Sunday 20 May 2012

Prejudices, kaboom!

Prejudices, confirmed:
For various reasons, all my meals on Thursday were eaten on the run, picking up whatever sustenance was closest to hand before running on to the next appointment. In Stoke Newington, the cheapest and most appealing option was a sesame seed bagel with hummus and salad, accompanied by organic still pink lemonade. In Wood Green, the best I could find was KFC.

Prejudices, exploded:
1. I went for a first aid training course in a Muslim community centre. Walking towards it, a converted Victorian terrace surrounded with razor wire and a queue of ladies in niqabs... I'm deeply ashamed to admit it, but my first thought was 'where is Abu Hamza and will I get out of here alive?'. It was, of course, one of the nicest and friendliest places I have ever been.

2. On walking in to the training room, I was confronted by a middle-aged white guy with a broad Essex accent quizzing an Asian man about what language he spoke at home, what his kids spoke, where his family was from... every muscle in my body tensed, just waiting for this situation to go horribly wrong and explode into a disaster of epically racist proportions. Turned out Mr Middle-Aged White Guy was a fluent Urdu speaker and married to a Pakistani woman, hence his curiosity.

Prejudices, kaboom!

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