Expressing your identity

Well, you may say that you've been a Malaysian all your life now. And thanks, I know how being a Malaysian works and I don't need someone to tell me how it works:) Right?

Hmm, that was what I thought too, that Malaysians aren't a narrow-minded bunch until I met a certain uncle who seemed to think that the word 'Malaysian' has other sub-meanings attached to it.

That time, as an (short-term) intern or trainee at The Star paper, I was sent to do a movie review (well two actually). So it happens that I got lucky and picked for two exceptional star-studded movies, a Hollywood style movie and an Asian movie- Take Me Home Tonight (Topher Grace-Spiderman and Teresa Palmer- she looks a lot like Kristen Stewart!) and A Beautiful Life (不再讓你孤單) Shu Qi and Liu Ye.

It was pretty cool for a newbie and totally inexperienced me to be watching the movie screening (not yet available/released to the public) in a room full of other awesome, full-fledged journalists each representing their own company. Lol, sort of an exclusive moment for me to be treated as a member of the press!

So at the first movie, Take Me Home Tonight, an uncle sitting the same row as me (free sitting btw) got friendly and chat a little with me before the movie started. Maybe because I looked like a fish out of water, he straightaway asked, "You're intern?" I replied yes but otherwise kept my other personal details (name, age, home, hometown, etc) to myself.

Pretty embarrassing when people can identify you so quickly as an intern -.-" Anyway, the point is that at the end, I asked whether he was attending tomorrow's screening, A Beautiful Life (不再讓你孤單).

"Do you know if A Beautiful Life is in Mandarin or Cantonese?"

"Why", he asked not answering my question.

"Because I don't understand Cantonese," I replied honestly. No problem if it was Mandarin, but if the whole movie is in Cantonese then it would somehow be tougher for me to review it (even with the help of subtitles), I thought in my mind.

"You don't understand Cantonese?," he asked, wide-eyed. "Not Malaysian ah?"

Whoa, hold it there! Just because I don't understand Cantonese, I'm not Malaysian? I know that Cantonese is the 'king' dialect in KL, but I happen to be Hokkien okay.

Everyone is free to express their identity, to speak any dialects they like but in my opinion, you shouldn't force it on others. Or worse, think that someone is not a Malaysian when they can't speak Cantonese in KL or Hokkien in Penang!

We're supposed to be 1 Malaysia right? So, even if you are non-Malay, please know that BM is the official language and at least learn it:)

*Curiousplayfan is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, English, Malay and not bad in Hokkien. Attempts to learn Cantonese has been like teaching a cat to bark. Meow to woof ?, mission impossible!

Basic Japanese however, in much within her grasp as a result of watching too many anime:)