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Bold Realizations!: Everyone Is My Mother

In my family, there is a running joke of sorts that, whenever I mention a person of the male persuasion, my mother will ask me whether or not I am interested in this individual. Actually, sometimes it happens without me mentioning anyone at all. My mother is into romantic prospects for her daughter, is what I’m saying.

And so, apparently, is everyone on the Erasmus Program in Bremen.

I submit for your consideration:

• I mentioned a Facebook status that one Turkish student here—a guy—had put up. The Turkish student who sits at the same table as me in the intensive Sprachkurs asked me if I was interested in this student, because, if so, he could work something out.
• Upon finding out that my Tandem Partner (we meet once a week and speak in German and in English) is a male, the Polish contingent at my table all exchanged knowing looks (I told them that he has a girlfriend).
• So did the Czech and Slovak students (I told them, too, that he has a girlfriend. Well, actually, I said, “He has a girlfriend—they all have girlfriends,” which, in hindsight, doesn’t really make much sense).
• Today, the Turkish student at my Sprachkurs table asked, “So what did you do with that boy [a student with whom I danced on Friday night]?” I replied, honestly, that I did not do anything, in no small part because I think that he—wait for it!—has a girlfriend.
• After I spoke to a young man at another table in Sprachkurs today, the same Turkish student asked if I am interested in one of the boys at the other table.

The takeaway here is clearly that a) they all have girlfriends and b) my mother and this Turkish student need to, like, drink tea together.