One of the Muslim kids in the neighborhood asks us...

Terje Larsson · July-30th-2005, 03:40 AM

... if we are Muslim, my wife and I. Not really I reply. Are you Christian then she asks. No, definitely not I laugh. Her pretty dark brown eyes look a little confused, things are getting more complicdated than she'd hoped. She's about 11 or 12 I'd guess and already dresses in a veil. Probably has very strict Muslim parents. Then she asks me if I don't believe. What should one believe in I ask her. God of course she says with a look on her face that tells me she thinks I'm a complete moron. OK, I say, God will do.

Later, as we're walking in the nearby woods, we realize that the better answer would of course have been that God is cool but he's probably neither Muslim nor Christian. I'll try to remember that next time.

We live in a predominantly Muslim area and most of the time the kids ask me if I'm Jewish cause I often dress a little like an orthodox Jew, what with my hat and all. When I say no to that they often ask me if I'm a magician. When I say no to that they ask me what the hell I am then and when I reply that I'm a mental nurse I realize that I could just as well have stuck with magician, mental nurse sounds even weirder to most of them.

Kids... it's a good thing they ask though. That way they learn. And besides, they do pass this info on to their parents too, who are just as curious but don't dare asking.

timoleon · July-30th-2005, 11:26 AM

terje,just make their day remarkable telling them that you are in fact a magician,close buddy of harry potter and you can fulfil their weirdest wishes immidiately!

working as a nurse in a mental house has a lot of magic in it, and many difficult and hard moments,too.hope the situation in sweden is much better in this institutes than in my country ,greece.

jesus marion joseph · July-30th-2005, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terje Larsson

... When I say no to that they often ask me if I'm a magician. When I say no to that they ask me what the hell I am then and when I reply that I'm a mental nurse I realize that I could just as well have stuck with magician, mental nurse sounds even weirder to most of them.

Ha ha. I agree. I never seem to think of these type answers until after the encounter is over, either.

Jazzooo · July-30th-2005, 11:42 AM

The hat for a mental nurse resembles that of an orthodox Jew AND a magician?

That must be some hat.

Terje Larsson · July-30th-2005, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timoleon

hope the situation in sweden is much better in this institutes than in my country ,greece.

I'm not sure. It's getting awfully cynical here, it's all about money all the time. I can't stand it.

But I shouldn't complain. I get to play music with a small group of patients every week. It's great fun and actually quite educational for me since I get to write all "arrangements".

Terje Larsson · July-30th-2005, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzooo

That must be some hat.

Take a look at http://www.drbalalajka.com

It's a Derby hat made for me by one of the very last hatters in Sweden who makes hats for males. It's based on an older Borsalino model. I'm a regular hat freak. I also have a Homberg and I think that's the one that really makes my neighbors worry that I'm gonna ring their dorr bell and confiscate their home

patricia · July-30th-2005, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terje Larsson

Take a look at http://www.drbalalajka.com

It's a Derby hat made for me by one of the very last hatters in Sweden who makes hats for males. It's based on an older Borsalino model. I'm a regular hat freak. I also have a Homberg and I think that's the one that really makes my neighbors worry that I'm gonna ring their dorr bell and confiscate their home

Terje, you go on wearing your Derbys, Hombergs and Fedoras [I hope you have at least one of these, my favourite.]
I count the day that grown men began wearing little-boy baseball caps as the day that elegant habadachery hit the skids.
Bring back the hats for grownup men, I say.

Jazzooo · July-30th-2005, 09:06 PM

It's a cool hat indeed. Keep on rockin.

Ron Thorne · July-31st-2005, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terje Larsson

Take a look at http://www.drbalalajka.com

It's a Derby hat made for me by one of the very last hatters in Sweden who makes hats for males. It's based on an older Borsalino model. I'm a regular hat freak. I also have a Homberg and I think that's the one that really makes my neighbors worry that I'm gonna ring their dorr bell and confiscate their home

Very cool hat, Terje! I'm also a "hat freak", though collect and wear somewhat different ones from that style.

Hey now, Patricia, there's a time and place for grownup men to wear baseball caps, too. Often, and in casual settings! I wore one today, in fact. It's a head covering, first and foremost. Hats don't need to always be "elegant". And that's coming from someone who often wore a Fedora in high school and college.

Terje Larsson · July-31st-2005, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Very cool hat, Terje! I'm also a "hat freak", though collect and wear somewhat different ones from that style.

I have a very big head (size 62 whtever that is in inches) so I have to have them made for me. However, and this is especially true for harder hats, if you have ever tried a hat made to fit your head and not everybodys' you'll never really like wearing anything else.

Quote:

Hey now, Patricia, there's a time and place for grownup men to wear baseball caps, too.

Nah... I'm not so sure about that

Ron Thorne · July-31st-2005, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terje Larsson

I have a very big head (size 62 whtever that is in inches) so I have to have them made for me. However, and this is especially true for harder hats, if you have ever tried a hat made to fit your head and not everybodys' you'll never really like wearing anything else.

Nah... I'm not so sure about that

Terje, your hat size (62cm.) is the equivalent of 7¾ in. in the USA. You're right, that's a relatively large head. You could buy that hat size in America without having to to have it custom made for you, though it's cool to get exactly what you want in every respect from a hat maker.

I'm an ex-baseball player and fan, so I'll always dig and wear baseball caps, no matter my age. I don't wear them backwards or cocked, unless being goofy to embarrass my children or grandchildren, though. And, I have some pretty cool ones, I must say.

Aside from the hat issue, Terje, I applaud the way in which you handled a delicate situation with your Muslim neighbor.

Terje Larsson · July-31st-2005, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

I'm an ex-baseball player and fan, so I'll always dig and wear baseball caps, no matter my age.

We're gonna have to tell the cops about this...

Quote:

Aside from the hat issue, Terje, I applaud the way in which you handled a delicate situation with your Muslim neighbor.

They're just kids you know, they see something weird and they ask. It's a good thing.