The gag law We all know that, if we whish to stay out of trouble, we need to avoid doing bad things. For instance, we shouldn't drink too much, enhance violence, assault a police officer ... you know, the usual. But in Spain you have to be extra careful, because even an insult towards a grumpy police officer can get you a fine that could empty your wallet. Actually, the Gag Law grants the police more authority and responsabilities than the judges themselves, and they are able to reprehend the actions THEY consider to be wrong. Be careful because EVERYTHING a police officer says is considered to be true. So don't even try to correct their grammar while they're writing you a ticket! Furthermore, you should also measure your words carefully and be extremely cautious with what you post on the media. Every now and then we hear about all those who've been fined or sent to jail because of actions like: breaking the photo of the king in public or published somthing 'insensitive' (rather irking, may I say). Also, you're no longer allowed to refuse to identify yourself, because if you do, you could end up paying up from 100 to 600 euros, depending on the officer's veredict. Another crime is taking pictures of or recording the police, which is an act that can make you pay up to 30.000 euros, so it is not a joke. We can all agree that this law is quite crazy. However, there are some reasonable aspects about it. For example, the forbidding of the climbing of buildings, drug consumption in public places or certain behaviors around minors. Nonetheless, I strongly oppose to this law, and so do other people who have been fined for protesting against it.

Just another trip. A few months ago I travelled by plane with a group of people who had a baby. No, I'm not going to complain about tha baby making a fuss, he was an angel. He got bored sometimes though. For example, while we were waiting to board the plane, he was being a little cranky so I started making funny faces at him and pushed him in his little stroller around the tax-free shops of the airport and in front of other passengers while making car noises. Some of the people sitting close to the boarding gate gave me strange looks while I was doing so. They didn't say a thing but I think some of them were questioning my sanity. After a while, when the little boy got hungry, I returned to our group and, while he was being fed, I sat down with my phone and nonchalantly picked the bottle of water that was on the seat beside me to take a sip and try to calm my thirst. But when I looked up I realized that I hadn't taken my bottle of water , but someone else's, which looked exactly the same as mine. I quickly apologized to the owner of the bottle and she forgave me with a smile. Also, when I tried to eat a pretzel filled with chocolate that had been melted by the warmth of the bag it was in, my clothes got stained with chocolate where I least expected them to. Finally, when we boarded the plane, it turned out that my designated seat was separated from my group's, so I had to sit a few rows behind it. My rowmates (is this correct?) were an old couple who boarded after me. They quickly placed their luggage in the upper compartment and took their seats. But then, the lady stood up and reached into the upper compartment again to take out something out of her bag which she thought she would need during the flight. While she was doing so, she was holding the entire line of passengers who were also boarding the plane. Her husband tried to convince his wife to sit down, as she would be able to look into her luggage later on, but she insisted on carrying out her task. Then, the old man turned to me and kindly advised me never to get married. The flight was quiet and we arrived to our destination safely. I was lucky to find a free row of three seats where I was able to lay down and rest during the trip. Thankfully, no more accidents happened that day.

How has financial crisis affected daily life in Spain? Spain's financial crisis has affected the country in many diferent ways. One important sector that has been affected by the recession is the working sector. That is why, the large amount of unemployed citizens has increased dramatically during the last decade.On the one hand, there are qualified spanish workers whose skills are wasted in a country that has no job offers and who choose to move to other nations, hoping for a better life. On the other hand, Spain has many cash-short unemployed consumers who depend on the State to live decently and whose money is strictly spent on cheap store brands and staple products. Also, there are many adventurous people who decide to open their own little stores and sell national products like fruits, vegetables and clothes instead of importing them from other countries, like other big companies do. And these stores are usually succesful because of their conventional prices. Finally, another sector affected by the crisis are the many students who, despite of their desire to study a career and get a good job, , they dismiss the idea because they have no financial support from their universities, as the loans they receive from them are small, and because thay are uncertain about finding a job in a country that has none to offer.