Last few weeks have been a whirlwind for me. November came and went. I'm a year older. I got accepted to present an excerpt of Chameleon at the T.H.E. Contact 2012 festival. I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for my mother, sister, cousin, and aunt. My boyfriend came to visit me from Connecticut. We went to Bali for my birthday week. I had birthday drinks with a few friends when we returned. My boyfriend went back to Connecticut. :-( But my "sister" friend is in town and we are traveling to Malacca and Chiang Mai as well as taking her all over town. After that I jet off with my real sister and Aussie cousin to Hong Kong for a few days. Very excited to be traveling because I need to get out of town.
I just want to wish everyone Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!
Here's a video from me and my sister's Christmas greeting video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfb2-7rsuzU
Skål for 2013!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Feeling very Western
A banana. The term that is "white" on the inside and "yellow" on the outside. I have a problem with this term but that is for another blog post..
I am very aware of this more so in Asia than I did in North America or even when traveling to Australia. I've always felt this way since I was a little girl. Perhaps its my International American School upbringing. Or maybe its the fact that my parents let me become whoever I wanted to be (I half heartedly joke that I was raised in a non-typical Asian household). Or the fact that most of my friends are a crazy mixed bunch and I don't understand being Asian.
Its especially frustrating living in Asia because ethnically I am Asian. I get talked to in Mandarin ALL the time and I get frustrated most of the time because I'll answer in American English but they will sometimes insist on replying me in Mandarin. I feel like saying "No, I don't speak Chinese" and sometimes I do and shake my head vigorously. Then they get offended. I can't win. I sometimes meet Caucasian folks and they are equally confused at first but then later on feel at ease. Its just the first couple minutes of introductions that are awkward at best.
Sometimes this straddling of between worlds works as a positive. Other times its just all too confusing and often misunderstood.
Performing my solo from Chameleon at DanceBox in KL. Sept. 2012.
Photo Credit: Huneid Tyeb
I am very aware of this more so in Asia than I did in North America or even when traveling to Australia. I've always felt this way since I was a little girl. Perhaps its my International American School upbringing. Or maybe its the fact that my parents let me become whoever I wanted to be (I half heartedly joke that I was raised in a non-typical Asian household). Or the fact that most of my friends are a crazy mixed bunch and I don't understand being Asian.
Its especially frustrating living in Asia because ethnically I am Asian. I get talked to in Mandarin ALL the time and I get frustrated most of the time because I'll answer in American English but they will sometimes insist on replying me in Mandarin. I feel like saying "No, I don't speak Chinese" and sometimes I do and shake my head vigorously. Then they get offended. I can't win. I sometimes meet Caucasian folks and they are equally confused at first but then later on feel at ease. Its just the first couple minutes of introductions that are awkward at best.
Sometimes this straddling of between worlds works as a positive. Other times its just all too confusing and often misunderstood.
Performing my solo from Chameleon at DanceBox in KL. Sept. 2012.
Photo Credit: Huneid Tyeb
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