In Spain the most common word you hear daily is the "Crisis". The famous crisis which created unemployment, which doesnt allow that people could eat in restaurants daily or travel as much as they could before, have to survive by getting unemployment benefit or in extreme cases loose their homes.
As in my home country always had been a "crisis" I am used to search a job for 4 months with a diploma in my pocket, or not to have money to travel to India for one month, to eat and drink my coffee at home but I can understand those who were grown up here it is a big change now. Instead of all these obviously negative effects the crisis has a bright side I think. It brings people closer and the society becomes more caring.
Solidarity grows in the bushes and you breath in the air. Having no money makes people to use shared cars - I have been to Madrid this way. You registrate at a web site, travel together with other people so that you are sharing costs and the way. Really different can come together in a car, who in normal circumstances never would meet up. Not only students, but businessman, musicians, tennis players, tatooed officials working at museums, technicians .... and me:). Having no money makes you to search alternative and economic ways to learn languages. Instead of paying an expensive language school you do exchange. Like as I do with a 50 year old architect who wants to learn English and is "paying" for the lessons with teaching me French. Having no money makes you learn new professions so that you are creating employment for yourself by offering something new. Having no money makes you feel more careless, you are not worrying about your car because you go by bike and train, you dont worry to loose your phone because you have a shit one, you dont worry about destroying your clothes because it is already second hand ...
In Amsterdam I really felt that in Spain people care more about the others and sharing that they have is in their blood, which is even stronger with the crisis. I was stucked in the train station before going to the airport. It started to snow heavily so that all trains were cancelled, the station was like an enormous ant hill, 500 people making queue trying to get in a taxi .... I was also rushing up and down searching someone who could share his taxi with me because it was impossible to get one, and if I got one would be impossible to pay it alone. I crossed two duch who were in the same situation they told "it would be nice" if we shared the taxi and then dissapeared in two different directions at a zebra crossing. They could get one. They could pay one. They didnt give a shit if I miss the flight or not. How did I get to the airport? With 4 spanish in a little cab, sitting and crushing our bones at the back seat because when they got the taxi and I thought I wouldnt fit in one of them just told me to shut up and get in! ;)
One of my favourite sentences from the film "Into the Wild" is when Chris, - who is more attractive then 10 George Clooneys and Brad Pitts together for his way of thinking and for his beautiful eyes - says: I have always enjoyed to travel. But when I have most enjoyed was when I went without any money. (Even though I have to add if you wouldnt like to get in trouble never go to the north without money, just to the south!!!!)
