Tim

@TimurNegru • 89,014 subscribers

Buyer's representative for property in Spain, Italy, France & Portugal. Founder @AffordiHome.

Shorts

Our son's teacher used to call us weekly with complaints. Last Friday during his parent/teacher check-in, she asked what we did to transform him. The answer: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). It all started with him not being able to burn his additional energy. Our kid was and still is hyperactive, couldn't fall asleep before 12am/1am, fidgeted through every school lesson, constantly snappy with us and his teachers. Some of our friends were calling him the duracell bunny (in reference to the battery ad) and we were genuinely worried this was just who he was. We tried a few different sports as our idea was that he didn't have any activity that involved burning his energy. Football, swimming, running him around the park until dark. He'd come home exhausted but his mind would still be racing at bedtime. The energy was there, but nothing seemed to actually settle him. My brother has been training and coaching kids BJJ since he was young. He kept telling us to bring our son. Tbh, we were skeptical - how would a combat sport help a kid who already couldn't sit still? But we were desperate as school was getting worse and the nightly battles were exhausting everyone. So at 5 years old, we signed him up. The first 6 months, he started falling asleep faster and not just because he was tired (he'd been tired before), but because BJJ teaches you to control your body and your mind simultaneously. He was learning to actually settle himself. The 11pm bedtime battles turned into peaceful 9pm nights. But what really caught us off guard was the respect. Every single class - bow when you enter/when you leave, wait your turn, shake hands with your opponent, listen to your coach. It gets drilled in through pure repetition. Not lectures, not punishment..just practice. 100 times per class, every class, for years. His teachers also noticed the change. He could finally sit through lessons, pay attention, actually remember what was discussed. Homework became manageable because he'd developed the patience to learn. He was less snappy and more willing to listen. The hardest part were in the first couple of years as he wanted to quit constantly. The usual kids reasons - i'm tired of BJJ, I don't want to train anymore etc. There were nights we genuinely questioned if we were pushing him too hard, if we were doing the right thing. But we kept him going. My brother being his coach helped, but honestly it was just us trusting that something would click eventually. And then in year 4, it did. He found his training partner, made real friends at the gym. Suddenly he was asking when his next class was. Going to support his teammates at competitions even when he wasn't competing himself. This year, the transformation was complete. His teacher went from calling us weekly to pulling us aside asking what we did. The fidgety, unfocused kid who couldn't sit still was competing in tournaments, winning medals, excelling at school, and genuinely looking forward to training. Here's what we got wrong for years: we kept trying to calm him down. Turns out, he didn't need calming.. he needed somewhere to put that energy. Other sports just tired him out. BJJ gave him an outlet that required both physical exhaustion and mental focus. And here's the thing few people talk about: BJJ is teaching him to lose. Not avoid failure but to face it. He still gets frustrated sometimes, still has moments where the tears come after a tough roll or a competition loss. But he's getting better at it. He processes it faster now, gets back up quicker. Most kids' activities try to avoid failure or sugarcoat it. BJJ makes you face it every single class and there's no hiding from it. That resilience is slowly building, and it's showing up everywhere. Homework frustrations don't spiral like they used to. Mistakes are becoming learning opportunities instead of total meltdowns. And he's even getting better at maths due to his concentration levels improving. If your kid can't sit still, can't focus, struggles with sleep, and school is calling home weekly do give BJJ a shot before assuming it's just who they are. Not for the discipline but for the outlet. The discipline comes later. Here's my son at his last competition. That's the kid who couldn't sit still for 5 minutes.

Our son's teacher used to call us weekly with complaints. Last Friday during his parent/teacher check-in, she asked what we did to transform him. The answer: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). It all started with him not being able to burn his additional energy. Our kid was and still is hyperactive, couldn't fall asleep before 12am/1am, fidgeted through every school lesson, constantly snappy with us and his teachers. Some of our friends were calling him the duracell bunny (in reference to the battery ad) and we were genuinely worried this was just who he was. We tried a few different sports as our idea was that he didn't have any activity that involved burning his energy. Football, swimming, running him around the park until dark. He'd come home exhausted but his mind would still be racing at bedtime. The energy was there, but nothing seemed to actually settle him. My brother has been training and coaching kids BJJ since he was young. He kept telling us to bring our son. Tbh, we were skeptical - how would a combat sport help a kid who already couldn't sit still? But we were desperate as school was getting worse and the nightly battles were exhausting everyone. So at 5 years old, we signed him up. The first 6 months, he started falling asleep faster and not just because he was tired (he'd been tired before), but because BJJ teaches you to control your body and your mind simultaneously. He was learning to actually settle himself. The 11pm bedtime battles turned into peaceful 9pm nights. But what really caught us off guard was the respect. Every single class - bow when you enter/when you leave, wait your turn, shake hands with your opponent, listen to your coach. It gets drilled in through pure repetition. Not lectures, not punishment..just practice. 100 times per class, every class, for years. His teachers also noticed the change. He could finally sit through lessons, pay attention, actually remember what was discussed. Homework became manageable because he'd developed the patience to learn. He was less snappy and more willing to listen. The hardest part were in the first couple of years as he wanted to quit constantly. The usual kids reasons - i'm tired of BJJ, I don't want to train anymore etc. There were nights we genuinely questioned if we were pushing him too hard, if we were doing the right thing. But we kept him going. My brother being his coach helped, but honestly it was just us trusting that something would click eventually. And then in year 4, it did. He found his training partner, made real friends at the gym. Suddenly he was asking when his next class was. Going to support his teammates at competitions even when he wasn't competing himself. This year, the transformation was complete. His teacher went from calling us weekly to pulling us aside asking what we did. The fidgety, unfocused kid who couldn't sit still was competing in tournaments, winning medals, excelling at school, and genuinely looking forward to training. Here's what we got wrong for years: we kept trying to calm him down. Turns out, he didn't need calming.. he needed somewhere to put that energy. Other sports just tired him out. BJJ gave him an outlet that required both physical exhaustion and mental focus. And here's the thing few people talk about: BJJ is teaching him to lose. Not avoid failure but to face it. He still gets frustrated sometimes, still has moments where the tears come after a tough roll or a competition loss. But he's getting better at it. He processes it faster now, gets back up quicker. Most kids' activities try to avoid failure or sugarcoat it. BJJ makes you face it every single class and there's no hiding from it. That resilience is slowly building, and it's showing up everywhere. Homework frustrations don't spiral like they used to. Mistakes are becoming learning opportunities instead of total meltdowns. And he's even getting better at maths due to his concentration levels improving. If your kid can't sit still, can't focus, struggles with sleep, and school is calling home weekly do give BJJ a shot before assuming it's just who they are. Not for the discipline but for the outlet. The discipline comes later. Here's my son at his last competition. That's the kid who couldn't sit still for 5 minutes.

373,208 görüntüleme

Montserrat Monastery, about an hour from Barcelona. Everyone queues for Sagrada Familia where it costs ~€30 and you’re packed shoulder to shoulder with tourists, but Catalans come here instead and it’s free for residents and €11 for tourists. It’s 1,000 years old, built into a mountain at 1,200 meters, with 70 Benedictine monks still living here and one of Europe’s oldest boys’ choirs. The Black Madonna (Virgin of Montserrat) is Catalunya’s patron saint, so this is where locals come for baptisms, first communions, and Christmas with their families. On a clear day you can see all of Catalunya from the top and sometimes even Mallorca. Happy holidays to you all.

Montserrat Monastery, about an hour from Barcelona. Everyone queues for Sagrada Familia where it costs ~€30 and you’re packed shoulder to shoulder with tourists, but Catalans come here instead and it’s free for residents and €11 for tourists. It’s 1,000 years old, built into a mountain at 1,200 meters, with 70 Benedictine monks still living here and one of Europe’s oldest boys’ choirs. The Black Madonna (Virgin of Montserrat) is Catalunya’s patron saint, so this is where locals come for baptisms, first communions, and Christmas with their families. On a clear day you can see all of Catalunya from the top and sometimes even Mallorca. Happy holidays to you all.

127,844 görüntüleme

Spain can also be like this. That’s 2 hours away from Barcelona by the way.

Spain can also be like this. That’s 2 hours away from Barcelona by the way.

52,330 görüntüleme

Two weeks in Catalunya and Southern France: Monastery in the mountains one day, skiing the Pyrenees the next, swimming in the Mediterranean on first day of the year, and eating unlimited lobster at a buffet in a bowling alley. All within a few hours’ drive of where we live in Costa Brava and one of the reasons we chose this place to settle down. Amazing time with friends and family but back to grinding now. Let’s goo

Two weeks in Catalunya and Southern France: Monastery in the mountains one day, skiing the Pyrenees the next, swimming in the Mediterranean on first day of the year, and eating unlimited lobster at a buffet in a bowling alley. All within a few hours’ drive of where we live in Costa Brava and one of the reasons we chose this place to settle down. Amazing time with friends and family but back to grinding now. Let’s goo

12,929 görüntüleme

Videos

Anya Rossi

sweetdream.ai

SweetDream.ai•Sponsored•Livecam

Watch Anya Live

Anya is streaming live right now! Join her private show and enjoy exclusive content.

Exclusive private shows

1.2k viewers online

Private Show

Join now for exclusive access

Free preview available • Premium content

I would take the ferry vs a plane to Spain from Ireland anytime. Takes 2 nights at sea to reach Bilbao vs 2,5 hrs flight but it’s totally worth it. Cost wise is exactly the same as the flight would’ve been (€1,200) but then we’d need to rent a car, pay for baggage, deal with airport stress with kids and so on. This way we just packed the car with everything we need for three weeks. No limits and no stress. Kids (and us too) are treating it like an adventure. We’ve got restaurants, entertainment, our own cabin with bathroom, tv with preloaded movies and beds. There is even an open air small gym on the deck. This is how we’re doing Christmas this year. Should I do a quick tour of the cabin and some parts of the ferry tomorrow? I’ll have plenty of time over the weekend 😃

I would take the ferry vs a plane to Spain from Ireland anytime. Takes 2 nights at sea to reach Bilbao vs 2,5 hrs flight but it’s totally worth it. Cost wise is exactly the same as the flight would’ve been (€1,200) but then we’d need to rent a car, pay for baggage, deal with airport stress with kids and so on. This way we just packed the car with everything we need for three weeks. No limits and no stress. Kids (and us too) are treating it like an adventure. We’ve got restaurants, entertainment, our own cabin with bathroom, tv with preloaded movies and beds. There is even an open air small gym on the deck. This is how we’re doing Christmas this year. Should I do a quick tour of the cabin and some parts of the ferry tomorrow? I’ll have plenty of time over the weekend 😃

4,908,402 görüntüleme • 5 ay önce

So here’s what €1,200 for 4 people and a car on this ferry actually gets you: Private cabin, 4 beds, bathroom, TV with movies, window looking out to sea. Plus restaurants, entertainment, open deck. Kids are treating it like a hotel. We’re 14 hours in and they haven’t asked ‘are we there yet’ once.

So here’s what €1,200 for 4 people and a car on this ferry actually gets you: Private cabin, 4 beds, bathroom, TV with movies, window looking out to sea. Plus restaurants, entertainment, open deck. Kids are treating it like a hotel. We’re 14 hours in and they haven’t asked ‘are we there yet’ once.

3,475,943 görüntüleme • 5 ay önce

Getting pulled over in Italy be like..

Getting pulled over in Italy be like..

1,013,210 görüntüleme • 8 ay önce

Christmas Eve dinner with the family and we’re at a buffet in a bowling alley that’s harder to book than most Michelin restaurants. Les Grands Buffets in Narbonne, France, shares a parking lot with a bowling alley and swimming pool, but this buffet received 2.3 million booking requests last year so you need to book months in advance. The inside is really cool, it’s like a 19th century palace serving 150 Auguste Escoffier recipes all unlimited, with a lobster cascade, 111 different cheeses (Guinness World Record), 9 types of foie gras, and 50 desserts made by 7 pastry chefs. €66 per person with wine at producer prices, and you are greeted like royalty. Also The New Yorker called it “the hottest restaurant in France.” The place is packed with French and Spanish families on Christmas Eve and you can see why people treat this as somewhere to celebrate something special. Have a blessed Christmas!

Christmas Eve dinner with the family and we’re at a buffet in a bowling alley that’s harder to book than most Michelin restaurants. Les Grands Buffets in Narbonne, France, shares a parking lot with a bowling alley and swimming pool, but this buffet received 2.3 million booking requests last year so you need to book months in advance. The inside is really cool, it’s like a 19th century palace serving 150 Auguste Escoffier recipes all unlimited, with a lobster cascade, 111 different cheeses (Guinness World Record), 9 types of foie gras, and 50 desserts made by 7 pastry chefs. €66 per person with wine at producer prices, and you are greeted like royalty. Also The New Yorker called it “the hottest restaurant in France.” The place is packed with French and Spanish families on Christmas Eve and you can see why people treat this as somewhere to celebrate something special. Have a blessed Christmas!

637,847 görüntüleme • 5 ay önce

Day one on the ferry to Spain. They’ve got live music, wine quizzes, Christmas crafts for kids, a crew show, morning stretch on deck and so on. Meanwhile Airlines charges you €12 for a soggy sandwich and tells you to sit down. The ferry cost the same as flying would’ve (€1,200 return for a family of 4). This is why we chose the 2-night ferry over the 2.5 hour flight. It’s not just transport, it’s actually part of the holiday. One more night at sea then we dock in Bilbao tomorrow morning.

Day one on the ferry to Spain. They’ve got live music, wine quizzes, Christmas crafts for kids, a crew show, morning stretch on deck and so on. Meanwhile Airlines charges you €12 for a soggy sandwich and tells you to sit down. The ferry cost the same as flying would’ve (€1,200 return for a family of 4). This is why we chose the 2-night ferry over the 2.5 hour flight. It’s not just transport, it’s actually part of the holiday. One more night at sea then we dock in Bilbao tomorrow morning.

265,386 görüntüleme • 5 ay önce

Montserrat Monastery, about an hour from Barcelona. Everyone queues for Sagrada Familia where it costs ~€30 and you’re packed shoulder to shoulder with tourists, but Catalans come here instead and it’s free for residents and €11 for tourists. It’s 1,000 years old, built into a mountain at 1,200 meters, with 70 Benedictine monks still living here and one of Europe’s oldest boys’ choirs. The Black Madonna (Virgin of Montserrat) is Catalunya’s patron saint, so this is where locals come for baptisms, first communions, and Christmas with their families. On a clear day you can see all of Catalunya from the top and sometimes even Mallorca. Happy holidays to you all.

Montserrat Monastery, about an hour from Barcelona. Everyone queues for Sagrada Familia where it costs ~€30 and you’re packed shoulder to shoulder with tourists, but Catalans come here instead and it’s free for residents and €11 for tourists. It’s 1,000 years old, built into a mountain at 1,200 meters, with 70 Benedictine monks still living here and one of Europe’s oldest boys’ choirs. The Black Madonna (Virgin of Montserrat) is Catalunya’s patron saint, so this is where locals come for baptisms, first communions, and Christmas with their families. On a clear day you can see all of Catalunya from the top and sometimes even Mallorca. Happy holidays to you all.

127,844 görüntüleme • 5 ay önce

The waiter at this tiny bar in San Sebastián told me they make the best tortilla de patatas in the world, and after eating it I’m not arguing with him. Antonio Bar - recommended by many of you when I asked for local spots, and it’s the kind of place where you stand at the bar squeezed between locals who’ve been coming here for decades. Tortilla de patatas is one of my favorite Spanish foods and I’ve tried it all over Spain, but this is the best I’ve ever had - runny center, crispy edges, and those gooey caramelized onions give it a depth you won’t find in others. While you are there also try their shrimp ravioli and oxtail pinxtos. World class service too!

The waiter at this tiny bar in San Sebastián told me they make the best tortilla de patatas in the world, and after eating it I’m not arguing with him. Antonio Bar - recommended by many of you when I asked for local spots, and it’s the kind of place where you stand at the bar squeezed between locals who’ve been coming here for decades. Tortilla de patatas is one of my favorite Spanish foods and I’ve tried it all over Spain, but this is the best I’ve ever had - runny center, crispy edges, and those gooey caramelized onions give it a depth you won’t find in others. While you are there also try their shrimp ravioli and oxtail pinxtos. World class service too!

97,254 görüntüleme • 5 ay önce

My wife had to leave for an emergency and all she said to me was “Fold the dough”

Sensitive content

This media may contain sensitive content.

My wife had to leave for an emergency and all she said to me was “Fold the dough”

22,656 görüntüleme • 1 ay önce

My wife spent 2 days making sourdough, then put jalapeños and blueberries in it. Not in the same loaf of course. She made three types: Jalapeño & cheddar, blueberry & lemon zest, and multiseed. The process takes ~2 days no matter what, so she figured why not make it more interesting. The base recipe stays exactly the same. You just fold different stuff in the dough before it goes in the fridge overnight. What inclusion should we try next?

My wife spent 2 days making sourdough, then put jalapeños and blueberries in it. Not in the same loaf of course. She made three types: Jalapeño & cheddar, blueberry & lemon zest, and multiseed. The process takes ~2 days no matter what, so she figured why not make it more interesting. The base recipe stays exactly the same. You just fold different stuff in the dough before it goes in the fridge overnight. What inclusion should we try next?

50,859 görüntüleme • 4 ay önce

Got a pair of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses as a birthday gift and, slowly I'm starting to like them. The photo and video quality is not bad (not at iPhone level yet), you can stream Spotify, take calls, and just point them at something and ask Meta AI what it is or to translate text. The trickiest part so far is getting the framing right so shots aren't cut off or off-centre, and you need to avoid moving your head too fast or it affects the quality. They also go dark in bright sun and stay see-through indoors or at night, which I love since you can actually wear them inside too. In restaurants for example. Below are some shots I took in the Bahamas and Mexico. (and to add, I have no affiliation with the brand and this is simply me sharing my experience:))

32,933 görüntüleme • 2 ay önce

Two weeks in Catalunya and Southern France: Monastery in the mountains one day, skiing the Pyrenees the next, swimming in the Mediterranean on first day of the year, and eating unlimited lobster at a buffet in a bowling alley. All within a few hours’ drive of where we live in Costa Brava and one of the reasons we chose this place to settle down. Amazing time with friends and family but back to grinding now. Let’s goo

Two weeks in Catalunya and Southern France: Monastery in the mountains one day, skiing the Pyrenees the next, swimming in the Mediterranean on first day of the year, and eating unlimited lobster at a buffet in a bowling alley. All within a few hours’ drive of where we live in Costa Brava and one of the reasons we chose this place to settle down. Amazing time with friends and family but back to grinding now. Let’s goo

12,929 görüntüleme • 5 ay önce

Daha fazla içerik yok.