Posts Tagged ‘India. Parisian stereotypes’

Recently my dear friend Albert was mistaken for a Hobbit.

I wish I were joking, however I am of course speaking mildly metaphorically. Albert is actually an average man in his forties, stands about 5’8 salt and pepper hair and a slight bit over weight.

However Adventure sent him a collect call, dubbed him a Hobbit (in the tradition of Frodo and Bilbo and other fuzzy footed pals) and the great story that is that life whisked him away.

That old wizard Gandalf came knocking on his little ol’ Hobbit hole out there in Tennessee and said come with me Mr. Baggins, why it’s only a journey.

In reality though Albert had been handpicked to spearhead an initiative his company was pursuing in India. So was scheduled to fly, and he did just fine until he met the trolls.

They were actually the French Customs Officers who performed an accurate modern cartoon like parody of typical Parisian behavior…. Openly mocking the poor American, possibly to the point of rage.

This rude kindness often displayed by the French for the weary travelers is so often misunderstood. Please understand that they are playing a very elaborate game along with you. They understand that it SUCKS that your travel agency is so freaking cheap they give you only an hour to make your connection to your following flight. What was done to you originally was absurd. Here you get a chance of a lifetime (yes, they know how little you are paid for your fine work, and will probably never get a chance to explore the Eiffel tower, of visit the Louvre’ or a million other things for God’s sake It’s PARIS), and your company was too cheap to foot a 1 day excursion there for you. After all your ticket even says India, and for Christ’s sake everyone knows what kind of Hell can be found there, especially when it comes too indoor plumbing in the backwoods area where you will be residing for the next two weeks. Have a day of luxury. You Deserve it, you’ve earned it.

But those French Customs Officers are rather clever and know that if it doesn’t look real, you could get canned and lose that meager salary and soon you’d find yourself on the streets. So they play it up big, they are truly the finest actors in the world. Be sure to buy them a drink if you see them as you wander the streets. But be nonchalant about it.

Albert was so blessed by those trolls in disguise who rudely opened the gates of adventure and before him twinkled the City of Lights. He was a good husband for making sure his wife knew what had occurred, while accidentally forgetting to mention which hotel he would be staying at or what he would be doing for the next 12 hours.

When adventure calls, what will you do?