ekseseyez 28

Lately i've been overhearing a lot of conversations.
Not intentionally eavesdropping, I might add.
It's just 'the summer effect'.
Windows are left open, people have more discussions outdoors, on their balconies, on the street; we hang out more in public places.

As a result i now know that my neighbours are planning to open a new cafe; a couple of my colleagues are flabbergasted by the working practices of a partner company overseas; a certain bar in the city can be hired out for 21sts but the minimum spend is a whopping $3000; a dark and atmospheric restaurant somewhere has individually lit tables so you feel you're the only diners there, and if you're cold the staff bring you blankets; for one girl it was a really BIG thing to get her own credit card and caused problems with a certain "he" - partner? father? financial adviser? who knows. That's the fun of overheards.

The most notable learning, however, was from a young guy talking to his mates on the beach.
It's a good place for overheards.
He was talking about a mutual female friend who'd started dating a Brazilian guy, and was happy for her, explaining that Brazilians make really good partners: all that hot blooded, passion "and they get heaps jealous and stuff. Australian girls are hopeless. They're like "yeah whatever"."

Which flies in the face everything i was taught.
Fits of jealous rage and any kind of possessiveness were a guarantee to scare a man right off. You had to play it cool, play hard to get, use an open palm rather than a closed fist etc. All those cliches.
The saying "you're damned if you do, damned if you don't" comes to mind.
Not jealous enough and they complain that you don't care.
Too passionate, and they're suffocated.

But it's probably more a case of "each to their own".
What's claustrophobic to one person is interesting and exciting to another.

Vive la différence as they say.