Things that are weird.

Things that are weird slash sometimes annoying in France and Europe.
*Don't get me wrong, I love France and Europe; this is just weird in comparison to the U.S."

1. At restaurants they don't automatically bring you water. And when you ask for it you have to specifically ask for tap unless you want to get charged 5 euros for it. The other day while dining at a restaurant, the first thing the waiter did was bring us water without us having to ask (and it was free!), which made me giddy.

2. You have to ask for the check at restaurants. Something I find quite strange. In the U.S. they always bring it right away at the end of the meal but here they assume you want to chill for 10 or 50 minutes afterward so they don't bring the check until you ask. Either that or they bring it before you've even received your food, even more annoying.

3. Unlike in the U.S., waiters are actually paid pretty well here so they don't have to be nice to you and most often times aren't. In the U.S. it's all about the customer but here it's all about them, they rush you out to get new business. But on a lighter note, you also don't have tip much or any at all. People typically leave about 50 cents to a euro for a 20 euro meal.

4. They don't give you butter with your bread in restaurants. What are you supposed to do with that?

5. Ice cubes don't exist over here. Or if they do they're a rare breed.

6. People eat later, go out later and stay out later. I don't know how Europeans stay out til 6 in the morning, but they do it somehow.

7. Think you're going to get cool passport stamps from all the different countries you visit? Wrong. You don't go through customs if you're traveling within the EU and even if you're not they don't always stamp. All you're left with is a neck cramp from that awkward bit of sleep you managed to attain.

8. Everything is closed on Sundays.

9. They take their siestas seriously, even here in France. You'll try to go to a shop or the visa office to try to live here legally and they are closed in the middle of the day, off putzing around somewhere.

10. The metric system. Whatever smidgens of this system I learned in elementary school went in one ear and right out the other. People look at me like I'm an idiot when I tell them no, I don't know how heavy 20 kilos is.

11. Certain websites don't work over here. Namely Pandora and Hulu, aka among the top five most important websites. No Christmas music stations or the ability to easily watch that tv show you missed last night because you were out.

12. People go out everyday. I can't sustain that because I am a grandma, but there is literally something going on every night. Monday is Euro beer nights at the Australian. Tuesday is quiz night at the Shakespeare then off to Fitzpatrick's after to celebrate the loss (the quiz is actually really hard-- how are you supposed to know in what manner 20 different famous people died?). Wednesday is always Erasmus night so on any given Wednesday there is always at least two or three different international parties taking place. Thursday is club night, as in the 'go out to the clubs near the beach and take the Amigo bus that people will curbstomp you to beat you in line' night. Friday and Saturday you're traveling (well, I am) and obviously you have to go out in whatever foreign city you're spending a few fleeting hours in. Sunday is the one day of rest. Rinse and Repeat.

13. The conversion rate. It makes me want to cry when I look at my bank statement.

14. Pillows are thin and long, almost a cylindrical shape, and extremely uncomfortable to sleep on.

15. Lack of breakfast. This is more typical to France then anywhere else. Usually breakfast consists of a piece of baguette with butter or confiture (jam, jelly, etc) or a bit of croissant. What happened to pancakes and bacon? Mmmhm.

16. No Thanksgiving :( Waaaaah. But me and my friends are doing our own little French version consisting of slices of Turkey, because it's hard to find a whole one, and wine to make up for missing our real American holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving!