How to be an American in Switzerland

While I was at Europa-Park the other day my cousins told me some interesting things.

Number One: If you have a question, especially when you feel as if it should have an obvious answer, you ask it in English. Because Americans ask questions all the time. No one thinks second thoughts when an American asks questions. That's just how they are.

My cousins then began people-watching. It's a European pastime. A hobby really. They just stare. But we began watching people and tried to guess who belonged to which nationality. I learned a few more things about being American in Europe.

Number Two: Americans smile when they walk. Apparently this is a big giveaway. You pretty much do not need any other qualifiers once you come across this. Europeans don't really smile, but they aren't grim. They just relax their faces a bit more then we do.

Number Three: You are an American if you where a hat. A baseball hat especially. That's a giveaway too. I have yet to see someone in a baseball hat.

Number Four: You are an American if you have a backpack. I think it's a certain kind of backpack. Not the hiking packs, because lots of people use those in Switzerland as they hike across the country. Not the uniform Swiss backpacks either. Those backpacks are all the same, though they might be different patterns or fabric. The reason for this is because of the school system. Which I'll have to explain at a later date.

Number Five: You are an American if you wear tennis shoes. Europeans are people too. I've seen business shoes, heels, flats, sandals etc. I've yet to see tennis shoes unless they are jogging and biking seriously verses just trying to get from one place to another.

Number Six: You are an American if you have lots of kids. Europeans don't.

Number Seven: You are an American if you are loud. Most Europeans seem to think of themselves as quiet. Not sure if this is true. The trains can get pretty loud when you head to or from a city. But I suppose that could be the foreigners.