Politeness In A Large City
Just a couple vignettes about Paris.
Recall from a prior post that we'd taken Cassie to a nearby cafe, where she'd met and befriended our waiter? (Actually, what she really did was amuse our waiter with her valiant efforts to defend her space when he came to our table!). We went back again a few nights later. The waiter has in some small way adopted us. When we arrived he shook hands with both of us -- and again when we left he did the same. I don't think I've ever otherwise shaken hands with my waiter before.
The weather here has been stunningly good. I imagine that the Parisians are a bit surprised -- everything we've read says that September is fall weather. We've seen more than a few days in the 80's. With such good weather, there have been very many people on the streets. What I'm used to, from living in New Jersey and Los Angeles, is that when there are crowds of people you occasionally brush shoulders as you pass them by. Sometimes it's more than a brush, you collide shoulder to shoulder. I've discovered that I've developed an instinctive reaction to brace for the collision. It has never happened here. Somehow with all of the people moving by, they manage to do it without the collisions. I'm not sure I'm describing this well enough. Maybe I'm being too generous of the Parisians (I'm sure that at some point I will collide with someone). Maybe I'm just being cautious in what I write because shoulders colliding happen to me more than to others???
Next blog -- pictures from the taxidermist!
Recall from a prior post that we'd taken Cassie to a nearby cafe, where she'd met and befriended our waiter? (Actually, what she really did was amuse our waiter with her valiant efforts to defend her space when he came to our table!). We went back again a few nights later. The waiter has in some small way adopted us. When we arrived he shook hands with both of us -- and again when we left he did the same. I don't think I've ever otherwise shaken hands with my waiter before.
The weather here has been stunningly good. I imagine that the Parisians are a bit surprised -- everything we've read says that September is fall weather. We've seen more than a few days in the 80's. With such good weather, there have been very many people on the streets. What I'm used to, from living in New Jersey and Los Angeles, is that when there are crowds of people you occasionally brush shoulders as you pass them by. Sometimes it's more than a brush, you collide shoulder to shoulder. I've discovered that I've developed an instinctive reaction to brace for the collision. It has never happened here. Somehow with all of the people moving by, they manage to do it without the collisions. I'm not sure I'm describing this well enough. Maybe I'm being too generous of the Parisians (I'm sure that at some point I will collide with someone). Maybe I'm just being cautious in what I write because shoulders colliding happen to me more than to others???
Next blog -- pictures from the taxidermist!
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