Day 8: What makes a Chinese, Chinese?

Voila. This is the combination I tried on today, and I'm glad it worked well:

I really like how the necklace stands out because of the black tank top.

Initially, I thought of wrapping another shorter necklace around my neck, but decided not to conclusively. All the attention should go to Mickey! I also found out an additional bonus to the mix-and-match:

The texture on both the shirt and tank matches, so it didn't really look out of place. Though, the odds of anyone noticing this up close is virtually nil... But, I still believe it's the little things that count.

What's up with the title? Well, I had Amy Tan's "A Pair of Tickets" for my English Studies class today. Chinese American woman, whose mother recently passed away, has to confront two half-sisters she never knew existed in Shanghai. This short story appealed to me as a prelude to a larger symphony, perhaps cacophony, of familial ties, cultural divides and assorted tofus. The protagonist, June May, has her own perception and expectations of China and when she arrives, there have been moments where she wonders "Is this communist China?".

The reason? She sees Classic Coke provided in hotel fridges and ate hamburgers for dinner. Personally, I find this to be a tad obnoxious. Really, what's wrong with finding products associated with America in China? In fact, she's only satisfied once she notices the hotel shampoo's more Kikkoman than Pantene. EXCUSE ME?!

But hey, let's warp this scenario a little. One classmate asked "Is 'McDonald's' available in Iraq?" Really, how can you not resist googling something like that? And to my surprise, there are TWO. Check out the link below:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A38941-2003May25&notFound=true

Everyone knows McDonald's safeguards their golden arches like a little girl and her Barbie. Yet, these two establishments are currently free from a possible PR disaster. I don't see why or how a lawyer would enter Iraq just to say "Trademark infringement!" anytime soon.

Now the key issue, what's this got to do with China and Classic Coke? We constantly associate products with a country. Each product has its own nationality, like BMW's German and LG's South Korean. Sometimes, products would emigrate to other nations and settle there. But sometimes, we just can't pair Abercrombie with China.

Granted, Amy Tan wrote the story in 1989, just when China opened its borders to the international community. Hence, I was wrong to swiftly accuse June May for being ignorant. I'm sorry. But this doesn't dismiss the views of the present populace when it comes to brands, culture and country.

That was one of two fascinating discussions I had earlier. The other resonates louder to the title: What makes a (insert ethnicity), (insert ethnicity)? Frankly, I have trouble answering that myself...

Is it language? But I know a whole bunch of bananas back home who still label themselves Chinese (Yellow on the outside, White on the inside) even when they don't speak the language.

Is it food? Puhleaze, EVERYONE eats Chinese but that don't make 'em Chinese. On that note, fortune cookies are NOT Chinese. I just can't stand individuals that go "Really?" with gaped mouths and raised eyebrows when I tell them that... It's like telling people Malaysians live on trees and have number plates attached to elephants' asses, WHICH WE DON'T.

Is it the way we dress? Don't get me started... All I can say is, just because I'm Chinese does NOT mean I wear neon pink and pale yellow together. That's... just... wrong.

So what is it? I don't have the answers now, I'm not sure if I ever will. Until then, I am but a person who's proud with my cultural background with an ability to assimilate new ones. Me and the rest of Malaysia I s'pose. I'm sure, at least I hope, the whole world thinks so too.