December 18, 2003

Birthday Scatology

Went to Hallmark today.  It’s a store that sells cards for various occasions, such as Christmas or Chanukkah (which I, to my wife’s amusement, used to pronounce phonetically back when I didn’t know what it was).  Canned wit from the mall…  The wife browsed, I loitered.  Picked up a birthday card that said on the front: “What’s invisible and smells like apple pie?”; and on the inside, the answer: “Birthday burps.”

Just when I think I understand this place something happens that throws me into despair.  Birthday burps?  Birthday burps?  Back home a message like that would fall just a notch below discussing birthday vomit; i.e., extremely poor taste.  So I put it back, scratched my head, and farted.

Posted by Alex at December 18, 2003 06:14 AM
Comments

Hilarious.

So, how do you pronounce Channukkah?

Posted by: kimbofo at December 18, 2003 05:59 PM

kimbofo... I'm not one that celebrates it, but I do know that Chanukkah is pronounced Han-a-ka. Here is a tidbit about it:
Observed by millions of Jews around the globe, it commemorates the victory of faith
over tyranny. Although Hanukkah is technically a minor Jewish festival it is a holiday for
which Jews exchange gifts. It also is celebrated in the Jewish month of Kislev, which
usually falls in December. This combination has resulted in the misperception that
Hanukkah is "the Jewish Christmas." In fact, this festival has a rich tradition
and history of its own.
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Now, I meant to comment about the hallmark greeting, ugh... takes all kinds, 'eh? LOL to your response though, you are fitting in Alex?

Posted by: Desiree at December 19, 2003 04:45 AM

I suppose Easter burps would be even worse.

Posted by: mig at December 19, 2003 08:39 AM

Desiree, fitting in isn't as important anymore. I find that things are more interesting to observe from a detached position. When I first came to the States, I was 18 and so eager to adapt to the culture that I spent several months doing almost nothing but watching and emulating television. As a result I absorbed countless hours of crap shows like Saved by the Bell, weirded out a lot of people wih mannerisms and quotes picked up from sitcoms, and became thoroughly confused. The damage took years to undo. For all I know, it's still there.

Posted by: Alex at December 20, 2003 03:14 AM