Calaidescope World

Where Are You From?

Vince is convinced that he can be a spy (wait a minute! That's *my* dream job). I've heard people say he looks like The Rock, and on the extreme, Marc Anthony (either way, he's dark). So far, Delhi locals have asked him if he's from Nepal, from Guam, and - get this - from Kazakhstan. My counterpart from Chennai said he looks Indian. On a trip to Bali, someone asked if he was from East Timor. Apparently, he can also pass for an Indonesian, a Maori or a Samoan.

No matter where you go, the moment you've been marked as a "tourist", someone is bound to ask where you're from. Or at least assume they know your nationality based on how you look. I've been pretty consistent in that I'm often mistaken for a Latina, Creole, or Mulatta (it's the hair, I tell you. And the tan). Gars and I were mistaken for locals in Honolulu. I have Indian blood, so it is little wonder that people here think I'm Indian, too.

In the car with my counterparts from Bangkok, Chennai and Hong Kong yesterday, someone posed the question, "If you didn't know where we were from, what do you think our nationalities would be?" We all thought Khun Lek would be Chinese (she's Thai), agreed that Ricky was definitely Chinese (he's from Hong Kong), and Laxmi was Indian (her bindi and punjabi are giveaways). The funny thing was that no one could agree on what I would be - Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, or Thai. And that reflects my chop suey heritage - Brazilian, Chinese, Dutch, Filipino, Indian, Portugese, Spanish (if my parents are reading this, can they please let me know if I'm missing anything?).

It's a fact of life that we are often treated by others based on where they think we're from. Greg is from Zimbabwe and now lives in New Zealand. He's blond, he's white, he's good looking, and he stands out at the Central Market (bet you the "He's blond, he's white" part got you thinking). Everyone is drawn to him - begging for alms, offering him wares at "foreigner prices". The same thing happened to Chad. Chad looks like Tiger Woods, is from Barbados, is very tall, and is easily "tagged" as an African-American. Many locals here in Delhi and over in Manila assume that Greg and Chad are rich and out for a "good time".

What about us? Being Filipino has extremely positive and negative connotations (nothing in between). We're either the happiest, most fun-loving people anyone has ever met or we're a nation of actors and dirty politicians. Everyone thinks Filipinos can sing. They haven't heard Sobee sing. Everyone thinks we can dance. Again, they haven't met Sobee. People expect Filipinas to be domestic goddesses. Ahem. And does everyone *really* think that majority of Filipinas are after rich foreigners to save them from our seemingly godforsaken country and that most Filipino men are wideboys? While exchanging travel horror stories with my colleagues, I noticed that most of them have had horrible experiences in the Philippines. I now feel like it's my job to save the nation! (Carla for Secretary of the Department of Tourism!)

But why single out the Philippines? Vince and I have had our fair share of mishaps here in Delhi (well, he more than I). I haven't heard anyone complain about the men who suddenly walk up to you at a tourist spot and act like a friendly guide then get mad when you don't pay (hey, I didn't ask you to show me around. I brought a guidebook!). However, I don't think that our "we got duped" experiences in Delhi are enough to paint an ugly picture of a very rich, very interesting culture. Sunil, our taxi driver tonight, reminded me of the TAI TAXI drivers back home who drive for my Mom and I: nice, friendly, courteous, good aura. They just want to do a good job. So far, Sunil is the only cabbie who didn't force us to shop somewhere or meet someone who was trying to swindle us. People say you need just one bad apple to ruin the entire barrel. I say, sometimes it takes a good one to uplift the rest.

Ever notice that the more time you spend in another country, the more you learn more about your own? It's almost the same as noticing that the more time you spend with a someone or a group of people, you learn more about yourself. I had to go to a third world country to learn more about the third world country I already live in...and how to help paint a better picture of what I call "home". Shukria, Sunil. India needs more people like you. Namaste.

posted by Calai @ 3:39 PM