The way I try to approach these threads is to try and pretend there’s a bunch of people sitting around having a conversation.

If you’re familiar with the dynamic, and you emulate it here, you might enjoy yourself more. Or you could do this I suppose?

Each to their own.

Anything else doing?

Oh gosh I’ve tried Duolingo so many times over the years and never gotten far. I’m impressed with people who keep it up.

That’s cool. How was your day otherwise?

Or see a physiotherapist instead.

I’ve heard this called the ‘dirty 30’. It works. Whatever needs cleaning up or tidying, 30 minutes is just short enough to not feel like you’re using all your free time on chores, but long enough to make a real dent. Especially if your partner either helps with the same task or does a different one. Setting a timer can help and you start to almost frantically see how much you can get done. I like that competitive element even against myself.

In Australia it’s customary to thank the staff members attending your table. So when they top up your water, or lay out cutlery for the next course, or clear plates, you say ‘thanks/thank you’. Same for people clearing glasses in bars. It’s like a millisecond pause in your conversation to thank the staff member; it’s basically cell memory, you don’t think about it. They may or may not acknowledge it with a smile or ‘you’re welcome/no worries’. . It’s just a basic manners thing.

I and my partner were doing it in the states and it was clearly unnerving the staff. Lots of puzzled looks or ‘thats ok hun’ like they had to reassure me that it was part of the service.

Do people just ignore staff there? Is paying a tip at the end the only acknowledgment that they exist?

Holding the fork vertically with downward pressure in the left fist while cutting with the knife. Then putting down the knife, swapping the fork to the right hand for eating. Bonus points for biting the forks.

It’s the most distracting thing in all American media. I like to yell “yanks eating weird!” And point at the screen. Once you see it you can’t unsee it.

Snip snip

Plain grey ball cap every time I step outdoors in anything less than smart casual. Slip slop slap and slide, kids.

Yep, that’s exactly how it works. They’re douchebags but this is how TMs work.

Having bought 2 in my lifetime so far my approach has always been to say bugger all to the agent. I owe them nothing. If I have questions I ask, if they ask me questions I give them the most limited information possible, obviously being polite. I always kept my cards close to my chest until it was time to lift the auction paddle.

Say very little; it’s none of their business. Dress how you normally would.

Fuck

I’ve heard this phenomenon. That us Aussies go over there, especially to the south and are shocked at how cheerful ppl are with their small chat and how you goings as compared to here where we’re less inclined to strike up a conversation with a random.

But then I’ve had American friends explain that it’s all surface. That smiling yank agrees with Trump or reports their neighbours to the HOA for having grass over a centimetre high, or wants to go back to the good old days when the blacks knew their place.

Half the country wants Trump back. Fuck that.

I am turly sorry for your lots

Quora always feels like a fever dream

Alllll their posts are like this. It’s exhausting.

As Above, So below is reasonably solid

There’s a bit of a Mary Sue issue but otherwise good.

The original Candyman.

Everything about it is excellent and holds up even now. The musical score is exceptional.

Don’t bother with the reboot. It has a message it’s trying to send, which I get, but they’ve done it to the detriment of the horror. Something could’ve been done with the premise but they fell short.

OG all the way.

Yeah they’re ridiculous. Half of this seems imagined or shower thoughts she’s had.