Recently, a friend of mine, Emi, asked me to give her some photos of New York, so I went through my albums to look for ones you can’t find just by Googling. Just like foreigners usually have a misconception of the US, they also have a misconception of New York; namely that it’s only Manhattan. I wanted to represent it better. Here are some of what I sent:
“Why do you have black hair if you’re American?” This is one of several things in common between Minnesota and China. It was said by middle school aged students. I’m more shocked by one of these two places. The misconception arises from multiple reasons, one of the culprits being earlier Western media. However, the leading culprit is the endless cycle of misinformation by local Chinese themselves. Even my host school here refuses to straight up say that I’m American, instead opting to explain in full detail why my English is genuine by going into my grandparents background and my birthplace and upbringing. Also, the parents continue to fuel this, effectively closing a necessary generation gap with grandchildren thinking the same way as their grandparents. I see very little reason why something like this would also happen in Minnesota. In the end, kids are the most honest reflection of a community’s beliefs and ideas.
On a completely separate note, a colleague of mine informed me that Chinese officials have blurred out an Uyghur passenger aboard flight MH370. What is that about? Is China senselessly pointing fingers again to justify further action against the people of Xinjiang? There are questions to be asked.
Para el primera vez en mi vida, alguien pensó que era gay, así que estoy halagado por supuesto. Un amigo que conocí en St. Cloud ha pensado en eso todo el tiempo! Nos estábamos hablando por Facebook sobre la razón que me fui de la universidad allá. Era una combinación del lugar, un departamento que me parece una pandilla y que me estaban preparando para trabajo sólo en el colegio donde hay muchas cosas políticas. Mi amigo me dijo que sí es difícil trabajar en las escuelas si seas de sexualidad alternativa. En ese momento, le pregunté si hubiera pasado algo con él.
Ahora sí me realizo que estaba hablando de mí. Luego me preguntó si hubiera experimentado discriminación y le dije que le voy a decir cuando me recuerda más. Me preguntó si tuviera un enamorado, así que dije que una profesora pensó que inglés no era mi primer idioma. Me dijo, “No eres gay?” Contesté, “No, no soy pero estoy halagado y estoy de apoyo.” Le recordé que él encontró con mi enamorada antes pero él ha pensado que estuviera un disfraz y le di “gay vibes”. Le conté que no creo en esas cosas y que él ha estado en Chile y Minnesota por demasiado tiempo jajaj. Es la verdad triste que no conocía a alguien gay hasta tenía 19 años…
También me dijo que si tomara, seríamos buenos amigos. Voy a suponer que es un cumplido.
In the US I felt like people just wanted to meet everyone and hang out with everyone instead of group up (against one another…) which is kinda what happens here. You never get to meet your friends’ friends because they just want to have these separate groups so they can vent about their other friends… Also a popular thing here is people who don’t like you at all and passively agressively let you know but still pretend they are your friends. And then when you notice it and distance yourself they just get even weirder…
I miss my best friend.
Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments 