Small Talk

Readers,

Ever wonder how many conversations you have had with people you dont really feel like talking to? I guarantee you its too numerous to recollect.

Being an Indian, it is almost guaranteed to happen to me every time i visit a shop owned by somebody who is also of the same skin colour as me - ie brown.
'Where are you from?' they always ask.
'England' I always used to reply proudly - I got the red passport, pay taxes (when working at least!) so surely i can use british as my nationality right? Wrong!
'No no, where are your parents from?'
'Oh right - i see - they are from East Africa'. (There's no lie here - that is well and truly where they are from)
'No no - where are they really from?'
Now by this stage I am thinking - why are all corner shops owned by Indians - i just wanna buy some milk so i can get home - get the kettle on and enjoy the latest episode of neighbours!
But by now - you know the conversation has almost come to its natural conclusion so you decide to polish it off as you have done in the past - 'oh riiight i see - we are Indian'.
The shopkeeper flashes his best smile baring all his teeth and then starts speaking in Urdu. Now of course *I* dont know what he is saying - so i politely tell him i dont speak urdu to which he half jokingly tells me i should be ashamed that i dont know my mother tongue even though urdu isnt even my mother tongue - and i sheepishly laugh - pay the man for the milk and curse myself for not saying I am Mauritius or something in the first place to avoid the unecessary stupidity involved in the lives of brown people trying to do some simple grocery shopping locally. - after all, this isnt the first time I have had such a conversation!

By now - i am assuming you are all wondering what the point i am trying to make actually is - i promise you when i started i thought it had one..

Something you can take from this I suppose is that next time someone talks to you about the weather - Thank the Lord with all your heart and soul that you are speaking the same language without any expectation to speak another language or any shame for being unable to speak another language wholly unrelated to you!

Right now - I need to go buy some milk for my tea!

Just kidding - its late and I am going to turn in for the night. Hopefully there will be milk in the fridge in the morning!

Ciao