Today the father's father came round for lunch. He was talking to me in Icelandic about where I was from, learning Icelandic and so forth. Interestingly, whenever you tell an Icelander you are from 'near Bristol', they first ask "Is that in Wales?" and then "Is that in Cornwall?" I know this will make certain of my friends happy who like to insist that Bristol is in Wales.
But then he says, "So, are you a Catholic?"
"Uuuuh, no."
"What is the church in Britain?"
"Uuuuh, Church of England. Anglican."
"So you are an Anglican?"
"Uuuuh, no. I'm an atheist."
"Oh, so what do you believe in?"
"Nothing."
"You believe we just came down from the mountains?"
Wow. I am not equipped for this conversation in Icelandic. I muttered something about evolution. After a little bit, he continued, "So you don't celebrate Christmas or Easter?" And then, "So what would you do if your father died, wouldn't you go to the funeral in a church?" Jings crivvens! I just didn't know what to say...
And then he said in English, "You are too skinny. You need to eat more." OK, thanks for that. I wasn't offended at all, just mildly bemused that someone would actually say that. To someone they only just met.
This made me snort with laughter into my cup of tea. If only the vindication that, after all, you DO live in Wales, didn't come from such an antagonistic fellow.
ReplyDeleteAnn x
Actually, I don't think Bristol is in Wales, but I do think that "West of Bristol" is.
ReplyDeleteAnn x
There is nothing West of Bristol, just a crude shapeless mass of cloud mumbling complaints across the Severn.
ReplyDeleteIt's true. Claverham is of course SOUTH-west of Bristol. Still not Wales.
ReplyDeleteOkay. I'll stick with the grand-dad and go for Cornwell then. You Cornish Pixie. x
ReplyDelete