Welcome to Spain!

After a few months abroad coming back home always seems difficult, full of excitement. Has something changed? Is there any difference about the streets I used to walk everyday? 

Finland is a clean, polite, rule-following, lutheran country, where in two months in one of the biggest towns of the country I've seen only one beggar. And he seemed like he had somewhere to go at night. 

I was thinking about this on my way to the butcher's when I almost step on a man. Wearing a suit and good but dirty shoes. I apologized and he replied with fine manners, he didn't seem to be going anywhere, he was just waiting in the middle of the street. And then it hit me. He was waiting for the charity social canteen to open. 

Living in the city center for ten years, I've gotten used to see beggars, drunks and junkies waiting for the social dining to open once a day. But this time it was different. This man didn't seem to do drugs or drink too much, or even live on the street. He just looked like he was going home from work. But this time there was no work or home to go to anymore. 

Welcome to Spain, a brighter, sunnier and poorer PIIGS.

mB.