Brain Language

January has crept out unnoticed.

Silly me, can't even finalize the ultimate '30' resolutions. I can tell you something obvious though, I haven't achieved flies the past 30 years. At least not to my standard.

Pity to think about it. But I am really trying to dismiss this self-pity attitude I've unwittingly infused to myself.

Which led to a decision. The good kind, don't worry. One day I woke up and decided that my legs are 60% healed and I should start driving Uber again. So I did. I called the (car) insurance company, got my cover note, uploaded to my Uber account and a couple of hours later, I was good to go. I started immediately after (office) work, the same day.

I've been driving a week now. I like what I'm seeing in my bank account. Enough to survive me 4 nights in Hat Yai, which is where I'm heading to next week.

I'm also planning to get tickets to Japan for Mama.

And more excitedly, New Zealand for me! But I'm still feeling fuzzy about this. But that will be a different post entirely.

Driving an African student around Cyberjaya a couple of nights ago got me into a familiar conversation:

Dude: So what are you?

Me: What am I?

Dude: Like, are you Malay?

Me: Yeap. I am.

Dude: Pure Malay?

Me: Uh huh.Dude: Pure Malay? Not Chinese mixed?

Me: Nope. Purely Malay (though I'm not, considering that I have Javanese, Boyanese and I'm pretty sure there's Arab somewhere along my bloodline but I'm no King Coco. So let's just go with pure Malay) Errr...Why?

Dude: No, it's your English. (I wish his answer was 'it's your look' but who am I kidding.) Malays are usually terrible in English.

Me: Well, I can't disagree.

This cliche conversation of Malays and English language is unfortunately not my first, and I bet it's not gonna be the last.

Sad.

Sad because we have been stereotyped as such. And to be a hijabi and a Malay the same time, it puts you on the lower strata. You have no idea how low minded they have set us to be. 'They' as in the society in general.