26 Feb 2009 12:00 AM:
I have just returned from my first community meeting in Spain and how frustrated am I? The meeting was actually the second one called - the first was a few days before Christmas, so hardly anyone turned up. The meeting started with the usual reading of the minutes from the previous meeting. This was pages and pages long, all spoken in Spanish and no one came up for breathe. Eventually when there was a slight pause and the agenda had moved on, i plucked up the courage to ask (in a room full of Spanish residents and half a dozen English) if he could also speak in English. Well the noise in the room certainly went up a few decibels! There were Spanish residents behind me bellowing 'not possible' and the head table said that it was not possible. The president said that he would try and convene with another English lady who lives in his block and pass as much information on as possible.
There was much to talk about at the meeting. From what i have heard, there are major monetary issues and the administrators are already unpopular.
Can anyone tell me if the English have a right to a translator at the meetings. It seems pointless spending money on flights to go over for the meetings, and then not being able to understand a word of it and surely how can we vote if we haven't a clue what is being said. My point was that they are quick enough to take our community charges (and not cheap at that) but we don't know exactly what we are paying for.
Thread:
Please speak English!!
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