PTSD

Short scenes from the past weekend

Saturday: In small town, Maine: Got into a cab, the driver asked where we (my sister and I) were from, I answered, he asked where it was, what the weather there was like, and said he’d “look out for your sister since we are the only cab company in town and she will probably be using us any time she calls a cab”. We were complimented on our English-language skills despite being from a place he’d never heard of (though he seemed quite pleased to realise now he "knew where the highest mountain in the world was").

Monday: In Boston: Got mistaken for a local and two people asked me for directions. I guess it was the red tote bag I was carrying which had “2003 Food Industry Truck Driving Championship” written on it that made me look like a local? One questioner even said “You sound like a local”, which I’m assuming was merely because he’d only heard me say the words “I don’t know the way. I just got here today” (which rhyme). Despite Elizabeth's exhortations to me to visit BigName Uni, I didn't do it (maybe next time).

Tuesday: In Washington: Arrived at 7am and took the Metro into Uni. Sat next to a woman who asked me where I was from and then went on about her boyfriend’s parents who spoke to each other in their language (they had migrated to the USA from China) "despite being here for 20 years" and had “really bad accents which I can’t understand at all”.

I miss Maine. In the three days I was there, people drove us (my sister and I) around town, gave us lifts into town, shops and back to Uni and nobody mentioned accents or what not. They mentioned food (go for seafood and maple syrup apparently), animals (loons and moose, or should that be mooses? Meese?) and things to do (hike, swim, ski, climb various mountains and such; not much of anything else. The town does not even have a bookstore apart from the one at the College). No public transport though so I guess I need to get that licence I've been saying I'd get some time before my next trip up there.

posted by Priya @ 9:24 AM