I accompanied my Indian female friend, Tanushri, to pick her sister up from the airport. In the car, she was blasting the music and singing her lungs (and heart) out, loudly, when all of a sudden…
Tanushri: You are famous for being super nice in class.
Little Dove: Good or bad?
Tanushri: Good lah!
Little Dove: Being too nice might mean that I am easily bullied.
Tanushri: No lah. I never meet a guy like you before. So rare!
Little Dove keeps quiet…
At the airport, the sister, Urmila, got into the car.
Urmila: *speaks in Tamil to Tanushri* Hey boy, what’s your name?
Little Dove: Little Dove
Urmila: Is my sister nice to you?
Tanushri: Sister!!! Not my boyfriend la!
Urmila: She can be quite fierce sometimes. Kidding! I don’t want to scare Little Dove on our first meeting.
Little Dove: How was your flight?
Urmila: Good. Are you pure Chinese?
Little Dove: Yes.
Urmila: You look mixed. I noticed the moment I saw you. You sure you are Chinese ah?
Little Dove: Yes.
Lately, some people have been asking me, “Are you Chinese?”
I always reply with a “yes.”
Usually, the people who asked me this question are either Malay or Indian. Maybe they can tell the difference? Other Chinese see me as a Chinese. I see myself as a Chinese. Just that I get an occasional question from a Malay or Indian patient.
Patient in ward: Are you Chinese?
Little Dove: Yes.
Patient in ward: Where are you from? You look different from normal Chinese.
Little Dove: Why?
Patient in ward: Just asking.
Little Dove: I am Chinese. How are you feeling today?
Patient in ward: I feel…
I diverted the topic and the patient starts telling me her story…
Staff at the academic office…
Office Staff: Hello Little Dove. Long time no see. Busy?
Little Dove: Yes. I am busy prancing about in the wards.
Office Staff: Hey, are you mixed?
Little Dove: No, I am Chinese.
Office Staff: But records say you are not.
Little Dove: -_-'
Once, I went to a primary school to give vaccination jabs to seven-year-olds.
Naughty kid: Abang ni Cina ke Melayu?
Little Dove: Saya nampak macam Melayu ke?
Naughty kid: Tak.
Little Dove: Kalau tak macam Melayu, abang ni Cina lah.
Naughty kid: Nampak lain sket.
Little Dove: -_-'
It is official. I look like an alien!
Tanushri: You are famous for being super nice in class.
Little Dove: Good or bad?
Tanushri: Good lah!
Little Dove: Being too nice might mean that I am easily bullied.
Tanushri: No lah. I never meet a guy like you before. So rare!
Little Dove keeps quiet…
At the airport, the sister, Urmila, got into the car.
Urmila: *speaks in Tamil to Tanushri* Hey boy, what’s your name?
Little Dove: Little Dove
Urmila: Is my sister nice to you?
Tanushri: Sister!!! Not my boyfriend la!
Urmila: She can be quite fierce sometimes. Kidding! I don’t want to scare Little Dove on our first meeting.
Little Dove: How was your flight?
Urmila: Good. Are you pure Chinese?
Little Dove: Yes.
Urmila: You look mixed. I noticed the moment I saw you. You sure you are Chinese ah?
Little Dove: Yes.
Lately, some people have been asking me, “Are you Chinese?”
I always reply with a “yes.”
Usually, the people who asked me this question are either Malay or Indian. Maybe they can tell the difference? Other Chinese see me as a Chinese. I see myself as a Chinese. Just that I get an occasional question from a Malay or Indian patient.
Patient in ward: Are you Chinese?
Little Dove: Yes.
Patient in ward: Where are you from? You look different from normal Chinese.
Little Dove: Why?
Patient in ward: Just asking.
Little Dove: I am Chinese. How are you feeling today?
Patient in ward: I feel…
I diverted the topic and the patient starts telling me her story…
Staff at the academic office…
Office Staff: Hello Little Dove. Long time no see. Busy?
Little Dove: Yes. I am busy prancing about in the wards.
Office Staff: Hey, are you mixed?
Little Dove: No, I am Chinese.
Office Staff: But records say you are not.
Little Dove: -_-'
Once, I went to a primary school to give vaccination jabs to seven-year-olds.
Naughty kid: Abang ni Cina ke Melayu?
Little Dove: Saya nampak macam Melayu ke?
Naughty kid: Tak.
Little Dove: Kalau tak macam Melayu, abang ni Cina lah.
Naughty kid: Nampak lain sket.
Little Dove: -_-'
It is official. I look like an alien!
Sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield.
Little Dove
4 comments:
I have a friend who also always gets these kind of comments. She finds it rude.
[William] Is your friend Chinese and mistaken for a Malay?
In my case, I don't mind. Don't blame them for being confused with the way I look sometimes. I don't look Malay or very Chinese or in-between. :)
LOLz...up until now, I thought you were a girl (presumption derived after reading your posts on My Lovely Sam Soon).
Hi Anonymous. Where are you from? :)
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