Dubya's Holiday Greeting

Click on 2-0-5 George Bush's Year in Review! Don't forget to turn on your sound!

Goodbye Siesta

At a time where I'm on full-time siesta (changing jobs; taking out weeks of saved vacation), Spain has (finally) decided to scrap the siesta. A long overdue decision, I'll say. My friend Céline has often complained about being forced to take siesta while working in a Barcelona suburb where there's nothing to do and too far away for being able to return home for the break.

But from this week all Spanish government employees (actually, since Céline works in the private sector, this might not actually solve her problem) will take one hour lunch, as is customary in most other European countries. And between 12 noon and 1 pm, not after two in the afternoon. The new legislation will allow employees to return home by six pm instead of eight or nine, and give them more time for family and friends.

One of the main reasons for the change is that is that the traditional siesta has not exactly helped Spain's competitiveness. Spaniards work more than most countries in the world - tenth place when it comes to working hours - but their type of "work ethic" does not translate into productivity or efficiency. In addition, Spanish workers sleep 40 minutes less every night compared to the average European. A more urgent rationale is the fact that in a globalised world, Spain cannot keep on closing offices and switchboards for three hours in the afternoon, when the rest of the world stays open. Shops adopted new hours already years ago.

So this should be a welcome change for Spain as an economy and for the Spanish people.

Holiday Greetings

A bit late... but Merry Christmas! Or the more p.c. Season's Greetings or Happy Holidays. Or God Jul in Swedish. And Happy New Year!

P.S. Will try to post some pictures from Canada. I haven't really made a habit of posting photos but perhaps it should be a new year's resolution for my blog.

Toronto

Just a quick post that I'm currently visiting some friends in Toronto, Canada. At the moment it's snowing heavily but hopefully I'll be able to (get home from this Internet cafe and) visit the Shoe Museum and Niagara Falls before I leave on Sunday! So far I've mostly been shopping and hanging out with my friend Helena and her baby girl Ester, plus visited the CN Tower.

Quick fix

According to a new study by the Swedish Ministry of Finance, 82 % of taxes paid are refunded, i.e. benefitting the tax payer him/herself; 45 % even in the same year as it is taxed. How? Through subsidised education, grants, childcare, etc.*

* The study covers Sweden, no data on other countries.