"We were just trying to figure that out! So we're here -" he points, "I think, and we want to go here - I think -"

"He said he'd probably be able to find the way and now I'm irritated with him," says the woman.

"I will probably be able to find the way! It might take a couple of false starts but we're not even in a particular hurry such that those will be inconvenient!"

Confused foreigners! Exactly what he needs to blend in with.

"Would it trouble you terribly if I followed along with you as far as downtown? Every time I try to find my way alone I just seem to get more lost."

"I don't mind as long as you're not some kind of weirdo," the man says. "Okay - I think - this way." And he starts off.

Jean is several kinds of weirdo, but he can pretend otherwise on a temporary basis!

He follows along gamely, taking in the sights. This city is so dirty, that part really doesn't come through in old pictures. The paving stones are incredible, though -- no two quite alike. And the clothes people wear! Natural fabrics, actually woven!

Eventually they find their way downtown! The buildings are taller and there are a lot of restaurants and some theaters. All the theaters seem to be offering ballet, stand-up comedy, or animals doing tricks. 

"I told you I'd find my way and I'm annoyed you didn't have more confidence in me," the man is saying to his wife. 

"I think I correctly expected there'd be a lot of getting lost and confused along the way, and I actually don't like that!" she says back. "But I'm hoping now we can stop having this argument so that dinner isn't unpleasant and the nice man following us doesn't judge us."

These people are very ... frank? It's odd. Takes all sorts, he supposes. Counterproductive as regards judging, though.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he assures them. "I must take my leave now, though -- this is where I'm heading -- goodbye, and thank you!"

"I hope you have a nice evening! You have better odds than us!"

Off they go.

Jean finds a theater advertising ballet, observes briefly from a distance until he feels confident in his ability to work the doors, and then heads in confidently! This works a surprising amount of the time for getting into places.

"Did you buy a ticket?" an usher asks him.

Damn. "Someone else already took it on my way in -- I just had to step out for a second to--" (take a call? did they already have portable communicators in 2009?) "--stretch my legs -- I'm sorry, is that a problem?"

" - as long as you bought it, I don't need to see it."

"Oh, all right. Thank you!"

This must be a money thing. Jean supposes that if you're just selling tickets, and you sell all of them, you have no further reason to care if the people who attend your event are the same people who purchased the tickets.

Time to go find his seat for AUTHENTIC TURN-OF-THE-MILLENNIUM BALLET.

It's actually quite good! Ballet might be a larger share of this society's live entertainment and cultural priorities than Jean would have expected!!

Jean is sold on the early twenty-first century.

When the ballet is over, he will reluctantly exit the theater. And immediately go in search of ANOTHER BALLET. If any are available at this hour.

- yeah, there's a late night ballet. It's somewhat more erotic than the first one.

They again ask him if he bought a ticket.

He did buy a ticket. Definitely. Jean is a person who has money, and has used it to purchase goods and services, in the past and not in the future.

Jean is having the best night.

"Ballet fan?" the person sitting next to him says at intermission. "You look so happy I thought you might be on drugs but too lucid for that."

"Drugs are not half this much fun."

"You should tell the dancers that, I bet they'd appreciate it. I'm here for my girlfriend, I can probably get you backstage with the dancers after if you're not going to grope them."

"--oh, would you? I should be with the angels. I promise not to grope anyone who doesn't grope me first."

"Sure thing. My girlfriend's the one in the green petals, back row."

"Oh she's lovely. And so talented! You're a very lucky man."

He looks somewhat baffled by this but nods after a second. "I am a lucky man."

"To have such an artist, I mean. Anyone would think himself the luckiest man on earth."

"Anyone. But there are - a dozen dancers on stage. I suppose Arielle is the prettiest."