Cultural sensitivity is my thing. It need be if you call these Hawaiian Islands home. Working in twenty-eight countries with diverse ethnic groups means I best be able to think on my feet, learn the language, and do the dance. Credibility and fluency with locals is a big deal.

This great nation of ours is divided on what to call carbonated drinks. A good chunk of the country terms it “Soda Pop”, “Pop”, or just “Soda” as do we in the islands. A major portion simply refer to all soft drinks by the generic moniker “Coke”.
Now it gets dicey. Worland is a long time home to the Pepsi Cola Company. One of my hosts recently retired from Pepsi! Immediately after I casually requested a “Coke”, my mind flashed prodded by their good natured protests.
Oh well, chalk up another cultural faux pas. Thank God they are gospel guys who practice forgiveness. I think from now on I’ll creatively use the name for carbonated soft drinks commonly heard in New Zealand; “Fizzy Drinks”. Nobody would know what to do with that one.