Are you Pakistani?

Yesterday I stopped to get some gas---wearing normal American clothes--and a guy came up and asked, "Are you Pakistani?"

Now around here people have this cute way of saying, "Who, me?"  When you ask them something.  Like I ask what their name is and they say, "Who, me?"  Of course you, I assure them and they give their name.

So at the gas pump its my turn.  Pakistani?  Who, me?  Are you serious?  Can you see my skin?  These are all things that ran through my head.  Instead I answered, "Yes.  From Pakistan."  Then told him I was kidding and really from the USA.  He was from Bangladesh, I am thinking he was making fun of me because he heard the shirt story.

Which goes like this:  since we party all the time I needed some new shirts.  So I got the one in this picture and rolled into a party ready for the compliments.  "Hey, great shirt."  "Like your shirt." "Lookin' good."  Almost as soon as we arrive, the compliments start to roll in.

Then someone finally tells me the truth.  They just needed to wait until more people were around.  The friend says, "Nice shirt.  Is it from India?"  No, someone assures him. Its Pakistani.  So before the night ends one guy invites me to attend something else and adds the reminder, "Don't wear that shirt from Pakistan."

So Monday night after the gas station guy asks if I am South Asian, too, I take it as a sign and get ready to roll out for the night (at 9:30pm) in my cool new, long shirt.  When I get there and bump into my first friend he says, "Hey!  Nice shirt!  Its Pakistani, right?"

Oh well, at least I am trying...