Strange Reading Observations

So I read Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding this week and I noticed something strange in the way I read an English book. I never really noticed before but I think I always did this but I just never noticed it.

I sat on the balcony with BF. We both had a book in our hands and I stumbled on an abbreviation I just couldn't remember the meaning of. So I thought ask BF perhaps he knows (imagine this dialog in German please):

Me: "Schatz, what does "IOU"(pronounced in German that is: [i:][ɔ][ʊ] mean?"

BF: "Huh?...*silence*...Could it be you mean I Owe You?"

That was a serious *headpalm* moment for me. But I noticed that I usually pronounce all new-to-me abbreviations in German while reading an English book. And even stranger I don't do that with the ones I already know. O_o That is really weird I know but it made me think about the whole reading in a different language thing. Why am I pronouncing abbreviations in German and words I just don't know in English?

I also noticed that I don't translate numbers in my head while reading when they are bigger than lets say 100. I would never take the time to read 186,678,89.76 in English when in German it is so much faster. Same goes for the time. Okay there I have to distinguish but lets say I see 8:36 in a text I will always pronounce it German but when there is 8 AM I would do it in English.

Any other international readers who do that too or am I the only crazy girl out there?

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