![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rimturseWatched a late night interview with three women who grew up much like me:
One was Thai, who came to Denmark as a child together with her Thai mother.
One was half-Chinese, half-Danish, like me.
One was half-Malay, half-Danish, with ties to Malaysia like me.
It was interesting to watch just how much we had in common and it brought back a lot of memories.
One of these was some Danes when I was a child knew very little about Malaysia. They thought Kuala Lumpur little more than a village with baboo houses perched on wooden poles, my mother was asked stupid questions like how she liked watching TV or driving in a car, this used to frustrate me to no end.
Now for some reason, it never entered my mind that my well-educated family in Malaysia would have an equally ignorant view of Denmark. This is what happened when I was 13 and my Chinese aunt introduced me to her friend:
CA: "This is my niece from Denmark."
Friend: "Denmark! So far away! How does she like Malaysia?"
CA: "She likes it. This is the first time she sees the sun."
Me: "Well, actually-"
CA: "It's very cold and dark in Denmark, and they have polar bears walking the streets."
Friend: "Fascinating! What do you do when you meet a polar bear?"
Me: "There are no-"
CA: "Denmark was also the country that first legalized porn. They are very openminded, people have sex in the roadside and everyone can see them as they drive by."
Me: !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thinking back on it, it's really quite funny. There we are in the dark, dodging polar bears and having sex in the ditch - with an audience.
One was Thai, who came to Denmark as a child together with her Thai mother.
One was half-Chinese, half-Danish, like me.
One was half-Malay, half-Danish, with ties to Malaysia like me.
It was interesting to watch just how much we had in common and it brought back a lot of memories.
One of these was some Danes when I was a child knew very little about Malaysia. They thought Kuala Lumpur little more than a village with baboo houses perched on wooden poles, my mother was asked stupid questions like how she liked watching TV or driving in a car, this used to frustrate me to no end.
Now for some reason, it never entered my mind that my well-educated family in Malaysia would have an equally ignorant view of Denmark. This is what happened when I was 13 and my Chinese aunt introduced me to her friend:
CA: "This is my niece from Denmark."
Friend: "Denmark! So far away! How does she like Malaysia?"
CA: "She likes it. This is the first time she sees the sun."
Me: "Well, actually-"
CA: "It's very cold and dark in Denmark, and they have polar bears walking the streets."
Friend: "Fascinating! What do you do when you meet a polar bear?"
Me: "There are no-"
CA: "Denmark was also the country that first legalized porn. They are very openminded, people have sex in the roadside and everyone can see them as they drive by."
Me: !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thinking back on it, it's really quite funny. There we are in the dark, dodging polar bears and having sex in the ditch - with an audience.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-05-23 07:59 pm (UTC)The same often happened to me. The only thing they know about Indonesia is Bali.
Them: Ooh, where are you from? Thailand?
Me: nope, Indonesia
Them: Where is that?
Me: Umm, do you know Bali?
Them: Yes we do. Is Indonesia located in Bali?
Me: %#/#%!!!!!
Well, it's not entirely their fault since Danish media always print Bali as Bali, and never Bali as in Indonesia. But still!!!
..and they also think Jakarta is some sort of rundown slum. I am sure their eyes would pop out to see all those Maserati, Porsche, Jaguar on the street *grins*
no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 09:04 am (UTC)I'm sure a Maserati would be an eye-opener.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-23 09:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 09:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-23 10:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 01:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 09:05 am (UTC)All modesty is not lost then.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 11:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-25 12:32 am (UTC)