The reason for a lack of updates here is simple: too much work. However, the world has carried on spinning.
The Spanish political arena is currently fairly dull. Zapatero announced a female majority cabinet, which is obviously an interesting statement. It doesn’t say much about what his second government will achieve. My guess is: not a hell of a lot. Libertad Digital reckons that ETA are pushing for talks with the government by letting off bombs. Talks should happen, but probably won’t, given that the PP is committed to breaking the historic pact of support for the government’s terrorism policy. The struggle for power in the PP is the only story really worth following.
Good news: unionised dock workers in Durban refused to unload millions of dollars worth of Chinese weapons bound for Zimbabwe. Action by local human rights groups and trade unions prevented the delivery of arms and ammunition for Mugabe’s regime from a Chinese ship. Apparently, the ship is now enroute for Mozambique. I can only hope that union workers there will also fight the ‘free market’ which allows China to arm Mugabe’s psychotic and murderous regime. I mean, could the timing be any more obvious? This is the moral equivalent of Mussolini’s assistance to Franco’s rebellion.
We met up with Graeme of South of Watford fame (Madrid’s best English-language blog) last night. I got a bit drunk (sorry about that) but we had a great evening, ending up in Plaça Reial, where I insulted an arsehole of a waiter.
The next few weekends will be pretty busy and work is going to be intense over the coming weeks. But I’ll try to blog a bit more because I enjoy this.
You’ll have to be careful where you sit the next time you go to that bar – either that or wear a false beard. It was a good night, we should do a repeat some time – either in Barcelona or Madrid!
Yes we should!
Incidentally, I’ve realised that the waiter was the same one we’ve had trouble with before. One of my friends once paid for a round of drinks there with a €50 note, as he didn’t have anything smaller. The waiter got upset and insisted that a smaller note be used. When it was explained that this was impossible, he beckoned my friend to the bar, where he was given his change almost entirely in coins of 50 cents or smaller. My friend was livid but the waiter basically said ‘take it or leave it’.
I seem to remember stopping ‘Boris’ from fighting the waiter, so perhaps the false beard won’t be necessary. In any event, we guiris all look the same, right? 😉
Apparently Mozambique has not allowed the ship to dock and there are rumours about it trying to dock in Angola and possibly having to return to China without unloading