The amazed lady

It is really amusing for me when I tell some one about my background and when I find them, well, surprised, to tell the least. Here is the story:

We were sitting at the table and there was this middle aged lady with Chinese background sitting beside me. Every one was talking here and there and then this question of which school we had graduated from was raised. The answer on my side of the table left this lady stunned. She told us that she had done her undergrad in Beijing and later her PhD in England where she had met many Iranians at school all of whom were men and married and their wives were "just wives", as she phrased it. She added that she had come to this conclusion that all Iranian ladies had been "just wives" with no education. From the Iranian people she had met in England she had also concluded that we were people with dark skin since none of those she had met "had fair skins as I had"! And for those who have not met me, I am no snow white! I tried to explain to this Dr that I was one among many Iranian women not only being educated but being accepted in many reputable universities across the globe, and I was no body among those. I added that there were many different climates in Iran and so were many different skin colors, from fairly fair to olive shades...

This kind of cultural conversation is among the reasons I like participating in conferences.