I discovered that Indians can't really differentiate Chinese, Japanese and Korean, just like how I can't really differentiate Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Indian and Nepalese. We discuss about anything, from Hindu Gods, Gandhi to corruption that happens in both countries (only Indians can relate with this topic!). Usually I would bring up a subject and let them share their opinions. They are charming and those that I normally drink with (be it beer or masalah tea), they are really smart. Then there are the Indians, people with a culture as old as civilization itself (let's not forget that Indonesia was heavily influenced by the Buddhism and Hinduism). On a different occasion, I had lunch with an American who was old enough to have a memory about the day John Lennon died. It was amusing that worlds apart though we were, literally, we could talk about stuff like Oasis, the famous band from Manchester. We talked about work, we talked about life. It was quite the same as any other Asian boy's birthday party, apparently.Īnother time, I met this soft spoken British guy for coffee. My family and I were also invited by a very down-to-earth French to his son's birthday party. Another French brought me to a Middle Eastern restaurant, which was my introduction to this rather exotic cuisines such as hummus and kebab. That was fascinating, because in the place where I came from, riding a horse was unheard of. His activities back then included horseback riding. I once had an Italian lunch with a French and he told me about how he grew up in a small village of a few hundreds people where they almost knew each other.
Getting to know other cultures is a humbling experience, really. That's why staying in melting pot countries like Singapore is enlightening. Who's to say that there isn't any bad Chinese or good non-Chinese, anyway? I disagree with all this because it's never about the whole race, but rather about certain individuals. From their point of views, some complained about how lazy the non-Chinese are and so forth, the comments that were made based on few unlucky encounters. When I have casual talks with friends, I can see that stereotyping does happen. Such exclusivity can lead to a very cautious mindset and in extreme cases, people end up being petty. On the contrary, being good in the few things mentioned above is not without any downsides, if you asked me. It's worth emphasizing that it doesn't make us more superior than others. The result, more often than not, is fruitful. With what little chances we have, we make do and work hard towards our goals.
This also explains why Chinese normally excels in study and does well financially. Such upbringing, however, may or may not contribute to the fact that Indonesian Chinese, or Chinese in general, tends to be more reserved and less adventurous as compared with others. Parents, with their own limitations (and they didn't even have Google back then), only ever want the best for their children. There is nothing wrong with that, of course. I should also scrimp and save, so that I would have enough saving for a rainy day. In my case, I was being told that I should study well so that I could get a good job later on in life. No questions asked or there'd be a severe punishment. It may be changing now, but back then, being a Chinese Indonesian meant I just listened to our parents. This, I believe, is the result of the our culture, upbringing and surrounding.
Those activities are just so out of characters for us. Another great example is, if we leave it to the Chinese, I'm pretty sure that bungee jumping wouldn't be invented. I often joke with my friends that we never get to see a Chinese being featured on a documentary channel for catching crocodiles in the name of science or whatsoever. I'll tell you why I find it inspiring and refreshing. I mean, if you read his story, which was about the cancer awareness event, it was a great experience that only Americans go through.
However, what I loves most is how different it is as compared with, let's say, mine. I always like his writing style as I find it witty and sharp with a tinge of deadpan humour. The previous article, Feel the Point, was written by Brick. The beauty of reading is the new things that we discovered by the time we finish it.