I've been bad about posting this week, apologies. Just as the students (and the teachers!) got comfortable with our routine in London, we're hopping on a coach to Stratford-upon-Avon tomorrow, where we'll spend the rest of our time. I'm looking forward to the slower pace of an English village, but this is a tourist trap, so I get to play my favorite game: "what country is the tourist from?" I usually base this on clothing, so one has to play before one hears the tourist speak. I've gotten a little better at this after last summer. It's just like birdwatching! Here it is, in all its stereotypical glory:

1. Americans: Inevitably, the men will be wearing some kind of khaki shorts, white socks, and Nikes or another athletic shoe. Baseball caps are common, as are logo shirts, especially with colleges, towns, and other writing on them. Americans couples, especially of the older variety, are also more often to 'match.' For example, I saw a woman and man today outside my hotel both wearing clothes that advertised the same college.

2. Germans: The men inevitably wear socks with their sandals or puma-like shoes with non-white socks. Pants will be tighter and shorts will be shorter than the standard American variety and then man usually carries a backpack. Usually one person in the group has cool glasses (oddly shaped, interesting colors, etc.) and one of the men will inevitably have a closely-shaved head. The women look like they should be my second-cousins.

3. Italians: I don't know why, but I associate the Italians with loudly-colored backpacks as well as jeans that are anything but blue (red, black, etc.). They'll also have interesting glasses. I've also noticed that the men have sweaters artfully wrapped around their shoulders. The women usually have some kind of wonderful purse in hand.

4. French: Inevitably I'll like something that one of the women is wearing. I've noticed that the men are (by in large) more petite than I expect. If one person has a backpack, it's artfully swung on one shoulder. I'm not really good at spotting French tourists, really. I'll have to take notes next time I spot one in the field.

Now that I've offended everyone, I should probably close this post. Seriously though, part of the fun of being in a big city during the summer months is to people watch. The only tourists I have any enmity towards are the school groups who descend upon London in droves during the summer. Oh wait...