FAIQ #19: Have You Ever Been To Ireland?
I’m not making this up. Honest. I make up everything else on Irish KC (except the girls of course), but I’m not making this Frequently Asked Irish Question up.
It’s happened dozens of times. Usually it goes something like this:
Somebody I’ve never met before, an American, hears me speak, and tells me I’m Irish. I usually agree swiftly and am then asked my last name. It’s kind of like being carded for drink. Listen I can tell you’re actually Irish but I just have to ask, for legal reasons. Presumably if my name doesn’t seem Irish I then lose my nationality. Like De Valera.
Oh that is Irish - I hear as I pass the name test easily. Yes, I agree again, proudly displaying my facial features inherited from the Fir Bolg. And then it happens. Then I am asked if I have ever been to Ireland, and often I have no idea what to say.
Sometimes I do say something like, a couple of times, or quote the old joke saying, twice, once for two weeks and the other time for thirty-odd years. But mostly all I can muster is a feeble yes.
One day I will say, yes, have you ever been to America? One day when I’m still in America ideally.
See other Frequently Asked Irish Questions:
• How Do You Find America?
• What’s With You Irish And All This Guilt Stuff?
• What Impresses You Most About the United States?
• Turkeyed Out
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
Aye. Americans. My colleague from Walkinstown shared a tour in Australia with some. One lady said: “So you’re from Ireland? Your English is VERY good.”
Once upon a time, in another life I was required to check in periodically to the UMKC Student Foreign Affairs Dept. whose office proudly displayed an extremely large world map decorated with pins and flags.
I was greeted there once by a rather over zealous Dept. rep. who chose to assault me with his loud and slow version of English as I entered the door, and inquired, “WHERE-ARE-YOU-FROM?”
I replied, and then expounded as to the nature of my visit.
The shock on his face was evident - “Your English is VERY good.”
“Thank you,” I replied, “I’ve been working on it for years.”
Then his curiosity got the better of him, “By the way, what language do they speak in New Zealand?”
I replied, “English…” as I glanced at the coloured coded map, but it seemed a little lost on him.
Yes, I’ve had the “your English is very good” one too, which is not what my parents say.
And I have another not unrelated that I’m saving for another post.
omg its hilarious how people say that,im from aus and my friend at skool is from egypt, she said when she was livin in america her mum whent into her class to talk about egypt, and the kids asked and even the teacher wanted to know ‘did you live in pyramids?’ Are you a pharoah?’ i still cant believe even the teacher asked that it sometimes shows how dum americans can be.. by the way irish accents are the best and its funny how americans tell you you speak good english coz thier worse at english than anyone else even us aussies