Gettin' cultured

Part of the reason that we started this blog was to keep our friends and family updated on our travels. I know we haven't been as diligent as we should, but to be fair, we aren't leaving the country until around Thanksgiving. Still, we have had plenty of opportunities to get some international exposure living here.

For example, a few weeks ago we visited some embassies. Two to be exact. The Trinidad and Tobago embassy was exciting. It had lots of music and Caribbean food for sale. Of course, it also had Jacob's favorite part-- the half naked dancers showing off their culture. After watching for a while, it was off to another country-- Australia.

This one was completely different. In line, we were treated to a taste of Vegemite, an Australian delicacy that they told us they used instead of butter or peanut butter on their morning toast. Neither Jacob nor Benjy became a fan. Of course, the line was really long to get in for the open house, so Lisa and Benjy and Andrew decided to wait outside while Jacob and I took a tour of the land down under. Once inside a man with an accent akin to the crocodile hunter's informed us that they had face painting on one side, and lizards, snakes and other animals to play with on the other. Jacob, predictably, was beside himself. Had he been sucked into the dream world of every 6-year-old boy? Yes, yes he had. "What do you want to do?" I asked. To which he responded, "Can I get my face painted first, and then play with the snakes?" That was the plan. However, Benjy had other plans. As two-year-old's often do, Benjy had changed his mind a little too late, and at that moment, had hurled himself to the sidewalk and proceeded to throw the tantrum of his life. Just as Jacob was to have his face painted, Lisa called-- get out here now. For some reason she was having trouble trying to carry both a screaming Benjy and Andrew, who was now hungry, and desperately needed my help. Fortunately, we were not charged for the international phone call that I received in Australia.

Usually we don't even have to go as far as an embassy visit to get some foreign culture. The pool at our apartment complex has actually become quite the international experience. As you can imagine, when the US government sends single young men and women overseas, many of them return with new eligible family members, or EFMs as the State Department would label them. Since the dating pool can be somewhat shallow in the American end abroad, our pool at the apartment complex is now full of foreign-born spouses and their dual-citizen, bilingual children. Half the time I have no idea what is being said around me, but even in a foreign language, I can tell when a kid is getting in trouble. That mother tone is the same in every language. Even the lifeguards are foreign. It's a little weird to have lifeguards checking their Blackberrys on duty while chatting with each other in some Slavic language and occasionally yelling out the English words, "No running!" At least I can be sure they will save the drowning child-- or not. (Lisa pulled a two-year-old out of the water a couple of weeks ago. The lifeguards never noticed anything was wrong).

Finally, this post could not be complete without mentioning that it is World Cup time. Yes, the World Cup. That magical time every four years when soccer becomes football, even in the United States, and the rest of the world gets to patronize us about the fact that most Americans are surprised to hear that we even have a U.S. Soccer team. When they do find out, I'm sure that they are thinking: "If it is our team, they must be good, right? We are awesome at everything." No, apparently, we are awesome at everything but soccer. At soccer, we are only mediocre. For example, 4 years ago we got sent packing by Ghana.

For my part, I have been trying to watch games on Univision to expand my Spanish and understand some more culture-- except for when I actually need the commentators to explain the rules to me, which they don't do in the Spanish version. The Spanish commentators also don't ask the question of how the U.S. will do or about the growing popularity of U.S. soccer every three minutes. That stuff is saved for an American audience that still doesn't understand the difference between the yellow card and the red card or what a set piece is or even the fact that you really only get 1 point for a goal with no chance for an extra point afterward. Not to mention the fact that there can be a tie and that only the referee knows how much time is actually remaining to play. Most of what I understand on Univision, is – “The ball was kicked left (or right) and the score is 0-0.” I probably get more Spanish practice from the commercials for McDonald’s, Wal-mart, and Fanta.

However, when you watch World Cup games in Spanish, you do get to hear the announcers actually say "Goooooooooooool!" (Notice that there is no 'A'. It's Spanish). It is awesome. I think the guy actually said it for a minute and a half when Brazil scored today. I thought it was so cool that I tried to reenact it for Lisa. She didn't think it was cool at all--just annoying.

So for now, I will continue with my language learning and looking for ways to get exposure to new and exciting cultures. Also, I will probably continue to watch World Cup matches for the next month while Lisa mutters in the other room about how she thought I would be tired of it by now, because she definitely IS.