I am very happy to present yet another guest blogger, Isabella ( Izzy ) Woods...Give it up for Izzy and show her some love with a comment :-) --------- Y'all!
As a unique opportunity to see things from an outsider's perspective, it's certainly been interesting to see what customs confuse and amuse everyone who isn't entrenched with them.
Lesson number one: a true Texan never pronounces, or in my experience even writes, the letter 'g' unless absolutely necessary. So here's my guide to porch sittin', sweet tea drinkin', spittin', deep fat fryin', truckin' Texas.
The good...
Porch sittin'
In Texas the porch is much, much more than just an area for keeping a few pot plants, dirty boots and other random stuff. Here the porch is truly an extension of the home, and porch sittin' is one of the most popular ways to relax. Just like the stereotype of the creepy old guy sittin' out on the porch on a rocker holdin' a shotgun, except usually with a book or a cold beer instead of a gun.
Iced tea
In Texas this is sweet and served up year round. Also bear in mind that, as with any cold drink, you may get more ice than liquid. Texans tend to fill the glass with ice first, then see how much liquid fits in around it.
Southern hospitality
Texans take pride in thinking of themselves as a hospitable bunch. They enjoy being able to wave at everyone in their area, know every face and do a good turn when the occasion arises.
The bad...
Spittin' in public
This doesn't need much explanation. Suffice to say there's a very long tradition of spitting in Texas, but nowadays people do it without the tobacco. Or the spittoons.
The bad for your health...
Fried everything
Most people in America have probably heard about Texas' love of all things fried, thanks to the Big Tex Choice awards at the annual Texas State Fair, which have rapidly become a competition to see who can fry the weirdest thing. Think fried beer, fried coke, fried bubblegum, fried butter, fried Twinkies, fried Snickers, fried alligator. Try not to think about your waistline or cholesterol levels.
More everyday options are fried pies, fried green tomatoes and of course fried chicken. There's also the confusingly named chicken fried steak, which doesn't actually involve chicken – it's just steak coated with seasoning and then pan fried (also known as country fried steak, CFS or pan fried steak). Also corny dogs – a hotdog on a stick, coated in batter and fried.
Not all Texas food is fried (thankfully). Some of my traditional favourites are: sweet potato pie, corn bread dressing, mashed taters and my aunt's sweet potato bread rolls. Mmmmm.
The confusing...
Referring to any kind of soda as Coke
With the possible exception of Dr Pepper (incidentally, invented in Texas in the 1880s), any kind of soda drink can be referred to as a Coke. Confusing? Possibly. Maybe there's some kind of key subtle inflection to distinguish between 'Coke' (actual Coke) and 'Coke' (Mountain Dew or something else). Clearly I'm not quite tuned in yet...
And the rest...
Personalized belt buckles
We take their belt buckles pretty seriously. Take a closer look and you'll find most of those fancy buckles aren't just for show – they tell you something about the wearer. Maybe their favourite sports team, which rodeos they've been to, where they went to university or their initials. On the other hand, you might just find the lone star, a Texas shape or even just the word Texas. If there's one thing Texans are, it's proud of being Texan.
Truck love
In Texas, everyone, but everyone, drives a truck. In 2008, Texans owned 14% of all the pick-ups in the US. They also love other vehicle-related stuff, such as Nascar. And they love bumper stickers, especially bumper stickers about Texas. Look out for classics like: 'I'm from Texas, what country are you from?' and 'I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could'.
'I'm fixin' to'
I'd say you can pretty much measure how close you are to Texas based on the frequency with which this phrase occurs. As in, 'I'm fixin' to deep fry some iced tea on the porch, y'all want any?'
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Isabella is now living just outside of London, and still struggling with the culture shock. On the plus side, she gets to enjoy of Europe's last minute ski holidays, incredible museums and stone's throw distance to so many different cultures.
