My American moments

I go home for only 2 weeks, and what do I do, pull an American moment yesterday. First, let me say, I had gone to the gym to work out. On the radio the announcers kept saying that it was THE most depressing day of the year - by mathematical calculations, so I was feeling proud that I overcame and had the motivation to get to the gym. After the workout, I decide to run by the grocery on the way home - because you know I have to go to the grocers almost every day! I was still wearing my capri yoga pants and white trainers (tennis shoes for the American readers :-) I get out of the car and have to walk down the high street to the stationers to buy folders, and you would have thought I was a 3 headed monster!!! I was stared at from EVERY single person I passed. My white trainers were so offensive, "tourist" their eyes screamed, "a tourist is loose in the village". I just wanted to yell, "I LIVE here!" I was very self conscious and felt like a freak, just for wearing white trainers (and they're not all that white). On my way out of the grocery store, I decided that maybe it was a little freakish to have white shoes AND white legs. So for my grocery trip today, I will have on my grey trainers, long pants and black coat. THAT will assure all my neighbors that I do live here and will wear the accepted daily uniform of dirt colored clothes so that I can walk on slimy, wet streets and not look dirty.

Oh, to end that wonderful trip to the village, I walked through the parking lot and almost fainted. There, in all it's shining glory, looking like a giant amongst peasants, was a gleaming Cadillac Escalade taking up 2 parking spots. I had to laugh at my thought, "what a monster. who would ever drive something that big?" ... hello... me....for years.... and Suburbans may even be bigger than an Escalade. Funny how we can flip our brains right back and forth between old American habits and new European ideas.