Gibraltar, UK
Jul/09
Our last full day in Spain we spent, well in the UK. That’s right, we drove from Seville and after a stop off in Arcos de la Frontera to Gibraltar. Gibraltar or Gib (how the locals call it) was weird from the start. First, it is blatantly visible that Spain is bitter and refuses to acknowledge that Gib belongs to the UK. There are no signs pointing to Gib on the highway until you get to the exit for it and then you must immediately turn once you spot it. Secondly, Spain refuses you a direct road to the border, making the only way to get to Gib by forcing cars to make a u-turn on an abandoned looking road to nowhere. Also Spanish taxis seemed to be either required to drop off patrons at the border, where droves of people with wheelie suitcases were disrupting the flow of traffic. The other weird thing is that there is a border check between two EU countries, but you can fly between them and not be checked.
Gibraltar is weird. It is very British, yet not quite British enough to really be British. After the border we drove across the airport runway to get to the city. From the Europa Point where trade was once controlled, you can see Africa nearly all the ships passing through the strait. Once the most important point for controlling the straight is now an oddly abandoned spot in the territory. It has great for view and is the closest we came to Africa (we had intended to spend a day in Morocco before Spain completely screwed us over). There are very strong winds at the Europa Point which we assumed were blowing off the water up to the rock.
We attempted to drive up to the rock but arrived just as it was closing and never got to see the famous monkeys. But we did go for a stroll in the town and had a good dinner at Café Rojo, that was a welcomed break from tapas y jamon. We had our first Banoffee which was really yummy! If you, like we were, are not yet enlightened as to what Banoffee is please pay close attention. It is a pie consisting of the delectable combination of Banana and Toffee. We suggest you fly to your nearest UK territory and find one for yourself.
Bum Bags and Fanny Packs: A British-American Dictionary
Jan/08
Bum Bags and Fanny Packs by Jeremy Smith is a essentially a dictionary that attempts to translate American English into British English and the other way around. I purchased the book out of a desire to know more about the language differences between the native English speakers of the world. During this quest I also purchased and read Brit-Think, Ameri-Think and Knickers In A Twist. Each of the books have their own slant. Knickers in A Twist is strictly a dictionary of British slang and Brit-Think, Ameri-Think focuses on describing the cultural contrast and difference in thinking. Bum Bags and Fanny Packs on the other hands is a good reference book and if you are planning to become an American expatriate somewhere in the UK or spend extensive amounts of time among British people it would be wise to pick up a copy. The book can be a bit repetitive at times but I am sure it would come in very handy if I moved to the UK.
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Knickers In A Twist: A Dictionary of British Slang
Jan/08
Knickers In A Twist by Jonathan Bernstein is a dictionary that translates British slang into American English. I purchased the book out of a desire to know more about the language differences between the native English speakers of the world. During this quest I also purchased and read Brit-Think, Ameri-Think and Bum Bags and Fanny Packs. Each of the books have their own slant. Bum Bags and Fanny Packs is a dictionary that covers all translations to and from British and American English and Brit-Think, Ameri-Think focuses on describing the cultural contrast and difference in thinking. Knickers In A Twist was interesting, but I found myself wishing it wasn’t just slang and had more stories to tell or away to apply my new found knowledge to a real scenario. Without ever knowing anyone who uses phrases like “done up like a kipper” or “all fur coats and no knickers” it was hard to get much humor out of it. On the other hand if I did know someone who talks like that, I would finally understand what the heck they were saying all this time. So if you hang around lots of Brits and you have no idea what they are saying, you must get this book! But if you don’t ever plan on needing to know what it means to be “rough as a badger’s ass” then I this book is not for you!
Brit-Think, Ameri-Think: A Transatlantic Survival Guide
Aug/07
Brit-Think, Ameri-Think by Jane Walmsley teaches you to “mind the cultural gaps” and “avoid the common gaffes” and understand the differences between Americans and Britons. I purchased the book out of a desire to know more about the language differences between the native English speakers of the world. During this quest I also purchased and read Brit-Think, Ameri-Think and Bum Bags and Fanny Packs. Each of the books have their own slant. Bum Bags and Fanny Packs is a dictionary that covers all translations to and from British and American English and Knickers in A Twist is strictly a dictionary of British slang. Brit-Think, Ameri-Think was a quick and easy read. I was quite entertained by it, however, I wouldn’t say that it is profound in how it dissects the two cultures apart. The book could have helped me relate more if there were more current pop culture references but I am sure it was very enjoyable for those immersed in the other culture across the pond (which ever that happens to be).
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