Paloma has been living in Torremolinos for 12 years and admits that she couldn’t live anywhere else. Her real name is Xiaoling and she is a member of the Chinese Cultural School of Malaga, one of the 20 groups that took part in the 14th annual Foreign Residents’ International Day held last Saturday.
The event began with a colourful street parade which was rather like a fashion show of international costumes. It was soon after 11 o’clock when the municipal band, at the head of the parade, made its way into the Plaza de la Nogalera which was already bathed in bright sunshine, a world of difference from the previous week’s wet weather that caused the event to be postponed.
It was still early but on the stand manned by the Argentinian Association Miguel already had the traditional barbecue going, ready to be piled high with chorizo, entrails and ribs served with the famous “chimichurri” sauce made with Argentinian spices, the secret to any grill, according to Sergio Pellereti. Meanwhile on the Philippines stand Violeta, resident in Torremolinos for 18 years, tempted visitors with spring rolls and noodles.
However the international representatives had more to offer than calories. The Ecuadorians were determined to demonstrate the quality of the Panama Hat, the genuine Ecuadorian hat “despite being called Panama”. Nearby the music was provided by Quique Pérez, a Peruvian who arrived in Torremolinos seven years ago “in search of better life”.
The mixture of languages and cultures brought together in the Plaza de la Nogalera on Saturday was no more than a reflection of everyday life in Torremolinos, where some 130 nationalities live side by side. “There’s a place for everyone here, irrespective of race, culture or language”, points out María Núñez, who was born and raised in La Carihuela and went along to enjoy the day’s entertainment provided by her colourful neighbours.
Multicultural town
After a tour of all the stands set up in the square, the local mayor, Pedro Fernández Montes, addressed the crowds. “Ever since Torremolinos was one of the first tourist destinations some 50 years ago, visitors have been deciding to make the town their home”, he said, adding that this had made Torremolinos “one of the most multicultural and multinational towns in the world”. But that’s not all: the town’s international nature is all the more significant bearing in mind that “the vast majority of the residents live together in harmony and are perfectly integrated”.
