Tell Me It Ain't So

It’s bad enough that better education is a commodity. I found out that there is an international school here that maintains that no more than 50% of its students can be locals – meaning that they turn away local nationals if there are not enough foreign students in the school. What a lesson to be taught even before classes begin. They can dress it up and take it to the ball, but the clock strikes twelve and the carriage turns into a pumpkin, what you really have is still some degree of racism. Can you imagine a school in the US which says, “Sorry, we can’t accept you because you’re American?” Didn’t think so.

South of the border, the reason why we need to publicly construct and refresh this concept of what a Malaysian is, is that there are racial distinctions, whether by consent, compromise, or… policy . My own little corner is labeled “Others”. What the heck is that, anyway? In my Form 3 exams my religion was also stated as “Other” (ironically more accurate today) prompting my cousin to remark that I could be a Martian and no one would know.

This, from someone who is half Chinese, with more than half of the extended family Malay, a great-grandfather who was half Indian, with a Welsh name and light garnishings of Spanish and Portugese. Well, I suppose if that isn't "Others" I dunno what is. Well, that being said, I'm supposed to be Eurasian. :P

When the clock strikes twelve we are who we are, just us, as we choose to be, and we choose whether to accept that we are all are created equal... or dash for our pumpkin. I’ve always thought Cinderella was a poser.