''cultural differences''

Erica and Piotr love each other so much; I've witnessed a lot of sweet/funny/silly interactions between them. My favorite ''Erica and Piotr moment'', however, occurred the Friday night that we both arrived in Poland. We were staying with the other Piotr's parents at their huge house in Zorawina, and the 4 of us (me, Erica, Piotr, Piotr) were sitting at the kitchen table. Piotr says, ''hey, can I make a toast?'' and immeidately I know what he is asking. He's asking the other Piotr, at whose house we are all guests, if he can use some of their bread to make a grilled cheese sandwich with ketchup. Of course that's what that means. The other Piotr knew exactly what he meant, too. Erica, however, simply smiled and, raising her glass of water, said, ''Of course! What are we toasting to?''

Other examples of cultural clashes in conversation:

(while driving through Erlangen)
Me: Turn left up here, past that man standing in the scuba outfit.
Him:  What?
Me: The man on the corner, standing in the scuba outfit. Turn left there.
Him: That is not a man.
Me: Oh. So it's a mannequin, whatever.
Him: Yes and it's an advertisment for the scuba store.
Me: Okay, well, I thought it was a real person. It looks like a real person.
Him: This isn't America, Jenni. People don't just....stand on street corners in scubadiving outfits.
(because in America, that happens everywhere????)

or...

(after he dropped a Pringle on the floor)

Me: Please don't eat that. Throw that away.
Him: What? 5 second rule.

Me: You know about the 5 second rule???

Him: Everyone knows about the 5 second rule. I didn't grow up in the jungle.

(in my defense, you can't even drink the tapwater in Poland. how was i supposed to know they have the 5 second rule?)

or.....

(in Poland, last weekend)
Me: I know you hate sweets but you should try some of the candy my mom sent.
Him: Thanks, but I don't like that stuff.
Me: How would you know?
Him: I've had all of that candy before.
Me: You've had a Snickers?
Him: Yes.  In Poland - the formerly communist, ''Eastern European'' country - we are civilized enough to have Snickers.

(I probably should have know that one.)

^^ the scuba store in erlangen (scuba man not pictured ^^