During the holidays while helping out with the businesses I always get the question above from other people. Not only during the holidays, but it pops up now and then whenever I meet new people or when I'm getting acquainted with someone. Lolz I don't mind actually being asked what am I all the time but at certain point some people do make me and the questioner him/herself confused in the end, which left both of us with no choice but to start a new topic to talk about. A couple of conversations that I could still remember not long ago:Conversation 1:
XXX: Ok so you mix what? Chinese Malay?
Ham: No, Melanau Chinese Japanese, dad Jap-Melanau mom pure Chinese but got adopted by my Melanau grandma
XXX: So that means you're 1/4 Chinese, 1/4 Melanau and 1/4 Japanese
Ham: Huh wth? 1/3 Chinese 1/3 Jap and 1/3 Melanau la how can be 1/4
XXX: But you said your dad Jap-Melanau oo, then mix mom so 1/4
Ham: No it's still 1/3 how the... still 1/3 la what 1/4?
XXX: But how come, correct lo if you dad mix already 1/2, plus your mom become 1/4 lah!
Ham: No no no... 1/3 dude, confirm 1/4 eh-eh-eh 1/3
XXX: But... how come... correct la 1/4 nah ni kan (while calculating fingers) this your dad mix edi, plus mom 1/2 become 1/4 de...
Ham: I lost you...
XXX: Haiya correct de 1/4 edi!
Ham: ......... so anyways that leng lui over the next table look nice
XXX: Na li?
Ham: Neh, the one in the red shirt, c'mon XXX go ask her number! Jia you!
XXX: You sot ah, where got leng that one, not even student, that one cleaning lady la! Chiu!
Ham: Wakaka!
-----[END]-----
Conversation 2
ZZZ: So you're Malaysian Sarawakian?
Ham: Yup
ZZZ: You don't look Malaysian to me
Ham: Lolz, what do you mean?
ZZZ: Well for one thing you look more like Chinese to me
Ham: Lolz you see, Malaysia got a lot of race here, Chinese, Indians, Malays.
ZZZ: So you're Chinese or Malaysian?
Ham: Uhh... I'm mixed actually, Chinese Melanau, one of the Sarawakian natives here.
ZZZ: Ok so that means you're not original Malaysian is it?
Ham: Uhh... I am Malaysian
ZZZ: Ok you making me confused here, you said you were mixed Chinese earlier and didn't mention mixed with Malaysian
Ham: ................
ZZZ: /:???
Ham: I think I will confuse us both even further if I continue to explain... hey there's a bug in your food
ZZZ: So you're Malaysian Sarawakian?
Ham: Yup
ZZZ: You don't look Malaysian to me
Ham: Lolz, what do you mean?
ZZZ: Well for one thing you look more like Chinese to me
Ham: Lolz you see, Malaysia got a lot of race here, Chinese, Indians, Malays.
ZZZ: So you're Chinese or Malaysian?
Ham: Uhh... I'm mixed actually, Chinese Melanau, one of the Sarawakian natives here.
ZZZ: Ok so that means you're not original Malaysian is it?
Ham: Uhh... I am Malaysian
ZZZ: Ok you making me confused here, you said you were mixed Chinese earlier and didn't mention mixed with Malaysian
Ham: ................
ZZZ: /:???
Ham: I think I will confuse us both even further if I continue to explain... hey there's a bug in your food
-----[END]-----
Haihz those were the moments :]. Well that's that about ancestral confusion, let's move on to a related topic. After 19 years living here I can see how people tend to mix up about people's origin most of the time, not only among locals but foreigners as well. For one I noticed people who are muslim are tend to, ok maybe not tend, usually will be called Malay even though he/she could be Iban, Kenyah or Chinese muslims. Sometimes I do feel a bit offended and annoyed not because people keep asking "Are you Malay?", but because of the stereotyping and pure ignorance. There seems to be a confusion between race and religion here, which should be cleared up in this kind of day and age where stereotyping does not apply well anymore. Frankly speaking on the subject I stumbled upon a fellow blogger who shares my problem which could give you an idea of wtf I'm talking about (click here). Few Chinese converts I know in Kampua Town including myself experience this "If you are a muslim, you must be Malay" situation. Haihz... look at Zheng He, he's a Chinese muslim and a fleet admiral for China, but he lived life like any other mainlander would at that time (ok well technically he spent a lot of time on sea voyage expeditions instead). So no difference from me living a modern Melanau-Chinese family life where we do not forget our roots' traditions and customs of both cultures (well the Japanese side inheritance died down here, but that won't stop me mastering nippongo from my aunt and uncle who're coming over this week ^^)
As for foreigners (especially the ones who just came in) some of them quite often got confused over the concept of bumiputera and non-bumiputera, hence explains the confusion in Conversation 2 above. In other words it's just a confusion of nationality and race. But yeah, if a foreigner ever ask what am I, I'd just stick to "I'm Malaysian" reply to avoid more confusion and debate...
Sorry if this topic offend, but I did not intend any malice towards any party and I just wanted to express the issue above, just as one of the voice of non-Malay muslims nationwide. Fuh, how many times did I use "confuse" lolz
Haihz those were the moments :]. Well that's that about ancestral confusion, let's move on to a related topic. After 19 years living here I can see how people tend to mix up about people's origin most of the time, not only among locals but foreigners as well. For one I noticed people who are muslim are tend to, ok maybe not tend, usually will be called Malay even though he/she could be Iban, Kenyah or Chinese muslims. Sometimes I do feel a bit offended and annoyed not because people keep asking "Are you Malay?", but because of the stereotyping and pure ignorance. There seems to be a confusion between race and religion here, which should be cleared up in this kind of day and age where stereotyping does not apply well anymore. Frankly speaking on the subject I stumbled upon a fellow blogger who shares my problem which could give you an idea of wtf I'm talking about (click here). Few Chinese converts I know in Kampua Town including myself experience this "If you are a muslim, you must be Malay" situation. Haihz... look at Zheng He, he's a Chinese muslim and a fleet admiral for China, but he lived life like any other mainlander would at that time (ok well technically he spent a lot of time on sea voyage expeditions instead). So no difference from me living a modern Melanau-Chinese family life where we do not forget our roots' traditions and customs of both cultures (well the Japanese side inheritance died down here, but that won't stop me mastering nippongo from my aunt and uncle who're coming over this week ^^)As for foreigners (especially the ones who just came in) some of them quite often got confused over the concept of bumiputera and non-bumiputera, hence explains the confusion in Conversation 2 above. In other words it's just a confusion of nationality and race. But yeah, if a foreigner ever ask what am I, I'd just stick to "I'm Malaysian" reply to avoid more confusion and debate...
Sorry if this topic offend, but I did not intend any malice towards any party and I just wanted to express the issue above, just as one of the voice of non-Malay muslims nationwide. Fuh, how many times did I use "confuse" lolz
2 comments:
Great post. I'm also so sorry about everything with people getting mixed up with everything. It sure does suck right!
Anyways, I wanna thank you for linking me. Appreciate it very much :)
Yea thnx for your post too, it sure was enlightening to know I wasn't the only one experiencing it :D
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