Maybe you mean 'Cork-Asian', like from Ireland?

Yesterday I had the most bizarre conversation with the girl who sits next to me at work.

It started off with a discussion about whether or not I liked Chinese food, as apparently I seem to eat it quite regularly (not that she ever sees me eat). Of course I said I do, and that I grew up eating it, because my dad cooks Chinese food. This was met with surprise, but that's okay.

This segued into an explanation about how my dad is from Guangdong province, and yes, my mother is also Chinese (ethnically, not by birth country). This took my coworker completely by surprise, as apparently she had always thought I was caucasian. This, in turn, threw me for a bit of a loop. Apparently, now that she looked at me, she realised that, yes, I do have black hair, and yellow skin (her words), and not-blue eyes. All the tell-tale signs of not being white.

Not recognising my surname as Chinese I can forgive, because I use a Cantonese spelling, not a Mandarin one, and I know I don't have any trace of Chinese accent or mannerisms, but...I am confused. There was that time that someone thought I was Scottish, but they were American, and I'm sure they didn't think I was Scots Scottish.

Now, I really don't have a problem with white people. I love white people. I'm just not one, and I don't think I look like one. I can't count all the times I've told people I don't speak the language, and been met with "but you look like a Chinese!"

I think I need to conduct a poll.

Bus blooper

It's not often that I get a seat on the bus, and it's rarer that I'm not running that slight bit late for work, so I was surprised to find the bus half-empty yesterday. Obviously I took a seat. There are only a couple of stops between my apartment and my office, but hey. Nobody else was getting off at my stop, and nobody was getting on. It took me far too long to realise that the conductor (there's always a conductor as well as a driver) was probably asking if anyone wanted to get off. We were driving past the stop as I stood up, and I'm fairly sure I got tut-tutted as I disembarked.

At least I didn't have to resort to random waving and shouting, or profuse apologising. Dodged a bullet there.

On the way to work today...

...it was raining pretty steadily.  I saw a little old lady wearing a grey beanie (or toque, for Canadians) with a see-through plastic shower cap over the top.  It was kind of wonderful.

Not so wonderful was the fact that I was already late for work when I ordered my coffee at the bakery, and they took absolutely forever to make it.  Some white girl kicked up a fuss, and they gave her what should have been MY coffee, and then I had to wait even longer.  People were faffing around behind the counter, not making espresso and not frothing my milk.  In the end, I brattily made them give me an extra shot of espresso, thinking all the while that it probably wouldn't do much to help my mood. 

Thank goodness for old ladies in makeshift rain gear.