1. Interest is growing. I have been selling BTC for NOK and EUR on #bitcoin-otc for a long time. Primarily for selling bitcoins I mined myself for currencies useful to me. My offer is by far the longest standing on the channel. During the last weeks I have been selling more and more, and I get a new customer almost every day now. Old customers come back to buy more. I sell much more than I mine, and have to buy BTC at mtgox to satisfy demand. I do this at almost no profit (for NOK at least) to help spread Bitcoin by better availability, and it works!
2. A lot of people are waiting for an opportunity to buy at mtgox. The sum of money in the visible bids on mtgox is as high now as before the jump above parity with USD. You don't keep money at mtgox and active bids unless you have an intention to buy bitcoins.