Toto, I don't think we're in Switzerland anymore...
I spent nearly all of June in the United States. The trip was wonderful, of course. I got to visit friends and family, drive everywhere, indulge in proper barbecues, bask in air-conditioned homes, and of course stock up at the local Target and Wal-mart! Still, I could tell that my time abroad has changed me. Top ten moments from the trip:
- "Wow, these [clothes/shoes/food] are such a good deal!"
~ on multiple occasions while shopping with a friend in the West Village - "Have American beds always been so short?"
~ on seeing Swissy Pie's feet sticking out over the queen-sized mattress (they don't in our bed) - "What's this Top Chef show everyone is talking about?"
~ at Perilla, a restaurant in New York recently opened by 2006 season winner Harold Dieterle - "What's wrong with you guys?"
~ on being told there's no recycling in my Kentucky hometown - because the city thinks it's too expensive - "These yolks look weird."
~ while cracking some nominally organic free-range eggs from the supermarket, which nevertheless have much paler yolks than European eggs - "This is NOT cheese!"
~ tasting some locally made product from Kentucky - "What kind of crap farmer's market is this?"
~ on seeing signs for produce from California, Georgia, and the Carolias being sold in Kentucky - "Oh my God, I can understand everything on TV!"
~ flipping through the 999 cable channels at my sister's apartment - "Where did all these friggin' cars come from?"
~ on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway at 3 pm, headed to Manhattan from JFK - this was NOT rush hour - "Grüezi... uh, I mean, hello!"
~ to the immigration officer upon arrival at JFK
Labels: culture shock, travel
posted by Un-Swiss Miss | 8:52 PM
10 Comments:
ahh how quickly we forget!
Too many cars freak me out now!
Speaking of egg yolks, did you think the eggs in the US tasted like fish? I had a hard boiled egg in my salad in NYC and it could have been a trout!!
Ale - No kidding, right?
Ms Mac - Unfortunately, this is true even in Switzerland. Curvy roads also freak me out, which means I usually leave the driving to Swissy Pie.
Swiss Miss - I didn't have that problem with the eggs. My bet: the egg was boiled, and then stored next to your trout, so it picked up all the flavors.
But did you say "entschuldigen" when you bumped into people? :)
MBNSL - Uh, no, but give me a few more months. I just caught myself reading numbers out loud in German today!
this is so funny. guess what? sometimes even as a swiss person i feel like that (especially the clothes/shoes/food are such a good deal-one!
My problem is that I keep forgetting I'm not in the US, so I scream and flip people off like I'm in New York.
naechstehaltestelle - I'd hate to wait at a bus stop with you - screaming, and flipping people off - that's funny?!?! ; -)
un-swiss miss - I like the "I understand everything on TV Statement" That is a truly freaky experience.
Where are you? I recently found you site, enjoyed it, and now you have not posted in 4.5 months.
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