Things I learned over Remembrance weekend:

The British flag is allowed to touch the ground. As an American, this fact particularly shocked me. Watching a royal remembrance ceremony on Saturday evening, I noticed a British flag being slowly lowered. I may have actually gasped a little when it touched the floor and was allowed to continue. After inquiring, I learned that there are not many rules regarding the flag -- it seems there is no set way in which the flag must be folded (unless to be used in a formal ceremony); there are no regulations regarding the flag's height in comparison to other flags; and there is no concern over which side other flags may be allowed to fly or hang.

Red poppies are a sign of remembrance for fallen soldiers. I had learned this in the past week after curiosity prompted me to consult the all-wise internet on the matter. What I failed to understand at that juncture was that there is an added meaning to the wearing of the red poppies in Northern Ireland. Here, donning it will mean that you are typically Unionist and Protestant. In some more politicised areas -- Belfast included --, it would indicate that the wearer considers himself British rather than Irish.

This one may seem a bit ignorant, especially considering I'm a bit of a foodie, but I learned what chutney is. I subsequently learned that I have no interest in chutney. Other foods I learned about or became more knowledgeable of: mincemeat, "fruit", Christmas pudding and Christmas cake, and turkey ham. The last one on the list also may sound a bit suspect, but, as I have yet to see turkey bologna, turkey bacon, turkey sausage, ground turkey, or a turkey, I felt I was justified in my suspicion.

The Queen looks quite bored when people sing "God Save the Queen". It is particularly amusing when she looks irritated at her husband is singing along.

I like rugby. I'm sure this should come as no surprise to anyone who knows the sport and knows the types of sports I enjoy. Though I can't truly compare it to either, it was a good mix of the spirits of hockey and American football. It only took a few minutes of watching to get the basic rules down and only a few more to realise that I was quite pleased New Zealand was crushing Wales. Sorry, Wales.

The rest of the world thinks that American sports take far too long. If a Brit sits down to watch a 90-minute match, the entire thing, penalties, injuries, and halftime included, better not take more than two hours. It's a near atrocity that a 60-minute American football game would dare take four to five hours to complete. Baseball isn't even timed.

British Simon Cowell is a wuss compared to American Simon Cowell. American Simon Cowell loves telling contestants they should be forced to leave the competition (all American Idol knowledge courtesy Joel McHale and The Soup), but he has not the power to make it happen. British Simon Cowell can enforce these types of comments through judges' elimination but has, for two weeks now, refused to do so, allowing a more talented performer to go home.

Other X-Factor/American Idol differences that were apparent having viewed only one episode of each: X-Factor judges act as mentors for contestants and, thus, have a stake (and bias, when voting) in particular contestants' show life; groups are allowed to compete on the X-Factor; as I mentioned, judges vote on which of the bottom two audience-voted acts will go home; only in the event of a judges' draw would a contestant learn who received the least votes; and each acts gets spiffy introductions before preforming and often has props/backup dancers on stage. In all, the shows are far more dissimilar than I would have thought previously.

The DUP and TUV are purposely homonymically named. Of course, noting this fact led to my mind being flooded with recollections of aspirated vs. unaspirated (which I always thought should have been "nonaspirated") phonemes and Grimm's Law, and I just decided to stop while I was ahead.

Babies often get wee pains.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

I think having an American flatmate has kept me from taking on an Irish accent (I felt it coming on in the early days), but that doesn't mean my language hasn't been affected. Here are the ways in which my use of language has been affected by the Irish:

I say "wee". I also know the proper way to use "wee", which is not by or about a leprechaun.

I've noticed "jumper" creeping into my vocabulary. This one may have snuck in with the "wee", as in "look at his wee jumper".

I have long used the 'u' in words like colour and favourite, but I have become aware of my use of "programme".

I have been substituting 's' for 'z' in words like "publicised" or "criticised". I haven't yet begun referring to it as 'zed' on a regular basis, but it has happened a few times.

I have occasionally referred to a "hole in the wall". In case you're wondering, that's a magical place where you speak into a hole in a wall, and a fairy hands you money. Or, it's an ATM.

The term I have probably used more than any other -- and the one I didn't even notice in my vocabulary for a while -- is "proper". The first time I realised I had said it, it was a double-woosy: I said that something was "right proper".

To complete my exercise in language assimilation, I must drop articles ("went into hospital"), remember to ask three times before accepting an answer of no, and stop using that pesky Oxford comma (the most resistant of the three, as it is apparently the secret love of my life).

• 
• 
• 
• 
•