Thursday 26 June 2008

Gesundheit

I had a minor Midwesterner's identity crisis today. Scurrying about in London Bridge tube stop on my way home from work, a woman ahead of me sneezed one of those dramatic, body-spasming sneezes. My instinct was to say, "Bless you!" But would the woman think I was some kind of weirdo-creep? Would the rushing Londoners around me instantly know that I was no more than a slack-jawed American bumpkin? What was I to do?

Before I could properly think it through, however, three other people shouted out "Bless you!" at the same time. Perhaps Londoners are friendly than I'd anticipated — or maybe Sneezy just happened to sneeze while surrounded by bumpkins-cum-urbanites.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I hope you don't catch whatever made her sneeze!

Ashley said...

Haha! Hilarious.

Morgan Riles said...

the whole concept of "bless you" originated in Europe, actually. I learned that while I was visiting the UK. People believed that you had the black plague if you sneezed, so they said "God Bless You", because they knew you were gonna need it. Don't catch the plague, Eric.

m.

Unknown said...

Oh man, I so know this dilemma! When I first stood in line at the airport in Atlanta after landing back in the states, I didn't know what to say when the person next to me started chatting...

But if you ever move to New York, you will wish you were back with the friendly Londoners ;)

Simon (your co-worker and my former co-worker, for readers) once told me he didn't really like a foreigner until he went to Chicago. The Midwest is it's own special little place!