Les chinois sont imperméables aux S.I.D.A.

For all you french speakers out there, you already know what the title means, to Spanish speakers, I'm sure you can muddle your way through the translation, and to those that just can't figure it out, I'll explain in a bit...or you could just google it. Anyway, this entry is dedicated to all the Asian American volunteers in Togo, which amounts to about...6 out of 100 people. The myths about the "chinois", which means "Chinese" if you haven't deduced that, is quite large here. Let me display these wonderful myths apropos the Asia man:

Myth #1: If you're Asian, heck if you just look different than white or black, you be chinois.

In fact, it's not much different from the States. If you look Asian, people think you're chinese. Plain, simple and frankly inescapable. It's to the point where my whitie volunteer friends, get chinois too. Shoot, my friend David got chinois, and he's like have british, half southern american. If you're realllly chinois and with a group of whities, they'll say "chinois" more times than they'll yell Les Blancs (Granted, I get " le blanc" as well, oddly enough). When I attempt to share the wonders of the U.S.'s cultural diversity by explaining that I'm a Korean American, they still don't respond and still think I'm chinese....that is until I drop the "foot ball bomb" on them and tell them to recall the last World Cup, when Togo was decimated by South Korea, first round. They remember that....quite easily, actually. Anyway, everyday, I get bombarded with, "chinois, viens!" or just plain ol' "chinois!" so they can grab my attention. Funny, once they grab my attention and walk away, they proceed to run away from me in terrifying fear. Even 20 some year old women run from me like the plague, which leads to my second myth.

Myth #2: All chinois know karate.

Yes. All chinois know karate, an ethnically japanese martial art. Oh no. It's knowing karate, before kung fu. Not only know it, but are experts. But you know what? That's not too different from the States either. In the States, they at least know it's Kung Fu and not Karate that "chinese know." Perhaps the women run from me because they believe I would judo chop them to the head for altering the course of my very important destination to nowhere. Perhaps it was my face, ironically, just like in the States. Who knows. I digress. This also, leads me to the third myth.

Myth #3: All chinois are related some how to Jet Li and Jacki Chan.

Okay, maybe they don't actually believe that, but I'm gonna try darn hard to perpetuate this one. "Why on earth would you go out of your way to try and perpetuate this ignorance?" you may ask. Well, dear readers, because it's fun. It gives me an outlet of practical joking, and perhaps, they have fun with it too. When people come up to me and ask, " Connaissez-vous Jet Li??", I say, " Mais, Oui, mon frere, Nous somme des cousins!" ( "You know Jet Li?" " Why, yes, my brother, we're cousins!"). Of course they don't believe me. I take advantage of their age old " All y'all asians look alike" stereotype and say, " I mean...look at my face. We look alike don't we?? He's my father's brother's son." They always want some proof, after saying that was chinese minutes ago, that I am in fact chinese, by asking me to say something. They first thing that comes to my mind? " Knee-how". They lose it. They, of course, start laughing and are astonished at my fluency in the chinese language. They begin to believe that I am in fact, the cousin of the legendary, Jet Li. I mean, really, I'm not lying. In the larger scale of things, I really am some how distantly related to him...like the orangutan is related to the chimp.Anyway, I could have pulled this stunt in the States too, and the people that would ask me if i knew Jet Li probably would have believed me. I know...childish Michael...childish... but you say that to my face, I'll get jackie Chan to come get you.

Myth #4: Chinese are impervious to A.I.D.S.

Yup. You guessed it. That's what the title of this entry means. I can't get A.I.D.S. Ever. It's probably something in my blood. Or some sort of ancient acupuncture technique that prevents me from contracting the deadliest S.T.D. They probably think that we want to keep it to ourselves, because the chinese aren't already providing 75% of what Togo consumes. This amazing statement was made on AIDS Ride, oddly enough, when I nor Ruthia (The other korean) weren't around. Not even once, but twice in different villages. We chinois got mad street cred. Of course, that's one myth I can't morally perpetuate. So the other volunteers put that one to rest. Oh, Togo....

Anywho, I'll update y'all on more myth's that I'll be conquering....or making, when they present themselves! I miss you all......again! And God Bless!