PDA

I've got some things to say but first I want to clear up one thing. PDA, public displays of affection (for those of you who haven't reached the age of 13). In Canada/North America these acts are often seen as grave social mistakes which under the right (or wrong) circumstances can have you ostrisized by not only you're friends but everyone around you.

This does not appear to be the case in the parts of europe we have visited.

You've been warned.

This interesting distinction in social behaviour was first noticed in the city of Zagreb. After arriving in Zagreb and finding a place to stay at a local hostel (hostel international or something of the sort) we went for a walk through the local square/park. After passing one couple on a park bench straddling each other almost falling off of the bench making out our eyes were quickly opened to the rest of the benches which hosted couples in varying stages of the game "make people uncomfortable around you by kissing/touching/groping/kooing/sitting in the most uncomfotable position while giving the person in front of you 'sexy' eyes." It was shocking. It turns out after a couple of walks through the park this activity by the locals (we assume) goes from uncomfortable to watch into more of a spectator sport where you really start to root for the couples to do something even crazier than they already are. This went on at pretty much every city we visitid. No, not pretty much, every one, without question.

The spectating wasn't exactly a "pick up the popcorn and coke" style deal but at least it provided something to look at when the 1000 year old buildings got boring (and they do, who needs all this carved stone anyway?). Everything was fine until Belgrade. Jen and I were minding our own business (sitting on a park bench at the Canadian standard "we're just friends" distance apart) drinking Fanta in the old town/castle area of Belgrade at an area where we are quite high up, the wall is maybe knee height and then goes up well over our heads. At the knee height area there is a nice view of part of the city and the drop off is not like looking out the window of a plane but it's nothing to roll down the hill over either. Whew. So, as we are minding our own business (I think I was trying to read a book) this young couple comes up, leans against the part of the wall where it starts to get taller, the male has his back against the edge of the wall and the female is agressively pushing herself into him while they are ... kissing ... I guess, hard to say what it's really called. He starts to fall over to the side from all the pressure and I start to worry for their lives, the thought "My son died while making out at the old castle" flies through my head and I chuckle because, if you believe in evolution, this is probably pre-determine to happen but is not really required, all they really need to do is move over 1/2 a foot but they don't, I lose interest and nobody dies but it was close there for a second. So ends my spectating of PDA in europe, it's not worth the stress.

mark.