Today, I had a couple of hours to kill in the city center between a field trip to the Dáil and a 1916 walking tour of Dublin. I decided to go into the National Library; after all, it was free, what did I have to lose?
When I went in, the guard explained to me how to register to be a member of the library. I went in and did so, and returned about an hour later to get my things. On the way out, he stopped me to ask how it went, and we chatted a bit. He asked me about my heritage, and I told him I was American but that my ancestors had emigrated from Ireland. I also said I hoped to find out where they came from.
He responded "when you came in, you looked like you could be from anywhere, you know? You could have been French or Swiss..." By his tone of voice, this was supposed to be a compliment. I'm not sure if he was saying that I looked European, or, more likely, that I don't look American.
This is the second time since I've been here that I've gotten those kind of comments. I'm pretty sure they expect "you look American" to come off as an insult. I guess in this city, it kind of is. Many of the American tourists I've seen are loud, overweight, and absolutely clueless. But those are the ones that don't stay; they're on vacation for a week or two and then they go home.
Again, I hope to be the American that leaves an impression on someone. I hope they see that there are more varieties than the tourists that get on and off those big green buses.
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