I don’t like to be always comparing things here with how they are in the UK but I sort of can’t help it!
Out on the street when I see people leaning over prams or greeting small children I can predict what they are saying even when I can’t hear it – and usually most of the street can hear it!
‘Guapo!!!!  Ei que Guapo ets!  Ets molt molt guapo!!!!’
I think Guapo or Guapa must be almost the first words babies learn. Guapo actually isn’t a Catalan word but it is used by Catalan people. The correct word is ‘Maco’

I’ve surely said this before but I still notice it and think how wonderful to be a child who is told on a daily/hourly basis how beautiful, how handsome, how pretty they are.

And on Facebook I also see how often my Catalan/Spanish friends post photos of themselves, usually beaming huge toothy grins, and they receive the most warm loving affirmative replies….
‘Ke guapa!!!!!!!’
‘Guapa guapa guapa guapa!!!!!’
‘Estas hermosa!!!!!!!!’
Exclamation marks rarely come alone – they are sociable things like the people here.

Then there is the expressive spelling…..
‘Te Quieroooooooooooo!!!’
‘Preciosssssssssa!!!’
‘Guapaaaaaaaaa!!!!!’
‘Que lindaaaaaaaaaa!!!!’

For research purposes I had a look at some UK friends pages. It took me a while to find self posted photos. What does this mean? Shyer?  More self conscious? Less happy about our teeth? (I include myself in all those catagories)  But they are there and there are responses…..
‘Great to see you looking so happy’
‘Looking good’
‘Great picture!’

Isn’t this great?  I love the difference and the way I can hear the voices as I read the words. I have noticed myself starting to use exclamation marks more, casually casting to the winds all school lessons in composition.  And when I recently, and very unusually, posted a photo on FB of me and Pep I was very happy to get exuberant replies and every exclamation mark gave me huge pleasure, like a little girl being warmly admired in her pram!
One of the reasons I came to live here was the expressiveness of the language.
And the warmth of the hugs and kisses.
When I am writing in Catalan or Castellano I end my messages with ‘besossssssss!!!!’ or ‘petonets’ as is normal here. But I wonder what my British friends think when I send ‘lots of kisses and hugs’ in English?  Does it hit a strange note I wonder?  I have stepped far enough away from the norms that I no longer know.  It isn’t customary here to use xxxx for kisses but sometimes I do that too.

Sorry for the mixture of Catalan and Castellano here. I am feeling a bit schizoid about it as I enter my first two week Catalan intensive of the year.

As this is my first post of 2013 I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year!

 Guap@s!!!!!!!!!!  Us estiiiiiiiiiiiimo! Amorrrrrrr i Pau!!!!   Besossssssssss y Abrazossssss!!!!!!!