The incomplete list of all the things Lore taught me about United States

[strannik01]

Today marks the 17th anniversary of my arrival in United States. I don’t really have much to add to a post I did last year… Well, except one thing.

As I wrote last year, there were some pretty sizable gaps of my my knowledge of American culture until tweelore came into my life. I was quite unsocial, resentful and not all that interested in going outside my comfort zone.

Lore made it clear fairly early on that she wasn’t going to stand for that.

Looking back, it’s kind of amazing how many conversation early in our relationship went something like this:

Tweelore: Say, want to see that cool thing?
Strannik01: I don’t know. I don’t think it’s really my thing…
Tweelore: Tough. We're doing it.

She dragged into the greater American culture kicking and screaming. I didn’t like everything she introduced me to, but I got to see a lot of things I never would have seen on my own before.  think ultimately, my life wouldn’t be as culturally rich without it. And I sure as hell wouldn’t be as interested in stepping outside my comfort zone.

What I wrote below is not a complete list - just the stuff I remember atop of my head. I reserve a right to go back and add things months and years down the line. But,if nothing else, it will give you a good idea just how much I wouldn’t have seen if weren’t for Lore.

And so, in no particular order.



Media

• Lexx
• Twin Peaks
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 - This one deserves a little elaboration. I did see some MST3K episodes before, but their riffing of Morozko really rubbed me the wrong way (I’ve compared it to watching somebody riffing Wizard of Oz. It was a classic, damn it!). But Lore insisted… The story of what happened then deserves a separate post, but suffice to say that my opinion of the show had softened.
• David Bowie
• Queen (the band)
• Garbage (the band)
• Tori Amos
• Peaches (the singer)
• Evil Dead series
• Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Red Dawn (the original movie, obviously)
• Final Fantasy VIII - I knew about the game, but I’ve never seen it played until Lore.
• Star Trek: Wrath of Khan - I was familiar with Star Trek as a whole, but not that movie.
• Tank Girl (the comic)
• Playboy - again, I knew what it was, but Lore was the one who got me my first actual copy. I was surprised to discovered that it actually did have interesting articles. Really.

Places and Things

• Anime Central, and, by extension, geek media conventions in general
• The Renaissance Faire
• Chicago Pride Parade
• Hookah lounges
• Evangelical Protestant church services
• Too much American food to list, really. I haven’t really had meals with anybody outside my family before. Having dinner with Lore’s parents and her family in general introduced me to stuff I didn’t even realize existed.

I still have some gaps in my cultural knowledge of America (like, say, Peanuts characters). Heck, even now, I still get occasionally introduced to things.  But even so.. Lore has introduced me to a lot. And many of the things she exposed me to served as stepping stones for me to find other cool and interesting things on my own.

But I think the most important thing is that Lore forced me to go places. To see things. To meet people. To be more social in general. Being social is something I struggle with to this day, but I would be much further behind if it weren’t for her.

And I will always be grateful for that.