For some reason, the elderly are much more likely to think I'm not from New Zealand, despite my assertive Kiwi accent, than other people.
Just yesterday, an otherwise-lovely senior citizen asked me what I had planned for the Christmas period - would I be going home to China for the holiday?
I gave her a blank look, but she didn't get the hint. I tried something more blatant, like telling her I was born here; moreover, so was my older brother, and my mum has been in New Zealand for over fifty years (much longer than your average skin-head).
Every now and then I get someone (with no ill intentions, mind) referring to me as "you people". It always turns into a monologue about how much they like Chinese food.
Just as well those people don't matter.
2 comments:
hahaha..i used to get that too a lot growing up in a very white suburb...of course, when i lived in tokyo, i heard a lot of.."you are american? you look almost japanese!!" "oh, thats good, because.."
I've been to Hong Kong a couple of times to visit the relatives, and the locals can always tell I'm not from around there - it's because I look so much more well-fed and because Kiwi women are notorious as casual dressers (e.g.sneakers before stilletos, jeans over pencil skirts, t-shirts over halter-tops)
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