Question:
The following three acts are considered bizarre in Switzerland. Two were done by myself, the other by a Swiss guy. The one done by the Swiss was considered slightly less bizarre. See what you think...
a) Dipping strawberries in Nutella (a creamy chocolate and hazelnut spread)
b) Eating spoonfuls of applesauce and Nutella
c) Dipping a chocolate-covered cookie in a cup of coffee
OK, so in my mind, only one of the above activities is bizarre--eating applesauce with Nutella? Weird! Weirder still, is the fact that this was considered less bizarre than the other two. What?!! How in the world is mixing strawberries or coffee with chocolate remarkable?
This is just one of many examples of how it is absolutely impossible for me to predict what my next cultural faux-pas will be. I have no warning before I offend someone! Oh well, the Swiss can use a little stirring up. My Dutch housemate recently commented that they are "too normal." If by normal, she meant "clean" then yes, that is true. If by normal, she meant "rule-abiding" then again, that is true. If by normal, she meant "having lots of formal etiquette" once again, that is true. Indeed, the Swiss are too normal. Normal and bizarre. I'm not normal; I'm American. No coincidence that the monsieur of my house calls me a savage almost daily. It's become a term of endearment to me, to my dear little strawberry dipping savage self.
Verse of the Month:
"'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.'" Luke 10:41-42
Yogurt Flavor of the Week: Coffee
Friends of the Day: Carrie and Maggie--voyaging through China!
Family member of the Day: The Good Sistah, Cathie Jo--Always good, always my sistah
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment