Yeap, even though it happen a week ago, but I still.. can not get over this joke.

So apparently, there’s one man that I have been friend with since few months ago. We met in front of the state library (my favorite spot, lol). Malaysian, typically malay look, average height, and speak fluent Malay! He told me to call him, Ben. Well.. we’re talking about this and that.. getting to know more about each other, just like a friend do.

One night, we were sharing our childhood pictures. He looks like a chinese when he was young, even his circle of friends (in the picture) were mostly Chinese. Well, okay.

Then I told him that, he is also like me, I love to make lots of friends with everyone, and most of my best friends are Chinese! Even.. there was my high school crush.. was also Chinese. Okay, just saying.

It was fine.. until this happen…

“eh, of course I have lots of Chinese friends, I am Chinese”.

I swear to God, I couldn’t even believe of what’ve been told to me at that particular time. Was he being serious?!

Trying my best not to sound racist (as it was never been my intention, and never will), I asked him..

“so you’re not Malay?!”, sorry I couldn’t hide how surprised I was.

“Nope”.

“you’re not a Muslim?”, still trying to be careful.

“Nope”.

“So you’re not a Malay and Muslim?!” as I was trying to convince myself that he was joking.

“Yea, I am not a Muslim & I am Chinese.”

“WHAT?!!!!”

I took a long pause and even asked sometimes to process this.

Well it’s not anything wrong of being Chinese or what not.. I was really shocked! And couldn’t believe myself that how all this while… I was completely-absolutely-totally-entirely believed that he was a Malay & a Muslim. So with every story and details he told me, I was imagining him from context & perspective of a Malay & Muslim.

Let me stressed this out again.. I have absolutely no issue of he being whatever he is.

The things that made me take a long pause as it was I need time for myself to think and analyze that how could I came out with such assumptions? Seriously. To think back, there were plenty of leading signs, which I chose to ignore and think as the way I want & I should.

So I came out with conclusion that…

Why is that so?

Yeah, out of many signs popped out, I tend to ignore and believe of the thing that I have been thinking is true, *at least to my sense.

I don’t know why the way I tell the story right now doesn’t sound funny at all. But seriously, to think back on how I could end up for such pre-assumption based on his looks and his fluency speak Bahasa, was really mad. What a joke?!