Not really culture shock.

Although I am still noticing differences in culture after being "home" for a week I would hardly call it shock. It is more like simply noticing little things that I forgot about after being away for a while. For example, milk. I am not a huge milk person but I forgot how heavenly milk here tastes compared to there. Another example would be squishy couches. I have become quite accustomed to seeing a soft looking couch yet sitting down with care because looks can be oh-so-deceiving (if you've ever visited Brazil you know exactly what I'm talking about :-) And then there is slight shock when you go out to eat but have to take out a loan to pay it all off at one time. I am missing Brazilian food (especially the abundance of avacado) but enjoying the not-always-so-good-for-you food here.

Meet Jonathan's cousin, Lorna. Hi, Lorna.

Lorna came all the way from WA to visit us this week! She, I'm afraid, may have experienced more culture shock than we have been experiencing. I even heard a few conversations like this....

Lorna: So what food item can you eat here that is TOTALLY different.

Jonathan: Boiled peanuts!

Me: (thinking to myself) What? Boiled peanuts? What are you talking about? Doesn't everybody eat boiled peanuts?

Lorna: NO WAY. They boil the peanuts? Are they soggy?

Jonathan: Yeah! They're really weird. Kell made me try one a few years ago.

Me: (thinking to myself, still) Huh? Soggy? They're not soggy...they're just boiled peanuts. The only nut worth eating (aside from pecans, that is)

Perhaps growing up in the panhandle of FL I am more southern than I ever realized. Sometimes I put "howdy" in the subject line of an email and up until a few years ago, I believe, I used to always say "y'all." But being away has minimized some of the southern influence in my life. I now notice when somebody says "y'all come back now, ya hear?" or "bless your little heart." And of course the very common "well now, how about that" (in the form of a statement.)

Ok, so getting back to Lorna. She is not southern and seeing TN through her eyes was enlightening.

Only Lorna noticed a sign like this.....

We had a lot of fun with Lorna this past week. One adventure was traveling a bit to go to the Mayfield plant.


Karis' favorite part was wearing a hair net. She even chose to keep hers on after we left the plant and passed the big bin where everybody else dumped theirs.

I am happy to report that my child now knows how to drink from a water-fountain.


The Kroeker's have this great tradition where when somebody has a birthday we all go out to eat - mom and dad Kroeker's treat (no matter who's birthday it is.) I really like this tradition. For August it was mom's birthday so she and dad took us to a Japanese steakhouse. OH. YUM.

YUM. YUM.

YUM. YUM. YUM.

Karis ate her entire salad with chop-sticks with a rubber-band on the end. It was awesome.

Then another day this week we traveled a little over an hour away to do a few other fun things...

Like play in a water-fountain. She had a blast!

And climb a mountain (perhaps we cheated a bit with the car.)

Usually I don't even bother taking pictures like this as the picture never does the view justice. However this one came pretty close!

We're heading off to NC tomorrow! Neither of us are really wanting to travel now but both feel it's important to start scouting out our different options. J's parents are going with us so that will be nice to have them along!