I saw that I was witnessing an important lesson in Parisian life: I mustn’t try to make people like me. That’s too much English. You’ve got to show them that you don’t give a shit what they think. Only then will you get what you want. I’d been doing it all wrong, trying to win people over. If you smile too much, they think you’re retarded.

A Year in the Merdei have been recently exchanging emails with a former mate in college i wanted to solicit an article for pinoyexpats from (arrgh, did i get all my prepositions correct?). in a postscript –which comes as a separate email in this one-click age– he asked, “how do you taray in german?”. my email must have sent him on a short reminiscing trip to the past and was remined of the temperamental b*tch i used to be back in college. unfortunately, i’ve mellowed since then.

i may not be a brit in france, but that quote up there could have very well applied to me living here in germany. and that last sentence applies to fresh-off-the-boat asians all too well. but in the five-almost-six years i have been here in germany, i’ve learned that there are only few options to get what you want here, the easiest being: say what you want. politeness is optional, and beating around the bush won’t get you anywhere.

that said, I am enjoying Stephen Clarke’s A Year in the Merde immensely. even when i read something funny, rarely do i actually laugh out loud. but this book is more than my shaking shoulders can contain. a must read for all you expats in europe. hilarious with a capital H.

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