Lost in Translation?

Sarcasm.

It's one of those things I'm a bit too good at I think. It also got me into lots of trouble when I was a teenager. Parents don't seem to grasp the beauty of a perfectly placed sarcastic comment when you're 13. Pity really.

But when you enter into a new culture you can never be sure if sarcasm will be grasped in the same way. So one needs to be careful before dropping that sarcastic reply to make sure that the recipient will view it as something to laugh at and come back with an even wittier reply. Otherwise you could end up with egg on your face.

As a result I do find myself sitting and observing rather than participating in the conversations as I'm still trying to grasp the comedic culture here.

Speaking of comedy and culture......

I remember the first time I saw this sketch from Kids In The Hall (a Canadian comic institution). I thought it was brilliant.