No Speakee English

Wednesday evening.

I'm having dinner in the kitchen and reading some lecture notes when I decide that it's too quiet. So I turn on the radio and tune in to a random talk channel for some background noise when my very Strange housemate M comes in. Believe me when I say "Strange" with a capital "S". I never thought that there would be such a thing as an extremist Buddhist, but now I actually live with one. It's difficult to describe. Living with M is an experience all by itself. So, back to the kitchen...

At some point, he suddenly asks me this...

M: Does it help you with your English?
Me: (looking up from notes) Hmm? I'm sorry?
M: Does it help you with your English? (and mind you, he says this very kindly and innocently and every other similar adjective you can think of. There's no malice or condescendence whatsoever in his tone)

Me: (eyebrows twitch a bit) What does?
M: Having the radio on. Does it help you?

(By this time, another housemate has entered the kitchen and you can FEEL him listening in to the conversation in interest.. i.e. will I end up killing this Strange person)

Me: (After some awkward "uhm"-ing) No... uh.. Well...
M: (looks on confused)
Me: (Gives up) Well, we speak English in Singapore.
M: Oh! Do you?
Me: Er. Yes. I.. It's my first language actually.
M: Oh! I see. ... But you speak Chinese as well...? (why? why can NO ONE let this part go?? Just because I speak Chinese doesn't mean I have to be from China!!!)
Me: Erm... Yes, well... We have to.. Or I had to..

And so the usual explaination about the Singapore education being conducted in English, and the whole compulsary second language la-di-da-di-da... I actually had to explain to him that Mandarin was Standard Chinese... He really didn't know.

3.5 years in this refridgerator of a country and still, people (who are supposed to be acquainted with me) are confused as to where I come from. Do I leave that shallow an impression?? Or is it that people here are just that one-dimensional that someone from a slightly more diverse cultural background just make their tiny little neurons short-circuit?

Pah. I'm going to study.