What are you?

As an American living in Australia is a little different. Let me explain...My looks are distinctly of Asian features. My speech is American as well as my mannerisms and such. You can say I'm more Westernized but can speak fluently my native language as well as other languages. Here in Sydney it's a diverse place where there's definitely different cultures mixing but one thing that still gets on my nerves. Why do people think I can't speak English???

I've had this happen to me a couple of times by some locals and some foreigners as well. My school is mainly of International students coming from China, India, Malaysia, etc. as well as Aussie students but seems like I'm the only American. With my looks people categorize me as Chinese automatically of course and think my English is either poor to none. Ah still getting on my nerves!!!

I have this one Indian guy come up to me and ask a question about directions. Well since I'm not a local the look on my face is a little confused because 1.) I'm not great with directions 2.) I don't really know where everything is at and 3.) I had a hard time trying to interpret what he was saying with his heavy accent. Well I guess the confused look on my face said it all because he just turned to his friend and said "Oh she's Chinese she doesn't understand what I'm saying".

Ha!...to their surprise this "Chinese girl" speaks and understands perfect English. I tell them "Excuse me but I'm American and I understand English just not with the accent that you have so it's not like you're easy to understand thanks."

Wow the "Chinese girl" has an American accent and isn't completely dumb. Gosh these people just assume one thing and are in for a heavy surprise. Has this happened to anyone else or is it just me?? Or are these type of people just plain old ignorant??

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Do you speak English?

This has got me so irritated and has happened to me on a couple of occassions. Here's my story: I come home for lunch to feed my dogs around noonish today. It's freezing, snowing pretty hard outside and I was already frustrated from my employees at work. Well as I'm feeding my dogs I hear this knock at the door and I'm thinking "oh great who can it be now?" When I do open the door this lady is standing there and I remember her from a couple different times she came by. This lady is a Jehovah's witness and so annoying for that fact. She proceeds to ask if I go to church and if I did what church I went to. I'm telling her "look lady I don't have time cause I only have an hour for my lunch break". I'm guessing she's hard of hearing because she totally dismisses what I just said and asks me "Do you understand English? Can you read English or do you read a different language?" I'm standing there thinking that I just spoke to her in English and if I didn't understand English I wouldn't have responded. My response to her question was "Are you serious lady? You've been here trying to solicite our neighborhood so many times and you've been to my door a couple times. Everytime you come here I speak English to you don't I? What am I speaking right now? Am I speaking gibberish or something for you not to understand me and ask me that stupid question?" She just stands there looking at me right in my face and said "So do you understand English?" At this point all I can say is "OMG are you dumb or something, I really don't have time for dumb people like you so if you come by here again then I'm going to let my dog out on you." *Door slams in her face at this time*

Really people I'm speaking English to her and she had the audascity to ask me if I understand or speak English. I swear some people are either ignorant or just plain dumb. This lady was just plain dumb. I'm multi-lingual but damn don't just assume by the color of my skin that I do not understnad or can't speak the language at all. I was raised here, went to school here and work here so of course I am fluent. Gosh she just needs to quit comming to my house or next time I'll curse at her in all the languages I know. Take that!!!

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