Professor?

This evening we were sitting at a bar, outside. Had a drink, were chatting, a good time. And this guy passed, going inside the bar. Picture this...a guy, clad in trousers, a pair of too small shoes, a t-shirt that covered the top but not the belly. In short(s:), he looked like a wanna-be-transvestite.

I don't really judge, but of course I looked. The people at the bar told me that he actually is a kinda professor at the Zürich university, and that he speaks 8 languages. To which I replied: "have you checked?". The Swiss people didn't get it. They seem to take things for granted. But how would you really know unless you check? And how can you check unless you speak all the languages?

Experience tells me that Americans always say that they speak a language when really all they can say is "wie geht's?", or "merci beaucoup", or "bella ragazza". That is not what I would say is speaking a language (ok, having spent 3 months of agony trying to learn German I am probably biased :)

Anyway, I guess the bottom line here is not to be judgmental. Remember, it takes all sorts to make a world...