shopping bag in a fashion shop, Raval Barcelona

No hay pan para tanto chorizos

This witty analysis of Spain's problems in 2011 would be worth another run now. Literally not enough bread for so many sausages,  it is much funnier when you know that chorizo is also slang for thieves. Now that the ongoing cuts (including pay cuts to teachers of up to 25%) and the continuing scandals of corruption throughout government and the royal family kind of provide an insight into the conditions that gave birth to the indignados, who came up with the slogan, and hence the occupy movement.

There's a lot of thinking that seems to go into interesting dimensions of commentary and resistance here in Spain.

This weekend we enjoyed a trip to the country and visit to Tarragona in unseasonably freezing conditions, returning to Barcelona to hear there's been a protest against the cuts today of 80,000 people. Mayday across Spain on Wednesday could be pretty interesting.

One of outcomes here in Catalunya is a strong and visible independence movement.  Hence the slogan on the Mayday poster photographed in the streets of Tarragona, below: "we produce, we decide" .. Enriched by the exhortation to overcome capitalism.

 Speaking of Catalan commentary, Sister Teresa Forcades, a Spanish Benedictine nun ordinarily from Barcelona, was on Catalan TV tonight arguing that capitalism is unethical.

That's where religious perspective has a force, in allowing you to talk about right and wrong. Always a nice component.

independence and may one protest Tarragona.

Super fast train

Well so much for Spanish language school.

 It is nice to be refreshed at the somewhat limited level of Spanish that I have, and improved a touch in the two weeks but it's also confronting to realize how little I know and how slow I am at learning. Simpatico teachers and fellow students, or not.

Of course having finished my course I can now think of all the questions and topics for discussion I might have raised in our class: for example, where will I find some good Latin American food, and who can tell me when there will next be a demonstration against the austerity measures?

Now we are on the AVE train from Madrid to Barcelona. 300km/h. Slightly cheaper and quicker, if you take all the airport fol de rol into account, than flying. Unless you also take into account how long it took me to buy the tickets over the Internet. But that's another matter.

In any event, I have mobile data  in my iPad so I am connected all 600km of the journey. So I can upload this post.  But you know, I EXPECTED wifi! .. I don't know what went wrong.

There were media reports yesterday, as you may all know, about the 27 % unemployment in Spain; the highest level since Franco. No wonder there are manifestations against the austerity measures..  but it's dark outside now and the fairly crowded AVE is showing us French films in Spanish,  and selling us beer, chips and bocodillos. One could imagine all's right enough with the world. Shortage of WIFI not withstanding.

Flamenco live

Flamenco is an extraordinary art form: rhythm, music, voice, words, dance, story, full of improvisation and collaboration. We saw a show at the famous Casa Patas last night and the first half (in particular) was just extraordinary. One of the things I love about Flamenco is that it is so sensual but not pretty. And passionate,  but also satiric. An unabashed expression of humanity.

I read something in passing the other day suggesting that the number of young people in Spain learning and performing Flamenco is falling in the face of global music and performance trends.  It should probably be expected. I don't know how profound that shift is. But the show last night just reminded me of what we might lose as transnational culture develops.

I was looking for some world  music + flamenco the other day but couldn't find it., Although I've got no doubt it is  here in Madrid.. but that kind of collaboration needs the ingredients: the African or Indian music disciplines or forms, and similarly the artistry of flamenco. We need of need the cultural diversity to grow and interact, but to stay diverse.



Here's an image of Inmaculada Aranda, who were sitting about five feet away from last night.

What change might happen

THE CRISIS

Back at Spanish school after the weekend. Grette and I in our different classes (Grette is intermediate I'm a kind of middle beginner) both ran through what we did on the weekend, twice, once with each of our teachers. So we are well practised at summarising the conversations, meals, shopping and walking of the past few days.

Anyway, on top the weekend walk in the very extensive park Caso del Campo (photo of lunch below), where I think one of the feral animal problems is raccoons; and a fine evening meal in one of those twittering conversational Spanish public spaces; we visited friends of my brother and talked about the problem of Spain.  I am grossly oversimplifying the argument here, but our Spanish host seemed to be arguing that there is a deep division in Spain and one side will always look out for themselves at the expense of the other. His Irish partner thought one of key issues is that too many of the population are happy to pursue an easy life. They both agreed that the emerging generation of young adults have no sense of building a better Spain. And those whose parents are doing OK particularly don't seem to be in a rush. If they are still in Spain.

When we were in Morocco, towards the end of the week, it was pointed out to me that the Royal Family there owns the big supermarkets, the biggest real estate businesses, and so on.  Here in Spain, it is perhaps a slightly wider crowd of people who benefit the most. But there is certainly a strong sense that circumstances, as always, suit the most comfortable. I was impressed with the Socialist-led government of Andalusia offering to provide students at public schools three meals a day.  I was advised not to believe what I read in the papers. And not to expect any change.

Very frustrating this not-expecting-change thing.  We  listened briefly to ABC Radio this evening, and learnt that Chrissy Amphlet has died (she was great); but then turned off RN breakfast because we couldn't bear any of the same old same old.

My little intellectual struggle on this trip is to try to get sense of where the real resistance and positive vision for social change will come from. I kind of romantically imagined that Spain with its history of passionate politics and the hard times that are affecting so much of the population might be a good crucible for  that. But then you think, when you see the pleasures of the good life that still available to many, and the undoubted economic problems that no one seems to have articulated a believable response to, that there's no reason to EXPECT Spain to lead the way. And,as we all agreed over our cup of tea on Saturday, that when you look it from here, Australia is still in the box seat to carve out a better path.

EATING

Finally tonight, my friend Jonni has suggested all the blogs are about eating. well yes, that seems to be the challenge of the ChilliWorldTour.  I reckon I'd be investigating the actual presence of food with chillies here in. Madrid if I wasn't so focussed on learning Spanish. And also, if I  didn't actually like Spanish food so much. Anyway - I'd appreciate a few comments (Jonni, et al) if we are to braided the conversation away from all that meat and all those roasted peppers.

No chilli but green pimiento in pride of place

The Chilli World Tour can probably afford a couple of days, in Spain perhaps, 

celebrating other members of the capsicum family, such as the green pepper, and 

The smokey paprika. It seems we are only two degrees of culinary appropriation

Away from each other, who ever we are. This was our lunch, awaiting the table

 top barbecue. Grette's beer is invisible.