Oh right, we're in Europe

There are days when I forget we live in Europe. Those are days when nothing seems out of the ordinary. Then there are days like today, when I observe things that are rare, unique, funny, or just euro:

• On the subway a teenager offered his seat to an elderly woman. He didn't hesitate. It's a common practice still for men to offer their seats to a lady.

• A horde of tweens walked past our apartment. There were probably 12 of them, none older than 13. About half were smoking. And this wasn't behind-the-schoolyard-dumpster smoking. They were walking down the sidewalk, like any other day, with cigarettes blazing.

• At the grocery store I heard the 80's smash hit song Cruel Summer by Bananarama. When's the last time you heard that song? Then I caught myself whistling it as I walked home. (If you want a refresher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n6chxpEINs)

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Here's another photo from Dublin. Morbidly funny, but a sign of the times: