I Know Where You Are From

Do you remember in the movie Inglorious Basterds when Lt. Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) is discovered to be a spy because he orders three beers in a German bar raising his hand and using his index, middle and ring finger for the order? Our hand gestures, facial expressions and mannerisms are part of our identity.

     I used to be “discovered” to be American when I would raise my index finger to designate one of something. At the crèche where I volunteer, the kids learn to count using their thumb for “one”, their index finger for “two”, etc. When I teach the kids word games that have hand gestures, I have to remember to use the French system.

     If you are getting dessert in France (or in England), you will get a spoon with your dessert even when it is cake or pie. Forks are apparently not for eating dessert. Spoons are reserved for eating ice cream or pudding but not for eating cake or pie. By the way, “pudding” is the generic name for dessert in England whether it is pudding or pie or sherbet. Giving your guests the option of using a spoon or a fork when you serve pie or cake for dessert will help discover where they are from: the Americans will pick up the fork; the French (and the English) will pick up the spoon.

     If you see a person asking someone a question and they don’t start by saying “hello, how are you” (or similar salutations), you can pretty much guess that the person is an American. We want the answer, now! No wasting time with unnecessary pleasantries (though pleasantries ARE necessary)!

     It used to be that if you saw someone wearing sweats in public, you knew the person was American but wearing sweats or jogging suits is becoming more prevalent in France. (It still doesn’t make it right.)

     At the market, I continue to be amazed at how well the market vendors can pick one’s nationality. I sometimes feel that I have “American” stamped on my forehead because the vendors have already figured out where I am from and offer me the “discount for Americans”. I know American clothes are different from European clothes but what about when I am wearing my purchased-in-the-village jacket over my American shirt? How do they know? Shoes could be a giveaway. Americans wear comfortable shoes – often trainers or walking shoes – and often white ones…