i call it idiosyncrasy

I realised that meeting people from a totally different background, culture and ethnicity can be a really challenging task. (That’s new -_-) No seriously, its difficult unless you’re one those superficial lets-just-be-friends-so-I-can-tell-everyone-you’re-my-friend kind of person. Which sounds silly but trust me a lot of people out there have that kind of mentality, without even knowing it. But I think for me, I am someone who values people who understand the way I speak, my sarcasm and that my sharp words mean no harm (Really when I say “You suck” I don’t literally mean it :D). After being in Australia for so long, I really value people who reminds me of Malaysia, people who are on the same “wavelength”. You know how those Malaysians after college their like, “I don’t want to go somewhere with lots of Asians, I want to roll with them whites”. I can totally understand that, but for me its “Please bring me to Asia!”

On the other hand, when you meet someone new and really get to know them,they teach you something really really profound and it’s amazing how much you can learn from someone who is not the same as you! Really! I’ve had the opportunity to be good friends with a girl from Turkey and a girl from Maldives. They are both my coursemates and seriously they really do not get my jokes and everytime I try a joke that could potentialy be really funny it doesn’t work on them. After we got over the miscommunication issues, they tell me lots of whacked up things that I’ve never before in my entire life heard about. Sometimes, it makes you look at things in a different perspective. I mean, with Malaysians we tend to look at certain things through a similar lens, but then I came to realised not everybody sees the world the same way as I do, but instead with a totally different dimension. But in all honesty, I’m still trying to get use to the fact that these kids they tend to play themselves up alot after an exam, probably to make themselves feel better/reassure themselves but I prefer to hear things like: “OMG that was such a hard paper I think I screwed it up”. Instead of: “I think I did pretty well!”.

It just makes me feel better about my paper and its strange for someone to be so confident after an exam youknow. 

Another thing, you know how Asians, we have this culture which I think of it as a negative. So the other day, someone was saying how he will be going travelling Europe with his family. I mean, the correct response to this should be: “Wow thats great! You’ll love it!” or something along that line. But some people have to be so Asian to say things like this: “Wah RICH! Every year go travel your parents alot of money hur..How many times have you been there already?” Ok, things like that are probably best said behind the persons back :D Why make people feel bad that their parents want to bring them on a holiday? Just cause your parents don’t bring u, no reason to make others DEFEND themselves for going on a holiday. Its really Asian, and I admit I have said stuff like that a lot but now I try to not say things like that because I realised I hate it when people do it to me and I do it because I thought its the “appropriate/culturally acceptable” way of responding. You know, the lets-make-ourselves-seem-more-unfortunate-so-others-will-feel-bad-for-us method. 

p.s. You never fully realised the full potential of Google till you start googling everyday problems in your daily life. Seriously, Google has the answer to everything: How to eat and not get fat? What is that movie with that dancing Asian guy? How do I prank my friend for her 21st birthday? What the hell is ‘shenanigans’? How to tell who farted in the car? 

I use google to self diagnose myself whenever I feel a sickness coming on because I have hypochondria. No idea what that is? Go google it