Staples

I realize it’s the little things that are hardest to grasp when you move to another country. But, I didn’t realize how little.

I learned how to staple the way I learned most everything, in America. What I learned, and subsequently do was to staple parallel to the top of the page, only a little ways in—between ¼ and ½ inch in. While I know it would be better to staple diagonally, I learned that way, and I can’t really change.

My boss, however, seems to like stapling at about the 2” down 1” across point. This is uncool, rather annoying, and makes flipping the pages back rather difficult. I've been dealing with it for 19 months now, it's not *really* that bad. Maybe that’s what they teach in France?

But today takes the cake. I received some papers back that were stapled exactly in the middle at about ¾” down. Who does that? Is it just really poor coordination? Is that what they teach in China? It was ridiculous. I made giant creases when I had to flip the pages back. Staples are there for your convenience, not to make your life miserable!

I never realized how much something this little could annoy me. Does anyone else have staple stories?