the apple doesn't fall far from the tree

My faithful reader(s?). I extend a sincere apology for the late abandonment of my blog. I love writing - I really do, but lately my moods have been changing as often as my plans for the future, and I've found myself swinging in and out of a pretty sorry-for-myself state; I didn't want to, or have the energy to come here and rant, share or even confide. I'm not sure if things are looking up for me right now, or if I'm just catching the tail end of a brief good mood, but I'm back, with a quick comment (and a review of the movie "Crash" coming tomorrow morning, I promise).

In the restaurant today, I sat a couple that had just flown in from Edmonton. After the requisite Oilers/Flames banter, the lady took a good look at me, and said, "say - I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you Eastern European?" And yes, it's true. I am. And I wasn't offended by the question or even taken aback. It's just not something that has ever been brought to my attention before. I didn't realize it was so profoundly obvious. But I've now had two specific questions about my heritage from total strangers.

So I was sitting in the staff room on my break, eating tortillas and honey (which I don't have to pay for) and I asked one of the managers, Drifter, if I looked different to him. After explaining what had just happened on the floor, he confirmed that both my bone structure and body shape were distinctly Ukrainian/Polish, etc etc. In essense, I've got a pronounced nose, a short frame and I tend to put on weight around the middle. I'm like one of those four foot eight babas, digging up root vegetables for the winte, my stout body wrapped in various pieces of fabric.

And you know what? It's not something I'm embarassed about. I'm proud to be ukrainian. I'm proud of my apple shaped body and my distinct nose and the way that people can tell from my body and my face where my ancestors are from. I'm proud to look like all of the women on my mom's side of the family.

God Bless Babas. G'night, everyone