squirt + research

posting rampage! can you tell i just scanned my sketches?

also, here is some potentially helpful information:

A couple weeks ago, I picked the brain of my friend who served in Spain. Maybe you already know all of this, but I found it very helpful~

mannerisms:
-"the Spanish finger" --this isn't crude like it sounds :) It's where if they disapprove of something, they hold out their first finger in the and wag it very loosely, while making a clicking noise with their mouth. I could totally see Estefan doing this.
-talk with exaggerated gestures
-in greeting, they grasp each others' arms, then give besos. The Spanish beso goes left cheek, then right and in Spain it's more like just touching cheeks and making the kiss noise in the air
-older men walk with hands clasped behind back, wear courser-weaved black jackets and dress shirts
-older women walk little dogs a lot

appearance:
-the trendy thing to do is to shave two vertical lines in one eyebrow (this would look sweet on Estefan, no?!)
-mens' hair is generally short on the sides and poofier up top
-sideburns taper into an extended "v" shape
-men have heavy eyebrows
-it's trendy to put a stud right above the eyebrow (i'm thinking we won't use that one, because we're trying not to lead to any assumptions of...other things)
-older women have shorter, curly hair (he's going to get good pictures for me)
-hair is dark, skin is pretty fair
-longer hair really isn't common, except for the gypsies. They have long, dark, shoulder-length hair, and their skin is darker. Maybe Estefan comes from them....
-gypsies also have cains and dark suits with white shirts and some jewelry.

other random facts that may be helpful in some way:
-lots of regional pride (different regions talk in different ways)
-they love giving directions
-they love to watch soccer in bars
-very nocturnal country
-medio dia is from about 2-4pm and it's where everything closes down and everyone goes home to eat lunch. Then the restaurants open again around 8 and people generally go out to eat around 10pm
-lots of parks
-not a lot of cars (they double park a lot)
-family is important
-discotecas (dance clubs) are popular


Estefan name ideas that might hold that upward energy:
-Luís Javi
-Rodolfo
-Adolfo (i love saying those last two)
-Phillipe
-Dario
-Raul
-Christiano

..yeah my friend kind of laughed when I said "Estefan". Most definitely not 100% spanish. :)

also, my sister is married to a Spaniard! she e-mailed me this morning:
The * names are accented on the last syllable (or only syllable) to give the UMPHH effect.
*José Luís (Pepe)
*Ramón (Moncho)
Ignacio (Nacho)
*Ivan
Marcos
*Juan
Francisco (Paco, Sisco)

Names in Catalán (the other language spoken in Barcelona)
Xavi (pronounced "Shavi")
Francisco (Siscu)

...

so there you go. jeff, we might be past naming but i thought i'd throw those out there. i liked kelly's suggestions yesterday as well. the names my sister gave me are more standard, maybe you guys can play with the simplicity like what kelly said. just ideas, take or leave them. :)