Never Forget

I was a bit reflective this week.  Thinking about the past - the moments, the people.  The ones I left behind.  

So many memories.  

It is difficult sometimes - to rationalize the need to make a change.  

I had to take a moment and say that I am filled with gratitude to those who have held my hand, comforted me and most importantly given me the push to do what I needed to do.   

I

The Italian Faux Pas

I remember the first time my Italian friend made me dinner.  He asked me to set the table which I did.  When he saw what I had done, he said "we are having spaghetti, not soup."  Confused I pointed out that because we were having spaghetti I had put the large spoons out.

"You use only a fork, not a fork and a spoon," he replied with a tone akin to what I would expect him to use if I had done something utterly ridiculous.  Just when I was about to protest he added that spoons with spaghetti were so 'American'.  I don't know why, but this sentiment makes me completely uncomfortable.  I loathe it.  There is absolutely no rational explanation for how defensive I become when I hear such a comment, but alas, I do.  I had no other option other than to put the spoons away.

So I made my way through the spaghetti dinner.  It is not as easy as one thinks this fork only thing.  Dinner took me a lot longer than it should have - although he may suggest instead that it was my constant whining about the impracticality of fork only spaghetti eating that added the greatest amount of time.  However, I am the one telling this story so we shall instead go with my version of the details.

Fast forward a year later.  I am out having dinner  again with this friend.  It was a wonderful warm evening  and we were enjoying catching up on the latest developments in both of our lives.  The wine was finished and we were ready for coffee.  I ordered my customary after dinner cappuccino.

"Dawn, do me a favour and please do not do such a thing in Italy."  I had no clue what he meant.   "Cappuccinos are for breakfast, only tourists do such a thing after lunch."  

Bloody hell.  That sounded ridiculous to me, so I held firm.  I lingered over my cappuccino while he downed his espresso.  For some reason I felt that I had won that one - and frankly speaking, I like to win.

A few days later I was having lunch with a colleague and ordered a cappuccino. "Dawn!" he said.  "How can you do such a thing?"  It was then that it hit me - my colleague was also Italian.  "That is fattening right after lunch."  I pretended to enjoy my cappuccino while at the same time pondering if I had completely negated the benefits of the salad I had consumed for lunch instead of the quiche I really wanted - all for the stupid cappuccino.

A few days later my friend texted me a link to one of the top Italian news sources.  The article was actually a summary of the top things North Americans do in Italy that make them snicker at us.  At the top of the list was cappuccino.  

Yeah.  Well, I think you can guess the sort of affect that had on me.  Turns out I didn't 'win' that one after all...  



(A new one from Canadian band Hedley 'Anything' - warning, has quite a few F-bombs in it!)

A Good Day

The Stressful Kiss

Kissing is a big thing in Switzerland.  Actually, it is in Europe in general. Some places two kisses are customary, but here it is three.   

In Canada we hug, shake hands or do nothing.  A kiss is for family or lovers.  So for me, this kissing thing was at first extraordinarily uncomfortable.  However, as the adage goes "when in Rome" I went with the customary three kiss greeting hello and the three kiss good bye.  In fact, it is now so completely reflexive that if someone hugs me I get a bit thrown off.  

Today however, I found myself once again in the to kiss or not to kiss predicament.  I was at the train station with two male colleagues. All was normal until one had to leave to catch his train.  Normally in business environments we shake hands. Kiss greetings and farewells are for out of office activities with friends and acquaintances.  Normally.  Anyway, the two guys shook hands, and when it came to me it got awkward.   This fellow is both a collegue and a friend.  We were out of the office.  The handshake seemed too impersonal.  A three kiss farewell seemed wrong in front of the other colleague.  To me.  I think not to anyone else there.  

In the end, I shook his hand.  It felt completely strange.  He laughed at my uncertainty and the handshake.   "We could just hug" he offered.  

...and that was about when I said "see you Monday" and left.  Who knew kissing could be so stressful?

That Restless Feeling...

Farewell to a Season

I have had a great summer.  Long afternoons spent lakeside, swimming and chatting with the girls.  Alfresco evenings absorbing the romance of candle light, dark summer night skies and the lingering heat of the day.  Time spent with family, enjoying the hugs, warmth and the comfort of unconditional love.

Ah, yes...it has been a wonderful summer.  

In amongst the hustle and bustle of summer I have met more wonderful, special people.  It has indeed been a busy summer.  But as the evening air carries the unmistakable chill of a pending autumn I find as much as I have enjoyed the summer immensely I am also glad it is coming to a close.  Fall to me is about family, friends and love.  

I had a long chat with my best friend last night, and during that call I was lamenting as to the fact that a regular social activity I participated in no longer held the same appeal to me as it had once.  We talked about our desire to be out more in nature and to take in more of the abundant culture this amazing city has to offer.  In her infinite wisdom she also pointed out that perhaps I longing to deepen the bond and quality of my relationships. 

This conversation also took place while I had a horrible flu.  I received calls and texts from friends that offered to being me soup and whatever my heart desired.  My gal pal ready to wrap up her already long work day at my bedside.

So as I bid farewell to a summer laden with wonderful memories and countless friendships, I am also embracing fall.  As much fun as it all was - it is time for a change. 

Laughter in Learning

Today I enjoyed a wonderful long lazy brunch with a number of friends.  We drank too much coffee, shared stories of our weekend and talked of everything and nothing all at once.  The language we favoured was English although German was also used in an effort to make sure that I finally master this seemingly impossible and daunting task. But what I adore most about these times is the conversation.  Direct translations from other languages make it interesting.  We are hilarious without even trying to be so.  Inevitably we end up in fits of laughter while someone looks confused as to why everyone just found what they said to be so amusing.  It is as close to childlike innocence as an adult can get.  

When you think about it - it is sort of ironic.  We strive to make certain that we are understood, but it was the countless innocent linguistic missteps that made the day so enjoyable that none of us wanted it to end.

So, that is it - I am going to blunder through this language and accept that I shall make countless errors and at times be completely misunderstood.  The laughter and the long forgotten innocence of learning is well worth the effort...

(Serious respect for whomever edited this video.  I don't care of you like Maroon 5 or not, it is worth a quick view.)