I am certain I mentioned that I LOVE my neighborhood before, but I can't resist mentioning it again: I LOVE my neighborhood. It is great, because there are so many twists and turns and pockets of interesting all around me. On my walk home from school, I will take a different route each time, just to see where i will end up. There are endless curvy streets, full of all sorts of shops and stands. There was a store that I passed that sells, and I kid you not, socks & hairspray & lotion. That was it. Life's essentials. There are also numerous stands selling all kinds of vegetables, from some sort of lettuce that tastes like butter lettuce, but it is not the butter lettuce I am used to. It is more of a cross between spinach and lettuce I guess. Anyway, other stands sell leeks, onions in every variety, turnips, carrots and everything else that is in season.
It is just something I am not used to. Being able to walk about a block over and have an endless supply of small little stores. It makes shopping such a unique excursion...such a pleasant excursion. It is so vastly different from going to the MEGA Marts a few miles away, to where shopping becomes this 'errand' that you have to get done. It is so much more leisure for me now. That on my way home I can meander into a small mom and pop shop to get a staple or two and the whole process was about 2 minutes, and then I am back on my path. Just a very different experience and puts you in a very different frame of mind. I can't wait until I get visitors, so I can show them around.
Random thought: At school, in the women's bathroom, the toilets are those squat toilets.....that are shaped like slippers. It is like camping, but you're doing it in your nice work clothes. It can be a little dangerous. :)
Yes, I just blogged about toilets. Sorry.
The English language is a challenge. I have been dissecting my language so intently for a few weeks now, that I am starting to get confused by it. I want to say, "JUST CUZ" to so many questions. I don't know why there is a "their, they're and there" "where" & "wear". The answer is "just cuz". What about "watch" & "watch" or "hear" & "here" or "hair" & "hare". Why are there words that are used as nouns AND verbs? Why is "i before e, except after c" a rule, but it is not always a rule? It is only a rule, most of the time? Don't worry, I don't say, "just cuz" to any of the questions, but I think it. And if I was to say it, I would say, "The answer is just because" since we are trying to teach them to use complete sentences, and well, "cuz" is not really a word. :)
One thing I am grateful for is, that I already know this language. I would truly hate to learn it, with all of its obscure intricacies. I guess I should also be grateful that someone is willing to set me up in their country with a great little apartment & give me a job with all expenses paid because I have, in endless supply, something that they want. In some ways I feel fortunate that I am a native speaker of a language that so many people want to learn, and will pay you well for some of the knowledge.
It is just something I am not used to. Being able to walk about a block over and have an endless supply of small little stores. It makes shopping such a unique excursion...such a pleasant excursion. It is so vastly different from going to the MEGA Marts a few miles away, to where shopping becomes this 'errand' that you have to get done. It is so much more leisure for me now. That on my way home I can meander into a small mom and pop shop to get a staple or two and the whole process was about 2 minutes, and then I am back on my path. Just a very different experience and puts you in a very different frame of mind. I can't wait until I get visitors, so I can show them around.
Random thought: At school, in the women's bathroom, the toilets are those squat toilets.....that are shaped like slippers. It is like camping, but you're doing it in your nice work clothes. It can be a little dangerous. :)
Yes, I just blogged about toilets. Sorry.
The English language is a challenge. I have been dissecting my language so intently for a few weeks now, that I am starting to get confused by it. I want to say, "JUST CUZ" to so many questions. I don't know why there is a "their, they're and there" "where" & "wear". The answer is "just cuz". What about "watch" & "watch" or "hear" & "here" or "hair" & "hare". Why are there words that are used as nouns AND verbs? Why is "i before e, except after c" a rule, but it is not always a rule? It is only a rule, most of the time? Don't worry, I don't say, "just cuz" to any of the questions, but I think it. And if I was to say it, I would say, "The answer is just because" since we are trying to teach them to use complete sentences, and well, "cuz" is not really a word. :)
One thing I am grateful for is, that I already know this language. I would truly hate to learn it, with all of its obscure intricacies. I guess I should also be grateful that someone is willing to set me up in their country with a great little apartment & give me a job with all expenses paid because I have, in endless supply, something that they want. In some ways I feel fortunate that I am a native speaker of a language that so many people want to learn, and will pay you well for some of the knowledge.
Definitely agree on what a privilege it is to be here. You realize what an advantage you have just being a native English speaker. I definitely don't feel English is an easy language to learn. I also realize that I have to simplify so much of my language as I'm teaching and talking co-workers.
ReplyDeleteOh, and about the toilets at the schools, those took me by surprise too! I was like, "What in the world?!!" But I've gotten used to them, somewhat... Still getting used to the not flushing the TP too. Maybe some of the lecturers didn't think it was a big deal, but I just wish at orientation had said something about the squat toilets.