Unique in New York
I remembered days before we headed for the states some mates were talking about how cool (or dorky) it would be to come back home with an american accent. Well i've sorta notice..that i now tend to say "no praablem" instead of "no worries" =P
Today was awsome cause an american girl actually asked if I was from New Zealand! I've been getting alot of "r u austrailian?"...which sux, I mean I don't say "feeesh n cheeps" do I? But thats cool...at home people say i have a somewhat "non-classifyable" accent, cause its sorta a blend of Hongkie, Kiwi and and whatnot there is.
After work I told my workmates how I "charmed" this american girl with my New Zealand accent....they laughed it off saying cause its "unique in New York"!....it was cool cause i recalled back in New Zealand how people say that immigrants aren't integrating well enough in society....but in NYC it really celebrates it in a weird sort of way!! I mean for example little Italy and chinatown is right next to each other, they couldn't be more different..the people the language......yet they live perfectly next to each other in harmony!!??!!
Im Eugene, Im a Kiwi of Malaysian Chinese ethnicity, lived in HK and now dialouging on the streets of New york. Im "unique in New York!"
PS...my job is hard! I might not even be able to keep it! But im staying positive everyday!
*Random photo: Durian stall...in chinatown...(wot! and it still smells in the middle of winter)
4 comments:
yea, truly a cultural wonderland. nice durian pics
we wanna know about ur hot flatmates. especially that chinese guy and girl, that is not Jeremy, thanks
lol oookay.....who are you anonymous?
New Zealand is still quite a homogenous comunity compared with the U.S.A and particularly cultural melting points like New York. Most New Zealand Europeans still think that Europeans are the sole inheritors of this small country, hence at times our racist attitudes towards those of other racial backgrounds, particularly chinese and Maori.
New Zealanders have had issues with chinese since the 1860s Gold Rushes, first they worked too hard, then they apparently led morally indecent lives (look at European Sailers in the 1840s and you see much worse moral behaviour!), then they apparently didn't integrate!
There are New Zealanders who are tolerant, but then there are others who are aint. New Zealanders pride our mindset as being tolerant, but sometimes the tolerance is an ideological block, we put it up so we can stop people from critiqing our behaviour towards people. I dissagree with this, it stops us from changing, growing and learning about those around us, realising our faults. But then it also needs to be realised also at times that there are things wrong within cultural streams (including pakeha) that need to be dealt with.
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