Tenerife Magazine’s round up of some of the most interesting news stories of the week in Tenerife.
Tenerife Government to Introduce a “˜Citizen’s Test’ for Foreign Residents
With growing worries about the affect of the increase of foreign residents on Tinerfeño culture and traditions, the Tenerife Cabildo announced that from early 2011 they are introducing a Citizen’s Test that all extranjero residents will be obliged to take if they wanted to remain resident on Tenerife.
It’s believed that the 20 question test must be taken in Spanish only. The Citizen’s Test contents are being kept tightly under wraps so that people can’t simply memorise answers beforehand, but it is reported that it will include questions about local politics, history and traditions. Foreign residents who score more than 75% will be allowed to stay on Tenerife; those who score between 50% and 75% will be given a second chance at the test, but those who score less than 50% will have one month in which to leave the island.
The test goes against EU law, but Tenerife politicians insist that as the Canary Islands are autonomous they are well within their legal rights to introduce it to save their culture. Local ex-pats’ rights groups were said to be outraged at the Citizen’s Test”¦as well as the idea of being forced to do something in Spanish.
Instead of the usual news round up we thought that this week we’d have a look at some of the stories making the rounds today ““ Dia de los Santos Inocentes (Spain’s version of April Fools Day) ““ and see if we could spot the hoax stories. As this is Tenerife that’s not as easy as it sounds.
Cable Car for Garachico
EL Dia reported that Garachico council has given the provisional green light for a €5 million cable car to be built linking the La Culata Cliffs with the Puerta de Tierra in the centre of the town. Seems so pointless that it has to be an inocentes story”¦but then this is the area that spent millions on a completely pointless state of the art tunnel a couple of years ago.
Rihanna in Tenerife
According to El Puerto project website, pop singer Rihanna is in Tenerife to record a single from her latest album in Las Cañadas del Teide. They reported that the Barbadian singer was staying at the Hotel Botanico in Puerto de la Cruz and had eaten lunch at the CofradÃa de Pescadores restaurant near the harbour where she had particularly enjoyed the fried mackerel. The website advised fans to head to the hotel to catch a glimpse before mischievously adding what day it was at the end of the report.
Underground tunnel connects Tenerife with Gran Canaria
The photo of a gurning “˜local’ being interviewed on the front of the Diario de Avisos was a dead giveaway for their “˜inocentes’ story. They reported the discovery of a secret fountain in GüÃmar whose water had exactly the same qualities as Gran Canaria’s famed Firgas mineral water. Except being Tenerife, this water was better as it had natural gas which apparently turned local goats’ hair curly. The explanation was that the water may have been the same because it was linked to the Firgas fountain by an undersea volcanic tunnel. Oh yeah?
Guardia Civil advise the public not to be dorks
Meanwhile La Opinion ran a story about the Guardia Civil issuing a list of tips to help Spanish citizens from not being duped on Dia de los Santos Inocentes. Tips included not buying miracle cures from the internet and not signing up for TV game shows or talent shows and presumably not supplying all your personal details to someone in West Africa who wants to give you millions of dollars. I don’t know if it’s a hoax story or not, but it seems like sound advice anyway.
South Train to Run to La Palma
Canarias24horas inocentes story was a shocker about the south train line being continued to Punto de Teno where there would be a sea link with La Palma. There’s no truth in the rumour that Tenerife’s politicians read the story then announced – “˜What a brilliant idea.’
No Three Kings on Tenerife this Year
And finally, Tenerife’s Tres Reyes celebrations are in jeopardy after Secret Tenerife reported that the three kings were refused a visa…
Feliz Dia de Los Inocentes
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