Wednesday 31 October 2012

TODOS LOS SANTOS

Is it the X-factor? Strictly? The Jimmy Savile Roadshow? The Jimmy Saville Row Show? No it's none other than the relic of Don Bosco in a supine position. It appears to be his body but is only his right arm accompanied by a look-a-like of his entire body. The relic is doing the rounds via 134 countries before it settles in his birthplace, Italy. He will be received at the top of my road with some folkloric act and then after the mass he will be paraded around town till he stops at Maria Auxiliadora. Don't ever doubt that this is a Catholic country. Despite the Halloween celebrations at the school this morning many of the children told me they would be going to see Don Bosco. Who he? you may well ask. He was a Catholic priest who set up a school for boys in Turin based on three pillars, reason, religion and loving kindness.

Today I had one of those moments when you know you have integrated. I went to buy a lotto ticket and got into a bit of a debate with the man who sells them. He asked me if I wanted to buy the 'hokair' ticket and although I guessed he was saying the Spanish version of the English word Joker I found myself chatting away about the hokair without agonizing and distressing myself.

Apparently, when it comes to starting a business, Spain is one of the most difficult places in the world, ranking 136th out of 185. Somewhere behind Afghanistan....apparently. I could have told the World Bank this several years ago but they would never have listened.

I think my eyesight is going. This morning I thought I saw my neighbour propping up the bar wearing a checked shirt he often wears but on closer inspection I realised it was a jamon with a tea cloth draped over it.

Tomorrow is Todos los Santos and I made a point of buying flowers not only for the dead but for me and the rest of the living.

8 comments:

ejh said...

Apparently, when it comes to starting a business, Spain is one of the most difficult places in the world, ranking 136th out of 185

Though this doesn't actually prevent anybody doing so who actually wants to.

ANA said...



http://51percentbcn.com/2012/10/26/world-bank-no-youre-not-lazy-starting-a-business-in-spain-is-ridiculously-difficult/

ejh said...

Yeah, but so what? It doesn't contradict the point I made which is that this doesn't really stop anybody doing it. Is there any actual empirical evidence otherwise? And isn't it actually much more likely that in the present circumstances, what stops people setting up businesses is that they have no capital, the banks aren't lending and their potential customers have all lost their jobs?

The point is not that it's perfectly OK. (Of course it should be easier to kick off on your own, and you don't have to be a general admirer of deregulation to think so.) It's more that anybody who thinks it's genuinely important as regards the present crisis is discussing the froth and neglecting for the pint.

ANA said...

I didn't post it to contradict your point, I posted it for you or anyone else to read.

ANA said...

http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2012/10/19/actualidad/1350671563_903416.html

ANA said...

http://noticias.juridicas.com/base_datos/CCAA/an-l7-2002.t1.html#a42

ANA said...

I've just finished doing this article with a student. It's much more positive and hopeful than some of the prophets of doom.
http://elpais.com/elpais/2012/09/24/inenglish/1348489212_037109.html

ejh said...

I didn't post it to contradict your point, I posted it for you or anyone else to read.

Ah, OK. Mea maxima culpa..