Last night I met 2 Tibetans… and boy, wasn’t that interesting….

The meeting was really really seriously interesting because of a mix of factors…

  1. Well, they are Tibetans.  Does it get any more interesting than that?  And the fact that our residence is also home to plenty of Chinese residents, well, might get more interesting…I hope the fact that there were only 2 of the numerous Chinese residents attended the dinner, and one walked out half way (presumably because of piling homeworks…), leaving one Chinese born American to ‘defend’ their country, did not really say anything about the whole issue.
  2. One of the Tibetans made it very clear in the beginning, that they come from Tibet, and they have their own language.  But unfortunately, so he said, they were only given an Chinese-American translator who speaks Chinese.  It was an awkwardly strong message.  Very strong message.  He made it a point to introduce himself in Tibetan, and then explained in English (the only moment when he spoke English for almost full 2 minutes..), that it was supposed to be a ‘joke’ that showed that although they have to speak Chinese for the sake of translation, they DO have their own language. * ouch….translator….*
  3. More *ouch* for the translator (I shouldn’t say translator, though… He’s an employee of the State Department responsible for inviting foreign visitors to talk around US…that’s no regular translator…).  In the heat of the moment, the Chinese resident (who obviously understand their direct conversation, critisized the translator for not translating accurately.  He (the resident) was trying to ‘respond’ (can’t you see I’m trying so hard to be politically correct here?) to some statements from the Tibetans, and in doing so, quoted some phrases which were non-existent in the explanation that the rest of the room heard (in English).  And the ‘translator’ made it a point to say, "I’m sorry, I guess you misunderstodd, he never said that…" *ye…ye….GO translator, GO!* As a ‘retaliation’, the resident said something which more or else implied that ‘you’d better do your job better, coz I know damn well what they’re saying (or what I though they’re saying…)’ ….(ehem, f course not in so many words, but that’s what I interpret…being a translator myself once…).

It brought back a lot of memories.

Of course it reminded me of the days I was there, in his shoes, receiving the point blank bullets shooting at me.  Of all the pressures to be ‘politically correct’, while sending an accurate translation/interpretation to what is actually said and done, of trying to keep the whole discussion going and not diverted into some kind of a power game.  Gosh….what days…

It made me think also.  On one hand, I am a member of a minority group, on the other, I am definitely a majority.  It made me look deep into myself, on how I’ve been behaving as a member of a majority group.  Was I angry?  Was I disappointed to all these people who, despite the importance of the unity of our country, still want to have their own way? Did I curse them?  Did I say, or think, or feel, that they are a bunch of ungrateful people who live off my country but only wants more?  Did I want to tell them, hey guys, you’ve received so much…so very very much…and still not satisfied?

Did I think that way?  towards my fellow countrymen and women (though they might not feel as if they’re mine…)…  Have I tried seriously to reflect on my fear as a minority, that one day my way of living will cease to exist in my beautiful country?  Did I feel that these people feel it, too?

Last night I met two Tibetans.  And I was sent down the spiral of reflection.