Ways In Which I Am Obviously Foreign: No. 1

Things That Make me Happy
Originally uploaded by Blue Dragonfly Girl

There are clearly many ways in which I'm obviously not Brazilian. These ways become evident from the moment I open my mouth and say something (and sometimes before).

However, there are other more subtle ways, that I hadn't anticipated, and am slowly discovering.

Way No. 1: I like milk in my tea.

This is incredibly strange here.

I remember when I first brewed up some chai in A.'s kitchen. When she saw me putting milk into it, she said, "Oh, milk?! I don't think I'll like that." She didn't try any.

I thought it was just her personal taste until a few days later I went out for coffee with a professor and a doctoral student at a university cafe. I asked for black tea and when they served it with sugar packets on the side, I wondered aloud if there was any milk.

Both the professor and the doctoral student smiled broadly. "That's not normal here," they said, "You'll have to make a point to ask for milk."

"Wow, you're just like my grandmother," said the professor, "She too liked milk in her tea, despite what anyone else said."

And then last night I was hanging out with a Brazilian who is considering doing a Master's in counseling in an English-speaking country. We ordered some herbal tea at a beautiful cafe with a view of the water.

"So you see," I said, "I've recently discovered that I do some things considered weird here."

He looked at me waiting for whatever "weird" thing I was going to say.

"For example," I said, "I like milk in my tea."

He started trying to suppress laughter.

"See!" I said, "You're laughing too."

"Yeah," he said, "I think I used to have milk in my tea as a young child, but not anymore. What kind of tea are you talking about?"

"Well, black tea," I said.

"Is it different from our black tea?" he asked.

"Nope, it's the same. I just like milk in it."

He shook his head, amused.

And there you have it.

Ways In Which I Am Obviously Foreign: No. 1