The times have changed

Very literally!

Spain is two hours ahead of GMT in the Summer but one hour ahead of GMT in the Winter.

On Sunday morning at 3am the clocks went back an hour. That means that 3am became 2am. One night with a whole extra hour of sleep. Seeing that the weather is now dull and cool I guess the extra hour of sleep is not a bad thing.

Surprisingly, Sunday was a brilliant day. Winter made its debut with blue skies and sunshine. It felt like the clocks should not have gone back and hour. Spring was in the air, not Winter!! Whatever it may be, Spring is not in the air. The days have been getting shorter all the time. It had been getting dark at around 7pm but all of a sudden, with the loss of an hour, today it was darkening by 5.45pm! Shucks - dis nie lekker nie!!

I can sense the doom and gloom that Winter brings.

Mall culture

I walk though the mall and am overcome with a feeling of de ja vu. It feels like I have been here before. The design is the same. There is a domed roof and sunlight is flowing in from above.

Plenty of chain stores and international brands. Quality goods. People sitting at coffee shops and restaurants. Cinemas. I have been here before. I am convinced.

The only thing that tells me it is not what I am thinking of, is the shop names and the language I hear around me. Spanish ...

Ok, so I am not at Cresta (a northern Johannesburg shopping mall). This place is called Gran Via 2. Far away from Cresta but similar in many ways.

Appreciation

This morning the gray skies and the cool weather made me think that another day indoors was on the cards. So I have been occupied with indoor activities. A few minutes ago I opened the window as it looks like the sun is trying to emerge. As I opened the window a cool wind gushed through, into the room.

I was overcome with guilt at how privileged I was to experience a favourable climate and sunshine in Africa. Here in Europe people are caged in, in their homes without fresh air, sunshine or warmth. This flat I stay in has no heating so I am sure it becomes cold in winter. One of the bedrooms in this flat does not even have a window. Poor American!! He gets no fresh air or natural light in his room. All of these things come standard in Africa - light, air, warmth. Heating does not come standard in Africa, as it is not as cold. Very seldom would one find a room without windows. It is very uncommon - in fact rare. As for sunshine, there is an abundance of that.

I realise that life in Africa affords many privileges. Natural light, flowing oxygen, warmth, a favourable climate - things that in Africa, we tend to take for granted. It takes going elsewhere to realise how valuable these things are!

Late nights

My American flatmate is not very upbeat at the moment. He has been caged in his room for days and is not very chatty - which he usually is. The weather might partly be to blame but he is getting disheartened. He is American and has come to Spain on a working / holiday trip. He is trying to get work and is always out there knocking on doors or emailing his cv to job adverts. As he is not an EU national he is experiencing difficulty in getting work and therefore in getting a life going here. I told him it is not easy to begin in a place where you do not have the right to earn a living.

The other night we were up until 4am talking about the developed world and the developing world, the privileges afforded to people of the developed world and the price paid by the people of the developing world. He is a Russian (by birth), Israeli (because he spent some years in Israel) American (because he now lives in the USA). He has three passports on the shelf in his room. He has the luxury of choice -  3 countries. He knows that Russia is a crouching tiger - that is poised to become a world power in the near future, but he still yearns to live in Europe. I suggested to him to go and try Russia as he has the documentation required to live and work there. He loves Russia but says it is still corrupt and work is hard to come by. I think he likes the sleepless night in Spain!!

There are 2 Russian ladies (in their late forties) in my Spanish class. I suspect they are here illegally as they are very secretive about themselves and their activities and their intentions. I discussed them with my flatmate. He explained that Russian people are not very proud of themselves and their country. Leon said the the first thing he would do if he was the president of Russia would be, to make the people believe they are great and their country is great. He says that Americans are taught to believe that America is the best place in the world and that they are the world's greatest people. It is their thinking which makes them so positive, stable and secure about themselves and their lives, their situations.

He said Russians have been made to undermine themselves and to believe that Russia is a bad place. I suggested to him that that is partly the result of the developed countries of the world. They have had so much power and influence over the developing world and have helped the developing world to formulate poor impressions of themselves and the countries they live in. But things are changing. The developed world is no longer in the favourable position it previously held, with this current economic climate. The developing world is starting to come into its own. The world is entering a new era - hopefully one where the developing world will  have some power and influence and not be subjected to the power and influence of the developed world. I told Leon that Russia, Brazil, China and India are all countries that are on the rise and it will be interesting to see how the world leadership changes with new countries coming into the spotlight. Viva the developing world. Power to the poor!!

The best Sports Store in the world

I have discovered the best shop. It is a shop which sells everything you would need to participate in sport. Sports clothing, cycles, rollerblades, balls, raquettes, camping gear, equipment, footwear, accessories etc. It stocks the well known athletic brands but also a French brand called Quechua - which seems to be a high quality brand but much cheaper than the Nike and the rest.

They often have sales so every time I walk past a Decathlon store I am tempted to go in and see if there is anything on sale... It is the type of shop you can go into and always find something to buy. The prices are excellent. Asics running shoes which are 95 euros at Decathlon cost more than 150 euros (equivalent) in other parts of the world. That just shows how reasonable prices are at Decathlon. I wish they were an international brand that had stores in other countries.

Summer Musical Festivals

Throughout the Summer months - which are now over - there were countless musical performances and concerts all over the city. Residents come together in their streets or neighbourhoods to put together a concert. The concerts usually take place for a couple of days and are held at various times of the day or night throughout the week.

It is a unique and novel way to advertise your neighbourhood and to attract people to come come and enjoy the music - and buy a drink and a snack.

Different styles of music are played. Some Jazz, some classical, some rock, some pop, some Spanish... At night the mood gets very festive and people come out of their homes to join in the celebration. Probably because they are not able to sleep with all the commotion going on outside!

I do like that fact that there are so many people that can still play musical instruments. In many parts of the world the love of music is alive but not many people are able to play musical instruments because music is not taught in schools or it is not promoted as a talent which people should foster. What a shame. But here is Spain, music is alive and kicking! 

From the Russians, with love

Last night I went to Spanish lessons as usual from 5.30 to 7pm. When I left home at 5pm I did not have my umbrella or raincoat with me. I thought I would be fine and not need it - despite the fact that it had been raining all day! I was couped up inside so I had seen all the rain.

I was almost at the Spanish school when it came bucketing down. I was only about 300 metres away so I did not have too far to go. I arrived in the classroom looking like I had been dumped into the river and held under the water for a while. This is because I was wearing a polyester tracksuit - which allows water to soak through. The other students looked at me and felt pity and commented. Our teacher decided to direct the lesson around the weather. The first part of the lesson was spent learning terminology to describe inclement weather...

Throughout the lesson we were all keeping a close on on the weather outside. It was raining on and off. At the end of the lesson it looked like it has stopped raining. As I walked downstairs I noticed the crowd of students who were gathered inside the front door. Nobody was brave enough to head out into the heavy rain. So we spent a while chatting until it eased off.

I decided to make a go for it. Not long after, it was pouring again. I kept running towards the train station which is about 1 km up the street from the school. With about 300 metres to go, I stumbled across the two Russian ladies - Olga and Virginija - from my class, under their umbrellas. I tugged on Olga's back asking her to share her umbrella space with me. She got such a fright as she thought I was "one of those mad people" who lurk about the city. Virginija was kind enough to provide some shelter - with her nice big umbrella. As we finally reached the tube station, Olga handed me her broken umbrella saying that I could take it as I would have to walk from the bus stop to my flat after my metro and bus ride. They both live in the same place so they did not each need an umbrella. So I received an umbrella from the Russians, with love! I arrived home dry and grateful to the Russians...

How to get around Barcelona

There are many ways to move around this city.

The bus - affordable but you need to know where you are going. (Get a day pass or a T10)

The metro (underground or subway) - cheap but you need to know where to go to, to see things. (Get a day pass or a  T10)

Hop-on Hop-off sight seeing bus - takes you to the attractions and allows you to ride for 24 hours.

Hire a scooter and take the ride of your life... You need to know where to go and how to  drive with Spanish drivers!

Be ferried around on a rickshaw. Pleasant but very expensive for more than a short journey.

Join a cycle tour and make some interesting discoveries. Fun and forces you to do some exercise.

But there is one other one which is not shown here. Walking. Perhaps the best way to discover any place - as you are right in the thick of things...

Prohibited in Barcelona

The other day I was at the tourist information office in the city looking for information on tourist attractions. Amongst the brochures on display I picked up something called STOP Antisocial Behaviour. This was a pamphlet describing the types of activities and behaviours which are liable for prosecution. I opened the pamphlet and took a look at what was punishable behaviour in this city. These activities are not permitted in public spaces and trespassers will be punished with fines. The list is quite logical and reasonable for what should be tolerated in public. The fines are very heavy. But what shocked me is that all of these behaviours / activities I had seen being committed frequently by locals and visitors - without the police evening enforcing the law.

These include :

Illegal Hawking  500 Euro fine.  Hawkers are everywhere !

Sexual Services 3000 Euros fine. Eastern European prostitutes sit on plastic chairs every hundred metres on highways ! African women grab men by the arm and bully them into sex on La Rambla and other places in the city. I have even had an aggressive attack by an African hooker. I had to fight this woman to get her off my arm.

Consuming Alcohol in Public Spaces  1500 Euros fine. Tourist and locals sit or walk in the street with drinks in their hands. Pakistani vendors walk around selling cans of beer in the streets and on beaches.

Urinating in Public 1500 Euros fine. There are open air toilets in certain places in the city (for men only). I have also seen many men just unzipping in a corner or alongside a tree or in front of the shore.

Skateboarding and cycling outside assigned areas. 1500 Euros fine. The city has special cycling paths and places for skaters all over but one is always having to watch out for bikes and skateboards which come out of nowhere and almost knock you down.

Graffiti and defacement  3000 Euros fine. Graffiti is everywhere. No enforcement...

Gambling 3000 Euros fine. Groups of organised Russian criminals run "gambling games" on La Rambla and target tourists who think they can easily turn 50 euros into 100 or 400 into 800. Double your money! Once your money is in their hands it does not matter if you win or lose, you will not see any of it again. They become aggressive and intimidate you. I have seen some innocent yet foolish tourists lose lots of money with this one. Some tourists even said they would call the police. The men just pack up the game and dash off to safety with their takings.

I was shocked to see how many things are punishable but which actually go unnoticed or unenforced. I think that perhaps the rest of the world loves coming to Spain because it is a place where there is so much tolerance and a blind eye is turned to so many things. Would the same people like to live here every day with all of this going on ? I guess not. So many people that live here complain about the tourist masses but I do not think this behaviour is limited to the tourists. The locals also take the law into their own hands and enjoy the liberties when they can.

Taking the law into their own hands...

Spanish time

Well as we all know, the Spanish are not exactly - or shall we say in the least - the most punctual of people. Even people here ask one another "are we talking about real time or Spanish time", when they arrange meetings or gatherings etc. They know they are off the mark when it comes to timing.

So I thought I would share what "Spanish time" is.

The Spanish are often late so they have a reputation for not being punctual. For example, if volleyball starts at 3pm most people only arrive at around 5pm. There are only about 2 or 3 people at 3pm. If you arrive on time you will have to set up the nets and then wait for enough players to arrive in order to play the game!

Another thing is bed times! These people go to bed so late. It is not unusual for them to have dinner at 11pm or 12 at night. They go to bed anywhere from between midnight to 5am. On weekends sometimes people only come home from nightlife activities at 9am!! In the week, they start work at 9 or 10am and work until 2pm. Then there is a siesta until 4 pm. They return to work from 4 to 8 pm. It is a very strange schedule to understand but once you get into it, it becomes a habit. I also currently get to bed around the 2am mark most nights.

My American flatmate often comes home at 5am - and then cooks for an hour. He then watches movies until 7 or 8 am and goes to sleep from 8 to 4pm. This is his pattern for every day of the week. So upside down! The whole schedule is turned on its head here because the people believe they must have nightlife. Nightlife is so important to them. They can easily waste daylight hours but night cannot be forfeited as nightlife is imperative !!! What would Spain be without its famous nightlife?

Enough Graffiti

Is it an eye-sore or an art?

Barcelona is a city that is full of graffiti. I am overwhelmed by how much graffiti there is. There must be a lot of bored or rebellious people here who seek to intrude upon the property of others by adding their artistic talents - or sometimes lack of.

Bus stops, shop windows, roller doors of shops, ATMs, buses and even cars fall victim to the graffiti artist. I have seen so much graffiti all over than place that I would be wrong to say that it is restricted to only the list above. A undecorated surface is a very vulnerable surface. These "artists" here are always on the look out for an empty surface. As I mentioned, I have even seen cars with graffiti on the paintwork. That would push me over the top. I would be furious but then what could you do if you have to park your car out on the street at night and there is no control over what happens to it ?

The other night I was walking home in the dark and I noticed a woman with a can, spraying the window of an office building. Immediately, I thought that she was doing graffiti. I certainly would not intervene or make comments as I do not want to antagonise a person that may become violent, I thought. As I came closer I noted that the woman was spraying paint remover onto the window, in an effort to remove graffiti from the window. She was a cleaner - who was trying to remove the precious "artwork" from a corporate company's office.

Some of the graffiti on shop fronts or roller doors in front of shops has artistic qualities. Perhaps the owners of the shops do not end up removing the graffiti on their premises because their shops acquire some sort of individual identity with the graffiti. Then again, as soon as the space is undecorated, it will be redecorated just as fast so there is no point to removing graffiti I guess.

So, is graffiti an eye sore or an art ? A bit of both. On your car, it is an eye sore. On a shop front, perhaps it is artwork.

The Construction Crash

As I walk around the city is appears to me that many shops and businesses on the streets have closed. Empty buildings which used to be banks, shops, restaurants, cell phone dealers etc are some of the places which one notices. Then if you turn your head up to the sky and you look at the unfinished skyscrapers, office blocks and apartment buildings, the gravity of the economic crisis in Spain becomes more apparent. But on the whole, the economic crisis does not seem very evident here. The city is still flooded with people are sitting in bars and eating at restaurants. The nightclubs are still as popular as ever and still charge hefty prices to enter and for consumations (drinks).

It seems to me like the Spanish are reluctant to change they way they are living and are not going to sacrifice things they enjoy. To heck with the economy. Life must go on... the way it was before. Then on the other hand, I have never seen so many homeless people, beggars, drunks and unfortunate people who sit about on pavements, in shop doorways, at  train stations or anywhere else they can find a place to sleep. It is quite surprising to see the level of poverty here. I am told that the poor and homeless here do not want to live in the shelters provided by the government as they do not want to conform to the rules in these shelters - like : no drinking, no drugs etc.

Hospitalet is an area near where I stay. There are many new buildings in the area - complete and incomplete. Some of the buildings boast extremely modern designs but other are not even near complete. So many people lost their jobs and their incomes when all the building work came to a grinding halt. I wonder if these buildings will ever be completed or if they will stand empty for years to come as this economic crash is not set to let up for a while.

Interesting Building in Hospitalet

Building on the left is unoccupied, building in the middle is a hotel.

Not one of these buildings is occupied. Its just a shell. Nothing inside.

Entertainment for the elderly, unemployed or whoever

There are a lot of people who don't work in this city. Yesterday I looked around me on the bus. It appeared like every single person around me was an immigrant. People from India or Pakistan, Latinos from South America and Chinese. Thank goodness for the American tourists on the bus or I would have felt very out of place. I do not think the government is opposed to having these foreigners here in Spain as they are the workers. They work and pay tax to support the many people (the elderly, the unemployed, the inert, the apathetic) that are claiming support grants from the government. Apparently unemployment has reached 20 % in Spain at this point - and 46 percent of the people in their twenties are not employed. The government needs a lot of money to pay out!!!

Last night I was talking to a Mexican friend who has been here for six years and she was telling me that she feels the same. She said that the Spanish people at her work are so blaze about it and don't show any responsibility to their jobs. She works for a Portuguese (ex-Mozambique) guy who really expects a lot from his staff. Apparently the Spanish don't like that. So they don't last long in a company like that. the owner prefers immigrants who are willing to go the extra mile.

So there are many people who have little to do every day of the week. The beaches are often full of people who seek the sun. The shops and malls are busy too. There are also outdoor parks where groups of men gather to play a gay like bowls or boules. They get very competitive and engrossed in their ball games...

My "secret" job

I was lucky enough to have a "secret" job for two months. I landed a total of 4 secret assignments in July and August. Nothing more since then though.

My title was "secret shopper". In this job I had to go to designated shops as an undercover "inspector". It was my duty to inspect the shop premises, to evaluate the customer service and to assess the products being sold at the shop.

Lucky for me, I was sent to Amorino Ice Cream shops. So I got to buy an ice cream and be paid for it...
The Amorino brand is a high end ice cream product here in Europe. It is an Italian company but is still very small. There are outlets in only a few cities. Barcelona has 3 thus far.

Amorino outlet

The ice cream

There are 8 pages of questions that have to answered about one's "secret visit" to the shop. Such as : were there serviettes on the counters, were the counters clean, were all the ice cream flavours on the website actually available in store etc etc. It is a lot of work for a mere 25 euros of remuneration... Sometimes I had to go to the shop three times just to answer all the questions on the list...

I had to buy an ice cream and ask several questions to assess whether the staff were clued up and knew their products too. I had to take photos of the ice cream I bought - as proof that I really did do the assignment. The ice cream was excellent. Sometimes I had to buy the largest kind the shop sells. So it was really a ice cream feast!!

In the end it turned out to be a lot for work for 25 euros but work is work. Take it or leave it. I have not been contacted to do any more assignments since August so I guess it is not my secret job any longer... No more free ice cream for me!  Well it is cooling down a lot so ice cream is not exactly the order of the day now...

Christopher Columbus Day - 12 October

Yes, another one. Since I have been here I have lost count of how many public holidays there have been. This province has its own public holidays, and also the national holidays. This means that there are lots of holidays. It has dawned upon me that there are a lot of "no work" days here. And holidays can be a nuisance as shops, supermarkets and other businesses and services are closed for the day.

This morning I received an email from an American friend wishing me a Happy Holiday - another one! I paused to think about it. There are just too many holidays in this place. How does Spain manage to have the 12th largest economy in the world taking into account, the amount of work it does? Work days are Monday to Friday. Many places work a split day (with a midday siesta of 2 to 3 hours) each day of the week and then a half day on Fridays. The beaches are full from 3pm on Fridays so it appears to me that almost everyone works half day on Fridays. It would seem that the people do light work here. In many countries of the world it is an honour and a privilege to have a job and you have to work hard and do your best, in order to keep your job. I know that is the case where I come from. Here it seems like a job is just something you can have or not have. No strings attached.

Statue of Christopher Columbus in Barcelona

With all festivals and celebrations there are displays and fireworks etc. Lots of money is spent putting on a show for the locals. I cannot fathom how this country manages to be up there on the "leading economies list" when it is not working that hard, and it spends money on unnecessary things.  Spain was also said to be one of the countries facing bankruptcy in this economic turmoil in Europe... I am sure the Germans do not like having to break their backs to bail out these other countries that are reluctant to change their working or spending habits... Unlucky for Germany, it has to work hard to keep the rest of Europe afloat!!

As it turns out the public holiday is Columbus Day. Christopher Columbus was the Spaniard who sailed across the Atlantic ocean and "discovered" the New World. This, despite the fact that there were already people living on the islands he landed on...

Christopher Columbus

Environmentally friendly transport

There is a very convenient and affordable way to get around the city of Barcelona. It is know locally as Bicing. Bicing is not unique to Barcelona. It operates in several other cities too. Bicing is basically bike-hire,  although you do not hire the bikes. You pay a flat fee for the year to use the service.

Bikes at a pick up / drop off station

There are countless bike stations around the city, where you collect and drop off bikes (Bicing Bikes). Users only have 30 minutes per bike - so this means that if you are going somewhere far and it takes more than 30 minutes you will have to stop at a Bicing station before the 30 minutes to check your bike in and then check it out again - in order to avoid being fined. There is a fine for returning the bike after the 30 minute allocation. But the city is small so I think it is seldom that one should need more than the 30 minutes.

The rules...

The bikes can be used only during the day and until midnight. From midnight they are not able to be removed from the stations. There are several stations all over the city so getting a bike is not an issue. Maintenance teams drive around all day and night - checking bikes, repairing bikes and moving bikes from stations that have too many bikes, to stations that have too few.

Maintenance teams move bikes around and repair bikes

It honestly is an impressive operation. I wish this type of thing existed in more cities and more countries as it is environmentally friendly transport, and it's cheap to use. A mere 35 euros per year!! I guess in some places the bikes would never make it back to the stations. They would disappear and never be found again. I am sure that would be the case in Africa...