Based on the responses to my post, Elizabeth the Spy, I learned that a lot of you out there also like to engage in harmless spy games. For example, Helen likes to guess what people are like based on the contents of their grocery carts (“trolleys” in her country). Mogatos and her husband like to guess at life stories while they are people watching at the beach.
This morning, I took some pictures of homes around my neighborhood. Let’s play a game. Based on the photo, do you have any clues as to the personalities or life circumstances of the inhabitants? Let’s keep it light hearted, though and avoid criticizing.
I’ll start off with the first one.
Okay, this house is owned by a very fun couple. We meet through mutual friends. They keep saying to me, “Elizabeth, you need to come to our house and help us with our garden. It’s a weed patch.” I visit and make some suggestions, none of which are taken because they are too busy with work. We become great friends anyway because they are such good company.
See? That was easy. And don’t feel like you have to insert yourself into the story. I did so in this case because I think it’s such a funny idea to put a sign in the yard to mark “dandelions” that it made me want to meet the people who live in the house.
Okay, here are some photos for you to try:
A. House in the city with three car garage.
House B
House C
House E
House F. Help me figure out this house. I have been working on it for years! What doesn’t show in the picture is the rest of their collection of vintage vehicles, the boat, or the horse trailer.
My Eyes Are Up Here 
Ok so my lunch break has a good use today.. Will keep it simple!!!
A. Family house older kids hence three cars
B. family with young kids due to play equipment
C. People who like to garden and eat organic plant base diet!!! LOL
D. Older couple perfectionists
E. looks like a sad house .. Widow or widower.. No flowers…
F. Country folks who moved to the city and are hoarders!!!
During my training we had to pair up and say where and what we thought about the other person.. Very confronting … Some people were offended if people were correct as they wanted to come from somewhere else.. In Sydney to say someone is a Westy can offend!! Especially if they have tried not to be a Westy!!! There is a story in this I think.. My friend was told she came from the north shore and she wanted to know why as she came from the Easturn suburbs.. All have meanings and points about living in each area…and it can cause lots of problems.. I had a Chinese student who I thought would study hard but he turned out to be the opposite !!!
Yes, making negative assumptions about others is a risky business. And countries/regions all seem to have assumptions and stereotypes about people coming from different regions. I had a friend in high school who was an immigrant from Vietnam with Chinese family ancestry. One day, she insisted that she was Chinese and I naively said, “But you were born in Vietnam. Aren’t you Vietnamese?” I did not realize that in her eyes, being Vietnamese was something to be embarrassed about and somehow not as good as being Chinese.
Yes it is easy to offend, even if you are right about people, when they are trying hard to break away from the stereotype.
I only have a guess for House F: They are former KGB spies, but being incompetent, 1) they didn’t know that Seattle is not the political hotbed they thought it was, and 2) as a means to blend in as “average” Americans, they simply bought ever iconic American vehicle.
This reminds me of spring 2012 when the tree fell on our house; it was featured on multiple neighbors’ Facebook posts. Friends would stop me and say, “Hey, I saw your house on so & so’s FB wall. I didn’t know you knew them.” “I don’t.” “Is your house ok?” “Yes.” “Why do you still have your Christmas lights up?” :- D I think we’re THAT house in our neighborhood.
I like your KGB story! I would like to add that they studied U.S. culture by watching old Ma and Pa Kettle Movies. I mean, why not? Ma and Pa lived in Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula. That’s close to Seattle, sort of, as the crow flies.