Monday, April 27, 2009
Beware, Pigs Might Fly into Tenerife
This morning, the Canarian Government were awfully proud of themselves in confirming that there were no cases of the gripe porcina (swine flu) in the Canary Islands. Then later reports contained the equally felicitatious news that the Canary Islands had no direct flight links with the areas (of Mexico or the Spanish mainland) affected by the disease.
Then two cases of Swine flu get confirmed in UK, and, of course, Tenerife does have direct flights will all parts of the UK. Bummer. Mega-bummer, when almost ALL your income depends on tourists flying into the islands. Maybe jesting, I hope, Francisco Mesa is already calling for them to "Close the airports!"
Somebody's been having fun tinkering at Wikipedia too, 'coz at the page for Airdrie (so, OK, I had no idea where that is or how close to a major airport it might be), one is currently greeted with a photo of some pigs and the graphic description starting, "Airdrie ... is a squalid little town ..."
Describing the local residents, it calls them "toothless banjo-players, rat-catchers, winos and sash-wearing failed genetic experiments."
Well, they may as well bask in the compliments while they get the chance.
In the Canaries, the British had already been dawbed Vacas Locas (Mad Cows) after BSE (probably aided by our general behaviour and drinking habits), now you can be sure we'll be labelled as Cerdos Volandos (Flying Pigs) too.
Next up will be the disinfectant baths at the airports, mark my words. Either that, or they'll issue us all with bells, like the medieval leper with a bell and sign declaring himself to be “Unclean! Unclean!” … stranger beware!
