quaintisms

things that have struck me and won me over about the u.s.:

1. that stuff is so uniform for the most part. one goes to home depot and buys a replacement toilet without blinking (or one could) because the measurements are all standardized. or one goes and buys an entire new kitchen. or new windows. no need for custom building unless one is extremely rich, or extremely unfortunate.

2. the stop sign. which a majority of drivers (more or less, depending on locale) actually obey. having driven in malaysia, thailand and singapore, i am enchanted at this widespread show of civility. if we had a 4-way stop sign in sgp, only chaos could ensue. the biggest cars would have right of way, followed by the other men. little women in tiny cars would be left paralyzed with fear and quite unable to accelerate to their destination.

3. the courtesy of many men. i love having doors held open for me and being given way to. i love being treated as weaker and therefore in need of physical assistance. i wish sgp men would stop deriding courtesy as manipulative behavior and just be gentlemanly! fortunately HOM, who doesn't read my blog, is quite the gentleman. as an aside, the most neanderthal man i ever met was not my geographic, but my ethnic, countryman.

4. the ham radio community, of whom i am a nominal member. despite my awfully shallow acquaintance with them, i am impressed by their sense of civic responsibility and charmed by their childlike enthusiasm. if i were a more active member, i would go get myself a number plate with my call sign.