I met this 30ish-year-old Austrian lady who was very friendly and easy to talk to and she seemed quite world-rounded. She came to Bangkok and she quite liked the city regardless of the hustle and bustle the city is. I think that was the first trip she went out of the White continents and just like other "tourists" who cruise around the city and towns in Thailand, make friends with other White/Black tourist fellows and probably say hello to a few friendly Thai people along the way. She then asked me about what got me here in Paris and I told her a bit of a story. Then she asked me with a concern in her face "What's it like to be in a place where you see all White people? It must be weird, right?"Me: "No I'm fine actually." (with the facial expression of "No, I'm fine. What kind of question is that?")

Her: "Oh OK."I could have tried to explain myself further and told her like "Oh well, you know actually I've only dated so-called White men so far.", maybe she would get it better but somehow I was afraid I would freak her out and she might think I was a ***** or something. It's just SO strange here to see some of these European people who, I'm sure they have seen quite a lot of Asians in their own cities or places they have been to...but still seem to wonder how these Yellow people cope with their lives in a foreign land...or Oh wow how could you speak English so well?! (Well, education? hello?)...or some impression like wow you know this hip place?! you know these bands too?! It's like we Asians do not know anything about what's going on in this world. Or labeled as a person who comes from a Third World country who is supposed to be riding a buffalo to an office. (I could be exaggerating...it might just be an elephant.) Well, I could be included in their category too maybe because I was like oh wow how could an Austrian speaks English SO well!...Sorrrry, the Romanian people I met did not really give me a good impression... So maybe that's it!! I should blame on these Asian people that don't really give a good impression! Well, it's not like Thai women can hold any good impression anyway, I know I know. But people in the Chinatown here need some makeover or something to better the image of the Asians here (and probably elsewhere too). After all, people generally just judge you by the cover (and where you come from) anyway.I know some of you are thinking I'm so vain...haha

Hahahaha yes some people are just too naive ........love p'nicky reply. must fwd to u know who

I would not call that "naive"....*thinking what I should call that's not so rude.*

I think I have to learn from you P' Nicky! I should come up with some clever responses..But that lady was too friendly and she was so concerned about my life. So I couldn't hurt her feelings. haha

it's the same for farangs in when we come to thailand other countries especially if we speak thai or whatever native language. I was in China and at resturant in pangyu suburb or guangzhou and people actually watched me eating with chopsticks and I was constantly asked if it was a culture shock to be in china for me. Considering I live in NY with the a HUGEEE asian population so don't blame us considering how manny asian tourists come to western place and do not know the popular local music, or speak the language, or if they do ...they don't speak it very well.

Once again just think of all the farangs you know in bkk who fit the description of a foreign tourist the same thing happens to us.

still wondering why i runned away from europe?......ahaha

I thought you currently lived in a Danish coconut tree with an attached garden Nicky and a kennel! Damn, you do amaze me!

nice journal smarty

Never been to China b4, Hongkong has been the closest........but I always ask for a fork to eat dinner wherever.........I just feel a bit more comfortable.........whether it's Chinese food, Thai, or Japanese....I use a fork.......never with chopsticks..........I'm Chinese, but will always be considered a foreigner........in asia.

Re: khun sushi

Oh if comes to this topic. I will say it's not only Japanese but all the Asians I know including me are complaining on how SNAIL-LIKE this French system/process is. Even I think It's faster in Thailand...especially when contacting a bank.

Super recent sample: I enrolled for my French course at la Sorbonne and it took me 3 days to just go and simply make an appointment to do anything.

Day 1 - Go there to LISTEN to them describing the details that are already AVAILABLE online. Take an appointment card to actually enroll and make a payment... (When THIS could simply be done within the same day!)

Day 2 - Go there to PAY for the course. Take an appointment for the 3 different tests.

Day 3 - Go there to take the FIRST test ONLY.

I suppose to go there in 3 weeks to GET the results.

I will have to go there again to take a second test.

And I will have to go there again to take a third test.

And all these I have to go to different rooms which are not in the same close buildings.

----------------------

Not so recent sample: last Christmas - New Year I had been staying in a hospital...and seriously I think there were many people dying during the holidays in France because 97% of the population even in the hospital or THAT hospital were on holidays!! And it took DAYS to know the results and I got examined wrongly because they could not get the results and the ER wanted to check all the possible ways... there you go. I could not walk or make a poo by myself for the 5 days. Thank you very much.

Following the path of hedonism but should leave some room for the fugging reality too!

PS The doctor whom I resent (still) is definitely included in the ignorant-never-met-any-Asians-or-live-only-with-the-local-news category. I just don't want to write another A4 about him. It would make me angry.

Actually these Romanians I met and talked to (one speaks English)..they were quite nice just not their English... and of course by saying this I know there are Thais who travel without speaking any bits of English too - that's why they're in a tour group. Good choice!

--------------------------

Regardless of how much I'm complaining about Paris and the French system, I think I like it more everyday...though I'm far from loving it.

*oops, edited*

welcome to the "outside of the western europe club" i don't want to start any polemics now but austrians? come on... they used to have an empire and maybe SOME of them still think they are gods comparing to other nations.

english is a foreign language and is spoken by the english speaking nations and the people who learned it in school. mtv and hbo "english" is as bad as let's say, italian spoken by british who watched "la dolce vita".

;-)

"It's carried inside people as one of the basic ways the brain is structured, how it helps you to categorize a very confusing world. There's no easy way around it.

Many people are somewhat enlightened about it, but there's a lot subconsciously around, in the education system, in the media, in jokes, and in general culture that means looking down on other groups, inevitably. You always are part of the right group."

Anyway, have to say that I totally agree with you on this. "enlightened but still subconsciously think blablablah"

come on! i missunderstood a bit. that was like a gun powder barrel waiting for the spark... it's too late now for a big bang, i better go to sleep cuz i work very early in the morning. funny thing, i will see lots of chinese there...

Another funny thought.........a long time ago.......in Boston, there was a Chinatown, in San Francisco, a bigger Chinatown, in Honolulu, yes.........a small Chinatown, and even in BKK, there's a Chinatown.........but in HongKong.........where is Chinatown?? lol

Posted by Periboea [ 22 September 2007 | 12:55AM ]

Once at a party, a Danish woman asked me,

?Oh, you must be really lucky to live in a apartment like this?..

I was thinking.. She must think I used to live under a coconut tree or something? ..

I replied.. ?I?ve been told Denmark is a free sex country and thought you people are running around f**ing like rabbits., oh, I was so wrong!!?

next!!>>>>>>

there goes my image of denmark as utopia.

**** urop then; i'd bet i couldn't find a decent apartment for 4500 baht.

Aaahh, maybe she just wanted to speak to you (in a clumsy way...)...but what do I know :-)

Some people have narrow minds and its a wonder their heads are not shaped like Aliens to conceive thoughts as they do.

i don't know na but i think she probably wanna ask if u experience culture shock or something, with no intention of offending u.

Maybe I don't know. Just I never thought of asking such a question to any foreigner who are living in Asia, Africa etc. "Oh how are coping with all these black heads who probably look all the same to you...?" haha

I would ask how you cope with the language barrier or as such...

sorta like when you stay in thailand ..... farang ...farang ...farang ....farang

yes you know im farang .... yes i know im farang .....is there really a need to say it every time

Smart hehe welcome to Paris, you seems not really enjoyed to stay here ,o)

nice and interesting journal

The majority of ppl IS narrow minded, ignorant and dumb, and that's across all boundaries.

àÃ×èç¾Ãó¹Õéà¡Ô´¢Ö鹡Ѻ©Ñ¹ÃÒáÅéÇËÅÒ¤ÃÑé§ àËÃ×ù¡Ñ¹àÅÂá¡ äÃèᵡµèÒ§

¶ÒÃÇèÒâÃâËÃÑé ¡çäÃèàªÔ§¹à á¤è§§Ãèà »ÃÃÃÒ³ÇèÒ Only because we look different than you. Does that means we don't know anything? Education, just like you said.

"HongKong.........where is Chinatown?? lol"

I suppose it was the old 'Walled City' Eddie, gone now but I know what you mean... lol

"Living here, I have heard comments by some people like "Wow, you're English is really good for how you look". Duh, I was born here, fool."

-Felix, a Taiwanese born Canadian.