I say this because in the hole/hotel we were staying in in Koh Samui, there was an overriding abundance of Northern Europeans - not that we could tell, because they spoke like this: "Ja, le bandamama we zygwywtxe!". But we assume they were of Northern climes (as they were not African, Chinese or American). Either way, it is fascinating being surrounded by people talking a European language you don't understand, especially when you are in Central Asia. But no matter - as clever linguists we soon picked up the European touch. Topless sunbathing we were not, but we could get the grasp of some languages (Me name ist Laura, ja, ja! or similar) and then tended to be enough to get you through an entire conversation if you were lucky.

The benefit of being English is that most people tend to speak your language (can we say as many speak Danish, Norweigan or Swedish?) so introductions are relatively painless: shouting at the poor victim - friend - in English and if they don't respond, to whisper bloody foreigners often suffices. Just kidding. But really, it's shocking how little Finnish/Swedish/Icelandic I speak and how much English Europeans speak. Very good, as I say. Or tres bien, muy bueno, zeer goed, ���� ����� and molto buon as they say in Europe.