Spain: The Blog

Digital Revenge: Hactivist Group 'Anonymous' Attacks Website of Spain's Police to Retaliate for Leaders' Arrests

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:12:00 +0000

Following the arrests in Spain on Friday of three alleged leaders of the 'Anonymous' network, a digital revenge attack has been conducted against various Spanish government websites.

The hacker group had previously announced it would respond with 'a denial of service' (DoS) attack on the website of the Spanish National Police, and it apparently followed through with the threat last night. The web site has since been restored, but the attack adversely affected the functioning of www.policia.es for several hours, leaving it completely inoperative at times.

Shortly before midnight, the waiting time to access the website was significantly longer than usual, and at times it was impossible to access, especially between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00am. Attacks also appear to have been directed against the websites of Spain's unemployment and jobs offices, INEM and Servicio Público de Empleo, which are still inoperative as of this writing. (Spain currently has an unemployment rate of 20%.)

On Friday the National Police, who call Anonymous a 'hacktivist organization,' published a press release on its website reporting the arrest of three individuals in Barcelona, Valencia and Almeria whom it described as "leaders in charge of making decisions and directing attacks."

News of the arrests spread quickly through social networks. In particular, many individuals used Twitter to promote the attack under the hashtag #oPPolicia. The same day as the arrests, the activist movement issued the following warning to the Spanish government:

"Thousands of people around the world have joined Anonymous; arresting three of them will not hurt us, but will add more people to our ranks. You provided the fuel, now you should wait for the fire."

Another message specifically called on supporters of the movement to launch denial of service attacks against the website of the National Police at a specific time. Also on Friday, the following video message "from Anonymous to the world's leaders" was uploaded to YouTube. (Although the video is in Spanish, English subtitles can be accessed by clicking on CC.)

Carloz

Cross posted on Newsvine and News and Views.

Police, Protesters Clash in Barcelona (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sat, 28 May 2011 02:07:00 +0000

Spain Makes A Sharp Right Turn: Socialist's suffer biggest defeat ever at the hands of the Popular Party

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Mon, 23 May 2011 17:07:00 +0000

Yesterday's local and regional elections resulted in a landslide victory for the right-wing Popular Party (Partido Popular, aka PP), and the biggest defeat in 30 years for the Socialist Party.

Elections for regional governments were held in 13 of Spain's 17 Autonomous Regions, and in none of them did the Socialist Party receive a majority vote. The PP will now govern in several Autonomous Regions, including Castilla-La Mancha where the Socialists have held power since Spain's return to Democracy in the late 1970s. Although they lost in Extremadura, too, the Socialists will probably be able to hold onto power there by forming a minority government with a minor party, United Left.

In the many provincial and municipal provincial government elections which were also held yesterday, the news was just as bad for the Socialist Party. This included losing control of Barcelona's and Seville's city halls, two other long time Socialist bastions.

In Guipúzcoa province and the city of San Sebastián, which are both located in the Autonomous Region known as the Basque Country, the recently formed separatist party Bildu obtained more votes than the Socialists to come in second to the more moderate Basque Nationalist Party (BNP). Before the election the courts had considered banning Bildu due to allegations of connections to the armed terrorist group ETA.

In Spain, voters can cast what is called a 'blank vote' - meaning none of the above. This year there were some 500,000 blank votes, or 2.54 per cent of all votes cast. This was the highest number of bank votes in Spain's history.

Despite the overwhelming loss, Spain's Prime Minister and Socialist Party leader announced he would not step down and has refused calls to move up national parliamentary elections, which are planned for spring 2012.

Of course these elections took place against the backdrop of large protests being held in city centers across the country. The elections may be over, but the protests are not.

Today's El País in English has a closer look at all of this: PP inflicts massive electoral defeat on Socialists.

And EuroNews has the following video report:

Hasta luego amig@s,

Carloz

Related posts:

Zapatero’s Socialists Head for Vote Defeat in Spain as Protesters March

Inspired by Arab Protests, Spain's Unemployed Rally for Change

Zapatero’s Socialists Head for Vote Defeat in Spain as Protesters March

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Thu, 19 May 2011 23:10:00 +0000

By Luis Jáspez - WikiMedia Commons

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s Socialists are headed for defeat in local and regional elections after a week of street protests and sits- in against his policies, polls show.

Thirteen regions accounting for 60 percent of the economy and more than 8,000 municipalities hold elections on May 22. Polls show Zapatero’s Socialists will be defeated in most regions, including traditional strongholds, and may lose the city of Barcelona for the first time in three decades.

Support for the Socialists has flagged as Zapatero turned his back on traditional allies to push through wage reductions and spending cuts to fight the sovereign-debt crisis. The run-up to the vote, a year before polls to choose Zapatero’s successor, has seen demonstrations against budget cuts, bank bailouts and a 30-year-old democracy that protesters say safeguards entrenched interests.

“The conservative victory will be pretty much a punishment vote for the Socialists,” Alejandro Quiroga, a political science professor at Newcastle University in the U.K., said in a telephone interview. “It will add to the perception that this is a government on its way out.”

Protesters pitched tents in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square on May 15 and have demonstrated there ever since. They are calling for changes to the electoral system to reduce the dominance of the two main parties and stem corruption, while opposing spending cuts and a youth unemployment rate of 45 percent. They also want to vote for lawmakers directly rather than for party lists, and propose scrapping the Senate, Spain’s upper house of Parliament. [...]

After the polls, the Socialist party will turn its attention to a leadership contest as Zapatero said last month he won’t seek a third term. Polls show the favorites are Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba and Defense Minister Carme Chacon. While the party has given a mixed response to the protests, Chacon said May 18 that she was “listening” to the protesters and some of their objectives are “not only reasonable but possible.”

Read the whole thing at Bloomberg.com.

I'd say I wish I could vote, but the choices look pretty dismal.

Carloz

Related posts:

Spain Makes A Sharp Right Turn - Socialist's suffer biggest defeat ever at the hands of the Popular Party

Inspired by Arab Protests, Spain's Unemployed Rally for Change

Inspired by Arab Protests, Spain's Unemployed Rally for Change

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Thu, 19 May 2011 18:04:00 +0000

Click here to listen to the radio report by Lauren Frayer of Voice of America. The transcript is below. The videos are of scenes of the protests in Madrid (top) and Barcelona (below), without commentary.

Thousands of demonstrators are occupying squares in major cities across Spain, protesting high unemployment and lack of opportunities for youth, ahead of municipal elections on Sunday. Many of them say they've been inspired by similar protests across the Arab world.

Protesters have been camping out in the capital's main square for days. Volunteers set up food and medical tents, adorned with homemade revolution posters. Someone pinned an Egyptian flag up overhead.

But this is not Egypt, it is Spain. Educated but unemployed youth who are frustrated by the poor economy and perceived government corruption have taken over Madrid's main square, Puerta del Sol - inspired by similar youth uprisings across the Middle East.

Pedro Escol, an unemployed scientist with a PhD, surveys the scene around him - piles of sleeping bags, revolution banners and angry youth.

"This situation in the square reminds me of Tahrir Square in Egypt," said Escol. "We are brothers with them. We are brothers. We have the same problems."

Escol says he's frustrated. He has a good education, but can't find work. He thinks politicians here are corrupt. And he says he was inspired by what young Egyptians did back in February. They took over a public square for days, calling for change. And it worked.

"Now I understand, that to take a square like [a] symbol is a very good way to force the government to talk about it, because the square is from the citizens. It's our square."

What started as spontaneous gatherings in Tunisia, and then Egypt, have now formed a blueprint for protests elsewhere - even in Europe. Calls have spread on Facebook for similar rallies among Spaniards living in Germany, the UK and Italy.

James Denselow, a Middle East expert at King's College in London, says protesters in Europe are copying some of the same tactics used in Cairo's Tahrir Square - exercising rights Europeans have had for decades.

"In European countries you've had free legitimate protests as an often constitutionally-protected right for decades, whereas in the Middle East this is incredibly new, which is a reason why it's proving so infectious partly," said Denselow. "I think there's a feedback loop in the sense that European countries are using lots of the same methods and tactics as groups in the Middle East, no better so than online social networking and Internet tools to organize."

Denselow says that while their political circumstances have been drastically different, with dictatorships in the Middle East and democracies in Europe, some of the economic conditions for youth in both regions are remarkably similar. Some Mideast regimes have fallen, and European governments have had their own stumbles.

"These are educated young professionals who are finding a workplace that is not accommodating them, whether it's in terms of people with degrees or people struggling to pay for their degrees," Denselow added. "There's been a government brought down in Greece and replaced quite quickly by another unpopular government, and problems in Ireland too. Each country has its own unique characteristics that reflects a reaction to those protests."

In downtown Madrid, Angela Cartagena is a volunteer on the protesters' quite savvy media outreach team, giving reporters tours of the protest camp. She says organizers learned lessons from the supply lines and that sustained Egyptian protesters in Cairo last winter.

"We have a legal commission, a communication one which I belong to, an infrastructure sub-commission also inside," said Cartagena. "We have a cleaning committee, which I think is very important. They're doing a great job, they're taking care all the time, cleaning the square, everything."

Cartagena says demonstrators are even calling for a Spanish "revolution."

"It depends on your concept of revolution," Cartagena noted. "This is a kind of democratic revolution, in a sense. Of course it's not a revolution like in the Middle East, the situation is completely different. But we are also trying to make a new democracy. They are trying to get [their first] democracy, and we are trying to get a new one - a different one, a better one."

Spanish protesters are angry about government austerity measures and high unemployment, and their voices are directed at all Spanish politicians, not only those currently in power. But local and regional elections are being held Sunday, and polls predict losses for the ruling Socialist Party. The next general election for parliament, however, is scheduled to be held by next March.

VOA

Chao amig@s,

Carloz

Related posts:

Spain Makes A Sharp Right Turn - Socialist's suffer biggest defeat ever at the hands of the Popular Party

Zapatero’s Socialists Head for Vote Defeat in Spain as Protesters March

Earthquake Preparedness in Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sun, 15 May 2011 01:50:00 +0000

Following last week’s earthquake in Lorca, various local governments are updating and issuing details of their emergency plans for seismic events. It is interesting to note that when it comes to such planning for earthquake safety the town of Torrevieja was ahead of the game:

On March 21st, 1829 Torrevieja experienced one of the worst of the dozen major earthquakes that have taken place in Spain in the last 600 years. Registering a magnitude of 6.9 at its highest point, more than 400 people lost their lives and the city was reduced to rubble.

It’s and event that is commemorated very year in Torrevieja as many local families lost friends and relatives in the disaster. It’s not surprising...that Torrevieja already has an action plan in place, called PES, Plan Especial Sismico, to deal with such a situation.

While some other municipalities have reacted to the Lorca tragedy by hurriedly putting together an action plan, on April 23, 2010, Torrevieja’s Mayor Pedro Hernandez Mateo, along with representatives from the Valencian Community and all local and regional Emergency services, held a conference to discuss initiatives should such an occurrence happen on the Vega Baja.

This conference centred on what the emergency services would do in case major seismic activity struck the region and thus residents of Torrevieja and surrounding regions should feel confident that the Police, Ambulance, Protection Civil, Fire Brigade and Military have an action plan in place.

However, for those that have never been in an earthquake...it’s good to have a basic idea of what you should do. Most emergency service operators would agree that you should try and remember [three things above all]: Drop, Cover, Hold On.

The majority of deaths and injuries are not caused by gaping holes in the ground...but...[from] falling rubble from buildings. If possible you should make your way to an open space, but in the vast majority of situations you will reduce your chance of injury if you feel a sudden and violent shaking of the ground around you if you remember, drop, cover and hold on.

DROP down onto your hands and knees (before the earthquakes knocks you down). This position protects you from falling but allows you to still move if necessary.

COVER your head and neck (and your entire body if possible) under a sturdy table or desk. If there is no shelter nearby, only then should you get down near an interior wall (or next to low-lying furniture that won't fall on you), and cover your head and neck with your arms and hands. Remember if you have an ornamental dining table with a glass top, it won’t help you at all!

HOLD ON to your shelter (or to your head and neck) until the shaking stops. Be prepared to move with your shelter if the shaking shifts it around.

For more information on this principal please visit the [Southern California Earthquake Center's Drop! Cover! Hold On! website]...

Ten killed as earthquake strikes historical town of Lorca in southeast Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Image: BBC World News

Sad news. From The Daily Mail:

Two earthquakes struck southeast Spain in quick succession today, killing at least ten people, injuring dozens and causing major damage to buildings, officials said.

The epicentre of the quakes - with magnitudes of 4.4 and 5.2 - was close to the town of Lorca, and the second came about two hours after the first, an official with the Murcia regional government said on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

The Spanish prime minister's office put the death toll at 10 and the Murcia administration said the deaths included a minor and occurred with the second, stronger quake. [...]

The quakes occurred in a seismically active area near a large fault beneath the Mediterranean Sea where the European and African continents brush past each other, USGS seismologist Julie Dutton said. The USGS said it has recorded hundreds of small quakes in the area since 1990.

Lorca, which has a population of about 90,000 people, dates back to the Bronze Age and probably gained its name from the Romans. The old part of the town is made up of a network of narrow alleyways.

The quakes were reportedly felt across Murcia, with tremors registered in Cartagena, Aguilas and as far away as Albacete.

In 2005, more than 900 homes in Lorca were wrecked by an earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale.

Life On Mars? No, but here's a spot in Spain that's the next best thing

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sat, 07 May 2011 01:45:00 +0000

Rio Tinto, Huelva, Spain

By Dale Fuchs:

There are...sites in Spain that have an other-worldly feel. Consider those Darth Vader lookalikes atop Gaudi's La Pedrera in Barcelona, or the lava-made moonscapes in Tenerife.

Even some Marbella mansions might qualify for extraterrestrial status.

Iron in the rocks makes the water red.

But a red-tinted river basin in Huelva tops the alien lovers' list. It's called the Rio Tinto, or Red River, and this stretch of rosy rocks and soil in southern Andalusia appears so extra-terrestrial that it resembles a Spanish outpost of Mars.

Tourists joke about its Martian credentials as they photograph the rust-coloured water and craters, carved by centuries of mining.

A bridge dating from the Roman Empire still spans the Rio Tinto.

But scientists take the Rio Tinto seriously. For them, this hostile turf tinged by oxidised iron is a convenient substitute for the Red Planet. In fact, it boasts so many Martian properties that two space agencies even conducted a "mission" there last month, including a simulated Mars walk.[...]

The Rio Tinto basin is...one of about 20 strange sites around the world – from the Arizona desert to the volcanic Krafla region of Iceland – where scientists can test their equipment on unearthly landscapes.

The Rio Tinto area looks like the red planet because it contains a high concentration of the minerals that are abundant on there, such as iron, sulphur and copper.

"Iron is what gives the Red Planet its colour – a lot of the surface of Mars basically rusted away," Mr Groemer said.

The rich ore has attracted miners since pre-Roman times. In the 19th-century, large British mining companies began extracting copper, silver, sulphur and gold from the Rio Tinto on a large scale, leaving an unearthly crater in their wake – as well as a village with well-trimmed gardens built for British employees. The mines have closed, and the only trace of human activity is the turn-of-the-century tourist train that chugs by the old rail lines, and a museum, housed in the employee hospital, that recalls "5,000 years of mining history".

The river itself is extremely acidic, with a PH of 0.7 compared to the neutral 7 of ordinary water. It springs from the ground and is isolated from other water sources by a geological fault.

Signs warn not to drink the water. "You don't even want to wash your hands in it," Mr Groemer said.

But a special form of bacteria has managed to thrive there. Last year, laboratory tests by scientists in Madrid showed that the bacteria could survive in extreme conditions similar to those found in the Martian subsoil, fuelling hopes of life-seekers.

Read more in The Independent.

Huelva Tourist Information (English)
Minas de Rio Tinto Mining Museum (English)
Parque Minero de Riotinto (Spanish)

Spain Sets Europe's Unemployment Record, But Remains Economic Engine

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:19:00 +0000

By Lauren Frayer.

With southern Europe struggling under public debt, inflation and scant growth, Spain has broken a European record for unemployment. More than one in five Spaniards are out of work, posing a threat to quick recovery for southern Europe's biggest economy, and the region as a whole.

More than one in five working-age Spaniards are unemployed - more than in any other country in Europe. Spain's jobless rate has hit a 15-year high, nearly double the figure in neighboring Portugal.

But many Spaniards do not believe that number is accurate. Retiree Luis Cases says that in his hometown of Valencia, it feels like 95 percent of people are out of work.

"The people I know, it's 95 percent, no work," he said. "It's a bad situation for young people - and old men."

Cases describes what he thinks of the official jobless rate of 21.3 percent.

"No, rubbish! The government says rubbish! No, no, it's more, more, more," he said. "It's very, very difficult. There's no money. The young want to get married, have children and house. But where is the money?"

Spain is southern Europe's economic engine, and is in better shape to survive the global economic crisis than its neighbors. Ailing Portugal and Greece have asked for European bailouts, along with Ireland. But those countries have far fewer people out of work, raising the question of whether Spain's jobless rate is accurate, and what role unemployment actually plays in a country's economic well-being.

Aroa Lopez, from Madrid, says she thinks the Spanish government figure is too high, because many Spaniards collect unemployment benefits but still work at restaurants or other jobs where they are paid in cash.

"So many people take this money," she said. "It's difficult, because the government, when you don't have a job, pay you around two or three years. The government pays you, and it's very easy. So many people take the government money and have another job."

Vanessa Rossi, an economist at London's Chatham House think tank, acknowledges that the way governments calculate unemployment data could be problematic. While Portugal and Greece tend to under-report their jobless numbers, Spain may be doing just the opposite.

"The Spanish unemployment rate might actually be slightly lower than these figures," she said. "That's quite in contrast to many other countries that have the opposite problem - they under-report unemployment."

The Greek jobless rate is 15 percent - still a national record. Portugal's is around 11 percent. That is nearly half the rate in Spain, but unemployment has still hit Greece and Portugal harder. Rossi says it is because in Spain, high unemployment has long been a fact of life, even when the economy is booming. She says the remarkable thing is how low Spain's unemployment got a few years ago, during a huge construction boom - not how high it is now.

"In a sense, Spain's reverted to its previous model. It's not that it's unusual compared to its history, it's actually quite usual," she said. "And it's all the usual problems that were there before that property splurge."

The question is why Spain's unemployment has always been high, compared to the rest of southern Europe. Rossi offers one theory.

"It seems to be partly a structural issue in the way the employment laws operate," she said. "There's a reluctance to give people full employment. There are relatively few fixed jobs with full employment security."

She says Greece and Portugal have slightly different labor laws that do not end up exacerbating unemployment. But Rossi says Spain is still in better financial shape overall.

"In relation to the economy, I think it [Spain] could start to look a little livelier, and it need not go into the crisis that we've seen in Portugal, because the finances are a bit better," he said. "But that doesn't mean that you can get away from this unemployment problem that's been so persistent."

That persistent problem is on the minds of recent college graduates like Laura Lopez, who studied to be a teacher but now can't find a job.

"Last year, I finished my degree, but I couldn't find a job," she said. "So I have to define my life in other things."

Lopez says she and her friends are all under-employed, working in restaurants or part-time, even though they have university degrees. Such stories are common across southern Europe. And none of them is counted in official unemployment figures.

Voice of America.

In Spain today the number of young non-believers is almost double that of practicing Catholics

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Mon, 02 May 2011 00:49:00 +0000

'Gathering at the church' by Keith Williamson.

El Mundo reports that according to a survey conducted for the Ministry of Health's Youth Institute, the number of young practicing Catholic has plummeted, having gone from 29.2% in 2002 to 10.3% in 2010. At the same time, non-believers (19.1%) and atheists (9.6%) have increased nine and three points, respectively.

The survey, which was conducted in November 2010 by the Ferrer i Guardia Foundation, found that practicing Catholics in this age group declined from 29.5% in 2002 to 10.3%. At 45%, non-practicing Catholics are in the majority.

The general director of the Institute, Alconchel Gabriel, told the paper that for young people in Spain today, "religion is a private matter with little impact on the way they conduct their lives."

Just in time for summer, Barcelona bans bikini wearers, shirtless men and nudists from its streets

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 22:34:00 +0000

Make sure to wear a shirt if you want to walk around in the stifling heat of Barcelona this summer, or you may pay dearly for it -- up to 300 euros!

Just in time for the tourist rush, the Spanish city known for its beaches and relaxed lifestyle has prohibited not only public nudity, but also the wearing of bathing suits away from swimming areas.

Beset by the hotelier and merchant lobby, who have protested for years that tourists walking around town with exposed torsos give Barcelona a bad image, the city council on Friday approved new legislation to prohibit and punish those who go down the street naked, bare-chested or in a bikini. The measure, which goes into effect next month, was approved just four weeks before municipal elections.

How the law will work

Complete nudity will only be allowed on Barcelona's officially recognized nude beach, Mar Bella, which is the only one in the city that has sand dunes, making it a somewhat secluded spot. Going shirtless or wearing swim-suits will be allowed only at pools, beaches and surrounding areas, such as the Paseo Maritimo stretching along the Mediterranean. Doing so anywhere else in the city, including while strolling along the emblematic Las Ramblas boulevard or having refreshments at a sidewalk cafe, could result in a fine larger than the 200 euros one has to pay for running a red light: between 300 and 500 euros for going naked, and 120 to 300 for not wearing a shirt. In practice, local police will not fine transgressors immediately: nudes and semi-nudes alike will first receive a warning and an invitation to cover up. Fines will only be given to those who refuse to cooperate or who are caught again for the same violation.

Barcelona's police officers will probably easily recognize nudity when they see it, but how will they determine semi-nudity and its appropriateness? What is the difference between a woman wearing a bikini bathing suit and one wearing a pair of skimpy shorts with a bikini halter top? How far can a shirtless guy walk from the beach before being considered indecent? What happens if while a police officer is fining a bikini-wearing, shirtless couple who wander into a neighborhood near a beach, a sweaty construction worker without a shirt carries a heavy object out of building-site onto the street?

Barcelona on the cutting edge

While at least two other Spanish municipalities have passed legislation banning nudity, none have gone so far as to outlaw semi-nudity. In 2008 Alicante established fines ranging from 751 to 1500 euros for pubic nudity. The city of Las Palmas published an edict in 2004 stating that "nudity, when practiced in places of public transit, practiced en masse, or improperly, is no longer natural and becomes exhibitionism forced on others." Since there was apparently no fine or other punishment prescribed, I'm not sure how nude-free Las Palmas is today. But Barcelona's streets may soon be free of bikinis, swimming trunks and a few tourists.

Maybe next the city council will spend some time and money cracking down on another worrisome group of people who tend to freely wander Barcelona's streets, as well as its beaches: pick-pockets and purse-snatchers.

Cross posted on Newsvine.

Sources:
El destape urbano, non grato (Urban nudity, non grata) - La Razón (with video report)
No es un biquini, es un 'top' (It's not a bikini, it's a 'top') - El País

Spanish judge orders 25-year-old who sued parents for inadequate support to leave the family home

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 23:47:00 +0000

Website for this image

So, it has come to this: if parents can't push children out of the nest, the courts will. Or, at least that is what happened recently in Malaga, Spain.

According to newspaper reports, a Family Court judge has given what Spaniards refer to as a 'ni-ni' (neither works, neither studies) one month to leave the family home and strike out on his own. The case came before the judge because the 25-year sued his parents after they refused to add 400 euros a month to the support they already were providing, which included not only a free place to live and all the food he could eat, but also making his 235 euro car payment each month!

Now don't start feeling too sorry for this poor little abandoned 'kid' -- the judge gave him 30 days to move, and ordered the parents to provide him with 200 euros a month for the next two years.

Amazingly, this is not the first such case in Spain. Last summer a university student from the town of Lugo sued her parents because she felt that the 600 euros a month they were giving her was not enough, and that 800 was more along the lines of what she deserved. (Since she was studying at university, she doesn't qualify for the 'ni-ni' label, but I believe 'ingrato,' the Spanish word for ingrate, sounds apt.) In 2007, a 22 year old in Seville asked the courts to force his parents to increase his monthly allowance by 150 euros -- even though his father was unemployed at the time! In both of these lawsuits, the judges declined the young person's request. However, this latest case is the first time a judge has ruled that a 'ni-ni' should live on his own.

"There is no objective need to maintain someone who is a 'ni-ni' by choice, but someone who is truly unable to work or study should be able to count on family support," the family's attorney told the newspaper, La Razon.

Psychologist Javier Urra told the paper that, "Spain is a country where children live an unusually long time in the homes of their parents." In fact, "before the economic crisis, they were not leaving until 34 years of age." However, in Nordic countries "they push them to leave home and find a job early. " He added that issues "such as access to housing in our country make the situation particularly complicated. "

Although there is much written about the Spanish 'ni-ni' phenomenon, the Youth Institute of Spain's Ministry of Health claims that only 1% of young adults (80,358) neither work nor study, while a report from the University of the Basque Country puts it a bit higher at 5.6%. And among them are the young man in Malaga and his predecessor in Seville who have taken not working and not studying while living off of one's parents to the next level by actually suing for the right to ni-ni; I'd say the English language has a perfect name for them -- ninnies.

Carloz

Cross posted on Newsvine.

Sources:

Un juez obliga a un joven «ni-ni» a dejar la casa familiar (Judge obliges young 'ni-ni' to leave the family home), La Razon, 22 April 2011

Una universitaria denuncia a sus padres en el juzgado para exigirles 800 euros al mes (University student takes parents to court to demand 800 euros a month), La Voz de Galica, 26 June 2010

Un juez rechaza la petición de un joven de 22 años de que sus padres le suban 'la paga' (Judge rejects 22-year-old's petition that his parents increase his allowance), El Mundo, 15 March 2007

Adiós al mito de la Generación ni-ni (Goodby to the Generation ni-ni myth), Noticias de Navarra, 26 April 2011

Spain's 'Semana Santa' Celebrations Threatened By Rain Throughout The Country

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:54:00 +0000

It looks like I may not get to see many, if any, processions, or even spend time sunning on the beach on my Semana Santa holiday in Cartagena. But I'm not alone -- Spain is supposed to be awash in rain this Holy Week 2011, much to the dismay of the brotherhoods, the penitents, and tourists like me. Indeed, I left a partly cloudy Barcelona this morning, and about a fourth of the way on the eight-hour train trip the inundation started. Thankfully, the rain stopped before we reached our destination, but heavy clouds greeted us.

According to weather reports, most of the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands will be under a cloud cover, with weak to moderate rain, and occasional storms. Even the Canary Islands are expected to have gray skies, with the possibility of light rain in the northern islands. Things are expected to start clearing up everywhere on Monday -- the day I head back to Barcelona!

Thank God there are lots of museums to visit here in Cartagena, and everywhere in Spain. Wait a minute! Thursday, Friday, and Sunday are holidays, so chances are many museums will be closed! Oh, well, my hotel is great, I have lovely friends who live here, and, of course, clouds and rain can't ruin all the wonderful Spanish cuisine available all year long - then, too, there's always the chance that the weather men and women will be proved wrong.

Wherever you will be this Easter weekend, I hope it will be a good one - come rain, or come shine.

Saludos amig@s,

Carloz

P.S. Here's a local report in English, from The Reader.es: 23 provinces prepare for a soggy Easter weekend

Carmen Amaya: the Greatest Flamenco Dancer of All Time

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 11:34:00 +0000

The 100th birthday of Carmen Amaya, one of the legends of flamenco dance and song, will be observed in 2013. Barcelona, the native city of the legendary 'Queen of the Gypsies,' is already beginning to celebrate the centennial with the opening this weekend of the 1st annual Carmen Amaya Festival, organized by the Tablao del Carmen, one of the venues in the city's open air museum Pueblo Español. The event features guitarist Tomatito, singers Remedios Amaya and Montse Cortes, and flamenco dancer Manuela Carrasco, winner of Spain's National Dance Award in 2007.

Amaya never formally studied dance or voice, but began from the age of 4 as a street performer with her father. From the streets of Barcelona, she went on to perform on the city's stages before moving on to conquer the nation's capital, Madrid. When the Civil War broke out in 1936 she left Spain and began traveling and performing in the great cities of the world, including Lisbon, London, Paris, Rio de Jainero, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Caracas, Bogotá, Havana, Mexico City, and New York, where she debuted at Carnegie Hall. She went on to appear in Hollywood movies and in 1944 performed at the White House for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After a decade abroad she returned to Spain as a wealthy international star. She continued to perform and travel the world over, including one more visit to the White House, this time at the invitation of President Harry S. Truman in 1953. Ten years later Amaya died of kidney failure at only 50 years of age.

Speaking to the newspaper El Periódico about this weekend's tribute, Tomatito, who is a world renowned musical artist himself, said that he hopes to demonstrate the 'connection' his playing has with the wild fury of Amaya.

"My guitar is connected to her. I am a Gypsy, just like Carmen."

Describing her as the greatest of dancers, Tomatito recalled stories that when people from his native Andalusia learned that unlike them she did not originate from the birthplace of flamenco, but rather from the northern region of Catalonia, the bemused attitude was usually one of, "Well, we all have skeletons in our closets."

Video clips:

Clips from the documentary "QUEEN OF THE GYPSIES, a Portrait of Carmen Amaya"

Carmen Amaya in "Follow the Boys" - 1944

Carmen Amaya y su troupe por Bulerias - 1961

Feliz Día del Español - Happy Spanish Language Day

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:25:00 +0000

Today the Cervantes Institute's 73 centers, located in 42 countries on five continents, are celebrating El Día del Español - Spanish Language Day. And there's a lot to celebrate, as an article in today's El País notes: according to a report published by the Institute, Spanish is the mother tongue of 450 million people, making it second only to Chinese in terms of numbers of native speakers; and after English, it is the second most popular language for international communication.

Understandably, therefore, Spanish is very popular to study as a second language, and this has a significant economic impact on many countries, not the least of which in the mother country, España. Spanish is studied by around 20 million non-native Speakers around the world. The number of "language tourists" coming to Spain grew by 138% between 2000 and 2007. Some 237,000 students traveled to Spain to learn Spanish in 2007, while Cervantes Institute schools around the world have experienced an annual growth of 21% in student registrations. In addition, Spain is the EU country which receives the most students from the European Union's Erasmus exchange program -- 17% of those who participate in this program choose to attend a Spanish university.

There are additional factors that contribute to the economic weight of the language in Spain. For example, the country's large publishing industry has 162 subsidiaries in 28 countries around the world -- more than the 80% of them in Latin America. As for the presence of Spanish on the Internet, according to the report that is growing, too. Spanish is the third most widely used language on the Net, and this use grew 651% between 2000 and 2009. The penetration of Internet use in Spain is the highest among Spanish-speaking countries, but Chile and Argentina have levels of penetration that approach the European Union average. Spain, Mexico and Argentina are among the 20 countries with the largest number of Internet users.

For more information on El Día del Español, the official website is www.eldiae.es. To see if there is a Cervantes Institute near you, go to Instituto Cervantes: sedes en el mundo. And for those interested in studying Spanish in Spain, visit the site of the Spanish Federation of Associations of Spanish Schools for Foreigners (FEDELE).

I'm back!

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Hola Amig@s, Just an FYI that I have not left Spain, but have simply been neglecting my blogs. However, I'm feeling the urge to post again, so stay tuned. Hasta pronto, Carloz

Diverting Discord in Barcelona

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:16:00 +0000

One of my favorite spots in the Barcelona has a rather awful sounding name, despite being a thing of beauty. I'm speaking of La Manzana de la Discordia (The Block of Discord) at Paseo de Gracia numbers 35-45. Here the dramatically clashing styles of the three great architects of Catalan Modernism are on display in buildings that stand practically side by side: Lluís Domènech i Montaner' s Lleó Morera, Josep Puig i Cadafalch's Casa Casa Amatller, and and Antoni Gaudí's Casa Battló. Directly in front of the latter is a tile with km. 0 embedded on it to mark the beginning of the European Route of Modernism, also known as the European Route of Art Nouveau.

The Barcelona Modernism Route is an itinerary that takes you through the Barcelona of Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch, the architects who, together with others, made Barcelona the world capital of Modernism. This Route enables you to get to know thoroughly impressive palatial residences, amazing houses, the temple that has become a symbol of the city and a huge hospital, but it also includes humbler and more everyday buildings and items such as chemists’, shops, lampposts and benches - 115 works in all which show that Art Nouveau put down strong roots in Barcelona and today Modernism is still an art that is alive and part of life in the city.*

There is an official Modernism Route Guidebook available at Barcelona tourist offices and in many local bookstores. The book includes discount coupons for sites along the route that charge entry fees. If you aren't interested in getting the book, you can find a list of the 115 sites included on the route here, as well as a briefer list of the thirty most recommended modernist monuments here.

Discord has never been so much fun!

Chao amig@s,

Carloz

*From What is the Modernism Route?

Spain behind the eight-ball in 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:34:00 +0000

It looks like eight is Spain's number lately, for better or for worse. On the better side, that number was Spain's "well-being" ranking among 22 European countries the New Economics Foundation's 2008 National Accounts of Well-being report. Indeed, Spain and Cyprus were the only Mediterranean countries to make the top 10.

According to the NEF, governments should directly and regularly measure people’s subjective well-being: their experiences, feelings and perceptions of how their lives are going, as a new way of assessing societal progress, instead of only focusing on economic indicators. So according to this measure, Spain is not doing too bad. Well, that's good to know, especially in view of the worse side of number 8.

Spain's unemployment rate rose to an eight-year record at the end of 2008 -- at 14%, the highest rate in the European Union. Spain's high unemployment rate, helped to bring the the overall Eurozone unemployment rate up in December to ques what -- 8%.

I think these statistics sum up 2008 in Spain, a mix of better and worse -- as in much of the world. However, people here seem generally positive and hoping for a better year without so much time "behind the eight ball."

Suerte amig@s,

Carloz

Spain joins the world in celebrating the inauguration of President Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:24:00 +0000

The photo on the right can be found on the El Pais web site with the words: "El sueño americano accede al poder," or "The American dream comes to power." And today I have found Spaniards to be optimistic about President Barack Obama and expressing good will towards the USA.

An American friend and I took time off from work this afternoon to come to my apartment for a "multi-media" observance of the inaugural event. We watched Spanish television, saw an American web-cast on my computer and listened to NPR's live radio broadcast. We cheered, laughed, teared up, clapped and felt hopeful for our country and the world.

At the same time, in Madrid Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero reportedly watched the inauguration and listened to the new American President's speech in his home -- Moncloa Palace. The media reported that he claimed to believe that the ascension to office of President Obama "opens an opportunity" that the Spanish Government will not "waste." The PM, who did not exactly have a good relationship with former President G. W. Bush, was quoted as saying that Spain and the United States are "on a good road for a smooth and and fruitful relationship."

Zapatero described the American President's inaugural speech to reporters as something "very positive, that corresponds to the project that he advocated during...his campaign. A speech...that keeps alive the hope to achieve a more just international order, and for peace and dialogue to find a place in the conflicts that exist in the world today, and that the distribution of wealth is fairer."

Obama and Zapatero spoke on November 7, when the then President-elect returned the PM's congratulatory telephone call. On November 17th the then Vice President-Elect Joe Biden telephoned Zapatero to inform him of Obama's intention to tour Europe, and stop in Spain, sometime in early 2009. Zapatero and Obama will also have a chance to meet at the international economic summit to be held in London next April, and then again a few days later at the NATO summit in Strasbourg that will mark the 60th anniversary of that North American-European organization.

Meanwhile, I joyously join Spaniards and people around the world in saying "¡Bienvenido y buena suerte Presidente Obama!"

Carloz

P.S. Almost immediately after Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the USA, the White House web site reflected that change had come. Visit the site's home page here -- and the site has a blog! That's right, A BLOG!!

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

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 21:41:00 +0000

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

Mexican food in Barcelona? Pues, claro ¡a Casa Mexicana!

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:17:00 +0000

As I've written before, Barcelona's cosmopolitan nature is reflected in the menus on offer in the city's many and diverse restaurants. In addition to dining establishments serving the richly varied cuisine of Spain (Andalusian, Basque, Catalan, Galician, Valencian, etc.), there are many places offering food from other parts of the world; this includes more than a few Mexican restaurants. My favorite of these by far is Casa Mexicana.

Located in the Porto Olimpico, Casa Mexicana is right next door to the Chinese restaurant I wrote about in July 2007. Like that place, there is a comfortable interior dining room filled with lots of natural light, as well as open air terrace where diners can enjoy a harbor view while eating.

The reasonably priced menu includes a wide range of items such as nachos, tacos, quesadillas, flautas, tamales, chilaquiles, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, chimichangas, chicken mole, BBQ chicken, grilled steak and even Tex-Mex lasagna. Vegetarian varieties of many dishes are also available. For dessert choose from buñelos with whipped-cream and/or chocolate sauce, a slice of the cake of the day, or fresh fruit.

Interestingly, Casa Mexicana is the only Mexican restaurant in Barcelona that serves breakfast. Every weekday morning diners can enjoy either huevos rancheros with bacon, huevos a la Mexicana, huevos con papas, huevos con chorizo or a Mexican omelet. And serving sizes are very generous, whether its a breakfast, lunch or dinner dish.

From Monday through Friday Casa Mexicana offers excellent lunch specials for only 8.95 euros, plus tax. As an example of these mid-day specials, let me tell you about what I frequently order -- creature of habit that I am. Usually I begin with a tasty starter of nachos with cheese and guacamole. For the main plate I typically choose one of their huge beef burritos, which bulge with meat, veggies, cheese and sour cream. This comes with a fresh green salad, half of a baked potato and pico de gallo. For a follow up to this hearty and scrumptious meal I almost always go with a helping of their delicious buñelos, which I prefer with whipped-cream, but sans chocolate sauce. Of course, like most "menus del día" in Spain, the price of the lunch includes a choice of wine, beer, water or soft drink. It all amounts to a delectable deal, indeed.

The owners of Casa Mexicana are a friendly couple named Michael and Carina. If you ever visit the restaurant, ask for one of them and mention to him or her that you learned about their restaurant from Carloz's blog and you may just get a free tequila!

Buen provecho amig@s,

Carloz

Casa Mexicana

C/ Marina 16-18

08005 Barcelona

Hours:

Breakfast Weekday Mornings 8h - 12h

Lunch Weekdays and Weekends 12h - 17h

Dinner Weekdays and Weekends 19h - 24h

Reservations accepted:
Email: casa.mexicana.bcn@gmail.com
Phone (+34) 932 215 645
Web: http://www.casa-mexicana-bcn.eu/
Menu in English and Spanish.

A White Kings' Day = Un Día de Reyes Blanco

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:56:00 +0000

Incredible as it may seem, it has been a white Kings Day (aka Epiphany) here in Barcelona! Although it was more like heavy sleet than snow, enough of it accumulated on local sidewalks, streets and plazas to cover the city in a dazzling white blanket. Drivers panicked and pedestrians tread carefully, but children may have interpreted it as one more gift from the Three Kings. All in all, it's been a nice holiday for this big kid, too.

Yesterday evening I walked in near freezing temperatures down to the most central of Barcelona's marinas to see the Magi arrive. To cheering crowds of children, parents and tourists, the Three Wise Men disembarked from the historic schooner Santa Eulalia, and accepted the keys to the city from Mayor Jordi Hereu. After various speeches, the Kings and their Pages walked through the throngs to collect letters from the little ones, so that they would know what gifts to deliver that night.

Eventually Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar split up into separate cream-colored convertible Rugby's from the 1920s that had been waiting to drive them to another location, where they were to meet up with Father Christmas (Papa Noel), and get on their respective floats so that the official 2009 Parade of the Kings (Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos) could wind through the city's avenues. I read in the newspaper today that nearly half-a-million people lined the streets to see the Three Kings, Santa and various other holiday luminaries roll by -- and throw candy and/or "coal" at the kids.

Today I headed out in the snowy cold to a Norwegian friend's for a Kings' Day get together. After stuffing ourselves with a scrumptious meal of homemade Mexican food, we settled in for a good Japanese film on DVD -- with Spanish subtitles, of course. (Talk about an international observance of the day!) We also enjoyed a colorful and sweet King Cake (Roscone de Reyes) for dessert -- and this year I got the piece with the King!

Feliz Reyes amig@s,

Carloz

P.S. You can see a colorful photo slide show of the arrival of the Kings and the parade on ElPeriodico.com.

P.P.S. For more on Holiday Season traditions in Spain, see my Dec. 23, 2007 post, Christmas, New Year and Kings Day Traditions in Spain.

Hispanic Film: the blog

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:14:00 +0000

I started a new blog today! It is about movies that have a connection to the Hispanic world. For the most part it will focus on films in Spanish, but occasionally will also have have information about English language films made by Spanish-speaking directors, starring Hispanic actors, filmed in Spain and/or Latin America, etc. It will include reviews of pictures currently on release in cinemas and DVD, history of Hispanic cinema, news about upcoming productions, reports on film festivals, sample movie trailers and other relevant items from the world of Hispanic cinema. Today I wrote two posts: an introduction to the blog, and a brief film review of El Nido Vacio (The Empty Nest), which includes a short video clip. Check it out at HISPANIC FILM: The Cinema of Spain, Latin America and more.

Happy movie watching, amig@s,

Carloz

P.S. I will, of course, continue my ramblings on this blog, as well as my rather infrequent additions to the somewhat tongue-in-cheek Spanish Phrasal Verbs.

Welcome 2009 with Carloz' Broad Beans and Sausage in Wine

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:58:00 +0000

In the part of the USA I come from, the Deep South, it is a tradition to welcome in the New Year with a heaping, hot dish of black eyed peas. Aside from being sturdy fare that is attractive in winter, it is supposed to bring good luck in the year ahead. Here in Spain, and in other Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Greece, another legume is traditional in New Years recipes -- lentils. They are supposed to bring luck, prosperity and health.

Is it just a coincidence that such starchy items are New Year's food staples in various places? I doubt it. As Nigella Lawson noted in that NPR program I referred to in my previous post, it makes perfect sense on a winter holiday, when many people drink late into the night, to have a meal that is largely made up of carbohydrates.

Since I could not find any black eyed peas here in Barcelona, and I am not crazy about lentils, I took inspiration from Lawson's recipe for Italian Sausages with Lentils, as well as a common local plate, Catalan Broad Beans (or "Habas a la Catalana") and prepared the following for a friend and I to welcome in 2009:

Carloz' Broad Beans and Sausage in Wine

Spicy chorizo sausage
Broad beans
Chopped onion
White wine
Water
Olive oil
Teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Thyme
Paprika

Put the sausage in a pan with a little water, cover and bring to a boil over a high heat. Then lower the fire and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Drain and cut the sausage.

Put the olive oil, broad beans, and sausage in a pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, salt, pepper, thyme and stir. Then pour in the wine and water. Bring to a boil over a high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for about 20 minutes.

Add paprika and serve.

I thought it was delicious, but I was the cook, after all. However, my friend agreed. I think she was being honest -- especially as she went back for seconds, and cleaned her plate.

Feliz 2009 amig@s,

Carloz

When the clock strikes midnight in Spain...

noreply@blogger.com (Carloz) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:25:00 +0000

..it's time to eat grapes – very quickly! One for each chime of the bell. Why is that?

The 12 grapes represent the months of the new year, with the hope being that each month will be as delicious as the grapes you gulp down. Therefore, the ideal thing to do is to pop 12 sweet grapes into your mouth, because that will mean 12 pleasant months to look forward to. If you're unfortunate enough to have a sour one in the bunch, then that month will be as bitter as the fruit. So, for example, if grape number 6 is off, then your July will be, too! God forbid that there are multiple unsavory ones, as that could spoil much of your luck for the year ahead. And should you miss out on the grape eating altogether, you are quite simply courting bad luck for the entire 365 days.

That is one of the reasons why tonight throughout Spain people will welcome in another New Year with a mouthful of grapes. It's quite funny, too, because as you see those around you hurriedly trying to wolf down 12 grapes in a row, the laughter starts, which in turn makes it difficult to swallow, which causes more laughter, and then more of a panic as everyone tries to finish devouring their grapes while the chimes are still ringing.

After that, many Spaniards will wash down the grapes with one of Spain's other great vintage products, cava! Then for some people it will be dancing and celebrating in the streets, while others will watch and toast one of the festive programs on TV.

As to the roots of this “oral” tradition, I have heard different things. One of the more fanciful stories is that it started long ago at the end of a year when there was such a bountiful grape harvest that on New Year's Eve (Noche Vieja) the King generously distributed the fruit to everyone throughout the land. On the more mundane side is the report that in 1909 a group of Spanish grape growers created and promoted the idea in order to sell more product. The truth probably lies somewhere else.

It is interesting to note that similar traditions exist in other Mediterranean countries, as well as in Latin America. Cook and writer Nigella Lawson observed on a radio show on New Year food traditions broadcast by NPR a year ago that a tradition of eating exactly 12 grapes also exists in Malta, whereas Italy's midnight grape consuming tradition involves manically eating as many grapes as possible to ensure good health in the coming year.

Lawson also mentioned what she thought were deeper meanings of such customs. She saw a connection to folk wisdom, in that people in grape growing regions have always known that grapes are healthy, whereas science only discovered relatively recently that grape skins contain resvesterol, which may prevent cancer and heart disease.

But perhaps just as significant is the fact that, as Lawson said, “you’re doing something year in, year out, that your antecedents have done as well. And I think that’s such an important part of human ritual.”

So, here in Spain the old year ends and the new one begins with laughs, hugs, kisses, good wishes and, most of all, the tradition and hope symbolized by 12 guileless grapes.

Feliz año nuevo amig@s,

Carloz