Today was going to be another one of those travelling days.
Nothing much happened. All we did was fly up to Auckland, where we stayed back in the same hotel we did many years ago. Since my brother was now in Auckland with a car, we waited for him to pick us up.
And that was when we discovered that he drove like an impulsive, impatient teenager. My parents continued to admonish him even after we reached his flat. We had dinner together, and later on decided to stroll along the city to see the nightlife - and to find a cybercafe.
It was a Sunday night. The streets were more or less deserted, and most shops were closed.
A guy ran up to me.
I reflexively took a step back, narrowing my eyes and wondering what he wanted. The guy, with his other friends, crowded around and continued to stare at me just as my mum grabbed my hand and glared at them. As soon as they recognized that I was with someone older, they quickly laughed and said, "It was just a joke!" They hurried off the road, and for that instant moment, I felt relieved.
Before we could walk to the next street, a young girl approached me. She appeared to be using crutches to support herself, but anyone who looked closely could tell that she was faking it.
"Could you give me some change? Just to catch the midnight train back home."
I honestly had no money on with me at that time, and even if I had any, I wouldn't risk taking my wallet out either. I merely looked at her, pretended that I couldn't speak any English, and said something like, "No, uh, I don't have any."
After being in Malaysia for so long, one would be a fool not to be cautious. They would most likely grab your wallet and run off, and you wouldn't have a chance to see your money ever again. While rape and murder cases weren't as popular here, it was still the biggest city in New Zealand - which meant many people that weren't originally Kiwis, and which meant that they would be after money when they faced a shortage.
I felt irritated at being someone they felt was worth targeting. Honestly, although the streets were quite empty, there were still dozens of other people hanging out. With all the Asians in Auckland, I could have easily blended in as one of the locals. Why did they still target me then? Its not like they could have seen my face anyway - I had my cap on.
In some ways, they could still tell that I was someone foreign to the ways of living over there.
And I felt really young. It was the same during meeting my sister's friends at the campus - the same feeling of being naive and unknowing towards society and its ways.
That would have to change, and I hope it would.
A guy ran up to me.
I reflexively took a step back, narrowing my eyes and wondering what he wanted. The guy, with his other friends, crowded around and continued to stare at me just as my mum grabbed my hand and glared at them. As soon as they recognized that I was with someone older, they quickly laughed and said, "It was just a joke!" They hurried off the road, and for that instant moment, I felt relieved.
Before we could walk to the next street, a young girl approached me. She appeared to be using crutches to support herself, but anyone who looked closely could tell that she was faking it.
"Could you give me some change? Just to catch the midnight train back home."
I honestly had no money on with me at that time, and even if I had any, I wouldn't risk taking my wallet out either. I merely looked at her, pretended that I couldn't speak any English, and said something like, "No, uh, I don't have any."
After being in Malaysia for so long, one would be a fool not to be cautious. They would most likely grab your wallet and run off, and you wouldn't have a chance to see your money ever again. While rape and murder cases weren't as popular here, it was still the biggest city in New Zealand - which meant many people that weren't originally Kiwis, and which meant that they would be after money when they faced a shortage.
I felt irritated at being someone they felt was worth targeting. Honestly, although the streets were quite empty, there were still dozens of other people hanging out. With all the Asians in Auckland, I could have easily blended in as one of the locals. Why did they still target me then? Its not like they could have seen my face anyway - I had my cap on.
In some ways, they could still tell that I was someone foreign to the ways of living over there.
And I felt really young. It was the same during meeting my sister's friends at the campus - the same feeling of being naive and unknowing towards society and its ways.
That would have to change, and I hope it would.
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