thoughts about the US

So I've been watching a lot of human interest and reality TV since being in the states. When we were in Africa, our friends would often ask questions about the US (I learned to call it the " US" from friends even, it seems the other Americans in North and South America get a little bent out of shape by us always calling the "US", "America". Mostly I've heard it from Canadians.) Anyway friends would ask things like "Do you do it like this in America ?" (our Int'l friends would alway say America not the US). "When do you work in America?" "What do people in America read?" "How would they say it in America?" even questions about eating, sleeping and waking habits.

I would try to answer these questions to the best of my ability. Friends from the US would talk about our answers to questions "Well this is how we would say it in Indiana, Missouri, Utah, Maine, etc" Normally we'd come up with the same kind of answers. Sometimes little differences. Normally the same. But now that we're in the states again I think more about those questions. I listen a little keener to what other people say about their days or their work or hobbies. When we watch the human interest stories on the news I always wonder at how different we in the US really are. I've enjoyed reading people's blogs and wonder at who they are and what they do. The guy that is on the FBI's most wanted list for polygamy, he probably seems like a normal guy. He looks like a normal guy on TV. Then there are the ladies from the Today show this last week. They're starting schools for their special needs kids; some lady in Oregon has been a foster parent to sick infants and children to the point that she has like a nursing degree, really like 400 kids, that's something. The students at Galludet are all upset about choosing a new president. Could be hard but I think they maybe making it harder than it has to be. I like that the US is so diverse. You can't pin her down. Sure we got nut jobs, we've go this guy who helped or wanted to help fly planes into buildings, he gets to live a 7x12 cell for the rest of his life. Then there are those guys that somehow can't figure out that meeting 12 year olds on the internet to solicit sex may not be the best plan.

We had a friend come here just recently from Africa. He's here for cancer treatment and I wonder what his impressions of us are. I think probably just sits and wonders at all the people he meets. There there is a friend who plan to stay for good after his master's work. He's a clever man that has deep though about international business and agriculture.

But the united states is a curious place to live. I'm reading The Lord of the Rings _ books for the first time. I've been thinking that there are people in the US that probably try to dress like the characters and speak Elvish. Are there people in other countries that are spending time on learning Elvish or are they trying chinese and hindi? Are there klingon conventions around the world? I didn't think my little scrapbooking hobby was multinational until I heard about all of these women in New Zealand, the Netherlands and South Africa. Crazy.

I wonder about the blogosphere too and how I've met (without the inconvienence of actually meeting) lovely interesting people. Ali, a seemingly goofy woman named Cathy Zieskle. Tulip Girl's curious husband the Postmodern Clog. Lots of earthy friendly neo conservative homeschooling crunchy people. Tammy has some really fascinating friends that do a lot of thinking. makes me wonder about the US and who else lives here (even if they are just passing through).