Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 308

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. What color is prominent in your home? Are you glad about that or wishing you could cover it up or remove it?

2. What's something you'll NEVER do again?

3. Tell us a couple of ways you fit the stereotypes associated with your gender, and a couple of ways you don't.

4. May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. Have you ever owned a motorcycle? Ever ridden a motorcycle? If the opportunity presented itself would you hop on a motorcycle and go for a ride?

5. If someone wanted to understand you, what should they read, watch, and listen to?

6.  Insert your own random thought here.
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From California to the New York Island

Yesterday I answered questions in the weekly random dozen and one of those questions has stayed with me. It was this- ‘Are you more of a NY or California type?’ And I guess I should say that its really the answers to that question that have stayed with me. Its funny that most people who played along instantly thought California=sunny beaches, laid back people and warm weather all the time and New York=busy crowded streets and loud aggressive types.

I’ve never lived in California but its true the first thing that popped into my head was sunny beaches. I have lived on the East Coast and currently am just a hop skip and a traffic jam away from New York City but the question didn’t even say NY City…just NY. Pretty much everyone read it and immediately thought city.

I think one of the lessons living in an international community has taught me is not to make assumptions about people based on stereotype. I’m not at all criticizing anyone from yesterday. I get it...for the most part people were thinking of the weather and based their answers on that or the idea that Californians are laid back and New Yorkers aren’t. I will just point out though that Northern California is known for some pretty good skiing and the Hamptons are not too shabby if we’re talking beaches. And I’m pretty sure that Silicon Valley houses more than a few driven types and Warwick NY is sleepy town USA.

The question made me pause yesterday. I thought about it before I answered and I'm not so sure I would have a few years ago. As Americans living in England we were sometimes on the receiving end of a few stereotypes. I attended a field trip with my daughter's 8^th grade class shortly after arriving in the UK and a speaker from a middle eastern country informed the students he wouldn’t want to live in America because it’s not safe to go out after dark. You might be shot-everyone owns a gun right? The kids were bewildered. They laughed. This was not the America they knew unless you count paintball and water cannons. My husband took part in some team building ‘events’ during a work conference with people from all around Europe and his team insisted he take the golf shot because 'he’s American and don’t we play a lot of golf'?

And no one has a passport?

And everyone is really loud?

And they all dislike George Bush?

And they don’t know anything about politics outside of their own country?

Those are a few that come to mind. Of course we weren’t innocent either. We had the notion like most people I think that the Brits are all reserved and not terribly friendly and the food would be not so great and the weather would be dismal. Oh wait. That bit about the weather was mostly true. And I guess in most stereotypes there is a kernel of truth, which is how they got to be stereotypes in the first place.

I find myself giving more thought to my interactions with people these days, taking in what I know of their background, pronouncing observations less broadly. We were often called upon to ‘defend’ Americanisms…to point out that yes, some Americans are loud, especially tourists on the tube in London which could sometimes make me cringe and want to fake a British accent, but not all Americans are loud. Some are gentle and soft spoken. And plenty have passports we’d say, as we pointed out that a flight from NY to California requires no passport yet takes several hours and does indeed cross a few time zones. And obviously not everyone dislikes George Bush because he was elected President of the United States. Twice. And as for politics…well, America is a great big country and I think we can agree that just keeping up with our own political nonsense is a full time job these days. In fact lately Americans seem to be tuning in more closely than ever before.

We had to face our pre-conceived ideas about the British too. The day after we moved into our house in the UK my British next door neighbor arrived at the front door with a cake. It was wonderful as were most things we ate over there. Ask me about English cream, sausage and mash, sticky toffee pudding and scones with clotted cream and jam. My across the street neighbor took me shopping in Windsor my first week in the village…just a fun day out to show me the route and the best places to go. Are the British more reserved than Americans? In general yes. Are they unfriendly? No. Some are, some aren’t. Just like Americans. And the Dutch. And South Africans. And so on. I remember quite clearly a misunderstanding I had with a German friend. She became quite angry and later apologized. She explained with some embarrassment that it was her English (or lack thereof) that was at the heart of the matter. She interpreted something in a way it wasn’t intended yet she hadn’t wanted to tell me she really didn’t understand what I was saying. She worried so about her English. She didn’t want me judging her. And the whole time we were talking all I was thinking is wow, I wish I spoke three languages like she does.

The world is huge. That sounds so simple and in essence it is. We don’t all approach life or hardship or celebration or work or leisure in the same way. Even within America there are ‘cultures’ and when I read the question yesterday I found myself thinking about what I know about California and New York. About people I’ve met who call those places home. About how California and New York are different in geography, cuisine, fashion and climate yet people are people. Maybe there is a California type and a New York type and also everything in between. Yet for every person who ‘fits the type’ there is another who breaks the mold.

'Some people weave burlap into the fabric of our lives, and some weave gold thread. Both contribute to make the whole picture beautiful and unique." Anonymous

Not Your Stereotypical Random

Before I get to the random let me take just a moment to whine and tell you that halfway thru American Idol last night our satellite signal disappeared. Major snowstorm. Again. Heavy wet beautiful snow. But American Idol...whaaa!!! Okay moving on to this weeks random...link your answers with Linda and company over at 2nd Cup of Coffee. Here are mine-

1. Have you ever fired a gun or shot a bow and arrow?

Yes. Archery at summer camp and I fired a gun in the UK (also in a camp setting). I have never fired a gun in the US but a very common ‘stereotype’ we ran into while living abroad was that all Americans have guns. Interesting.

2. Do you know where your childhood best friends are?

You mean besides facebook? Actually I do know where a lot of them are. Thank you facebook.

3. Do you usually arrive early, late, or on time?

I’m on time. I equate being chronically late with breaking the rules and y’all know how I feel about that.

4. Are you more of a New York or California type?

I’m not sure what this means. Let’s talk for a minute about stereotypes…

Do we mean California as in I love sunshine and warm weather

and I’m a laid back surfer girl?

Or California as in Gucci, Botox, bling, and par-tay?

And when we say New York do we mean fast talking, fast walking,

decisive, Vogue wearing, publishing house executive types?

Or do we mean big Italian family, give you the shirt off

their back, love the city kind of New Yorker?

Or are we just talking weather?

I can’t pick.

I like city. I like country.

I like mountains. I like oceans.

There is all of this and more on both sides of the country.

Does anyone else feel that I over think my answers?

5. Do you have a special ring tone?

No. I don’t really get this.

6. What is your favorite type of chip?

Walker’s Thai Sweet Chili Chips. I’ve never seen them in the US but I stock up when I go to the UK. They are slightly similar to a bbq potato chip but oh so much better.

7. Best comedy you've ever seen is ....

movie? tv show? stand up? Hmmm… I’ll go with my usual ‘can’t decide’ type of answer.

I think the Carol Burnett show was one of the funniest things on tv ever.

I can look at Steve Martin and laugh.

I love the old Saturday Night Live sketches…the Medieval Barber, Two Wild and Crazy Guys, the samurai deli, the SNL commercial take offs.

I think Brian Regan’s stand up routines are hysterical.

and movies?

Legally Blonde and Father of the Bride. And I still laugh out loud at Elf, The Christmas Story and Home Alone.

8. Have you ever cut your own hair? To quote Dr. Phil, "How'd that work for ya?"

As Randy Jackson would say a thousand million times no….the paid professionals have trouble getting it exactly right…no way would I try it myself.

9. If you were going to have an extreme makeover, would you rather it be about your house or your personal self?

My personal self. I don’t care to elaborate. You’re welcome.

10. Are you allergic to anything?

Ragweed and cats.

11. Why is it so hard to change?

We’re human. We’re creatures of habit. We like what we like.

Did anyone else have a Brady Bunch flashback when they read this question?

12. One last question dedicated to February love: CS Lewis said, "To love is to be vulnerable." Please share one example of that assertion or share any thought you'd like to about this topic.

Uh… I’m a mother. ‘Nuff said.