Kara is one of my closest friends in South Africa and we bond over food, fashion, tea and our love for efficiency. I am honoured to have a little guest corner on her blog. We came up with this idea over a cup of tea in her cozy lounge as I verbalised the funny questions I am often asked in this mysterious and fascinating country we are calling home. So here I answer the one that I am asked the most often...
Where are you REALLY from?
Now to explain this question I have to give you context, I am a Chinese Australian, living and working in a small coastal town in South Africa. You see I look 100% Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese it doesn't matter here) thanks to my Chinese parents, but when I open my mouth, my mannerisms, my attitude, and my world view is 100% Australian. And even though there are many foreigners/expats here, my accent confuses the preconceived ideas that people have towards culture, ethnicity and nationality.
So where am I really from? Well let me answer in food terms. Culturally I am a meat pie accompanied by jasmine tea. Ethnically speaking I am fried rice through and through. And well my national alliance is definitely kangaroo red curry because as a nation Australia is nothing if not multi-dimensional and multi-cultural. This may still be confusing to a country brought up on pap and wors (a SA staple), because here if you're pap and wors then you stay pap and wors. But I like to think that pap and wors could taste nice with a dash of soy.
In this ever changing world, where borders between countries are blurring and mixed-race is no longer a dirty word, I believe that the idea of cultural identity will begin to shift more and more as people begin to realise that you don't have to be either/or, you can be "AND". I love being the paradox of nationalities that I am, because I am able to engage in conversations with people that I would not have otherwise, and diverse human connections are what makes life so fascinating.
Until the next question...x A
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