[Pesky Wesky]

As people have said that in the UK Spanish news is sometimes not reported and / or it's easily ignored here's some news, mainly in video, about some recent events. I'll see if I can do this periodically.

15M movement 1 year anniversary
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8314

Migration - (forget what he says about la bella vida - that's not Spanish!!) This sounds like we on the forum have written it. We could claim plagiarism I reckon!!
BBC News - Expats turning away from Spanish dream

Real Madrid Mallorca

Article about Bruce's tour
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Olympic Stadium, Seville, review - Telegraph

 

[thrax]

Yes but it is the beeeb

 

[jojo]

Bond markets attack Spain as contagion fears spread - Business News - Business - Evening Standard

Jo xx

 

[90199]

La bella vida, Italian.

I am staying here, 27ºc, €2.00 a pint, what more could an old git want?

 

[gus-lopez]

As people have said that in the UK Spanish news is sometimes not reported and / or it's easily ignored here's some news, mainly in video, about some recent events. I'll see if I can do this periodically.

15M movement 1 year anniversary
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8314

Migration - (forget what he says about la bella vida - that's not Spanish!!) This sounds like we on the forum have written it. We could claim plagiarism I reckon!!
BBC News - Expats turning away from Spanish dream

Real Madrid Mallorca
Real Madrid vs Mallorca 4-1 All goals & Highights 2012 La Liga 13/05/2012 Resumen Sports Game - YouTube

Article about Bruce's tour
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Olympic Stadium, Seville, review - Telegraph

What they don't tell you in the article is that he made a speech on the suffering by the working classes during this economic crisis in both Spain & the U.S. which was enthusiastically received. A friend on another forum went & said that the spanish really appreciated it.

 

[Pesky Wesky]

More speculation on Spain leaving the Euro

Spain?s ?technically impossible? euro exit | Iberosphere | Spain News and Portugal News - Information and Analysis

Some interesting excerpts...

The last year has seen a rapidly spreading understanding in this country that things are not just very bad, but getting worse, and will continue to do so for a great many years to come. It’s hard to keep up with the figures on home repossessions, or the number of households with no income. Five years ago the middle classes were talking about how much the value of their home had risen; now it’s how a close friend or relative has lost their job and has no chance of ever finding another, or has a grown-up son or daughter with no prospect of finding work and leaving home.

Spain has to pay back €149 billion to bond holders in 2012. To do that it will issue a total of €186 billion worth of bonds. Recent bond auctions have, to say the least, been disappointing, and borrowing rates just keep going up. In 2011, interest payments totaled €28.8 billion — up from €22.1 billion the year before, thanks to rising bond yields.
In short, to use the home economics analogies that this government is so fond of: Spain has borrowed too much money on short repayment terms, but can’t earn enough to pay it back, and so its debts just keep mounting, and so do the costs of borrowing. It’s like being in hock to a neighbourhood loan shark.

after a year of exiting from the euro...

Once the internal domestic situation had stabilized, something that might take up to a year, and which would be shown once a stable exchange rate had been established between the new peseta and the euro, restrictions on movement of capital would be lifted.
At that point, the Spanish economy would take off like a rocket: the weaker new peseta would make Spanish exports cheaper and more competitive and would help the economy start growing again, creating jobs. Demand for consumer goods and services at affordable prices would rise. Companies outside Spain might be attracted by the cheaper labour and real estate, encouraging them to move manufacturing plants here. Tourism would also get a boost: Spain would suddenly become much cheaper for foreigners.

 

[Pesky Wesky]

Bank runs in Spain!!

 

[mrypg9]

Leaving the euro isn't the easy option some might think.

Confidence in the new currency would be extremely low, devaluation would have a deleterious effect on people's living standards and the cost of borrowing would be astronomical.

If as now seems likely Greece is forced to either enter a second-tier eurozone or leave altogether the country will be in meltdown.

It's easy to talk of this option but when the implications are uncovered.....

 

[jojo]

Once the internal domestic situation had stabilized, something that might take up to a year, and which would be shown once a stable exchange rate had been established between the new peseta and the euro, restrictions on movement of capital would be lifted.
At that point, the Spanish economy would take off like a rocket: the weaker new peseta would make Spanish exports cheaper and more competitive and would help the economy start growing again, creating jobs. Demand for consumer goods and services at affordable prices would rise. Companies outside Spain might be attracted by the cheaper labour and real estate, encouraging them to move manufacturing plants here. Tourism would also get a boost: Spain would suddenly become much cheaper for foreigners.

I simply dont get this thinking and I dont understand how this would work;

So if Spain has a devalued currency and everyone supposedly benefits, exports are cheaper, so more work, tourists benefit by cheaper holidays blah, blah...........Ok, my prime example would be, what about Spain having to buy in oil! How much more will that cost them? Will they be able to afford to run cars?? planes, businesses?? Cos without oil/petrol/fuel - spain will be nothing! and what about other exports?? How will the country afford to buy in anything and how will the people be able to afford anything thats not Spanish??? Surely it would become a third world country???

jo xxxx

 

[Muddy]

Seems to be a whole lot more news on Spain in just the last week or so. The is the usual system of follow the news for the loan shark type gambling going on in the square mile more and more these days!
Who is making the real news I wonder!

I read an Irish and Greek town have followed the example of a Spanish town who started excepting pesetas again!
Bartering is back in fashion also it would seem. So does this mean an underlying yearning for old currencies to come back and with it more independence, or just dig out the old change from behind the couch and nothing more!

It's going to be very hard for Greece whatever happens, but wouldn't it be better for them in the long run rather than them keep getting bailout cash they will never be able to repay, or if they are forced to will leave them floundering in debt maybe for ever and a day!
Would it work to let them have in theory their own currency back and then pump money in to help keep the currency from falling back too much! At least that would be backing something that might work rather than dumping cash into a black whole of never ending interest payments.
Greece seem a bit of an event horizon regarding bailouts IMHO!

Some more news on Spain;
Spain denies need for external bank aid - Yahoo! News UK

Comparing UK and Spain on the happy index!
I've seen it posted on here before but thought I would compare over the last few years. It makes for interesting reading.
It seems Spain as far as the end of last year anyway is still a happy place for people compared Europe. 2009, 2010 and 2011 Spain comes 2nd only to France but more still want to go to Spain than France, the UK........ Not so good LOL Bottom or 2nd from bottom year on year!
Maybe that's why a lot of the news flows off our backs here in the UK along with the copious amounts of rain
uSwitch Quality of Life Index: UK is the worst place to live in Europe | uSwitch.com News

 

[Pesky Wesky]

I simply dont get this thinking and I dont understand how this would work;

So if Spain has a devalued currency and everyone supposedly benefits, exports are cheaper, so more work, tourists benefit by cheaper holidays blah, blah...........Ok, my prime example would be, what about Spain having to buy in oil! How much more will that cost them? Will they be able to afford to run cars?? planes, businesses?? Cos without oil/petrol/fuel - spain will be nothing! and what about other exports?? How will the country afford to buy in anything and how will the people be able to afford anything thats not Spanish??? Surely it would become a third world country???

jo xxxx

Well, I think it's a good point Jo. Let's see who comes on and shoots your argument down!

 

[Pesky Wesky]

Comparing UK and Spain on the happy index!
I've seen it posted on here before but thought I would compare over the last few years. It makes for interesting reading.
It seems Spain as far as the end of last year anyway is still a happy place for people compared Europe. 2009, 2010 and 2011 Spain comes 2nd only to France but more still want to go to Spain than France, the UK........ Not so good LOL Bottom or 2nd from bottom year on year!
Maybe that's why a lot of the news flows off our backs here in the UK along with the copious amounts of rain
uSwitch Quality of Life Index: UK is the worst place to live in Europe | uSwitch.com News

I think you've got something there, Muddy

 

[90199]

I simply dont get this thinking and I dont understand how this would work;

So if Spain has a devalued currency and everyone supposedly benefits, exports are cheaper, so more work, tourists benefit by cheaper holidays blah, blah...........Ok, my prime example would be, what about Spain having to buy in oil! How much more will that cost them? Will they be able to afford to run cars?? planes, businesses?? Cos without oil/petrol/fuel - spain will be nothing! and what about other exports?? How will the country afford to buy in anything and how will the people be able to afford anything thats not Spanish??? Surely it would become a third world country???

jo xxxx

The U.K. de valued when Harold Wilson was P.M. If I remember correctly the differences were minimal. Regarding crude oil, at the moment it is overpriced, Greece and possibly Spain leaving the Euro, will de-stable the world economy, this will cause oil prices to fall drastically, and with a reduction of internal purchase tax on petroleum products, your 4 star could become cheaper.

 

[Pesky Wesky]

The news today is about the strikes and protests held in almost all regions yesterday against education cuts, a subject that is close to my heart. The strike was right through the education system from infantil to university. They are protesting against cuts such as not having a supply teacher until 14 days of sick leave has been taken, and measures like teachers teaching more hours and having more syudents in the class room could result in between 2,700 and 4, 800 teachers being unemployed.
Teachers and students walk out of classes to protest school cutbacks | In English | EL PAÍS

 

[xabiaxica]

The news today is about the strikes and protests held in almost all regions yesterday against education cuts, a subject that is close to my heart. The strike was right through the education system from infantil to university. They are protesting against cuts such as not having a supply teacher until 14 days of sick leave has been taken, and measures like teachers teaching more hours and having more syudents in the class room could result in between 2,700 and 4, 800 teachers being unemployed.
Teachers and students walk out of classes to protest school cutbacks | In English | EL PAÍS

some of my students have been asking why the schools are striking ((bearing in mind my students are mostly retired/early retired)- they think it's dreadful that they DO strike -& in our area 2 days a week for the whole of May!!!


after I explain it they understand - the thing they consider to be the biggest problem is the supply teacher situation - which in fact has already been the case around here this year - if a teacher has been out for less than 2 weeks there has been no cover, so my girls & of course all the other students have at some times had no teaching in some subjects for up to 2 weeks at a time this past school year

I think it will be a miracle if there is a high pass rate at the end of the year

 

[snikpoh]

The news today is about the strikes and protests held in almost all regions yesterday against education cuts, a subject that is close to my heart. The strike was right through the education system from infantil to university. They are protesting against cuts such as not having a supply teacher until 14 days of sick leave has been taken, and measures like teachers teaching more hours and having more syudents in the class room could result in between 2,700 and 4, 800 teachers being unemployed.
Teachers and students walk out of classes to protest school cutbacks | In English | EL PAÍS

Teachers around here were on strike last Wed & Thurs, this Tues & Wed and next Wed & Thurs - some of those days they go up to Valencia and others down to Alicante.

Whilst I agree with their issues and can not, for the life of me, understand how the cuts can possibly benefit any one, I am really shocked at how these strikes are affecting our children!

 

[Pesky Wesky]

Teachers around here were on strike last Wed & Thurs, this Tues & Wed and next Wed & Thurs - some of those days they go up to Valencia and others down to Alicante.

Whilst I agree with their issues and can not, for the life of me, understand how the cuts can possibly benefit any one, I am really shocked at how these strikes are affecting our children!

I know, I know ,I know snikpoh. My own daughter was severely effected at the beginning of the year, her last year at school, and an extremely tough year.
The strikes don't really benefit anyone and they do damage as well. The cuts certainly don't benefit anyone (the EU possibly??), at least in Spain and do a lot of long term damage. The teachers, and many other workers in other sectors, are damned if they do and damned if they don't in the present situation. The only thing they can do to demonstrate their non conformity with what is happening is to go on strike, but that does lead to burn out on part of the students, parents and the teachers themselves who have already had one pay cut and of course lose money for every day that they go on strike.

 

[Pesky Wesky]

some of my students have been asking why the schools are striking ((bearing in mind my students are mostly retired/early retired)- they think it's dreadful that they DO strike -& in our area 2 days a week for the whole of May!!!


after I explain it they understand - the thing they consider to be the biggest problem is the supply teacher situation - which in fact has already been the case around here this year - if a teacher has been out for less than 2 weeks there has been no cover, so my girls & of course all the other students have at some times had no teaching in some subjects for up to 2 weeks at a time this past school year

I think it will be a miracle if there is a high pass rate at the end of the year

Yes, the supply teacher thing has been operating at least this year, and I'm not sure if the year before as well. A similar, if not the same system was also operating when there was a pregnant teacher. There was no teacher lined up to take over - ¡¡Que va!!

As for the high pass rate, I wouldn't be too sure xabiachica. They are supposed to get through certain things on the syllabus, but the teachers do set their own exams, don't they?

 

[Calas felices]

U switch

Haven't seen muddy's posting until now:

Comparing UK and Spain on the happy index!
I've seen it posted on here before but thought I would compare over the last few years. It makes for interesting reading.
It seems Spain as far as the end of last year anyway is still a happy place for people compared Europe. 2009, 2010 and 2011 Spain comes 2nd only to France but more still want to go to Spain than France, the UK........ Not so good LOL Bottom or 2nd from bottom year on year!
Maybe that's why a lot of the news flows off our backs here in the UK along with the copious amounts of rain
uSwitch Quality of Life Index: UK is the worst place to live in Europe | uSwitch.com News

but it's an interesting slant on the Proverb 'Lies, damn lies and statistics'. The research was undertaken by Opinium research who asked about 2,000 people their opinion. Those people are members of the Opinium panel and are paid the more surveys they do. A representive sample - i don't think so!!!

 

[xabiaxica]

Yes, the supply teacher thing has been operating at least this year, and I'm not sure if the year before as well. A similar, if not the same system was also operating when there was a pregnant teacher. There was no teacher lined up to take over - ¡¡Que va!!

As for the high pass rate, I wouldn't be too sure xabiachica. They are supposed to get through certain things on the syllabus, but the teachers do set their own exams, don't they?

yes I believe they do set their own exams - but what about the last year of obligatory 4º ESO??

surely there must be some national conformity requirement??

that's the one I'm worried about, with dd1