A Postcard from Spain

Greetings from Sunny Spain!   In fact it's so sunny and hot we can't go out in the daytime, so we've been staying in and watching TV.  There's so much going on!  Some coal-miners from Up North have walked all the way to Madrid to complain that the government has kept some money from the EU which was meant protect their livelihoods, and spent it on something else. How daft is that!  But they are making themselves useful by helping burn the rubbish in the streets, entertaining the crowds with fireworks, and giving the police some target practice for their rubber bullets. (PS did you know rubber bullets are nearly as big as cricket balls?!  I thought they were little tiddly things that just bounced off, but apparently they can do you a lot of damage!)

The police will need lots of practice, because all the unions are coming out to demonstrate about tax increases, schools and hospitals closing, pay cuts etc etc. The public sector workers are cross because they won't be getting their extra month's pay at Christmas any more, apparently the banks need the money or something.  So they'll just have to max out their credit cards to do their Christmas shopping, like everyone else!  That will help the banks too!

And the pensioners aren't too happy because they've got to start paying for their prescriptions.  Well, you know what old folks are like, always moaning on about something or other!  They'll just have to take better care of themselves and not get ill!

The media here are pretty crap really, they keep getting things wrong.  For example two weeks ago they reported the President as saying that the €100 billion bailout for those poor Spanish banks wouldn't have any strings attached, but what he really meant was that there would!  €62 billion more austerity measures!  Do they really think you get something for nothing?  They also claimed he said VAT wouldn't go up, but they got that wrong too because it's going up 3%, and he wouldn't lie about something as important as that, would he?  They really should pay more attention, I'm sure if they asked him a straight question he'd give them a straight answer.

He seems such a nice man, this Mr Rajoy. At least, his government thinks so because they cheered like mad when he announced a big cut in unemployment benefit!  Quite right, they should get off their backsides and do some work (the unemployed I mean, not the politicians!!! LOL!!!!!).

One lady MP shouted "Que se jodan" which means something like "Let them fuck themselves".  The newspapers kindly printed her email address so readers could send her a message of support.  (It's  andrea.fabra@diputada.congreso.es, if you want to drop her a line.)  Apparently her dad, Carlos Fabra, is a famous criminal from Valencia, although he's obviously very clever because they haven't managed to lock him up yet.    It's nice to know the county is in good hands, not like poor old England!

Bye for now! Hasta la vista!!! xxx