A Small Misunderstanding
Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:11 pm
Today we took visiting friends up to 'Amish Country' as they wished to buy some Amish handicrafts.
We arrived quite early to avoid the worst of the day's heat but already the car park at the village was three quarters full and several tour buses could be seen in the bus park bringing tourists from many parts of America and also from overseas.
While my wife and our guests went shopping I trundled over to a convenient shade tree and parked underneath it surveying the passing scene.
I found myself sitting next to a pleasant looking man and we exchanged the usual pleasantries.
It turned out that he and his wife ,who was in one of the stores shopping, were on vacation from Ireland.
'I hope you're enjoying yourselves' I said
'Oh yes' he replied, 'we're having a wonderful time but we're nearly destroyed by the hate'
'The hate?' I said, 'I do hope you haven't experioenced any hate'
'Oh we have', he replied 'it's everywhere. I don't know how you Americans can put up with it' Our tour guide told us that the hate always came around this time of year '
'Really?', I said ' I must say I haven't experienced any myself'
'That's because you're used to it here' said my new- found colleague 'and we're not. It's going to get even worse according to the tour guide. He told us to keep drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration'
Suddenly all was clear! It was his way of pronouncing the word - 'HEAT'-.
At that moment his wife appeared laden with packages.
'I've just been telling this man what a great time we're havivg in America' said her husband.
'Oh yes' she replied, 'but we're not used to this terrible hate'
I do earnestly hope that, when these good people return home and tell their friends about the ' terrible hate' they found in America that everyone realizes that it's the weather they're referring to!
We arrived quite early to avoid the worst of the day's heat but already the car park at the village was three quarters full and several tour buses could be seen in the bus park bringing tourists from many parts of America and also from overseas.
While my wife and our guests went shopping I trundled over to a convenient shade tree and parked underneath it surveying the passing scene.
I found myself sitting next to a pleasant looking man and we exchanged the usual pleasantries.
It turned out that he and his wife ,who was in one of the stores shopping, were on vacation from Ireland.
'I hope you're enjoying yourselves' I said
'Oh yes' he replied, 'we're having a wonderful time but we're nearly destroyed by the hate'
'The hate?' I said, 'I do hope you haven't experioenced any hate'
'Oh we have', he replied 'it's everywhere. I don't know how you Americans can put up with it' Our tour guide told us that the hate always came around this time of year '
'Really?', I said ' I must say I haven't experienced any myself'
'That's because you're used to it here' said my new- found colleague 'and we're not. It's going to get even worse according to the tour guide. He told us to keep drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration'
Suddenly all was clear! It was his way of pronouncing the word - 'HEAT'-.
At that moment his wife appeared laden with packages.
'I've just been telling this man what a great time we're havivg in America' said her husband.
'Oh yes' she replied, 'but we're not used to this terrible hate'
I do earnestly hope that, when these good people return home and tell their friends about the ' terrible hate' they found in America that everyone realizes that it's the weather they're referring to!