05 06 2014….May 6 or June 5?

Have you ever taken for granted something as simple as a calendar?  I mean, sure, you look at a  grid calendar and just "know" that the far left space is Sunday, the far right space is Saturday and Wednesday is in the middle.  That's how calendars work, right?

Nope! Here in France that "Sunday slot" is actually Monday.  That can be tragic if you are trying to make plans that involve "no refunds"….you know, airline reservations, hotel accommodations and those kind of things.

The other thing that we as Americans can take for granted is our 12 hour,  am/pm "clock".  When your clock says 8:35 and you've already had dinner, then you know it's 8:35 PM.  Here in Europe, that means that it is 2035 (no colon).  Unless you are in the military, it's an adjustment to "add" or "subtract" 12 hours to determine how you respond to a "what time should we meet" question.

I've also become adept at reading dates.  If you pick up a bottle of milk here in France, you need to know that the "expiration date" will be listed differently.  If it says 05 06 2014 that means June 5th, not May 6th.  If you fill out any kind of forms, you will list the date in a different format… day/month/year.  My date of birth, for instance, is  02/03/1964, not February 3rd, but March 2nd.  Since I've never been in the military, it's caused quite the mind shift for me.

Back to that expiration date.  Do you ALWAYS check?  Do you, like me, reach to the back of the refrigerated section for the "newest" products?  I was at the grocery store yesterday and it occurred to me how short the "shelf life" for things here in Europe is.  I bought some sour cream "sauer rahm" and the expiration date is 12 06.  That's about 2 weeks, which for here is a LONG time.  I can't remember a time that I've picked up a container of sour cream at Kroger and can't find one that is at least 30 days out.  (Far fewer preservatives here in Europe)

Subsequently, the containers/portions are smaller.  That "sauer rahm"?  It's only 7 ounces (200 grams).  That's the largest size offered.  Prepackaged meat?  You might be able to find a one pound package (of course it will be in grams) of ground beef, but you are never going to see a 5 lb LOAF like a Kroger in the U.S.  

Mind shift time again….average Europeans go to the grocery every day, maybe every other day.  After all, most of them are toting home their food on foot, on a bicycle or via tram.  They aren't filling up their car trunk (or boot) and bringing it in through the garage.  When was the last time you carried 20+ lbs of groceries more than 20 feet?

Just some random thoughts for today.  Nothing funny, nothing out of the ordinary.  I'm currently waiting for our luggage to catch up with us from our trip last weekend…..that might offer some hilarity for another post…."How Ryan Air gets Sarah's bag from Spain, through Germany and to Indianapolis before 2015".

Wishing you all a fabulous week!!