The other morning at The Grind, I was passionately bellowing to my colleagues, my sidekick, Greg, and (not) Under Ling (anymore):
Me: Never trust a woman that can pee standing up!
Although I now completely draw a blank about what we were discussing that I was so vehemently compelled to deliver that particular declaration at the top of my lungs, I clearly recall that at that very moment of me babbling, our boss, Elsbeth, entered. I was instantly motivated to hit my mute button and change the subject to floor and wall tile, my specialty in her employ.
Before my Lord and Master’s presence pulled the plug on the lively conversation with the Gang of Two (note: our beloved colleagues, The Quiet Man, moved on last fall, and my buddy, Ling, received her Get Out of Jail Free card last Friday), (not) Under Ling (anymore) casually mentioned that she had read in the New York Daily News that tourists rank New York as the Number One city in rudeness.
This detonated Greg and I. We trampled each other coming to Gotham City’s defense. I concur with Greg’s blanket assessment:
Greg: New Yorkers aren’t rude! They’re aggressive!
And sometimes, first thing in the morning, just too damn loud.
My next career move, gluing sticky notes onto miniature wooden pallets.
Lame Adventures 
Ha!
Reminds me of something that happened to a friend of mine last week. She has a new job at an NGO outside of Amsterdam, where her new colleagues informed her that she was more “direct” than the Dutch–which is to say damningly “direct.” She said, she thought she should have been offended by the comment–but wasn’t sure.
All this to say that, perhaps, New Yorkers are a bit like the Dutch themselves. Wasn’t there some connection between New York and what was once New Amsterdam?
Kathy
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Thank you for donning your professorial hat, Kathy — but doesn’t Lame Adventures usually elicit a knee-jerk (or maybe just a jerk) depth of thinking in all three of its readers? You are correct, back in the day around 400 years ago, New Amsterdam was a colonial settlement by the Dutch before it was renamed New York. Coincidentally, New Amsterdam was also the name of a craft beer that kept me well pickled throughout much of the 80s and 90s.
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I miss you guys already!! I kinda miss the loud, rushed pace of NYC too. Not to forget how convenient it was to get to places just by walking or MTA. Although I’m not far, it’s not the same when I’m driving every day!!
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We miss you, too, Buddy! (not) Under Ling (anymore) is doing an excellent job of (wo)manning the radio at your old desk. You trained her well!
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