Abroad in Spain: Travel Blog » Spain News

¡Campeones!

Chris — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:31:25 +0000

A large screen was put up in the Plaza Mayor of Burgos this afternoon so that soccer fans could watch the final match of the World Cup.

Right now as I’m writing this, the Queen song “We are the Champions” is blasting from speakers on the street below my house. No, Spaniards don’t just really like Queen — the song is being played over and over again because Spain won the World Cup this evening. It goes without saying that, since the win, there has been some massive celebrating going on here in Burgos. It’s safe to say that these Spaniards really know the meaning of the phrase ”party hearty.”

The afternoon started peacefully enough with almost everyone in the city heading to the Plaza Mayor to watch the final match of the World Cup on a large screen that had been set up just for today. As you can see from the picture above, there was a big turnout of red-clad, Spain-supporting, Burgos-dwelling people. The afternoon turned out to be a tense one: it was a really close game. Still, Spain won in the end.

When Spain won, what did those watching the game in the Plaza Mayor do? They went to the Plaza España, of course. Why? To jump in the fountain and celebrate the victory. Now, I’m no soccer expert and I could be missing something, but I don’t really see the connection between “victory” and “jumping in a city fountain full of cold water to celebrate.” Of course, that’s just me. In any event, the celebration started about two hours ago and it’s now 1:00 a.m. and still going strong. I have a feeling it will last well into the night.

In any case, I send my congrats to Spain’s team. This is the first World Cup that Spain has won and it deserves the victory. ¡Enhorabuena España!

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

Amigos, hay crisis

Chris — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:06:27 +0000

I woke up this morning at the usual time and, just like every other day, set out for the Plaza España to catch the bus that would transport me across the city and to the school where I work. After a few minutes at the bus stop, I began to realize that I was having to wait for the bus for a lot more time than usual. At first I thought my “number six” bus line was just running a little late… but then it dawned on me: the civil servant strike.

You see, city bus drivers are civil servants in Spain. As civil servants, they are included in the 5% average pay cut that Zapatero recently announced to help reduce Spain’s deficit and thus “save” the country from the financial crisis. Of course, this announced pay cut didn’t exactly go over very well with the civil servants (surprising, right?) and today they all went on a one-day strike to speak out against the change.

Spain seems to have become the “hot topic” in Europe right now with respect to the financial crisis and everyone is wondering if it will become the “next Greece.” Personally, I don’t think that things in Spain will reach the level they did in Greece; but, I’m no economic expert. In any case, if you’d like to read more about Spain and the financial crisis, you can check out this very good New York Times Blog article that explains the situation much better than I can.

I don’t really know how “worried” I should be about the crisis. In fact, I sometimes think that people here are blowing the whole thing a bit out of proportion and hoarding money unnecessarily. I suppose it’s understandable to an extent: nobody wants to be without a job or loose money that they have spent a lifetime saving. Still, I can’t help but feel as if Spaniards are overreacting. Who knows? Maybe I’m wrong.

In the end, thanks to the civil servant strike, I had to take a taxi to get to school today. Let’s hope they don’t strike again anytime soon… taxis are much less convenient (and more expensive) than city buses.

Please, leave your thoughts about the crisis in Spain in the comments below. I’d like to know what others think about all this — expats and Spaniards alike.

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

ETA explosion in Burgos

Chris — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:05:50 +0000

I have just found out about an attack by ETA on a Civil Guard barracks and dormitory located in Burgos where I live. Unfortunately, I do not have a first-hand account to publish on my site because just a few days ago I returned to the USA to visit some friends and family for a couple weeks. In any event, I’d like to leave a link here on the blog to an article in El País that explains exactly what happened. According to the article, officers and their families were living in the barracks dormitory at the time of the blast but, despite the amount of people living there, nobody was badly injured. If I talk with friends in Burgos over the next few days and they have information to add, I’ll try to update this post with that information.

UPDATE on July 30th, 2009: It appears as though ETA has struck again with another car bomb, this time in Majorca. At least two police officers were killed in this blast. Unbelievably, this is now the second attack in a little over 24 hours. Read more in El País.

These attacks were supposedly carried out by ETA, an armed separatist organization headquartered in the Basque region of Spain. If you’d like to learn a little more about ETA, you may wish to check out the Wikipedia article.

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

The crisis and unemployment

Chris — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:45:54 +0000

I was just reading an article in El País the other day that said that Spain, just the country alone, accounts for two-thirds of the current “Euro Zone” unemployment rate. In other words, unemployment is crazy high in Spain in comparison with other countries that use the Euro due to the current financial crisis, construction speculation, and other factors.

I am starting to see some of the effects of the crisis here in Spain. For instance, I’ve noticed when I’ve been out on Friday and Saturday nights that less people seem to be frequenting the bars and those who do still go seem to buy less (at least that’s what’s happening here in Burgos). Also, I waked past the local unemployment office the other day and there was a HUGE LINE of people waiting out front… you never used to see that in a city the size of Burgos.

What is going to happen in the months to come with regard to Spain’s economy? There may be a rocky road ahead. Of course, nobody knows for sure — we’ll have to wait and see.

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

Swine flu outbreak in USA causes fear in Spain and Europe

Chris — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:21:33 +0000

Today I woke up around 6:00 AM and went to school like normal; however, when I arrived I got quite the surprise. In fact, as soon as I walked through the door, I was surrounded by my coworkers telling me that the European Health Commissioner had recommended that nobody travel to the USA or Mexico because of a recent swine flu outbreak. This came as quite a shock to me because I hadn’t really watched the news yesterday and I had no idea that there had even been a swine flu outbreak in the USA. Thus, as soon as I had a few moments at school, I went online and found this article which does confirm that EU officials are cautioning European travelers not to go to America. Apparently, there are also some confirmed cases of people in Europe having the disease and authorities say that the people here who have contracted swine flu have had some type of recent contact with either the USA or Mexico.

The whole “swine flu scare” that is occurring right now in Spain reminds me a little of what happened in the USA a few years ago when mad cow disease broke out in Europe. People from the USA who traveled to Europe were cautioned not to eat beef and generally Americans were a bit afraid that if they went to Europe, they would contract mad cow. Now, the same thing seems to be happening, but reversed: it’s now the Europeans who are afraid to travel to America for fear of getting ill.

I guess this reaction is something normal: after all, you always feel “safer” in your home country and when some type of “disaster” occurs abroad that could threaten you at home, it’s natural to get a little “uneasy” — especially because you have no control over the situation abroad. That’s probably how Americans felt when mad cow broke out in Europe a few years ago and I think that’s how Spaniards and other Europeans are feeling now that swine flu has broken out in the Americas.

What will happen next? That’s hard to tell. Both Spain and the USA say they are effectively equipped to battle swine flu with vaccines and other medications, so I’m going to try not to worry too much.

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

Financial crisis in Spain??

Chris — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:19:24 +0000

Signs urging customers to buy in Burgos.

Recently, the city of Burgos launched a new ad campaign to get people to “buy, buy, buy” in the downtown shops. Above is one of their new signs, which have been strategically placed throughout the city. The signs must be working because shops in Burgos are booming and shoppers are out at practically all hours of the day looking for deals (except during siesta time, that’s sacred).

I sometimes ask myself how it can be possible that people are out shopping like never before while Spain is in “Financial Crisis Mode.” The unemployment rate in Spain is on the rise and people on the street generally “complain” about the crisis all the time, yet everybody seems to still be “buying up a storm.” Where’s the money coming from? How can this be happening? It’s an enigma to me….

This whole “crisis” thing makes my head spin. I guess that’s why I’m a foreign language teacher and not an economist. Leave your comments on Spain and the economy below.

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

Spain’s reaction to Obama’s victory…

Chris — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:07:08 +0000

Now that the election in the USA has ended, I thought it might be interesting for me to write a post with what Spain’s reaction to Barack Obama’s victory has been like. As you may or may not realize, the Presidential Elections of the USA are followed quite closely in Europe and in other parts of the world because the decisions made in our country often affect those everywhere. In fact, as the election in the USA grew nearer, more and more Spaniards began to ask me who I would be voting for and what my thoughts were on the subject in general. Later, when Obama won the election, I was bombarded with questions about whether or not I think he will be good for the country and whether or not I am happy with him as president. Just as I’ve formulated my own opinions about Obama, Spaniards, of course, have formulated theirs. Here’s what many are saying.

In general, Obama’s victory in the USA seems to have been received in a very positive way in Spain (and in most of Western Europe as well). In fact, to me, it seems as though many of the people of Spain feel as if Obama will bring a breath of “fresh air” to our country (and the world at large) by sweeping “change” through our government and enacting numerous reform plans. The day after the election, I even felt as though the people here in Spain were already looking at the USA in a sort of “new light.” By this I mean that our government was no longer associated with “Bush” and “wars” and instead had been somewhat put on a pedestal as a prime example of “dreams coming true,” “courage to overcome,” and “positive change that will fix all the world’s problems.” Sometimes I wonder if our expectations for Obama are too high.

Don’t get me wrong… I’m very happy that Obama won the election in the USA and think he absolutely was the better candidate for the job; however, I also think that we can’t forget that he has many challenges to deal with. He has an unjustified war to “clean up,” a financial crisis that is the biggest we’ve seen in a century, and a lot of promised social reform plans to initiate on American soil. He has a tough job and I hope that people don’t become disappointed with him if “change” doesn’t happen as quickly as they’d like.

I know that I have readers who visit this blog from all parts of the world and I’d be interested to know how my fellow Americans, as well as those from other countries, view Obama’s victory. Please, post your comments about the election here….

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

Spain makes changes to its immigration policy…

Chris — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:03:53 +0000

According to this article in El País, Spain has made some pretty radical changes to its immigration policy over the last month or so. These changes are in response to the “economic crisis” situation that Spain finds itself in and include things such as giving incentives to legal immigrants who are unemployed to go back to their home country, toughening family reunification criteria, and increasing the amount of time illegals can be held under arrest.

I now find myself wondering what all of this is going to do to immigrants and expats who are currently residing in Spain legally, being good “citizens,” and holding down a job. What kind of message is the Spanish government sending to its citizens about foreigners with these new laws? Will these changes affect how myself and other foreigners in Spain are viewed by the larger Spanish population? I guess I’ll just have to wait and see… leave a comment to let me know what you think.

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

Demonstration against ETA in Vitoria…

Chris — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:44:27 +0000

According to this article in El País, there was a political demonstration held to protest ETA today in Vitoria, a city in the Basque Region of Spain. This demonstration was organized by members of various political parties in Spain and was a reaction to the recent death of a Guardia Civil officer after an ETA bombing in Legutiano (another city in the Basque Region). Because prominent members of several opposing Spanish political parties were present, the article points out that today’s demonstration was a symbol of the ability of all Spaniards – regardless of their party affiliation – to unite and fight against terrorism.

For those of you who wish to know more about ETA, you may want to check out this Wikipedia Article (in Spanish).

You also may be interested in seeing pictures of the demonstration on the El País website.

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://www.abroadinspain.com

What’s up with immigration in Spain?

Chris — Mon, 12 May 2008 03:16:24 +0000

In recent years immigrants have been arriving to Spain in swarms looking for better lives. They have mainly come from places like Africa, Romania, Bulgaria, and some South American countries like Colombia. Immigration, of course, is something that Spain hasn’t really had to deal with much before and the topic of immigration nowadays is quite “hot” in the country. In fact, Spaniards are now finding themselves faced with the question of what to do with immigrants arriving to Spain. But those immigrants who are just arriving are not the only worry of Spaniards; according to this recent article in El País, the future of the sons and daughters of new immigrants is also uncertain.

According to the article, many sons and daughters of immigrants in Spain are experiencing a sort of “identity crisis.” They aren’t “Spaniards” because they were born of foreign parents and don’t “look like Spaniards;” however, they also don’t really associate themselves with the culture from which their parents came because they have been living in Spain practically all their lives and have in essence been removed from their “home land” before they really had time to live there. The article also goes into issues of teasing and discrimination that many sons and daughters of immigrants can face at school and when looking for jobs. Still, despite these hardships, the article mentions that most immigrants do not regret their decision to move to Spain.

I thought I would write in response to the article in El País because I have seen the immigration issue in Spain first-hand. During my last trip to Spain, I volunteered with the Spanish Red Cross in Valladolid and worked especially with the Immigration Department of the Red Cross. The Immigration Department at the Red Cross has a lot of services for those new to the country; however, I concentrated my work in the “integración social” (social integration) area of assistance. My main task was to teach Spanish to those immigrants who didn’t already know it and to work in elementary schools with high immigrant populations and explain cultural acceptance to the youngsters at those schools.

I feel like the work that I did at the Red Cross made a big difference – especially when I went into elementary schools to talk about cultural diversity; however, I was often greeted with hostility by other Spaniards for my work with immigrants. The truth is that some Spaniards view immigrants as “threats” to their country’s security and, during my previous trip to Spain, I met Spaniards who did not like the fact that I was helping the Red Cross provide services to immigrant families. In fact, the discrimination that is talked about in the article on immigration in El País is very real in Spain… I saw it first hand in my Red Cross work.

I am grateful that my work with the immigrants of the Red Cross allowed me to see the immigrant’s side of the issue. After working with the Red Cross for a while, I soon found that many of the people who had decided to move to Spain had worked very hard to do so and were only interested in a better life for themselves and their families. In fact, most of the immigrant men that I gave Spanish classes to had left their wives and children in their birth countries until their economic situation in Spain was such that they could bring their wives, sons, and daughters to the country… this “splitting” of the family (coupled with no knowledge of the Spanish Language and Culture) was hard on the immigrants I worked with.

Of course, there are always two side to the coin. Some immigrants do place a burden on the Spanish system by cramming themselves into over-crowded, crappy apartments and some do bring guns and weapons into the country. I, however, did not witness much of this firsthand where I was living in Valladolid. Also, they say that if it weren’t for the immigrants who are entering Spain, the country would experience negative population growth. So… who’s right?

Honestly, I don’t know what the real “answer” to the immigration issue in Spain is and I’d love to get some of the opinions of my readers in this post. Do immigrants help Spain? Do they pose a threat? How much discrimination do you feel exists against immigration in Spain? What is you reaction to the El País article that I cited above? Please remember that I’m not talking about expatriates in this post (those who move to Spain because they simply “like” life there better); instead, I’m talking about those who move to Spain because their economic situation in their home country is so poor that they see no other way to survive but immigration. I’d love to hear what others who have witnessed immigration in Spain think about the issue… please leave your comments here.

Hasta luego,
Chris
http://www.abroadinspain.com