Passing conversation ... lost in the night

"Tio, do you know how much a paleta* makes in Germany?"

"Tio, like 2,000 ...."

"Whoooooo!"

Unintentional flashback to a couple years ago when I dismantled a perfect marble bathroom for Sr. de la Caixa (actually, the owner of la Caixa's son), hoed his garden, and carried thousands of shingles up to the roof of his useless new awning ... for 5 lousy Euros an hour.

I should've told the luckless construction workers that in Berlin, at least, people are paying a 3rd of what we're paying for rent.

Yeah, tio, flipas.

A taxi driver told me the other day this place would "die" if it wasn't for the tourists that keep the economy afloat. German, American, English, Swedish tourists, no doubt.

Welcome to Barcelona
Estrella, guiris, y mal marijuana
_

*Paleta – noun – A construction worker. Usually wears blue overalls, sings at 8 in the morning, and says charming things to 90% of the passing female population. Usually xarnego, or of mixed Andalusian and Catalan decent (I get along with most of them).