10. Indian buffet
9. Stacks of Mexican tortillas that cost a buck (it's like a dollar apiece here)
8. One-piece bathing suits
7. Having my mom section my grapefruit for me
6. Free public restrooms
5. Making jokes that other people think are funny
4. Drive-thru coffee. Drive-thru anything, for that matter.
3. Saying simply "Hello?" when I answer the phone and being able to understand the person on the other line.
2. Applebee's half-priced appetizers (Nicole, we're totally splitting a veggie patch pizza when I come home!)
1. Peanut butter, esp PB with chocolate
These are some of the things I think about regularly, paticularly the food items :o) Peanut butter landed as #1 because I had no idea how strongly I felt about it until I found myself amongst people with absolutely no appreciation for the stuff! Last week I was actually angry because a Swiss man could not understand the concept of PB with chocolate. He tried to compare a Reese's Peanutbutter Cup to a chocolate-covered peanut! I'm sure I sound ridiculous, but I find that it's these little things that I can't explain that make me feel alone and culturally frustrated.
I got to have an "American moment" last week though. My housemate Marian can't get over the fact that I tried Nutella (creamy chocolate and hazelnut spread) with peanut butter. I can't get over the fact that it seems weird to her. Marian recently returned from Holland where she recounted my horrible act to her family. Apparently they responded with stunned silence. I love the image of this serious Dutch family stupified over my American antics :o) The best part of the story is this: I was with 2 other Americans at the university and told them this story and they both exclaimed, "Oh! Nutella with peanutbutter is great!" Nobody ever told us to eat them together, it just came naturally!
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2 comments:
ahhhhh... I miss Nutella & PB! Don't take it for granted! :)
I greatly appreciate your "taken for granted" moments. I'm kind of surprised that fresh squeezed OJ isn't on there. But maybe that's available in Switzerland? No caffienated beverages such as Dr Pepper or Mt. Dew either? Well, I guess it was only a top ten list...
Hey babe! What I can't believe is that you have given up cheese and dairy. Doesn't sound as if it is easy to find queso fundido in Switzerland though! Interestingly enough, John and I used to have Raclette at his friend's parents' house (Remember Vincent from the wedding?), and I loved it. You did, however, forget to mention that the whole house ends up smelling like cheese! I am hoping dairy-free diet isn't permanent though, as you will always brie my favorite person to eat cheese with!
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