Blending in

There is something wonderful about blending in to your surroundings, just sitting and observing…

…or so I’m told.

I keep trying to not be the American, but everything that I do betrays me. My polite nature of saying “pardon me” as I pass in front of someone followed immediately by (a silent) “shit” for realizing what I had just done. Walking on the right, versus the left. My obvious accent as I speak limited broken French; most often used French phrase: “Bonjour, Parle vous anglais?” (Which is usually followed by a chuckling “no”).

Sunglasses…  The French don’t seem to wear them much, at least not while walking around. Want to be incognito? Don’t wear them. 

My color blindness is not helping, either. The don’t walk signal looks red and the walk signal also looks red (to me).

Smoking: if you smoke, you are one of them. If you don’t, you are likely not French. 

The French seem like a very proud people, we should understand that as we are Proud Americans. Most of all they seem proud of their language. I cannot recall the number of times that I, and others I know, have looked “down” upon people stumbling over spoken words of broken English. I will do my best to not let that happen again (on my part). 

This blending in thing seems pretty cool, I might give it a try some day. 

My people-watching-perch point-of-view during brunch.

My brunch – omelette and café Americano – $19.88 / 17,80€