Monday, September 1, 2008

I'm Taking Labor Day...

Oh yes, I'm taking the day off. But, never fear...I have a guest blogger (BTW, if any of you ever want to be a guest blogger I'm happy to take some more days off). Today's blog comes from my favorite writer, opera singer, and former student, Joseph (J.D.) Roberts. Joseph spent a semester in Europe and would send out the most interesting and hilarious emails about his adventures. I was talking to him the other day, and I asked him to send me an except that I found particularly funny. So, for your reading pleasure...take it away, Joseph....

Annoying American incident #342:
While waiting in line for the Coliseum, Mallory and I were unfortunately located in front of an American couple with their child, who henceforth will be known as Kayla. Now Kayla, you must understand, is hyperactively climbing on the perimeter fence while Mother lethargically pushes around the stroller out of boredom and what I will imagine is sadness for having produced such a child.
Father, overhearing another couple behind us speaking German: "Oh, do you speak German?"
They did, in fact, speak German.
"Where are you from? --Kayla, get down from there!-- Are you from Germany?"
Austria.
"Oh, we were in Interlaken a while ago, we-- KAYLA-- just loved it."
Errr, Interlaken ist in Svitzerlant.
"Yeah, yeah... they speak German. We loved it there. So did you drive here *makes a moving wheel motion with his hands* or fly *airplane motion*?" [Train was obviously too difficult for him to mime and was therefore left out of the production]
Errrr, fly.
"Kayla, honey, get down from there."
Mother intervenes: "Honey, I think those two (me and Mallory) are laughing at you (we were). Kayla honey, you can only have one more cookie before supper." Two minutes later "Kayla, darling, these are your last cookies."
Repeat thrice...No wonder she was climbing the Coliseum!"

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Nice to read your writing again, Joseph. MR