i hop into a cab from uni and the taxi driver engages in a conversation, as usual.
taxi driver: so you study in NUS. smart huh.
me: no lah. it's just NUS.
taxi driver: you're Malaysian right?
me: huh? no i'm Singaporean.
taxi driver: really? oh. cos usually Malays in Singapore aren't that smart. they don't go to uni.
me: what? you're wrong. there are loads of Malays in NUS.
taxi driver: really? seldom see them.
me: that's because the majority of the people in this country are Chinese. so of cos it's hard to see a lot of us 'minorities'. besides, i'm Indian. not Malay.
taxi driver: huh? you're Indian. then how come you're wearing the scarf thing?
me: that's cos i'm Muslim. Indian Muslim.
taxi driver: ooh! but you're quite fair also, huh? and no wonder you're smart. Indians are very smart.
me: how do you know? you see a lot of Indians in NUS, is it?
taxi driver: not really. (pause) i'm very confusing ah. (laughs).
me: yeah you are.
stereotypes confuse. don't buy into them.
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