When I wrote about our 2001 US trip, I meant to include this story, but completely forgot. I’ve just noticed this photo on Flickr, so I thought I’d tell it now.
The guy in the photo came up to us at some traffic lights and started chatting. He was really friendly, he asked us where we were from, and was excited to meet people from England.
He told us his name was Clinton and asked us to take his photo. Then said, “When you get home to England, you can tell your friends you met a black man!”
Even ten years later, it still kind of blows my mind. But I guess not as much as it would have blown his if he’d hung around long enough for us to tell him he – gasp! – wasn’t the first black man we’d ever met.
When I did a US summer camp, I told one of the staff I was from Wales, and she asked me quite seriously if I lived in a castle.
They all know Downton’s not a documentary, right?
Ha! I’ve never watched Downton, but I don’t suppose there are many black people in it, are there?
No. There was once a Turkish gentleman, but he met with an unfortunate end, ie got shagged to death by Lady Mary. (You’re regretting not watching it now, aren’t you?)
Gosh, when people have tried to convince me to watch it, no one mentioned there was shagging. To the death.
Ha ha, gorgeous! I was once on a bus in Denver and this guy told me I spoke good English for an Australian. Yes, I think he thought I said “Austria.” It was also in Denver that a black guy went by me and said “You a miiiiiiiight fiiiiiine lookin’ woman!”
Ha! That’s fabulous. I got a “Hey, baby” in LA