seems the youth are revolting in Madrid and Barcelona (and there are reports it's spreading to Italy and to Berlin). Another excuse for a botellon, or the start of something big?

http://blogs.elpais.com/trans-iberia...t-at-last.html

The youth of Mad and Barcelona speak very highly of you too.....

It's very old (like me), but I love using that expression...

The peasants are revolting,

"yes, and they stink as well"

It was something like that I heard years ago. it might have been a carry on film.

I really love some of the English quotes.

Monday noon

"He must be a king"
"How can you tell?"
'e's not covered in s***." (roughly quoted)

Well, back to the subject...

One thing I've noticed in this pseudo-middle class world that's emerging... all the people complaining of poverty (at least the ones they let on the telly) don't look poor. (controversial, I know, I don't mean to undermine the real issue, it's just an observation).

Ain't that a fact.

Pleading poverty, yet running around in the latest designer this and designer that, overpriced crap.

Far cry from the lads from Jarrow,with their worn out pyit byuts, britchers arse hingin oot and tatty owld cloth caps.

I was going to add a really profound comment until I saw the article's author's name, and the profundity left me.

Really don't know how they keep t all together in Spain with close on a quarter the poulation unemployed.

This has been the case for such a long time. What are the expectations of the man in the street there?
Do hope maintain hope in the future or is there a general feeling of doom,i wonder?

There is a sort of hope for the future, but a large number of number of late 20to 30s feel that they have totally missed the boat, because by the time things do get better, they will be so out of the loop, that they will always be overlooked, as employers would rather choose a younger person with no work experience than an older one.

A cousin of my marida is in this postition, and would be happy to have just any old job.

She has gone down and down in her everyday life, she does not take the same care of herself as she once did, she looks "worn down", and it is notjust all down to lack of money, it is lack of hope for her future.

I `d hate to be starting out in life today ,assuming you have work it`s nigh on impossible to rent a decent house let alone buy one , personally I think the armed forces offer something to be proud of if not a decent salary but even they have ques wanting to sign up.Quite depressing.

They're protesting in London too, outside the Spanish embassy.

http://eskup.elpais.com/1305910366-1...6bd7261d3ebf16

Even with my 'blind' expat eyes, I'm starting to see it around me. The young people seem to be losing their sparkle, they look fed up and even the local botelons are finishing early.

The unemployment rate among under 25's is about 42%, incredible to think every other one is without a job. A recipe for depression! Reading the Spanish forums, it's getting common to see the Spanish asking about getting dole(or whatever it's called nowadays!) in other countries, especially UK. And they seemed pretty clued up about what they are entitled to.