I'm pretty amused recently. As I had mentioned somewhere before, when I was travelling through Vietnam, the locals (including the immigration custom guy who eye at my passport with suspicions) thought I was Vietnamese. When I was in Sydney, some thought I was Vietnamese, some thought I was Thai.
When I was chatting with my part time help the other day, she was shocked when she realised I was chinese. She didnt think I look like 100% chinese (HUH??How did that happen?). She thought I could have been from Philippines or maybe Malaysia, like partial Malay. She insisted I didnt look Singaporean. (I was like really? Does Singaporean have a specific look? haaa haaa.)
Today was even more hilarious. The management got some 3rd party contractor to fix the fuse box. For some unknown reason which is so unexpected, the HK contractor assumed I was Japanese??? He addressed me as 日本人 and I was stunned and wanted to laugh so badly but i didnt bother to correct him. Just last week on the phone with the landcrawford woman, I was labelled as Gweipo, and now visually I am something else??? The management guy saw my bemused look, corrected the guy that I wasnt Japanese.
Honestly speaking, I have never gave much thoughts to how one look but its strange to constantly have my descent being mistaken... Well at least I have never once been mistaken to China. Come to think of it, no one ever said I was from Taiwan or HK either. Guess I'm not fair enough to qualify.. heh heh heh
I'm curious though. To other people, what is a singapore look? I mean if we just shut our mouth and not let our accent betray us, how does one distinguish a Singaporean? Hmmm... Do u look singaporean, or not? :)
4 comments:
I have had my fair share of Thai, Korean, Japanese, Malay and Taiwanese experience...
To me, those who don't look quite like a West Malaysian is most likely a Singaporean. Generally those from South East Asia does carry a type of SEA look, let me think... skin not as fair and smooth as Taiwanese or China Chinese, with slightly bigger pores and trace of pimpers (due to the weather and food). Most youngsters wear glasses. Guys are not so tall nor big build, not much stubble on the cheeks as compared to Japanese or Korean... Oh well, these are just my impression on SEA people in general.
I'd be quite offended if someone told me I look like a HKer ...
And even more insulting (equivalent to having shoes thrown at me) would be to suggest that I speak English like a HKer ...
A Singaporean person to me would be someone who looks like a SIA girl. For some reason, they mostly look alike...although the ads wrongly represent them as just being Chinese, so many foreigners end up thinking we're little China as they after all are international symbols of Singapore. I don't like how the SIA girls look though because they have that empty look on their faces and they somehow always manage to look crossed! haa...
Oops, no comments yet about Singaporean guys! Hmm...they're usually in T-shirt, bermudas & sandals??! Lookswise, I really can't tell!
Post a Comment