Spanish
TV: As everyone knows (Spanish or otherwise), this is not the finest in the world. One aspect of it always gets me. Admittedly, I
don't watch many of them, but, as far as I can see, every serious or
semi-serious program (and the weather presenting) is presided over by
a willowy, long-haired, twenty-something-year-old beauty in killer 6
inch high heels. If there were such a program as Newnight on
Spanish TV, I imagine that this, too, would be presented by a couple
of these. I find it hard to conceive of the BBC ever indulging in
this practice. The weather presenters on British TV may well all be
female but few of them are glamourous. And they rarely, if
ever, sport the tightest of shirts and jeans. But I doubt this affects their
accuracy.
The
politicisation of Spanish justice:
- Here's the estimable Guy Hedgecoe on the key issue of forgetting (or not) the Civil War of '36-39.
- And here's an article on the fate of a couple of puppeteers who foolishly gave a performance of their adult, satyrical show to a group of kids. It's hard not to believe that neo-fascists and egregious defenders of Francoism are behind their prosecution and overnight imprisonment.
Dating
Spanish women: Dedicated to all my male friends already married
to Spanish women (especially Ponters Peter), here's advice on how they should have dated them.
And presumably did.
Transiting
your Gender: Though it's the law here that people can't change
their name until they're 18 years old, a 4 year-old Basque 'boy' has
been given permission to do this. Details here. I must admit to being
confused and conflicted on this issue. On the one hand, yes. On the
other, can kids really take a critical decision on their real gender?
Especially if operations follow.
Barcelona:
In 1990, a mere 1.7 million people visited this city. By last year,
this had risen to 7.4 million, 'bested' only by London and Paris. The
VP of the Melia
Intl. hotel chain fears this is too many and says the tourism model
should be changed. But what he's really concerned
about is competition from the likes of Airbnb. Large Spanish
companies don't much like competition. Especially if it meets
consumer needs.
City
Tours: In a city or two along the Galcian coast, you can drive round and
peer at the mansions of the the well-known resident narcos, or
drug traffickers. The equivalent in London is a bus trip giving you the chance to gape at some of the
huge places bought by corrupt ex-Soviet politicians and businessmen,
aided by corrupt British estate agents/realtors and lawyers. It's
called The Kleptocracy Tour and you can see a video on it
here.
Finally
. . . Here's a funny video of 2 plastered Northern Irishmen not quite managing
a sofa on wheels. God know why the newspaper felt it necessary to
censure the language; it's not as if any of us can understand a bloody word
of what they're saying!
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