Are you a Malaysian?
That's a question one of the room attendants asked me a few days ago. She's not the only room attendant who asked me that question. One even went further and said, 'You look like you're from Sarawak.'
When I heard that, in my mind went like 'okay...' Seriously, having lived almost a quarter of a decade, visiting relatives annually in Malaysia, I still can't certainly differentiate the difference between a Singaporean Chinese and a Malaysian Chinese if I don't listen to their speech (generally speaking). I'm pretty sure I don't sound like a Malaysian. So by my average looks (yeah, got to be humble once in a while) alone, how can they ascertain I'm from Malaysia?
Furthermore, from Sarawak! That stumped me even more because I don't wear a feather headdress and go around carrying a kuching with me. Fine, so people in Sarawak don't do that either but my point is if the auntie said I'm a Malaysian, why Sarawak in particular?
Over the past month, my nationality had come into question. It's the most asked about question regarding me next to my marital status (Nope, no ring, no one in sight. And until I get desperate, only young, pretty and rich girls need apply for now) and where I live (yes, it's alarming to know there're potential stalkers).
Aside from being a Malaysian, I'd been said to be an Indonesian. Once, by a room attendant and another time by an engineer.
There was this time when a particular room attendant came up to me to inform me of certain things. She started off speaking in English, and then the following sentences were rattled in an incomprehensible language. For a moment, I was lost and confused. Was there a higher English language that I don't understand? Or was there something wrong with my hearing? I looked at her baffled, before she stopped and smacked her forehead and said, 'Oh ya, you don't speak Malay.'
Of course, Malay. It seems that I've a look that says 'I can speak Malay', be it Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Indonesia. Maybe I should start picking up either one of those languages.
Not everyone thinks I'm a Malaysian or Indonesian naturally. There was this once I was in the tuckshop getting my lunch. At the stall, I asked for less food as they usually give quite a generous portion. The auntie at the stall then asked me, 'You sure enough ah? Thought you PRCs eat a lot one?'
. . . . . . . . .
Granted, so I'm obviously a Chinese. However, even though I don't have 'Singapore' or a Singapore flag tattooed on my forehead, I don't have 'China' or a China flag tattooed there either! I seriously don't understand why people like jumping into conclusions based on my ethnicity.
Thinking through, people outside my department may have mistaken on my nationality because majority of my department are either from Malaysia (yes, including Sarawak), Indonesia or China.
People within my department may have the wrong notion of my nationality due to the fact that they believe Degree holding Singaporean males won't apply for such jobs, given its low pay, long hours and whatnots.
But hey, so far so good and I'm not complaining. And just to confirm, I'm a Singaporean.