I should have known it was going to be a funny day at work when one of my five-year-olds approached me this morning, looked up at me with her big crinkly brown eyes and said "my mom says you look just like Shakira."
That is not true, by the way. I do not look like Shakira. My look is slightly less...Latina pop star. But I'm not saying I hated the comment, is all. I might even give that mom a hug when I see her next.
So then my second graders are learning how to tell time in English. They learn the British system, so I have to get used to them saying "half past eleven" and "quarter till five" with their little accents. The effect is precious but annoying, since the North American (look how inclusive I am! Canadians, you can come too) way of telling time is much more intuitive: twelve fifteen. One forty three. Six thirty two.
The problem came when their curriculum helpfully illustrated the time with little pictures of what children should be doing at that time of day. Eight o'clock, have breakfast. Four o'clock, have tea (warned you it was British). The world stopped when the children read that they were supposed to have lunch at twelve o'clock. "Have lunch at 12!" they chortled. "TWELVE!"
"They really mean it" I explained, "it isn't a mistake. In my country also we have lunch at 12 too, not at 2 or 3 like here in Spain."
For a moment there was incredulous silence.
And then someone snickered.
And then side-splitting, falling-off-the-chair laughter. "TWELVE O'CLOCK!" they gasped between guffaws, "IF YOU EAT LUNCH AT 12 O'CLOCK THEN WHAT DO YOU GET UP AT LIKE 3 A.M. OR SOMETHING?!"
I looked at the heaving crowd rather grimly, thinking to myself that this was going to go nuclear when I they get to the picture that says dinner is at five o'clock.
I wish you could've been there to see it, I really do. The insults rained down. Everyone should have the experience of being openly ridiculed by a group of seven-year olds that eat dinner at 10 o'clock.
It's good for the soul.
Bahahaha I was just explaining this today to a student of mine. I told him that after like 7 or 8ish we usually say "in the evening" rather than afternoon because most people have dinner around that time. The only word that sprang to mind that his look conveyed to me was "loser."
ReplyDeleteQuarter till five? What book are you using? 'Cos I can say definitively that it wasn't written by a Brit. ;) We say a quarter *to* five, not 'till'. It's also just as common to say 12:15 etc, but it's not deemed teachable that way until higher levels. I have no idea why, because it's much more complicated, but ours is not to reason why ...
ReplyDeleteThat aside, however, the whole continental eating habits thing is hilarious. I worked in a UK summer school last July and August and watching the kids' faces on admissions day when we told them that lunch was at 12 and supper at 6 was always a picture.
Lesson aside - at least they "chortled" and "snickered." Great words! And I bet the sound was worth the ridicule.
ReplyDeleteHah, love the post, photo is nice too. Imagine eating lunch at Twelve, crazy North Americans. At least those Mexicans decided not to join Canada with the standard North American meal times.
ReplyDeleteOh I love all of these! Especially because they are so simple and beautiful yet have a cool edge. And I love the idea of adding a studded accessory to a feminine outfit- I think I will try that soon!
ReplyDeleteGiven this sort of variety, have you been astonished that beads have turn into probably the most revolutionary kinds of expression for just about any whole bunch of inspiring souls?
ReplyDeleteMaybe you do look like Shakira, but just do not know. But I wish my son would consider me Gerald Piqué... :)
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