Comments on: New York City: Like visiting a new friend http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/03/25/new-york-city-like-a-new-friend/ The voice of Clarksville, Tennessee Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:46:35 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Scott Beasley http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/03/25/new-york-city-like-a-new-friend/comment-page-1/#comment-6461 Scott Beasley Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:40:11 +0000 http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/03/25/new-york-city-like-a-new-friend/#comment-6461 One night while in New Jersey, I was with some friends and met some of their friends at a local pub. I found the landscape of New Jersey very similar to the landscape of Tennessee and hanging on the wall of the pub was a print of a civil war battle at Fort Donelson. Some of my new friends were amazed that I'd been there. I think they assumed all we do here is partake in civil war reenactments and make moonshine! Anyway, one young lady came up to me and asked, "So you guys are going into "the city" tomorrow, huh?" She said that in the first 15 minutes, I would see 10 things that I'd never seen before. I suppose she was regurgitating some kind of vainness regarding their superior human advancement, until I began to pry and take it a step further. I replied that if she were to come to Tennessee, she too, would see 10 things she'd never seen before!(That tree, that dog, that fire hydrant). I know what she meant, but it was pretty much exactly what I expected, except for the close proximity of interpersonal physical contact. Bumping into someone there is as common as saying "howdy" here. My wife travels there twice a year for her work and she absolutely loves it. If I ever win the lottery, I'm quite sure I'd purchase a flat there jsut to have a place to go. I really want to go this year and see the Yankees play in Yankee stadium before they tear it down. Who knows, if it comes to pass, I'll write a story here and I'll make sure I tell everyone there you said "Hi". One night while in New Jersey, I was with some friends and met some of their friends at a local pub. I found the landscape of New Jersey very similar to the landscape of Tennessee and hanging on the wall of the pub was a print of a civil war battle at Fort Donelson. Some of my new friends were amazed that I’d been there. I think they assumed all we do here is partake in civil war reenactments and make moonshine! Anyway, one young lady came up to me and asked, “So you guys are going into “the city” tomorrow, huh?” She said that in the first 15 minutes, I would see 10 things that I’d never seen before. I suppose she was regurgitating some kind of vainness regarding their superior human advancement, until I began to pry and take it a step further. I replied that if she were to come to Tennessee, she too, would see 10 things she’d never seen before!(That tree, that dog, that fire hydrant). I know what she meant, but it was pretty much exactly what I expected, except for the close proximity of interpersonal physical contact. Bumping into someone there is as common as saying “howdy” here. My wife travels there twice a year for her work and she absolutely loves it. If I ever win the lottery, I’m quite sure I’d purchase a flat there jsut to have a place to go. I really want to go this year and see the Yankees play in Yankee stadium before they tear it down. Who knows, if it comes to pass, I’ll write a story here and I’ll make sure I tell everyone there you said “Hi”.

]]> By: David W. Shelton http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/03/25/new-york-city-like-a-new-friend/comment-page-1/#comment-6457 David W. Shelton Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:48:14 +0000 http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/03/25/new-york-city-like-a-new-friend/#comment-6457 Thanks for the reflection, Scott... I took no small pleasure in telling my classmates in NYC how to do a simple southern dialect: "Two syllables for every word, (well becomes way-ull), always ad an "s" for the store's name (wal-mart's), and be sure to say "y'all." Also, be sure to blend words of three letters or less. "gitoutta here" or the Foxworthly classic, "djaeetyet?" Finally, for a truly convincing southern dialect: Never, ever, ever, call a carbonated drink "pop." They told me for some reason that if I didn't make it as a technical trainer, there's always room in comedy. As if. Thanks for the reflection, Scott… I took no small pleasure in telling my classmates in NYC how to do a simple southern dialect: “Two syllables for every word, (well becomes way-ull), always ad an “s” for the store’s name (wal-mart’s), and be sure to say “y’all.” Also, be sure to blend words of three letters or less. “gitoutta here” or the Foxworthly classic, “djaeetyet?”

Finally, for a truly convincing southern dialect: Never, ever, ever, call a carbonated drink “pop.”

They told me for some reason that if I didn’t make it as a technical trainer, there’s always room in comedy. As if.

]]> By: Scott Beasley http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/03/25/new-york-city-like-a-new-friend/comment-page-1/#comment-6455 Scott Beasley Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:46:10 +0000 http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/03/25/new-york-city-like-a-new-friend/#comment-6455 Great article David. Its been 10 years since I've been there. The one lasting memory I have was the people who didn't seem to mind invading what we "southerners" believe is personal body space. Whether feeling the breath of the person standing behind me in line, or being packed in a subway like sardines, it seems they've grown accustomed to being much closer(physically) that we are used to. I went there for New Years in 1998-99 and we visited Times Square, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Plaza,and got lost in Chinatown. MAN was it COLD. The wind whipping through the streets seemed somewhat intensified because of the buildings, I suppose. After reading your article, I got out some pictures of my trip and there's one of me and a friend standing on top of the Empire State Building, with the Twin Towers in the background. It was quite erie, for amazing as it may seem, I had never paid any attention to them before. Most of the people were great and of course, they wanted to hear our accents. They seemed just as fascinated with us, as we were with them. Naturally, I had to enhance the accent for the sake of embellishment, but we had a great time. I didn't get to see the Statue of Liberty, well I saw it from the ESB, but it looked smaller than I had pictured it from TV. I also had to eat a hot dog from a vendor on the street and it was fantastic. To my delight, the food and entertainment we were exposed to was relatively inexpensive, but I did draw the line a a Broadway show. I wanted to see one, but well, you know, the whole bank account thing! I still have friends that live in Jersey and hopefully, I will visit them soon and take a couple of to go back and see if I run into anyone I met the first time! HA! Great article David. Its been 10 years since I’ve been there. The one lasting memory I have was the people who didn’t seem to mind invading what we “southerners” believe is personal body space. Whether feeling the breath of the person standing behind me in line, or being packed in a subway like sardines, it seems they’ve grown accustomed to being much closer(physically) that we are used to. I went there for New Years in 1998-99 and we visited Times Square, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Plaza,and got lost in Chinatown. MAN was it COLD. The wind whipping through the streets seemed somewhat intensified because of the buildings, I suppose. After reading your article, I got out some pictures of my trip and there’s one of me and a friend standing on top of the Empire State Building, with the Twin Towers in the background. It was quite erie, for amazing as it may seem, I had never paid any attention to them before. Most of the people were great and of course, they wanted to hear our accents. They seemed just as fascinated with us, as we were with them. Naturally, I had to enhance the accent for the sake of embellishment, but we had a great time. I didn’t get to see the Statue of Liberty, well I saw it from the ESB, but it looked smaller than I had pictured it from TV. I also had to eat a hot dog from a vendor on the street and it was fantastic. To my delight, the food and entertainment we were exposed to was relatively inexpensive, but I did draw the line a a Broadway show. I wanted to see one, but well, you know, the whole bank account thing! I still have friends that live in Jersey and hopefully, I will visit them soon and take a couple of to go back and see if I run into anyone I met the first time! HA!

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