nyc will do that to you

i don't know how i manage to do it- but i manage to come back to work after a restful 5 days off with a cold. it's still in the early stages so i'm trying to head it off by listening to my body and getting lots of rest (right taz?).

in any case, inventory wrapped up on the 15th and on the 17th, i made my way to gator-town to visit my sister + family. i brought the NE weather with me because it was rainy and cold during the majority of my stay. in spite of it all, i had a lovely time with the kids, got my fill of chick-fil-a and crackerbarrel, and plenty of sisterly bonding.

during my time in gatorville, i realized how i have guarded i have become and unaccustomed to southern hospitality.

scenario 1:
after rushing from home to the subway to the bus to newark international airport, i buy a couple of magazines and make myself comfortable at the gate. a short wait later, we board onto the airplane. i get to my seat 6A and realize someone is sitting in my spot. the seat stealer (SS) looks up anxiously.

V: i think you are in my seat, 6A?

SS: i'm not in 5A? i'm so sorry. let me change seats!!

V: (glancing at the long line of passengers waiting to walk past me) no no no.don't worry about it. (i quickly throw my carryon into the overhead bin and get situated)

SS: (leaning towards me) are you sure it's ok? we can switch seats?

V: really, it's fine. the seats are the same.

i put in my earbuds and pull out my book to signal the end of the conversation. shortly after all the passengers, the pilot's voice comes up on the sound system.

P: after loading all the luggage, we discovered that the plane was overweight. however, closer inspection indicates that the two fires have gone flat. we need everyone to take their belongings, deplane, and reboard after we replace the tires. this should only take an hour.

seriously? how often does that happen? i gather my belongings and get off the plane with SS trailing behind me.

SS: that's the most basic mistake an airline can make!! how often does that happen?

and so SS continued to make efforts to engage me in conversation. wary of his intentions, i give one word answers to his questions in hopes that he'll get the hint that i don't want to talk. nevertheless, he continues prodding. eventually, i get tired of the whole thing and find an empty chair to plop down on until it was time for reboarding.

scenario 2:
an elderly gentleman (EG) shuffles towards me, hand stretched out with a little red buttons with white characters on it.

EG: can you read this?

i glance down at the pin and recognize that they are japanese characters.

V: (shaking my head) no i can't.

EG: it's chinese

V: no, it's japanese and i can't read it.

EG: can't you read it? aren't you chinese?

now i'm annoyed- why would this man assume that i am chinese? if i were, that wouldn't necessarily mean that i could read chinese. and if he can't read it, why would he insist that it's chinese characters.

V: sir, i'm not chinese. i am vietnamese. besides, those are not even chinese characters.

EG: (he points to my sister) but she said you could read chinese.

V: well like i said, i'm not chinese and those are japanese characters.

EG: (rifling through his pocket) wait wait, i have another one that's chinese. (he pulls out another small red pin. also with japanese characters)

V: (making no effort to hide my irritation) sir, that's the same pin. it also has japanese writing. (i walk towards my sister and the kids)

EG: (incredulously) so you are not chinese? what are they? are they vietnamese too?

V: (emphatically) yes, we are all vietnamese.

looking back at both encounters, i realize that both situations involved harmless individuals who had good intentions. paraphrasing a title from smart went crazy, all i can say is, nyc will do that to you.