Welcome to life among the Blue People

I am a pale person. I have never tanned, any colour on my face is usually the result of too much sun and quite painful. Many people over the years have told me that my lack of colour is basically a lack of discipline: if I worked at it, spent time and money, I too could get a healthy colour. Explaining that I have tried sunless tanning, baby oil, "natural looking" bronzers, vitamin A and that I lived in Africa (where, surely, I was exposed to enough of the "right kind" of sun) all to my detriment and; that, in my 30s i have accepted myself and am ok with the skin G-d has given me, is not acceptable to these people. My natural pallor indicates that I am sedentary, "sun paranoid" and probably unhealthy.

Until now.

Moving to Edinburgh has been a revelation on many fronts. I have realized that American television production values are really the best in the world, that internet access means something else entirely in Europe and, that a "heated" apartment is a radically different concept in Canada. The revelation that has comforted me the most is that I now live among a pale people.

Now, obviously, there are people of colour here - Edinburgh is not a completely white society. Many salons have tanning beds, spray tans and "fake bake" for those who want to wander the darkened streets looking like they just came back from Ibiza. There is also a home grown industry that takes people to the sun filled and sexy Euro destinations, so who knows? Maybe these tans were earned the righteous way: on a beach.

For me, it's the relief of knowing that, this summer, I will not be alone in my pale-ness. People will not come up to me in the super market and ask me if I'm sick because of my pallor; I will not be accused of not liking fresh air because I don't want to sit in the sun at noon; explaining to people that I don't want to walk on the sunny side of the street? asking for a shady spot on a terrace? doesn't matter! it's all shady! and we're so far north that any sun will only contribute to my Vitamin D intake.

I was speaking to a native of Edinburgh today and told him how exciting I found the fact that everybody looked like me. He smiled, laughed and said "ah yes, welcome to life among the blue people". and here I am.