things that confound me

[atomicduck]

Of course, London is an English-speaking city, so I can't say that there's culture shock of Japan proportions. I can at least mostly read the signs and speak to the natives (one would hope...), so for the most part, I don't feel like the move has really hit me yet. I mean, it feels even less foreign than Quebec. I think, also, that all major first-

Comments

[deadtree]

wow, idiosyncrasies! But I guess everyone has them xD

I can't imagine Pope-protesters though ._. That sort of thing would never happen in America xD

[atomicduck]

lol, I don't know if you mean the city has idiosyncrasies or I do, but I think both are true anyway.

Wouldn't Americans not like the Pope? Most Christians in the States are Protestant, aren't they?

[deadtree]

the city of course! Hahaha! Though I'm sure you have them... I just don't know if I know what they are xD

I guess most Americans are Protestant, but you can't PROTEST the POPE (which is funny, given the word "Protestant" lmao)... it just seems wrong! Most Americans just think of the Pope as a benign old man riding around in a golf cart wearing a funny hat. They don't think of him as having any real influence.

[atomicduck]

lolol, that is odd, given that a big root of Protestanism is anti-Papism. I think he has way more influence than any old man should, really. Having said that, I feel like at least 75% of the people who showed up to see him last weekend were just rubbernecking and nowhere near Catholics.

[raksacker]

Horchata is really good! You should try tamarindo, but nothing beats horchata.

[atomicduck]

It's so lovely! I want to be able to make it at home, but looks like I need a blender and I don't have that. :(

[bloodymarry]

Haha I never thought about the extra-free and sit-in charge thing like that. In Germany we have that as well and to me it always made sense... e.g. the sit-in charge, if you get a plate or a cup you pay for the expenses necessary to clean the stuff, or the waiter if there's one.

[atomicduck]

Hmm, I guess I understand this, because I think if we sat down in Canada in a restaurant, we'd be paying at least 15% tip to the waiter that we wouldn't in a takeaway situation. However, the tip is never stated on the menu, which makes it less confusing, maybe!

[threedee]

Hmm, is the extra fee in addition to the expected tip?

[hideincarnate]

What is horchata? =3

Hailing down a bus...like there's no STOP sign for them to stop at because it is a BUS STOP?

[atomicduck]

It's a Mexican drink made of rice. It's soooo nice. I assume you can get it way easy in America, lol. I'm so surprised it took me so long to discover it.

The buses have stops... but they won't stop AT THE STOP for you unless you hail them! Which boggles my mind, lol.

[hideincarnate]

Wiki says I can get it in Mexican restaurants or Hispanic grocery stores/convenience stores. We don't eat out often at Mexican places but the next time I do, I will try to find it on the menu and order it. (We tend to make our own tacos at home haha.)

...that is so weird! But I think that happens in Virginia too...out in Seattle they just stopped so long as you pushed the button (if on the bus) or if a person is standing there at the stop. =/

[atomicduck]

I hope I find some grocery store that sells it here. Seems easier than making it myself.

Mmm, the button thing we have in Canada too (and everywhere else I've been). I mean more like, if you want to get on the bus and you're at a stop, the bus won't automatically stop for you even though you're at the stop unless you wave your arm.

[lulucifer]

You can hail down a bus?! Seriously?? So can you hail down a bus if it's not at the stop?
What's a horchata? Wait, I see someone else also asked that questions, lol.
Pope-protesters? What did the signs say?
Oh, you finally met Sebastian? Is his name really Sebastian?

You bus and traffic comments reminded me of this video I saw. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ABniEx20dc
Not really related, but there's the Sherlock reference. Go watch! Sherlock I mean, but the video too.

[atomicduck]

No, you still have to be at a stop. But you should hail the bus to get on, even if you're at a stop.

Oh, various things. Lots of people who were with the LGBT community were protesting. Others were like, "Atheism is not Nazism", etc etc. Lots of reasons to not like the Pope!

Also, I really don't think Sebastian's name is Sebastian! We don't even know if he really has an owner. Also, I think it's actually a female cat!

I watched the video. It's sweet, but I don't get the Sherlock reference at all... :/

[lulucifer]

You can always check to see if it's a he or she, like Alex did with the Riverdale Farm cat, lol. You should follow the cat one day and see where s/he goes, maybe you'll find out if s/he has an owner.
You obviously haven't seen Sherlock or else you would get the reference, lol. So the guy that plays the bf plays John Watson in Sherlock.

[raknade]

I followed the cat as far as could be done without climbing into someone else's back garden. All I could tell is that it went into someone else's back garden.