My New Singaporean Friend... NOT!

This morning was a regular Tuesday morning. After the husband left for work, I hung out online, chatted a little with my brother then caught up with my Chinese drama my girlfriend G had sent me together with a bunch of other goodies (yes, FOOD) in my care package from NYC.

I got to the gym early so I squeezed in 30 mins of cardio on the elliptical machine and headed to 'Switch'. Switch class is usually pretty packed and with the new year just starting, we had a bunch of 'resolutioners' who joined us this morning. One of them being a Chinese girl. I say Chinese and not Asian 'coz she looks the part. Yes, very CHINESE. Almost f.o.b-like but not quite. FOB stands for fresh off the boat - hey, I don't make these things up lol. I helped her a little since she seemed totally lost and the instructor had too many people to help. At first she seemed reluctant to get my help and waited for Maria to get to her... but Maria helped her some before leaving to help someone else so she had to turn back to me HA HA!

At the end of the class, I hung around talking to some regulars and she stuck around to eavesdrop lol. She heard someone call me by my name and asked if that was my name. DUH!? She introduced herself as Jenny. I guess I must have looked really eager to know her name. Yeah right! Ok, I'm not really THAT bitchy; just a little maybe. I asked, 'where are you from? China?' I said China without waiting for an answer from her because I knew for a fact (even before I asked) that she's a mainlander. Her accent when she speaks English is totally mainlanderish so I was just 101% sure. She answers, 'I'm from Singaporrrre'. My legs almost gave way. I tried so hard not to laugh when she then asked where I'm from. 'Singapore' I said sort of nonchalantly. She almost peed her pants I bet! She asked me where I lived in Singapore. Ok, the last time I lived in Singapore was eons ago and my family has moved 3 times since and I have not been to the last two. So I said 'Mt Sinai area' which is where I last lived. That impressed her enough so my job was done. She went on to tell me her husband worked as a professor at the university. I asked 'so how long were you there?' (meaning to say 'you are NOT from Singapore' thank you very much). She went 'eight years!'. HELLO!?!??! Eight years in a country does not make you FROM that country mainlander auntie!!! Even if the sorry ass Singaporean government did kowtow to your Chinese ass and gave you a citizenship (which I doubt or she wouldn't be in the US now). She complained how they aren't that many Singaporeans around and that there is one that she knows of BUT she's Malay, not Chinese, then quickly asked if I'm Chinese. I should have said I was Malay to freak her out but I claimed my own heritage only too proudly. She seemed excited. Why, I don't know. She can't talk to me about my Singapore food. Can't speak Singlish, can't talk about high school days in Singapore and certainly can't cook me food from home. So what part of her is Singaporean?!

I later find out she's been in Memphis for ten years! Doesn't that make her more American then Singaporean!? She wished lol!

I guess if I was a Mainlander Chinese person, I would LOVE to say I'm from Singapore. We're a mere semi-communist country as oppose to the 'motherland'. Singapore is a pretty rich country, the people are pretty well off and civilized - well... compared to most people in China.

It's funny how there are people in this world (probably only the Chinese from China) who would claim Singaporean status and there are Singaporeans who try to claim they are from the US. Yes, they're out there, trust me. Not me lah! I have never done that all these years here. Why?! I know what typical Americans are like lol! But trust me, Singaporeans will, in a minute deny any ties to China lol. As big a country China is... as advanced they have gotten... we still get offended when someone asks, 'excuse me are you from China?'. HELL NO!!!