[thechat] surfacing

[Martin]

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004, Alan McCoy wrote:

> => [Ron painfully remembers strolling over to Notre Dame Cathedral ...
> => Fortunately *I* managed to 'pass' for a British student on holiday!
>

> Anyway, while serving breakfast, it was very interesting to notice the
> difference in behavior between the "Ugly Americans" and the other guests
> from the Isles.

In the interests of fairness, I should point out that Merkin tourists are
an unrepresentative sample which doesn't reflect (a) the general populace
of Texas and those other 49 states let alone (b) the USian population of
thechat, who we all recognise as enlightened human beings.

And dear lord, let's not talk about archetypal British tourists in Europe.

> (while while eating lunch outside the Blarney Castle, watching the
> tourist coaches unload "hen parties" (nice one, Drew) and other tourist
> types, eager to shell out the 10 or so pounds to kiss the stone)

ummm perhaps they wouldn't be so eager to do so if they knew the habits of
the locals in respect of the stone. Indeed it is very familiar with a fine
nose, like a fine wine:
http://www.mgnet.karoo.net/blackadderep3.htm

Cheers
Martin
-- 
"Names, once they are in common use, quickly
 become mere sounds, their etymology being
 buried, like so many of the earth's marvels,
 beneath the dust of habit." - Salman Rushdie