BarrieMahoneyI know from my previous work as a reporter that many expats quickly become frustrated by the antics of some of the state monopolies in Spain. Dealings with the Town Halls, water and electricity companies, Correos and Telefonica - to name a few, can become incredibly frustrating experiences and can be the stuff of nightmares. With most of these companies, I still get the feeling that they think that we are here for their benefit and not that the other way around. The situation is very similar to that in the UK 15 to 20 years ago, when the then UK monopolies maintained a similar arrogance towards their customers.
BarrieMahoneyAs much as many expats such as myself enjoy living in our newly adopted countries, it is strange what we miss from our countries of origin. Lemon Curd, Persil tablets and Branston pickle are just a few of the items that I know our friends beg visitors to bring when they visit. For me, it is Marmite, mince pies and ‘J’ cloths that ensure that our visitors receive a particularly warm welcome. I also miss BBC radio news, as well as radio drama...
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
BarrieMahoney'Twitters from the Atlantic' is a quirky and amusing weekly blog by author and international columnist, Barrie Mahoney, about an expat's perspective of life from an island in the Atlantic Ocean. For more information, go to: www.barriemahoney.com
purplelover110I love hand-written letters ^^. I do write letters to my friends sometimes :).
BarrieMahoneyLighthouses and Lime Kilns
"There are many lighthouses in the Canary Islands and locals and many visitors will know that there is a particularly fine one at Maspalomas in Gran Canaria. The lighthouse, or Faro in Spanish, helps sailors to navigate their ships and is an integral part of sea-life. Usually, they are cylindrical towers with a light on top, and emit a fixed sequence of beams that is unique to a particular lighthouse. Built in 1980, the Maspalomas lighthouse is still operational and, for those who like full details, provides 3 white flashes every 13 seconds. Before lighthouses were invented, sailors were warned of hazards by the lighting of fires along the coastline..."
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
BarrieMahoney"Despite all the positive aspects of living in the Canary Islands there are, as in all things in life, a few negatives too. One of my main irritations is slow delivery of parcels, which is often due to the Aduana (Customs) process. Even though the Canary Islands are part of Spain, and within the European Union, we are outside of both for the purposes of taxation. This state of affairs is of great benefit to residents and visitors alike, who can buy all the luxury goods they can afford whilst on holiday, and pay only 5% IGIC (local tax) instead of IVA or VAT in Spain of 18% and in the UK at 20%. However, there are downsides too..."
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
BarrieMahoneyEl Hierro gained its original name of ‘Fire Island’ from its origins of volcanic eruptions many years ago, and although volcanic activity has now gone, the natural Earth forces of water and wind remain. These power sources are now due to be harnessed so that by 2012, this small island in the Atlantic will be the first to be able to generate all of its electricity needs from sources that are renewable.
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
BarrieMahoneyExpats and Ebooks
I miss books! One of the most difficult things that I had to do when we left the UK for Spain was to cull my collection of books. We could neither afford to transport them all, nor was there going to be enough storage space in our new Spanish home to accommodate them. Book lovers will know the feeling, I am sure, that books become like old friends - always there to provide words of comfort and support in times of difficulty, laughter as well as endless sources of wisdom collected over the years. In the end, I had to make a decision and most of my collection of books found their way to the Salvation Army shop at the end of our road. It was heartbreaking. Even so, I just could not part with some of my earliest childhood memories and so some of my favourite children’s books are still stored in a box in my elderly Aunt’s garage in the UK.
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
AudiobooUgh - getting rid of books is so hard! I just feel reassured seeing them on my shelves.
Kate
@Audioboo
BarrieMahoney"There are references to Carnival in island government records as far back as February 1556, but the fiesta has grown from strong influences from South America and the Caribbean, as many Canarians left the islands after the Spanish Conquest seeking work or their fortunes in the newly discovered lands of the Americas. Some islanders were forced to leave their homes in the Canary Islands by the Spanish government as it wanted more people to settle in the Spanish colonies in the Americas. Over the years, many islanders returned to their homes and brought with them many traditions from these newly discovered countries..."
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
BarrieMahoneyNothing says “Royal Wedding” quite like an ostrich’s bottom joined to your left temple. No, I had told myself, I would not be spending the day watching the wedding celebrations and associated hats of a couple I did not know, would never meet and who were representing a country many miles away.
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
BarrieMahoney"Living in present-day Spain and the Canary Islands, it is often hard to remember that Spain has only relatively recently emerged as a successful and fully-fledged democracy after years of fear and repression under the hated Franco regime. As the last remaining statue, erected by Franco during his dictatorship, was recently removed from Barcelona, most Spaniards look to a time when a thick line can finally be drawn under this black period of the country’s history. It is credit to the strength of personality and character of its people that Spain has achieved so much since the dictator’s death, and although not always a popular concept with the British, it must be said that membership of the European Union has also been instrumental in the country’s transformation from fascist dictatorship to a highly successful democracy..."
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
