One thing I haven't figured out in close to a year-and-a half of living in America is how to respond to 'How's it going!?'/ other variations of small talk that I face almost everyday, everywhere. I did quickly realise that no one was wanting to hear 'I have a bad cold and tons of homework (and a pile of dishes to do), I really hate my life today.' Also, if this question is coming at you from a person walking towards you in a hallway, if you time it right, you have just enough time to say, 'Good!' before you cross them and keep going. Basically, I haven't figured out the right response, not too terse/not too long-winded. Oh well...
This is not to say that I have not learnt anything at all. While teaching a lab course over the past year and feeling that just a tepid Bye as people were leaving was not enough, I figured that this usually works -
Monday/Tuesday - Have a good week!
Wednesday - Any plans for the weekend?
Thursday/Friday - Have a good weekend!
For those however, who really want to know what's up, I did have a bad cold and lots of jet-lag last week. Being up every morning at 3:45 am is *not* fun. But I'm now back to my lazy self, sleeping in when I should be getting ready to run to class and making lots of enthusiastic plans to work out and just staying indoors and eating lots of cheese :)
This is not to say that I have not learnt anything at all. While teaching a lab course over the past year and feeling that just a tepid Bye as people were leaving was not enough, I figured that this usually works -
Monday/Tuesday - Have a good week!
Wednesday - Any plans for the weekend?
Thursday/Friday - Have a good weekend!
For those however, who really want to know what's up, I did have a bad cold and lots of jet-lag last week. Being up every morning at 3:45 am is *not* fun. But I'm now back to my lazy self, sleeping in when I should be getting ready to run to class and making lots of enthusiastic plans to work out and just staying indoors and eating lots of cheese :)
