2018. Happy New Year America. It’s been hard and I am still learning to live here. And there are things I have discovered.

American Doors: I still have difficulty negotiating doors in commercial establishments (when the doors are NOT automatic)

Look I never put much thought in opening doors in other countries. I just randomly pushed every door.  Unless there was SIGN on the door that said “Pull” or “Push”.

But here it seems the rules are strict.  You _____ to enter and ____ to exit and I still haven’t grasped it.  Push to enter ? Pull to exit ? or is it the other way around ? Bah!

Till then I can continue to amuse the locals I guess.

American Paper : Did you know the mail here is very sharp ? Seriously.

I grew up in India, lived most of my adult life in Hong Kong and have travelled and worked around the world.  I worked in an office and I opened mail, carelessly all the time.

But boy oh boy 2017 in America was the 1 year in my life that I received the MOST paper cuts.  I constantly cut my fingers with the mail I opened.

What is it with this razor sharp paper ? Don’t we have enough violence in the world ?

American Hair:  Ok ok this just might be Kirkland ( Greater Seattle) hair.

I walk a lot. As a couple we walk where ever we can. 2 miles to Safeway ? Lets walk ! It’s probably the Hong Kong influence in me and my husband’s English genes.

Anyway for the past 1 year the 1 thing I find on the road are hair ties.

Not dog poo (thank god) but hair ties. Not torn ones but complete ones!

I am NOT joking. Within a 1 mile radius you will find at least 7 hair ties.  I mean how can you not know when your pony tail has come lose and your hair is whipping your face as you are on your run ?

My husband even said ‘maybe its from dogs’. You know those handbag dogs with fancy hair styles ? But I haven’t seen any dogs with hair-clips, bows or hair ties.

My only explanation is people in Kirkland WA have VERY silky hair!

There you go , the mostest first world issue of All first world issues in a first world country !

American Pronunciation:  I probably shouldn’t lump this observation as ‘American’ pronunciation because it is only some people, but I did anyway. You know, artistic license and all that!

So here goes; 3 words that take me right back to India.

Did you notice how certain Americans pronounce Police as Powh-liss ? Watch Live PD  on A&E and you will know what I am saying. 🙂

That takes me right back to the streets of Bombay. The local Marathi man on the street, ‘son-of-the-soil’ pronounces police (po-lees) Powh-liss.

And when I heard ‘aks’ instead of Ask,  I thought I had gone right back to Goa, India.

I honestly thought the Goans in India were the only people in the world most likely to say ‘aks’ then American TV proved me wrong. ( The other astonishing find was ” Thank-S God” too )

And then the last one is Nervous. I was watching Homeland Security or Border Security JFK and the customs officers were all so Nair-Viss. I was like WHAT ! You too ?

I thought school girls in Delhi were the only ones who were oh so Nair-viss. Them and customs officers in New York apparently.

It’s the ‘Viss’ (hiss) as opposed to the ‘Vous’ that annoys me !

And so life and learnings of a recent immigrant continues, and the feeling that I will never solve the hair tie mystery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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