Brooklyn Brilliance

Due to unclear circumstances, I was stuck listening to a 50 year old BP woman ramble about Kamut and spelt flours. She didn't really know what she was talking about, but felt like she was following a cool trend

Woman: "So, does your mother like health food?"
Me: "Err, well, not really, where she lives she just buys what she can get"
(my mother lives in Europe)
Woman: "Really...what do you mean...? I'm Sure she can get OU products in stores there".
Me, trying not to betray shock: "Nope. The OU is mainly an American project. There aren't that many hechsherim in Europe, it depends on the country. France and England have some".

Woman blinks a few times, realizes this is too much for her to absorb, and moves on to the next question.

Woman: What do they say there, you know, about America?
Me: They don't like it these days. You know, Iraq...they're all antiwar.
Woman: Oh. But what I mean is... do they all talk about wanting to come to America?
Me, inwardly laughing at the fact that the woman is stuck in 1890: Well, some of them visit NY and like it, but mostly it's the Americans who come tour our country. They come in millions.
Woman: Because life here is so good, we have everything, it's the best place for Jews and the biggest, outside Israel. We have everything we need.
Me: Yes you do, but it's not only about that, it's also about the mentality. Americans, and NY'ers in particular, have a unique mentality... (at this point I notice I am losing her, and switch the conversation back to recipes).