home sweet home

On my last night in Kansas City, I decided to walk around the Plaza and shop with a few of the women from the conference. One of the women really wanted to go inside the Williams-Sonoma, so we went inside.

I started browsing around the cookbooks, when a salesperson came up to me. "Do you need help with anything?" I said, "No, thank you, I'm just browsing." I started to go back to browsing, but then she decided to say to me, in a really slow voice, "Okay. I will leave you alone then." I thought she was strange but didn't think much of it.

Later, as we were about to leave, this salesperson came up to me again. "Are you looking for something to bring home from America?"

Now I just stared at her. After a brief pause, I replied, "Uh, I was born here."

Flustered, she replied, "Oh, I hope I haven't offended you. You have, just such an esteemed air about you..." And she goes on, I can't remember the exact words, but I remember her saying that something about me made me seem really, really Japanese.

I didn't bother talking to her anymore and just walked out.

I am so, so fucking happy to be home in the Bay Area.