From a bâteau mouche:
One unexpected thing about the Jardin du Luxembourg: the shocking number of bizarre bachelor/bachelorette parties that were happening on a Saturday afternoon. I saw one unfortunate bride-to-be donning a tiara and an apron (interesting juxtaposition there, eh?) and carrying a baby doll while her friends taunted her in song. There was also a posse of girls wearing matching wedding party t-shirts and pigtails that approached Nathan and solicited a kiss for their queen, which (Nathan, are you reading this?) he was TOTALLY awkward about. Perhaps the most bizarre, however, was the bachelor who came over to us wearing a braided black wig, shorts, high socks and nice shoes, and told us that he was not allowed to leave the gardens until his jar of nutella had been eaten...by strange women. So, forgetting everything our mothers had ever taught us about accepting candy from strangers, Erin, Katie, and I excitedly (Katie a little nervously) accepted our plastic spoons from his wedding party and, after a cursory security screening of the utensils, scooped out big globs of delicious chocolate paste. You would have done the same.
For your entertainment, a few of my faux pas before I go:
1. Wearing shorts. I actually had been warned by several people before I left about the shortage (pun totally intended) of shorts in Europe, but decided to risk dirty looks on the street for a little bit of comfort in the heat (rhyme totally not intended). I actually didn't notice too many scowls, but that may be because I purposefully avoided meeting people's eyes that day.
2. Not bringing my own bags to the supermarket. This would not, perhaps, have been so bad if I had understood when the cashier asked if I needed to buy bags. Somehow I ended up indicating that I neither had bags nor wanted any, and had to shove what, of my basketful of groceries, would fit into my purse and balance the rest in my arms.
3. Not knowing anything about a store called Conforama. It's basically a smaller, lamer, French IKEA. I went there to exchange something my roommate had bought for a chair and ended up going in the wrong entrance 3 times. An employee at the door kept trying to explain to me that there was another door that I had to go through for returns, but he failed to mention that that other door was attached to a different building...on a different road. After an unsuccessful attempt to find the door, I thought I would sneak in the entrance I had already tried, but I was spotted by the same employee. Completely embarassed, I explained to him that I couldn't find the door and he burst out laughing and ended up walking me to the other building. After I managed to return the item (an adventure in itself) I had to pass him again to go get the chair. He was super friendly and gave me a thumbs-up in the least condescending way possible and we even managed to joke about how thrilled I was to have figured everything out.
Tis all for now. I'm about to go to an opening at my roommate's art gallery. I don't know anything about art culture, though, so this may just be more material for a future faux pas feature. Wish me luck!
Update: Oh, god. So awkward.
For your entertainment, a few of my faux pas before I go:
1. Wearing shorts. I actually had been warned by several people before I left about the shortage (pun totally intended) of shorts in Europe, but decided to risk dirty looks on the street for a little bit of comfort in the heat (rhyme totally not intended). I actually didn't notice too many scowls, but that may be because I purposefully avoided meeting people's eyes that day.
2. Not bringing my own bags to the supermarket. This would not, perhaps, have been so bad if I had understood when the cashier asked if I needed to buy bags. Somehow I ended up indicating that I neither had bags nor wanted any, and had to shove what, of my basketful of groceries, would fit into my purse and balance the rest in my arms.
3. Not knowing anything about a store called Conforama. It's basically a smaller, lamer, French IKEA. I went there to exchange something my roommate had bought for a chair and ended up going in the wrong entrance 3 times. An employee at the door kept trying to explain to me that there was another door that I had to go through for returns, but he failed to mention that that other door was attached to a different building...on a different road. After an unsuccessful attempt to find the door, I thought I would sneak in the entrance I had already tried, but I was spotted by the same employee. Completely embarassed, I explained to him that I couldn't find the door and he burst out laughing and ended up walking me to the other building. After I managed to return the item (an adventure in itself) I had to pass him again to go get the chair. He was super friendly and gave me a thumbs-up in the least condescending way possible and we even managed to joke about how thrilled I was to have figured everything out.
Tis all for now. I'm about to go to an opening at my roommate's art gallery. I don't know anything about art culture, though, so this may just be more material for a future faux pas feature. Wish me luck!
Update: Oh, god. So awkward.
i didnt know shorts were taboo in europe! i should move there immediately!
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