Добрый вечер читатели. As many of you may know, a large concern of my nearest and dearest about my trip to Great Mother Russia was how the colour of my skin would be received. I am pleased to tell you all that thus far none of their fears have materialised.
However, there have been two instances that certainly made me think twice. Both of these conversations took place in very casual, introductory conversations whilst out and about with my other English friends. When I introduce myself as English, which of course I do because England (and Scotland now as well) are all I have ever known, two people on separate occasions have gestured to my face and said something along the lines of, "But how can you be English?"
Of course, coming from PC multicultural London my initial reaction is to feel outraged and offended. Subtly though, on the inside and very loudly to friends afterwards as my Russian doesn't quite stretch to an in-depth debate on the subject and I'm not too keen to go round offending Russian and Kazakhstani strangers outside bars and next to sarcophagi in the Hermitage.
Upon reflection, I am grateful for this inability to express myself in the moment as it gives me the time to consider how it really makes me feel. Yes, having my nationality questioned, my very identity, is extremely hurtful but what is actually far more hurtful is the many times this doubt has come from my fellow countrymen. Although a question about my ethnicity maybe shouldn't be the one after "What's your name?", those two men have never been to England and are probably completely oblivious to the diversity on which we like to pride ourselves.
Having been raised exclusively in the English part of my cultural heritage, it is completely unfathomable to me that an English person would even think to say to me "You can't be English can you?". I have had many such comments over the past year or so of working behind a bar. In my mind I am no less English than they are and yes I am Seychelloise too but to me that doesn't take away from my "Englishness", it is simply another part of my identity. You can't split people into half-this and half-that because who I am is so much more than that.
So in essence, the difference, from my point of view, between how I am treated by Russians and by English people is much, much smaller than anyone had expected.
