One may think from title above that there may be a lack of tensile strength in European Menswear…
This is not the case as far as I know.. More a reference to my evening spent with Bet, and other members of the European Community in Australia, specifically those associated with an internationally reknown firm of accountants.
Anyway, Bet and I joined one of our other card buddies Ascha at her home overlooking the gorgeous Mosman Bay and Sydney City for a Easter Egg hunt and a Barbeque.
There were the following countries represented. NZ (1-me), Australia (1), Germany (6), Belgium (2), USA – New York (1). There was much mirth over differing interpretations of English language, the vagaries of Australian life and culture and great hilarity at Ascha and Alf’s expense as, none of us arrived at the appointed time. They must have thought we were all awfully slack because we were all more than an hour late…
Of course, they had forgotten to put back their clocks! It is something they will not soon forget again… our company was merciless in not letting them live it down…
I was the only mono-linguist there, even the New Yorker was actually Italian/American so bilingual too and the Australian girl had a German husband and so was fluent in German… !! I really need to brush up on my French so I can keep up.
My life has become so much richer in having met Bet. I have met more people than I ever would have without her and I am loving it!!! I am beginning to belive that life is too short to stay in our little insular groups and not meet other people. To not be afraid of saying Hi when you may ordinarily just stand in the queue looking straight ahead, when you may walk past with your eye on the ground avoiding eye contact with anyone. I am beginning to see the truth in the adage = Strangers are the friends we haven’t yet met…