RandomFebruary 10, 2007 11:21 pm
Straight off my 30 plus hour journey back to the land of the free I had to head to a two day course on CEQA, an utterly fascinating way to recover from jetlag if I do say so myself. The following conversation ensued with one of the participants.
It’s been absolutely freezing over the past couple of months, the 5 was closed because of snow…
Oh yeah I heard about that, thankfully I wasn’t around to experience the pleasures of the cold snap
Where were you?
In a nice, warm tropical country far away…
Oh, tropical? Where was that?
Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka! Sri Lanka…isn’t that off the coast of Italy?
Hahahahaha….ahh…your not kidding are you? Sigh….
I was once asked if Sri Lanka was the name of a native indian tribe when I was in Mexico. By an American tourist of course
And, um. Snow in San Fran? That’s like a Vanessa William’s song coming to life, only it’s not June.
Comment by rastiadu karaya — February 11, 2007 @ 3:12 am
A li’l old lady I was talking to once asked me where SL is..and I said, oh, ah, it’s an island near India..to which she exclaimed, “Oh! Is that anywhere near Ceeeylon? I lived in Ceeeylon during WW-I!”
Comment by Manshark — February 11, 2007 @ 9:04 am
I was asked if it’s in Africa by some leering guy at a bar once. Not in a friendly curious/ignorant way either, more in a condescending you-should-be-honoured-I’m-hitting-on-you way.
“Mate, do I look fucking African to you?” sent him on his way.
Comment by Darwin — February 11, 2007 @ 10:58 am
I am amazed at how ignorant people can be where geography is concerned- I have been asked if Sri Lanka was a part of the US and once if it was in Europe by another Asian- go figure!
Comment by Vindi — February 11, 2007 @ 11:19 am
Well I think more poeple have got to know about SL following the tsunami. I’m actually surprised at the number of people who actually know about it over here.
I also don’t blame anyone if they don’t know about it and admit to it. I mean come on, it IS a tiny island tucked far away in asia. However ignorant asians is a different matter altogether, unless they were born and bread in the west.
Comment by SpectralCentroid — February 11, 2007 @ 3:40 pm
Sigh…why do people have to try and appear knowledgeable? Why not just say “oh! I’m afraid my geography’s a bit crap, could you enlighten me?”.
When I moved to England in ‘89, my classmates asked if I knew what a TV was, and if my father went to work upon an elephant. And they thought I’d never seen a car before - as a six year-old, I found that very strange!
Comment by PseudoRandom — February 12, 2007 @ 1:02 am
Rastiadu – I’m a bit disturbed by the fact you know Vanessa William’s lyrics…
Manshark – aww…that’s cute…to use one of my favourite phrases (for which I have been threatened death by my friends)…bless!
Darwin – haha….excellent…
Vindi – when I was a wee feller in school in the US, I was asked the same question…but seriously an Asian asked you?
Spectral – true a lot of people know about SL after the tsunami, but a surprising number still don’t, which is odd considering it was the biggest human disaster in history. Admittedly I didn’t know where the Aceh was before the wave, but I bloody well do now. Also I think I was actually less impressed by the fact he thought Italy was tropical…wtf…Italy, tropical!?
Pseudorandom – I’ve pulled the elephant trick meself…ah gullible fools…
Comment by childof25 — February 12, 2007 @ 5:17 am
snow in san fran? eh!! ya some f*ing americans are so stupid i just say i’m from London, saves me a whole lot of hassle/explanation and most of all spares me their pathetic attempts at placing Sri Lanka on the world map
Comment by savi3 — February 12, 2007 @ 11:26 am
Yes someone from South East Asia did ask me and not one bred in the West either- how do these people get into college for crying out loud??
Comment by Vindi — February 12, 2007 @ 5:46 pm
Everyone has skeletons N. Everyone.
Don’t judge me
Comment by rastiadu karaya — February 13, 2007 @ 4:37 pm