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JB, not everyone. You should see some of the things people will say just to show off how unimpressed by celebrity they are.
Posts: 289 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Mr Card, the only reason your head seems swelled is because it has the Bean-style phenomenon of a rapidly-growing mind. Posts: 2978 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Being born in Sri Lanka, I have to say that I hate cuttlefish. I don't like squid particularly either, but I like it better than cuttlefish.
Where in Sri Lanka do you live? When I went to visit my relatives in Moratuwa with my (American) wife last summer, we experienced the very unpleasant sensation of everyone on the street turning and staring at us all the time because of my wife's skin color. They didn't even try to hide it; some would even stop or slow down to gawk. However when we were in Columbo, or touristy places, that effect was generally a lot less. I feel for you if you live anywhere outside of Columbo!
Oh, and I know Sri Lankans can use plantains and bananas interchangably, but I think that's because they frequently use incorrect western terms to describe things all the time, not because they are the same.
Posts: 142 | Registered: Apr 2005
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"A base upon which I have seen ye reign hath now been acclaimed by Her Majestic Grace, Queen Elizabeth the First of the United Kingdom of England, Wales, Scotland and Ulster."
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plantains are big flattish-looking bananas which are really fibrous and nasty when raw, and, in my opinion, only slightly more edible when cooked. But they do hold up better under cooking than the regular eating bananas we get in the States.
One big shock when first visiting a market in Brazil was the VARIETY of bananas. The kind we call "bananas" was not even the most common. Banana is a category with an enormous amount of variety within it. But our supermarkets rarely let us see the other kinds.
Of course, the good reason for that is that the common banana we eat is the ONE that's really delicious straight out of the skin AND ships well for thousands of miles by slow boat.
I remember, though, as a kid growing up in CA, the ONLY kind of lettuce we ever saw was iceberg. Round hard flavorlous inflatulating balls of lettuce. Now, we have a great variety almost everywhere, and our lives (and salads) have greatly improved.
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There used to be a banana plantation in a little nook in the coast between Ventura and Santa Barbara on Highway one.
We stopped there once while travelling, though we passed it many times. They had different kinds of bananas and plantains for sampling. Although I wasn't a fan of bananas to begin with I really liked the variety. Many of them weren't as sweet as the standard store banana, and I also like the texture more. (Incidentally my screen name is only indirectly connected with the fruit by way of a neon yellow bathing suit, and my IRL name.) I was sad when they lost their lease or couldn't make a profit anymore and got rid of the banana grove on Highway one.
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At farmer's markets (and to a lesser degree at well-stocked produce places and high-end supermarkets) in California, you can buy not only bananas and a couple varieties of plantains, but also fingerling bananas (which are adorable), red bananas, and a variety or two besides.
Availability is far more seasonal than with garden-variety bananas.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote: Being born in Sri Lanka, I have to say that I hate cuttlefish. I don't like squid particularly either, but I like it better than cuttlefish.
Where in Sri Lanka do you live? When I went to visit my relatives in Moratuwa with my (American) wife last summer, we experienced the very unpleasant sensation of everyone on the street turning and staring at us all the time because of my wife's skin color. They didn't even try to hide it; some would even stop or slow down to gawk. However when we were in Columbo, or touristy places, that effect was generally a lot less. I feel for you if you live anywhere outside of Columbo!
Oh, and I know Sri Lankans can use plantains and bananas interchangably, but I think that's because they frequently use incorrect western terms to describe things all the time, not because they are the same.
I still don't know the difference between squid and cuttlefish. I may never know.
We live close to Sri Jayawardenapura, the new Parliament building. And yes, people stare at me ALL THE FRIKKIN' TIME, whether I'm with my husband or not. The funny thing is, even though he's Sri Lankan, and his family has been here for 600 years, he doesn't have the typical Sri Lankan features. He's been mistaken for Italian. On the other hand, when we went shopping for a mattress, and please bear in mind that I'm pink-skinned with blue eyes, the woman thought I was Japanese. And she ain't the only one.
And yep, I know they use words differently than North Americans. Like nappies and diapers. That still confuses me.
On to bananas. The common bananas you guys get in North America don't seem to be available here at all. The most common bananas we have here are the short & stubby banans about four inches long that are sweet & rubbery. We also have long green bananas that are ripe just before they start turning yellow. Then there are the red bananas that are said to be the best ones of the lot. There are a lot more varieties than that, but those are the ones I remember the most. In the empty lot next door to us, there are a half dozen or more banana trees growing. This is a common sight here, banana trees in a yard. Or mango, papaya, lime, coconut, or other fruit trees.
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On the other hand, when we went shopping for a mattress, and please bear in mind that I'm pink-skinned with blue eyes, the woman thought I was Japanese. And she ain't the only one.
