Quite striking!

 
Scenes around our area this week have been quite striking, from the rubbish lying uncollected to the crowds of nurses carrying mock coffins.

Our local job centre appears on TV every few weeks as the unemployment figures rise - now 5 million and rising. This week our bank (Bankia) has paid off 8,000 workers in Madrid city alone. People openly rummage in garbage skips, which is easier now the stuff they seek is lying on the pavement. I even saw prescription medicines lying loose - the bag having been burst.
Beggars have given up sitting on the pavements with downcast eyes, it is now common to have someone heckle you even while sitting on the metro and demand money or face a outburst of unknown complaints (they presumably know whatthey are saying it is us who look bemused.)
During the general srike last month I was listening to Radio Madrid. They had recorded a jingle saying half of Spain was on strike the other half was playing football. They missed out the quarter who were on the broo.

The irony of this for me is that after waiting since June for an X-ray, I got an appointment for Wednesday and duly turned up only to be told the consultant was on strike and to come back next year. The nurses marched past with a chant telling me helpfully that they were striking for my benefit. Thanks lasses.