Walking around the city today, I have spoken very little all day. For the first couple of hours, I might have said three words total. Yes, me. I smiled, nodded and laughed, but spoke little. Everyone at the store, the market or on the street (except for one person) spoke to me in Dutch initially.
Waiting to cross a street, this one guy said something to me of which I didn't even understand a word. I then said, "English." Awkward pause as crossing street. "I only speak English." Then he swithed over into English and told me what he had said, just pertaining to if I find it hard to be as long as I am. We chatted a little bit while walking and he "guessed" that I was American after a little while. He said, "You're American," and then told me that my English is very American. (So much for blending in; once I open my mouth, if not before, it's over.) He said that he didn't know much about America but feels that he probably knows more about America than most Americans know about Europe. I agree. His example: people who think that Denmark is the capital of Amsterdam. Wow...
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Be proud to be you; no matter if your "American" is from the America of the North or South or Central... Actually yours is from the Central Pacific... blended with 4 yrs. in California and 3 on the East Coast or Florida.
Even if you only pull up to a computer and blog once in 10-15 days, it's good bec. so much will be coming in visually and experientially on a daily basis that much will just float away. Grab the momment, scribble the thoughts and remind the Europeans that their awesome antiquities of history and culture are awesome and that newness and innovation are qualities many Americans value. We ain't all a bunch of money freaks, CEOs or Bush devotees.
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