1. Light switches that switch the other way

2. Toilets full of water, so that they look like they’re blocked

3. Tipping

4. Small coffees the size of our large

5. US flags everywhere

I’m currently on a quick tour of America – writing this from Middletown, Connecticut.  This place, the US, not (just) Middletown, is challenging, fascinating, scary and to my eyes, often just weird.

I read Tim Winton’s Breath while on the planes (there were two) over here, and while in New York.  It is a disturbing book that lingers in your brain.  I’ll post more on it in time… but right now, with a week to go, I’m looking for something really american to consume while I’m here.   Any suggestions?

Me, Apprx. 4am: Could you burp for me?  Please?  Daddy would really love to go back to bed right now.*

Dubya: Rrraaarghh!!

Me: Really, this would be better for all concerned if you didn’t guzzle your bottle, and burped quickly.  So much more comfortable for you, and we would all be so much happier.

D: *Headbut* (Which I interpret as: “do you honestly believe this is up for negotiation?  It’s my party, and I’ll spew if I want to!”)  Rraaarghh!

*This conversation actually took place.  Well… my part, anyway.

I’m on… and confused. Anybody else there?

I read a lot of articles online for my work – usually in the pdf form.  It’s why I’m waiting for the Kindle DX to be introduced next year, instead of splashing out for a Kindle now.

However, here’s a problem that I’d like to see a solution to, whatever electronic thingy I happen to read with: Display two non-consecutive pages at once.  From what I understand, I can’t do this in Acrobat Reader, or on a Kindle.  The reason?  I read articles and books that have notes – usually endnotes.  To be able to read the text, and read the notes with out tiresome flicking between the two, it would be handy to display both pages at once.  If anyone has a solution to this, I would love to know it.  Until then, it seems that electronic media, in this instance, is less sophisticated than a plain, printed, document.