When you start working in a new environment or even move countries and cities you have a rare opportunity to see what kinds of assumptions people make about who you are and what you’re about. Rarely, if ever, are these assumptions malicious, but more the way people decipher the messages you’re sending off. I’ve found this pretty interesting of late and have noticed some interesting patterns developing.
1. The most common assumption I’ve incurred has been that I’m a student. From the man at the bus station in Kingston, to the photo ID lady here at work. I’m 26, so it’s not strange that a medical student would be about my age, but it still throws me. I graduated 3 years ago and people still don’t see me as an adult. It’s not like I’m walking around in sneakers and a Linkin Park T-shirt either. It’s puzzling, but at the same time I have no problem with having a youthful appearance.
2. Another one I’ve been getting a lot is that I’m a vegetarian. I tried to be one once, but the fact that I don’t really cook my own meals and actually rather enjoy a good cow every so often made that experiment last about a week. I don’t eat a lot of meat, mostly because it’s pretty heavy. Also I love a good salad. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that people are suggesting all kinds of vegetarian restaurants for me in Toronto, it’s just a bit odd since I haven’t eaten lunch with one of them. That’s all. (Aside for Praguers past and present: One of the people suggesting all these places, prefaced their advice by raving about all the great vegetarian scene in Prague. Radost, Maly Budda and Govinda are great, but I wouldn’t call them a scene. I though Kari might find that amusing).
3. I’m of Mediterranean Slavic descent. Okay, so only person actually asked me that and he was an elevator operator in NYC, but it seemed really strange and amusing to me. M and I were taking an elevator to visit friends on the Upper West Side and the operator took a look at us and asked if we were related (?). “No. We’re boyfriend and girlfriend.” Then he asked us where we were from. We told him Canada and he was like “No, where are your families from.” M told him that he was Czech and I said basically Scotland and Germany. He looked at me and said “You don’t look like that’s where you’re from. You look Slavic.” I thought for a minute, and recalled that when my mother and grandmother traced the family tree they went all the way back to the 9th century, where our ancestors originated in what is now Bosnia-Hertzegovina. I told him this and he was like “I knew it!” He told me he was from Albania and that I looked like I was from that region. I thought to myself that any traces of that Slavic history has surely been diluted and mutated over the 1100 years, but it made him happy. Really I just think I look like your average tall white girl.
In other news, my fellow Kingstonian Ryan Malcom was crowned the very first Canadian Idol last night, which is great. What’s not so great is that I’ve only heard the first single (name escapes me) 3 times and it’s already seared into my brain. Damn ballads.
Today’s sing-a-long song (in a effort to free myself): “Free your mind” by En Vogue
HRH
