As you make your way around the world, your perspective changes. Your reality is just… different.
Like the lightening last night. I know it can’t be so, but the thunder sounded.. sharper. In Canada thunder sounds like ‘God rearranging the furniture,’ or some angry man: not saying a lot, but saying it in that deep manly rumbly, grumbly voice they have, Or Bart Simpson’s father’s stomach growling. Thunder at home sounds deep and ominous. But here.. it was shrill, sharp.. like the voices of those prostitutes ouside our tent in Dibba.. intense, screeching and possibly dangerous. Scared the heck out of me: the thunder.. not the prostitutes.. although that was wierd.
I was all over switching off the power points and getting the computer off my bed.. where I usually keep it.
Yes… I sleep with my computer. I mean I have no furniture other than my bed and often the last thing I do at night is Skype Vassi: I know- a little crazy.. and maybe too much information. Your perspective changes when you life alone.
… and have no furniture.
During the day I listen to ‘The Zoo’ on FM Radio.. Kuala Lumper. Yes.. the Zoo is everywhere! But this one.. well they are a little different. You can hear the culture of a country by it’s English Radio Station.. They have a much different sense of humour than we do in Canada.. or at least in Western Canada.. not sure about Quebec.
It is simple.. to the point. The morning announcers bug the heck out of each other.. The three stooges-like humour.. Chris would love it. And they say and do things I am pretty sure would get you fired in say.. Calgary. They insult one another, are racist, sexist.. and they feel a great desire to explain their jokes.. a few times. Given.. some of the jokes do need explaining.. but once is enough.
I can ‘see’ their heads bobbing over the radio waves.. yes.. no.. or is it no for yes?
And while they say things we would never say or hear on public radio.. they don’t talk politics or religion. No one I have spoken to does that. Some things are rather untouchable and not to be questioned. Although life here seems to go along pretty smoothly.. Lots of religions.. Hindu.. Muslim.. Buddist.. Christians.. You can see it in the architecture. And people seem happy with their government.
I know I am.. they invited me to this country after all. And I suspect it is not all about language. Along with language comes culture and Canadians have a culture of questioning: we want to know ‘why’? Why does the thunder sound different here? Why are there two big purple hotels in Tuluk Itan. Why would there even be one?
And we take personal responsibility. I mean, no one told me to move the computer off the bed or turn off the power points. I figured “electricity.. danger’.. cause and effect. In Canada, we teach our children ‘thinking’ skills. It’s just who we are.
It was all over the news yesterday: we were to report anyone selling ‘fake’ eggs.
“Fake’ eggs.. I must have heard it wrong eh.? This was the 'real' news.. there was not a twinkle of humour.. I drove just a little further down the road so I could catch that again.. ‘fake eggs’., and no, this wasn’t April 1.
But come on.. fake eggs?!?! Now THAT is pretty funny.
Good thing the headlines this morning explained that faking eggs would be a pretty expensive proposition.. they didn't say 'dumb-ass' but come on people! And they went on to let the people know the eggs were probably not ‘’fake’.. just poor quality. Ya think??!!
Sometimes it’s language.. sometimes it’s culture.. sometimes.. this world we live in is just plain crazy!
And I am lovin it!
Like the lightening last night. I know it can’t be so, but the thunder sounded.. sharper. In Canada thunder sounds like ‘God rearranging the furniture,’ or some angry man: not saying a lot, but saying it in that deep manly rumbly, grumbly voice they have, Or Bart Simpson’s father’s stomach growling. Thunder at home sounds deep and ominous. But here.. it was shrill, sharp.. like the voices of those prostitutes ouside our tent in Dibba.. intense, screeching and possibly dangerous. Scared the heck out of me: the thunder.. not the prostitutes.. although that was wierd.
I was all over switching off the power points and getting the computer off my bed.. where I usually keep it.
Yes… I sleep with my computer. I mean I have no furniture other than my bed and often the last thing I do at night is Skype Vassi: I know- a little crazy.. and maybe too much information. Your perspective changes when you life alone.
… and have no furniture.
During the day I listen to ‘The Zoo’ on FM Radio.. Kuala Lumper. Yes.. the Zoo is everywhere! But this one.. well they are a little different. You can hear the culture of a country by it’s English Radio Station.. They have a much different sense of humour than we do in Canada.. or at least in Western Canada.. not sure about Quebec.
It is simple.. to the point. The morning announcers bug the heck out of each other.. The three stooges-like humour.. Chris would love it. And they say and do things I am pretty sure would get you fired in say.. Calgary. They insult one another, are racist, sexist.. and they feel a great desire to explain their jokes.. a few times. Given.. some of the jokes do need explaining.. but once is enough.
I can ‘see’ their heads bobbing over the radio waves.. yes.. no.. or is it no for yes?
And while they say things we would never say or hear on public radio.. they don’t talk politics or religion. No one I have spoken to does that. Some things are rather untouchable and not to be questioned. Although life here seems to go along pretty smoothly.. Lots of religions.. Hindu.. Muslim.. Buddist.. Christians.. You can see it in the architecture. And people seem happy with their government.
I know I am.. they invited me to this country after all. And I suspect it is not all about language. Along with language comes culture and Canadians have a culture of questioning: we want to know ‘why’? Why does the thunder sound different here? Why are there two big purple hotels in Tuluk Itan. Why would there even be one?
And we take personal responsibility. I mean, no one told me to move the computer off the bed or turn off the power points. I figured “electricity.. danger’.. cause and effect. In Canada, we teach our children ‘thinking’ skills. It’s just who we are.
It was all over the news yesterday: we were to report anyone selling ‘fake’ eggs.
“Fake’ eggs.. I must have heard it wrong eh.? This was the 'real' news.. there was not a twinkle of humour.. I drove just a little further down the road so I could catch that again.. ‘fake eggs’., and no, this wasn’t April 1.
But come on.. fake eggs?!?! Now THAT is pretty funny.
Good thing the headlines this morning explained that faking eggs would be a pretty expensive proposition.. they didn't say 'dumb-ass' but come on people! And they went on to let the people know the eggs were probably not ‘’fake’.. just poor quality. Ya think??!!
Sometimes it’s language.. sometimes it’s culture.. sometimes.. this world we live in is just plain crazy!
And I am lovin it!
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