Okay, one of the great things about interaction between cultures is that both cultures get to marvel at how stupid people are from the other culture. Here is an example: at the airport this afternoon to book a ticket to Cologne, for what seemed like the tenth time, I’m waiting while two or more people share the use of a computer to do their job. In this case one person had been trained to operate the keyboard and look at the monitor while the other person was skilled in the rules of ticket issue and operated the printer and copier. They are constantly looking at each other for confirmation of each step, and studiously avoiding eye contact with the growing line of customers. My attention keeps wandering to the large group of US soldiers milling about in khakis. I can’t get over how polite and laid-back they look. I’m totally proud of them–they look big and confident and nice, and I want to talk to them, but I don’t. And the kind Dutch customer in front of me is helping our travel agent work her way through lessons 6-13 in the Royal Magyar Technical Academy’s Right-Clicking for Windows workbook supplement. By the time it’s my turn, I can’t remember where I want to fly to.
Another example of how stupid people from other cultures can be. So this morning, knowing that I will likely pay cash for my plane ticket, I stuffed some some hundred-euro notes in my wallet for the occasion. Now these notes are nice and crisp and green–worth over 130 bucks each, they’re folding money. Just like those Monopoly 20’s. And then, the 200 forint notes–beautiful green color and, again, a lot like those Monopoly 20’s. You see where this is going. So when I’m buying my 180-Forint metro ticket, about a dollar’s worth of transportation, and the woman is frantically motioning for me to put my wallet away, I play scenarios of what might be going on in her head.
- ‘Americans have such good wax museums that they are accustomed to pay a month’s rent for the privilege to travel to see one’
- ‘I do NOT want blood on my ticket window. Put that away before that one-eyed guy sees it.’
- ‘Why do I bother with night school when people like this SMILING IDIOT keep shoveling hundreds of dollars at a time at me through my ticket window?’
I am starting a petition to mandate pre-EU currencies use white, pink and yellow paper, while azure, parchment and gamboge colors are reserved for the relatively high-post euro notes.
