they are often assholes about it
I've known more Americans who pretend to be Canadian when travelling than I've known Canadians who were assholish about not being American. And that's after a pretty long time living both places. That's where I come at it from. Before I'd even get into counting "ugly tourist" stats. Which, as a Jamaican, just make me want to weep. And then I'd have to get to "ugly host nation" ... and, well, I found writing off
Canadians
to be little less hostile than Canadians reacting overtly defensively about mistaken identity.
Sorry: ETA to I posted this before I saw the latest tourist posts. I don't mean to interrupt.
Have any of you peeps been following the Mehserle trial? Our local police advisory has sent out notices that the verdict could be in very soon (late June). I am nervous. I don't think it's gotten as much infamy as the Rodney King case, but Oakland will likely see looting or worse if Mehserle isn't convicted. I am a little nervous. I don't live near downtown, but I am still nervous.
Yikes, java. That sounds like yuk. I hope it ends up that the police are just being overly cautious.
On another note - can I get some safe~ma for Joe? He's not home from school and we have the second tornado warning although this time a tornado was spotted less than 10 miles from us. He's not picking up his phone and I hoping it's just cause he's driving and fine or in the school building and has crappy reception. I'm sure he's fine, I'm just a little freaked at the moment. Em and I are totally fine and in the basement.
Totally sending "let Joe be safe" vibes towards Michigan now.
And that should probably be powerful enough for all the Joes out your way.
Thanks, sweetheart. And you can bet your bippy that WCC is getting A Letter tomorrow. No tornado alarm in the buildings? Really? There HAS to be a protocol.
Get home safe~ma for Joe.
Safe~ma for Joe.
I just had a spontaneous Spanish 101 convo with a neighbor! It was pretty much hi how are ya pretty dog with me responding appropriately, but given that I don't speak Spanish I was pleased. And it's nice to connect with someone who doesn't speak English well on their territory. And I'm just such a language geek.
Made it home safe. Nothing exciting to report.
Except the road was
really well lit.
On and off.
Just like how we don't have voodoo in Jamaica, but people figure if it is good enough for one island we probably all do it.
Huh. Really? I know enough to know that voodoo and Santeria are different; I think of voodoo as Hispaniola-based, and Santeria as, um, Brazilian-y, but I do admit that in my land-locked mind, I think Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and St. Croix are all neighbors, like Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa.
The ocean is weird. Nice, but it's like the moon to me.
I guess, though, if I was thinking Jamaica and religion, I wouldn't think "voodoo," I would think "Christian and Rastafarian." And then I would think of coffee, beaches, plantains and reggae. I wouldn't rule out, mentally, voudoun practioners in Jamaica, though.
