Catalans say no to independence, but... / Spain picks Basque language film for Oscars / Felipe & Letizia vs William & Kate

My latest Spain related posts at Newsvine:

 

Spain Chooses Basque-Language Fim 'Loreak' as Oscar Submission 

The Spanish Academy of Cinematic Arts and Sciences announced this morning that Jon Garaño & Jose Mari Goenaga's "Loreak" (Flowers) has been selected to represent the country in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards. This is the first-ever …

 

 Majority in Catalonia voted 'no' to independence from Spain 

Catalonia, the north-eastern region in Spain, held a regional election on Sunday. Its legal purpose was to elect a regional assembly that should elect a new regional government. But the outgoing president and his political mates decided this would not be the real purpose of the …

He's young, handsome with centuries of kings, queens in the family tree. She's smart, glamorous with no blue blood. William & Kate? No, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain.  

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, in Washington this week for their first official visit — without the frenzied media mob that follows the British monarchy. There are no breathless morning television countdowns, no stakeouts for their trips to Mount Vernon or the …

Is Pedro Solbes misreading, or misleading? That is the question.

In case anyone who follows this blog hasn't guessed by now, I have very little faith in Spain's Economy Minister, Pedro Solbes -- not that I have much faith in any of his colleagues, either. However, he holds a special place in my disdain because of what can only be his misreading of, or misleading about the economy

When he served in Brussels as European Commissioner for Economic & Financial Affairs (1999-2004), he denied that the introduction of the euro contributed to inflation. Then in December 2007 he said, "When I was in Brussels, I said the opposite, but now I can say that the euro has had an inflationary effect on low cost items." Was that a misreading, or was he misleading?

At that same time he predicted that Spain's inflation rate, which was 4.1%, would go below 3% by March 2008. Solbes was wrong again, as by April it had risen to 4.6%. By May it was 4.7%. Misreading, or misleading?

Solbes continued to deny there was an economic crisis through the first half of 2008, as people lost jobs, the cost of living soared, the real estate bubble burst, and the economy just generally went into the toilet. In May Solbes equated "crisis" with "recession," and added, "To talk about recession is exaggerated." Misreading, or misleading?

It seemed like he might be ready to admit the truth when it was leaked to the media that he used the word "crisis" in a June 10th closed door session of parliament. However, on June 11th he qualified that by saying, “Yesterday, the only thing I said was that we need to prepare for a crisis, but I never talked about 'the crisis.'” The official line from the Socialist Party spokesperson, José Antonio Alonso, was that Solbes had had a “slip of the tongue.” Misreading, or misleading?

Then to muddy the water further, he said on June 13th that while the Spanish economy was experiencing an “abrupt adjustment” he didn't use the word “crisis” because that would be "abusing a false affirmation. Crisis means that everything is going badly and that every other thing is going well, neither one thing or the other.” Misreading, or misleading?

By July he had finally started using the "C" word publicly, even declaring in one interview, "For me, this is the most complex crisis we have ever experienced because of the number of factors that are on the table." But around then he had moved on to avoiding the "R" word. In an interview in August he said, "We think there will be very low or flat growth in the coming quarters, but we are not thinking of a recession." Misleading, or misreading?

Last summer Solbes and Company forecast that Spain would avoid recession and that the GDP would actually grow a full 1%. This was very different from what most other economists were saying. Then yesterday he and the Government belatedly acknowledged the country is in a recession when he announced that his ministry was changing the forecast from one of GDP growth to one with a 1.6% drop. Misreading, or misleading?

Of course, there are still many non-government economists who are not as confident as Solbes, with some predicting the Spanish economy will contract as much as 3% this year. Neither the dire views of others, nor his lousy performance so far, seem to have given him pause. Indeed, while finally admitting he was wrong yesterday, he also had the temerity to make yet another prediction. According to his crystal ball (which must be what he uses in lieu of economic theory), 2009 will see the worst of the crisis, 2010 will witness GDP growth of 1.2%, and 2011 will experience a jump up to 2.6%. Misreading, or misleading?

Of course, people here say that Solbes is only delivering the information Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero wants him to, and I don't doubt it for a second. Certainly the buck stops with Zapatero, but it would be nice to have an Economy Minister who told the PM and the people what they needed to hear.

Instead what is it exactly that he offers? Is it misreading, or misleading? Double-speaking, or misspeaking? Denying, or lying? Call it what you will, but it does not often resemble the truth.

Finally, one more question: if you were running a business, would you hire someone with a track record like this?

Dios nos ayude, amig@s,

Carloz

South Pole Unlimited = Polo Sur Sin Limites

The Spanish savings bank La Caixa's Social Service foundation is sponsoring a unique expedition to Antarctica. Called South Pole Unlimited, it is the world's first polar expedition made up of disabled individuals who will have no “external aides.” One of the adventurers is from madrid, Jesús Noriega, and the other two, Xavier Valbuena and Eric Villalón, are from Catalonia.

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While there has been a bit about this in the Spanish media, I have been surprised to have not seen anything about it in the English language media. Perhaps that is because although the “La Caixa” Social Service foundation has an English language version of its website they seem quite behind on the translations of their releases.

The last English language press release of theirs I was able to find was something from last April about “La Caixa” leading a business alliance to collaborate with the GAVI Alliance on child vaccination. While that certainly was news worth releasing in any language, I counted 20 subsequent Spanish language press releases that have not had English language versions done. So, as my Christmas gift to the South Pole Unlimited expedition, below is my translation of the information about it that I found on the “La Caixa” Social Service website's press page. (By the way, “sin limites” could also be translated as “without limits” but I prefer the sound of “unlimited.”)

The world's first expedition of a group of people with physical disabilities who, without any type of external aid, will travel across 250 km of the Antarctic plain, one of the most inhospitable areas on the planet.

South Pole Unlimited.

“La Caixa” Social Service, the abilities of people with disabilities

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Barcelona, 29 December, 2008

Jesús Noriega, Xavier Valbuena and Eric Villalón are the three team members with disabilities, who along with two expert polar guides, Ramón Larramendi and Ignacio Oficialdegui, will spend three weeks on the remote Antarctic plain, on the expedition South Pole Unlimited, organized by “La Caixa” Social Service. They will have to travel across 250 km, pulling a 60 kg sled, and withstanding temperatures of 40º C below zero and winds of 300 km /h.

Even more than overcoming their physical challenges — Jesus has been missing a hand since birth, Xavier lost a leg eight years ago and Eric only has 5% vision —, what has motivated them to participate in such a high-risk expedition is to demonstrate the ability that disabled people have to surmount any challenge.

In addition to a great sports challenge, the expedition will carry out a unique scientific project. For the first time, samples will be taken along the 250 km it takes to reach the geographical South Pole. The analyses of the data will provide evidence regarding levels of organic and inorganic contaminants, as well as confirmation of bacterial life trapped in the Antarctic ice. All of this data is of great relevance to the conservation of planet Earth.

In the 21st century the conquest of the South Pole continues to be a great challenge. Despite current technical advances, it is difficult to to live and to move around this frozen continent. It continues to be a place where the limits of human ability are put to the test.

Expedition members will leave Barcelona tomorrow, 30 December, bound for Punta Arenas [Chile] and from there they will go to the proximity of Patriot Hills, 88º S, the starting point for the objective of the geographical South Pole, latitude 90º S, where all lines of longitude meet.

South Pole Unlimited, “La Caixa” Social Service is an initiative in collaboration with the Social Integration and Environment Area of “La Caixa” Social Service. However, this project is not only a sports challenge, but also a social, human and scientific one, with the goal of demonstrating to society the abilities of people with disabilities.
¡Que les vayan bien!

Carloz

P.S. In the video below, there are shots of expedition members practicing on Barceloneta beach.

Sunny Barcelona? Often, but certainly not always!

In all my time in Barcelona, I had never seen the local beaches closed until recently. The city has partitioned off all local beaches due the worst storm to hit the Catalan and Valencian coast in 50 years. On Christmas day the weather was typically lovely -- sunny, clear and bright. Then by the night of the 25th everything changed!

The rain started Thursday evening, eventually accompanied by very strong winds. That night I could feel the building I live in swaying! The storm was so bad on Friday that I stayed in all day. The awful weather continued on Saturday morning, but calmed down later in the day. When I walked to the seafront that afternoon I was shocked by what I saw: objects large and small strewn across the sand, restaurant terraces destroyed, and police tape running along the beach to block entry. (See the incredible photo slide show on the El Periodico web site; photos 4 and 5 were taken at Barceloneta beach, with the high rise buildings of Port Olimpico in the background. The photo above is of Bogatell beach, which is on the other side of Porto Olimipco.)

Saturday night there was a light rain when I went out, but by the time I came home storm conditions had returned. I have never seen the Mediterranean's waves crashing so hard and the only times I have ever felt such strong winds were during hurricanes.

The result of this awful weather is that businesses and homes suffered damage from wind and water, rail service was interrupted, traffic problems abounded and some individuals even lost their lives. So far, four people have died as a result of the inclement weather on the coast, including a Port Olimpico worker who was swept away by a wave. Two other people were killed when their cars were washed away by waves! The fourth person died while scuba diving near Valencia when the storm hit. (I think the storm hit there a little earlier in the day than it did in Barcelona.) Of course, there were also many injured people.

As I write this on the night of Sunday the 28th, it's not raining at the moment, but the skies are still covered with clouds and the weather forecast is for storm conditions to return.

Oh, what a Christmas!

Saludos amig@s,

Carloz

Minimum Wage Spain = Salario Mínimo España

Some years ago I asked a Spanish colleague what the minimum wage was here and was met with a puzzled look. When I explained what I meant further, he said he didn't think there was such a thing -- an average, perhaps, but nothing guaranteed. This person was a professional with a post graduate degree, so I thought if he did not know, then there must not be such a thing in Spain.

Eventually, I learned that there is indeed such a thing, but that it is not a guaranteed hourly wage, but a monthly salary. The Spanish minimum wage is called the Salario Mínimo Interprofesional or the SMI and has existed since 1963. It supposedly pertains to all occupations, businesses and economic sectors. It is adjusted at regular intervals, usually each year, although the law allows for bi-annual adjustments. It is based on "normal working hours" (whatever that means), and is established according to various economic indices such as productivity, retail-price index, etc., and is protected from seizure by creditors.

I've read that since the SMI is so low, only about 0.7% of the employed population is affected by adjustments to it -- or 140,000 people. However, it is said to have an important indirect impact because the SMI is used as a reference point for establishing pensions and for collective pay negotiations. Spanish unions claim that it effects the remuneration of one million employees. That leaves about 18,860,000 people who are not affected.

In addition, before moving here and since living here, I have continuously heard and read that employers are supposed to pay their contracted employees 14 monthly payments a year, not 12. In the 9 years I have lived here, I have never received the two extra payments.

Anyway, I write all of this as background to the news that Prime Minister Zapatero announced yesterday that the SMI would go up 4%, to 624 euros a month. It is the lowest increase in the past five years. It is also much lower than the 7.5% a year that would be necessary for Zapatero to reach his campaign promise of a monthly SMI of 800 euros by 2012. So, now he's promised to raise it by 8.6% a over the next 3 years.

Yesterday the Government also approved a 2.4% raise in pensions for 2009. The average pension will be 741.62 euros a month.

It is estimated that the cost of living in 2008 went up 5.3%.

I suppose many Spaniards will be counting their pennies as well as their grapes when the clock strikes midnight next Wednesday.

Let's hope that 2009 is a better year in Spain and everywhere!

Saludos amig@s,

Carloz

Main sources: European Employment and Industrial Relations Glossaries and El País (Un final de ciclo amargo and El Gobierno eleva un 4% el salario mínimo, a 624 euros.)

The Spanish Constitution is 30 years old

It's a typical Constitution Day - Immaculate Conception "puente" (long weekend) here in Spain -- lovely weather, Christmas decorations everywhere, people milling about, restaurants packed with diners, politicians talking nonsense, etc.

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On this 30th anniversary of Spain's Constitution, opposition leader Mariano Rajoy has accused Prime Minister Jose Rodrigo Zapatero of destabilizing Spain. In case anyone might think he was mincing words, he threw in terms like irresponsible, frivolous and disturbing.

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Rajoy has assured everyone, however, that he did not want to cast a shadow over the country's celebrations. I suppose he simply wanted to get as much press coverage as possible -- which he seems to have done, as he's right up there on most front pages, along with reports on the Royal family's plans for today and Zapatero's revelation that in his opinion the Spanish Constitution, "has been, is and will be useful."

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I'm not sure if Z's remark was an example of faint praise or faint oratorical skill.

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We can only hope that no politicians will feel a need to comment on the Immaculate Conception.

Chao amig@s,

Carloz

100,000 protest against English classes in Valencia!

The largest street protest in Valencia since 2003's march against the War in Iraq occurred yesterday in response to the regional government's plan have the school system's new Civics classes taught only in English. A crowd that organizers estimated at 100,000 converged on regional government headquarters. Many carried signs with slogans in English, such as, "No, we can't," and "[Education Minister Alejandro] Font de Mora go home!"

However, Valencians are not up in arms about English, but rather about what many see as an effort by the regional Valencian government, which is controlled by the conservative Popular Party, to undermine the Civics curriculum. The national government, which is led by the Socialist Party, developed the Civics course for students who want to opt out of the Roman Catholic Religion course that is taught in schools across Spain.




Valencia is the only autonomous region that has mandated that the new course be taught in a foreign language, which is what led to the call for protests by the organization Plataforma por la Enseñanza Pública. (Platform for Public Education.) For the past three months parents, teachers and students have been taking to the streets throughout the region. Until yesterday's march the largest had been a gathering of 30,000 people on November 10th. In addition to this local reaction, many school officials and education experts across the country have criticised the Valencian government's action.

It is interesting that at the same time that this is happening there have been increasing demands for religious icons to be removed from schools and other public places. Two national police officers (guardias civiles) recently sued to have images of the Virgin of Pilar removed from their headquarters, while a city of Seville police officer has requested that two religious images be removed from the local police station.

Meanwhile, this month for the first time ever in Spain, a court ruled that crucifixes in a public space must be removed, when a judge in the town of Valladolid ordered a school to remove its religious symbols. The judge found that the presence of religious symbols in the school seemed to convey the idea that the state is closer to Roman Catholicism than to other religions. The school board had rejected the request from a parent in 2005 to remove the icons.

These things are happening 30 years after the end of the Franco dictatorship, which had previously made Roman Catholicism the state religion. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 guarantees a secular state.

Bicycling News: Yesterday Hundreds; Today Thousands

YESTERDAY - Nude Cycling Demonstrations:
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Hundreds of “ciclonudistas” (nude cyclers) took to the streets of various Spanish cities yesterday for the 4th annual “bicicletada nudista” (nudist bicycle gathering). This year the events were held to promote bicycle usage and demand more bike lanes. Organizers claim that naked cycling demonstrates the vulnerability of human bodies on bicycles. As one cyclist put it, via speakers attached to his bike, "We are defenseless against automobile traffic!"
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In Barcelona about 150 cyclists rode around the center of the city to protest against the insecurity they feel and in honor of a bicyclist who was run over this past Tuesday. The 54 year old cyclist, who is a member of the local bicyclists organization Friends of Biking, was hit by a truck that had reportedly crossed over into the bicycle lane. The victim remains in the intensive care unit of a local hospital.
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The demonstration started at the site of the accident at the intersection of Consell de Cent and Bruc streets, and then went on to to a stop in front of the city's Bicing office at Portal del Angel and finally to Plaza Jaume, where City Hall and the Provincial Government Headquarters are both located. Organizers read a manifesto at the end of the ride calling for, among other things, a moratorium on the creation of new bicycle lanes and the development of a program to educate drivers. At every stop cyclists were surrounded by photo snapping tourists.
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Meanwhile, in Madrid 200 or so nude protesters cycled down the Paseo del Prado from Cibeles Plaza up to Retiro City Park.
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Nudist advocate groups in Barcelona had called for the cancellation of the event on the grounds that it was "a provocation in a city in which it [nudity] is a right." In Madrid somewhat the opposite seems to have occurred, with nudists using the event there to stand up for their rights. That city's nude cycling contingency crossed paths with a group of 20 or so nude marchers, who walked to Spain's Congress of Representatives, where they hand delivered a letter in defense of the “right to go nude in public spaces." (While public nudity is not illegal in Spain, it is not protected by law either.)
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TODAY - Barcelona's Bike and Skateboard Festival:
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Today some 15,000 people participated in the ninth Barcelona Bike and Skateboard Festival. Cyclers and skateboarders rode from the city center to Plaza de España. There, at the base of Montjuïc, the city sponsored festival included demonstrations by well known cyclists and skateboarders, workshops, and various "freewheeling" activities. As in previous editions of the festival, the non-profit organization, Active Africa, had a collection point for donations of equipment and spare parts for bicycles.
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Oh, by the way, I didn't spot any nude cyclers or skateboarders at today's festival.
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Hasta la proxima amig@s,
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Carloz

Crisis? What crisis?

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero finally presented his new government's economic plan on Saturday, while avoiding saying anything that might make it sound like Spain is facing serious economic problems. I think the reaction published in this Sunday's El País hit the nail on the head:

“Crisis? What crisis? 'A difficult scenario', 'a difficult period of adjustment' or 'a deep deceleration of the economy'. These are some of the terms the president of the government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, employed yesterday when referring to the current state of Spain's economy, which receives a blow each time a new economic indicator is revealed. The president attributes the deterioration to external factors (increased oil and food prices). Still, he announced a package of 'structural reforms' to make things more tolerable. There is nothing new in this battery of urgent measures.

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Unemployment is on the rise, inflation has gotten out of control, sales of homes have collapsed, sales of cars cannot even get off the ground, and the gross domestic product is losing wind. But Zapatero resists thinking that this is a crisis situation...

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The measures were neither new nor quantified. ...one consists of a 30% reduction of administrative charges that businesses bear. [However,] This was an action that had been announced in April of 2007...with the aim of lowering bureaucratic costs by 2012... ...other plans [included enhancing] railway competition and energy sharing with France.”

And this less than enthusiastic coverage was from a news organization sympathetic to Zapatero's socialist party! Imagine what the center and right leaning media wrote!!

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Most distressing to me was the revelation that this “plan” is to be incorporated into a national program of reforms which will be presented to the European Commission in October. A lot can happen between now and October!! What is the government planning on doing to address the so-called “difficult scenario” before then -- more thumb twiddling?!!!

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Perhaps the most interesting part of the El País report was the following:

“Microphones are treacherous -- above all when they are on without the speakers' knowledge. That was the case yesterday with the President of the Government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and the owner of Planeta Publishing Corp., José Manuel Lara, who before the presentation made several recommendations regarding the crisis, as recorded by Channel Four:

Lara: 'For the time being, [the crisis] is not going to stop. I am afraid it's going to get worse in the second half of the year. That's what I fear.'

Zapatero: 'It's not clear'

Lara: 'I would advise that you not burn yourself...'

Zapatero: 'What?'

Lara: 'You shouldn't speak; have [Finance Minister] Solbes speak. You shouldn't burn yourself, because it could look bad as president'.

Zapatero: 'There is another factor you have to consider. That is, if you instill a lot of pessimism, if you don't say anything positive...'

Lara (interrupting him) : 'No, no, you make the crisis worse, yes, yes. ..'

Zapatero: 'That's what we're doing.'

Lara: '...but let the the Economy Minister, the Industry Minister affect optimism and the president be reserved. That's what I mean.' ”

Well, it seems we get a lot of optimism from Zapatero, Solbes and others, but not much action. Meanwhile, other Sunday headlines about the economy were not so optimistic: "The worst is yet to come" , "Everything about the crisis" , and one headline which quoted the President of the European Bank, "We must stay alert, now is not the time for complacency." It sounds like others believe that optimistic talk is not realistic.

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To be fair, from this consumer's viewpoint there was at least one good piece of news that came out this weekend: Spain's state-regulated electricity prices will not rise by the 11.3 percent the industry was hoping for. During an interview with the radio network Cadena Ser, Zapatero said the increase would be close to the rise in inflation. "The National Energy Commission proposal is not going to be adopted by the Government of Spain," he stated. Spain's inflation hit a record high of 4.7 percent in May, so I am hoping rates won't go up much more than 5%. If that's what happens, many of us in Spain will let out a “Phew!” of relief while bracing ourselves for whatever comes next in this non-crisis that the government seems dead set on being so upbeat about.

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Hasta luego amig@s,
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Carloz

Happy Birthday Bicing!

Bicing, Barcelona's public bicycle sharing system, marked its one year anniversary with a party on the seaside this weekend. About 2,000 persons gathered to hear speeches, watch marching bands, and eat a giant birthday cake.

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From the perspective of this user Bicing is a success and I think most Barcelonans would concur. Using this form of public transportation has saved me time and money, as well as provided me with an opportunity to get some extra exercise -- all without contributing to air pollution, noise and traffic congestion.

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Here are some statistics provided by Bicing that reflect the program's popularity: today Bicing has more than 130,000 users from 16 years of age to 83. The majority are between the ages of 26 and 35. The 4, 300 bicycles are used an average of 30,000 times a day. Each bike is used an average of 8 times a day. The average trip lasts 17 minutes and covers 3 kilometers. There are currently 286 stations that cover every district within the city limits. About 120 workers travel around the city in special Bicing vans to make repairs, switch out damaged bicycles and provide station maintenance. Every day about 300 new people join the system by paying the 24 euro annual membership fee.

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Future plans include expanding to 400 stations and 6,000 bicycles by this summer. Neighboring cities, such as Badalona and L'Hopsitalet, are considering joining the network so that Bicing can cover the whole Barcelona metropolitan area. There is talk about increasing the program's operating hours. (Currently the service is available from 5am to midnight on Sunday through Thursdays and 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays.) Plans to create a weekly pass for tourists have been put on hold, but stay tuned, because as soon as it is inaugurated, I will post a notice.

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However, the system is not perfect and not all users are happy. One anonymous commentator on the ADN.es website wrote:

"It's a shame that you do not mention the very bad management of this service: thefts of bells and damage to gears, insufficient availability of bicycles at stations, failures in the computer system that prevent you from taking a bicycle even though some are available, fines and unjust sanctions due to mistakes by those in positions of responsibility..."

(Click here for the original Spanish version of the article the writer was commenting on. Scroll down the page to view his comments.)

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This writer is referring to the following situations:

• some of the bikes are vandalized, forcing users to ride without bells or with non-functioning gears;


• at times there are no bikes available at a station and it is necessary to wait until someone returns one -- indeed sometimes there are lines of people waiting for a bike;


• the computerized station racks sometimes breakdown and either will not allow people to take bikes or will not allow bikes to be returned;


• and some members claim that they have been fined 250 euros for losing bikes that in fact they had returned.

The latter could be because of a problem with the computerized rack, but it could also be because the user did not check to make sure that the bicycle was locked into the rack properly. I have actually seen kids at the Bicing bike racks trying all the parked bikes to see if there are any bikes that they could take be cause they were not locked properly.

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Of course, the burden of proof is on the member. For that reason, I usually not only check to see that the rack has properly locked the bicycle by trying to remove the bicycle from the stand, but I also immediately try to check out another bike because if the system has recorded the bike as returned, the computer system should give me a message that I need to wait 10 minutes before borrowing another bicycle.

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Other things I hear people complaining about are the limited number of bike lanes in Barcelona, the lack of respect pedestrians and other vehicles have for bike lanes, and the fact that police seem to fine bicyclers for violations much more than they do pedestrians and vehicle drivers. (I've never heard of a pedestrian getting fined for walking in a bike lane, although it is against the law.)

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So, yes, there are problems but all in all, I have to say I am not only satisfied, I am grateful. Bicing is a great way to get around!

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¡Felice cumpleaños, Bicing!

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Carloz

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P.S. Bicing has an old English version of it's website that is not updated anymore. Click here to view it.

Bad news: Barcelona 20; Madrid 24

This was the "score" that made headlines here last week, but it wasn't soccer results -- it was about how expensive the two major Spanish cities have become. So, "Barcelona, tan cara como Nueva York" ("Barcelona, as expensive as New York") screamed the front page of Barcelona's La Vanguardia newspaper on March 19th.
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Sure enough, according to the latest "Prices and Earnings: comparison of purchasing power around the globe" report by the Swiss banking firm UBS, Barcelona is the 20th most expensive city in the world, while New York City is 18th. Madrid comes in at number 24. (FYI, the 5 most expensive cities according to USB are Oslo, Copenhagen, London, Dublin and Zurich -- in that order.)
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However, looking a little closer at the data, one can see that this first list, referred to as the "Prices" list has two columns -- one including rent costs and the other not. Therefore, according to UBS, Barcelona is the 20th most expensive city in the world for visitors, and Madrid number 24, etc.
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For a look at the cost of living in a city, one needs to look at the second column, which includes rent costs. Here Barcelona is ranked as the 26th most expensive city to live in, Madrid number 22 and New York City number 5. So, saying Barcelona is as expensive as New York city could be considered stretching things a bit -- but it certainly isn't cheap anymore! (By the way, according to this list, the most expensive city to live in is London followed by Oslo, Dublin and Copenhagen.)
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Another list in the report is called, "Domestic purchasing power including rent prices." Here Barcelona is ranked number 24, Madrid goes down to 30 and New York comes in at number 22. (The five most expensive cities in this grouping are Copenhagen, Zurich, Berlin, Geneva and Frankfurt.)
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Here are a few interesting quotes from the report:

• "The euro has continued its extraordinary ascent."


• "...Eurozone cities are even more expensive."


• "In 2006, Barcelona and Hong Kong were similarly costly. Now the Catalonian port city is 22% more expensive than the Chinese one."

Well, it seems from this report that Europe is the most expensive part of the world to live in today. As for the Euro, I have definitely seen a substantial increase in the cost of living since it was introduced in 2001. And I can personally attest to how much more it costs me to live in Barcelona than it did in previous years.
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In 2005 someone on a forum about life in Spain asked me how much I usually spent on groceries and sundries. Since I keep my supermarket receipts that was easy for me to answer -- at the time it was typically between 120 and 130 euros a month. Looking at current receipts, I can say that today I regularly spend between 165 and 175 a month.
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I need to mention that I am single and relatively frugal. Certainly there are single people who spend less than me on groceries and such, but there are probably many more who spend a greater amount than I do to eat each month.
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In closing, let me mention another report that made the news this week: Personal Income and the Risk of Poverty in Catalonia by IDES-CAT, the Statistical Institute of Catalonia. According to this study, 19% of the Catalan population falls beneath the poverty threshold. This means that 19 out of every 100 people living in Catalonia live on less than 689 euros a month!
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While I know many "mileruistas" who struggle by on about 1,000 euros a month, it must be incredibly difficult to get by on less than 689 -- especially on one's own. Sharing an apartment would be a must on such an income. Indeed, it is for many people above the poverty level.
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IDES-CAT also reported the following:

• 30% of people surveyed reported that they had difficulty making ends meet each month;
• only 4 out of ten persons surveyed stated that they had NO difficulty making ends meet;
• income is 22.3% lower in households headed by women;
• households that suffer the most economically are those made up of foreigners and those with divorced or separated heads of households;

And on that cheery note, I need to head out to do my weekly marketing.
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

STOP TIPPING SO MUCH! Spain's Economy Minister says Spanish public doesn't know the value of a euro

At 4.1%, Spain's inflation rate is currently higher than other euro zone countries. Economy Minister Pedro Solbes apparently believes that part of the reason for this is the failure of Spaniards to understand the value of the euro.

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At an economic forum held on Saturday he said, "We Spaniards haven't internalized the value of a euro, which can be seen in bars and cafes. When people leave tips, they don't take into account that 20 cents is worth 32 pesetas and that one euro is worth 166 pesetas. They often leave a tip that's 50% the value of the product."

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Before the euro replaced the peseta in 2002, Spaniards were in the habit of leaving 25 peseta tips in cafes, which would have equaled somewhere between 10 and 15 cents.

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While Solbes added that he believes inflation will return to below 3% before next March, he admitted that he was wrong when he said some years ago that the euro had not had an inflationary effect as a result of merchants rounding up prices at the time of the conversion from the peseta.

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"When I was in Brussels (as the EU Economic Affairs Commissioner), I said the opposite, but now I can say that the euro has had an inflationary effect on low cost items."

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So, why should we now believe his predictions about inflation? ¡¿?!

Interesting results from Spanish surveys, studies, reports, etc.

GUESS WHICH WORLD LEADER SPANIARDS CONSIDER TO BE THE WORST. If you guessed US President George Bush, you were only off by two. Bush came in third to last, behind Cuban leader Fidel Castro in the pentultimate position, leaving Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez to reign as the international leader held in lowest esteem.
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This terrible trinity of the worst was the result of a poll of 12,000 Spaniards conducted by the Elcano Royal Institute (Real Instituto Elcano), a Spanish think-tank. The survey, which was carried out between November 26th and December 3rd, had Chávez finishing last in the popularity poll with a 1.4 ranking. Next came Castro at 1.9, Bush at 2.2, Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega at 2.9 and Russia's Vladimir Putin rounding out the bottom at 3.4. The most respected leaders were EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, with a 6.2 rating, followed by former IMF director Rodrigo Rato with 6.1, German Chancellor Angela Merkel with 5.8, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a tie at 5.3.
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MOST SPANIARDS SUPPORT ZAPATERO'S FOREIGN POLICY, according to the same Elcano study. Of the respondents, 54% view the Spanish Prime Minister's foreign policy efforts positively, while 39% take a negative view.
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CONSUMER PRICE INDEX UP AGAIN according to statistics released on Friday by Spain's National Statistics Institute (NIE). November's CPI was 4.1% compared with 3.6% in October. In addition, the European Central Bank, in its monthly economic bulletin released the day before, noted that inflation has risen in Spain, Portugal and the euro zone in general.
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SPANIARDS UP TO THEIR NECKS IN DEBT according to a study by The General Association of Consumers (La Asociación General de Consumidores), ASGECO. The Study of Family Indebtedness (Estudio sobre el endeudamiento de las familias) released by the organization last week reported that 40% of Spanish households have difficulty making ends meet each month, only 30% have money left over at the end of the month, and nearly 60% face the possibility of having to obtain a second mortgage on their homes.
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BARCELONA HAS THE HIGHEST CINEMA TICKET PRICES IN SPAIN AND CORDOBA THE LOWEST according to a comparison done by FACUA.org Consumers in Action (Consumidores en Acción). The survey of movie ticket prices at 104 cinemas in thirty-three cities across Spain found that the price of admission can vary up to 90% nation-wide. Barcelona, A Coruña and Madrid have the most expensive cinemas, against Jaén, Cadiz and Cordoba, the lowest priced. The average price nationally is 5.41 euros. Ticket prices have risen 3.6% over 2006, when the previous study found an average price of 5.22 euros. The average was 5.05 euros in 2005, 4.80 in 2004 and 4.62 in 2003.
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In the report, FACUA denounced as illegal the practice of prohibiting movie-goers from bringing with them beverages or food from outside cinemas. The association recommends that consumers request a complaint form from cinemas to denounce this irregularity, since it is a violation of the General Law for the Defense of Consumers and Users. (La Ley General para la Defensa de los Consumidores y Usuarios.)
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TWO OUT OF EVERY TEN RAMBLERS ARE LOCALS according to a study by the Barcelona NGO Friends of The Rambla (Amigos de La Rambla / Amics de La Rambla). Only 2 out of every 10 people who walk along Barcelona's Las Ramblas are Barcelonans, whereas nearly 60% are foreign tourists. Another 20% or so are visitors, too, but from Spain rather than abroad, with about 10% of these from other parts of Cataluña.

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Of those surveyed, 34% said that Las Ramblas' diversity and cosmopolitanism was what attracted them most; 20% felt there were usually too many people on the famous paseo; 15% indicated that they felt insecure and vulnerable to theives and 5% were there in order to get to La Boqueria public market. The most traveresed section is between Plaza Cataluña and Plaza Real. Most people enter Las Ramblas from Plaza Cataluña, whereas the point of access least frequented is Arc del Teatre street.

Annus horribilis for the Spanish Royal Family

I don't believe the Spanish Royal Family has been in the news this much since 2004, the year Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia got married . Unfortunately, this year it's been mostly bad news. The latest - Princess Elena has separated from her husband, Duke Jaime de Marichalar. This is the first official separation of a royal couple in Spanish history.
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The bad news began early in the year with Prince Felipe's sister-in-law committing suicide in February. In July, Felipe and Letiza's became the brunt of jokes when the satirical magazine El Jueves put a cartoon of the royal couple having sex on its front cover. In October a few Catalan nationalists who want independence from Spain burned the King's photograph at a public rally in the town of Girona during a royal visit. Then in early November, Morocco temporarily recalled its ambassador from Madrid to protest the King and Queen's trip to Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish possessions (usually referred to as "enclaves") on the North African coast.
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Of course, the biggest headlines were caused by King Juan Carlos' telling President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, "Why don't you shut up?!" at the recent Ibero-American Summit -- and the resulting tension between Spain and Venezuela continues to make news over a week later. I think the Economist described the incident well in an article entitled, "The king was not amused":
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"It is a routine. Every time that Latin American leaders get together at a regional summit, the headlines are stolen by Venezuela's outspoken leftist leader, Hugo Chávez. But at the Ibero-American summit in Chile's capital, Santiago, Mr Chávez got some help from an unusual quarter, Spain's King Juan Carlos."
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The YouTube video of the incident became immensely popular in Spain. Within a day or so there were novelty songs playing on the radio, t-shirts emblazoned with the quote and mobile phones ringing out with loops of the king shouting, "¿Por qué no te callas?"..."¿Por qué no te callas?"..."¿Por qué no te callas?" Apparently there is even a paso doble version!

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Over a week later the incident is still making news and a ripple effect is being felt. To paraphrase the Los Angeles Times, the king's words seem to have started a battle royal.
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The funny thing is that this violation of protocol by the usually calm and controlled king may have actually increased his popularity at home. Initially the Spanish press generally supported him. With the diplomatic tension continuing and Chavez threatening to review Spanish businesses operating in Venezuela, more editorials are reflecting on the possible costs of the king's words. Still, from what I can tell many Spaniards seem to believe that, as impolitic as it may have been, the king was simply standing up to a boorish demagogue and probably expressing what many of the summit's attendees wanted to say.
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There is still a month and a half to go until 2008, so who knows what else may befall the Spanish royal family before the end of the year. Whatever else happens, I think the king's annual Christmas speech may be a little more interesting than usual. I'll definitely tune in for it.
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

Interesting difference in Spain and US newspaper coverage of the same story

There has been a story in the news recently that today I saw mentioned for the first time in an American newspaper. The article, in the International Herald Tribune (IHT), revealed something I have not seen mentioned in Spanish coverage of the same story. Before I say what that was, let me give you a little background.
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Manel Blat Gonzalez has been fighting to have his name removed from the rolls of the Spanish Roman Catholic Church. It started a few years ago when the archbishop of Valencia refused Mr. Gonzalez' request to add a note to his baptismal record stating that he no longer considered himself Roman Catholic. Next Mr. Gonzalez asked the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (the Spanish Data Protection Agency) to intervene. The archbishop twice refused the Agency's order that he comply with the request and the Church eventually appealed to the courts. The case ended up in Spain's Audiencia Nacional (National Court), which this week ruled in favor of Mr. Gonzalez and the Agency. The archbishop is considering appealing to Spain's highest court, the Tribunal Supremo.
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So, what was different about the IHT report? Well, it mentioned that Mr. Gonzalez was gay. That was news to me because his sexual orientation had not been referred to in any of the Spanish articles I had read, including the most recent one in El Pais.

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Of course, I don't read all of the Spanish papers and I haven't read every Spanish news story about this, so I imagine it probably has been mentioned somewhere. However, I just did a quick Internet search of various Spanish media outlets and did not see his sexual orientation talked about anywhere. This leads me to believe that perhaps the Spanish media doesn't find it a very relevant fact.
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While I can see why it would be considered newsworthy by the IHT, what with the Roman Catholic Church's position on homosexuality and the Spanish Church's opposition to gays being allowed to marry in Spain, it is still an interesting difference, don't you think?
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If you're interested in reading the El Pais article, click here for the on-line version. For the IHT article, click here.
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

The day after the National Day of Spain / El día despues del Día Nacional de España

Headlines in all of Spain's daily papers today focused on the fact that Prime Mininister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was booed by people in the crowd at yesterday's official observance of the Día Nacional de España in Madrid.

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Since the same thing happens every year, I fail to see how it merits such treatment; and none of the headlines referred to it being a recurrence. Nor did any of the headlines point out that this occurred despite Zapatero and his party leading slightly in the polls. Maybe these additional points were made in articles or editorials, but I didn't notice that in the newspaper I read today -- La Vanguardia. I have to admit, though, that today I basically skimmed it.
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Regarding the usual absence of leaders from certain regions at the event, according to La Vanguardia this year's official observance saw the highest representation of Autonomous Region heads. The only regions not represented were the Basque Country and Murcia. Why weren't their leaders there? Well, among other sore points, the Basque leader Juan José Ibarretxe wants a referendum on independence in his region and Madrid has nixed that. As for Murcia, it is headed by Ramón Luis Valcárcel, a member of the opposition Popular Party, but I don't know whether he stayed away in protest or for some other reason.
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Catalonia's leader, José Montilla, was there and apparently made a point of spending time with the King. This followed recent incidents of protesters in Catalonia burning photos of the King. Montilla had previously lamented these acts, describing them as non-productive.

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By the way, Zapatero and the regional leaders function as prime ministers in their respective governments. However, they are commonly referred to as presidents, which is shorthand for President of the Government. To me prime minister is more accurate, so that's what I usually use.
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OK, off politics and civics for now.
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

I'm back -- and the weather's fine -- but a little worrying.

Well, another August has gone by and September begun. It was a nice month -- a little work, a little rest, a little traveling (Ibiza!), a bit of beach time and a lot of sun! Which reminds me, news reports state that this was one of Catalonia's coolest August's on record. It was certainly the coolest I recall -- mostly in the 20s. (That equals 70s and 80s in Fahrenheit.)
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The reports stated that August 2002 was even a little cooler. However, since that was one of the years I'd left Barcelona and spent in Madrid, I don't recall it being cool. In fact, I'm sure it wasn't cool in Madrid -- I doubt that city is EVER cool in the summer. Which is why they say the weather in Madrid is, "nueve meses de invierno y tres meses de infierno." (Nine months of winter and three months of hell.)
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Anyway, although the weather's been pleasant in this corner of Spain, it's causing concern here about climate change.
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Buneo, soon I'll finish part three of "From the seaside to the hillside."
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Until then, saludos amig@s,
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Carloz

Globalization: The BBC pays Spanish speakers to speak Spanish in America

The British Broadcasting Corporations' BBC Mundo (the Spanish version of BBC World) has sent two bi-lingual Spanish-English speakers traveling across the USA speaking only Spanish. Reporter Jose Baig and video producer Carlos Ceresole are going from Florida to California over the next week days in a rented truck on a project called "¿Hablas español?" Their goal is, "to cross the country without uttering a word of English."
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Baig claims that, "there are a lot more Spanish speakers in the US than one tends to think. It's just a matter of asking: 'Do you speak Spanish?' "
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There are certainly a lot of Spanish speakers in the US, but it's still a relatively small minority of the entire population. Therefore, I think these guys will be severely tempted to fall back on their English at times, despite their having chosen a route along the frontier with Latin America, where the heaviest concentration of Spanish speaking immigrants and their descendants live.
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I wonder if they know they're following a route similar to Cabeza de Vaca's; although, he only made it from Florida to Arizona - and it took him eight years, instead of eight days! Regardless, Baig's and Ceresole's latter day version should be interesting, if rather rushed.
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Readers of Spanish can follow their progress via Baig's blog. If you are a Spanish speaker living in one of the places on their itinerary, they would like to hear from you and, who knows, maybe even do an interview. And they are interested in hearing from anyone who speaks Spanish, not just native-speakers. The cities and towns are:
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St. Augustine, FL (sorry, they were there yesterday);
Tallahassee, Fl;
Mobile, AL;
New Orleans, LA;
Houston, TX;
San Antonio, TX;
Pecos, TX;
El Paso, TX;
Nogales, AZ;
Yuma, AZ;
Los Angeles, CA.
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(There are four stops in Texas, yet they are totally ignoring New Mexico and completely bypassed Miami!)
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If you live in one of these locations (or know someone who does) and are interested in talking with the pair, go to this link, look for your location and click on the appropriate spot to send a message. The link also lists the date they will be in each place and a little about why they chose it.
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I've but my two cents in, here as well as by submitting a comment to their blog. Why don't you do something similar, here, there or on both?
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz,
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P.S.
It's interesting that they use the familiar "tu" form in the project title. I wonder if they'll find that US Spanish speakers are more likely to use the formal "usted" form with strangers.
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P.P.S.
I wrote them that I wanted to do a similar trip across Spain, only speaking English. Do you think the BBC would take me up on a "Do you speak English" tour of España? If not, do any of you have any contacts at PBS or NPR? ;-)

Crude Cartoon Controversy or Freedom of Speech Challenge?

Defenders of freedom of the press are up in arms about the forced withdrawal of a national publication. Spain's Supreme Court ruled today that a crude cartoon of Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia having sex was an insult to the royal family and the people they reign over.

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Judge Juan del Olmo ordered authorities to seize all copies of the magazine running the cartoon, as well as the mold used to print it. He also demanded that the publishers provide the name of the cartoonist for possible prosecution. Apparently slandering or defaming the Spanish Royal Family is illegal and punishable by up to two years in prison.

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The cartoon appeared on the cover of the current issue of El Jueves, a satirical publication. In it, the cartoon-Prince says, "You know, if you get pregnant, this will be the closest thing I'll have done to work in my life."

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Aside from targeting the Royal Family, who are supported by taxpayer money, the cartoon is also aimed at Prime Minister Zapatero's recently inaugurated program to pay 2,500 euros to the parents of newborns and newly adopted children.

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"You've noticed the elections are coming, ZP! 2500€ per child," is splashed above the cartoon.

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The complete name of the publication is "El Jueves, la revista que sale los Miércoles." ("Thursday, the magazine that comes out on Wednesdays.") Similar to Mad Magazine or National Lampoon, it was first published in 1977, two years after the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died. This is the first time an issue has been withdrawn. It is irreverent, popular and never subtle.

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On its web site today El Jueves posted a sample of the cartoon (as did just about every newspaper in Spain, except for the right-leaning ABC) along with a statement that I've translated below:

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July 20, 2007?
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We are writing this note on Friday, July 20, 2007, at 7pm. Our editorial offices are filled with media representatives asking about the banning of our magazine. We do not know how to respond to them. El Jueves has published dozens, hundreds of cartoons of the Royal family -- and of politicians, celebrities, ETA and anything that moves. We have even published a book, TOUCHING THE BORBONS, a 350 page compilation of the most amusing of these cartoons.

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We are graphic humorists and we work fully aware of our charge, what the readers expect of us, which is to explore the limits of freedom of speech. We can actually accept that on occasion we may be excessive. It's part of the job. If we go too far, there are the courts but...banning? The police inspecting newsstands throughout the country and pulling our magazine? Are we really writing this on July 20, 2007?

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What do you think? / ¿Que crees?

Then there's Madrid...

...which is another great Spanish city. I lived there for almost two years and thoroughly enjoyed it. I recall a New Yorker I met there when she was taking a TEFL certification course. After completing the course she went to Paris to join her boyfriend, but a few weeks and a break-up later, she returned to Madrid to teach English for a year. She liked the city so much she returned the following year to teach there again. I remember her telling me near the end of her second stint in the capital that, although she only went to Madrid after the break-up to be in a supportive environment with friends she'd made during her TEFL course, she was glad that it worked out that way because otherwise she might never have known how nice a place it was.
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This young woman had lived in London, Paris and Stockholm and here she was rating Madrid along with these other European cities. In fact, she described it as one of Europe's best kept secrets. Over the years I've heard others say similar things when singing the city's praises. Well, perhaps the the cat is finally out of the bag.

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According to a news report in EL Pais, a study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has found that the Spanish capital is one of the best cities in Europe. In fact, the paper quoted the director of the study, Mario Pezzini, as having said, "We liked it so much that if we had to leave Paris, the members of the team would move to Madrid."
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The OECD report claims that among Madrid's strengths are its public transport system, low unemployment and successful integration of immigrants, who currently make up 16% of the city's population. On the negative side, the report highlights traffic congestion, low spending on Research and Development and the high rate of temporary employment.
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Overall, however,the OECD team members found Madrid a "prosperous space" with high demographic and economic growth, according to another news source, Diariocrtico.com. The report apparently cites proactive public policies as one of the reasons the city's attraction and quality is improving.
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All of this must be good news for Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, who reportedly wants to gain more power within the conservative Popular Party (PP) and enter national politics. He's seen by many as a moderate voice within the PP, not unlike Rudolph Giuliani in the U.S. Republican Party.
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Another goal of his is to see Madrid host the Summer Olympics. Although the city's bid for the 2012 didn't win, it did receive good marks. Therefore, the OECD report is probably equally welcomed by the Spanish Olympic Committee (Comité Olímpico Español), which is working on the application due to the IOC by September 13th.
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So, that's a little update on Madrid, the capital, the center of the country, the largest city in Spain and apparently not such a secret anymore.

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Chao amig@s,

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Carloz