so i ordered lunch yesterday online. i paid with a credit card. this information is useful for later in the story. like right now.

i buzzed the delivery guy in when he finally got to my apartment. he gave me the credit card receipt to sign. i had forgotten i had paid with the ole visa and had already decided in my mind to give the guy a cash tip. i signed the receipt and put a big ole dash through the tip line and gave it back to the delivery guy. he said "thanks" in a pretty friendly voice and started to turn away, but i told him to wait.

this guy was about my height, heavier, and much older than me. despite the fact that most delivery guys in the brighton area tend to be pretty clearly foreign, this guy was white and didn't have an accent of any sort. so when i gave him a tip, the last thing i expected him to say was exactly what he said: "namaste"

i looked at him

he looked at me, as if to say 'no, i really did just say that.' then he, as meaningfully as he could muster, said it again. "namaste." the pronounciation wasn't the best, but it wasn't awful. i tried really hard not to laugh to his face. i said thanks and sent him on his way.

i told jen this story and she was stunned, much like i was. however, i tried to tell this story to both thad and geoff and they both had no idea what the word 'namaste' was at all. so, in case you are uncultured heathens like they are, here is a link.

it's not that they didn't know. it's that they were so unapologetic and uninterested in learning. this is why america is conservative - these guys are gonna turn into 50 year old republicans who want fences built along the rio grande.

UPDATE: also, i just went to subway to get a quick bite. i asked for a spicy italian. the lady behind the counter asked me if i had said 'veggie delite'. i'm not saying she asked BECAUSE i'm indian, but really, you do the math.