Aren't those fun? I had someone - in e-mail, luckily - who wanted me to give him a legal opinion on the responsibilities of one party to a contract. um ... NO ... and at 7pm, it's hell no.

Buona Sera!

So my dad and I are sitting at a cafe today, drinking capuccinos and talking, when a man and his family walk by, hear our conversation and stopped to ask us directions. He was also an American, and wanted to know if we knew where a FUCKING STARBUCKS WAS!!!

REALLY??????? You come all the way to Venice, and you want a FUCKING STARBUCKS???????????

YOU CAN GET AN ESPRESSO OR A CAPUCCINO OR A MACCHIATO RIGHT HERE, JERKHOLE!!!!

YOU'RE WHY I HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE I'M CANADIAN!!!!

On the other hand, this evening, my dad and I saw a concerto of Vivaldi's Four Seasons (plus a handful of other Venetian pieces), performed in a wonderful little concert hall, with the performers wearing elegant 18th century Venetian garb.

Magnifico. Multo bene!

Anybody who comes to Venice, and drinks Starbucks coffee, or goes to the Hard Rock for a drink, or eats at the Burger King or the MacDonalds that are here (or buys shoes from the Foot Locker) deserves to be punched in the junk.

Repeatedly.

I ate at a MacDonalds in Moscow. It was a cultural experience. I don't know what they're like in Italy.

I ate at a MacDonalds in Moscow. It was a cultural experience. I don't know what they're like in Italy.

Okay, but a) you're not really a USian, b) msbelle would totally get a pass if she came to Venice and wanted to eat at the Burger King here, and c) okay, I kinda wanted to try a MacDonalds in another country too, just to see what it was like.

But COME ON!!!! We were AT a COFFEE PLACE!!!!

I often feel that way about American things abroad. Although, I admit to stopping into a Hard Rock cafe in London and in Rome to get my friend a teddy bear because she collects them. I did not eat at them.

okay, I kinda wanted to try a MacDonalds in another country too, just to see what it was like.

When we were in the Frankfurt airport for seven hours, we found a McDonald's, and I recall their having some very strange sauces. It's definitely worth checking out, for kicks.

When I was in Greece I had an American couple ask me directions to the nearest McDonalds so they "could get a decent cup of coffee".

When I was in Egypt, I was for the most part on board with the cultural differences. There was one day, however, after a distinctly unpleasant experince with a shopkeeper when I snapped and walked for half an hour to find a Maccas for lunch, just so I'd know what to expect. (I figured I'd find one in the vicinity of the American University.)

In college we had mcdonalds when in Scotland--but only the apple pies. Because (a) apple pie and icecream was 99p, and more importantly (b) they're still fried not baked there! Here I just eat them at checkers (sigh, none around here)

My brother tells of being excited to find a place that served tacos in Dublin only to find they were sloppy joes on pita.