Why my mother may have been right and Bagels and what not??

Culture is a very strange thing. For instance coming from Sri Lanka I had my first run in with a conservative Muslim gal in the Brisbane convention center in Australia. This very funny sort of incident did happen some weeks back. The incident was more embarrassing than anything else really. I was attending a seminar called, ‘Islam and the West’.

When I first took my seat at the event I quickly realized that I had two Jews on my side. Might I say the light skin and the big nose is a dead give away. Come to think of it, the incident itself is quite funny. One very confused Buddhist/Catholic who looks like the stereotypical Muslim surrounded by two Jews, who happen to look very Jewish. We got along well like a house on fire! In all the talk in the seminar room about racism that is targeted at the Muslims by the west; the Bush regime and what’s happening to the to the poor Palestinians I struck a great conversation on where to buy the best bagels in town. I also later learnt that the best bagels in America come not from NY the Jewish capital of the world by Seattle? Seattle? Yes, and its owned by a much of Mexicans.

The rather embarrassing moment came during lunchtime. I was standing with ‘Ari’ one of the Jewish chaps I ve met and chatting away when a girl approached us to start off a conversation, she was a Muslim, I could tell because well she was brown (I know there are some token white Muslims out there to confuse the rest of us; perhaps a bit more) and she was dressed in the hijab (the head dress), so I did what was meant to be done, struck my hand to give it a good shake and welcome her to the group. So, while my right hand was standing out like a fishing rod on a very bad day waiting for the first bite in the middle of the crowd I did not get that all important ‘shake back’. She happened to be the more conservative type, I felt quite naked! So, here I was after 26 years of living here and there I have my first encounter with a full-blooded Muslim and the Brisbane convention center. The greatest lessons are learnt by experience! When she left, Ari told me some ‘Jews’ are like that too; I could tell he felt quite bad for me and said, ‘ the best thing to do my friend, is for them to make the first move’ and we both broke in to laughter!

So, just yesterday when I was having my constitutional cappuccino made by Gabby; who happens to be a self professed JAP (Jewish Australian Princess). She told me soon she would be celebrating her 18th wedding anniversary with her husband. I was quite surprised to hear of this since she looks very young, anyways, I digress. She told me the key to a happy marriage is thing’s we share in common. Um, that sounds familiar. Well she went on to say how on her husband’s side he had four brothers the ones who married the ‘white trash’ as she would put it was not so happy. She said, “ they never understand our customs, you know Path, how we do things, so, marry your own kind”. Now, if my mother said this, I would have come down hard on it but perhaps I am thinking she may have been right.