Today I taught a class on:
I lie on the bed.
I am lying on the bed.
I lay on the bed
I have lain on the bed.
He lay the box on the bed.
He is laying the box on the bed.
He laid the box on the bed.
He has laid the box on the bed.
Right. Just so you all know, I'm typing this as I lay on my bed.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
in but not of
For those of you that thought this would be spiritual, I'm sorry to mislead you. Just an update of a few things I've noticed about myself, which will only confirm my being a freak when I return to the States.
In Fall 2008, I know I'm in a different culture because...
1) I choose the squatty potty over the Western potty. It's more practical, and much easier.
2) To speak English, sometimes I translate from my adopted language because I forget the English equivalents. (note: this does not mean I am fluent, it only means I'm stupid.)
3) I like jackfruit. Yes, the fruit that stinks, the close cousin to durian. Did I mention that it stinks?
4) The idea that families of mosquitoes are flying around me don't alarm me. (Have I mentioned that I hate rainy season?)
5) I just sleep on top of the bed since it is too hot to use a sheet. (Only those who know me well will know that when I sleep, I generally like to re-enact my time in the womb, which involves heavy blankets, or at least a sheet.)
6) I want to ride my bike with a jacket on, since I might have air enter my body and get violently ill the next day. (A local myth that I now believe in--and now, if I ride my bike, I can feel the air in my head. It hurts.)
7) Driving without rules is totally normal. I can pass a car whenever I want, even if there's one coming from the opposite direction. No harm, no foul. There is no white line. There is no speed limit.
8) When I prepare American meals, they don't have any taste. Where are my chili peppers? I guess the bottled chili sauce will do...
9) I was teaching in a government building and looked down to see a stray kitten (with no tail because they're all so inbred) that had wandered into the room...you know, like usual.
10) I can't imagine life without my rice cooker or wok, and actually make mental notes to buy said tools when I move back to the States.
In Fall 2008, I know I'm in a different culture because...
1) I choose the squatty potty over the Western potty. It's more practical, and much easier.
2) To speak English, sometimes I translate from my adopted language because I forget the English equivalents. (note: this does not mean I am fluent, it only means I'm stupid.)
3) I like jackfruit. Yes, the fruit that stinks, the close cousin to durian. Did I mention that it stinks?
4) The idea that families of mosquitoes are flying around me don't alarm me. (Have I mentioned that I hate rainy season?)
5) I just sleep on top of the bed since it is too hot to use a sheet. (Only those who know me well will know that when I sleep, I generally like to re-enact my time in the womb, which involves heavy blankets, or at least a sheet.)
6) I want to ride my bike with a jacket on, since I might have air enter my body and get violently ill the next day. (A local myth that I now believe in--and now, if I ride my bike, I can feel the air in my head. It hurts.)
7) Driving without rules is totally normal. I can pass a car whenever I want, even if there's one coming from the opposite direction. No harm, no foul. There is no white line. There is no speed limit.
8) When I prepare American meals, they don't have any taste. Where are my chili peppers? I guess the bottled chili sauce will do...
9) I was teaching in a government building and looked down to see a stray kitten (with no tail because they're all so inbred) that had wandered into the room...you know, like usual.
10) I can't imagine life without my rice cooker or wok, and actually make mental notes to buy said tools when I move back to the States.
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