Service cuts in Paradise.

As you know, a Baker’s Dozen is thirteen. An Almerian Euro is something like 95 cents. Or less. In Mojacar, we pay First World prices for Third World services. Today (as usual) the power has had its one-second glitch – hip hap – just enough to throw all the electrics out in the house – the television and its satellite box, the PC (of course), the fridge – and so on. So far, after this happening five to ten times a week (when its not raining), so far, I say, my home electrical equipment has survived this onslaught. So Far. Sevillana, the inept energy company (owned by Endesa, currently under a hostile take over bid by the Catalonian owned Gas Natural), should be brought to heal. Sold off – with luck – to the Catalonians who couldn’t be so fucking useless if they tried.
Sevillana, two years ago, stopped sending me a bi-monthly bill. I for my part – did nothing! This lasted for sixteen months (!) until, one day, they came and cut my power because I owed them some 1500 euros. I went to their poxy office in Vera where they explained that they had lost my details (perhaps one of their power cuts had fried their own PCs). My fault? I didn’t think so.
Today, the other service we so enjoy is out of order. This is the water – supplied by Galasa – a company set up by the PSOE in around 1988 or so. They took over the water pipes from El Pinar in Bedar from another company, Servamosa, and failed to pay those, like myself, who had been obliged to buy water shares (at about 400 euros a dotación) to get service. I had eight shares of, apparently, some 10,000 sold. Así es la vida. Now Galasa is faced with supplying water to some twelve towns (and untold numbers of golf courses) and is feeling the strain. The company admits to losing 40% of its product to leaks! No wonder it gets cut, or cuts itself off, every now and again.
So today, a slow winter day in Mojacar. No huge power drain. Not much water being used. But both these services, once again, have been on the fritz.
So, if we were living in some Bohemian community, paying a Shilling for a beer and Sixpence for a plate of beans, then it wouldn’t really matter much if we had the odd cut. Candles, after all, are romantic.
But the prices here are through the roof. And the service sucks.
Just being ‘warm’ isn’t really enough any more.