Costa del Sol Observations

Here is a collection of things I've noticed here.

1. Those fold-out fans are not just for the tourists. Spanish ladies really do use them and they are talented at flipping them wide open and shut again.
2. There is an active graffiti culture in Malaga. Everywhere you look there are tags and murals. Even here in Torremolinos, there are a lot of tags.
3. Something is being dug up, torn down, rebuilt or under construction on every block in Andalucia.
4. English waiters are as likely to ignore you here as Spanish waiters. People who have worked in Miami are less likely to ignore you. (Where sample size n of attentive waiters = 2.)
5. To tell someone that the empty seat next to you on the train is actually taken, you can say "compadre".
6. Beverley has finally realized that "always trust Dave" is a good motto to follow when you can't decide what menu item to order or you're not sure where to find the bathroom. Even if he says the bathroom is in another building and not downstairs where Marcie says it is.
7. There are people in the world who drive Sedgways. Here in Torremolinos, men in white uniforms who might be beach security officers, ride back and forth along the waterfront in them. Do they take them onto the sand? I can't tell you that yet.
8. Mobile phones - yes. Everyone has them and they make and receive calls anywhere. I have to admit it would be fun to tell someone that I'm floating in a pool in Spain, but will be happy to look after their computer problem next week.
9. iPods - no. I've seen maybe three people with iPod headsets in the week I've been here.
10. When I can hear the sounds of the language, but before I can hear the individual words they are speaking, I cannot tell people from northern England from Scandinavians. If I wasn't paying quite so much for this internet time, I'd do some googling to find out if any linguists have done any research on the morphemes used by these language groups.