Not Your Average Jewess

Stories of the day :-)

I really must begin to take my camera with my to work so that I can take pictures of the interesting people I meet there!
Once again I must declare how much I love my job. The *strangest* incident happened to me earlier this evening. Sometime between 8:30-21 pm I had 1-1,5 hours left of work. I was working alone for the last few hours, and I decided to play some Eyal Golan (Israeli music). A few minutes after I begin playing it the first Israeli visitors of the summer entered my shop! I was so surprised that the first Israelis should come into this little souvenir shop in the "arctic" that sells sheep skins and woolsweaters, exactly as I was playing their very own 'mizrahi' music. I thought it was very bizarre indeed, and so did they. The group consisted of a woman, her young son, and another woman. I had a long conversation with one of the women. She said she's attending a conference on RNA here. She also said that she knows (or is related to, can't remember) Iceland's first lady (who is an Israeli, as I have previously mentioned).

I also had a bunch of weird conversations with tourists today (as I often do). I had a big laugh today when a woman from Minnesota was paying for a painting by an Icelandic artist, and I noticed that her name was "Maria Susanna", like myself! We both laughed and said we had never met anyone with the same name before, although I confessed to having looked it up online.

Then I was utterly insulted by a Swiss guy with incredibly curly hair. I hate when men aren't properly 'trained' in talking to women. I just hate it! I think I shall soon enough post a "How not to insult a woman - a guide for dummies" to my weblog.

Guy: Do you sell stamps?
Maria: Yes
Guy: Do you sell stamps to Switzerland?
Maria: No. Only to other countries (I often say that as a joke to tourists who ask this silly question, but I always correct myself afterwards).
Guy: What?!
Maria: Oh we don't like Switzerland here, all the chocolate and stuff, makes us fat!
Guy: Oh you don't have to worry, you're not that fat.
Maria: NOT THAT FAT?? What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Guy: No no that is not what I mean, you're fine, bla blah whatever. Are you offended?
Maria: Yes. You should never tell a woman anything else than that she is perfect!
Guy: You are perfect, really! Is it okay now?
Maria: Sure (not true, of course).
Guy: Okay thank you, bye bye!

*oh and I sold him the stamps, of course :p