When A is seen as B

Often in our daily lives we are subjected to various stereotypes and sometimes we tend to stereotype others ( may be out of the vengeance). It's a lie, if you say you have never stereotyped a person for all of us do that most of the time. I often feel ashamed of myself and guilty for casting a wrong image/ perception on people though most of the times it turned out to be the truth.

I have an uncomfortable feeling towards the foreign workers in Malaysia especially the Indonesians, Bangladeshis and Nepalis ( no hard feelings plz). I have no reason or rationale for the assumption but that's the way i feel about them. Presently, they are in abundance everywhere in KL streets, trains and buses. And what irritates me more, is their fixed, penetrating, pervert gaze at girls which spooks the hell out of me. Whenever, i board a bus in KL i always feel that i'm being scrutinized by some pervert eyes and it's more irritating when you notice a flirtatious smirk on their face and all that i want to do at that time is fork out their... EYES! Sometimes i just stare back at them for that's what i can do at that moment. Recently, i have developed a habit of not looking at them.

Few days ago, i was back at home for my break and i went to one of the clothes shop looking for my brother. There was a guy standing on the aisle of the shop showing his back. Once i walked in, he turned but i didn't look at him as i was engrossed in finding for my brother. In my mind, i had a preconceived idea that he was the shop owner who is a Chinese. So when he said "hi, How r you', i instantly replied cheerfully ( in Sydney, any stranger who walks past you greets you in a jovial mood and there is nothing wrong in replying strangers). SO, for a moment i was thinking of Sydney and replied him innocently thinking he was just being nice. And as i turned to look at him, i was shocked to see a dark skinned man and instantly my tiny brain concluded that he was a Bangladeshi. My expression changed and i bite my tongue. As i regret replying him a part of my mind was asking me "what's wrong replying a Bangladeshi? he didn't misbehave(so far)", he shot the next question. "where you from? What name? What name?". Alarmed i pat myself that i wasn't wrong when i casted an assumption on his character. That's when a call came in, and i busied myself, and he was not happy with that. He was keep on nearing me and constantly asking the same question "what name". As i was answering the call in Tamil, he was imitating me and countering my answers with his own answers in TAMIL!! That was when i realised that he was actually an Indian!God, why talk about foreigners when your own clan is getting on your nerve.

For once, i was thinking that it is wrong to ignore a guy when he says HI,because may be he is just being friendly and has no wrong intention. But then, the incident showed me that no matter what, you can't be friendly with strangers..No.not even an innocent Hi for they regard that as a green signal to flirt around. So, sometimes stereotyping saves you from some sharks loitering around you. Only sometimes ok.