Friday, May 21, 2010

Shrug your shoulders...

In America, indecision is not good. People hate it and generally take it as a sign of weakness. Unfortunately for me, I'm pretty indecisive. "Amy, do you want cream & sugar in your coffee?". A simple question, right? Well, not really. I mean, what kind of coffee is it, is it good coffee or watery coffee? When you say cream, do you mean actual cream or milk? Sugar or Splenda? Are you going to have any in yours? And on and on.

However, a delightful thing about the Swiss and the French, they do not mind this indecision! I discovered this naturally due to my delayed responses and lack of their language. I had many cups of coffee while there, and when they would ask me (in French of course-but now that I think about it, who knows what they were asking me) what I wanted in my coffee, I would give a shrug. Not only because I didn't know what I wanted, but because even if I had I did not know how to say it.

Try that in a Starbucks over here. Seriously, do. Where they expect you to order drink sizes in Italian (grande, venti, etc) and give them every last detail (soy, foam, kind of milk...). If I shrugged my shoulders in there, I think they would curse at me, because what kind of idiot doesn't even know what she wants in her own coffee! And no disrespect to Starbucks, because I love them.

Across the pond, there was not even the slightest hint of irritation. Usually I even got a smile! A knowing look and subtle nod, saying "yes, dumb american, you are right to trust me. I know exactly how this should taste". And guess what, they were right every time!

It was blissful, an entire country of people who did not mind making decisions for me. "Do you want to buy the scarf too?", shrug, "buy the scarf, you're in Geneva". "Do you want the clams in the risotto", shrug, "have the clams, they're fresh".

In my first visit to France, as a unappreciative 24 year old, I did not get it. I thought the French were bossy. I totally get it, and love it now!!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Talk to me-Let me know what you think!