Tuesday, February 2, 2010

This is what i call Racial Harmony

'People say two is better than one, i say three is better'

When i was a little girl, i never realized that there were any differences between me and my Chinese neighbor or my Indian kindergarten best friend, Kasturi. I have always known all of us as the same. No race, just Malaysians.
As i grew older, and wiser, i learned that they are a little bit different from me. And that i have a lot of things to learn from them. They have different skin tone than mine. They speak a different language, they still can speak Malay and English at the same time, they have different foods, and they have different dates for festive seasons and also their traditional costumes are a lot different that my race.
I love the fact that we have extra sale seasons here, just because of the other races that we have in Malaysia. I love going to the supermarkets and the prices are all cheaper!
When it comes to Chinese New Year, i go crazy for the mandarin oranges. And when it's Thaipusam or deepavali, i go nuts over the lights!
But as for me Hari Raya Aidilfitri would be the best because it is my celebration and i get lots of money during that month! :D

My father taught me, ever since i was kid, that to respect someone regardless age, religion or race.
And that is something that i will hold on to until the day i die.
I believe that with respect from and for each other, we can live more peacefully and happily.

I was an exchange student to the US a year ago, and i was the only Asian in my high school. I lived in a small town, population barely 10000. So everyone knew everyone, and i was known as the math geek, overly smart, short cute little Asian.
I have to be honest, because of my race, some weren't even friends with me and some shied away from talking to me.
I remember thinking that this would hardly happen in Malaysia.
We are just so used to seeing people who doesn't look the same way as we do that we no longer alienate them, but we acknowledge them.

I have always secretly thought of myself as quarters of everything --I have Chinese looking eyes, i love Indian food but i am purely Malay. And I am lucky enough to celebrate all the 3 main celebrations in Malaysia, just because my best friends are Chinese and Indian.

And i love learning new words from their language.


And share with them my culture.


'Harmony is achieved through the willingness to learn, the ability to accept, the readiness to listen and the heart to give.'


And with this, i end my post for today. Thank you for reading ;)

Much love,
Deanna




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