I don't think this movie will make it overseas, so go see it for us! We've heard about it on various podcasts and the internet. Let us know what you think of it!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Linguistic Thoughts
Languages are interesting. I'm not a linguist, but I am really curious about how much a country's language reflects its values as well. For example, right now in my language study I'm studying cause and effect. In English I would say "I'm wearing a jacket because I'm cold" or "I'm eating lunch because I'm hungry." However, in the language I'm learning I would reverse the order and say "Because I'm cold I'm wearing a jacket" or "Because I'm hungry I'm eating lunch." It has been very difficult in my mind to think in reverse order while also thinking of the correct vocabulary, verb tense, etc. So as I've been thinking of the cause and effect order of sentences, I think why Americans say the result first is because we like the Bottom-Line-Up-Front. Just tell me what's going on, and then give me all the reasoning. Just tell me the main idea. Whereas here, one would probably give you a lot of reasoning and explanation before you get to the bottom line. Maybe I'm overevaluating things, but I'm just trying to reason these languages out.
Another big difference is how we address strangers. I've been called "aunt", "big sister", "dear", and "sister" by complete strangers, almost daily. In the states I wouldn't address a stranger by any of those titles. I prefer the sweet titles I'm called here, as opposed to ma'am or misses.
So that's it for my linguistic thoughts for today.
Another big difference is how we address strangers. I've been called "aunt", "big sister", "dear", and "sister" by complete strangers, almost daily. In the states I wouldn't address a stranger by any of those titles. I prefer the sweet titles I'm called here, as opposed to ma'am or misses.
So that's it for my linguistic thoughts for today.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
A Kentucky Moment
Many of our friends here like to send us weird stories of people in Kentucky who make the news. For example, do you remember the lady who "won" the Charmin toilet paper contest and received a free wedding in New York...with a dress made of 100% Charmin toilet paper?!?!?!?
Well, last week as I was heading to a different area of town by bus, I saw a first for me here - a red convertible Corvette SR-1!!!! I have seen a Porsche, Ferrari, Viper, Land Rover, Hummer H3 and other less-than-common vehicles, but none of those lesser cars are made in the Bluegrass. I knew the only place in the world where those are made are right in Bowling Green, KY! I had flashbacks to the Corvette Museum and the manufacturing plant you pass on I-65. And for a moment, at least, I forgot about the toilet paper wedding!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
REAL popcorn
While in the village over the weekend, we hit the local open-air fruit and vegetable market. Beside all the fresh jams made by the village ladies (I bought some strawberry jam made from little mountain strawberries...yummy yum) was a bag of popcorn. I had never had real popcorn from dried corn before. Hmmm. I asked a friend if she thought it was popcorn, and she said yeah, it looked like it. So I paid a dollar for a bag of popcorn. I got in the van, and the kids were pumped that we were going to have popcorn that night. We were already planning on a movie, so I was thrilled to have found real, totally from scratch popcorn.
We got the kids settled in for a movie, and I grabbed a kettle to pop the popcorn. We put the oil in it, added some salt, and then we poured in the real popcorn. Mmmmm...smelled like popcorn. 5 minutes later simmering in hot oil it still smelled like popcorn, but no pop. 10 minutes later it had a nice aroma, but no pop. 10 more minutes, and I'm pretty sure this popcorn ain't gonna pop. It started to have that nice burnt smell with some dark smoke and no pop.
I'm pretty sure I bought chicken feed. No matter how long you cook it, it won't pop.
We got the kids settled in for a movie, and I grabbed a kettle to pop the popcorn. We put the oil in it, added some salt, and then we poured in the real popcorn. Mmmmm...smelled like popcorn. 5 minutes later simmering in hot oil it still smelled like popcorn, but no pop. 10 minutes later it had a nice aroma, but no pop. 10 more minutes, and I'm pretty sure this popcorn ain't gonna pop. It started to have that nice burnt smell with some dark smoke and no pop.
I'm pretty sure I bought chicken feed. No matter how long you cook it, it won't pop.
friend of a friend of a friend
A friend of a friend of a friend let us use his beach house this past weekend. We took off for 4 days with another family with 5 kids, a family with a 6-week old, the grandmother of the 6-week old, and our family of 6. We squeezed into 3 bedrooms and shared one shower and one squatty potty. It was all squatty all the time, my friends.
The house we stayed in was in a village, about 5 miles from a beach. The cow next door mooed throughout the day, and the kids climbed trees for the first time in 1 1/2 years. Growing up in KY I never lacked a tree to climb, but in a modern city of millions, our kids aren't afforded that opportunity. So they spent the majority of their time climbing trees, picking fresh fruit from the abundance of trees in the house's backyard, and taking trips to the beach. The trees in the backyard consisted of fresh figs, quince, walnuts, and apples. A fresh fig just plucked off the tree is really delicious! It doesn't taste a thing like a fig newton, but that's the only thing I knew of figs before moving here.
We hit a beach in a really small village the first day, and the water had at least 5 shades of blue. It was the most beautiful beach I've been to. The second day we tried a different beach in a more touristy area, and we were welcomed by a swarm of jellyfish. At least I think they were jellyfish. Their tentacles were itty bitty, and they didn't sting. However, it did sting when Annie got hit in the face by one in their jellyfish tag game. The kids collected them, squeezed them, and played jellyfish tag.
So thank you, my friend of a friend of a friend who let us use your beach house. I am so refreshed. Even though most all the kids slept in one room camped out on the floor, we heard the little 6-week old throughout the night, we were squeezed in tight quarters, and we shared one little squatty, I feel absolutely refreshed from my time away. It's amazing how good friendships do that to you. I feel strengthened.
The house we stayed in was in a village, about 5 miles from a beach. The cow next door mooed throughout the day, and the kids climbed trees for the first time in 1 1/2 years. Growing up in KY I never lacked a tree to climb, but in a modern city of millions, our kids aren't afforded that opportunity. So they spent the majority of their time climbing trees, picking fresh fruit from the abundance of trees in the house's backyard, and taking trips to the beach. The trees in the backyard consisted of fresh figs, quince, walnuts, and apples. A fresh fig just plucked off the tree is really delicious! It doesn't taste a thing like a fig newton, but that's the only thing I knew of figs before moving here.
We hit a beach in a really small village the first day, and the water had at least 5 shades of blue. It was the most beautiful beach I've been to. The second day we tried a different beach in a more touristy area, and we were welcomed by a swarm of jellyfish. At least I think they were jellyfish. Their tentacles were itty bitty, and they didn't sting. However, it did sting when Annie got hit in the face by one in their jellyfish tag game. The kids collected them, squeezed them, and played jellyfish tag.
So thank you, my friend of a friend of a friend who let us use your beach house. I am so refreshed. Even though most all the kids slept in one room camped out on the floor, we heard the little 6-week old throughout the night, we were squeezed in tight quarters, and we shared one little squatty, I feel absolutely refreshed from my time away. It's amazing how good friendships do that to you. I feel strengthened.
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