OK so I made a cultural observation today. While I was in line trying to buy my mom a Christmas gift a German woman came up and butted in front of me. This comes as no surprise to me since German’s are rude like this all the time. I have been told that the French and Italians are worse but since I live in Germany I will complain about the Germans. Now before my German readers send me hate mail read the rest. Anyhow, I was thinking, why are Germans so rude in stores? Americans aren’t rude like this. OK at Christmas it can get ugly due to stress. Of course at the Nordy half yearly shoe sale it can get down right violent but that is for unique items. Today we were simply in line waiting to ring out! Anyhow, I was thinking how superiorly polite Americans are shopping but then realized that this is an interesting paradox. Americans are polite in public, treating everyone equal, talking about equality and such where in reality Americans are out for themselves and no one else. Our whole economy is built around it. I buy a stock hoping it will go up and I can find someone willing to pay more for it even though they will never actually get a return from the company it is from. They will simply hope to find someone willing to pay more, and so on. In Germany, they talk inequality, they are rude in public but their constitution in itself provides for a certain equality by evening out the wealth and the freedoms. In short, Americans are facetiously equal on the outside and Germans are truly equal on the inside. Sort of. It’s a theory. I still like being an American (except for the fact that in a recent poll, 60% polled said they would approve of the use of nuclear weapons, God help us). I still think that I have the capacity for great generosity and compassion BECAUSE I am an American. I just couldn’t help wondering.
So now to follow on in my intrinsically American nature…I got a fabulous Grabriele Strehle dress on super sale today. More than 50% off. It is purple and will look divine with my purple cashmere coat. Yes I wear purple. Yes I am old.
Like my look above? I have no idea wear I got this dress. Probably Buffalo Exchange in SF or something, years ago. I found it in Christine’s closet while I was home for Halloween. I got lots of comments on my legs, that so much of them were showing. Everyone enjoyed the outfit though.
Let’s see. We were supposed to go to NYC next week for Turkey Day. We canceled our reservations because the American airline industry seems to be out of control. We were flying United but I don’t think it matters. People are rushing around so much they are making mistakes. So we are hoping something reassuring happens before we are to fly home for Christmas. Not sure what to do if nothing does. I don’t really want to stay here. We could go to Budapest I suppose…
That’s it for this week. The first paragraph took all my brain power. It wasn’t even that good. Sorry.