Elections: The governing PSOE party has labelled the PP opposition xenophobic, machista, homophobic and non-inclusive. One wonders why they didn’t just come straight out and call them fascist bastards. The government has also now admitted the economic situation is worse than they predicted and that it’s just possible they might bear a smidgeon of responsibility for this. But, even so, if times really do get worse, we can rely on them, as caring socialists, to give us far more protection from the cold winds than we could ever get from the uncaring fascist bastards. Brilliant.

Meanwhile, in another shock report, we’ve been told the electorate quite likes the sound of all the bribes being offered to them. Even if they don’t really believe they’ll get them.

Society: There’s an odd thing about Spain in that, while there’s said to be a culture of insult here, there’s a certain type of humorously cutting remark which will never get a laugh. Or even a smile. It’s taken me a while to work this out but how I think it works is like this . . . You can say anything you like – and however angrily you like – directly to someone. But you mustn’t make a derogatory remark behind someone’s back. Fair enough, you will say; this is never acceptable. Except it is in Liverpool, where it will be understood that you’re not serious but just extemporising a one-liner. Take for example, my experience of Saturday, when I had to wait 5 or 10 minutes for my antihistamines while an old chap told first the pharmacist and then me a convoluted story about the regime for his medicine. His concern was he might not wake up after 6 hours to take his early morning pill. And what particularly worried him was there was no one in the house to rouse him. After being reassured several times by both the pharmacist and me, he finally went on his way. As he left, I turned to the pharmacist and would have said “I can see why he lives alone” but something told me I’d get an icy response. This is essentially because, in this straight-talking society, she would have believed I meant it and was being cruel. Mind you, the same thing could well happen anywhere in the south of Britain. Even if there’s not a less straight-talking society on earth. We’re just not understood, us northerners. Here, there, or anywhere. I wonder if there’s a benefit we can claim, from Madrid, London or Brussels.

Economy: Despite the impressive growth of the intervening seven years, salaries for new graduates have fallen since 2000, especially for women. Can anyone explain this? Just too many of them?

Pontevedra: I mentioned the other week that new benches has been introduced into the square which holds the Sunday flea market [el rastrillo] and which had more or less been taken over by the tables and chairs of all the cafés and bars down the side of the square. I feared for the effect on the vibrant life of the place. But I shouldn’t have worried, for the tables and chairs have progressively moved back towards the centre until they’re now virtually on top of the [semi-redundant] benches. This is almost certainly illegal but, hey, what are rules for if not to be ignored?

Gallego Corner: By chance, yesterday I came across a reference to Barallete. This is a private slang [argot] - said to have arisen in the 12th century – used by the knife-sharpeners and umbrella makers (afiadores and paragüeiros) of the Galician province of Ourense so as to keep local practice secret. It was based on Galician as spoken there but its users substituted everyday words with invented ones of no linguistic connection. So, for example, xilento was the Barellete word for "hunger". And here are two versions of the sentence “We had to work even if it rained or even if there was mud because money was needed and God does not provide it free”.
Barallete: Habia que chusar anque oretee ou axa barruxo porque facía falta zurro que Sanqueico nono da de balde.
Standard spoken Gallego: Había que traballar aínda que chova ou haxa barro porque facía falta diñeiro, que Deus non o dá de balde.

By the way, If you check the word paragüero in the Collins dictionary, you’ll be told the two meanings are:- 1. umbrella stand, and 2. a person from Ourense. This alleged calumny amuses and irritates my Galician friends in about equal measure. Unless they’re from Ourense. In which case they are infuriated.

I also came across a blog from an English-speaking Galician who has as much difficulty as I do in accepting that the regional and local governments should be free to impose Gallego over Spanish against the wishes of the people. I hope he survives. As he says, "Languages belong to the people, not to the political parties."

Note re comments: I’ve been told comments to this blog are being rejected, which has never been my intention. Checking the settings, I’ve seen there’s now a requirement people have a Google account. As I’ve no recollection of imposing this, I wonder whether it’s been introduced by Google themselves. Anyway, the only restriction now is on anonymous comments. If anyone still has problems – even in sending insults – please tell me on thoughts.from.galicia@gmail.com