Philotic Web

[Fris]

So, there are a bunch of us looking at a map of Tanzania, discussing the trip we were about to take. Someone asks where the flight stops on the way; Rome, Italy. One girl looks the map up and down for about five minutes before finally asking, "Where's Italy?"

That particular girl didn't end up going on the trip, but a good friend of hers, with about the same level of geographical knowledge, did. The year following the trip, one of the guys had an exchange student living with him. We had a get together at his house, and this girl starts asking him about where he's from. He's from Finland, and she of course has no idea where Finland is, so he starts telling her that it's next to Japan, and she completely buys it.

Good times...
_________________

[Mahatma]

Living on the 9th floor can provide some good opportunities for elevator stupidity.

I got on the elevator at the first floor and pressed 9 (the buttons glow orange when you push them), and a woman with a suitcase came in and requested I press 8, so I did. Then she said, "Do you live on the 8th floor too?" Yeah, I just wanted to press the 9 button to piss off whoever gets on the elevator after us.

The second one actually happens a lot. Let me explain how the elevators work: There is a down button and an up button on each floor (except 9 -- the highest -- and the basement), which glows orange until your elevator arrives. When an elevator opens, there is an orange arrow on the doorway pointing either up, or down, depending on the destination. My friends and I were coming up to the 9th floor, and the elevator stopped at some middle floor (6th, I think). The woman got on, looked at the glowing "9" button, and said, "Oh, you're going up?" Apparently the orange up arrow and the still-glowing button on her floor didn't convince her.
_________________
"Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries!"

[Jebus]

Eh-Luh-Vay-Tors?

What are they? We use ladders 'round here, work well enough.

[Mahatma]

Right, right. Lifts, then, if it makes you happy...
_________________
"Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries!"

[Peterlover14]

A 9th grade girl I used to hang out with:

Dumb girl: You know how there are Chinese people that are, like, not Chinese but are like Japanese?

Me: Yeah, Asian people.

Other girl: Well even though they look the same to us, they are all like really different. Like some aren't Chinese even though they look Chinese.

Me:*trying not to give her a look of "what are you? a 5th grader?"*

I haven't talked to her the same way since.
_________________
"There's only one thing that will make them stop hating you. And that's being so good at what you do that they can't ignore you." - Graff

[human.]

Honestly, I think I'd take more offense at the clumping together of all Asians as those who look Oriental, or East Asian. Asia is comprised of multiple regional areas where people have similar physical features, such as facial features and skin tones. Saying "Asian people" implies all of these people, from Russians, to Japanese, to Malaysians, to Indians, to Israelis, look as if they were of only eastern Asian decent. Which is obviously incorrect.

[Mich]

Guh, I have a group of friends that insist calling an Indian "Asian" is incorrect. I can't tell if they're saying it to bug me or not, but they claim that since India is a sub-continent, "Asian" doesn't apply to people from India.

Then I brought up Russia and their heads exploded.
_________________
Totally Under-Rated Turtle-Like Entity

[human.]

Haha, I do call Indians "Subcontinentals" almost as much as I call them Asian. And I generally call east Asians Oriental.

[Peterlover14]

I just call them Indian. There are several classifications, so why not just go with the simplest?

And if you are really technical, "Asian" is used in the wrong way frequently. But when most people say Asian, they get where you're coming from, right?
_________________
"There's only one thing that will make them stop hating you. And that's being so good at what you do that they can't ignore you." - Graff

[human.]

I'm not sure what you mean about Asian being used incorrectly a lot. It's that logic stuff. All Orientals are Asians, but all Asians are not Orientals.

The Indian Subcontinent contains not just Indians, but Pakistanis, and the people of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. So subcontinental refers to a greater range of people from a certain (edit:) region. I personally just enjoy the term in general, I think, but it is also a good way to get around calling an Indian Pakistani or vice versa, after the tensions between those two countries.

[Jeesh_girl15]

*extremely amused*

I do find it amusing that most American Caucasians can't tell Many East Asian nationalities apart. I mean, to me, as one of those mixed up East Asianers, I can totally tell the difference between a Chinese person, a Japenese Person, a Filipino person, a Thai person, etc. But many people just call Asians plain Chinese. And people continue to categorize by looks. Like Mich said, Indians being Asian is "incorrect", Or Russians not being Asian at all. People thinking of "Asians" looking strictly Oriental is stereotypical. Buuuuuttt, I'm not offended by the people who are thus narrow-minded. Like I said, it's amusing.
_________________
I am totally and completely myself. I admit. I'm clumsy. I'm sarcastic. I'm dense. I'm a smarty pants know it all. I'm a dork. I'm overly competitive. I'm a bit selfish. But I'll also admit that I'm a good friend. I'm a devote Catholic. I'm compassionate. I'm ambitious. I intend to help others. And that's all part of being myself.

[Peterlover14]

I mean it's used incorrectly because when people say Asian, they mean Oriental, just like you said. But technically, that's wrong.
_________________
"There's only one thing that will make them stop hating you. And that's being so good at what you do that they can't ignore you." - Graff

[human.]

I think you are getting what I said backwards.

Orientals are Asians.

Some Asians are Orientals.

However, classifying all Asians as Orientals is incorrect, as they are not.

Jeesh, I find it amusing, too. Though I'm pretty bad at telling Southeastern Asians apart. I can generally get Vietnamese, but I always mix up Filipino and Malaysian.

[Wil]

Step 1) Go to Google Image Search or any other place you find images or videos through searching.
Step 2) Type in: Asian
Step 3) ???

99.9% of pictures and/or videos are of orientals. Thus, while the continent of Asia has many different ethnicities, "Asian" is almost distinctly referring to orientals in present day context in the United States. From there we can make distinctions such as "Indian", or less commonly and the more confusing "South Asian", "Russian", "Pakistani", etc.

[Jayelle]

[thoughtreader]

[Gravity Defier]

[neo-dragon]

[JayeIIe]

[human.]

But even yellow isn't covering everything! As my dear Indian friends refer to themselves, and the occasional southeastern Asian, they are brown.

[Gravity Defier]

Er, when simplifying it down to colors, Hispanics tend to claim the Brown. La Raza! Chicano/a por vida! Etc.


(But whatever.)
_________________
~The best way to make it through with hearts and wrists intact is to realize two outta three aint bad-I make no apologies for how I chose to repair what you broke~

[JayeIIe]

If you're going to be honest, the majority of people in this world are shades of brown.
_________________
One Duck to fool them all...

[Gravity Defier]

This isn't about honesty, this is about segregation. Sheesh.
_________________
~The best way to make it through with hearts and wrists intact is to realize two outta three aint bad-I make no apologies for how I chose to repair what you broke~

[neo-dragon]

[JayeIIe]

[Gravity Defier]

No worries, Clone Ducky, I shall pick up the Stupid Stick and carry it forward triumphantly.



One of my oldest friends is very pale -think shiny, shimmering Twilight-vampire splendid pale- enough so that I had way too much fun pressing my fingertips into her arms to watch her skin turn white then pink (or was it pink then white?). I'd also pretend to be able to see through her. Fun times.[/stupid]
_________________
~The best way to make it through with hearts and wrists intact is to realize two outta three aint bad-I make no apologies for how I chose to repair what you broke~

[zeroguy]

[jotabe]

Now, what would be cool is if people came out in stripes
I mean, kitties can be striped, why can't we?

Maybe i should work on how to modify the human dna to allow that possibility... And then insert it in the whole species unbeknownst to them...

mwahahaha *evil scientist laugh*
_________________

[neo-dragon]

[Gravity Defier]

[neo-dragon]

You're always your own worst critic.
_________________
"Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic."
- Frank Herbert's 'Dune'