Every week I write and article for the Euro Weekly News, an English-speaking newspaper covering all the major resorts of Spain and the Balearics. You can pick up a copy on a Thursday ... or read it here every week. |
Thursday 19 June 2008
If one more person writes to inform me to be careful 'knocking' the immigrant population in the UK as we are all in fact immigrants ourselves, I think I will indeed throw a very large wobbly. The British immigrant into Spain is a vastly different species to the large majority of those who are now swamping the English terra firma. I have yet to meet (after twenty five years) one British resident who is spounging off the state or begging on the streets. Quite rightly the Spanish welfare organization is a far stricter operation than it's almost laughable 'equivalent' in the UK and although a number of ways do exist to obtain aid in Spain they are by no means simple (try and get a free house and free monetary handouts over here!). Frankly we don't either need or expect it. A large percentage of British immigrants buy their own villas and apartments. Many invest vast sums into the community by entering into an extremely wide variety of businesses and ventures. Thousands retire and have their British pensions paid to them over here, money which then also enters into the Spanish economy. And of course there are vast numbers of residents visited annually by relatives and friends (who then leave!) who also bolster the coffers of the local and national community. Taking all this into account it is glaringly obvious that the British immigrant is a definite boon to the Spanish economy and a very large plus to its existence within the European community. To attempt to compare us to the hundreds of thousands allowed to enter the UK, who's only knowledge of the English language (and indeed anything else British) are the words 'social security' and 'give me' is to me a positive insult. Therefore I would deem it a great favour if all you dissenters would look a little further than your noses, take on board the true facts, and give all us who deal in reality a long awaited and well deserved break. Muchas gracias. As a footnote to this immigration integration subject I have plagiarized a piece from a British Sunday national paper (thanks Barry) which informed us that a group of families recently bought a row of sixteen houses in Slough. They then proceeded to knock down all the garden fences and live in each others houses, thereby re creating the village environment they had left behind in Mirpuri Kashmir! Another part of the article described an interview with a Turkish Muslim man who taught at a local secondary school. Part of the interview is as follows. 'The fact is a woman is not the equal of man,' he insists. 'That is why in Sharia law a man can be a witness but you need two women to equal a single male testimony.' When asked why this rule existed he cited, wait for it, the emotional state of women during menstruation! He then went on to inform his interviewee that when he was not at home his 18 year old son automatically became the head of the household and not his wife! And this man is a teacher at a local school. Wow, it really does sound as though integration is really working well over there Mr. Brown! Heaven help us all. What say you gals!? One thing I do go on about over here is the way many locals find it difficult to admit they are in the wrong. (Sorry being the hardest word and all that.). Well, not this ol' boy. A couple of weeks ago I did a piece on the talent shows which are at this time dominating the British TV networks. On reflection I was a bit harsh and negative in my comments and perceptions. (They even began to smell like sour grapes to myself!) Although I stand by my questioning of the judges credentials, I do see that these shows help us to view and comment on a multitude of new variety acts that possibly without these show places would never see the light of day outside their local working men's club. They also let it be known that the world of showbiz variety is still very much alive and kicking and let's face it; anything that actually cheers us up during these dull and miserable mundo climes can only be a good thing. So keep up the good work all you involved. And you judges? Try and be a little more constructive in your comments and not just nasty for nastiness sake. Awright? Have a hopefully dry week Reach a hand out (Try not to get it bitten off!) And whatever ya do. Always keep the faith. Love Leapy |
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