Dawn

Dawn

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Just when you need a bit of Spanish inefficiency, it’s nowhere to be seen. In March I was told by the gas company I no longer met the safety regulations and needed some work doing in my garage and kitchen, with a deadline of 6 months. So I asked a local company to do this but, as you’ll have guessed, am still waiting for them to get round to it. The bloody gas company, on the other hand, have now sent me notice that I’m in breach of my obligations and will be reported to the Galician government if I don’t send them a certificate within 15 days. Mind you, it’s not all hyper-efficiency. The letter giving me this deadline was dated 6 September and arrived on the 17th, leaving me just 4 days in which to comply. This is a common feature in Spain, where no one writes or reads [impersonal] written communications with any seriousness. Except me.

Secondary school kids go back this week. As with their younger brethren, the rolls are down, by 3% in this case. Later this week, I may or may not be told that the pupil I inherited from my elder daughter is returning for another round of private English lessons. But I’m not holding my breath.

I see a new item [‘Details of Chosen Destination’] has appeared on my phone bills from Telefonica, the company we all love to hate. At present, this service [whatever it is] is said to be gratis but I think we all know what’s happening here. We’re being softened up for the introduction of charges for a service we’ve long had for nothing. And I very much doubt that we’ll receive any letter advising us of this.

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