Sunday, May 18, 2008

Daddy or chips?

I was just in watching Grey's anatomy in the hostel common area. Now, I am no huge fan of Grey's, it's alright, better than ER is now, not as good as it was in its heyday and far too much talking and swooning by that Ellen Pompeo for my liking. Anyway, it is very rare in the life of a backpacker that you get the remote in a hostel, let alone the tv room to yourself so I was enjoying a bit of quality trash tv time when a fella comes in and asks me

Fella: What season is this?
Me: I dunno, I don't really watch it to be honest, I can tell you what's happening though
Fella: No don't, I think we are behind in Austria
Me: Oh right, okay
Fella: So where are you from?
Me: Ireland
Fella: (laughs) and you're not drunk yet?'
Me: (Fake laughter) ' Not yet!'
Fella: All the english people I have met have told me that is the difference between Irish and English people, you guys drink Guinness and are always drunk in the pubs and hostels'
Me:...........Right

So, I ask you, why do people think that it is okay and FUNNY to insist on telling you what your stereotype is? Don't even get me started on how frankly HILARIOUS it is that some gap year student from the UK was the one who apparently gave him this tidbit.

I would never start a conversation with anyone, let alone a complete randomer with something like that. Is it just me? Do I take thing too seriously? Maybe my patience is wearing a wee bit too thin now with all this travelling malarky.

Anyway, a bit of a travel update. I have entered the cold of new Zealand and am sniffling away. I am loving it. I didn't realise it but I actually missed winter, being all cosy in a big cota and scarf, no slathering on sun lotion every 3 hours, crisp air in the mornings, not having to shave my legs every day...the benefits are endless! It's very nice here, so green, it definitely is making us think of home a bit more. I met a lady yesterday who has been away for 5 weeks and is desperate to be back already. I guess that will be me shortly, you always get more anxious for things the closer they get. All I can say is chippers of Dublin hear me roar.I haven't had a decent garlic chip, chip and battered sausage or fish and chips in a loooooong time and I plan to make up for it.

3 comments:

  1. How much longer are you away for?
    make the most of it you will remember it for years.
    Don't mind those imbecils whenever we go away it's always the English who are drunk.

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  2. I saw this tshirt in California the other day:

    http://farm1.static.flickr.com/60/219508100_2896eae6ff.jpg

    It's funny how some forms of racism are acceptable and others aren't. We are proud of our drunkenness, though, as a nation.

    I feel bad becaue atreus told me the link html and I've forgotten it, 'twas too long!

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  3. VD, sometimes it's annoying but I confess I've been taking serious piss out of the Austrians the last few weeks with all their mishaps. There are so many lines you could have thrown back at him:

    Do you have a basement in your house?
    I think this is the episode of Grey's Anatomy where a man comes in having killed his wife, children, parents and father in law with a hacksaw. Have you seen it?
    Yea, we drink a lot and are a pale nation, but not the vitamin D deficient haven't seen the sun in 24 years- type of pale.

    Go get him. Piss taking is a 2 way street. You owe it to your nationality to win this battle.

    ReplyDelete

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