If
you live in the UK, you'll be aware that the one criticism guaranteed
to kill a government proposal is that “It's unfair because people
are being subjected to a post-code lottery.” In other words, folk
in the Outer Hebrides are not getting exactly the same costs/benefits
as folk in Central London. Contrast Spain, where the 17 'autonomous
communities' on the mainland and the 2 'enclaves' in North Africa
have 19 different pension rates. At the top end is the Pais Vasco, at
1,023 euros a month, and at the bottom end is poor Galicia, with a
mere 697 euros per month. The national average comes out out at 831
euros per month. Or a fraction under 10,000 a year. Or 192 a week.
A
couple of developments today in my search for a decent internet
connection. Firstly, I read that the Spanish Consumers' Association
had voted Movistar(Telefónica) the worst company in Spain for the
last 3 years. The second was that, on the recommendation of a reader,
I went to the BT Spain site and requested a call-back. I immediately
got an email and, when I got home, found they had, in fact, called me
and left a message. Bloody 'ell, given how much I hated BT for years,
it's a tad hard seeing them now as consumer-oriented. But
everything's relative, I guess.
The
Consumers' Association, by the way, are in a spot of bother with the
government. They've taken to criticising the austerity measures and
their impact on consumers and the government is so unhappy it's
threatened to make the Association illegal. Which doesn't sound
terribly democratic.
Another
new Spanish word – Un knowcoster. Perhaps it has a place in
English.
And
another new phrase – Tim Lliví. This, it seems, is the
Spanish rendition of 'Team GB', provided it's pronounced con
castizo madrileño en la 'elle'. Whatever that means.
And
a phrase I can't translate – Un perejíl de muchas salsas.
All
of which reminds me that we foreigners are occasionally (and
disrespectfully) referred to as guiris. You may or may not
know that this comes from guirigay, or 'gibberish'. Nice.
The
Spanish property market is a thing of wonder.
Expert Mark Stucklin encapsulates here something we guiris
have experienced, with astonishment - Silly as it may be,
too many vendors in Spain think they will get a better price if they
price themselves out of the market. The
net result, of course, is that a property can stay on the market for years.
For
one reason and another, my mother doesn't like Andy Murray. She took
his singles victory badly; but was immensely cheered by my telling
her he'd lost the doubles final. It takes all sorts.
Our
Ambrose is not a fan of the euro but he nonetheless admires what he
regards as the Venetian cunning of Messrs Draghi and Monti, as they
scheme and manoeuvre to keep the show on the road. Click here for
why.
Finally
. . . Click here for 10-11 fotos of yesterday's Vikings in today's
Correo Gallego.
Finally,
finally . . . If synchronised swimming, why not ballet?
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