Thoughts from Galicia, Spain: Thoughts from Galicia, Spain: 22.6.18

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.

- Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain.

If you've arrived here because of an interest in Galicia or Pontevedra, see my web page here.

Life in Spain

Teachers in the UK get a qualification and then apply for a job in whatever public or private school they want to. Things are very different here, where teachers are very much civil servants, under the control of their regional government. Having taken the relevant exams – 17,000 applicants for Galicia's 2,000 jobs this week – the successful aspirants are then told where they can teach. Which often (always?) won't be where they live. And if, as in Galicia, the exams demand facility in the local language, success will be denied to those from elsewhere in Spain who don't have it. At least, that's my perception. Happy to have this corrected.
Teaching is now a much tougher job in the UK than it is in Spain but at least you're pretty much assured of a job somewhere when you take you've finished your exams. Not so here when there are more 8 applicants for every job. I guess there's always (seasonal) work then as a waiter/waitress for the unlucky ones. Or emigration.
An interesting develoment in Madrid.
The Local's list of Spain's best tapas dishes. I relish nearly all of them. Certainly not a fan of octopus covered in paprika.
If you want to know where all the new laser radar machines will be operating in Spain, go to SocialDrive's FB page here. Be aware that they're movable. I think there's an app that might be helpful in finding out to where . . .

The EUI/Italy

Hard-line Eurosceptics have swept all the key posts in the budget and finance committees of the Italian parliament, shattering the brief calm in the bond markets and guaranteeing a showdown with Brussels over spending rules.

The USA

I REALLY DON'T CARE DO YOU . . . . Where's the full stop/period and the question mark? What an example to set to American kids. And then there's the message itself. . . WTF?

The UK

The US ambassador's advice to Britain: When you look at Donald Trump and what he has done, maybe take some inspiration and actually do some of the things he has done. Ye gods! Are all his appointees as mad as Fart? The Germans certainly have reason to think so, at least.

Spanglish?

Here's an irony. In Colombia, I'm told, many men are given Anglo names, including James. An English World Cup commentator, following polite British custom, pronounced this in the Spanish fashion as Khamess for one of the country's players. But, my Colombian source assures me, it's pronounced 'James' back in Colombia . . .

Galicia/Pontevedra

Galicia will lead the rest of Spain in deployment of moveable laser radar machines. As well as 15 in the A Coruña and Pontevedra costal provinces, there'll be 7 and 4 more in the Lugo and Ourense provinces, respectively. This is more – by some margin – than any other region in Spain. And you can be sure that at least some of these will be set up where it's hard to know what the limit is. So, driving will become even more of a calvario here, as you watch the signs like a hawk. Or maybe just drive everywhere at 30kph/18mph. Though even this would be a risk in our cities, where the limit is 20kph/12mph.
Even though they don't seem to me to be necessary, new paving stones/cobbles are being put down in various places around the city and in my barrio across the river. I can think of only one reason why this work has been commissioned but maybe I'm being too cynical. It all rather contrasts with neglect of a park in the centre of town.
There's another narcotrafico trial taking place in the Pontevedra court. This time of O Mulo and various members of his family/clan. The prosecution have been lenient in seeking only 24 years in prison for the main man. I expect him to get rather less, if anything.
'Til death do us part: The joint funeral took place in Salceda this week of a murdered woman and her assasin, her husband. They're now buried in separate niches, though I don't know if they're adjacent. Or in the same 'family' block.

The World Cup

Poor old Messi. A dreadful Argentine team again gave him no chance to shine last night. Or even touch the ball more than one or twice, it seemed to me - in a game of 38 offences and 7 yellow cards, which someone labelled a phenomenal rate of fouling.
Needless to say, there was a lot of the foot-stamping I cited yesterday, from both teams. I can't understand how the players think they can get away with it.
In the Denmark-Australia match, there was another example of a player going down clutching his face even though he'd been (barely) touched nowhere near it. Same comment applies. Unless it's stopped, we're going to have a player writhing on the ground, grasping his face, if an opponent merely whispers an insult in his ear. Are these guys really so stupid they don't know cameras follow their every move? Theys should be sent off.
I fell to wondering whether modern players are actually schooled in the art of ham playacting at bumps which would pass totally unnoticed in a game of rugby.
Is this a World Cup with a more than average number of astonishing goalkeeping errors?
And of fewer goals, even in decent matches? Despite the VAR-driven penalties.

Finally . . .

If you want a good analysis of the Argentinean disaster, click here. It's from the USA, so there are plenty of stats . . . For example: No Argentina player gave more than two successful passes to Messi in the first half against Croatia, a criminal thing to do when a lot of their play revolves around the Barcelona man.
And here's a fine exculpation of poor Messi. As the writer rightly concludes: Messi deserves better than this. His brilliance has bred complacency in those around and above him. Sampaoli insisted that his team would not solely rely on one player, but if anyone was naive enough to believe that trope before the tournament, they surely do no longer. Turning his teammates into a team might just be Messi’s Sisyphean task. He does not deserve censure, only sympathy.

Thoughts from Galicia, Spain