Brits in Spain

I recently read this article about the number of Brits in Spain.

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/overseas/article2300489.ece

It's crazy! Brits are taking over the Iberian peninsular. Of all the Brits I know here only a very few can speak Spanish fluently and the majority just get by on pidgeon Spanish and circulate in English speaking groups thereby not having to bother to learn properly.

Recently Barcelona opened it's first fish and chip shop on Rambla de Raval. So far I haven't visited but at least I know where to go if I get any cravings.

Rat tails = wrong

The weekend's activities were fairly low key although I did visit the Gracia festival.

For those not in the know Gracia is a "barrio" of Barcelona. It is customary in Spain for every barrio to hold its own festival and Gracia is no exception. Gracia is famous for its festival as every street is decorated differently using recyclable materials. A contest is held and the street with the best decorations is declared the winner.

For the entire duration of the festival they have loads of live music, food, drink as well as the traditional human castles and it’s nice to stroll around.

This year I noticed that there were a large number of Okupas. Okupa is the Spanish/Catalan word for squatter and in Barcelona there are a lot and they really seem to like the Gracia festival.

What bothers me about Okupas is not their squatting activities but their hairstyles. There seems to be some unwritten law that decrees to be an Okupa you must sport an ugly and unflattering hairstyle of the rat tail variety as well as owning a flea ridden mongrel.

Melendi - champion of Okupa hairstyles

To achieve a perfect Okupa hairstyle, cut any hair on the top part of your head haphazardly or even better shave it off. Leave the back. With the hair left at the back of your head let it grow long and straggly, preferably without washing it ever, so that it tangles and mats. For a really nice effect add one dreadlock for the perfect rat tail style

A rat tail in the making

This style is unisex and worn by all okupa adults, children and animals.

Can someone please tell me why all Okupas like this hairstyle? Is there a head Okupa that brainwashes all the rest into cutting their hair that way?? I get that they wanna be different but how different are they if they are all the same, and there were thousands of them at the Gracia festival.. all the same.

One more time

Another day, another blog.

This is yet another attempt to keep my homeys up to date with my (not so) ninja activities.

Will try not to get bored this time..