In an English land

I'm on a short business trip to Raleigh, North Carolina, and once again immersed in English.  I can talk to nearly anyone I want to, order things, read signs and all the other things you take for granted each day.  It's a nice break, but I've rediscovered that just because you CAN understand everyone doesn't mean you really want to.

While waiting for my connecting flight in NYC a yong mother and her child sat down on the floor next to where I was standing.   She couldn't have been more than 17, and she was traveling with her young child of only a year or so.  She produced a bottle from a bag and fed the little one before finding a cell phone to call home with. What sounded to be her mother picked up and she began to break down and unfurl a long story of a travel that was breaking her will.  Fully in tears and holding her infant in her arms, it was tough to easy to understand each work passing her lips, but very hard to hear.

Later, once on board the plane to NC, I discover I am seated directly in front of two loud mouthed and air headed "young adults".  She talks loudly about needing to find someone to fuck once they arrive in Raliegh and telling her companion he sounds "faggier" every day.  He proceeds to take out his cell phone and attempt to make a call while we are in the midst of takeoff, then act like a dick to the flight attendant who ask him politely to put it away.

Sometimes being in a country where you can't understand anyone has it's advantages.  Advantages that can be tough to comprehend until you lose them.

Of course, there are upsides too.   Coming in for a landing into NYC the pilot comes over the speakers to do the usual briefing of local time, temperature and time until landing.  Unlike the previous announcement made at takeoff in Paris, this one is done by the other man in the cockpit, who has the most stereotypical New York / Brooklyn accent.  He proceeds to inform us that we are " coming into New York JFK about 20 minutes late, you know, and that once on the ground we will taxi so that's gonna add on at least five minutes, right?"  It was enough to make me grin listening to the most casual airline pilot in my experience who just sounded like a new york cabbie talking to his last fare of the day before going home.

Well, time to get  to work, Jet lag isn't too terrible today.   Time to go talk to people, free and easy!