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After almost half the year spent in LA, and the rest spent in the East — and blogging about all things Yank — I figured I’d give you my all-American highs, lows, and random memories from 2007.
Best Movie By/About Americans Watched: Journey from the Fall
Best Book By/About Americans Read: Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres
Best New American Pop Song: “Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston
Best Piece of Americana Found Abroad: Takinas in Xi’an, China
Worst Movie By/About Americans Watched: War on Democracy
Worst Book By/About Americans Read: Bangkok Babylon by Jerry Hopkins
Worst New American Pop Song: Whatever the name is of Britney’s “comeback” single
Worst Piece of Americana Found Abroad: The Lack of People Who Have Seen Office Space
Number of Americans Met While Traveling, That I Actually Have Kept in Touch with: 2
Number of Non-Americans Met While Traveling, That I Actually Have Kept in Touch with: 16
Number of American-penned “Love Letters” Received, Written on a Torn Book Cover Showing a Really Gruesome Killing: 1
Number of American-penned “Love Letters” Responded to: 0
Number of Times I’ve Been Asked “Where are you from? No…where are you REALLY from?” (or an Equivalent): approximately 365
Number of Newly Used Pages in My Ol’ Blue Passport: 11
Number of American Celebrity Sightings/Encounters: 11 (Dennis Rodman, Ty Pennington, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Brittany Daniel [aka Sweet Vally High twin aka Brandy from Joe Dirt, Darius McCrary [aka Eddie Winslow], Alan Thicke, Eddie Griffith, Rosanna Arquette, Scott Foley [aka Noel from Felicity], Dennis Haysbert [aka the president from the first season of 24 aka the All-State Man], and Senator Joe Lieberman)
A Quick Comparison
New Year’s Eve 2006: cocktailing, missed the champagne toast because of a fussy customer, somewhat annoyed at a sort-of random Estonian (who wasn’t the fussy customer)
New Year’s Eve 2007: listening to a live concert, had a white-wine toast with colleagues, somewhat annoyed at a sort-of random Indian
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The All-American Year Ahead
(or What US, US, baby is Looking Forward to in 2008)
-returning to the friends and family in the US
-seeing the Sex and the City movie on its release weekend
-voting in a swing state in the presidential election
You should also add to your “Looking Forward to in 2008″ list.
SEVERE reverse culture shock. Are you prepared for it!??!
When I moved back home after 1.5 I had to go to a shrink because I was losing my mind. The reverse culture shock totally did me in!
Anyways, Happy New Year to you, Jayna, even if I’m a little late!
Eeeks…NOT looking forward to severe culture shock. I’m hoping I won’t have it too bad because I’ve been moving around so much (but I’m even dreading it for when I travel to mainland India, as I’ve been here in NE so long!).
But I do remember sleeping lots and being pretty anti-social when I first came back from study abroad…here’s hoping it doesn’t happen again!
And thanks for the New Year’s wish!