“Identity” - I know I’ve been in similar situations…
Just so you know, this is a very serious post.
We live behind God’s back, which is an expression that really means, it takes us forever and a day, to just get home with the trains, and those are the fastest ways home. Only in New York, would highways be bumper to bumper at say, oh, five in the morning. I would know, I’ve been through it, many times. Recently, well not so recently, but the last time that I remember a subway story, I was buying, Tic-Tac’s from one of those newsstands. Typically, the owner or the manager is almost always Indian, or some sort of ethnic looking Indian.
“How much?” I said.
“Seventy five dollars,” he said in a thick desi accent.
Not even phased by his comment, I took out a dollar, “Here you go.”
He started laughing, “Seventy five dollars.”
I said, “Uh huh.”
This apparently is the time where I know the typical is going to happen.
“Where you from?”
I popped the pill like mint into my mouth, as I waited for my change, I contemplated answering him, but it always leaves me confused. “Umm…” I said and then smiled, “New York?”
“No, originally, where you from?”
“You Bengali, I know you Bengali from anywhere.” He said.
I didn’t know what to say, I’m always left confused by this question and I don’t think it needs to be so laborious. And I snapped in my head, “Why can’t I just buy damn mints in peace that be bombarded with identity questions.
“Uh huh,” I said as I collected my change.
“Can I get the New York Times please?”
“Where?”
I pretended to not address his question fully, and…
The above was posted by Monologist, I think…
Click to continue reading this post at “The Bohemian State“.
March 11th, 2007 at 10:07 am LOL! Equally perplexing and sometimes funny, the white Jamaican. In Jamaica he’s a tourist and everywhere else, he’s just incredible. A yard: “Aiy, Pork! Just lef di money before I chop you rass!” “You Americans just fail to understand the deep socio-political issues of Jamaica. You’re such introverted people.” “Is limies like you dat cause all di colonial slave mentality. Why you no go back a yard?” A foreign: “You look like a $NATIONALITY but, you talk so funny.” “You’re Jamaican? No really. Where are you from?” “But, aren’t all Jamaicans black?” A Cayman Immigration: “Hmmff. Jamaican ay?” (Smile turns to scowl.)