I hate washing-up

[blacklilly]

It was raining rather heavily as I started work yesterday and one of students came through the door, remarking on the weather:

" Isn't the weather bad?" she said.
" Well, yes, it's cold and wet. But rain in good," I said, pointing at the evidently thirsty trees outside on the street.
" Ah, you are English," she replied. In our ensuing conversation I think I put the idea in her head that English people like walking in the rain without umbrellas.

Next a private student, when I asked him what he knew about London, said: " It rains a lot."

Later that day, teaching a couple of teenage boys( we were learning about superlatives):

"What's the most popular food in England?" I asked.
" Cereal."
" Hmmm, maybe."
" Toast."
" Yeah, we like toast, but so do the Japanese."

I went on to tell them about fish and chips and we looked at a picture in their textbook. Underneath there was an information box in Japanese which told them that English food was disgusting. They found this hilarious and started making vomiting motions. "That's not true!" I said. " うそぅ!" to which they fell about laughing. I shall be having words with the textbook department about keeping their opinions to themselves.

It's still raining today. I have to clock in at work and then (hopefully) pop to Tsutaya and get a video to watch tonight, and then go to City Hall on a work errand. Then I might do the washing-up...

All this rain does make me slightly nostalgic for London.

Comments

[ex-skh293.livejournal.com]

I'm always intrigued about what other countries are told about us. Whenever I'm abroad, if I get a chance to dive into a bookshop, I'll always have a quick flick through the latest Rough Guide/Lonely Planet/local equivalent to the UK to see how we're portrayed.