Monday, June 23, 2008

Obligatory "Things I Learned In Europe" Post

Things I learned in Europe...
1. Never fly United Airlines. Ever.
2. Some of the most beautiful things in Europe (and the world) lie at the top of the stairs (-Rachel)
3. The word "succor," pronounced SUH-koor, is a noun meaning aid or help. I win. (Rach and I argued about this. I think it's the first...and last...argument I've ever won with her).
4. My body is much more capable than I ever thought possible.
5. Home is grossly underappreciated. So is yellow mustard.
6. Salade Nicoise involves anchovies, just in case you were wondering.
7. Someday, someone is going to introduce Ranch dressing to Europe and rock the world. Just you wait.
8. Public transportation is a beautiful thing. I love subways systems.
9. Europeans have a much less well-developed sense of personal space than Americans. This includes visual space (i.e. staring), which we don't even consciously think of as personal space.
10. Most Europeans don't dislike Americans as much as I thought. Some do. Most don't. Most are genuinely eager to help, so don't be afraid to ask.
11. Europeans also have a brilliant sense of when to stop talking. They are okay with silence. Americans should learn from them.
12. Picnic meals are some of the best ones.
13. Rick Steves' books are very good, but his maps are slightly arbitrary. Maps are important; train schedules are more important.
14. "Get on with it." -a Kenyan resident of Bath, regarding how some people feel about travelling in the consistently dreary UK weather.
15. There is something refreshing about hanging clothes on an outside line to dry, praying that it won't rain in the mean time.

I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of anymore right now.

Fin.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Europeans probably have such a fine sence of when to stop talking & being okay w/ silence due to their high exposure to public transportation. It'd be interesting to see what other seemingly unconnected things actually are connected. I'm so glad you got to go. Dami...