[tessa]

Originally Posted by Gummy-Bear

What shocked you most about the USA? I waiter friend of mine is from China and said the most surprising thing was how different everyone looked. Like hair and skin color.

when i was in india i attracted a lot of attention, especially with kiddies, im short , blonde, round and very freindly i looked very different to what they were used to , especially in some of the places where there didnt seem to be a big tourist industry. I had so many families and other people want to have their photos with me , and i held so many beautiful indian babies , who were fascinated by my hair and the colour of my skin, it was quite endearing really.
For me some of the biggest culture shocks when i went there were things like the poverty and the dreadful amounts of plastic rubbish everywhere, its made me much more greener (not that im a card carrying scary greeny) back home and seeing all the cows roaming around the streets was really interesting.
I just loved India and cant wait to go back

[OregonYeti]

When I was growing up in India, in the 60's and 70's, foreigners were rare there. Foreigners rarely visited my home state of Assam, and there were only a few American missionary families in the whole state. We were used to getting stared at a lot, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as it might sound.

Those people staring at us usually were really happy to have a conversation. They were not only fascinated, but very friendly as well.

Once I went bicycle riding through town, and when I got back home I had lost my wallet. I was just a kid but had more money on me than ever, about $5, which goes a long way in India. I considered my money gone forever. The next day I rode through town again and a shopkeeper yelled to me "hey, come here". He gave me my wallet and all the money, which was probably a day's earnings for him.

In big cities people may not be as good natured, I don't know. But I loved where I grew up.

[tessa]

im so cold , i really hate winter wish it were summer
couldnt be bothered cooking dinner tonight, so had some mac n cheese which was from a pack and and tasted gross,
oh well im sure the cats will eat it

[Gummy-Bear]

All of the Chinese people at my work are in love with my hair, it's a light brown with natural highlights and very soft thanks to expensive conditioners. They like to brush it and pet it, I don't mind though, it feels great.

It's summer here, and a hot one. We've been in a drought with water rationing for about 2 months. We can still shower whenever we need to, but we can only water our lawns Wednesdays and Saturdays. We've been up in the 100's too but it looks like rain today, hopefully it will give in.

[OregonYeti]

Check this out, major brawn. This dog has a genetic defect. This is from Popular Science magazine.

[tessa]

oooohhh thats just ugly, its like the Arnold Swarzenegger of the dog world

[OregonYeti]

Is there a term for how onions are usually cut in India . . . well I guess I should say in my experience in India. They are intentionally not sliced to an even thickness. They are sliced so that they are thin down to nothing at the ends, and thicker in the middle. That way, when they are fried there is both a carmelized part and a softer part. Many Indian dishes need both these onion flavors. I just thought of it now because I am cooking onions that way.

[OregonYeti]

I guess there isn't a term for that kind of onion slicing, oh well.

[OregonYeti]

Dear Walter: I hope you can help me here. The other day I set off for
work leaving my husband in the house watching the TV as usual. I hadn't
gone more than a mile down the road when my engine conked out and the
car shuddered to a halt. I walked back home to get my husband's help.

When I got home I couldn't believe my eyes. He was in our bedroom with
the neighbor lady. I am 32, my husband is 34, and we have been married
for twelve years. When I confronted him, he admitted that they had been
having an affair for the past six months. I told him to stop or I would
leave him. He was let go from his job six months ago, and he says he has
been feeling increasingly depressed and worthless. I love him very
much, but ever since I gave him the ultimatum he has become increasingly
distant. He won't go to counseling and I'm afraid I can't get through to
him anymore. Can you please help?

Sincerely,
Distraught in North Carolina


Dear Distraught: A car stalling after being driven a short distance can
be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking that
there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum
pipes and hoses on the intake manifold and also check all grounding
wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that
the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the
carburetor float chamber.

I hope this helps.

Walter

[Ninja_59]

This goes for me in the morning

[Gummy-Bear]

Originally Posted by OregonYeti

Dear Walter: I hope you can help me here. The other day I set off for
work leaving my husband in the house watching the TV as usual. I hadn't
gone more than a mile down the road when my engine conked out and the
car shuddered to a halt. I walked back home to get my husband's help.

When I got home I couldn't believe my eyes. He was in our bedroom with
the neighbor lady. I am 32, my husband is 34, and we have been married
for twelve years. When I confronted him, he admitted that they had been
having an affair for the past six months. I told him to stop or I would
leave him. He was let go from his job six months ago, and he says he has
been feeling increasingly depressed and worthless. I love him very
much, but ever since I gave him the ultimatum he has become increasingly
distant. He won't go to counseling and I'm afraid I can't get through to
him anymore. Can you please help?

Sincerely,
Distraught in North Carolina


Dear Distraught: A car stalling after being driven a short distance can
be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking that
there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum
pipes and hoses on the intake manifold and also check all grounding
wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that
the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the
carburetor float chamber.

I hope this helps.

Walter

That's hilarious. I laughed for a good 20 minutes. Thanks!

[OregonYeti]

I visited France in 2000. My sister (who goes by "anondi" here) and my brother-in-law lived in a small town near Perigeux. I had a fantastic time.

Arriving in Bordeaux, I had brought some northwest (USA) microbrews for them, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to claim them at customs. I think I was the only one on the whole plane who stopped at customs, and the officers there had an attitude like "Why are you bothering us?"

People there smoked right under no-smoking signs in the airport, so I followed suit.

My one big supermarket trip, getting stuff to bring back the the US, was great. When I went to pay for my stuff the lines were long. The store's computer system had gone down and they were estimating prices and adding things up with calculators. When they asked me about prices, I had no idea for most things, since I wasn't used to Francs and hadn't paid attention. They guessed everything low, giving me the benefit of the doubt. I had picked some Bushmills Black whisky for my brother-in-law's birthday present, and got it for about half price--that price I did remember. I got some French Nestle pistachio praline-filled chocolate bars, and they were fantastic

I found out that all the big deal about French food and wines was true. The beer there was great, though the selection of types was limited compared to here (which is why my hosts requested some from here).

I'd love to go back some time.

[amazingrace]

Originally Posted by OregonYeti

That I've pondered since you brought it up. My dad's a minister and he never mentioned that. Does that mean God loves the blue collar workers or that God doesn't like unemployed people or what? Just curious.

God appreciates a good work ethic.

2 Thes 3:10 "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat."

At the same time, we are also commanded to help those who have fallen on hard times, through no fault of their own. Notice that the above verse says will not work, not cannot work.

[OregonYeti]

I had lunch Tuesday at a place in the middle of nowhere. It was a beautiful part of central Oregon.

They had an espresso menu with "Camel Latte". They left an "R" out. I was tempted to ask the server/cashier about it, but let it go. I wanted to know what the camel flavor was made from.

[OregonYeti]

I had a digital camera and wanted to take a pic, but these people were nice and I didn't want to be rude.