I have that look
Last Thursday, while having a few beers at Bud’s Pizzeria, a local rat hole on Helsinginkatu, a guy in his mid-thirties crashed our table and started talking. He was drunk but not stupid, at least not at first. After he started talking about the courage and stamina and virtue of the veterans who defended our country against the evil onslought of the evil Russkies in the Winter War, he became pretty stupid. Funny how war talk can do this to people.
At some point the guy said I looked like a Jew. He wouldn’t believe me when I said I wasn’t, and that I don’t have any Jewish blood, either.
“Well, anyway,” he said, evidently proving his point, “if we went to America, you’d be stopped and I wouldn’t. You look like an Arab.”
The high point of the conversation was definitely when he said that he knew that sivari or not, were our fatherland under threat, even I would gladly take up arms and defend our women and children. He had tears in his eyes.
“I’d take you as my squad leader any day. You’re smart, I can tell. You have that look.”
We left shortly after.
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