Brought on in huge part by the majority of the international sports they compete in [you know, things with ‘World’ in the title like ‘World series’] being among themselves, which is quite honestly probably the only reason I know about places like Lahore, Hyderabad and Pallekele [you had to google that one, hey?*].

By now we have learnt on more than one occasion that while they are always excited to hear we are from South Africa, they sometimes still want to know which particular country from South Africa we are talking about.

And we know that some of them were surprised at the low numbers of African Americans present in the country of our country.

But today my faith was restored as i went inside the bank to draw some money on my credit card and transfer it to my local account.

As I was about to leave, the lady behind the window apologises because she made a mistake on my slip – “I didn’t realise that you opened your bank account in Pennsylvania” [where we lived when we stayed in Philly] and so she started filling out the slip again.

Then she looked at me and said, “I didn’t even know Pennsylvania was in America.” And I was like, “Oh?”

So i asked her, “So what country are you from?”

She replied that she was born in Mexico but had moved to Americaland when she was ten [She didn’t use the word Americaland though, that was me]

So I responded in a way that was much less sarcastic and mean than it will come across in typed print, “Oh, don’t they teach Geography in school here?” with a smile.

Without skipping a beat, she replied with a smile, “No, it’s just that I always mix it up with that other one… you know…”

My mind started racing for things that sounded like Pennsylvania and weren’t in Americaland, but i have to admit i was drawing blanks.

“Oh yes, Transylvania!” She replied.

I gave my most serious version of an, “Oh yes, that one” that i could muster, grabbed my slip and left.

Not that Transylvania is not an actual place that does actually exist in Romania and all. But, you know. Made my day. [maybe it was the two tips of my teeth protruding through my lips at the edges that confused the poor woman]

Keep on Americaland, keep on. You bring me smiles… [having tried the label 20 African countries as quick as you can game recently i know that i have to shine the focus elsewhere]

[*yes, i had to google ‘Pallekele’ as well, but i do know it in my head and nod knowingly when it comes up on the news…]