Life in a foreign country is full of little mysteries. Some are solvable. Others continue to baffle the foreign mind, even after the foreign mind has lived in that country for months or years. Overall, a state of perpetual mild confusion becomes the norm.
For example – why do people here regularly shout “Thank you!!” at me when I am jogging past? (“Thank you” for moving by so quickly, because you are sweaty and gross? “Thank you” for providing us with entertainment, because you look so ridiculous when you run?) Why do the children continue to shout “WHITE WOMAN WHITE WOMAN WHITE WOMAN,” even after I've waved and said “Hello?” (What response, exactly, are they looking for? Or are they simply showing off their powers of identification?) And why is the standard silverware here a fork and spoon – never a knife, despite the fact that most meals include large chunks of very tough meat?
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I think the women screaming "WHITE WOMAN WHITE WOMAN WHITE WOMAN" are clearly just fans of your blog. You're famous.
ReplyDeleteHahah, that must be it :)
ReplyDeleteOne of my (white) friends here was a volunteer in Chad and has a T-shirt that says "I'M FAMOUS IN CHAD." It makes me laugh every time I see it.