January 12, 2006

I was at the bank today at lunch, applying for an account. And the guy helping me was calling someone on the phone for help, because he wasn't sure what stuff I needed to fill (perhaps due to me being a foreigner). He asked the person on the other end of the phone whether I should sign my English or Chinese name. And this is what I got out of hearing one side of the conversation (I'm extrapolating the other end's questions and bridging the dialogue based on what I heard).

Other person: "Can he write Chinese?"
Guy helping me: [picks up a sheet where I had signed my Chinese name] "I think it's Chinese."

-- At this point, I looked away, but kept an eye on him in my peripheral. --

Other person: "Is he Caucasian or Chinese?"
Guy helping me: [Keeps looking at me] "Uh... I can't tell."

Please.

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