-holders all associated with topics I find hugely interesting.

Every half an hour someone well respected and knowledgeable in their field offered a talk to whoever wished to listen.

My favourite was the demonstration of mediumship by Jennifer Mackenzie. She picked up a number of spirits all associated with those in the room, including my grandad Tom, who seems to crop up at any chance he can get, God bless! She could even tell one of the audience members that she had been gardening the other day and had pricked her finger on the thorn of a rose bush. A little too accurate wouldn’t you say?!

I couldn’t resist having my aura photographed using the latest state of the art technology. My aura is completely red, which signals focus and business acumen. My boyfriend’s was a myriad of colours – orange, green and yellow and the light by his side represented a spirit, perhaps his grandad who passed away eight years ago.

I met some great people at the event and picked up lots of leaflets and business cards, belonging to people whose services I will certainly be using.

The Law of Attraction is one of my fave topics and there’s a great website here by my friend and mentor Lara. http://www.lawofattraction.es  I recommend you check it out.

Tags: , , , , ,

« Older entries