...I feel like I spelled Chameleon wrong.
Truth be known, I'm too lazy to look up the spelling, so I'm just going to go with it. My apologies if improper spelling offends you.
Many of you know, and for those that don't, my future Husband is 1/2 Japanese and 1/2 American. His mom is a sweet little Japanese lady, while his dad is a nice American man. These two people created my favorite grown man. And while, I'm thankful for a plethora of attributes that he brings to our relationship, his ethnic humor... or irony rather can be quite amusing.
Case in point.
A few months ago, he was pulled over for speeding. On the ticket, the officer wrote that his race was Hispanic.
But he's not.
When he travels to his Monterrey, Mexico office for work, many of the locals believe that he is Mexican.
But he's not.
Last week, when we went to eat at the Hacienda, he ordered Flan for dessert. The waiter came back and began speaking Spanish; indicating something was wrong with the Flan.
Joe had to tell him he was Japanese/American and didn't speak fluent Spanish. Only "Un Poquito".
I laughed.
Friday night, on our date, we went and had a couples massage. After we were done, the massage therapists started speaking to him in Taiwanese. He had to tell them he was Japanese/American... AGAIN.
I'm not sure why this amuses me so much. Perhaps because I'm not cool enough to be as versatile as he is. Or maybe it's because of the blank look on his face when he is mistaken for another ethnicity that speaks a totally different language. I don't know, but I have to laugh.
Hola, Bueno Dias! Nihao, Shie-shie! Kamsamida! Konichiwa! Bonjour! Vie-Gates?
ReplyDeleteGrazii.
Either way i always try to thank the staff in their native language no matter what it is. I think what really confuses the Asian race is that most americans cannot tell exactly "what" they are. Seems most people just generalize all Asians as Chinese or in one group. About 90% of the time i can take one look and know if they are Korean, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Chinese, Japanese etc. Once i establish this i either say hi or thank you in their native language. THis seems to make them want to start a conversation with me in their native tongue to which i must politely say, "sorry i only speak Japanese". This has worked out in a few strange situations though. One time on business in Shanghai, my supplier (Chinese) could not speak English. I could not speak fluent Mandarin but he could speak Japanese. SO we spoke to each other the whole time in Japanese. An America talking to a CHinese guy in Japanese. Strange eh? In my high school days while working a side job at Stanley Chevrolet in Fortville some Japanese guys stopped at the dealership because they were desperately lost. They came in doing their best to speak English as they were in town for the Indy 500. How they got to Fortville, i have no clue. Anyway, they were so frustrated and flat out lost. IN comes this dude from the washbay and immediately speaking Japanese to them telling them how to get to the speedway. Just imagine the look on their faces when they stop in some small town business and a guy from the back randomly starts speaking their native language. I had the same thing at my side job at Penneys. That time it was in French. EIther way, i try to learn as much as possible during my Travailler/Soucho/business trips. It comes in handy.
PS: I did not get that ticket months ago. That ticket you are talking about was given to me in the year 1998. So yes, i have been stricken with this attribute most of my life.
Okay it happened again Gin Gin. At my doctor appointment the nurse asked "which state were you born in?". I said "well i was born in Japan". She proceeded to say "well you have white checked in as your race". I then told her "i guess today i will be white unless being Asian gives me any special priviledges". From that comment she gave me this blank stare and said "are you Hispanic?"
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