a giant Q&A – part i

Spanish news agency EFE, like others before them, has been publishing a series of questions with our players.  They’ve released 12 of them so far, up to yesterday, so I think that’s all that we’re going to see.

Some of the questions are the same, and some are different, and not everyone was asked the same questions.  I’ve divided my translation of the Q&A into three sections to make it easier to read.

Please, if you take this from my site and post it elsewhere, include the source!  I’ve noticed my translations of the El País Q&A popping up in a lot of places without citation.

This is the first section, and it deals with pastimes and life in the training camp.  Favorite answers highlighted in pink!

Part two can be found here, and part three is here.

1.  Did you pack a computer in your suitcase?

Busquets:  Yes, I use it to watch movies, get information and above all chat with my family and friends.  I use messenger the most.

Pedro:  Yes, to listen to music and look at photos of my friends and family.  Also to watch movies when I have free time.

Llorente:  Yes, I use it everyday to read the sports news.

Villa:  Yes, it’s vital for us in the camp.  I use it to talk with my wife and my oldest daughter, who’s 4 and misses me a lot.  She sees me via webcam and that helps a lot.  It also helps me.  I speak with them for one hour after the nighttime training session.

Capdevila:  Yes, I use it every day to see my son Gerard via webcam, and to see a lot of photos from his first days (Gerard was born about two months ago).

Arbeloa:  I always have one with me and always during long trips such as this one.  I use it mostly to talk with my friends and family via Skype, to see my wife and my daughter via messenger and the web site sync.es, where my brother shows me a lot of technological things.

Navas:  Yes, mostly so I can watch movies.

Reina:  Yes, a new one, a very cool Mac.  I use it to watch movies and TV series, and to connect to the Internet.

Mata:  Yes, I use it to watch TV series and to navigate the Internet.  My favorite web site is juanmata10.com (laughs).

Torres:  Yes, I use it to watch movies, series and keep up to date with my emails.  The web site I visit the most is Wikipedia and I always use Skype to talk with my loved ones.

Albiol:  Yes, I use it all the time to surf the Internet and above all else to talk with my girlfriend and daughters.

Sergio: Yes, I use it mostly to listen to music and to watch movies and TV series.

2. Movies or TV series?

Busquets:  I didn’t pack any of those, because we have a lot of movies at the training camp, I’ll pick from there.  Before coming, I watched Law Abiding Citizen with my teammates.  I recommend it.  It’s a great movie.

Pedro:  Movies, although my teammates have gotten me addicted to Lost.  It’s very interesting.

Llorente:  Movies.  I recommend Law Abiding Citizen. I loved it.

Villa:  Both, but I prefer TV series.  I’m addicted to Lost.  I only have two episodes left and it’s a shame that it ended.

Capdevila:  Movies.  I like Gladiator.

Arbeloa:  We have a lot of movies to choose from at the camp, and right now I’m watching The Wire.  I like TV series a lot.

Reina:  I watch both in the camp, we watch a lot of movies and I just finished watching the eighth season of 24.  Jack Bauer is a crack.

Mata:  Series.  I’m addicted to Entourage, it’s great.  I bought the first three seasons and I devoured them.  Now I’m watching the fourth via Internet.  I love the characters of Ari Gold and Johnny Drama; they’re phenomenal.  In terms of movies, I just saw and loved El secreto de sus ojos.

Torres:  I’ve stolen all the series I have from Xabi Alonso, who has an assortment.  I’ve had time to watch so many that I’ve finished with Lost and Prison Break, and I’ve started Californication, Boston Legal, and The O.C. My favorite ones are those two that I finished, but I didn’t like their endings.

Albiol:  I didn’t bring any, because there are a lot of movies here, and because my favorite series, Prison Break, has ended.

Sergio:  I get movies from the training camp.  TV series that I’ve become addicted to during the World Cup are Dexter and Lost.  My favorite is Kate (laughs).

3. Your favorite movie and actors.

Llorente:  Denzel Washington, Sandra Bullock.

Villa:  Braveheart, which I’ve seen four times.  The protagonist is my favorite actor, Mel Gibson.  In terms of favorite actress, Paz Vega.

Arbeloa:  Gladiator.  I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen it.

Navas:  Gladiator.  I’ve watched it many times.  And Russell Crowe, from Gladiator.

Reina:  I have a lot, but if I had to choose, I loved The Green Mile.

Torres:  I’ve been watching more series as of late but one of the movies that has marked me is Life is Beautiful.

Albiol:  I’ll stick with Gladiator and if I want to laugh, Días de fútbol [love that movie!].

Sergio:  Braveheart, I have it memorized.  I’ve watched it more than 50 times.

4.  What kind of music do you listen to?

Busquets:  Pop and current hits.  My favorite group is El Canto del Loco.

Pedro:  A variety.  I like Bisbal and Maná a lot, but generally all types of music, from electronic or dance to reggaeton.

Llorente:  A bit of everything, I’m not into just one group.  I like all types of music.

Capdevila:  Barricada and Offspring.

Arbeloa:  I have mostly Spanish music on my iPod.  I like El Canto del Loco, Shakira, Hombres G and Ska-p a lot.

Navas:  A bit of everything, but I like David de María and David Bisbal.

Reina:  Flamenco above all, but I have an open mind when it comes to music.  My favorite group is El Barrio.

Mata:  I have a full iPod because I updated it with things from Pepe Reina, such as jokes.  What there is most of is Spanish music.  My favorite group is Coldplay.

Torres:  Right now I’m listening to Oasis a lot, which I haven’t done in a while, and also above all else Elvis.  Dr. Cota is a huge fan of Elvis and he made me interested in his music.  I’ve looked for information on him, I read information about his career and it’s very interesting.  It’s impressive.

Albiol:  A bit of everything, but mostly the Spanish music that el Guaje Villa put on my iPad.  I also listen to house music.  My favorite groups are El Canto del Loco and Estopa.

Sergio:  I have everything on my computer, but what there is most of is flamenco.  I have a passion for it.  My favorite singer is La Niña Pastori.

5.  A song that has marked you.

Pedro:  Maná’s “Mariposa Traicionera.”

Capdevila:  Sergio Dalma’s “Bailar pegados.”  It’s what I sing at karaoke (laughs).

Arbeloa:  I’ll tell you three:  “Now We Are Free” from the soundtrack of Gladiator, the Robbie Williams version of Frank Sinatra’s “Something Stupid,” and El Canto del Loco’s “La suerte de mi vida.”

Navas:  Nothing in particular.

Reina:  Siempre Así’s “A Mi Manera” because I believe that it gives you a way to think about life.

Mata:  Coldplay’s “The Scientist.”

Torres:  A lot, but if I have to say one, I’d say “Wonderwall” by Oasis.

Sergio:  “Orobroy.”

6.  Do you play videogames?

Busquets:  Yes, I play Pro Evolution and Virtual Tennis.  Here in the camp I miss my Play battles but I’m also playing cards and lately ping-pong.

Pedro:  Yes, Pro Evolution always.  I’m doing poorly in the tournament that we have here.  I need to make a comeback.

Llorente:  Not a lot, I play cards more in the camp.  I do what I can at pocha.

Villa:  No, I’m more into board games.  Right now when I want to play something, I play it on my iPhone and with my teammates I’m in the group that plays cards and pocha.  I’m doing well (laughs).

Capdevila:  Yes, but I didn’t bring any.  I have a ton of games on my iPhone to pass the time.

Arbeloa:  Yes, we have good battles in Pro Evolution and I also play a war game, Army Two, with Raúl Albiol.

Navas:  Yes, I usually play Pro here, with Cesc, Albiol, Arbeloa…

Reina:  No, I prefer cards, especially pocha.

Mata:  I do pretty well at Play with football games, but the truth is in camp I do a bit of everything.  I play cards, I watch series, I read.

Torres:  Yes, I play football games.  I didn’t enter the competition that we have in the camp because it was closed already.  The slots were taken rapidly (laughs).

Albiol:  Yes, I play Play and Xbox.  Here, we’re playing Pro Evolution, Virtual Tennis, NBA and some action games.  There are good rivalries.

Sergio:  Yes, we’ve played a lot of Play in the camp – Pro, with good rivalries between myself and Jesuito (Navas) against Arbeloa and el Chori.  Now we’ve changed that for bingo and parchís, which I’m great at!

7. What book are you reading in South Africa?

Busquets:  None.

Llorente:  None.

Villa:  Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol.

Capdevila:  Book?  What is that?  (Laughs).  I’ve only finished one book in my life.  The ones I was closest to finishing were about football.

Arbeloa:  I’ve brought two books.  Right now I’m reading Young Bloods by Simon Scarrow, which is a historical novel about Wellington and Napoleon.

Navas:  None, I didn’t bring any.

Reina:  Los secretos de la Roja.

Mata:  I brought several.  I just finished one by Emilio Sánchez Vicario, Soñar para ganar and right now I’m reading Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

Torres:  The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.

Albiol:  Invictus. I’m trying to learn about Nelson Mandela and the human factor, since I’m in South Africa.

Sergio:  Los secretos de la Roja.

 

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