Random Ramblings: Circles, Robots and Cents...

Having lived in the UK for going on 8 years you would honestly think I'd know better when it came to using the correct terminology for day to day items.  I'm not too worried about my daughter getting confused as I want her to know about South Africa and where mommy and daddy came from originially as it is part of her heritage.  What I am worried about though is confusing the heck out of my British friends, colleagues and other people that I speak to.

A very recent example was when my husband phoned me at work to say he wanted to have a braai and was going to get meilies from the shop.   I told this to a colleague who stared back with a rather puzzled look on their face.  Was it their fault for not understanding me?  No, of course not!  It was mine for being so ridiculous and not saying in plain and simple English that we were going to have a BBQ and wanted to buy sweetcorn to put on the braai, I mean, BBQ.   Regardless, on a braai you have real meat like 10oz rump steaks, ribs, boerewors (sausuage) and flatties (whole marinated chicken).  

Occasionally when I give people directions I tell them that they need to go left at the circle and turn left at the robot.  What did I say, you ask? Take the first exit at the roundabout and turn left at the traffic light.  A roundabout is circular so yes, calling a circle a roundabout does make sense although in my mind a roundabout is something that kids play on in the playground.  However, some of the driving I've seen around roundabouts could possibly be compared to children at play so it actually fits perfectly!

I've also been known to put 'R' for Rand instead of '£' for Pound Sterling when I've been working with figures.  I've both written and typed it like this completely without thinking.  I wasn't thinking about South Africa or about Rands at the time but both are clearly bobbing around in my subconscious, just waiting to pop up and make me think about my home country.

So, as long as everyone is now aware that I am not completely loopy and that what I am saying makes sense somewhere in the world, I wish you all a fabulous weekend!

Ax