Monday, August 07, 2006

Through the eyes of a visitor

My CouchSurfer has now left as quickly as she arrived. It's been a lovely time, as she's a lovely girl. Everything we had to eat was "great", every place we've been has been "cool" and she knows when to laugh at your jokes and adds a little "that's funny" to cement it. In short, as my parents would say, her parents raised her right.

It's funny to think that September equals three years for me being on these crazy British Isles. My CouchSurfer looks at me as if I'm a native. She says I have a bit of an accent (vigorously denied here at Team CG), though I do unconsciously and consciously pepper my talk with British and Scots words. And things here are different for her -- it looks foreign, but some place that could be familiar to her very soon.

It's also funny to think that she sees these things that we take for granted. The things that I feel are normal are foreign. There are things that are completely different from the US that I totally don't recognise as alien anymore. I shall share what I remember.
  • There are more redheads here than there are in the US. Obviously, American media convinces you otherwise. If you're in a lot of three or more attractive women, you will have a redheaded friend, a la Sex in the City or Desperate Housewives. In two days, the CouchSurfer, herself a redhead, counted 26 others. You try that there.
  • The toilets here are different. The bowl is smaller, the drainage pipe is positioned differently and there is not as much water in the bowl. Now you know.

4 Comments:

Blogger Zandra Towns said...

It is weird to think of toilets as cultural but it does make sense. Along with sex, elimination of human wastes is our most deep seeded taboo.
You do have an accent. It started almost as soon as you got there. i think everone in the familly has commented on it, even dad.

Monday 7 August 2006 at 23:03:00 BST  
Blogger hadashi said...

in all my travels, Different Toilets is indeed the big marker that you are no longer at "home." i have always joked that a Toilets of the World coffeetable book published by Taschen would be a bestseller.
and stop denying the accent. Erin would be in another country for 2 minutes and immediately absorb the accent. she denied it just like you, but sisters know better!

Monday 14 August 2006 at 03:25:00 BST  
Blogger Autumn said...

Not denying the accent, but it really isn't that strong. Truly. Everyone over here always knows I'm American. That being said, Boy's family said he sounded more American the longer he lived there, but I don't hear a difference in his accent now that we are here.

Monday 14 August 2006 at 08:02:00 BST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes! Your accent may not be as strong there to them cause they know their own kind. But, we knew you before you went over there and you didn't sound like you do now. Certainly, I have an accent to my "people" because I've adapted a slight Southern "burr," but once I get back to my people I pick up the "slang" again, but it's not the same as before I was married and they (my people) can tell. And sometimes your use of words describing items/actions need interpretation to us "Mericans." Love yah!!

Monday 14 August 2006 at 23:20:00 BST  

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