Something for the weekend.

Departed Spaniards: This article details the numbers who've exiled themselves since the start of La Crisis, 9 years ago. And their favoured destinations. Why Switzerland ranks no. 1 I don't know. Perhaps they gone to live with their black cash.

Spanish meetings: I attended a formal reunión of my Community on Thursday night. There were 15 of the 30 residents there. I wish I'd filmed it. The women narrowly outnumbered the men 8 to 7 but dominated the proceedings. The minimum number of conversations taking place at the same time was 2 and the maximum was 8. If you're numerate, you'll have worked out that at times everyone there was talking simultaneously. Except me. I don't know how they got anything achieved. Indeed, I don't know if they did, as there was no summing up or anything like it. So, I'll have to wait for the Minutes to reveal, in about a month's time, what was (allegedly) decided about who pays for work in respect of replacing intercoms and for drain repairs in our kitchens. Apparently some of us have to charge these to our own accounts and some of us don't. But I haven't the faintest idea who and who. My lovely neighbour, Ester, has been our President for the last 2 years and possibly was voted in again. Strangely, she said hardly a word, leaving everything to her Vice-President, Cuki. Who was a tad defensive, I thought. But, then, she certainly doesn't have to pay for any of her repairs. It seems.

Relatedly . . .

Spanish Chat: The country's statistics body reports – to general un-astonishment – that virtually everybody here is on Watsap and 'constantly' uses it to chat 'throughout the day' and 'without any specific purpose'. Well, this is what it was invented for, of course. Possibly by a Spaniard. The results:-

• 79% of the population feel their privacy had been reduced since the dawn of social networks,
• 46% say communication between couples has diminished,
• 60% believe communication between parents and children had deteriorated, and
• 44% believe family conflict has increased.

The last of these may not be very noticeable; the Spanish tend not to wash their dirty linen in public. Especially in a place where everyone knows everyone else. And wants to know their business.

Spanglish: HT to Lenox of Business Over Tapas for this paragraph, highlighting the entry into Spanish of the English word 'must'. Though not as something resulting from the production of wine: EN ESTE PUEBLO CON PLAYA DONDE JURAN QUE NACIÓ WALT DISNEY, LA PARRANDA Y LA BUENA COMIDA DE MAR SON UNA MARCA REGISTRADA/DE PAELLAS SUBLIMES, HISTORIAS INSÓLITAS Y FIESTAS FAMOSAS EN TODA ANDALUCÍA. PORQUÉ ES UN MUST SI VAS A ESPAÑA.

Finally . . . . Non-evolution: This video features some of the body parts which we no longer use. Or even have in some cases. And I'm not talking about the impact of age on males. One is a useless tendon in the forearm which 90% of us still have and another is muscles around our ears. The vast majority of us have lost the ability to use these to move our ears. And here I have to admit I might be less evolved than you, dear reader. As I have both the tendon and the ability to move my ears backwards and forwards.


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