Let's start with tea. If you know me at all, you know that I detest tea. Use as strong a word as you like. I would literally rather die of dehydration on a desert island than survive if the only liquid available was tea. I don't know why, and it's futile to try to change me. Milk and sugar and plugging my nose doesn't help! It's just awful and I cannot stomach it!
Fact: South Africans love tea. All of them, in mass quantities. And they do not understand the concept of not wanting it. This could be an interesting year. I had a lady at church this morning explain that tea is not about a drink, it's about a relationship. A cup of tea is an offer of friendship. So tea I shall drink, as often as required. But I shall never like it. (or "Coke Light" or whatever is being passed off as ketchup here) I might even cry about it.
:) Don't worry mom. They have bananas and I have peanut butter. I'll live on quite happily. But if someone wanted to bring brown sugar this summer....
Now on to Texas. It's not like I have anything AGAINST the place. I know great people from there and living there. And being born and raised in the "South", I don't have any great disdain for it either. HOWEVER - I am devastated to learn that my accent is recognized as one or the other! I was twice asked if I was from Texas, due to my "twang". Another said "Ah, clearly from the South!"
Ouch!
I thought I had escaped it. Evidently not. Oh well. Nobody has had trouble understanding me yet, and one person said it was a lovely accent. But Texas? REALLY? These people must have never heard real twang.
All is well here. Tonight is apparently McDonalds night. I'm eager to see if they still understand normal ketchup.
Other random tidbits:
- The weather here is terrible for my hair. That's an important travesty. It also causes me bloody noses. Well, one bloody nose. My first one ever!
- There are birds all over the place that start out sounding like a crying cat and end sounding like...a dying larger animal. They are loud and obnoxious and serve as a delightful incentive to get out of bed.
- People watch American television, but they pick the oddest shows....and way too many of them watch Jersey Shore.
I'm sure I'll have more soon. Possibly even some of my "deep" thoughts. I just haven't processed them enough to draw conclusions, temporary as they would surely be.
Much love.
Fact: South Africans love tea. All of them, in mass quantities. And they do not understand the concept of not wanting it. This could be an interesting year. I had a lady at church this morning explain that tea is not about a drink, it's about a relationship. A cup of tea is an offer of friendship. So tea I shall drink, as often as required. But I shall never like it. (or "Coke Light" or whatever is being passed off as ketchup here) I might even cry about it.
:) Don't worry mom. They have bananas and I have peanut butter. I'll live on quite happily. But if someone wanted to bring brown sugar this summer....
Now on to Texas. It's not like I have anything AGAINST the place. I know great people from there and living there. And being born and raised in the "South", I don't have any great disdain for it either. HOWEVER - I am devastated to learn that my accent is recognized as one or the other! I was twice asked if I was from Texas, due to my "twang". Another said "Ah, clearly from the South!"
Ouch!
I thought I had escaped it. Evidently not. Oh well. Nobody has had trouble understanding me yet, and one person said it was a lovely accent. But Texas? REALLY? These people must have never heard real twang.
All is well here. Tonight is apparently McDonalds night. I'm eager to see if they still understand normal ketchup.
Other random tidbits:
- The weather here is terrible for my hair. That's an important travesty. It also causes me bloody noses. Well, one bloody nose. My first one ever!
- There are birds all over the place that start out sounding like a crying cat and end sounding like...a dying larger animal. They are loud and obnoxious and serve as a delightful incentive to get out of bed.
- People watch American television, but they pick the oddest shows....and way too many of them watch Jersey Shore.
I'm sure I'll have more soon. Possibly even some of my "deep" thoughts. I just haven't processed them enough to draw conclusions, temporary as they would surely be.
Much love.