10.12.2002 | 12:14 p.m.
born in the......?!

"It's just....I don't know. I just find it funny that Daisy finds it inconcievable that I'm so in love with an American..."

"Well,Nick's not really American though, is he? He sounds it but isn't he, like..."

"Um, I'm not talking about Nick..."

"Oh?"

"No...but...I mean....how does it matter? I mean, he could be from....I don't know, Togo, and it wouldn't matter to me."

"Well, I guess I kind of see where she's coming from. This is going to sound horrible but.....I can never imagine dating anyone, even casually, if he had a name like Tamagoleyakanipo or whatever that guy's name was. I...can't even imagine being in love with someone that wasn't brought up in a Western country. I need to know that we've been through the same experiences growing up, and think alike politically... I am a Political Science major....I really care about that stuf...f"

"Oh come on, I'm a Sociology major; you know I care about politics too. But what's to say that two people from different backgrounds can't have the same political perspectives? Come on! The two of us. I'm from....BOMBAY and you're from fucking Alaska. We have the same favourite band, same favourite movie, same favourite book, we both think Bush is the devil, we both hate people who confuse socialism with communism and we both sit on the fence with the whole globalisation issue."

"Yeah but you're my only non-American friend in school, and the school doesn't have that many Americans to begin with.."

"I still don't understand how that counts for anything. I'm in love with him because....of who he is. And yeah, of course I place a lot of importance on popular culture because that's my life.....and...so it doesn't matter that I'm Indian or that he's American...What matters is that we have the same taste and we care about the same things and...we're just best friends..."

"Yeah, but see, all the popular culture you're obsessed with is American. Or like, British...you know, Western popular culture..."

"Well,you're right...but, I guess my point is that as long as he is everything I'm looking for, it doesn't matter where he's from or what colour his skin is or what his accent is like. I've lived in INDIA all my life and if I'd met someone there that I felt so connected with, I'd fall for him. If I met someone in school who was Portuge....Nick! Nick. I am damn attracted to him, and he's like Chilean and Spanish and American and Swiss and Italian....and we relate perfectly. He was brought up in Barcelona. Not the U.S."

"It's still the West. My point is this: You're unlike the other Indians here. You've told me many times you don't relate to any of them. You barely even sound like them. You were obviously brought up differently or something. You are practically American.."

"Oh I'm totally not American!"

"Totally not? Aurina. Face it. You're an American hiding in Indian skin. I still forget you've never lived in the US, and I've known you over a year now!"

"I'm not sure if I should take offence to that or not. All the Indian kids think I want to be white anyway. But that's really not it. Obviously. I can't help liking the things I like or thinking the way I do. You've never lived in India. Trust me, it's conservative. I am not. Just because I think most Indian cinema is crap doesn't mean I'm any less Indian than....say someone who loves Bollywood. That's like saying Chris Tula is Japanese because he likes anime!"

"Yeah but Chris's first language isn't Japanese."

"Uh, everyone speaks English in Bombay. Believe me. We were a British colony until 50 years ago,remember?

"Yeah but yours is better than mine and unlike with you, it's the only language I speak."

"I just think it's silly to rule out even the possibility of being in love with someone because you *think* you might not relate to them. Am I not the perfect example? Did you ever think the only other person in the world who has seen Lawndogs beside you would be a girl from India? And don't get me wrong here. It's not like I'm the only Indian who is into American popular culture. The rest are too: They're into the whole Britney - J. Lo - teen movies scene. They still don't mix with anyone,do they? They - excuse me for sounding like a sociology major here - epitomise cultural segregation and reverse racism. I'm sure someone like Hiren would have tons in common with someone like Jen, but they don't give each other a chance. So I don't think it's about me being Americanised as much as just connecting with people. Daisy is one of my best friends. She's...God, she's British-Lebanese brought up in Nigeria; we're drastically different people. But we get along famously."

"I guess you're right. I feel terrible and really fucking ethnocentric and politically incorrect for saying it....but...yeah....even you have to admit it. Most people aren't as open-minded are you are. I used to think *I* was open-minded but you're definitely more flexible than I am..."

"I guess I can see what you mean though.."

"So wait, who is this guy?"

deja vu? | jamais vu?