Are you from Durban?

So, this will be a short entry, but interesting nonetheless. So, since arriving here in Cape Town, people keep asking me if I am from Durban, another coastal city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. And of course my answer is "no." But then I tell them that I'm from the U.S.A. and of course they say, "Really? You are not from India?" And then it develops into this big long explanation where I sum up my life story in 5 minutes or less. 


I bring this up because it again illustrates that where ever I go, I just sort of blend in. Granted, Durban has arguably one of the largest percentages of Indian people outside the country of India itself, but still quite fascinating. I think of myself yes as Indian (256% Gadaba tribe!) and obviously American, and yet people here still think I'm from Durban, with my western clothes and funny accent. For those of you that do not know, Durban has such a large population of Indian's due to the British who, a long time ago, brought Indians to what is now Durban as indentured laborers, and since the population has flourished. So, the history and lineage of people who are from India in Durban extends back into history here. I think these patterns of migration (in this case forced slavery by the British) are always fascinating. Its interesting that I can go places and blend in, although perhaps not many Asian countries, this concept of blending in continuously gets cooler and cooler the more places I go. Its nice not sticking out, but just blending into the background, slipping under the radar, relatively unnoticed.