Funny — it’s such a tradition! With all of the hypersensitivity of people today about germs, I’m surprised someone hasn’t made it a cause to put a stop to it. (Just kidding)
We’ve noticed that the only time I get sick is when I’m back at work on contract. Most of the students I work with are younger adults with kids in school, or, even, pre-school and some not even old enough for that. The kids get sick after being exposed at school, the parents get the germs and carry them to work, where others catch whatever bug is going around.
Yes, kids are great incubators of germs. How much are you working now?
There are predictions that inflation will start rising soon. Will that affect you much? It will no doubt increase the cost of all that money (~$20 trillion?) that the government owes.
I’ve been off since the middle of July. I’m probably going to go back in March and work through the following January or February 2017 and then that will be it… probably. 😉
We’ll probably be okay financially, so long as inflation doesn’t get too excessive. I’ve got a modest pension from retiring early & I’ll be 66 in February of 2016, so I’ll be retiring for social security purposes with full benefits.
Have I ever experienced “culture shock”? Not really, though one of the biggest when I came to the UK in the early eighties and saw women walking around with bare legs, MID WINTER. I hasten to add that this was a manifestation of lack of resources rather than them sacrificing themselves on the altar of allure. Shocking. Still, as Mrs Thatcher took rein/reign living standards improved. Don’t tell the British I said that. Any good thing you may say about Thatcher will get you stoned.
Other than that? I don’t know. One culture shock I remember when I gave hospitality to an English language student. Took her under our roof. She was Japanese, late teens. OH MY GOD. FOS had warned me. Don’t do it, he said (he had travelled the world), “you’ll be a servant in your own home.” And so it came to pass. I was incredulous. Never mind. That was that – didn’t last. Even the language school said to me she was one hell of a difficult customer to please. Maybe, she was the exception to a whole nation. No offence to the Japanese.
To widen your question a little: There are certainly customs round the world which I’d refuse to take part in. As harmless as they may be.
As to birthday cakes. Well, my dear Jean, in the motherland we don’t indulge in that spitting exercise. But then, not for nothing are we spotless. And, in defense of the UK/USA custom, a few germs won’t kill you. Unless they do.
It’s been years since I’ve blown out a candle on a birthday cake, or have seen anyone else do it, but this cartoon tickled me. The germ idea never occurred to me.
I’m surprised at the Japanese student. And that your FOS predicted it. The Japanese I’ve known were very polite.
LOL!
I think about that everytime somebody blows all over the cake!
but I always cheerfully and blithely eat it anyway.
I have a friend who is literally afraid of every germ out there. or what she perceives as GERMS.
she has never even touched a puppy much less a dog! I mean a PUPPY!
or any animal really. she avoids them like the plague. and when she sees a puppy or dog lick a person on the face in an ad or in real life it makes her gag.
how in the world? I couldn’t live my life without touching animals!!!
to me they are more sanitary than people by far. and their kisses are dear.
she also wipes off her utensils when she eats in a restaurant.
to live in such fear must be miserable.
It never occurred to me, but I’m not a cake eater so it wouldn’t really matter. Andy and I don’t worry about germs and so far we’ve been lucky about not getting sick. Apparently our immune systems don’t realize how old we are, so please don’t tell them. 😀
my sister falls into – germs are bad – if she even senses she getting something – she is into her arsenal of germ killers, I remember once when I was over there, and I opened the cupboard that I thought held the salt/pepper to find packets upon packets of over the counter prescription stuff…all in the name of warding of a germ invasion!
but her overall cleanliness in the house was not great at all, mended plates, carpet torn, dust everywhere – “except” on the ornaments…the bathroom needed some attention as well. I often thought I would catch something when I was there…
and even now when is very old, we are told “do not come if you are sickly” – and if she gets something – it’s someone or others fault. Nevermind the fact she probably caught it in a doctors’ waiting room!
This might surprise you, considering all the animals I have but the spit on the cake totally grosses me out.
At work, if I have a drink with a straw in it, I’ll drape a kleenex over the top when I walk away from it, in case a fly wants to land on it.
People make fun of me but that fly was probably sitting on a pile of dog poop minutes before!
As far as the cake goes, if someone just lightly blows on it, I can usually push the thought from my mind and eat it but if it’s some kid spraying it with spit, I’ll take a piece but just kinda flip it and eat the cake so that no one notices.
Yeah, I’m kinda picky about some stuff.
I sleep with my dogs but I don’t let them lick my face.
I have a whole list but I’ll spare you.
Too funny, Jean! It’s as if that cartoon was written just for me! I freely admit to being a germaphobe, and I think of that every time I see it done somewhere. I could give you a huge list of disgusting things that people do all the time, but I just try to put it all out of my mind! 😀
Funny — it’s such a tradition! With all of the hypersensitivity of people today about germs, I’m surprised someone hasn’t made it a cause to put a stop to it. (Just kidding)
We’ve noticed that the only time I get sick is when I’m back at work on contract. Most of the students I work with are younger adults with kids in school, or, even, pre-school and some not even old enough for that. The kids get sick after being exposed at school, the parents get the germs and carry them to work, where others catch whatever bug is going around.
Yes, kids are great incubators of germs. How much are you working now?
There are predictions that inflation will start rising soon. Will that affect you much? It will no doubt increase the cost of all that money (~$20 trillion?) that the government owes.
I’ve been off since the middle of July. I’m probably going to go back in March and work through the following January or February 2017 and then that will be it… probably. 😉
We’ll probably be okay financially, so long as inflation doesn’t get too excessive. I’ve got a modest pension from retiring early & I’ll be 66 in February of 2016, so I’ll be retiring for social security purposes with full benefits.
Plenty. Travelling outside India in the initial stages gave enough opportunities to suffer them. Both in the West and the East.
I’m not surprised.
Have I ever experienced “culture shock”? Not really, though one of the biggest when I came to the UK in the early eighties and saw women walking around with bare legs, MID WINTER. I hasten to add that this was a manifestation of lack of resources rather than them sacrificing themselves on the altar of allure. Shocking. Still, as Mrs Thatcher took rein/reign living standards improved. Don’t tell the British I said that. Any good thing you may say about Thatcher will get you stoned.
Other than that? I don’t know. One culture shock I remember when I gave hospitality to an English language student. Took her under our roof. She was Japanese, late teens. OH MY GOD. FOS had warned me. Don’t do it, he said (he had travelled the world), “you’ll be a servant in your own home.” And so it came to pass. I was incredulous. Never mind. That was that – didn’t last. Even the language school said to me she was one hell of a difficult customer to please. Maybe, she was the exception to a whole nation. No offence to the Japanese.
To widen your question a little: There are certainly customs round the world which I’d refuse to take part in. As harmless as they may be.
As to birthday cakes. Well, my dear Jean, in the motherland we don’t indulge in that spitting exercise. But then, not for nothing are we spotless. And, in defense of the UK/USA custom, a few germs won’t kill you. Unless they do.
U
It’s been years since I’ve blown out a candle on a birthday cake, or have seen anyone else do it, but this cartoon tickled me. The germ idea never occurred to me.
I’m surprised at the Japanese student. And that your FOS predicted it. The Japanese I’ve known were very polite.
LOL!
I think about that everytime somebody blows all over the cake!
but I always cheerfully and blithely eat it anyway.
I have a friend who is literally afraid of every germ out there. or what she perceives as GERMS.
she has never even touched a puppy much less a dog! I mean a PUPPY!
or any animal really. she avoids them like the plague. and when she sees a puppy or dog lick a person on the face in an ad or in real life it makes her gag.
how in the world? I couldn’t live my life without touching animals!!!
to me they are more sanitary than people by far. and their kisses are dear.
she also wipes off her utensils when she eats in a restaurant.
to live in such fear must be miserable.
It never occurred to me, but I’m not a cake eater so it wouldn’t really matter. Andy and I don’t worry about germs and so far we’ve been lucky about not getting sick. Apparently our immune systems don’t realize how old we are, so please don’t tell them. 😀
I’LL never tell!
to me you continue to be wonderfully AMAZING! in every way! XOXOXO
my sister falls into – germs are bad – if she even senses she getting something – she is into her arsenal of germ killers, I remember once when I was over there, and I opened the cupboard that I thought held the salt/pepper to find packets upon packets of over the counter prescription stuff…all in the name of warding of a germ invasion!
but her overall cleanliness in the house was not great at all, mended plates, carpet torn, dust everywhere – “except” on the ornaments…the bathroom needed some attention as well. I often thought I would catch something when I was there…
and even now when is very old, we are told “do not come if you are sickly” – and if she gets something – it’s someone or others fault. Nevermind the fact she probably caught it in a doctors’ waiting room!
LOVE THE CARTOON!
That’s interesting that she doesn’t worry about her house being clean!
This might surprise you, considering all the animals I have but the spit on the cake totally grosses me out.
At work, if I have a drink with a straw in it, I’ll drape a kleenex over the top when I walk away from it, in case a fly wants to land on it.
People make fun of me but that fly was probably sitting on a pile of dog poop minutes before!
As far as the cake goes, if someone just lightly blows on it, I can usually push the thought from my mind and eat it but if it’s some kid spraying it with spit, I’ll take a piece but just kinda flip it and eat the cake so that no one notices.
Yeah, I’m kinda picky about some stuff.
I sleep with my dogs but I don’t let them lick my face.
I have a whole list but I’ll spare you.
I think that’s a good idea if a kid sprays too much! And to protect yourself from flies. 🙂
Too funny, Jean! It’s as if that cartoon was written just for me! I freely admit to being a germaphobe, and I think of that every time I see it done somewhere. I could give you a huge list of disgusting things that people do all the time, but I just try to put it all out of my mind! 😀
I have to admit, I mostly don’t notice. You’re wise to try to put it out of your mind if there’s nothing you can do about it.