Yesterday, as I waited for my supper in a local cafe it was rather forcefully born in upon me that I am absolutely The Most Boring Person in Nepal. Everyone around me was running missions for the UN, or just back from hiking in Tibet, or just biked in from France via Pakistan, or teaches English in Cambodia, or has a rather funny little story to about trying to find a place to eat in Albania last month.
And then they turn to me. And I say, "Oh, I'm working." "Aid work? Diplomacy?" "Well, no. I'm writing a book." "A novel?!" "Well, no, it's a business book." The conversation goes blank for a moment. Then, they try again, "Where have you been trekking, been to Jomsom yet?" "Well, no, you see I have to write this book." "All the time?" "That would be my job. I'm not on vacation." Conversation over. Finito.
Everyone else here is on an ADVENTURE. I am doing the same thing I do at home. Except with a view of snow-capped peaks and banana trees. Which I'm quite enjoying actually.
It's just odd when I get notes from frineds and family back home, in whose eyes I am quite clearly an ADVENTURER. My self image gets whiplash.
Experiences of an American woman who was married to a Serb.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
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3 comments:
How many languages does Most Boring Person speak? Enough to understand all international tourists? Or is husband linguist?
You certainly are an adventurer by marrying the Serb!
MX & HNY & enjoy fresh air in Nepal
MMM from Slovenia without Western borders
I'm a bit ashamed that I am a typical American and only fluent in English despite 10+ years of both French and Latin in school. My Serb is atrocious and my Italian even worse than that. Luckily English seems to be the international language of tourists here - it's the common tongue everyone, including trekkers of all nationalities, shopkeepers and waiters, all have a bit of.
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