"ahhh, stereotypes...." or, "the euro game"

i am rather surprised that great britian is so americanized. the brands, the people, the corporations, all very similar whereas every other country was so different.
i guess language has a lot to do with things.

anyway, since matt likes to write intellectual and pertinent posts, i suppose i will do the opposite, just to mix it up a bit.

there is a certain game our group likes to play in our times of waiting for the trains and such.
we call it the euro game. basically, through brilliant deduction and astute analysis, you must find clues to decipher whether a person is a european, or an american. (paris is an excellent place to do this, as is anywhere in germany or italy. usually its a no-brainer.
NOTE: this game does not apply to england -- its too americanized here)

here are a list stereotypes that are very often true. shall we say, some clues for the game:

CATEGORY 1 : WOMEN

1. europeans are much skinnier. this applies to all ages. children, teens, and seniors alike. you almost NEVER see an obese european, especially not in france. so, if theres a lady on the subway taking up two seats, she's likely speaking american.

2. hair. europeans rarely have the middle aged hair cut. even euro-seniors dont have the granny-fro. older women let their hair grow long and natural, and girls likely have a very stylish, often short or layered cut.
north american girls usually have the long 'california cut' long and straight with no bangs with your typical highlights.

3. flamboyance. americans just dont have it.
euro-women are very put together, a little wild, accessorized, always matching.
americans are big into t-shirts and jeans.

4. hm, how shall we say.... tastefulness (?).
european females wear clothes --pants and tops -- much looser; american girls love the super-tight look.

5. confidence. this is evident in stance, walk, and overall posture. american girls are much more self-conscious whereas european women are so confident. this one is rather subjective, but it remains a very key clue to the game.

6. presence of bras.
european women often avoid bras altogether. enough said.


CATEGORY 2: MEN

1. shoes, shoes, shoes.
euro-men never wear runners. ...unless they are very very stylish ones. and as if you couldnt guess this one, european men never wear socks in sandals.

2. fit of clothes.
european men wear pants, jeans, and shirts very tailored, fitted, even tight.
north american men do the baggy jeans, cargos, and t-shirts thing and just look sloppy in comparison.

3. the murse.
(man-purse) the murse is key to the male-euro wardrobe.
americans wear backpacks, while european men wear purses in canvas, leather, etc. (the more feminine the better) but never, never a backpack.
side note: its quite funny that most of the guys on our trip have purchased a murse along the way, some more feminine than others.