Throwback Thursday from May 2016 – “Little Things Mean A Lot”

 

Throwback Thursday from May 2016 – “Little Things Mean A Lot”

Spending a week or two in a foreign land is one thing, but going for seven weeks changes the way you see and do things.

Being in Ireland brings to mind an old quote from, I forget whom – Maybe Mark Twain, maybe Winston Churchill, maybe the Spice Girls,- that noted that, “The U.S. and the U.K. (forgive me if I lump Ireland into that mix) are two great nations separated by a common language.” I say this because, just as at home, there is more than one accent in play. It all depends on what part of the country you are in and your social status.

When we were in Belturbet the accent was softer and less hurried. Around Westport it tended to get a little thicker. Here, in Carrick-on-Shannon they are speaking at warp speed and with a harsher bite. We had trouble understanding what was being said at first. It takes time to attune the ear to the new patterns, tones and interpretations.

We are strangers in a strange land. There are a lot of different ways to look at everyday objects. The one that comes to mind is, “Applesauce.”

“Applesauce” – It’s not some hi-tech word that only uber-geeks know and use. It is a word made up of two relatively simple parts. Just try finding it in the supermarket.

In “The States,” we would go directly to the aisle with canned fruits and vegetables and then have to decide between a dozen different variations of Applesauce.

We have been in Ireland for about three weeks at this writing and have made about 5 or 6 trips to the supermarkets. On our list each time has been the word “Applesauce.” We even checked online with the Tesco stores to be sure they even carried Applesauce. They electronically swore that they did.

We couldn’t find it. Anywhere. At all. We went up and down countless aisles to no avail. I began to suspect that they said that they carried Applesauce just to have fun at the expense of the Yanks.

We tried the big stores. We tried the smaller stores. Nothing. 

Until today.

Today we were in the “Super Valu” store in Carrick picking up a few things so that we can eat while we are about our tasks. We moseyed up and down the aisles. One item on our list was “Salad Dressing.” It was not easy to find. We finally did locate it mixed in with the mayonnaise, steak marinade, mustard, and … and…wait for it…APPLESAUCE!

Yes, we found one jar of Applesauce in the midst of a collection of things I would have put on different aisles, but this is not my circus, and these are not my monkeys. We are in their yard so we must play by their rules – Applesauce goes on the aisle in with mustard and salad dressing.

Applesauce is Apple Sauce, therefore it goes with other things considered to be sauces. I get it. I really do. 

Another day we’ll talk about what constitutes “Bacon.”

 

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