My sister and I stopped at an antique store in Memorial, an affluent neighborhood. All people working there were older white people (I assume they are the owners.) While my sister paid for her things, the older white woman asked where are we from. I've been asked this recent enough that I knew what she meant. My sister later said she almost answered Spring Branch (an area north of the freeway). It took her a moment but she replied, "We're Vietnamese." The lady said, "You're from Vietnam? Oh, I wouldn't know what to do with my hands and toes without those Vietnamese girls. They do such good jobs." My sister was confused. Use them, what do else to do with your fingers and toes?? my sister thought. The lady turned and asked me, "What do you do? Do you work from the home?" I replied I do bookkeeping, to which she said, "Oh! So, how long have you been here?" I've been in the states for 40 yrs. "You look too young to haven been here for 40 years." I thank her for the compliment then we left. To many, that was horribly insulting and racist to assume all Vietnamese females do nails. For me I just found it amusing. Those people were polite and friendly. As racist as the woman's assumptions were, I took her remarks were from ignorance of other cultures rather than from ill-intentions.

You're probably right, ignorance, although maybe willful ignorance. If you were a man she might of asked how the shrimping was. :haha:

If you were further north, maybe I could see it--but Houston has like the biggest Vietnamese population outside of California. Assuming you were immigrants shows an extreme lack of awareness of her surroundings...

I feel like every little communication, no matter how awkward or slightly off-putting, is breaking down a tiny barrier.

You gave her something to tell her friends anyway.
About this tiny, gorgeous little foreign girl who actually does book-keeping, who'd have thought it?

Mildly amusing me yesterday was overhearing a group of schoolboys (14?).
It was silly schoolboy humour, so I'm obviously still young at heart.

Boy 1) Why have I got such itchy pits? They're really itchy!
Boy 2) Maybe it's cancer.
Boy 3) Maybe you're just Itchy-Pit-Boy.

Hahahahah that last line I can hear so clearly.

That's some wishful thinking right there. I feel you misunderestimate the power of confirmation bias.

FTR, I share your wishfulness.

I've been at my 2nd job what, a month and a half now? I was named Associate of the Month for our department. :D Too funny. I like that job. It's hard work and it's fun, well I and a couple others make it fun. So...

Hey, congratulations!

The cream rises to the top.

I'm really glad you've found something that suits you, infi. I felt like you kept going from chore to chore for years, and finally you have something that makes you smile, which is all that's really important. Good for you!

Thank you glatt and Clod.

I am much happier these days, Clod. I mean, not all the time, but I'm so much better than when I was in stress-world. I'm completely off any medication (after years of various concoctions), I'm physically feeling so much better and looking better as a result, and I laugh a lot more.

I learned money isn't everything and I don't want to fall into the 'follow the money' trap again but my real stressors now do come from keeping up on the bills and trying so hard to cut back on, well, everything. But cable TV and internet and Netflix aren't everything either.

I just know that if I keep feeling better and doing better, things will keep falling into place.

And I do usually have fun while working hard, at both jobs. It's like I'm seeing the person I used to be again. People are drawn to me again, if that makes sense.

So really, thanks, your comments mean a lot.

Infi, this post of yours is making me happy [emoji2]


Sent by thought transference

Thank you limey!

Just seeing this ... great to see you are being recognized and such. Happy for you.

Found a package from Amazon in the mailbox, I'd forgotten they'd said it would be delivered yesterday. Small box maybe 6x10x3 inches or so, with some headlight bulbs. I noticed about a dozen tiny black ants on the box which I promptly murdered with malice and forethought.

Opening the box I found hundreds of the little bastards and several dozen eggs attached to the box and the bulb packaging. They appeared to be upset about me killing their kin, but hadn't enough time to make up protest signs yet.

Tossed the box in the tub and gave them a shower to cool them off. Must have done the trick because they were all taking a nap when I was done.