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Am I a stuck-up old cow or... well, not?
May. 16th, 2012 10:06 pmYou tell me.
Yesterday was Ursula's 50th birthday. Since it was a "school night", she decided just to have dinner with a few friends, i.e. Stefanie, Irene and yours truly, plus another Austrian of the female persuasion aged around 30.
For the record, I have to state that I don't like said Austrian female, because I think she's stupid and provincial (not in a good way) and as plain -- in every respect -- as rice boiled without salt.
But it was Ursula's birthday, so who am I to complain.
Abovementioned female. whom we shall call M, didn't exactly convince me that I'd been wrong in thinking she was a bit stupid.
Dialogue sample:
M: ...and I think that Development Aid is just so arrogant and patronizing, like telling people that we know better.
Everybody: Mmm-hmmmm
M: Of course, this Austrian project targeting tourism schools was brilliant, because we really know a thing or two about tourism.
Me: so basically it was all about us barging in and telling people that we know better, right?
M: Uh...
OK. So far, so good.
The dinner was a rather impromptu affair, and I didn't have time to get a present for Ursula, so I decided to pay for the dinner. Which is what I did, and after the "Oh no, you really mustn't" everybody was happy.
Until M piped up, "Erm, could I have a look at the bill, please?"
Me: o_O WTF?????
M:I'd really like to know how much these steaks cost, so as to determine whether we (i.e. she and husband) can afford to come back to this place sometime and have some,
I reacted most admirably, if I say so myself. I raised an eyebrow (the right one I think), looked at her and said, "I'm afraid not. it's just not the done thing, you know."
WTF???? She could have had a look at the menu or asked a waiter for heaven's sake.
I just think that, if you're being invited, you neither ask about how much it costs, nor nor do you want to see the bill, for whichever reason. The "I want to see whether we can afford it" was the icing on the cake, though.
Yesterday was Ursula's 50th birthday. Since it was a "school night", she decided just to have dinner with a few friends, i.e. Stefanie, Irene and yours truly, plus another Austrian of the female persuasion aged around 30.
For the record, I have to state that I don't like said Austrian female, because I think she's stupid and provincial (not in a good way) and as plain -- in every respect -- as rice boiled without salt.
But it was Ursula's birthday, so who am I to complain.
Abovementioned female. whom we shall call M, didn't exactly convince me that I'd been wrong in thinking she was a bit stupid.
Dialogue sample:
M: ...and I think that Development Aid is just so arrogant and patronizing, like telling people that we know better.
Everybody: Mmm-hmmmm
M: Of course, this Austrian project targeting tourism schools was brilliant, because we really know a thing or two about tourism.
Me: so basically it was all about us barging in and telling people that we know better, right?
M: Uh...
OK. So far, so good.
The dinner was a rather impromptu affair, and I didn't have time to get a present for Ursula, so I decided to pay for the dinner. Which is what I did, and after the "Oh no, you really mustn't" everybody was happy.
Until M piped up, "Erm, could I have a look at the bill, please?"
Me: o_O WTF?????
M:I'd really like to know how much these steaks cost, so as to determine whether we (i.e. she and husband) can afford to come back to this place sometime and have some,
I reacted most admirably, if I say so myself. I raised an eyebrow (the right one I think), looked at her and said, "I'm afraid not. it's just not the done thing, you know."
WTF???? She could have had a look at the menu or asked a waiter for heaven's sake.
I just think that, if you're being invited, you neither ask about how much it costs, nor nor do you want to see the bill, for whichever reason. The "I want to see whether we can afford it" was the icing on the cake, though.
