"You talkin' to me?!"

...sounds familiar? 

Spill the beans you movie lovers, whose famous words are these?

Well folks, there are some people in this world who just don't seem to believe in the most basic rules of courtesy. I could list at least 5 names right now. Looking at these people, I'm sure, the reason for this lack of manners is not always a foul character, but sometimes insecurity, arrogance, stress, no education...

...frankly, I don't care.

In my opinion, it should be known to and possible for everyone to greet, say "thank you" and "please" and it surely doesn't matter in which language. Just saying it, will be understood and positively noted. Internationally, overcoming all language barriers, cultural differences and diverse customs.That easy.

Do you agree?

bitte.

1. please; if you please
2. you're welcome
3. excuse me
4. here you are (when offering something) 

danke.

wie bitte?

per favore / per piacere / prego / per cortesia / per gentilezza

grazie / grazie mille

prego?

please/ you're welcome

thank you

pardon?

Politeness is to human nature what warmth is to wax.
{Arthur Schopenhauer}

If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world.
{Francis Bacon}
 

The small courtesies sweeten life; the greater ennoble it.

{Christian Nevell Bovee}

 

courtesy pays off

...also here.

easy enough, right?

10 random mashup challenges to begin with

Challenge n° 10:

Take that: the speed limit on Canadian highways is 100 km/h. And they`re built so wide and spacey that in Italy you would fit five cars next to each other on one lane. Not that I exactly miss being passed on the right side, but being a criminal for going over a 100 km/h?

I can literally hear some of you sigh right now, thinking what a wonderful life it would be without any discussions about insane speeding with the beloved driver and ...oh no, dear speed-lovers, dont pale and worry, I haven't heard of any plans to introduce these limits in Europe any time soon! Relax, there's still the car industry to protect you...

 

Talking about driving habits: sooner or later I`ll for sure indulge in writing about my first experiences with a BIG truck in Canada. And parking it. Or driving a car with a German license plate on a mountain road in South Tyrol. Italian campers cramming Munich’s city streets around Oktoberfest time. Danish patience and toll-station-wack-outs.  Another time.

10 random mashup challenges to begin with

Challenge n° 9: Ending up in smoke

Europe is quite a bit more liberal than Canada and the US in several ways. Smoking restrictions is one obvious example for that. In Italy, smoking in bars and restaurants was banned only a few years ago - Thank God! Finally, no stench while you're eating and you can actually bring your kids into cafés and go to pubs and bars without smelling like a piece of smoked meat after. In Canada on the other hand, smoking is forbidden not only in bars, public buildings, airports, but also outside of them. No smoking on patios. No smoking in front of the airport. No smoking besides the door of a restaurant, smokers actually have to stand about 10 meters away from it.

As much as I appreciate the downtrend of smoking, especially among youngsters, the restrictive Canadian laws concerning this matter feel a little freedom limiting to me.  Everybody has their own head to decide if they wanna slowly kill themselves or not. Their problem, I'd say. And most of the smokers I know are very respectful around nonsmokers anyways. They step away from you while smoking, they don't smoke in closed rooms, they don't smoke around kids and pregnant women, in short: they try not to bother anyone with their second-hand smoke.

A little more brains wouldn't harm anyone, a few exaggerated laws less neither.


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