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| Photo by Lotte Löhr on Unsplash |
Banana, or my favorite moniker, OrangCinaBukanCina ( OCBC ). The yellow on the outside, white on the inside phenomenon. Doesn't affect many of us, but those of us who are affected really know the judgemental stares you get when somebody first finds out you are one.
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| YOU'RE A CHINESE AND YOU CAN'T SPEAK CHINESE? |
I studied at a local university in KL ( UM for those who wonder ), and that made it worse. For the first time in my life, i met and lived with people from all around the country, and I was hyper aware of how different, & rare the banana species is. A Chinese who can't speak Chinese, Mandarin at least. My cantonese was almost level 10, thanks to years of TVB dramas and Young and Dangerous Ep 1-248. I still cuss TNMCH with a weird not quite Malaysian, not quite mat salleh accent at that idiot who entered my lane forcing me to brake suddenly, but Mandarin is something I can never get it right.
First job right out of uni was abroad. So that didn't affect me at all. Some of my compatriots were not so lucky and were subjected to years of that judgemental stares from people who found out for the first time.
Came back to Malaysia after a few years and realized there are actually different levels of bananas in Malaysia. Different level of white. Some beige. Some 'beiger' than the others.
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| Banana. Banana. Mine Mine!! |
Level 1: The most Banana of them all. Peel off the yellow skin, and you need to wear sunglasses. So white, it shines. 1 Language only. English. Typically from International schools, IGCSE, IB type. Don't know many of them honestly. Just one at my work place. A very rare species. Rarer than pink diamonds or even white giraffe.
Level 2: Quite banana. Can speak Malay and English very well. Unable to read or speak in any Chinese Language/Dialect. 1 or 2 words maybe, most likely swears words. But unable to have a conversation with. These are quite common in hyper urban areas around PJ, Bandar Utama and Damansara. How about in other states? Where do they typically come from? This is the most common banana of them all. Something like the Cavendish banana. The dominant species.
Level 3: Ripe Banana. Can Speak Malay, English, and 1-2 Chinese Dialects well enough to have a conversation with. Still unable to read and write. Not even their own name. Believe it or not, this is actually the worst crime in the eyes of a non banana. Tell them you can't speak Chinese, and they may give u a stare, but if they find out you can't even write your own name in Chinese, be prepared to see their face turn white like they have just seen a ghost.
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| I Can't Read Chinese But I Can Sing Like A Boss |
Level 4: Mysterious Twilight Zone Banana. Can Speak Malay, English, Mandarin, possibly 1-2 Chinese Dialects well enough to have a conversation with. Can write their own name. They are not from Jenis Kebangsaan schools but either have a sibling who is, took POL classes for several years, or somehow just know them. I know a few who love Chinese songs so much that they picked up the ability to read some Chinese along the way so they can sing along. They may struggle to read a serious Chinese article. But they have no problem reading lovey dovey lyrics at Redbox and sing along like a pro. My sister falls under this category. Don't really know how she does it. Still a mystery to this day.
So there you go. What level are you and your friends? Level 2.5? Feel free to share and comment. Don't be shy.
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