Weird books!

[highlyeccentric]

Abebooks just sent me an email to tell me about their Weird Book Room.

Where you can find such gems as Knitted Historical Figures, Exercises for Gentlemen, The Dictionary of Pipe Organ Stops, Cheese Rolling in Gloustershire, Love + Sex with Robots, The Manga Guide to Calculus, The Armpit of Desire, The Who's Who of British Beheadings, 50 Ways to Use Feminine Hygiene Produces in a Manly Manner (WTF???), and Castration, the advantages and disadvantages.

ALSO, in preparation for the 2012 Olympics, Visit Britain has a guide to mingling with other cultures. Do not be alarmed if South Africans say they were held up by robots!

Comments

[liseuse]

Well, judging by the cover picture for the book the best way to use a feminine hygiene product in a manly way is to use it as the stuffing that goes down a cannon. I'm up for that.

The best bit of the Visit Britain site, for me:
When meeting Mexicans it is best not to discuss poverty, illegal aliens, earthquakes or their 1845-6 war with America.
Because those are the four conversational gambits that would spring to mind, obvs!

[highlyeccentric]

They probably are the standards! For Australian's it's dangerous wildlife, kangaroos, and one's ability to surf. Most people never think beyond stereotypes, after all...

[liseuse]

See, the first three, on thinking about it, I can kind of understand. The last one? I only know about the 1845-6 war because I read about it on the internet at a political blog. It's really not something that gets taught in school. Which means I have this image of people knowing they are about to meet a Mexican, googling Mexico and seeing a reference to the war and then just shoehorning it into a conversation.

I have to step on my feet when talking to Australians so that I don't start in on "what's it like to have Christmas in summer?" Because, you know, not everyone celebrates Christmas and I am sure they are bored of people asking them and the answer is "well, totally normal thanks."

[highlyeccentric]

Yeah, the last one is a bit strange! I'd certainly never heard of it.

Lots of people think that Christmas in summer is strange enough (or boring enough, or Not Proper Christmas, or something) that they then hold "Christmas in July" parties so that they can eat whatever it is you're supposed to eat when it's winter at Christmas time. Perhaps when I relocate hemispheres I should insist that all my friends participate in Christmas in July, with cold chicken and salad and backyard cricket?

[liseuse]

You should! That would be awesome!

[highlyeccentric]

I imagine people would take to it. Residents of the northern hemisphere seem to find all things Australian deeply entertaining. Besides, cold Christmas lunch is awesome. Chicken! Ham! Prawns! Salads! Cheesecake!

[liseuse]

I have no insight as to why we find the southern hemisphere so intriguing, but yes we do. That does sound like an excellent lunch. om nom nom.

[highlyeccentric]

Mmm, now I want Christmas lunch...

[liseuse]

I just want actual lunch. That toast isn't cutting it. Hrrumph.

[coriana]

a. Disturbingly enough, I know people who would be DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE to receive many of those books as gifts.

b. I love that Visit Britain warns people not to confuse Canadians and Americans because the Canadians get deeply offended. What they fail to mention, however, is that many Americans will try to pass for Canadian while abroad, and be incredibly flattered if you fall for it.

~ c.