What's in a name?

What's in a name?

That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet... this is according to Shakespeare. I on the other hand have a different point of view... Most of us live our daily lives in a flurry of motion we eat, speak, work and continue to rush through our daily routines giving very little thought to the world around us. Surprisingly much of our world is shaped by language and our surroundings are interpreted by us through words. Since I am a stranger in a new land I am sensitive to all the various changes in my environment and one of the most notable changes is the difference in language. Look I know you might be saying to yourself right now.. language? How can that be? Don't they speak English in England? And this is where I would kindly agree and disagree with you for it is not as black and white as English or non-English even though it is the language I have spoken from birth there is a dialect of sorts here that must be learned. Lets take food for an example, you peel and cut a potato place it in hot oil until it is delightfully golden and crisp and there you have a ______. If you are my American friends you would have said fry or fries but in England the very same food is called chips. Whoa Whoa Whoa... if fries are chips then what are chips? Crisps. Fries are Chips, Chips are Crisps and Jell-O is Jelly and Jelly is Jam. Buns are Breadcakes, Biscuits are Cookies and Candy is Sweets... and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Even if it's not called by another name then the pronunciation or spelling is different making it almost another word all together. Just a few words that I have been laughed at for my American version (tomato, potato, aluminum, nike, adidas, banana, vacation (holiday), restroom (toilet), trash (rubbish), trashcan (bin)..etc.) Oh and here's a tip: if someone asks you if you want a brew... do not expect a beer they mean a cup of tea! Every day I am discovering new differences in language and slowly learning to become fluent in British-English but it might take longer than expected. So in answer to the question... a chip is just a crisp and it takes just as good.. (in fact they have amazing flavors here such as smoky bacon and roast chicken!) Goodbye or "Tarrah" (ter-ah) for now!

New Beginnings...

In my final days of American living I find myself trying to prepare myself for the unknown and unknowable. I try to imagine what my new life in England... will it resemble the whimsy of Narnia, the romance of Notting Hill or (insert other lovable English setting film here.) The more my mind wanders the more I begin to realize there really is no way to prepare myself for what is my new life will be. I can drink tea, lock myself in stand in freezers, practice my accent but these things will not in themselves acclimate me to England. While sorting through my various belongings I find myself astonished by my odd attachment to clothing and the massive amount of items I have accumulated over the years. To be honest, with every item I sold or threw away I felt a freedom from the burden that is also created by these things. Condensing my life into two suitcases has been frustrating but a surreal and rewarding challenge. No matter what eclectic mix of emotions I have felt during this process I continue to feel excited and hopeful for my new future. Moving 5,000 miles to establish myself in a new country is one small step for me and one giant leap for... well I am not sure exactly how it goes or if it certainly applies here but when in Rome...