Cross Cultural

Today I saw two examples of cross cultural exchange; each exchange was an example of American cultural hegemony. In the Pigalle, part of Montmartre, home of the Moulin Rouge and struggling artists , I saw some neighborhood youths participating in hip hop street dancing. I saw a lot of youthful enthusiasm and hard work but frankly the American originals have little to worry about.

It was not my first encounter with French hip hop culture. Hip hop fashion is a rage and sideways caps and pants large enough for Leo Romero and Jack Kermioian are not a uncommon sight here in Paris.

Later in the Madeleine, the huge church just off of the Concorde, Mary and I stopped at a café for a street sit for some afternoon R & R. We ordered one glass of white wine, one Perrier, and two cafés (espressos). My US trained antennae for super sizing and upgrade were atrophied and dormant. The waiter asked, more than once, if we wanted a medium size and of course the two babes in buy land say,’ yes’.

Thirty-five Dollars later the sheepish and exploited couple are looking at a beer schooner of Perrier and a glass of Vin Blanc the size of a turn out boot. Fortunately the two cafes were demitasse sized. Welcome to American super sizing or transitional transaction upgrade.