Minnesota is Real.
Yesterday, a man approached me in the mall and kindly demanded to know if I was from New York. Shaking my head no, I attempted to correct him. Without skipping a beat he enthusiastically countered with the wild guess of Italy.
Yes. Italy was his second guess. I don’t get it either.
Finally, we straightened out that I hail from Minnesota. As abruptly as it had begun, the conversation ended. A look of confusion swept his face and he turned to walk away.
Wow. Sorry to disappoint, buddy.
There were so many odd things about that exchange. For instance, how he initially reached out to shake my hand and proceeded to hold onto it firmly throughout the entire (bizarre) conversation.
I have chosen to focus on the primary issue here though. If you are from the United States, you absolutely must be from New York. Anywhere else is irrelevant. It may not even exist.
That’s not true. You could originate from Miami. I am convinced this is the only other known location to Brazilians. They often fly there to shop since the combined cost of trip and goods are less than purchasing the same items here. The next time you pass through Guarulhos International Airport, observe locals as they reenter the country… the amount of checked baggage per individual is absurd. Brazilian visitors spend an average of $2,053 during their stay in the city, totaling more than any other international tourists. For the first time in my life, I understand the importance of duty-free.
I digress.
Today I stumbled across this tourism ad… What are the chances that Brazil is calling to someone in New York? Pretty darn good as it turns out.
Did you see what I did there? The connection between my random encounter with a strange man and this tourism commercial? That’s okay. It was a stretch and I got too much sleep last night which backfired and resulted in excessive exhaustion.
By the way, you should come visit. Our spare bedroom is booking up fast!!
I lie. That was a false statement made with the deliberate intent to deceive you. But seriously, come visit already. Brazil is calling you.
12 Comments
HA! Great post…
SO TRUE! When I read your comment about Brazilians thinking everyone is from NY I thought “No, there is Miami too!” When I lived in Sydney they thought Americans were either from NY or LA (their primary point of entry – and shopping). Go figure.
Another interesting factoid – according to the WSJ, Brazilians spent $6 BILLION in NY alone in 2010 – outspending all other nations including Canada and the UK!
In the article I sited, Canadians were the second biggest spenders in Miami… Those guys get around, eh?
Your blog is delightful!
As are you! Can’t wait for coffee when I come home… so much catching up to do!
That’s OK, the average non-Brazilian thinks Brazil is just a massive rainforest with only two cities: Rio and the capital, of course, Buenos Aires.
Touché Andrew, touché.
My greatest learning experiences have been through travel… I am grateful to have had these opportunities and understand that for most they are few and far between.
Personally, I couldn’t agree more, and for all the people that can’t or won’t travel I’m hopeful that Google Maps can clear up some of those misconceptions.
Last month my Paulo and I went to a small town in PA to visit my Grandpa… my husband being the only non-white person there. (Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania) Paulo was shocked to see how relaxed and friendly everyone was, just shootin’ the breeze and talking about life as if you have known each other forever. Which is very much UNLIKE the Bay Area, where everyone is fast and busy. It was like a lightbulb went on for him — “Americans are like Brazilians!” We realized that since most Brazilians go to either NYC or Miami, that is their extent of knowledge of America, and both of those places are fast and busy, and not very chill and social. Anyway, what I am trying to say is this — even cultural concepts of who we are as a nation are often defined by these two places, even though they are just small parts of us. I found this very interesting.
Perhaps Minnesota should create a similar commercial. We could possibly have some person who is fed up with work, and then to beat their stress they run away and on their journey they run past cornfields and then jumps into a canoe and paddles to New Ulm Brewery and drinks Premium Grain Belt and then runs more and discovers the delights of the metro as they journey past target field, the target center and the HHH Metro…and then runs more and finds the split rock lighthouse and then runs more and gets chased by a Bear into the BWCA. Then he screams…..and someone in Brazil (perhaps you) will say, did you hear that….Minnesota is calling me…..
[...] I kid. But your only other option is to book a ticket… Brazil is calling you. [...]
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