Yoga, the international language

Today, I started a month-long yoga course being taught by Hanna, a Finnish woman who used to work at the firm. The classes take place at Maison de Finlande and everyone in my class is Finnish! It is pretty awesome. The class is great ... all beginners like me ... and I love the experience of being the only American there. Not that it is so different from work, where I am one of three Americans, but this is pretty cool. Hopefully I'll learn a little Finnish along the way!

Speaking of a foreign lanuage, my colleagues are doing their best to teach me the proper English versions of American words and sayings. I've warned them that if I get in the habit, I'll be made fun of relentlessly when I get home. Here are the English words that are being pushed on me at the moment:

Crosswalk = zebra crossing. And the "zebra" is pronouned like "Debra".

Cookies = biscuits (things which are overflowing in my office ... today's were coated with brown sugar and came from Israel)

Tea time = dinner time (apparently only used incertain parts of Britain, but part of my education nonetheless)

Cross = angry (I knew this one but found it funny when my colleague asked me, "If I told you I was cross with you, would you know what I meant?" My response: "Yes, but I am pretty sure I would have from the non-verbal signs too.")

Shops = store. No one here says they are "running out to the store". They are just "popping out to the shop".

Oh, and changing all of the "z"s to "s"s in words like organization (organisation) is just a pain, but necessary. I know there is more but can't remember anything else at the moment. Maybe it is all the oxygen in my brain from the yoga?

Tomorrow is the dreaded day where I sit at home and wait for my boxes to arrive from the U.S. The post office's timeframe for delivering them? Sometime between 9 am and 7 pm. Sounds strangely familiar ... oh that's right, I have Comcast cable in D.C.