Salutations

So, one of the things that's really caught me off guard over here is this...when people say good bye they say 'See ya soon.'

At first glance, you're probably thinking 'So what?' Let me just explain that in a work environment when a coworker or your boss says 'See ya soon', I'm instantly mentally scanning my calendar for the day thinking 'Hmmm, when is the next meeting I have with this person?' For weeks, I thought I was missing meetings or deadlines. I finally asked a coworker (after he said 'See ya soon') what exactly he meant by that. He looked at me strangely and said 'SEE YOU SOON or SEE YOU LATER'. Right, point taken. I'm an idiot.

Well, I got to thinking that there must be something that American's do that is equally confusing. Eureka! Last week I think I found one. Have you ever noticed that most Americans, no matter what the context of an email, will generally sign it 'Thanks, So-and-So'. Regardless of whether or not the person who will receive the email has done anything deserving of a Thanks....there it is at the bottom of the email. For a nation of individuals that on the whole is somewhat self-centered, why do we do that? Very strange, indeed. Wouldn't it be funny if we started signing emails with 'Your Welcome'???

Thanks,
So-and-So

Tenerife: England Away from England, with Sun

So, I know I missed out on Phelps Medal count 3-8....but how awesome was he in the Olympics????

Ah yes, the infamous summer holiday....a necessity here in England because the weather leaves much to be desired. So, took a short jaunt down to Tenerife with a few girls that I've met here for 4 days of sun, fun, and sand.

Assuming most of you are like me, you've probably not heard of Tenerife. It's a Spanish island that's about 200 miles off the coast of Morrocco. The weather was absolutely amazing...30C and sunny during the day, but cool at night. Upon landing, however, I instantly realized that Tenerife is basically England, shrunk down and moved into a warmer climate.

What exactly do I mean by that, you say. Let me explain.

-At the grocery, 50% of the food is directly imported from England

-Music played at bars and pools is from the charts in England

-There are English pubs everywhere

-You can get a Full English Breakfast at a tapas restaurant

-You can watch UK Big Brother 9 at the bar

-Most restaurants and hotels employ English workers

-Robbie Williams and Girls Aloud are available for karaoke, in English (not that I sang!)

Shall I continue?

Anyway, after being delayed by 4 hours on our way there, we got about an hour in the sun before heading out for my friend's birthday. The bartenders tactic for getting business in Tenerife is to offer a number of free drinks one night, in the hope that you'll come back another night, which worked out great for us. So, before we knew it, we were having a great night of karaoke. How can you go wrong with 'Son of a Preacher Man' and 'Don't Stop Believin'????

The next day was spent exploring, eating, and sunbathing. We definitely went and watched Big Brother at the pub (vacation will not keep us apart!). Day 3 was a blast....we got up and went on a cruise around the island. We must've really lucked out because we got to see some whales right up close! Unfortunately though, the water was really choppy, which didn't work out so well for those that were prone to seasickness:( We spent a large part of the afternoon listening to this poor girl heaving into a bag at the back of the boat. I honestly am not sure what was worse, the heaving of the sound of it hitting the bag. We did eventually get to anchor the boat and go swimming in a little cove. The water felt great..and as we were swimming, we noticed that the cove is apparently a nudist beach as well. Let me just say that it was NOT a pretty sight!

Upon returning to land, one of the girls and I discovered these enormous inflatable rock climbing walls that are anchored out in the harbor. So, despite the fact that it was filled with mostly small children, we went out there and had a blast. It was a LOT harder than I thought. Probably not very attractive in a 2-piece bathing suit, but fun! Once you climb up to the top there's a huge slide down into the water!

All in all, the trip was great...I really needed a dose of sun to perk me up! Now just another week and my parents will be here to experience all things England! Tune in later....