{"id":768,"date":"2021-02-23T00:17:06","date_gmt":"2021-02-23T00:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theupliftmagazine.com\/?p=768"},"modified":"2021-02-23T00:43:38","modified_gmt":"2021-02-23T00:43:38","slug":"we-both-speak-english-dont-we","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theupliftmagazine.com\/we-both-speak-english-dont-we\/","title":{"rendered":"We Both Speak English – Don’t We?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

American in England<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chani Schreibhand<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Purim is about living one day in someone else\u2019s skin, isn\u2019t that what a costume is?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living in another country reminds me of Purim, you feel like you are living someone else\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until you see that actually it\u2019s you life, with a new twist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arriving in England for the first time, was an event I will never forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an American I came prepared for every eventuality, as I was going to Seminary in Manchester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This would be all about me becoming self sufficient, as an only girl in a family of 2 it was seen as a   honour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I came with 3 large suitcases ( there wasn\u2019t weight limits in those days) and lots of fancy clothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was winter, so I wore my new reversible duffle coat and a matching hat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is when I learned that in England things are different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My coat was in 2 colours, purple, and light grey the hat was red to match both sides. Being American I was wearing the purple side out all pleased with myself, feeling like the bees knees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I walked out of security there was a friend waiting to greet me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first thing she said was \u201cHi! Hope you had a good journey, You will need to take off your hat, you can\u2019t wear that here\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was a bit upset but thought when in Rome……<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She soon let me know that I should use the reverse side of the coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back at this one event around 40 years ago, I see that this is when my initiation into the mindset of The English culture began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans have a bit of a reputation in England, which I find hard to understand, we are called brash and loud, but I do perceive why it may seem to be true.  Americans are taught from a young age how to express themselves, how to articulate, and mostly they are taught that America is great! This perpetuates the feeling that they can achieve anything they put their heads too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this a bad thing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t think it is, but a bit of taming doesn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few years after I finished Seminary, my Parents were offered a job in England, and my experience of sem helped them decide to take it.  I was already married and waiting for the birth of my 2nd child, so I followed soon after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I actually saw everything in a new light, I remember going into a store (Green Grocers) for fruit and vegetables, the man behind the counter said, “Hi love,” (I froze, no one says hi love in America) “how can I help you?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I asked for 2 eggplants, he looked at me strangely, “pardon?” I said “eggplant.” He laughed and said, “we have no plants that grow eggs in England.  I said, “it\u2019s purple,” now he really gave me a weird look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExplain what you are looking for,\u201d so I slowly told him and he finally understood that I wanted Aubergines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next item was Cucumber, he took a long green thing that looked like squash I was very confused,  as the days went on I slowly learned that English cucumbers are long, squash is courgette, and love is a word that\u2019s used by most shop owners to all their clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also realised that there are many differences that separate Americans and English, but these same differences that divide us are what we both need to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans need the reserve of the English and some English need the vitality of the Americans<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now let\u2019s see it from a English point of view.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

English in New York<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bayla Brown<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

My 1st<\/sup> journey to America\u2026..my 1st<\/sup> trip on a plane!!!! was 43 years ago.  I was a young girl of 19 who had been married for 4 months.  We were going for the whole of Tishrei, to be with the Rebbe.   We arrived late in the middle of the night and were waiting for our luggage.  The last case on the carousel was totally collapsed with all the clothes hanging out\u2026of course, that was mine!!!  By the time we had spoken to the airport official who gave us a voucher for a new case, another hour had passed.  My welcome to America was complete. As we finally made our way out the door of the Airport, the first thing I heard was the beeping of cars, that\u2019s a sound that we hardly ever heard in England, the first thing I noticed was the size of the cars, to me they all looked enormous.   A good friend of my husband\u2019s collected us and took us to the house where we were staying (some other friends of my husband).  We had to be really quiet as the whole family was sleeping but the beds had been made and the room was ready for us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the morning we were greeted very warmly by our hostess, who was charmed by my accent.  \u201cAccent?\u201d I said.  \u201cI don\u2019t have an accent \u2013 surely it\u2019s you with the accent!!?\u201d We had a good laugh and the ice was broken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My husband went off to daven Shacharis, I met the children of the house and we had breakfast together \u2013 some strange sugary cereal and pancakes covered in a sticky syrup (otherwise known as Aunt Jemima Maple Syrup)\u2013 more sugar than I would consume in a week back in the UK.  After unpacking and getting settled it was time to brave the streets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we walked along the main shopping street people would come up and greet my husband, they would chat for a few minutes and then we would carry on our way.  At the beginning I\u2019d ask him \u201cwho was that?\u201d and he would reply \u201cI know the face, but the name??????\u201d Even all those years ago he was terrible at remembering names. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had never before seen so many people rushing to and fro.  The shops or stores were all busy and in the green-grocers there were familiar looking vegetables, but with strange names. The noise level was incredible.  As you may have gathered, Americans are a lot louder than the English people I was used to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The variety of kosher products was a real eye-opener and I started shopping in earnest \u2013 sweets or as I learned candies, biscuits,cookies, hechshered tuna \u2013 all stuff that was unobtainable in Manchester at the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lunchtime arrived and we went to a local restaurant.  Our 1st<\/sup> time there.  We each ordered a chicken salad.  When the plates arrived, there was HALF a chicken on each plate!  After that experience we would order 1 portion and an extra plate please.  The waiter (server) came around offering Seltzer.  \u201cWhat is that?\u201d I asked my husband.  Turns out it is just regular Soda\/Sparkling Water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rosh Hashono and Yom Kippur by The Rebbe were just awe-inspiring.  My 1st<\/sup> time being in a shul with thousands of people singing in harmony and then perfect silence when listening to The Rebbe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Chol Hamoed Succos we took the subway to Manhattan.  That was another adventure. I had never before travelled below ground, especially in a crowded dirty metal tube.  Arriving in Manhattan with the tall buildings and crowds of people was quite daunting for me.  We went up the Empire State Building.  Wow what a view!  We could see the whole of Manhattan, part of Brooklyn, New Jersey and the Hudson River.  Macy\u2019s and Century 21 opened my eyes to a shoppers paradise, treasures at great prices never seen in Manchester.  The fact that we could be shopping \u201cin Town\u201d within walking distance of  a fully kosher restaurant  \u2013 Kosher Delight (with a Succah) \u2013 amazed me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The time came to return home to Manchester.  We packed up all our bargains in an extra suitcase, (BH no weight limits then!!!) said goodbye to all the friends we had made and departed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Landing back in Manchester Life seemed so quiet!!!!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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