Early this month the receptionist at my gym asked me if I’ve got mixed parentage. “Malay and Chinese parentage?” She ventured a guess. Nope, 120% pure Chinese!
A swimmer I met in the pool thought that I looked like the ‘rich Indian’, Indian from northern India. “Dark but not really black, you know.” He said to me. Sorry dude, I’m not an Indian and I’m not rich.
Then there’s this sweet girl in the gym: “Oh you speak Mandarin! I thought you are not Chinese.” She exclaimed, after hearing me speaking Mandarin. Let me guess, you thought I’m an Indian. She nodded vigorously.
Last Thursday, a man asked me if I’m going back home to Borneo for the Diwali and Eid festival long holiday. He thought that I’m a Sarawak native aborigine after I told him I worked in Miri before relocated to KL. Now I’m a native tribesman. This is a new one!
Well, can’t blame them. I am a hell lot darker than the average Chinese guy. Although I’m fluent in Mandarin, I rarely use it, because we speak English in the office so I automatically speak English to anyone and everyone, inside and outside of office. I do speak pretty good Malay, without the Chinese twang. I can survive without rice and Chinese food. While most of the Chinese are quiet and reserve, I’m relatively loud, direct and blunt (borderline abrasive).
But I do have the Chinese almond shape eyes.
As I laughed these mistaken identity incidents off all together, I’m glad at times for not being identified as a Chinese. I can’t deal with Chinese being calculative, especially when it comes to money; say something like two bucks fifty. I can’t stand Chinese being kiasu, competitive over some mindless insignificant crap and actually afraid of being one up by the others and then losing face BIG time. I can’t tolerate Chinese being selfish and defensive as they have no qualm about screwing their friends, or family even, over like 6 times in order to save their asses.
Too much! So I try my best not to be associated with those Chinese.
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2 comments:
qqvadI agree with you, we need to learn to have more humanity, a sense of humor and loosen up. And be more straight forward and honest. Learn to respect others.
Learning is a life long process but unfortunately varying in speed in different individuals. What to with the slow learners? If you can't beat some humanity into them, I'd settle for simply beating the hell out them. ;o)
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