I was at Anastasia's first birthday party yesterday night and David's niece, Shana aka The Wedding Planner, informed me that they were on "spring break/vacation" next week and that she would be able to go with me to do wedding stuff...
which brings me once again, to how I tended to misconstrue words when i first got here. For one thing, a vacation in the States means (among others), a period between school terms and in the British system ( which i was immersed in from young ), the word vacation evoked images of exotic recreational trips AWAY from home, like to the Bahamas.
Amusingly enough, i thought a vacation was what you took when you were "away on holiday"! I have since learnt that you can be lounging away in your bed the whole day and still be on vacation.
Apparently, if you are "going on a vacation", that means you are going somewhere besides your own house for your time away from work. If you are "using your vacation", that implies you are possibly going to do something exceptional, but might just end up in the above mentioned bed after all.
9 comments:
When I first came here in the UK that confused me too. Here they refer to vacation as a HOLIDAY. My kids have just gone back to school after half term (week holiday)But we didnt go anywhere in particular... on July it will be their 6 week holiday... thats the month that people usually go on HOLIDAY! Baffling
Basically I dont really care whether I go away or not as long as I dont have to get up early when its so cold outside hehehe!
vacation = vacate the office/building/school, etc. that's what it is exactly.
yup!!!! we dont use the holiday thing unless its a holiday like Christmas or something
vacation is vacation, even if your sitting at home in front of your TV the whole time :)
I went to college in England for a short while and I mixed things up all the time!
Hi Letti
In Oz it's usually public hol , school holidays, ect not many ppl use vaction unless they are taking off some where.
I agree with Ria , when it's school break ,it's a holiday bcause i don't have to be up and running here n there :) we always stay home .
I need a vacation.
"I have since learnt that you can be lounging away in your bed the whole day and still be on vacation."
YUP!!! hehe
Steve and I were talking the other day and he was all, "so we need to be thinking of ways I can take my vacation days here soon." (Long story but we think he might lose them if he doesn't take them now.) I wanted to know what we'd do... "I dunno, just stay home I guess."
Vacation for us usually is staying at home. ;-)
Well Letti, over here, away from work for a period of time is "on leave". A day or two off work due to religious or other celebrations determined by the government is called "public holidays". Going away to a different location for sight seeing etc is called " going for holidays" even though there is not much of a holiness in it. School breaks are called "school holidays". For me, I am on permanent leave which is sometime refered to as retired. LOL!!!
Hey.. Letti,
I'm in the same position as you .. when it comes to language .. our co-workers thinks.. that when i want them to "pack up" an aisle.. that i had meant.. to box things up.. hahahhaha!!! way too funny..!!
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