Cindylou Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 Not really a story about culture shock, although the lady concerned considered herself cultured and she did give us a shock. A very prim and proper lady from the school of "no sex please we're British" (although she is SAcan) spent the morning going through a newspaper's motoring section and circling all the sports car adverts as a not too subtle hint for her husband. Telling us about this she added that she had put "ejaculation mark, ejaculation mark, ejaculation mark" next to each suitable ad. Yeeha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serileen Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 I think if a male manages to get into the ladies lounge, we should tie him down, and tickle him with a feather! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serileen Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 NOW THERE IS AN IDEA...NAUGHTY ARE YOU MARA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZHigh Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 (edited) OK.Good one Cindylou I saw 'No sex please we're British' in London in the mid to late eighties. It was hilarious. Edited March 16, 2006 by NZHigh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zappa Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 hi, interesting...i'm looking forward to the "culture shocks" which awaits me. oz i'm sure will not be too bad, just the company i'll be working for will be sending me to many places like singapore, thailand, korea, dubai, angola, nigeria, etc, wherever there is a big shipyard and/or oil fields, i'll probably visit at some point. SS, was supposed to go on a job to korea once before but went to afghanistan instead but heard from my colleugue who went in my place (and is very well travelled) that korea is the strangest place he's ever been to. but not in a bad way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Hi SerileenNah, not naughty, but at 57, just reminis.. think.. ag man just trying to remember! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serileen Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 :hug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 I see that I have been missing out on all the fun here.. Culture shock and language-have to tell you a story about my mother Mother dearest is South African but moved to Norway when she met my dad. So life goes on and she learns to speak Norwegian, makes friends-the usual stuff.The neighbour (my Godmother) used to have these weekly 'symøter' which is like a 'sowing club meeting' ala 'book club' meeting (you know what I mean?). Anyway mum had saved up for this chest of drawers that she wanted to buy and finally she could buy it so she was very excited. She decided to share this exciting news with the ladies at the meeting.... after all....they were always so friendly and asking her questions trying to start a conversation etc.Now a chest of drawers in Norwegian is a 'kommode'(that's pronounced like coooooomoode and a condom is pronounced cooooondoom (yes you read right)So she proudly started telling them in Norwegian how she had been looking for so long to find the right size 'condom' because my dad wanted a really big one that could fit everything. And finally she had found one and she was so excited because they were going to use it as soon as she got home. She just wanted to 'wipe it down first' before they used it.Well..... there was silence..then the laughter errupted as they realiesed that she had confused the words. My poor mother still remembers it as one of the most embarrasing moments of her life.I've really enjoyed this thread. Caroline this is prescious to me because I've done something similarly embarrasing. One day at work a Belgian friend of mine teasingly asked me whether I could still remember how to say a certain simple sentence in French (a language I'd learnt as a child but hadn't used for years) and this phrase just popped up in my mind. Without analysing the phrase to try and make sense of it first I said it, believing it to be the right thing (after all it was the first thing I thought of when I heard this sentence), but as the words came out of my mouth I realised with absolute horror that I had just said something very, very embarrasing which wasn't what I'd wanted to say in the least. Oh, if I could just rewind that moment and keep my mouth shut! His reaction was priceless as he tried to sit down in surprise and missed his chair completely - causing all of our English-speaking friends in the lunch room, none of whom had understood what I'd said, to ask him with much interest what I'd said to cause this reaction. OOOH, I wished the earth would swallow me in that instant and I think my beetroot-red face must have made them even more curious and suspicious. Luckily he was a very discreet friend and he just laughed it off and never told a soul, but I still cringe everytime I think of that moment and my acute embarrasment. The worst moment for me in my Aussie adventure was when I walked into my first mall. I hate shopping because I think it's a collosal waste of time so I've learnt how to be a very efficient mall-rat. I want to know exactly where everything is so that I can park close, run in, shop and run out again. Imagine my distress when I found myself in need of some new clothes for work urgently, but unable to find a shop that sold business wear in a brand new mall. I like to buy quality clothes and here I was at a loss, I didn't know the brands or even where to start looking. My kingdom for a SAcan Woollies store! It might not be the worst thing that's ever happened to me, but it was the moment when I realised I wasn't on African soil anymore and I broke out in tears, to my husband's surprise and distress, right in the mall in front of a tatoo shop, of all places. This was my "Dorothy-you're-no-longer-in-Kansas-moment" and it was such a shock to stand there and realise I'd spent all day trying to find some decent basic things which I would have been able to buy within 60 seconds flat at home and I was nowhere closer to getting it hours later than I'd been when I started out that morning. Then there's the language barrier. Now I thought moving to an English speaking country would pose no problems seeing as I'm an English speaking gal, but was I wrong! Even now, three years later, I sometimes find myself in a conversation and realise I'd just said something to the other person that could just as well have been in Greek for all that they understood of it. My use of SA terminology, proverbs and -slang that is as foreign to these people as another language is still my biggest hurdle in communication. I sometimes have to think really hard about what I am about to say before saying it to ensure I'm getting the correct message accross. So I appreciate spending some time with another expat who actually understands a silly little thing like saying I'll be with you now-now and such which leave the Aussies confused and slightly bewildered. I couldn't believe how happy I was to find my first bottle of Mrs Balls chutney and my first bottle of Appletizer in our local Coles. Happy days indeed. Not that I don't appreciate the fabulous cultural diversity of Melbourne. I just love the different food types and flavours that come with such a diversity of cultures, but there can be only One when it comes to chutney. Nothing else is quite the same with my Bobotie and rice. On Monday I'll be taking maize porrige balls and sheba to the office for the local vegetarians to sample. I wish I had mini black cast-iron pot to present it in as I'm sure they will love it. I'm adding my bit to this diverse culture and loving every minute of the exchange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Seoul Sister Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 Hi there,Zappa, cool, if you ever come to Korea, lemme know, if I'm still here I would love to show you around ! Hey Van,I enjoyed your posting, good on you for spreading the word on fabulous SA cuisine ! You also have me curious about the French sentence now... LoveSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted March 20, 2006 Report Share Posted March 20, 2006 VanHey girl.... you leave us hanging here man You have to tell us what that french sentence was...... pleeezee.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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