What’s your deepest fear? Well, apparently the majority of Spaniards are most preoccupied by the rising cost of petrol, with terrorism and climate change coming in 4th and 5th. Not much of a surprise really; a similar survey this time last year came up with more or less the same results. But of course these aren’t anyone’s deepest concerns. Read the rest of this entry »
Nothing is more indicative of a country’s social health than the general attitude towards its young and elderly. It’s commonly believed in England that Southern Europeans live longer. But I’m not sure it’s true; the old folk of England manage to drag out more or less the same life span as their Spanish and Italian counterparts. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the many things which strike you whilst meandering round a Castellano pueblo is the presence of so many recycling bins. It may surprise you, but the Spanish seem to be much greener than us Brits. It’s all relative of course; everyone needs to be doing a lot more; but the signs in this region at least are that awareness is growing. Salamanca appears to be particularly ahead of the game in some respects; its level of recycling rose 18% this year. Furthermore, the province now enjoys seven times the amount of solar energy than it did a year ago. Read the rest of this entry »
This week I’m far from Salamanca, 900 kilometres in Fact. It’s a funny life drifting between two worlds; you end up being a stranger everywhere. There’s also a sense of relief on arriving at either destination which isn’t simply due to the escape from the impersonal ordeal that is modern travel; there are always the things you’ve missed whichever country you’re returning to. Read the rest of this entry »
Salamanca plays host to many visiting academics, having as it does one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe. I first came across mention of the city and its university in a story by Irving in a collection of American short stories - an anthology which was, coincidentally, edited by an academic from my own home town of Norwich. Read the rest of this entry »
Got a job? If so, you might count yourself very lucky. Across Europe the employment situation seems to be looking rather “hairy” to say the least, and Spain is no exception. The thing is that we’re usually so preoccupied by the job situation that we forget to consider what a problem employment itself can actually be. Read the rest of this entry »
It was “World no tobacco day” recently, for which the Asociación Española contra el cáncer joined forces with Salamanca council, and the Asociación Salmantina de laringectomizados. It’s always a wondrous moment when the wheezing, malodorous smokers of the world interlock tar stained digits and leave off their vile habit for a liberated, if rather shaky, 24 hours.
We’ve heard much recently of the suffering of farmers– whether from vermin (no names) or from drastic hikes in the price of cereals. But we’re all struggling; there’s some rise or other nearly every week. Still, if you think you’ve got it hard (which you may well do if you’re in the third of Salmantinos living on less than a thousand Euros a month), just be grateful you’re not a bee. Yes, even they’re suffering; disappearing at the shocking rate of 80% a year. Apparently Castilian bees have been hit by the same disorder which has destroyed thousands of colonies in America. The phrase “The bees are dying” strikes one as being in the same vein as “the flood waters are rising” or “Boris Johnson wins election” – it has all the flavour of an apocalyptic setting. Read the rest of this entry »
Before starting my weekly rant, I’d like to apologize for the amount of errors in the last few editions of the English page: it’s due to the sleep deprivation that comes with having a baby. But excuses aside, we’re all occasionally apt to be careless – idiotic even. Which brings me, in my usual roundabout way, to the election of Boris Johnson to the mayoralty of London (a small village just outside Berkshire). You might not be aware of who the fellow is. Well, he’s a conservative backbencher who has frequently taken part in a successful satirical TV quiz show, during which he appears in the role of a (supposedly) charming duffer. Whether this is an appropriate pastime for a politician is not the issue here; let’s just say that whatever the faults of our own mayor -Julian Lanzarote, nobody could accuse him of hiding behind a charming façade. It seems to me that Londoners have to ask themselves, “Is Boris Johnson a bona fide idiot or a shrewd political performer?” Certainly on the afore-mentioned TV show he appears to be a complete buffoon, and some would say that the performance is too convincing to be anything but genuine. Read the rest of this entry »
Looking back over the past few months of the English page, it’s somewhat embarrassing how much whinging I’ve done. Well, it happens to be something we Brits excel at – that and coming second of course. British style whinging is usually performed under one’s breath and at least one hour after the offence was given. My own particular “bugbear” is the British roadside café, at which one generally suffers both from the “service” and the flavourless “slop” that is rather optimistically given the name “food”. Not that I’ve ever said anything but “Thankyou very much” after I’ve managed, heroically, to force it down. But it’s not just “normal” English chaps who like a good moan. Apparently “top popstar” Cliff Richard has been doing his fair share of whining recently, complaining that way back in 1968 General Franco had the results of the Eurovision song contest rigged, in the belief that a win for Spain would bring greater popularity for his regime. Read the rest of this entry »
