Monday, October 5, 2009

Ten answers to "But, you don't look Turkish?"


Well, yes. I mean, really, enough... I've been living abroad for say, nearly 6 years and I always get this question when I reveal my nationality.

-"You don't look Turkish?"

I do look Turkish. I do bloody look like a Turkish man who has an Australian Hat (and most of you think it is a cowboy hat you ignorants) on top of his head and who speaks fluent English. If you have not left your village except visiting closed-system all-included hotels, is this my problem?

I am talking to you Dutch (If you want you can replace it with French, German, Egyptian, etc.)!

Actually we are so fed up with the expression we see on people's faces, we have just begun to have fun with this situation. Me and Diadra wrote 10 answers to "But, you don't look Turkish?" question.

+ Oh, you don't look Turkish?

Answers:
  1. I look Turkish.. (slight hand movement and mind-trick)
  2. Thanks, and you totally look German! (priceless..)
  3. Can you paint me the picture of Turkish Abidin? (a Totally Turkish joke)
  4. While you were living in the caves, they were building Hagia Sophia in my city.
  5. Who does?
  6. Why so disappointed? Xenophobic, are we?
  7. Aww, look at that face. You're trying so hard to conceal your disappointment, that's so sweet. (:
  8. Well I think you could work on that look on your face. You know, for the next time you meet someone Turkish. For being less rude, I mean.
  9. Wow, did you know that having a less obvious expression of disappointment on your face makes you look much younger?
  10. Oh, you don't either.

9 comments:

rehber said...

The situation gives us the clues to comprehend intellectual level of the opposite. Means, he has no awareness of genetic variation of nations. Therefore it definetely doesn't worth spending time with him.

Diadra said...

Without any exception, this is how each and every Dutch person reacts upon learning our nationality. This brings the obligation to spend a lot of effort to explain things. Besides, surprisingly enough, even the most educated, cultured ones give the same reaction. So stuck in stereotypes.

Anonymous said...

Last time, when I said I am Turkish, the reply I got back was "but you have jewish hair!"

All this reminds me of a cartoon I saw ages ago.. A white Australian man sees an aboriginal and says "You don't look like an Australian". The aboriginal man replies, "I've only been here for one hundred and twenty thousand years". Some people never change, no matter how educated they are..

Harry said...

Jewish Hair??

Ahah, this is hilarious:)

Diadra said...

Well, I am sooo curious about what Jewish hair looks like. (: Oh, it becomes really fun as long as you stop being annoyed.

Anonymous said...

This is my hair:

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/933/gingern.png

So what is jewish hair, is it dark ginger colour, slightly wavy and untidy?

Diadra said...

I don't know. I've met a blonde girl with nice curly hair on the plane. Many Israelis came here for a football game a couple of months ago. Most of them looked so like Arabs that our fundamentalists would hug them as if they were Palestinians. Hehe (: How is it really possible to say "this is Jewish hair!" really? (:

Nice hair by the way. (;

Anonymous said...

One of the nice things about living in London is that you get to meet people from all over the world. I have had many jewish friends including Yemenite, Latin Americans, Africans, Indians, Bukharians, Kurds and those who enjoy their bacon and ham ;) To me, they come in all shapes, sizes and colour..

Diadra said...

In all shapes, sizes and colour, just like we do. (;

UK is much better in terms of being "international". While in the Netherlands you don't get to receive the simplest insurance document - from a private insurance company, which is obligatory even for the short-term expats - in English, UK provides translations of all kinds of documents for all languages for the people living there. Almost everyday I translate documents regarding legal proceedings, medical reports, care support offers etc... I envy you! (:

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