Spanish working hours are a thing of wonder, to say nothing of their hours of play. But the government - perhaps concerned about low productivity - has said it’s time for the country to move towards a more ‘European’ timetable. I hope they’re not too optimistic. My own belief is that this is inevitable but could take at least a generation or two. Right now, I suspect most people here would support the woman I heard on a phone-in program tonight who clearly equated a short lunch with a dose of bird ‘flu.

I’ve mentioned before we’re regularly told Spain is near the bottom of the table when it comes to educational statistics. So it comes as a bit of a surprise to hear teachers here are among the highest paid in Europe. Even more astonishingly, they’re more than averagely unhappy with their lot. I happen to know the state system doesn’t make exorbitant demands on their time so I guess they must hark back to a time when they had even less to do. No wonder it’s a popular profession. Why, they even have their own private medical insurance. Imagine the fuss that would cause in the UK!

Actually, I asked my teacher friends recently what they thought were the main reasons for the fact Spain has the highest school dropout rate among 16-18 year olds in Europe. Apart from low government spend, they cited:- a belief that education is pointless when employment prospects are low; the willingness of parents to subsidise children way beyond anything normal in other countries; and, generally, a low work ethic on the part of both parents and their children. Pretty damning. So I’m very glad I’m only reporting someone else’s views. This week they told me that Spanish parents not only indulge their children but also defend them regardless of whatever they’ve done. I suppose these are two sides of the same coin but I’m reluctant to believe the latter. So, if there are any Spanish readers who disagree, I’d like to hear from them.

Faced with a backbench revolt, the British government has reversed its policy of allowing pubs to chose, as of next year, whether to be Smoking or No Smoking establishments. Instead they will impose a blanket ban, as in Ireland I think. Here in Spain, the first week of the new law is reported to have led to a 25% drop in the sales of tobacco and the withdrawal of 40,000 vending machines. But hell will freeze over, I suspect, before any sort of total ban is imposed here. As of now, the law appears to have made a real difference to offices and other work places but none whatsoever to cafés and bars.

If you have an iPod and a spare 200 dollars, Levi will happily exchange it for a pair of jeans with an extra pocket in them just for your little machine. And Johnsons are advertising a massage lotion for you to rub on babies' chests every night. While Nivea are selling an anti-wrinkle cream for men. I wonder if anyone’s planning to launch a suicide kit.