"You know you're a foreigner who's been in Slovenia too long when..."

1. You pepper your conversations (with other English speakers) with expressions like "ah res?" and "v redu!"

2. You think of Wheel of Fortune as your country's version of Kolo Srece.

3. It seems normal to have to visit two cashiers' windows to (a) pay and obtain a receipt, and (b) present the receipt to the clerk, who carefully wraps, tapes, stickers shut and bags your single 9-volt battery.

4. On trips home, you speak to shop clerks and waitresses in Slovene. Or at least think about it.

5. You stop thinking about how nice it would be to have a clothes dryer again.

6. When asked to spell out your name, you automatically do it pronouncing the letters the Slovene way.

7. You stop converting prices from tolars into your home currency.

8. You start following Slovene politics.

9. You tell friends you're going on a short trip to Dunaj or Benetke.

10. The words "Jogurt" and "joga" look normal to you in print.

11. Shutters on windows begin to seem like a decadent Western affectation.

12. Your dreams are in English, but with Slovene subtitles.