CLAUSEN — In a move that’s unsurprising because he’s a total know-it-all according to those close to him, an expat in Luxembourg has impressed his Luxembourg friends by giving the name of Luxembourg’s prime minister.
Sasha Onyeze, 34, has over the years fostered a reputation as someone who reads too much about arcane topics—a guy who likes to memorize little-known facts and useless trivia in order to impress others.
“The other night we were at the pub, discussing how things work here, and someone asked at what age the Luxembourgish king’s son becomes president,” said Onyeze’s friend Veronica Clapman, 28. “And someone else said, ‘you idiot, it’s not done like that here. All the property owners line up their Audis, and whichever person has the cleanest car, he or she gets to choose, assuming the archbishop gives his consent.’”
“Which sounded about right to me,” she added.
Not one to miss an opportunity, Onyeze smiled, sat back, and explained that Luxembourg has a prime minister. He even pronounced the prime minister’s first name correctly, although he struggled to say the last name. He then went on to explain that the prime minister is appointed by an EU commission.
“We were all rather stunned,” Clapman said. “It would take most people decades of living here to have that much knowledge about the intricacies of national politics, but Sasha’s only been here for two years. I’ve lived here most of my life, and I still don’t even know the last name of the regal family or whatever.”
