So, taking a break from the eastern europe super late blogging for my first major cultural faux pas.
Wearing flip flops.
I was hurrying out of the apartment to go to an SC Freiburg game (weather: rainy, cold) and forgot to put on real shoes, so being American figured it'd be no big deal, I'd just be a little cold. By the time the game started at least 8 people had directly commented on my lack of real shoes asking if my feet were cold, where my shoes were, etc. There were even some dorky 13 year-old boys talking about them to each other and a mom who pointed it out to her husband and son...
A few more comments on the Straßenbahn on the way home and it was sealed: Germans don't like flip flops and don't like it when other people wear them.
I found it hilarious as did Kate, but never again will i wear flip flops to a major public event. They can't stop me from wearing them in general though, especially as the weather gets nicer and nicer!
Take that close-toed Germans!
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4 comments:
You're too funny!! XO Mom
Flip flops sind verboten! Blöde Ziege!
If that's been your first cultural boo-boo, congratulations! You fit in well. Love, Aunt Cindy
It seems rather American (read: Arrogant) of you to assume you haven't committed any other faux pas simply because you haven't noticed. Further, just because you got comments about wearing flip-flops doesn't mean you broke any faux pas to begin with! For example, someone jogging down the road in Leland in just shorts in the middle of winter or someone wearing a parka in the middle of summer would not be violating any faux pas I am aware of. Nonetheless, I imagine that the former would have people stop by him and ask if he needed a ride, a coat, a doctor, etc. and the latter whether or not he/she was very sick. They would both draw much attention, but they're not violating any culture norms I know of; they're just being stupid Americans. Welcome to our ranks!
=)
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