Thursday, February 15, 2007

fake cinnamon

When I first came to the US I didn't know how to drive a car. But I learned in six weeks, and got a 94/100 on the driving test. (Three of those points got deducted because I tried to stay within the speed limit going downhill. I was told this was California and we didn't have all time in the world.)

During my driving lessons for those six weeks I chewed cinnamon flavored gum like a crazy person. (I also had to have the window cracked just so, and I had to wear my Stan Smith tennis shoes.)

After a while my mouth started blistering and my lips got swollen. I figured I had a reaction to either the intense red food coloring, or the fake cinnamon. But I kept chewing because I really wanted that license and I had gotten myself addicted.

But when I had the license in my hand, no more fake cinnamon, and no more blisters.

Until now. I now know that a certain brand of toothpaste, with a faint red stripe in addition to a lot of white and a little bit of blue, has guess what fake cinnamon hidden in that stripe.

2 comments:

JaCal said...

I got points deducted because I was driving 35 mph on a 40mph road - "Speed up!", I was told. So in other words - don't be slow in California..?

I had had my driving license for 12 years when I took my CA license. But felt just like the first time I did the test. Maybe younger. Like 12 or so. But I did it. Without cinnamon favored gum or Stan Smith tennis shoes.

Anne-Marie said...

I did not have any driver's license either when I came to the U.S. 10 years ago. I got points deducted as I did not turn into the closest lane even though there was a big RV parked in that lane. Very strange! No slow speed points deducted, maybe because Mt Shasta is a very small town. You have great pictures!