When I said I want to go to somewhere where I am the only chinese guy, to be totally different from everyone, I'm certainly in the right place. The only place I find chinese here is the supermarket; the chinese owns most of the supermarkets here . Want to see a chinese? Go to the nearest supermarket...
Till now, although I've been sticking out like a sore thumb everywhere I go, I haven't feel any discrimination yet. Till today.
I was in a tango class, paired up to practise giros with this posh looking middle aged lady.
Posh looking middle aged argentine lady (P) : 'Where are you from?'
Non posh looking teenage looking chinese guy (Me):'Singapore'.
(P) :'China?'
(Me):'No...Singapore...
(P) :'Thailand?'
(Me):'Nope. Singapore! China on top, followed by Thailand, Malaysia and then here.. Singapore...'
(P) : (Smugly) 'I know China, but I don't know Singapore'
(Me) : ...
Ok fine, no one's perfect. I started to move into a milonguero close embrace and she felt so stiff and pushing so hard with her arms.
Ok fine, another one of them who can't dance close embrace. Your choice. I moved into open embrace. When the giro practise started, she began to pull me around doing all sorts of big back steps and crouching position.
(P) : Use your hands more!
(Me): ...
(P) : You are too stiff! This is vals!
(Me): ....
(P) : Try to be on the music!
(Me): ......!!!!
Inside I was churning mad. Luckily Firpo the teacher came and took over. I think some other lady could see it too and she came and dance with me. Perfect! we moved in close and giros with no major problems.
But I had to stop and think what possessed the woman to make such comments. Definitely she thinks she is a superior dancer and I am an inferior one. Because I look young? Because I'm chinese??
Later on I see her happily struggling away with another caucasian beginner dancer. Closing her eyes and enjoying the bad posture etc...
At night it happened again. At Alicia Pons class, she was teaching stuff way above her students' level of dancing. No disrespect to Alicia Pons, her footwork and control is amazing! She must have been a top ballet dancer. Even I can't move around standing on one feet on my own and doing these beautiful adornments with her free leg. But she can and she is teaching her students those stuff!
So once again I partnered with a posh looking middle aged lady, way over her head. We were doing subtle ocho exercises in practise hold (her hands on my shoulders and my hands not touching her); pivot, step, pivot, step, pivot, step.
She starts doing pushing herself doing her own pivots without waiting for my lead. Then when I'm marking the steps she just looks at me bewilderly.
Assistant teacher comes over and asks her whats up. 'I can't feel his lead...'. After a few demos she corrects her. She said ok. But I can see from her face she is not convinced.
So wats up again? Youngish looking (I look young but I'm 4 years to 30!)? Chinese? Generalization... Later on once again I see her dancing with a fellow porteņo, bad posture and weird leading. But having a ball of a time.
The icing to the cake happened at night when travelling back to my hostel on MRT.
A limping beggar enters, started to pass tissue papers around, and also a small note that must contain some plea for help.
One by one he passed the tissue and note and asked for money. Then he came in front of me. Took a look at me, paused, and then proceeded to continue asking the person sitting beside me.
WTF??!! Prejudiced against by a beggar?? I can't help but find that extremely funny.
