Having just joined the Barcelona library, I went in search of some kids books (hopefully my Spanish is now good enough to read to my two year old son). However, I was surprised to see how few Spanish books there were on offer. I recognized some of the most popular North American titles, but nearly all were offered solely in Catalan. There was hardly a Spanish version to be found.

Recent worries about the economy, and the perception that we are all in for some hard times, are having little impact on one demographic in Spain – the mileuristas. A term first coined in 2005 in a letter to the editor of Spain’s national newspaper, El País, I was shocked to discover its meaning – and the cavalier way people toss the word around. The letter, entitled ‘Soy Mileurista’ or, ‘I’m a mileurista’ criticized the fact that there are huge numbers of young, highly-educated people who cannot find jobs with salaries greater than €1000 per month.

As a very social person with a performance background, I am at ease while networking – walking into an unknown situation full of strangers doesn’t faze me. When the new situation is a social one, it’s even easier. It’s simple enough to approach each new person with a smile and an outstretched hand and introduce myself. Certainly that always worked in Canada…

Recently, Kids in Barcelona asked Ivan to share his thoughts on parenting in BCN. 
Take two and a half years in Madrid as a young man, three years wanting to escape from small-town Canada and add an …

Ivan speaks up on gender assumptions in business
While it may be safe to say that the number of grossly inappropriate sexist jokes being made in the workplace is diminishing, there are still lots of smaller …