Novelty

I haven't been writing much (or rather, writing much of interest) in this blog any more. I suppose the novelty of my time abroad has worn off. Upon reflection though, there are still little things that trip me up. A customer and I had an exchange the other day when he came up to the bar and asked for a "biro" (pronounced "buy-roh"), as in "can I borrow a biro?" "a what?" "a biro" "a WHAT?" "a BIRO! you know, to write with?" "oh. A pen." England also isn't that new to me. Not that I assume to understand every nuance of the culture. And I am not saying that in a world-weary jet-setter type of "oh, England is soooo passe" manner. It's just not exotic. At all. Possibly because of the exchange of television shows and movies and books that goes on between the countries. Because we all speak the same language, therefor it's easy to sell such things to the other country (no need to translate much, just turn "snogging" into "making out" and "pen" into "biro"). Though here we get into the murky world of whether tv is a reflection of what a culture is or if it makes culture or if it presents a picture of said society's morals and mores (I can tell you stories of incredibly isolated Alaskans being into hard-core rap, when you initially think to yourself "where the hell would they have heard that? much less had the chance to buy the cd" and then remember MTV and Borders. Even Alaska has MTV and a Borders, even thought it may be a 7 hour drive to get there. And guess what? So does Cambridge). While we were in Madrid, Nick asked me why it felt like he hadn't really gone anywhere. He disagreed with me when I said that I thought it was because he was seeing something only slightly different through his same eyes. For me that may be why my experiences aren't new anymore. Though England is an overwhelmingly new place to be, I am still myself. I am still mentally Emily with Emily's problems and frustrations and eccentricities, even if I am physically in England. Now that I can anticipate people's reactions and can count out money without fumbling over the coins I see everything through the same lens, and I still have the same reactions to things. Maybe I have set down some tiny roots into Cambridge, at least as far as routine is concerned. I know where to buy good coffee, and where I am going tomorrow to buy new bathing suit bottoms, where to take Hannah so that she can walk around (and I can can get a good cup of coffee). England has gotten just a little bit comfy.

But don't get me wrong, I would never want to live here for more than a few months.