We're back in the U.S. after 9 months of living in Belgium, and we can't help but compare everything about the two countries. It's only natural, I suppose.
But, there is one difference which has really caught me off guard. I didn't realize I was going to be so overwhelmed with all of the choices. We went to Wal-Mart the other day for the first time, and I got a headache from all of the possibilities. You want crackers? Well, make your selection from this nearly 1/4 of a mile long aisle of ONLY crackers: cheese, Ranch-flavored, peanut butter, lowfat, nonfat, salted, unsalted, organic, bite size, round, square.... There were about 10 varieties of crackers in our grocery store in Belgium, so it wasn't that difficult to make a decision. It's going to take some getting used to, I think.
One time, I read somewhere that people tend to be happiest when they have a fewer amount of choices. I am wondering if there is some truth to that.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
What's in a Name?
Today, Sam and I went to a nearby discount store to get some toys for our flight back to the U.S. One of my friends here had the absolutely brilliant idea of giving each of her kids one, small wrapped present for each hour of their flight to the States. Seeing how the trip back to Chicago will be about 9 hours, I need to have some type of game plan, and this sounds great!
During checkout at the store, the employee began general chit-chat with me. She asked what my son's name was, and when I replied, "Sam," she looked somewhat perplexed. She tried to repeat his name, doing so incorrectly. I said it again and spelled it, although it didn't seem to ring a bell with her. Next, she inquired if we spoke English--and if we were British or American, so as to try to ascertain some type of meaning from his name.
This is the first time I can truly remember someone not having heard this name before--it's so common in English. It's crazy that his name was so foreign to her! It's such a familiar and dear word to me.
There are certain French names which perplex me, too. For example, the name "Michel", which is pronounced "Mee-shell," sounds feminine to an English speaker. But this is a masculine name.
Even my name is sometimes difficult for French speakers. When it's written, it looks a lot like the French phrase "I like."
It's definitely fascinating for me to think about how much names can be linked to a culture...an ethnicity...a nationality. There's more meaning behind the names we were given...much more than I realized.
During checkout at the store, the employee began general chit-chat with me. She asked what my son's name was, and when I replied, "Sam," she looked somewhat perplexed. She tried to repeat his name, doing so incorrectly. I said it again and spelled it, although it didn't seem to ring a bell with her. Next, she inquired if we spoke English--and if we were British or American, so as to try to ascertain some type of meaning from his name.
This is the first time I can truly remember someone not having heard this name before--it's so common in English. It's crazy that his name was so foreign to her! It's such a familiar and dear word to me.
There are certain French names which perplex me, too. For example, the name "Michel", which is pronounced "Mee-shell," sounds feminine to an English speaker. But this is a masculine name.
Even my name is sometimes difficult for French speakers. When it's written, it looks a lot like the French phrase "I like."
It's definitely fascinating for me to think about how much names can be linked to a culture...an ethnicity...a nationality. There's more meaning behind the names we were given...much more than I realized.
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