Madrid Fashion Week

Madrid Fashion Week is coming to an end but it doesn't seem to have made the international headlines. The only time that it was in the news was a couple of years ago, when the decision was made to ban ultra-skinny models from taking part.

Skinniest models are banned from catwalk

The organisers of Madrid Fashion Week have announced that they are banning skinny women to develop a more healthy image for the event this month. If any very skinny models do *turn up, they will be classed as unhealthy and in need of medical help.

The move has been heralded as good news for younger and lesser-known models, who often force themselves to become thin in the battle to secure a place among the top flight. But pear-shaped females should not celebrate too heartily, for the leading names of world fashion are showing no sign of following in the Spaniards’ footsteps. The Pasarela Cibeles trade fair in Madrid is a minnow compared with the big fish of Milan, Paris, New York and London fashion weeks.

Madrid city council, which sponsors the fashion week, has ordered that every model on show must have a body mass index (BMI) of at least 18. Models who are 5ft 9in (1.75m) tall must weigh a minimum of 8st 11oz (56 kg).

Esther Cañadas, Spain’s best-known model, does not qualify under the new rules as she is said to have a BMI of only 14. Almost a third of the women lined up appear to have been barred. The council promised that a nutritional expert would be on hand to check every model taking part in the shows, and that any woman found to have a BMI of below 16 would receive medical treatment.

The ban comes amid a row in Spain about the trend for extreme thinness on the catwalks and in high street shop windows. Cuca Solana, the organiser of the Pasarela Cibeles, was hauled before the country’s parliamentary commission for youth in April to defend the event against criticism that it pressures young women into losing weight.

According to the World Health Organisation, a woman is underweight if her BMI is less than 18.5, but Jesús del Pozo, vice-president of the Spanish Association of Fashion Designers, said that up to 40 per cent of the models who took part in last year’s event would have fallen foul of the new rules.

The organisers of London Fashion Week, which begins on September 18, said that they would not be introducing a similar rule. According to the leading agency Models 1, the models with the biggest pulling power are likely to be those with the smallest waistlines. “We have changed a lot in that there have been many more requests for bigger models, but on the catwalk long dresses do look lovely on tall, thin girls,” the agency said. “Girls who model at 15 or 16 tend to be thin girls, whose mums are thin, it’s part of their genetics, and obviously they look great in clothes.”

However, Lisa Armstrong, the Times fashion editor, asked: “Why do casting agents persist in using 15 and 16-year-olds to sell clothes to women in their thirties and upwards?” She added that the Madrid rules might have positive consequences for young British unknowns: “Madrid is a small fashion week and so this move will make very little difference to the bigger names, but younger and more inexperienced British models are sometimes sent to the smaller shows, effectively to practise.”

Sarah Doukas, Kate Moss’s agent, said that her agency, Storm, did not employ unhealthily thin women. “It’s useless to talk about body mass indexes. Who knows what that means apart from your doctor? It depends on different body types. Some people have different muscle density. I believe that girls should just eat healthily, exercise and just be normal. We just wouldn’t use someone who was really underweight or too thin.”

Source: The Times

*Phrasal verbs with turn

1. He's always turning up late for work.
2. She turned down his marriage proposal because she thought it too soon to make such an important commitment.
3. Don't worry - things will turn out alright.
4. You can always turn to her if you need any help.
5. The suspect in the murder case turned himself in last night.
6. Hundreds of people turned out to see the stars arrive for the premiere in spite of the rain.
7. They turned away anyone who wasn't dressed in the appropriate attire.
8. He was given six months to turn the fortunes of the company around.

Can you guess the meanings of the above phrasal verbs? Then check in your dicitionaries and write some examples of your own.

Lottery Scam

Spanish lottery scam warning
Published: 19 March, 2008

POLICE have issued warnings about a Spanish Euro Lottery letters which are in circulation across the area.

This scam is based in Europe and advises the recipient of huge cash winnings due to them if they make contact with the originator.

Inspector Neil MacKinnon said: "The simple test for the public is if you have not bought into such a scheme you cannot win. On no account should you send money to unknown individuals who represent these schemes.

"Unfortunately, in recent weeks the police have been made aware of a victim of the Spanish Lottery Scam who has suffered considerable financial loss."

Inspector MacKinnon added: "We would urge the public to bin letters which promise lottery wins or unexpected financial windfall.

"Unscrupulous individuals based in Europe, and also Africa, distribute these letters to gain financial reward. This often results in huge personal distress to individuals across the UK as there are no winners.

"BBC's Watchdog programme has in the past exposed this type of scam. Anyone with a personal concern is advised to contact their local police office."

Source: Inverness Courier

Focus on Grammar


On no account should you send money to unknown individuals.

The above is an example of a negative adverbial. Notice the construction of the sentence:

adverbial + auxiliary + subject + main verb
On no account = under no circumstances.

We use this construction to give greater emphasis in more formal language.

Other negative adverbials include:
Time expressions: never, rarely, seldom

These time expressions are used with a perfect form or with modals and often include comparatives:
Never have I been more ashamed.
Seldom has he experienced such kindness.
Rarely has she been off work for so long.

Time expressions: hardly, barely, no sooner, or scarcely

These time expressions are used when a there are a succession of events in the past:

No sooner had we arrived at the beach, it started to rain.
Scarcely had I got out of bed when the doorbell rang.

After 'Only' Expressions such as 'only after', 'only now', 'only then', etc.

'Only' is used with a time expression:

Only now can I appreciate how good our last teacher was.
Only then did I notice that she hadn't come .

"No way" means that something is completely impossible.

It is common in informal, spoken language:

No way will we be finished by 9 o' clock.
No way am I going to work hard for so little money.



Spain holds lottery scam suspects

Spanish police have arrested 87 Nigerians suspected of defrauding at least 1,500 people in a postal and internet lottery scam.

The arrests were made in and around Madrid in an operation co-ordinated with the FBI.

Police said millions of euros were taken from the victims, most of them in the United States and European Union.

Those targeted were wrongly told they had won a lottery and asked to send a payment before prize money could sent.

Thousands of letters and e-mails, most in ungrammatical English, were sent out to prospective victims every day, police said.

The faked documents asked them to make an initial payment of 900 euros ($1,400, £720) in taxes or administrative costs.

The scam is estimated to have netted around 20 million euros, but the actual sum could be many times that, say police.

Anglican bishop

Police said the number of those defrauded could run into many thousands, as most of them probably failed to report the crime out of embarrassment.

Police estimate that only one in 1,000 recipients of the letters needed to fall for the fraud for it to make a profit. An Anglican bishop was among those duped, according to Spanish officials.

The operation to track down the gang began in May 2007 when a huge number of identical letters destined for addresses in the US was discovered at Madrid's Barajas airport.

Police confiscated hundreds of computers, mobile phones and 60,000 letters in a raid on more than 30 homes and businesses.

Law enforcement officers also seized a suitcase full of fake $100 notes which they say was used to convince some victims who came to Spain in person to collect their "prize money".

Source: BBC News

Football Violence Debate

This is the result of last Thursday's match between Aberdeen and Atletico Madrid. What is your opinion on what happened and on football hooliganism in general?


Have you ever been to an important football match? What was the atmosphere like?




After reading the comments related to an article about the disturbances in Madrid following the Aberdeen - Atleti match, I decided to add some of my own in defence of the Spanish authorities. Many of the contributors had valid points but they only put the blame on the Spanish riot police and the Atleti fans. They didn't criticise any of the Aberdeen fans. Below is a heated discussion between a fellow Scot who lives in Madrid and myself. My nick is ScotInMadrid.

44. Joe Black, Madrid / 1:43pm 1 Dec 2007
Read the Spanish press, and they say the young lassie is the liar.
And that it was the drunken hooligan Scots that started the fighting; spilling drunkenly out of the bars.
Firing flares and throwing bottles and chairs at the Spanish and the Police.
What a Jackanory (slang What a tall story)!

Joe Black, Madrid / 6:16pm 1 Dec 2007
The problem that exists in Spain which is related to this poor girl, is the lack of safety and security by the Police here.
You never really see policeman walking the streets and I think community police don´t even exist. You see plenty of them driving around.
Everytime there´s football trouble the maximum number of arrests can be counted on one hand. More people end up in hospital due to the police tactics than are arrested.
There´s never any segregation neither outside nor inside the ground.
I suppose its because they are so poorly paid. And the beatings with their sticks is a custom they´ve carried on from the dictator Franco times.

75. ScotInMadrid, Madrid / 9:40pm 1 Dec 2007
As a Scot living in Madrid, I feel ashamed at the behaviour of some Aberdeen fans. I knew there would be trouble judging by the state of those that I saw wandering drunkenly around the centre early on Thursday afternoon. Like in Scottish cities, it isn't allowed to drink on the streets in Madrid. You have to respect the country that you visit and not expect them to play by your rules. If you choose to wear the kilt, remember that you are clearly representing Scotland.
After this latest episode, I can't defend the fans of Scots clubs as opposed to English ones. We are most definitely all grouped as hooligans now.
I don't doubt that some police were heavy-handed and some Atletico fans were out for trouble.
It can't be any coincidence however that wherever British clubs play in Europe, there is violence. Then blame is layed at local fans, police and anybody but the visiting fans themselves.

76. Joe Black, Madrid / 10:06pm 1 Dec 2007
#75 Scot In Madrid
Its a shame you cannot be impartial by you statements.
1.The Spanish invented drinking in the streets; illegally its called Botellon and prevalent through out all of Spain especially with students. Legally allowed in the many terrazas esp in summer time.
2.Atletico de Madrid are notorious for their hooliganism in Spain "frente Atletico". Go to any Madrid Derby.
3.And finally you obviously don´t watch Spanish TV to see how the "antidisturbios" (riot police) treat the general public.
Get yer heid out o´ the sand.

78. ScotInMadrid, Madrid / 10:59pm 1 Dec 2007
I have lived in Madrid for over six years. I don't need you to explain how life is like here. Like any major city, Madrid has some problems with drunkness; but nothing on the scale of any city or even small town in Scotland at the weekend.
They like their "copas" but don't go picking a fight after they have had a few.
I witnessed the Aberdeen fans that were here for the match. They weren't football hooligans but they showed no respect for the city they were visiting. They were already "blazing" (slang, drunk) by mid-afternoon and falling around the centre; being loud and foul-mouthed.
I have been to matches in the Bernabeu and Calderon. They have their problems and there are incidents from time to time caused by their hooligans.
But there are no problems when either Real Madrid or Atletico fans go abroad. Why is it that the majority of trouble is caused by visiting British clubs?
And you are also wrong in your assumption that I don't follow events in the Spanish media. I repeat that there are police who are heavy-handed but on the whole they only hit out when provoked.
It would be sensible for any innocent by-stander at the first hint of trouble to distance themselves from the area immediately. But as most visiting fans were "stotting"(slang, very drunk) well before the match, they were incapable of doing that.
I am surprised that you live in Spain. It sounds to me as if you still need to adapt to the Spanish way of life. If you can't do that, you should return home!

79. Joe Black, Madrid / 11:10pm 1 Dec 2007
I´ve been in Spain for over twenty years, but at least I´m objective and can see both sides.
True Spanish supporters generally do not travel not even in Spain, and abroad its generally too expensive.

80. Joe Black, Madrid / 11:14pm 1 Dec 2007
I´ve seen Spaniards having botellons out of the back of their cars annoying the whole barrio and then jumping in their car totally drunk and driving away.
And when the president of our community called the police, they did nothing.
As say get real.

81. ScotInMadrid, Madrid / 11:26pm 1 Dec 2007
Reading through your previous comments I can't find any objectivity; just a sense of anti-Spanish. Surprising coming from someone who has lived here for so long. It must have been 20 years of suffering if you hold such opinions.
I saw the visiting fans and believe me, they were a disgrace to our country. Spaniards generally hold Scotland in high regard but behaviour such as I witnessed will possibly change that.

82. Joe Black, Madrid / 11:28pm 1 Dec 2007
# 78As you´ve only lived in Madrid for short time, you don´t how badly it has changed over the time I´ve lived here.
Shootings with columbians, latin gang fights, prostitutes annoying normal people in day light hours.
The Madrid of over ten years ago was a much safer place. Now its turning into a very violent city, with places that even the police are afraid to go to.
Though not everything is bad, its just like any modern cosmopolitan city; with the good and bad, as in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
I like Spain and Madrid; THIS is my home.
Try to open your eyes.

83. Joe Black, Madrid / 11:37pm 1 Dec 2007
Reading your comments you seem to be anti Scottish, its not surprising you left your homeland as you seem to be embarrassed to be a Scot ( in madrid)
You seem to think everybody in Scotland are drunks and foul mouthed drunks.
Your a sad case.

84. ScotInMadrid, Madrid / 11:54pm 1 Dec 2007
I agree with you about some of the problems that Madrid has but compared to other cites (even smaller ones such as Glasgow) it is a relatively safe city. Living here for so long you will know how many neighbourhoods in the city centre have changed for the better.
In the "short time" (6.5years) that I have lived in Madrid, I have accepted and love the way of life here. The madrileños are very welcoming and on the whole friendly. It isn't perfect here but I am not going to become one of those moaning "guiris" (foreigners).
Returning to the trouble that occurred, I know there were police who lashed out and "atleti" that were fighting. However my eyes WERE open on Thursday afternoon when I saw drunken Aberdeen louts disturbing families in a busy shopping area. I predicted there would be trouble ahead.
My head most certainly isn't in the sand and my eyes are open to what is going on around me. Are yours?

85. ScotInMadrid, Madrid / 12:05am 2 Dec 2007
I am VERY proud to be a Scot. I have a kilt and get drunk but I don't go around bothering others. I love talking about my country to all I meet. It makes me sad, when the likes I witnessed here in Madrid (admittedly a minority), create bad publicity for the country.
I love Scotland and I love Spain and the Spaniards.
If you are looking for a sad case, it seems you just need to look in the mirror.

86. ScotInMadrid, Madrid / 12:08am 2 Dec 2007
PS It's YOU ARE / YOU'RE (not YOUR) a sad case.
Seems that you need to brush up on your English too!

Joe Black responded by calling me SnobInMadrid. I reported the comment as unsuitable and it was removed!

Source: The Scotsman

What is your opinion on football fans? Do you agree with the comments about the Spanish police? What do you think the solution is to football related violence?

Letter of Complaint - Holiday Gym

Have you ever had to complain to a business about something? What was it about and did you reach a satsfactory conclusion?

Apart from my ongoing battle with British Airways, I have had to make a fresh complaint; this time to the Holiday Gym.

It is reasonably priced compared to most other gyms. I find it convenient because it is a chain, there are eight or so gyms and members can go to any one of them. My classes are also spread across the city and this means I can work out at the nearest gym straight after the lesson. It is open from early in the morning until late in the evening and it is also open on holidays.

As with most gyms, it has its peak times when it is crowded and you have to wait to use a machine.

I have been going for four years.

The trouble is that you now have to pay for the whole year all at once. When I first started I actually paid for two years in advance. I paid something like 890 Euros, in three installments, over the first three months. Two years later I paid about 400 Euros. I actually made that payment a few months in advance.

Now the annual payment has dropped to 390 Euros. The amount is automatically deducted from your bank account. This is done 45 days before your membership is due to expire. So if you don't intend to carry on going to the gym, you have to inform them well in advance. Unlike with other bills, such as the one for the mobile phone, you don't receive any letter warning you when and how much you have to pay.

One day the card that I use to enter the gym didn't let me in, so I went to the girl at reception. After looking up my details on the computer, she told me that my bank had refused to pay them.

I was short of money as always but I thought I had enough money in my account. I have two bank accounts; one where I deposit my wages and the other where I try to save money for a rainy day. I thought that the bank deducted money from "wages" account but in fact, it was the other one. And because there have been too many rainy days, there wasn't enough money to pay for the gym.

I thought it shouldn't be a problem to sort out. I would simply have to give them the details of the second account. I was astonished when they asked me to pay 475 Euros, as if I was a new member. That's a difference of 85 Euros and I would have to pay that amount every year from then on.

After speaking to a rude receptionist and getting nowhere, I asked to speak to the manageress. She promised me that she would try her best to sort the problem out. However, she came back with an answer that I didn't want to hear.

I realize that it was my mistake but I find it unfair that I have to pay such a big penalty. As a result I have found a gym close to home where I pay slightly less than the amount the Holiday Gym were asking for. Not only have they lost me as a client; a few of my friends are not going to renew their contract either.

Through sheer stupidity, they are losing much more than they would gain by making me pay more.

One of my friends has already cancelled his membership and made a complaint along with me.

Using my example or one of your own, I'd like you to write an official letter of complaint. Or alternatively, relate an occassion when you had to complain. Did you get a satisfactory outcome?

Madrid travel guide

MADRID.

What does it mean to you?
What's your favourite neighbourhood? Why?
What advice would you give to a visitor?
What changes have you seen?
How would you compare it to other cities that you know?

Have a look at some of these extracts from the Wikitravel guide to Madrid. Do you agree with them? What advice would you add?



Madrid is the capital of Spain, as well as the capital of the autonomous community of the same name (Comunidad de Madrid). It is Spain's largest city, with a population (city) of 3.228 million (July 2005) and 5.843 million (metropolitan area). Madrid is best known for its great cultural and artistic heritage, a good example of which is the El Prado museum. Madrid also boasts some of the liveliest nightlife in the world.

Culture
The culture of Madrid was dominated by its religious and royal history. Enormous, monolithic cathedrals and churches are plentiful in Madrid, as well as medieval architecture, although nowadays Madrid is just as much a cosmopolitan city as Berlin or London.

The citizens of Madrid, who refer to themselves as Madrileños or the more traditional and currently seldom used term "gatos" (cats), live by a daily routine that is heavily influenced by the harsh climate. Due to the typically extreme midday heat, a "siesta" is observed during which some citizens take a break to cool off. Small stores are often closed during this time. Workers and those more afflicted by Western lifestyles choose not to observe this long break and work traditional business hours, which are usually between 9 a.m. and 6-7 p.m. During summer many offices, however, will have a summer schedule requiring workers to start at 8am and finish at 3pm (most commonly without the standard 1-2 hour break for lunch). Offices usually close during the weekend but businesses are often open Saturday morning (downtown stays open until afternoon). Most grocers are closed on Sundays, but some major chain and department stores, like FNAC, will be open throughout the day.

Madrid possibly has the largest number of bars per capita of any European city and a very active nightlife; Madrileños are known to stay up until as late as 6-8 a.m. It is important to note that, due to this lifestyle, lodging located near the Gran Via may end up a nightmare for light sleepers.

Madrid has become very modernized as of late, with an elaborate transportation network comprised of buses and the Metro. The city contrasts with some large European cities in that it is extremely clean, and city employees in bright yellow vests can almost always be seen cleaning the streets and sidewalks. Like most large cities, however, there is a substantial population of vagrants and beggars lining the streets.

Madrid is one of the biggest and most cosmopolitan cities in Europe. Communities of West Africans, North Africans, Latin Americans, other Europeans, Chinese, Indians, Filipinos and Pakistanis are prominent.


Speak

The majority of Madrid's residents do not speak very much English. Even employees at U.S. franchised businesses such as McDonald's and employees at cash exchange centers rarely speak much English. You can often find someone with a fair grasp of English at larger hotels and tourism sites, but it would nevertheless be helpful to know at least a few common Spanish words and phrases.

















By car

Transportation by private automobile in Madrid can be very difficult. The Spanish capital suffers from the typical problems of most big cities: far too many cars and not enough space to accommodate them. Sometimes there can even be traffic jams in the Paseo de la Castellana at three o'clock in the morning (then again, three in the morning is early to some Madrileños). The problem is compounded by the narrow streets in the old town, where a lorry delivering beer barrels to a local bar can cause a huge tailback. Looking for a place to park your car can be very time consuming, and difficult if one is not skilled in the art of close proximity parallel parking. Many Spaniards are also lacking in this art, prompting them to simply park in the street, blocking other cars in. If you find yourself blocked in by such a practice, honk your horn until the driver returns, he will usually just be popping in to a shop, and it will make you feel better. If you parallel park your car in Madrid be very aware that most Madrileños park by sound alone. They will feel no remorse for repeatedly hitting the car in front and behind them while trying to get into or out of a tight spot. If you value your car's paint job, or you have rented a car, it may be best to park underground. Though this is no guarantee for nobody hitting your car, the chances are somewhat diminished.


On the other hand, travel by car can be advantageous; going home by car on weekends is, of course depending where you live, usually faster than by public transport.


10 things you must do before you leave

• Get lost in the Museo del Prado.
• Go shopping in Calle Fuencarral (trendy) or Salamanca district (posh)... it's up to you!
• Eat a bocadillo de calamares (squid sandwich) near Plaza Mayor.
• Struggle among the crowds in El Rastro on a sunny Sunday morning.
• Go to a theater on Gran Via and enjoy a musical show.
• Go for some tapas in La Latina (don't forget patatas bravas).
• Spend an afternoon in El Retiro.
• Get back to 16th century in Plaza de la Paja and surroundings.
• See a sunset at the Templo de Debod.
• Have a drink and dance in Malasaña district until dawn, then have a chocolate con churros breakfast.
  (now you are a madrileño!)