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Hi Everyone,

Well, I just got back from my trip to the US today and I am absolutely . I don't know about you, but I find it almost impossible to sleep on planes. If I do manage to nod off it tends to be for only about 1 minute (even though it feels like I've been snoozing for hours). And of course I got a shocking crick in the neck for all my efforts at grabbing some shut eye.

Many people say that the UK and US are two countries divided by a common language. I mean we speak the same language, have many cultural similarities but we are just different. TV seems very odd in the US. There are so many infomercials on TV, selling everything from weight loss products to kitchen utensils. And there are so many ad breaks.

But the main impression of people in Illinois is just how polite and hospitable they are. The people I met just couldn't do enough to make sure I was comfortable and being looked after.

I just read your latest blog post Dominique and I found it fascinating. In the UK every region has it's own ways too, but not quite as much as in Cameroon I think. People from northern England tend to be friendlier than people in the south, but this is a gross generalisation as you can imagine. The UK used to be based on a feudal system too, and to some extent we still have the hangover of this in the class system which remains today.

Usually, we use anecdotes to describe short biographical stories rather than stories we may have read about in the newspaper or heard in the news. I've got a few funny anecdotes about my trip to the US, but it's best I save them for another day as I'm about to pass out on the keyboard.

It's Japan Matsuri tomorrow so I'll tell you all about it soon.

Sweet dreams!
Lewis

Useful phrases:

(to be) cream crackered (slang)
(to) nod off
a crick in the neck
to grab/get some shut eye
a gross generalisation
to some extent