According to Radek, I am "the girl who will not stop talking." Therefore, I must immediately begin telling the world about everything that occurs during his trip to the Americas.
Since Radek had been eating airplane food for two days, and I had eaten virtually nothing due to my excitement, we were very hungry and decided to eat out. Hamburgers were the obvious choice because they are iconic to America. We ended up at Kitchen 56, an old auto-shop which has been renovated into a trendy upscale restaurant. I ordered the kale and quinoa salad, and Radek got the green chile double-burger with fries. While he delicately sliced tiny pieces on his fork, I told him that if he really wanted to be an American, he should pick it up with his hands to eat it. He smiled and replied, "I must retain some dignity."
Europeans are not used to tipping because their restaurant staff is already paid a decent wage. American servers know this and groan at the sight of a large European party, knowing that the tip will be minimal to nonexistent. When the check arrived, Radek asked, "Please, explain tipping in America." I told him that customers tip between 10 & 20%. He wondered what this was based upon. I said: the service, the food, the waiting time, everything. I advised him to tip 15% on the bill.
He looked at the receipt and back at me wearily and said, "I have not slept in 48 hours, and now I must do this."
"You TEACH math!"
"Yes, but not calculations."
So, the girl who earned a C in math class quietly patted herself on the back while the engineer struggled to determine the sum.
I learned a new German word. Groß. It means "big." The weird B is pronounced with an "s," so the word sounds like "gross." There are now many groß things in my apartment. Groß man. Groß shoes....
Tahoe was suspicious of this large intruder. This was an obvious threat because I was now paying attention to someone other than him. The girls hid under the bed until night time, at which point they got the courage to prowl around. Radek noticed this and said, "The wildlife has come out." It did not take long for Greta to befriend Radek by positioning herself directly in front of him with her "You may pet me now" pose.
Since Radek had been eating airplane food for two days, and I had eaten virtually nothing due to my excitement, we were very hungry and decided to eat out. Hamburgers were the obvious choice because they are iconic to America. We ended up at Kitchen 56, an old auto-shop which has been renovated into a trendy upscale restaurant. I ordered the kale and quinoa salad, and Radek got the green chile double-burger with fries. While he delicately sliced tiny pieces on his fork, I told him that if he really wanted to be an American, he should pick it up with his hands to eat it. He smiled and replied, "I must retain some dignity."
Europeans are not used to tipping because their restaurant staff is already paid a decent wage. American servers know this and groan at the sight of a large European party, knowing that the tip will be minimal to nonexistent. When the check arrived, Radek asked, "Please, explain tipping in America." I told him that customers tip between 10 & 20%. He wondered what this was based upon. I said: the service, the food, the waiting time, everything. I advised him to tip 15% on the bill.
He looked at the receipt and back at me wearily and said, "I have not slept in 48 hours, and now I must do this."
"You TEACH math!"
"Yes, but not calculations."
So, the girl who earned a C in math class quietly patted herself on the back while the engineer struggled to determine the sum.
Tahoe was suspicious of this large intruder. This was an obvious threat because I was now paying attention to someone other than him. The girls hid under the bed until night time, at which point they got the courage to prowl around. Radek noticed this and said, "The wildlife has come out." It did not take long for Greta to befriend Radek by positioning herself directly in front of him with her "You may pet me now" pose.
Can't wait to meet Radek! Enjoy the beaches in MX. Luv, Auntie M
ReplyDeleteEveryone is big compared to you little sis. :-)
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