PAULA BOND, OPEN HAPPINESS

Paula is graviting inside the Space Station

Paula Bond. Astronaut. Greece.

I was born in Ithaca, Ulysses hometown in Greece. Living in an island, offers you a micro vision of life because you live isolated and your daily routines are very limited. This is the reason because of I decided to have a macro vision of the world and I became an astronaut. When you're in the space you feel like an ant and realize the magnitude of the universe. I like reading biographies and photography.

-Good morning, Paula Bond, and thanks to attend us.

-Good morning. Welcome to my country, the cradle of Mediterranean civilization.

-Thanks. It's always a pleasure being here. Well, to start this interview I would like to know how you define yourself.

-I'm an astronaut, a person who travels in space and tries to search answers to thousands of human questions.

-The most part of people, when they were children wanted to be an astronaut. How can you explain them to them?

-Yes, it's true. An astronaut or a firefighter. I don't know but perhaps an explanation could be that children are honest and maybe they perceive astronauts and firefighters like modern heroes. Everybody wants to be a superhero when he/she is a child because a superhero represents good things and because of they are still innocent, they have the superheroes like someone to imitate. A child always imitates the things that he/she sees. It's normal. They're under an age of knowledge and learning.

-Then, do you believe in heroes?

-Yes, of course. I was born in Ithaca, Ulysses and Penelope’s island and for the Greek culture heroes and gods have been something very important that has influenced our personality. Everybody can be a hero, because a hero isn't a superhero. A superhero is a modern creation, a person who has incredible powers but a hero is a person who resists adversity and fight against it. Then, in our society, we can find millions of examples of heroes.

-How do you feel being a member of The Bond's family?

-It's a good experience. The family is a group of fantastic people and I'm very proud of being a part of them. It has been a great experience to open happiness.

-How is a normal day with The Bonds?

-It's difficult to talk about a normal day with The Bonds because we're a family full of energy and creativity and then all is possible and they can change all things in a second but I must accept that I've improved my English with them.

-How long have you been studying English?

-English has been always very important in Greece, especially since the arrival of the massive tourism but I didn't study English at school, I studied Russian.

-Russian? It's not possible!

-Yes. Greece has a lot of things in common with the Russian culture. Both of us are orthodox and we haven't latin alphabets.

-Then, you speak two languages? Is it very difficult to do it?

-No it isn't. In fact, as many languages you speak is easier to learn the next. I have learnt this from The Bonds. All of them speak, at least, two languages and this is very important because a language is a powerful tool of communication and, in my case, two languages mean two alphabets, too.

-What can you explain about your life with The Bonds?

-It's a great experience. I spend my life up, in the sky and it's good to stay with your feet on the land and pay attention about the reality from another point of view. I've spent good moments with them.

-And after?

-When we started as a family, we arrived with different ideas, knowledge and perspectives. During our experience as a Bond's member, we have been working together and we've created a good team. This is something that we won't lose although every member of our family is going to take a different path but I'm sure that we're going to open happiness wherever we stay.

-Which is your best memory with the family?

It's very difficult to choose one but I remember two special moments: the day that King Kong took me and the family rescued me and the day I could explain to my family my opinion about the education in a closer future. It was a very interesting discussing.

-You like photography, don’t you?

-Yes, I do.

-What's your own favourite photo?

-When I was in NASA, training and being fit were two important things. We were in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. We swam a lot in the Caribbean Sea and I remember when I discovered a whale shark swimming next to me. I was astonished. Imagine! It lives in oceans and rivers and finds its prey with its sense of smell and kills them with their 3,000 teeth and it was there swimming with me.

-You have also said that you like reading biographies. Which is your favourite?

-Although I have read all the biographies of the most important astronauts like Neil Armstrong or Yuri Gagarin, my favourite biography is about Christopher Columbus, the man who sailed from Spain to the west in 1492 and believed that the Earth was round. After ten weeks, he found an island and he named it San Salvador. I like this biography because I don’t believe anything. It’s an incredible fake.

-How can you be sure about it?

-I don’t say this. Science says this. There are a lot of evidences that indicates it. It’s the same case than William Shakespeare or Miguel de Cervantes. It’s difficult to separate the myth and the reality.

-Who is your favourite character?

-I haven't got a special one although I like Captain Ahab of Herman Melville's Moby Dick. I would like to think that one day, in a closer future; someone will be able to read The Bond's Biography because it will mean that we have contributed to do something positive to our society.

-What title would you choose for this biography?

-Open happiness, because every day has been an open door to learn something new and to live unforgettable experiences.

-Do you like this message?

-Yes I do. It's a motivational message. It's the message that completes another one which I like a lot: When God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.

-What will happen if it's not possible to open this window?

-Demolish the wall. Don't forget that if you don't find a way, you must create it.

-Thank you very much, Paula Bond.

-Thanks to you.

C'mon and lift me up to a better way.
Open up a smile on another face,

so I can feel something new.

 Butch Walker

HEY HEY, THE BONDS HAVE SAVED THE WORLD TODAY

The Grandma in Casa Vicens, Barcelona

Monday finds you like a bomb, it's a bad day for starting or finishing something. This is the reason because of The Bonds have choosen Tuesday to say goodbye to The Grandma.  They are going to stay in Ireland during some days but The Grandma has decided to return to Barcelona to redecorate her new home. She has bought Casa Vicens, an Antoni Gaudí's building in the center of the city.

That's been left ticking there too long. The ties that join The Bonds are so strong that they're goingto conitnue working together to reach their new objective and The Grandma is going to help despite of the distance.

You're bleeding in this hard work but nothing is won without effort and persistance. The Bonds are very strong people, perhaps because of the influence of Irene and María José Bond who have Aragonese ancestors.

Some days there's nothing left to learn, like today. The Bonds have dedicated their day to enjoy themselves and remember beautiful old memories, which are part of their story, now. In fact, The Bonds are History.

From the point of no return, you can't change these things that you thing you could have done better but with the experience of them, you won't do them again. Life is a constant way of learning things and we need to be resilient like Eli, Olga and Paula Bond who are a wonderful example of resistance against adversity.

You're leaving and you're still here in our memories. Rubén, Raquel and Miriam Bond, three beloved members of our family who decided to follow their own paths.

Hey Hey I saved the world today, I have created a new family plenty of happiness, illusion and creativity like The Collins, The Addams, The Holmes and The Poppins, The Bonds have become in another great experience which arrives farther than teaching English.

The Bonds have saved the world today

Everybody's happy now, Mariona Bond has decided to celebrate her birthday with the family and Maya Bond has cooked delicious cookie monsters for all the family.

The bad thing's gone away. It has been time to forget real situations and create a new world, a parallel universe where we have been the owners of our own future without paying attention to work, money or personal affairs.

And everybody's happy now remembering David and Pedro Bond  in Oasis Bar, being the Queens of the Carnival or Joanjo winning the Eurovision Song Contest.

The good thing's here to stay. MJ has arrived with our titles and suddenly have appeared lots of good memories about two intensive months travelling, working, laughing and sharing the best of us: our creativity and interest in learning new things. From The Cathars to The Navajo, we have been travelling across our history, our languages and our culture to realize that there's something that everybody shares: the idea of a better future for our next generations. We've listened motivational stories of Noemí Bond who have talked us about resilience and connections.

Please let it stay, share these fantastic moment with us because the future is unknown and nobody knows what is going to happen tomorrow. 

There's a million mouths to feed and Montse and Jaume Bond know it. They have prepared a delicious omelette and a fantastic cake for the family.

Jaume Bond or James Bond? Mmmm...

And I've got everything I need. I don't need money or treasures. I need to do something that gives sense to my work, then to my life. I want a better future for all the members of my families, because a better future for them means a future full of opportunities in a land of hope and dreams. 

I'm breathing. I've received some presents of my family and I'm astonished. I don't deserve them. It's my work and nobody receives nothing to do her work. I have grown under Master Yoda philosophy and I know that you must do things or not. There isn't another option.

And there's a hurting thing inside, the final is closer although we still have two months to stay in contact, two well-planned months to work together to reach the next objective.

But I've got everything to hide, this feeling of loneless that has invided me when I have said goodbye to the family.

I'm grieving. I’ll miss you.

Let it stay. Let all the memories stay with us forever because they’re going to help us to smile when difficult days arrive.

Let it stay. Let all memories stay with us forever, strong enough to be resistent to the fire which destroyed our past and to the forgetfulness which destroys our present. Be ready family, our future will be splendorous.

Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo the good thing.

The Bonds have saved the world today.

One of the most qualities of true friendship is

to understand and be understood. 

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

OASIS BAR: ÉÍ 'AANÍÍGÓÓ 'ÁHOOT'É FOR THE BONDS

Native American, ancient culture and language

While The Bonds were practising Countable & Uncountable nouns, the Highway Patrol arrived. They wanted to know how was possible that all their transports were full of peyote, a beautiful plant of the desert.

The family had been visiting Navajo Nation and they were impressioned by the resistance of this incredible and ancient community so important for our recent history and their wonderful language which was used in the WWII by the Codetalkers. They discovered The Blessing Way an important Navajo ritual.

More information: Navajo Code

Every member of the family explained his/her alibi to demonstrate that they were innocent and they didn't know anything about this wonderful plant.

More information: Countable & Uncountable

The Grandma explained how she was in her Indian tent with Mariona Bond who was totally slept while Pedro, David and Maya Bond were drinking some Navajo beer, this which has a black and gold tag, in Oasis Bar. M.José Bond was with Paula Bond dancing country line while Noemí Bond was trying to help some rich people, who seemed Arabian but were only native ones with some handkerchiefs on their heads, and wanted to be cured by the magic powers of Noemí's hands. Olga and Eli Bond were watching TV when Juanjo and Irene Bond took photos and disturbed some local scorpions and Jaume was sculpting an Indian Totem that Montse had demanded him.

Police has believed nothing and they're all under suspect waiting tomorrow when an FBI team is going to arrive to help the local police and all The Bonds are going to be analized by the true machine. God helps them!

 Always assume your guest is tired, cold, and hungry, 

and act accordingly.  

Navajo Proverb

012, EMERGENCY SERVICE: HOW CAN I HELP YOU?

Paula Bond and King Kong in NYC

Today, The Bonds are still in Washington. They are practising some vocabulary about justice and Social English about requesting and offering. 

They are very interested in creating good compositions, this is the reason because of they are working with the connectors.

More info: Justice System Vocabulary

Paula Bond is with the family again after spending some days in the Empire State with King Kong, her new friend from Skull Island. 

After talking about sugar and its benefits in our lives, remembering Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his famous character Sherlock Holmes, the family are learning how to use their twitter accounts.

Jaume Bond and his new friend

After that, The Grandma is talking about Romanesque Art in the exile around the world because of the war and she is explaining a story about Roman superstitions.

Finally, Jaume Bond is explaining his experience face to face with a hurt bird which reborn after phoning to emergency services and The Grandma is remembering some beautiful songs of Leonard Cohen and Barbara.

Tomorrow, the family is meeting Fox Mulder and Dana Scully in the FBI Headquarters. Together, they're going to investigate voodoo practices and how to prevent them.

May you need some needles...

 No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.

Bob Dylan