Public Service message #(??): Be a good guest- don't put your suitcase on the bedspread unless you've got some protective something-or-other underneath it. You think those wheels are 'pretty clean'? Think again.
So- what's the deal? Well- just after The Big Career Change of 1994, Margaret said to me: Of course we'd never put our shoes or suitcases on anyone's bedspreads... She said it sort of matter-of-fact like and without waiting to see if I was actually going to do it or not- sort of like preventive medicine; I have no idea if I would have actually done that or not. I'm pretty muchly glad she made me aware of it though. And I've been amazed at what I have seen plopped down on people's nice clean furniture and all... and the only reason it comes up here is because I just got to scrub my white duvet cover- and then scrub again- to get off the oily gunk from (a very very good friend's) suitcase wheels. So I'm just saying... No suitcases on the furniture or bedspreads... Ok? Your mom brought you up better than that, surely...
Thanks!
In recent verb work and noticing of verbs and so forth:
In Ukr'n you use the same verb to:
- gas up a car,
- tuck your shirt in,
- dress a salad.
заправити I guess in a big picture sort of way they all mean 'to bring into order'... and knowing this beautiful language- I'll bet that's not even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to that verb. No wonder we say such funny things when we try to talk... no kidding. Sometimes the 'Oh my- you-have-3-noses-on-your-face-and-I-never-noticed' looks on people's faces makes you realize you've had 100% failure in a recent communication attempt.
Yest during my massage, the lady in the next booth (or whatever- just a curtain between us and conversation is shared among all present) says in the middle of her massage: I was watching the news and in Japan- they're all walking around with masks... on the STREETS in MASKS...can you even imagine... (pause) in masks... and they think that's just normal... (pause) in MASKS... and if they sneeze or cough at work they have to go home... sneeze... I mean you can't even sneeze at work... I mean imagine... (that's when I got the giggles...and then the massage man did too and we just absolutely killed ourselves silently laughing for about 5 min- You hear anything and everything in here He says in a choked whisper). It wasn't all that funny- but the woman was just hilarious. She kept up a steady stream of this and that the whole time. BUT- today, walking down the street I saw about 200 univ students being marched to a stadium for some kind of convocation (I'm guessing informing them about Oh- swine flu or something)- all in possession of a mask and half or so wearing them... so it's not just Japan...
Okay... I just can NOT resist. When I read the part about hunkerin flat footed it brought back good memories - well, for the most part... Pregnant gals are to squat, or hunker, FLAT footed to build muscle where you need it when you need it. Imagine hunkerin with a dumptruck attached to your front=0 "She got down there but we're not real sure if she's gonna make it back up. Ya'll better be careful if one of those knees blow."
ReplyDeleteI haven't commented for a long time - but something tells me you'll figure out who I am pretty quickly;)
Good point about suitcases, I think the same can be said for purses!
ReplyDeleteI like your interesting posts that kind of span the whole globe in their topic variety. Language, massage, pandemics and age old traditions all together. Very interesting. I'd never heard of the "hunkering" phenomenon .
ReplyDelete;)- yeah- I know who you are!
ReplyDeleteT&S- see, I hadn't even thought of purses...but they land in some pretty dirty spots, too, so can also leave dirt behind...
tinydot- that about sums up me, actually- quite a hodgepodge
I did a lot of hunkering when I was pregnant. It stretches out the lower back. ahhh...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the "no suitcases on the bedspread tip. Another thing to try and educate my son on. sigh When we were first married, Mark used to lay his shoes on the bed! Used to!!!
When we were in Japan 20 years ago, some people were wearing masks then. We asked about it and were told it was a polite thing to do when you had a cold, or were afraid you might catch something.
Love you A.B.
shoes on the bed- that's a good one!
ReplyDeleteI could get into that It's-polite-to-wear-a-mask-when-you're-sick thing... sounds like a good deal!