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June 8th, 2009
10:43 am
Yesterday,  faintheart and I are at Costco, and we pass one of the people giving out samples. He's probably in his 20s, quite tall, sort of Asian-looking to me - which I only mention because as I pick up the sample of almonds he's just offered me, he asks "Are you Irish?" I kind of look at him questioningly as I answer "No," so he continues "Where are you from?" "Here," I say, which from his look doesn't satisfy his curiosity, so I add "Bremerton, Seattle." He shakes his head a bit, but the lull in traffic is over and more sample-seekers have arrived, so he sends us on with a "Never mind," and we are left to puzzle over what all that was about.
faintheart thinks he asked "Are you Amish?" which to me is an even stranger question, because although granted, I wasn't wearing any zippers - or even buttons - at the time, and my companion was sporting his trademark suspenders and hat, he's got the wrong kind of hat, and the wrong kind of beard. My hair right now is quite short and was entirely un-hatted, and while fairly covering, yes, there is no way you could mistake the hibiscus-pattern tunic I was wearing over a longsleeve tshirt and leggings for the modest long dresses in solid colors Amish women wear... I believe both patterns and any garments that show the leg, covered or not, are eschewed.
On the other hand, while Ted's beard is redish, and we both are fair-skinned, I don't think either of us look particularly Irish. We have some Irish heritage, but as much Welsh and English and a bit more Scottish plus some German/Scandinavian/Prussian - it's really just easier to say Northern European mongrel because it's all from back when the borders were different and the countries were different and most of the records were about other people's families anyway, etc. and so forth.
So the upshot was that neither of us could come up with a good reason for either variation, and we were left (and left) in puzzlement.
More social primate wierdness for your amusement, and mine...
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