Author Archives: freelander

The ‘diesel war’ waggery

Under pretence of a concern–clearly unsincere–for the somewhat harmful NOx emissions (nitric oxides), we’re now told in Spain that the European Union promotes a fight against fuel-oil that our Government will be seconding by — guess how? Yes: increasing the … Continue reading

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Paradox of Spanish health system

It seems incredible that a Spanish citizen’s health card is only valid in one’s own autonomous community, and that one can’t receive medical care in the rest of the country without having previously formalized an absurd paperwork: the relocation slip, … Continue reading

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Im-migrants

If there’s something characterising the contemporary social speech, leadered by journalists and politicians of every kind (imbued, in turn, by the global pensée unique), that is, rather than its populism and lack of character, the sweetened language in which their … Continue reading

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Towards the twilight

It was the night. I aimed for the tube, going back home after having met someone, somewhere (unfortunately I can’t remember who, nor where. It was an important part of the story that won’t ever be recovered). In Madrid’s subway … Continue reading

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Facebook’s unsatiable hunger for data

Some of my friends tell me I’m too far fetched. Maybe they’re right. But when it comes to huge corporations, governments and the like, I’m afraid that no degree of suspiciousness is far fetched enough. Because – you know – … Continue reading

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Is Finnair violating EU legislation on tax refunds?

Despite its unjustified prestige (or did I just imagined it?), derived mainly–rather solely–from the country whose flagship airline they are–or were, Finnair actually belongs in the bottom grop of low-cost, cheap-it & cheat-it airlines that we find all over out … Continue reading

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Close encounters of the second kind

I liked him at first sight. He was a tall and somewhat ungraceful man of crude and unusual features–as if his face had been left unfinished by the sculptor–suggestive of a sound yet silent character. We had met at a … Continue reading

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Omotenashi

Actually the whole episode could’ve not been simpler, and if I had to put it down to some element more or less outside its direct players, I’d probably point to the mismatch between my eating habits and those of the … Continue reading

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