Was: the Mountain, now national traits

[Paul Newfield]

I enjoyed Jeffery's "National Traits".  I have a T-shirt which reads as
follows:

HEAVEN IS WHERE...
   The police are British
   The cooks are French
   The mechanics are German
   The lovers are Italian
   And its all orgainzed by the Swiss
HELL IS WHERE...
   The plolice are German
   The cooks are British
   The mechanics are French
   The lovers are Swiss
   And its all organized by the Italians

Paul Newfield,  in New Orleans


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeffrey Crawley" <jt.crawleyaUKONLINE.CO.UK>
To: <GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU>
Sent: Monday, June 17, 2002 4:11 AM
Subject: Was: the Mountain, now national traits


> SNORING the bane of refugio life!
>
> Get used to it because you can't prevent it. I snore when I have a cold
too
> but use a strip of adhesive (Micropore or similar) tape across bridge of
> nose which helps a lot. I would be tempted to record the noise and play it
> back to the offender but who wants to carry the extra weight!!! Some
> Pilgrims could split oak panels with the noise!
>
> A (very) generalised (and lighthearted)note on nationalities gleaned last
> year:
>
> Americans - either brash and insensitive or deeply intense and caring -
not
> much in the middle ground (but things changed a lot after September 11
when
> they got a lot more sympathy)
>
> Canadians - well liked by all, amiable and helpful
>
> Australians - noisy and exhuberant, well thought of because of their
> positive attitude
>
> New Zelanders - Doggedly determined
>
> Scots - Independent and nationalistic - don't like being called Ingles
>
> Irish - enthusiastic and religious - don't like being called Ingles either
>
> English - Always apologising for the fact they can't speak
> Spanish/French/German/anything but English
>
> Spanish - welcoming and proud to be the Host nation
>
> Brasilians - Noisy and enthusiastic, great snorers!
>
> Italians - VERY religious
>
> Germans - very polite and correct, "burdened by the guilt of (their)
> forefathers" (from a German girl)
>
> French - tend to hog the kitchen and patronise the Spanish
>
> Portuguese - grateful when they are not mistaken for Spanish
>
> Dutch - the best linguists and always encouraging/supportive
>
> Japanese - enthusiastic, always with the best/latest camera gear
>
> anybody I haven't upset yet? :-)
>
> Seriously there was only one truely, extremely annoying person I met on
the
> whole Camino, a Spanish-Australian lady and even she had one positive side
> to her - EVERYBODY found her to be a pest!
>
> BTW you can't book or reserve beds in Refugios it's first come first
> served, cyclists AFTER walkers and "supported" walkers (strollers who have
> a sag waggon to carry everything) should NEVER get a place.
>
> buen viaje!
>
> Jeffrey