I have a confession to make: I don't really understand how Facebook and all that stuff works. I am chuffed enough with myself that I manage to blog, even though I use Blogger which I suspect is like trying to recreate the painting of the Sistine Chapel with Chubby Crayons. The finer points of keeping in touch 21st century style have sort of passed me by. Don't even get me started about Twitter.
That said, I do have a Facebook account. A while back, I wanted to check if someone was on Facebook (due to advancing senility, I cannot now remember who. Or why.) and I discovered that to search on Facebook, one had to join Facebook. So I did. And this leads me to my confession - although I have the account, I have NO IDEA how it works or what to do with it. I rarely remember I have it and never log in. Until today, when I discovered that I have friend invitations! From nice people from the bloggy world! Who I have, it would appear, been ignoring for who knows how long! I am so rude!
Anyway, I have now accepted the invitations (I think) so feel more in touch with my inner teenager. I still have no idea what to do with a Facebook account so if anyone wants to teach me, all guidance would be gratefully received. (I had better find out about all this stuff before my children start wanting accounts on sites other than Club Penguin. I bet if I had girls, I would be fully up-to-date by now!)
On a totally different topic, I am slightly scared by how American my children are. The North American culture is so all-invasive now that even my dyed-in-the-wool, born Scots boys sometimes sound more like Californian teenagers. They do that annoying thing where they raise their voice at the end of every sentence and turn them all into a question? Drives me potty. And the even scarier thing is that they now laugh at me for talking like, oh I don't know, a Scottish woman of 42!
I can't remember what prompted me the other day, but I was ranting about the phrase "to go". I was explaining to the boys that I steadfastly refuse to give in to the American (*cough*Starbucks *cough*) term of describing a coffee you want to remove from the premises as "to go". Or one you want to drink sitting at their tables as "for here". NO. In Scotland, you do not ask "To go or for here?". You ask "Sit-in or take away?".
I explained to the boys therefore that on the rare occasion I decide to blow £3 on a cup of coffee in an unattractive mug, I will ask for "a latte to sit in". They of course howled with laughter.
"It would need to be a REALLY big latte if you were going to sit in it!" they crowed. I can't help feeling I was being insulted on more than one level there.
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Well, you're one step ahead of me. I'm sure I would love Facebook and spend hours on it if 1) I knew how it worked, 2) my friends were on it (well, yes, there's you for a start) and 3) I had hours to spend, which I don't.
ReplyDeleteWe really missed you tonight, Shauna and Zanna and I!! Yes (she said modestly) I had Shauna of Dietgirl and What's New Pussycat? to my house. For tea. I feel very honoured (and I mean that). She's lovely. Zanna is also very nice but less famous.
When you're so inclined, spend a little time on FB and you'll get the hang of it!
ReplyDeleteThis American is laughing with your boys :)
No, no, Facebook reduces your lovely, bright, articulate, amusing friends to drivelling twits who can only say things like "Isabelle is loving her new Starbucks mug" and posting photos of themselves in a gaggle of other blog-friends, all drunk and half-naked out on a hen night.... Don't go there!
ReplyDelete:) Don't fear Facebook too much--after giving in and submitting to spending an entire day on it I finally had most of it's nuainces! :)
ReplyDeleteAs a (North) American, I can honestly say that I would rather hear more Scottish sounding people around! :)
I am on Facebook, and it is not as good as blogs because it doesn't have much in the way of content. I like stories.
ReplyDeleteI use it mostly as a way of e-mailing people when I can't be bothered to work out which of the many e-mail addresses I have for them is the one they actually use.
That said, I'll friend you. I have never posted photos of myself half-naked on a hen night (well, I've only been to one, and it wasn't the drunken and half-naked kind) so your delicate sensibilities will be safe!
You could be even more embarrassing, like my mum, and ask for a Caffi Latti.
ReplyDeleteAs for Facebook, I'm lost. I have an account too, which I don't know what to do with. And I'm happy with that. I'm a blogger. I have nothing to prove.
I just read your latte story out to James and he laughed as much as I did (a lot)!!! I hate all that stuff too.
ReplyDeleteI'll look for you on Facebook.
I refuse to twitter, but I am on Facebook. It's a good way to keep up with friends all over Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.
ReplyDeleteOff to friend you now. (I am a bit ambivalent about using 'friend' as a verb, but, I'm all about going with the flow.)
First thing you should do is post some photos of yourself and other interesting stuff you have photos of. We want to see what you look like. And you can go into our photos pages on Facebook and see what we look like. It also has a handy message center where you can send private messages to your friends (like email) There's also a chat feature where we could have live chats whilst sitting in our lattes. Alison and I are on the FB almost every day and we're excited that you're out FB friend now, aren't we Alison?
ReplyDeleteI use Facebook to keep up with the YD and her friends; they have all kindly 'friended' (yuck!) me. And to play Scrabble; very, very addictive. Other than that I stay away from the silly thing.
ReplyDeleteKeep nagging your boys. 'Upspeak' is awful. Having said that, if they do pick it up they may grow out of it - the middle grandkid is phasing out of his 'like' period and I pray he has not infected his little sister.