I’ve been living in an international community for 12 weeks, and to celebrate that here are twelve ways I know that I’m not in Texas anymore:
1. “Shame” rhymes with “again” in worship music.
2. Lunch is peanut butter and jam and Kraft dinner instead of peanut butter and jelly and mac n cheese.
3. Nobody (except for you) thinks twice about a “torch” being on a packing list.
4. Everybody offers you a hot drink (coffee, tea, milo?) after dinner (which is called supper or tea depending on your passport country).
5. Neighbour, centre and Saviour aren’t misspelled.
6. You turn your head and ask, “Do they have that in Germany?” during conversation.
7. The name Josias starts with the sound “ewe.”
8. Others stop conversation and mimic you when you say “y’all.”
9. Student examples of times that require patience all involve a foreign airport.
10. Within weeks of being here, you are writing the date as day, month, year and that other way looks very funny.
11. You celebrate Thanksgiving in October and November.
12. Vegemite is in the grocery store, and people buy it.