a kind of hero

Rui,

Now that you are so far away from home, I will make a quick update of the most important news for you. There was a stock market crash this week but you should know that too. Here they keep talking about the Lisbon airport but as you might know they have been talking about it for more than fourty years. They say this time it is for real - and it will be in Alcochete - but as far as I can recall they have said that at least twenty times during my lifetime. I could not imagine how many airport experts there were in this country.

I am sad to let you know that two people died last week allegedly because of the closing of the urgency services at one hospital in the country. They say that the deaths are the health minister´s fault. I quite agree. As you know, before the urgencies were closed there were no deaths in the country and this was becoming a serious problem. In the long run, where would you put so many people? In airports, in soccer fields? The closing of urgency services was part of the government´s new environment policy. For lack of space we were on the verge of having to live standing up permanently. Now we can afford to lay down for half an hour each day.

As for the recent anti-smoking ban, they are allowing so many exceptions to the law that if you know the right people you can smoke wherever you wish. When you come back, make sure you get acquainted with the director-general for health services. He seems to be the big guy on this issue. If you do so, I am sure you can puff a cigar even in his own office. Have you imagined how you would feel great smoking a cigar in the health ministry´s headquarters? It would be the story of your lifetime and your grandchildren would look at you as a kind of hero.

Now, may I discreetly inform you that CAA is behaving quite well. I am keeping an eye on him. I am glad to assure you that for the last twenty four hours he has not insulted one single catholic devout. Not one!

Sincerely yours.

P. Arroja