I worked as an English in teacher in Spain for a while. Another Irish guy had about four words of Spanish but got on great with Spanish women. He’d ask them como estas, they’d talk for a while and he’d nod along and say si si si, vale vale vale, and when they stopped talking he’d say, ah si, y por que. They’d go on for another while then and he’d say si si si, vale vale vale and when they stopped he’d say, y pero, por que.