WTH!? Am I the ONLY one with curly hair up in this place?!

Hello Everyone.  I'm back :)

Well, let's see...where was I?   Oh yes...

Very cool place, this is.  Interesting to see people of all different nationalities and colors speaking with a British accent.  Its very evident when you are submerged in the middle of a new accent and new...er... English.

Pants are underwear.  Trousers are pants. Its not a tank top, its a vest.  Its not a sweater, its a jumper.  Eggplants are called Aubergines and Cucumbers are Corgettes.  If I'm sick I am "feeling poorly".  If I'm complaining about something I am "Having a winge".  They aren't bangs on the front of your head, they are "Fringe".  Its "Cheers" more often than "Thank you" and, apparently, people really like their fowl, cause half the people around you are calling you "Duck" when they speak to you, if they haven't called you "Love."

I may not be speaking with a British accent but its just easier to use their words, and sometimes I catch myself using their inflections - especially when I speak to the kids.  But no matter how much I may be slipping in, word-wise, I stand out.  Stand out like a neon sign.

I have curly hair.  Not wavy....curly.

Yes....my hair is long, and curly and it seems to be the only head of hair to do so in my town.  Everyone else's hair is straight.  Whether its naturally straight or they straighten it out themselves at home or at the salon......its straight.  And usually cut in the same style (regardless of face shape....shudder).

Go to any pub or club and visit the ladies room, and you will find hair straighteners hot and ready for everyone to use.  So when I'm feeling like people are looking at me.  I don't feel its the color of my skin, or the shape of my eyes or my weight at all...its my hair.

As a Puerto Rican and American and New Yorker, we are taught all our lives that when we are put in a situation where you are the one that sticks out from others, people are going to look at you and you are going to have it harder because of your uniqueness.

Darker-skinned Latinos talk about the "struggles of a black person in America" because they live it, because of the color of their skin, over their nationality.  Mexican soap operas have blonde-haired, blue-eyed, cream-colored beauties in the leading roles, while darker-colored actors play servants, farm-hands and clergy.  The color of ones skin, and the resulting treatment by others when not in your own comfort zone, is always in the front of our minds.

But here...I haven't come across any of it.  Sure, people notice me immediately, so you'll be able to point me out to anyone, but I've yet to be treated differently (that I know of) because of it.  People are accepted for who they are - as long as you aren't here taking up benefits in one hand and complaining how horrible the UK is with the other.  As a side note: I must say...its interesting hearing people complaining and having really negative feelings over someone who isn't Black or Hispanic.  Very interesting.

But it doesn't stop me from noticing when people take a double look at me as I walk through town.  They know I'm different and the moment I open my mouth, they immediately know why. I'm not from around here.  Of course, it instantly gets me a "Oooh Where are you from?" and then they are fascinated with what I'm doing here and why I'd leave New York.  But on first looks, its not because of my skin color...its because of my curls.

The Kidlets have commented on more than one occasion, asking me why don't I cut and straighten out my hair.  I said "Because I like my curly hair".  They responded, "but it would like nice straight."  I responded back "It looks like everyone else if its straight.  My hair is naturally curly and it makes me unique here.  And I like being unique."

And I do.