being asian

Travelling abroad with another asian girl has been interesting and frustrating at the same time. I understand that people generalize cultures and race since that is the main distinguishing factor between people of the world, but at times it becomes the only thing that people see and it is not even an accurate presentation of me as a person.

This weekend was a fine example of such things. We met a few people who would ask us where we were from and we would say ¨United States¨ Then they would say ¨But you do not look like it, where is your roots¨ Then I would say ¨I am Chinese¨ Then they say ¨from China?¨ and I would say, ¨No United States¨ Then they would say ¨But why are your eyes that way?¨ Then I would say ¨Because my roots are from China¨ Then they would say ¨But you know English, no?¨ Then I would say ¨Because I am American!¨ It would go on and on for awhile and then explaining that Jade was half-japanese and half polish was a whole different story.

Then they would adopt us for the night and we would go out to eat tapas and drink many different digestifs, and go dancing and find that we had much more in common than they would think. They ask funny questions like ¨San Francisco?! Is it like the movies? Up and down on the train?¨ Or they would find out I am originally from Seattle and they would say ¨Seattle?! Grudge! Nirvana! Soundgarden! Alice n Chains!¨ Then we would talk about music and they find it amusing to hear of some bands they don´t know and amusing to know that we know the same bands and then we would whistle together (for Peter Bjorn and John). At some point in the night one of the locals said ¨We are having a beautiful moment together, music brings cultures together! Salut!¨ And drinks go all around.

Highlights so far have been:

Meeting an international crowd for a night that consisted of two Polish girls, one Japanese girl, one italian girl, a saudi arabian, and a catalan.

Going out dancing until 6am both Saturday and Sunday night, both not on purpose and both equally surprising when we left the club and the sun was out.

Seeing a lot of Gaudi´s art.

Going out with locals to restaurants, eating tapas, drinking wine, frangelica, tallat, and other digestifs.

Hanging out with Giorgos and his friend Julian at the apartment and smoking apple flavored tabacco out of the hooka and discovering Devendra Banhart (why haven´t I listened to him before this?!)