Talking shoes should be so easy right? Today I took Sophie to the vet, it was a full house. I was the last to be seen, apparently you don't need an appointment only applies to the non German speaker that doesn't have a life and can wait 1.5 hours in a waiting room cause where else does she have to be, is me. Sophie loves going to the vet, she greets everyone all happily wagging her tail and jumping up to be noticed. Just gonna say bad day to start a diet, stuck in a waiting room with no one to talk to but a candy dish. It's not really my fault I almost emptied it, hour and a half is a long time. This is where an iphone would be handy I hear they have games and you can email etc... okay sorry back to the shoes! So normally when I lived in America if I saw someone with cute shoes or outfit I would ask a perfect stranger....Omg I love your shoes where did you get them...etc! Okay I have never done that here, granted I don't know how to say that in German. Plus I don't think Germans take well to strangers coming up asking about their shoes in an excited fashion.
Today I was sporting my last year Sperry's feeling all Spring like and happy the sun is shining kinda. Anyway the women working the front desk is wearing Sperry's too I have never seen them cool baby blue suede, love them especially with what she was wearing. So after my appointment I was paying and I said love your shoes are they Sperry? Why I asked when I already knew, I don't know! She speaks a tiny bit of English so I know she only understands some. Some days I'm starved for conversation! She comes behind the desk and says I don't know what they are? Hello who doesn't know what kind of shoe you are wearing! I said they are pretty, very Spring like. She just looked at me like I was insane. I couldn't get out of there fast enough!
I miss talking shoes! These are a picture of mine.I said to her I'm wearing Sperry's too, she just looked at them and went back to work! Omg I think I'm out of touch on how to have a shoe conversation...it's been too long.
31 comments:
Your shoes are very cute, and don't worry - soon you'll be able to have as many shoe conversations as you want to!
I dropped by after you dropped by 'my place' and I like what I see. I think I will stick around to see you you transition back to life where you can talk shoes all you like!
Oh lordy do I understand this post..germans and the dutch are similar. I miss chatting with people in the store while waiting in line..NOONE talks while in the line..noone..infact they stand so darn close I can feel them breathing on me and I have to control the urge to elbow them in the stomach...and then they stare..at you,at the person in front of you,next to you,across the room for you,and they look at your clothes..starting from the shoes on up..and they do not smile..ever.
Over here they call us americans fake and untrustworthy because noone can be that happy all the time and why do you smile at everyone? I love us smiling happy ass americans:o)
I would perish with no small talk! Come home!
I do hope the shoes start talking more for you!
Cute shoes! It won't be long til you can talk about shoes all you want : )
Oh, and I just changed vets here in the US because even with an appt mine kept me waiting at least an hour every.single.time It wasn't even like the office was packed. I didn't get it. And they didn't even have a candy dish!
I do that all of the time.
Purses and shoes are my things.. and I would easily say .. I love your purse or shoes and where did you get them!! : )
I can't imagine living in a country where you are starved for conversation ~ I never even thought of that! When you come back to the US you'll be say, everyone shut up a while. lol
have a great day
Thank God you are out of there soon. That is all I have to say about this. Enough is enough!!
Maybe it's not you...maybe it's the German's who don't know how to have a shoe conversation!
Love your shoes...CUTE!!
Blessings,
andrea
lol, if it makes you feel any better - I'm American and I don't now shoes! ;-)
I will have a shoe conversation with you any day!
You know whenever you talk about shoes here. I always love your shoe choices. I love the ones pictured and I'm a sucker for Dansko.
I may be wrong here, but I'm crossing my fingers that Germans, who might not be confident of their English skills, avoid having to use that language to communicate. I hope so because I avoid using German for this same reason. Not that I don't love to small talk--just please, please don't make me do it in German!
You'll get to talk shoes with NY people soon!
I think she's just a butt. Everyone likes talking shoes. :)
I think u have to go back to the town square and find the girl with the baby. I have a feeling that she would talk shoes all day. You might have to hold the baby though...
"Hello who doesn't know what kind of shoe you are wearing!" HA! Spoken like a true shoeaholic!
And I totally agree with you by the way. Takes one to know one ;-)
Love your shoes!
jj
Oh, I know. The Germans don't do superficial flattery as a means to start a conversation well at all.
I don't think you're out of touch with talking shoes at all!! The Germans just have no concept of "small talk"... That is one thing they just don't get! I'm actually teaching my Business English students that concept in class... We have to begin every class with some sort of "small talk"... What would be a completely easy conversation in the U.S. is almost like pulling teeth over here! :) So, don't fret... It's definitely not you... It's the German culture! :) And, I love your shoes by the way! :)
I just know when you are back in the states, you will be posting all about the many happy feet you will see.
You will then post about America and the plethora of flip-flops and big sneaks!
pve
you will be a force to reckon with when you get back to the states....you will be talking with everyone! won't it feel good?!
love the shoes!
thanks for your comment on my other blog! yes, bikini! :)
xoxo
Oh my dear! I LOVE your shoes - and that candy dish... well, let's just say I understand! Hugs from LI and my shoes,
Colleen
ha ha CUTE!
I got a kick out of your post!
My hubby's been on a 3 year work term in Ireland and while we do live there, we purchased a place back here in Canada a couple of years ago so we'd have a 'home base' to go to whenever we come back to visit family and take vacations (having all of our possessions in a storage facility was not cutting it for us!) As time goes on, I'm finding myself spending more and more time in Canada and leaving him to fend for himself! (kidding)
So I can totally relate! I'm also starved for conversation there and while Irish people can all speak English, in Dublin, no one chats - it's only in the smaller villages where people might have a random conversation with you. I truly think the weather has a lot to do with it, I mean who can be happy when the weather is wet and miserable? Try doing a craft show there like I did in the fall! They won't even make eye contact for fear of actually having to have a conversation! They just kept their eyes down at the table surface and didn't even look up at the bags I had displayed higher! Funny.
Thanks for stopping by my blog - I'll be visiting yours again!! : )
Love your shoes. I don't know what was her problem. Everyone should be able to talk common shoes. Ugh.
Oh I love your shoes! And yes, you will be here soooon! When are you moving back anyway?
XOXO
Oh yes, I understand...
I'm a collector of "Kirks Folly" since 11 years, Brooches, Braceletts and so on...
Jennifer Kirk always says: "That piece is really a conversation starter." But not in Germany, they are so stupid and boring... they would not say anything to a person, specelliy when she is wearing a lot of (crazy) jewellery like me.
Liebe Grüße, Petra
@ Sonya:
I speak with the people and they are often surprised and do not want that. And I have always a smile on my face, but I am also a" crazy old one..."
You have unfortunately quite... we Germans are not very friendly.
Liebe Grüße, Petra
Can I just say I soooo get the need for conversation as I work at home alone everyday. I will talk to anybody. I would be tossed out of Germany b/c they would think I'm a freak.
Yes, come back to America! The land of the free and home of the shoe!
As one of the other commenters said, Germans don't know how to make small talk. So don't take it personally. I told my husband that Germans are like Bakery Bread crusty on the outside, but tender on the inside. It takes a while to get to know people there. They have friendships from the hospital from where they are born. Don't give up. And you say Ich liebe deine Schuhe. color=farbe . You should look into taking a language class it would be a great way to get to know people.
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