Coming from a warm culture and being pretty outgoing, I have found it difficult to get used to this cold culture I live in. However, I have lived here for more than a year now and I thought I had it mostly figured out. This morning on my way to work I learned something new. There is this lady in my building (I don't know her name) and she has a dog. We often say hello as we cross paths inside the building and I often stop and pet her dog. Well I saw her walking the dog as I was on my way to work and I smiled and got ready to say hello and she totally looked the other way. It was obviously to avoid talking to me. I have learned not to talk to people you don't know at all, but since we have spoken before I thought a hello would be okay here. Obviously not. Maybe the rule extends to not talking to people in public unless you know their name or are actually friends with them. I don't know, but I guess I am still learning this crazy culture.
This is absolutely delightful!
It hasn't been all that long since I posted about the wonderful things that you can find in souvenir shops around here and one of the things I hoped to see. While my parents were in town we did some souvenir shopping and you will never believe what I found!
So it isn't a teapot and it isn't Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but it's pretty darn amazing. Ten points for the first person to name this queen. I have to say this was almost as good as the tour we took at the Tower. Quite amazing.
Well speaking of my parents being in town, I have another rather funny story. I took them to Paris for a weekend and my dad's only request was to see Jim Morrison's grave. I didn't know who he was either, but apparently he was the lead singer in the group The Doors. And apparently my dad has a man crush on him. Anyway, I located the cemetary via google maps and we found our way there. My dad insisted on buying a rose to put on his grave (see, man crush). On our way there we met some Canadians that were also there to "see Jim." As we approached the gravesite we saw a rather large crowd. The next thing I know my dad hands me a camera and is headed over the barrier.
There is he is, rose in his teeth, behind the barrier to get to Jim. As my stepmom and I are yelling at him to stop, my dad says "What would Jim do?" If you remember the WWJD bracelet fad, this may be even funnier to you. Anyway, the Canadians then encourage him with a "Yeah, man!" and "You go, man!" And here is my dad achieving one of the goals on his bucket list. 
For more photos of my ridiculous vacation with my parents in Europe, you'll have to hit up the facebook page. Also, I have to admit, I finally figured out how to add photos and make them go where you want them on here. So maybe I will start adding them more often. Maybe.
