It's an L.A. thing.

Working in a very international company, you get to know people from everywhere. We have many Swiss and Chilean people, folks from Germany, England, everywhere. This has given me a chance to see what people from these countries are beyond stereotypes.

I have noticed people being here and being one of the few American friends people know means I'm a representative for the United States. Anything I do, say, the way I act, walk is seen as characteristic of someone from California. On the upside, anything I do that's odd, quirky, unusual, socially awkward people just chalk it up to being from L.A.

"Oh ... that must be an L.A. thing?"

"Riiiiight. Yeah. Definitely an L.A. thing."

It's both a relief and kind of disappointing. It overlooks personality differences, because they're just assumed to be a cultural difference, rather then personal preference.

I'll admit, in the States I was as guilty of this as anyone I know here. A quirky foreign friend wasn't quirky. They were just .. foreign. Now that's how I am to my foreign friends.

If I don't like mayonnaise on my cold, overcooked broccoli it's because I'm American. I'm vegetarian (which admittedly, is a very "L.A. thing") means that I have a 1.) Unhealthy diet, and therefore 2.) am very American because of my eating habits. Seen running through the park with an iPod, it's because I'm Californian and that's what a Californian girl does. If I can't party for days on end, drink with friends until the sun comes up, or go to club at 4 a.m., it's not because it's not my thing, or I happen to be more of an early bird. It's because I'm North American.

This though, is fine with me. I'm not a party pooper, just .. foreign.

Lauren