I was out last night dancing. Since social dancing involves meeting a large number of new people, you often have to have that brief little interview style introduction: where are you from, what do you do (or if you are a student, what do you study), followed by a dip or a turn and a "thank you for the dance".
What I was finding was that responding with the phrase "I do nothing, right now" got some really odd looks. I tried to change that a bit by using the phrase "I'm on sabbatical" or "I'm on holiday," but, still, this had some bizarre responses. The end of dance "thanks" were really awkward, usually followed with an "err...good luck with that...whole...thing."
More so with people I know, when I describe the fact that I just upped and quit my job, do I get strange responses. They range from really congratulatory ("That's cool. I'd love to do that.") to jealous ("You bastard. I'd love to do that.").
The first one is easy to deal with; just nod, smile and say something resembling a thank you in an oddly muffled and embarrassed way. The second, on the other hand is a bit more sensitive. Depending on the person I either smile impishly, perhaps raise an eyebrow (you know, generally my usual attempts at looking charming), or I try to avoid the subject all together.
Which is why I think I need to come up with a better description of this whole thing all together. I have a few ideas but, of course, suggestions would be welcome:
- South American Economic Stimulation Trip
- Exploring New Locations for Offshore Development
- Training with Argentine Monks in the Ancient Art of Tango-fu
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