When Cultures Collide
We have house guests for the next week or so, a very lovely couple from London who are taking an extended tour of the USA and have inexplicably chosen to spend ten or eleven days of that tour in Midland.
They arrived on Friday, and we've gone through the obligatory ritual of laughing at the silly names we and they have for ordinary objects. This has irreparably affected my vocabulary, as I will now and forever refer to strips of breakfast meat as "streaky bacon" and fruit juice made from concentrate as "squash."
I attempted to educate them in the nuances of American football (they almost made it into the fourth quarter of the Tech-UT game), and they completely failed to convince me that cricket is a real game. We've introduced them to the heavenly joys of Tex-Mex (although I'm not sure I helped our cause by referring to a big honkin' fresh jalapeņo as a "WMD"), while I'm still working up the nerve to ask them to explain what that can of Spotted Dick that was on the shelf of our local H-E-B is all about. (I'm guessing it's about as impressive to them as those canned tamales are to us.)
Then, after assuring them that Texas scorpions aren't deadly, tarantulas aren't moving, coyotes don't attack in packs, and it's too cold for snakes, we end up with a four foot rattler at the neighborhood entrance.
On the positive side, though, I think that my extended conversations with them have completely erased my Texas accent, and I now sound so much more urbane and sophisticated. Well, judge for yourself.
I can't wait to try out my new accent on the pistol range.
Eric, if you try your new accent at the gun range....duck. Speaking of cricket, did you know Midland has a cricket pitch? A group usually plays on Sunday afternoons and they limit the game to 30 or 40 overs (don't ask me what any of that means, I'm just repeating what my husband told me).
Posted by: Tracie at November 4, 2008 09:01 AMRoger that, Foo.
And I've asked the local representative at Santa Claus Inc. for one of these:
http://www.henryrepeating.com/h004_goldenboy.cfm
Foo, my only exposure was via Shanghai Knights, the ultimate UK travelogue.
Re: a pistol purchase, I'm sure you'll have literally months (at least until inauguration) to buy a semi. Anything with Glock or Springfield on it should do nicely. The real trick might be in keeping it once they come around to collect them. ;-)
Tracie, I was not aware of the cricket-playing Midlanders. Is that what they do to unwind from the polo matches? Our guests told us that some cricket matches last three or four days. (And I thought baseball was a slow game!)
Deborah, that Golden Boy is a nice piece of shooting equipment. I love the hexagonal barrel. That's a steep price for a .22, but it looks like something that will last for generations. And .22s are so inexpensive to shoot. I really need to invest in one, too.
Posted by: Eric at November 4, 2008 04:11 PMSpotted dick is a pudding with dried fruit in it (just for your info haha). Cricket is fun to play and easier than football but that said, I like watching football!
Posted by: Rachel at November 7, 2008 04:51 AMRachel, thanks for the clarification. I sort of doubt that either of those things will ever become mainstreamed in Midland, Texas, but at least we can pretend to be cultured! ;-)
Posted by: Eric at November 7, 2008 08:16 AMAbout the publisher
Random Abbye photos...
Angry Clouds
I am Curious Llama
Ganglia & Brain Cloud
Cabeza del Diablo
Aurora Moreorless
Be careful Who you plagiarize
Coming Attractions
All Thorns, All the Time
Hitchin' a Ride
"...the flower fades..."
Finding meaning in random events
Random Thursday: The Thanksgiving Edition
A Matter of Perception
Reason #21 to wear shoes in West Texas
The Neighborhood:
West Texas Blogs:
[Midland unless otherwise indicated]
Other Texas Blogs:
The Business:
The Church:
The World:
Re. spotted dick. It's probably not what you think, but that doesn't mean that you want to know what it is. I forget where I stumbled on the information, but I very nearly retched at the merest thought of putting that stuff in my mouth.
And speaking of pistol ranges, I'm thinking I should do a bit of shopping for a semi-automatic pistol. I've put it off for years, mostly content with my .357 revolver; but my opportunity for such a purchase may be rapidly fading.
Posted by: Foo at November 4, 2008 07:13 AM