A funny thing happened this morning…
About 8:30 am the delivery man knocked on my door with a parcel. The conversation went something like this:
Delivery Man: I’ve got a parcel for kelly azuma
Me: Ok.
DM: And you are?
Me: Well, I’m Kelly Azuma.
DM: *looks me up and down* Oh. *sounds disappointed*
Delivery man has one of those electronic pads and is pressing numbers and hands me the stylus to sign with.
DM: It’s interesting that your last name is Azuma. Did you know that Azuma is a Japanese last name?
Me: Umm..yes I do.
DM: It’s funny that you should have a Japanese last name don’t you think?
Me: Not really
DM: Why?
Me: Because my husband is Japanese
DM: Oh…. really?? *shock* That is really unusual isn’t it?
Me: I guess so.
DM: So your husband lives here with you?
Me: Yes, of course.
DM: He doesn’t want to live in Japan?
Me: No. We don’t.
DM: Oh, that’s a shame.
Me: Why? We love living here, there is no shame in that.
DM: Yeah but Japan is so exotic and all those great foods he is missing out on. I would love to live in Japan myself.
Me: Well why don’t you? *wishing he would hurry up and go there*
DM: I can’t speak Japanese yet…I’m not sure if I can get a job.
Me: Oh well… *really hoping he isn’t going to ask me for lessons*
DM: Oh well I better get going. Seeya later.
He walks back to his van and I breathe a sigh of relief.
The guy was asian…but I’m not sure from what country. He was obviously expecting a different kelly azuma. :)
6 Comments
Ha!ha!
What a way to start your day.lol
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Kelly Reply:
March 5th, 2010 at 2:27 am
I know… people are strange! :)
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hilarious!
something similar happened to me except my name wasn’t even japanese! i had forgotten my wallet at a store (back home, in the US) and called when i noticed. they said they had it and i could come and get it. when i got there, they didn’t want to give it to me because i wasn’t asian! the ID they looked at was my ‘gaijin card’ and were expecting someone not white. even though my name is on it in roman letters, not japanese at all, my photo was a bit dark (just my hair looked darker) and one woman didn’t believe it was me. i had to show the manager my passport and explain yes, it was me and yes, that was my wallet!
[Reply]
Kelly Reply:
March 5th, 2010 at 2:28 am
How weird… I think people get these expectations in their head of what you’re supposed to look like or something. Thanks for sharing! :)
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Know exactly how you feel. My ex husband is Chinese. When my first was born she looked asian. I had a rest and when I went to collect her at the nursery the midwife told me she wasn’t my baby as that was an asian baby. I informed her I knew the child I had given birth too and she still insisted. It wasn’t until I gave her my surname and told her my husband was Chinese that she gave me my child. She sure was embarrassed.
My children still carry the surname as Lo and have great difficulty with it as society still cannot cope with a two letter surname.
Life sure is funny!
[Reply]
admin Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:18 pm
I guess that was a big lesson for the nurse!
Thanks for commenting, it was great to hear your story :) It’s funny how we are considered to be such a “multicultural country” in Australia but these things still happen…
[Reply]
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