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Went out as George, still got accosted
White guy caught my attention with very broken English: "Neee Halp?"
Then I was like, "What?"
White Guy: "Nee Halp?"
Me: "Need Help?"
White Guy: Neeeee Hal!"
Ohhhhh, it was very broken mandarin, or at this point, Orientalese, which is what happens when white people walk up to an Oriental-Looking-Person such as myself, and without any preamble, start to speak at us with what they think is our language. I think he was trying to say "You Good" in Mandarin?
Look, I get that you are trying to be friendly, but when you don't know which Asian language the complete stranger speaks, and when you live in a country where there are many Asian people who are BORN here (my cousins) who speaks English first, it's best to start with "Hello". I don't mind people trying out their Chinese with me if we are already talking and the topic comes up, but to just walk up to me and assume, it just rubs me the wrong way.
...and, even though I was out as George tonight, the fact that I wasn't the only one around but I was the only one he tried his Orientalese on, I have to wonder
1. Is he just being friendly or his he hitting on me?
2. Was he thinking of me as a cute guy or does he think of me as a girl who's just rocking a very tom boy look?
Either way, start with "Hello"! Or "How's the weather?"
Then I was like, "What?"
White Guy: "Nee Halp?"
Me: "Need Help?"
White Guy: Neeeee Hal!"
Ohhhhh, it was very broken mandarin, or at this point, Orientalese, which is what happens when white people walk up to an Oriental-Looking-Person such as myself, and without any preamble, start to speak at us with what they think is our language. I think he was trying to say "You Good" in Mandarin?
Look, I get that you are trying to be friendly, but when you don't know which Asian language the complete stranger speaks, and when you live in a country where there are many Asian people who are BORN here (my cousins) who speaks English first, it's best to start with "Hello". I don't mind people trying out their Chinese with me if we are already talking and the topic comes up, but to just walk up to me and assume, it just rubs me the wrong way.
...and, even though I was out as George tonight, the fact that I wasn't the only one around but I was the only one he tried his Orientalese on, I have to wonder
1. Is he just being friendly or his he hitting on me?
2. Was he thinking of me as a cute guy or does he think of me as a girl who's just rocking a very tom boy look?
Either way, start with "Hello"! Or "How's the weather?"