The Guessing Game

July 29, 2015, Berlin

"Where are you from? Which language do you speak? Do you look more German than Dutch or more Polish than Scandinavian?" These are, I assume, the questions that run through people's minds in Northern Europe when they try to decide how to communicate with me. It's a game not foreign to me, either. In Europe I feel as though I'm constantly assessing and guessing one's culture and language in order to communicate. It's an odd game, but entertaining. I think I am particularly confusing in this respect. I've often been assumed to be German, Polish, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, and a few other Northern European nationalities. And every once in a while in Italy some unknowing Americans ask me my favorite question, "Are you Italian?" Major ego boost :) (at least I can fake out some people). But mostly this culture confusion causes me to be incredibly confused when someone throws some German or Danish or Norwegian at me. "Huh?" says my brain... and also probably my face. The Rolodex of languages and cultural assumptions continues until either English pops out or I figure out how to say "I don't understand/ I speak a little German/do you speak English?" in whatever language they think I speak. Even one day at the Sperlonga beach south of Rome an old Italian couple was debating my "race" (1.  Yes, they did in fact say "race." 2. British, by the way, was their decision. Apparently I looked like a Brit to them.  3.  I think this couple needs to reevaluate some things... such as, the definition of race), which was incredibly odd and definitely a bit inappropriate... Good thing I'm good at eavesdropping in Italian.

But how do you assess another person's culture? Or language? Does it come down to their shoes or their haircut? How do you decide? Is it even appropriate to make a decision?  These are the things I think about while traveling. And as my trip comes to a close I am even more confused and intrigued about these differences.