Listening and learning from Americans
This just sucks, I had a nice post ready to go and I managed to lose it, damn. Oh well I guess I will try this over again, though it's going to be a bit shorter since I'm tired of writing this already.
So in the listening to Americans I came across this jem the other day at lunch:
"How would you know if 15 C was warm or cold?" This was a comment made in relation to my mentioning that I was still unfamiliar with how warm the Fahrenheit scale was in comparison to the Celsius scale to which I am accustomed. Obviously this person forgets that both scales are relative in terms or warmth/cold and one has to learn them as they go. He wasn't born knowing that 30 F was cold and 85 F is hot.
Then again I haven't been to impressed by this guy so far anyway. Earlier on in the conversation he asked me to repeat how far I had biked three times before I realized that he was condescendingly telling me to convert it to miles for him. Though what should one expect from a Chemistry PhD student? An ability to adapt to others (using a nearly universal measurement system), or perhaps even the ability to be polite among supposed peers. Nah, that's too much to ask for, the best one can hope for is pig-headedness.
And a few things that I forgot in my list of things I've learned:
- The best post Sept. 11th investment (other than Halliburton) would have been any company that makes American flags - these things are everywhere, there is a bridge in St Paul which has one every 50 ft on both sides of the superstructure
- Americans, particularly those in the service industry, cannot (or maybe will not) pronounce foreign words properly - the most typical examples are espresso (eXpresso) and croissant (cross-ANT), surprisingly enough they can pronounce Cappuccino?
- Weather in the Midwest apparently must containing a warning for either thunderstorms or tornados - I literally doubt that a day has gone by that I have not heard a warning for either one, and I've only seen about 3 thunderstorms and heard of one tornado touching down
So that's it for now from Minneapolis. I hope everyone is doing well. For all of you who have e-mailed me and I have yet to respond, I apologize and I will try to catch up on that by the end of the week. I miss you all.
2 Comments:
okay so now I know for sure it would be cruel to say that you are wrong and make you keep guessing as you are right. but I do think it is much more fun to make you guess. so now you know who it is I can write a little more about life.
I am still with the government. work is going.. that is about all I can say about that. it goes. they have moved me to Wages, which is the lowest of the totem pole in terms of making it to permanent staff. and they are working on moving me to the next of 4 steps, so that is sort of nice I guess.
Do they use the term "lowest on the totem pole in the states? I think it would sound a little funny, to me that is a bit of a Canadian thing. maybe not and I am the ignorant one.
I moved on the weekend to Sherwood Park with Daryl. it was a Really busy weekend added to by having to complete 3 bridesmaid dresses for the sat, so I didn't really pack... anything. other than my sewing room of course (which was also the first room one to get unpacked).
Other than that it is weddings and babies in my life... sort of. It seems that everybody I know is getting married or having babies. So when are you due?
oh, not that I am either of those, so don't go starting any stories.
thats about it for now.
funny how the word Cheers tiped you off. why is that?
Katherine
1:35 p.m.
Well I'm glad to hear that I got it right. It's good to hear from you, and that you are up to your usual last minute tricks as far as sewing goes.
And no I'm not expecting, or engaging any time soon. Though I also have a number of weddings to hit this summer, I'll be back in early August for a couple maybe.
Later.
Chris
12:47 p.m.
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