Monday, October 25, 2010

Mistaken for a Spaniard!

Can you believe it? Since my last post of cultural "oopses" I got mistaken for a Spaniard, what are the chances? Here is how it went:

I was standing on a busy sidewalk outside the metro station, waiting for a friend. As I was waiting I heard someone behind me shouting: 

MAN: "Señorita!...[no response from the so-called Señorita was given so the man continued in intervals...] 

MAN, again: Señorita!...Señorita!...Señorita!" 

After the fourth time I turned around to see who was making such a ruckus. After doing so I quickly realized the man was referring to me! He was from a different region of Spain but was visiting Madrid. 

He asked me for directions to Capital:
¿Cómo puedo llegar a Capital?"

 I told him that I was sorry but I had no idea how to get there. Next he asked if I could tell him the general area in which he should head. Again, I hadn't a clue. He was quite persistent in getting directions and asked me how I could live in Madrid and not know where Capital was. I then told him I wasn't from the area either so that's why I didn't know. Of course he then asked where I was from so I said I was American: 
"Yo soy americana." ***

Next, he told me he hadn't realized I was a foreigner because I looked and sounded like a Spaniard. Score! That has been my goal since I've been here (because for the most part, wherever I go I seem to have "American" stamped on my head). 

Anyway, I guess I should go figure out where this so called Capital is, as it is clearly important for a madrileño (someone from Madrid) to know (not that I am of madrileño status but at least I am capable of pretending so ;) 


***Upon coming here I was told to refer to myself as "una estadounidense" (a US citizen)  as opposed to "una americana" because being american could mean you are from South America. However, since I've been here I have been referred to as "la americana" various times in restaurants, stores, and by other Spaniards I have met. So, I now take the liberty of using this term :) 

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