It Seemed Like a Good Idea At The Time

Have you ever looked back on decisions you have made and asked yourself, "Self, what the hell?  Why did I do that?"

And Self replies, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Here are some of those for me.

Good Idea #1:  Let’s move to Seattle.  It’s lovely and green and has a better summer than we have.

 

 

Background:  We lived in the Monterey Peninsula area of California for over 30 years, but I never quite got California.  Not enough deciduous trees to suit my Michigan soul.  And where we lived should not be confused with sunny Southern California.  The weather on the Monterey Peninsula is very much the same as San Francisco - foggy and cold in the summer.  If you have ever stood out on the street in San Francisco in July waiting for a bus, you know what that's like.  So we became used to foggy, chilly Junes, Julys and Augusts. 

So here is what I thought about Seattle.  Yes, it rains. That’s why it’s green. Yes, it’s gray in Seattle, but I like gloom.  And darn it, for two months a year there is warmth and sun.  After a particularly sunny visit in February, I actually got this idea that Seattlites talked about how bad the weather was just so us Californians wouldn't move there.

Reality Check:  As I write this, we are having a lovely summer.  But there have been several Julys that were rainy and cold. If summer is defined as those minutes when the temperature is 80 or more, we had one summer where there was only 78 minutes of summer.  

We moved here in late September. Everything seemed fine until the time changed.  You know the drill, fall back?  As soon as the time changed, it was dark by 4pm and it rained and rained and rained.

So you people out there, especially you Californians who wish to escape the debacle that is the Golden State, it really does rain in Seattle.  But hey, it’s green.

Good Idea #2:  Let’s get a third dog.  Better yet, let’s make it a collie.

Background: We started out with Freddy, a miniature poodle, and Gemma, a German Shepherd. 

Freddy provided the one on one companionship poodles are so good at and Gemma did the fetching and protecting.  But when Gemma died unexpectedly, Freddy was left alone.  I wanted another dog so Freddy wouldn’t be lonely when we went to work, so along came Tarquin, a toy poodle. 

He likes to dress up.

All of that was a good idea.  But then I had another idea.  We need a big dog to take Gemma’s role.  I feel better with a big dog around.  So along came Mildred Pierce, the collie.  I got this brilliant idea because I had grown up with a beautiful collie who looked just like Lassie.  

Remember, “What’s the matter, girl?  Is Timmy in trouble?”  Anyway, the collie I grew up with, Echo, was a wonderful dog who roamed the neighborhood and did good deeds, just like Lassie (which dogs were able to do in the olden days). 

Reality Check: That was then.  This is now. 
And Mildred, you are no Echo.

I know, cute, isn’t she?

 

If you only knew.  

One thing about collies.  They shed.  Yes, I know that German Shepherds also shed but not like collies.  There is long collie hair everywhere she roams.  You just need to hang an article of clothing in the closet, shut the door and within minutes it is covered with dog hair. How does that happen? I know she plots her whereabouts depending on when I am getting ready to leave the house and whether or not I am wearing black pants.  As soon as I come downstairs, she suddenly appears and is all over me like a cheap suit. When I walk out the door I look like one of her relatives. 

And she barks. 

Not like Gemma who barked to alert us to intruders (OK, at the mailman and UPS man, too, but that was all).  Mildred barks just for the sheer joy of hearing herself.  And let me tell you, the neighbors do not share the joy.  So now, even though the poodles don’t bark, they all must be kept inside when we are gone. I don’t mean to belabor this, but I have to add that collies have long aristocratic noses and pea brains.  That little lump on top of their heads is the brain, I think.  When I found out that the breed originated from a cross between a Border Collie and a Borzoi, all became clear.  Yes, the Borzoi gives the collie a “noble head,” but not much room for what should be inside it. And Borzoi’s aren’t known for their smarts either.  

But Mildred’s breed notwithstanding, the main thing about getting that third dog?

Two dogs are companions for each other.  Three dogs are a pack.  When the pack mentality kicks in, don’t be making your way down the stairs in heels holding something in each hand.  You have been warned.

This is what a pack of dogs looks like.

 

Good Idea #3:  Let's spend Christmas in Paris.

Background: The first Christmas we spent alone, when our children spent Christmas with their other families, we decided, OK, we have to be alone?  Then we will fly off to Paris.  We will have Paris all to ourselves.  Who would want to be traveling at Christmas?  Doesn't everyone stay home with their families if they can?  I had visions of singing Christmas carols with the flight attendants on an empty plane and getting the royal treatment.

Reality Check: WRONG!!!!

Empty plane?  Packed to the gills and nary a bit of holiday cheer.

Royal treatment?  We know that never happens on a plane in economy, no matter what day it is.

Paris to ourselves?  Not!  Families everywhere and long lines for everything.  We took a whole day to get out to Versailles only to discover we were in the line to get into the line to get into the line to get tickets.  We slunk back to the hotel.

Everyone wants to stay home with their families at Christmas?  No, everyone wants to be in Paris when we are there.

And to add insult to injury, that damn "underwear bomber" was headed to the U.S. the day we were heading to Paris. Well, because of him, on the way home, we not only had to go through security, but they searched everyone's bags AT THE GATE!  When the security person was searching my purse and found my little box of Pop Rocks sour candies, she demanded to know what they were.  I nervously said, "Little sour candies."  She looked me in the eye and said, "Eat one!"  I guess if they were little bombs, it was better for me to blow up right then and there than on the plane.  The plane finally left three hours late. 

Merry Christmas! 


(Speaking of the "underwear bomber," remember the "shoe bomber?"  Because of the "shoe bomber," we have to remove our shoes to go through airport security.  Just think if we had had to take off our underwear that day!  Or since!)




Good Idea #4:  We should spend our summer vacation taking our son on a tour of Eastern colleges.

Background:  Our son was interested in going to college in the East.  He certainly had the academic chops for it and all kinds of other 17-year-old credentials. Why shouldn’t those highly rated schools be just waiting to meet him?

 

Reality Check:  Let me just say that I have this problem – when I get an idea, I think I am the only one who thought of it (See Idea #3 above).  So naturally I am surprised and sometimes horrified by the number of other people who thought it would be fun to tour houses on a Sunday in Seattle or attend the greased pig races or whatever cockamamie thing I think is an original idea.  I now know that if I get an idea, it’s one that everyone else gets too, except possibly coming to my garage sale.

So when the counselor at Dartmouth asked what number they were, I intelligently replied, “Huh?”  He rephrased his question.  “How many other colleges have you been to on your tour?” 

Tour? Like he knew that we were going to seven schools?  You mean, other families are spending their summer visiting the highly rated colleges of the East too?  Oh.  And then we saw them. The other hopeful mothers and fathers, their freshly scrubbed potential freshmen and the little brothers or sisters who have been dragged along, whining.  It was like a cattle call to try out for a Broadway show. 

I replied to the counselor, “You’re the first.”  He didn’t hear me.  He had already moved on to another family.

Good Idea #5.  I need a TIVO.

Background:  I know that I watch too much TV. 

It started when I was about 4 when I stood on a neighbor’s porch watching the only television in the neighborhood  through their front window.  When I was 5 my Dad bought our first TV and I was hooked. 

But being aware of my addiction and wanting to take steps to combat it, I reasoned that if I had a TIVO I wouldn’t watch so much TV, because I wouldn’t be a slave to the clock.  I could watch it when I wanted to instead of when the TV schedule dictated. I would be in control of my TV watching.

Reality Check:  My TIVOs are like monkeys on my back. 

Yes, that’s Tivo with an “s.”  I have three.  I am not proud of it.  And when I turn them on and see all of the programs my Season Pass has recorded, it’s like my inbox in my email.  I feel I have to do something about every one of them and get them out of that inbox before I can relax. And that doesn’t count the amount of time I spend rearranging my Season Passes, perusing my To Do list and searching for even more shows to add to my lists.  So if you are looking for me, you know where I am.



Good Idea #6:  Let's have a yard sale!

Background:  We have lots of junk, er, stuff and we can make some money.

Reality Check:  Let's not. 

But if you think it's a good idea, don't have one until you read my post "How To Have a Successful Yard Sale (with less trauma)."

So those are some things that seemed like good ideas at the time and turned out to be “What was I thinking?” moments.

But here is a really good idea.

Support your local library! (Shameless plug).

 

What really "great ideas" have you had?

   

See you Friday

 

For

 

"Cooking Conundrums

 

and

 

The Week in Reviews"

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!

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Top Ten Things to Do This Summer and The Week in Reviews

[I review the new film "Lucy," DVDs "The Beautiful Person," "Le Weekend" and the book "The Untethered Soul" by Michael Singer and I also weigh in on how I am doing with my project of shaking up my life by instilling a new habit every month for the next year. Check out how I'm doing]

But First

Top Ten Things To Do This Summer

Ah, summer.  We are in the midst of a gorgeous summer here in Seattle.  Sometimes it arrives kicking and screaming-but when it does get here, it is glorious. 

 

 

Now we get to enjoy our two months of nice weather before hunkering back down into the gloom.

But let’s not think about that right now.  Let’s talk about fun and (mostly) cheap things you can do to enjoy what Seattle and its environs have to offer this summer. 

And if you don't live near Seattle, hopefully you will come out to visit or some of these ideas will spark your enthusiasm for your own part of the world.

My daughter and her husband are coming to visit this month, so I am thinking about all of the fun things we can do together.

All of these activities have been personally tested by yours truly,  so I can attest to the fun you will have!

Seattle Stair Walking.

I adore outdoor steps, especially the hidden little gems that populate Seattle (San Francisco has them, too). 

If you have been reading my blog, you know that Hubby and I climbed and descended all of the steps in "Seattle Stair Walks" by Jake and Cathy Jaramillo.

 

It took us a year to do all 23 walks, but it not only helped us learn more about Seattle, it was fun and healthy alone time for us.  Well, the Happy Hour after was probably not so healthy, but we had to have some kind of reward for all of those stairs.

 

 

Eat Your Way Through Pike Place Market.

Granted you can do this any time of the year, but on a sunny day it’s just that much more fun.  Get there early to watch the Market come alive.  Grab an espresso at the original Starbucks (before it is full of tourists) and a piroshky from the Piroshky bakery a couple of doors down.  For lunch, restaurants abound, and later have a martini on the deck at the Pink Door and take in the view and the sun. There are a wealth of options for dinner, but a personal favorite is the Steelhead Diner (can’t resist the poutine).  Walk past the gum wall to the Alibi Room for a nightcap and some people watching.  If movie people are in town you might catch a famous face. In between eating at the Market, you can watch flying fish, shop for produce and crafts, listen to street musicians, and take a picture with Rachel the Pig.

Take the Clipper to Victoria.

 

“More British than Britain,” Victoria is one of my most special places. 

I have my little rituals – mussels at Santiago’s Cafe, buy a supply of tea at Murchies, head over to Munro’s Books (one of the last great independent book stores) to buy an autobiography of some obscure British television actor who only I have heard of published only in the UK, take the “putt putt boat” across the Inner Harbour (note my British spelling) to Barb’s for the best fish & chips, tea at the James Bay Tea Room (locals laugh at you if you have tea at the Empress, but you have to do it at least once), but definitely drinks at the Bengal Lounge in the Empress, take in the lights that outline Parliament at night and walk, walk, walk.  You don’t even have to spend the night if you don’t want to. You can get on the Clipper at 8am in Seattle and be in Victoria by 10:30 in the morning and have the whole day to enjoy Victoria and then go home in the evening.  A little bit of England just a few hours away.

Water Taxi to West Seattle.

Hop the King County Water Taxi over to West Seattle for killer views of the City. There is a free bus to take you to “The Junction,” the heart of West Seattle and then you can wind your way back on foot to Alki Beach (more stairs, too!)

 

Ballard Locks and the Fish Ladder.

 I will never forget the first time I visited the locks.  My husband, my children and I were visiting Seattle for the first time and went to the locks to see the salmon make their way up the fish ladder.  There we were, noses pressed to the glass awaiting the leaping, flying salmon as they made their way up the ladder. We waited and waited and waited.  Nothing.  Finally, along came one lone little minnow who reminded me of Don Knotts in "The Incredible Mr. Limpet." 

On a recent visit, however, Hubby and I were rewarded with a salmon jumping so high it almost hit Hubby in the head. However, salmon or no salmon, the locks are situated in a beautiful park and as you walk across the locks, you can watch a lock fill up, chat with the boat people as they wait and then make your way over to the Magnolia side for a pleasant walk around the neighborhood. 

Take your dog to an off-leash dog park.

Or if you don’t have a dog, go anyway.  It’s a hoot.  Or should I say a woof!

You can watch a Yorkiepoo try to provoke a Great Dane, a white fluffy Bichon Frise roll around in the dirt and German Shepherds chasing Frisbees into the water and then shaking the water off onto their owners.  A personal favorite is the scene around the communal drinking bowl.  Have you ever noticed that when a dog looks up after drinking out of a bowl, water continues to ooze out of both sides of its mouth. They are so ridiculously unselfconscious! (Particularly noticeable with a collie, and she knows who she is). And along with the canine shenanigans, dog parks are often in prime locations. Edmonds has one right on the Sound; and the one at Magnuson Park in Seattle is ginormous.  Your little Fido could think he was a free dog there.

(And for you etymologists, yes, ginormous is a word and made it into the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 2009. It’s definition?  Humongous. )

Snoqualmie Falls.

 

Lovely drive into the foothills. For those of you who are of a certain age, it is difficult to not think of the TV show “Twin Peaks” when standing near the Salish Lodge overlooking the Falls.  As the mist rises, so do images of the dancing dwarf and FBI Special Agent Cooper drinking his cup of “damn fine coffee.” If you snag a seat by a window in the restaurant, you will have a wonderful view while dining.

Wine Tasting and Concerts in Woodinville.

When I moved here eight years ago, there was Chateau Ste.Michelle and the Columbia Winery.  And the tastes were free.  Now there are something like 300 wineries populating the Woodinville area and tastings are anything but free unless you are a member.  But on a lovely day, there is nothing finer than a stroll on the grounds of the Chateau, discovering a new wine tasting room or a new wine.  Just be wary of “palate fatigue,” if you know what I mean. 

 Ringo

The Chateau also hosts music concerts in its outdoor venue, a gorgeous setting to listen to music while drinking that wonderful wine.

Kayaking.

The last time my daughter and her husband visited we rented kayaks at Aqua Verde and ventured out into "The Cut" toward Lake Washington.  Not long into the trip, Hubby lost control of the foot rudder and we had to manage on our own. We were sharing the waters with much bigger boats.  I think they could hear me yelling at Hubby all the way to Bellevue.  My first and last kayaking adventure.  But I know you all are much more brave than I.

Whidbey Island.

A mere 20 minute ferry ride and you are in a rural paradise (though in the summer, lines to get ON the ferry can be long.  Plan accordingly). Miles of beaches, wineries, good food and lovely, historic towns like Langley and Coupeville.  You know those Penn Cove mussels you love you much?  They are from here.

 

No Matter Where You Live, Visit Your Library. Make it a destination.

Your local public library has all kinds of summer activities.  Take your child or grandchild and have some fun summer adventures sharing the joy of reading.

 What summer fun are you looking forward to?

 

Now on to The Week in Reviews

 

***In Theatres Now***

 

 

Lucy

This Sci-Fi thriller explores what could happen if humans were able to use 100% of their brains while juxtaposing that with drug-smuggling Taiwanese gangsters.

Lucy (Scarlett Johansson), currently living in Taiwan, finds herself involuntarily involved in a drug smuggling operation.

Her boyfriend of about a minute, Richard, forces her to deliver a briefcase to a Mr. Jang by handcuffing her to the briefcase. Jang and his gang of thugs then turn her into a drug mule by planting a bag of CPH4 into her and three other men's stomachs (CPH4 will be explained in the film, so I don't need to do it here).  When Lucy's bag of drugs is dislodged by an over amorous and brutal goon, the drug starts to leak into her system and takes her brain from the usual 10% usage we humans supposedly and arguably only use to an ever-increasing amount as the film progresses and eventually to 100%, turning her into a superhuman, capable of unimagined strength and knowledge.  With that as her weapon, she goes in search of Mr. Jang to seek revenge.  But when she realizes the drug will also kill her, she seeks out the preeminent mind on brain function, Dr. Samuel Norman, played by Morgan Freeman (what movie ISN'T he in?), to help her make sense of her gift and whose lecture about the human brain parlays back and forth from the action at the beginning of the film.

Writer/Director Luc Besson ("La Femme Nikita," "The Fifth Element") has combined a bit of Quentin Tarantino (I had my hands over my eyes for the first half hour)  and a bit of "2001: A Space Odyssey" to create a tense thriller with an examination of what constitutes existence and humanity. He has created another strong female like Nikita and Scarlett does not disappoint.  She starts out as a sort of air-head slutty girl and turns into a mental superhero. The film is all about her. It is a tour de force.

True to his "Transporter" roots, Besson also treats us to a fantastic car chase through the streets of Paris that can only be imagined as CGI or some other special effects - if not, how could Paris officials agree to a car chase like that?  The sequence through the pedestrian arcade was amazing - I think I walked through that one - and when Lucy was driving against traffic, it was spectacular.

My one irritation was the montages of animals mimicking the action and during Freeman's lecture.  I'm not a fan of that stuff and I don't need to be bonked on the head to know that our Lucy is a reference to the "famous Lucy fossil."

Rosy the Reviewer says...whether or not you think this is believable, you will be gripping the arms of your chair while you try to decide.  Thrilling. See it in Imax.

***DVDS***

                                   You Might Have Missed
                        And Some You Should Be Glad You Did
                         (I see the bad ones so you don't have to)

 

 

La Belle Personne (The Beautiful Person) (2008)

 

Sixteen-year old Junie changes high schools mid-year, following the death of her mother, and goes to live with her cousin Mathias, who introduces her to his friends. All the boys want to date Junie, especially Otto, but her real attraction is to the lothario Italian teacher, Nemours. 

This French film, adapted from the classic French novel “La Princesse de Clèves,” by Madame de Lafayette (1678 ) and directed by Christophe Honore explores the illusion of love and whether or not enduring love is possible.

When we first meet Nemours, who looks young enough to be one of the students, he is having an affair with another teacher and a student.  Junie's cousin, Matthias is having a secret affair with Martin and they fear exposure from a love letter that fell out of Martin's pocket. Otto, another student, loves Junie and when he is rejected by her, jumps off the third floor balcony of the school, all the while lip-synching the lyrics to a French pop tune.  Strange.

When Nemours becomes love struck with Junie, he breaks off his other affairs to concentrate on her, but Junie fears that love won't last and gets the hell out of Dodge.

If you are a fan of French films, then you get how they roll - all very New Wavy, not a lot happens, but it's all very deep and moody with French pop tunes playing in the background while people look off into the distance.

Rosy the Reviewer says...I can tell I am getting to the bottom of my Netflix queue.  You can pass on this one. (subtitles)




Le Weekend (2013)

 

A British couple celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary return to Paris to try to rejuvenate their failing marriage.

Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan play Nick and Meg, a married couple who you can tell right away have "issues."  They have fallen into a pattern of insult, boredom and taking each other for granted.  This weekend is meant to be a time to find each other again.

It begins with Meg objecting to their room because the bathroom is too beige.  So Meg impulsively changes hotels to one very much more upscale than the original and when Nick tells Meg he has been forced to retire from his professorship for saying something inappropriate to a black student, it becomes apparent that they can't afford this hotel.  The weekend continues with their running out of a restaurant without paying and other shenanigans, all of the while Meg insulting Nick and Nick trying to get Meg to love him.  Meg seems to have great contempt for Nick.  These are not pleasant people.

Both Nick and Meg have had teaching careers and they have two sons.  But when Nick runs into an old school chum, Morgan, (Jeff Goldblum, who overdoes it a bit here), who appears to be everything Nick is not - successful, optimistic, and he has a young, pregnant wife - Nick is moved to deliver a dinnertime soliloquy about the disappointments of his life.  But the film ends where it began.  Nick and Meg are still together.  A long marriage can be a strange dance.

Hanif Kureishi ("My Beautiful Laundrette" and "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid") wrote the screenplay, and I know he's edgey, but with Roger Michell ("Notting Hill") directed so, I was expecting the charm of "Notting Hill" and instead got "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." 

This film is a testament to what a long marriage is:  tender, cruel, boring, exciting, recriminations and reconciliations, but this film is not exactly an endorsement and not exactly entertainment. 

Rosy the Reviewer says...Broadbent and Duncan are wonderful actors and they do a great job showing the ups and downs of a long marriage.  But that doesn't mean this is a pleasant film to watch.  If you are expecting a "mature" version of "Notting Hill," you will be disappointed.

 

***Book of the Week***

 

The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer (2007)

 More on the quest for inner peace.

I first heard of Michael Singer when Oprah interviewed him on her "Super Soul Sunday" show.  I was so impressed I had to buy his book as I continue my own journey to enlightenment.

It's not an easy concept - that your thoughts are not you.  He likens the voices in your head to an unruly roommate.  Would you really be friends with someone who says the crazy things your mind says?  Would you listen to that person?

Singer hopes to free us from those voices that cause us so much pain.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Learn how to put an end to the habitual thoughts and emotions that hinder you by tapping into meditation and mindfulness to dwell in the present moment. It's only 181 pages. A small price to pay for enlightenment, wouldn't you say?

 

UPDATE: If you have been following my blog, you know I wrote a post on my 66th birthday called "Today is the First Day of the Rest of My Life," where I talked about wanting to shake up my life a bit and instill some new habits.  For July, I said I would NOT order my usual Starbucks drink, but rather anything but...try some new ones.  AND I DID IT!  I did not order a Tall Skinny Vanilla Latte once.  I tried hazelnut, caramel and my new favorite, cinnamon dolce. 

Now it's on to August, month #2, where I said I would moisturize every day! I know, but this new habit thing isn't easy.  Check back next month to see if I did it! 

That's it for this week!

Thanks for reading!

 

See you Tuesday for

"It Seemed Like a Good Idea At The Time"

 

 

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Check your local library for DVDs and books mentioned.

Note:  Next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). 

Here is a quick link to get to all of them.  Choose the film you are interested in and then scroll down the list of reviewers to find "Rosy the Reviewer."
 

Or you can go directly to IMDB.  

Find the page for the movie, click on "Explore More" on the right side panel and then scroll down to "External Reviews."  Look for "Rosy the Reviewer" on the list. Or if you are using a mobile device, look for "Critics Reviews." Click on that and you will find me alphabetically under "Rosy the Reviewer."

 

 

 

 

How Not To Look Like a Tourist in Paris or Anywhere Else

With summer upon us, I hope that you have a wonderful vacation planned.  If it's a trip to Paris or some other overseas destination, even better.

My experience has been that the best vacations are ones where you blend in with the local culture.  In so doing, you can have some very special experiences.

That said, in order to blend in, you need to do a little homework before you leave.

I spent most of my adult life on the coast of Northern California and no one seems to understand that Northern California has nothing to do with Southern California.  There is a reason why each wanted to secede from the other.  But it's the weather that differs most of all.  I can't tell you how many times I would tell people I was from California and how many times they would extol its weather virtues and I could tell they were talking about Southern California. Likewise, now that I have moved to Seattle, everyone wants to know how I could leave sunny California for the rain and gloom of Seattle.  They can't believe it when I say we came for the Seattle summers.  For two to three months a year, it's warm and sunny.

In Northern California, it is cold in the summer!  Mark Twain once said that the coldest winter he ever spent was the summer he spent in San Francisco. In summer, when the fog rolls in, it's cold.  It's a joke among locals in San Francisco as to how you can spot a tourist.  Tourists are those folks wearing shorts (no one wears shorts in San Francisco) and an "I Love San Francisco" sweatshirt because they didn't bring any warm clothes and were so cold they had to buy one!

That's just a little anecdote to illustrate the pitfalls of not doing your homework.

When I travel, I don't want to look like a tourist.  I want to blend in and hang with the locals.  That often means keeping my mouth shut so I can observe.

Hubby's job used to take him to the U.K. quite frequently and his office was in a small town about 60 miles west of London.  While he worked, I would play.  But occasionally I would head down to the launderette (that's Brit speak for the laundromat) to do some needed laundry.  Unlike many of our laundromats, it had a person running the place, and I could eavesdrop on him and his interactions with the ladies doing their wash. I could feel like I was one of them.  One time I arrived and there was no hot water.  That being the case, the local ladies decided they would have to do their laundry another time and left. They couldn't fathom washing their clothes in cold water. The fellow running the launderette said to me, "Well, I know they do their laundry in cold water all of the time in America."  I responded and blew my cover, but he and I engaged in an interesting conversation.  

The point is, blending in, not proclaiming that you are American (especially talking loudly, which is an American stereotype over there) and seeking out the locals can lead to all kinds of interesting encounters.

So if you want to blend in and try being a local, you need to also look the part.

Nothing screams tourist more than a baseball cap with an American team on it, a windbreaker heralding said team, athletic shoes and carrying a map.

This is an American tourist.

Sorry, Hubby.

Though Paris can be casual, I would say they dress a step up from what we Americans consider acceptable.  You are not likely to see a Parisian wearing flip flops, a fanny pack or a baseball cap, though, of course, there are exceptions.  And scarves are de rigeur.

This is an American tourist who could "pass."  I have actually been asked for directions by a local.

However, if you want to meet other Americans, the baseball cap works well.  Hubby and I were standing outside this crepe shop in the Marais, Hubby with his ever present Mariners cap on, and we were approached by a young woman who noticed Hubby's cap. 

She was not only American, but from Seattle and had been living in Paris for several months and longed to speak English with someone.  We had a lovely conversation and she recommended a wonderful bistro where we dined that evening.

It's also a good idea to at least try to speak the language.  Parisians can't stand you mangling their language, so as soon as you make the attempt, they will usually start speaking English, but they usually appreciate the attempt.  I took eights years of French and my attempts are usually met with, first a look of confusion, then disgust, then English.

However, good manners require that you always say "Bon jour" when entering a shop or encountering a local in Paris.  I learned this the hard way when my ticket for the Metro didn't open up the little gate to let me in.  I scurried over to the ticket taker and said in English, "My ticket doesn't work," to which he replied with dripping contempt, "BON JOUR."  I had skipped the greeting and got schooled!

So when you travel to other countries, do you homework so you have some idea of what the weather will be like, learn a few phrases, dress appropriately, learn the currency and not only don't talk loudly, but sometimes it pays to not talk at all.



If you want to blend in and not look like a tourist, you would NEVER do stuff like this!

 

 

 

But who cares!  Have fun!

 

What are your travel tips? 

See you Friday for

"Top Ten Things to Do This Summer"

and

The Week in Reviews

 Thanks for Reading!

 

And check your local library for travel guides to help you read up on your destination.

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