This time last year, I would have arrived in Beijing, free from stress and enjoying myself with all the time in the world. Totally miss those days!

I was doing my work in the computer lab when a Caucasian walked in. She's very tall and pretty and didn't sound like from the US or UK bcos her English wasn't very fluent. She looked lost and I guessed it's probably her first time using the lab in sde. Well, up to this point I guess rs would probably be saying my kpo-ness is acting on me again, especially when it comes to foreigners. And I'll argue that it's curiousity not kpo, especially how they behave in an environment that is foreign to them but familiar to us.

So this Caucasian approached me for help as she couldn't login. When she stood beside me, I felt like a gina. Westerners usually look older and more matured than Asians even though we might be of the same age. I login using my account and she was really grateful. I directed her to the printing room, held the door for her and waited for her to walk in first. She had this look of disbelief at this gesture of mine. While this gesture could just signify a host-guest relationship, i.e. "This is my school and I'm bringing u around, pls follow me" I guess it could mean a master-servant relationship in her country, i.e. "Subservients holding the door for their colonial masters".

In the printing room, I login to the system for her, released the print job for her, and, no, I didn't use my cash card to pay for her printing of cos. She thanked me many times and said "You're so kind."

Later in the evening after a consultation, I didn't have time to have my dinner. I was very hungry and I was already late for a lecture. The only solution was to get a burger at Mac Donalds. I don't like their new system of printing out those receipts and getting u to wait by the side as it's totally inefficient and a waste of paper. There were 2 girls in front of me and I don't know why one of them went to take the receipt with my double cheese burger order in it and put it in her tray.

So I told her "That's mine" but she ignored me, didn't put the receipt back and continued talking to her friend in some language I couldn't understand. When the burgers came, she grabbed both, gave me the McChicken burger and took the double cheese burger. I was carrying lots of things in my hands, I'm hungry and I'm in a hurry. I was losing my patience and angry. I said again "NO, THAT'S MINE." She had no idea she had messed up the orders and said something which sounded like "I change cos got chilli" and had the insistent look on her face. I couldn't make sense of it and didn't want to know what's going on.

Why the contrast in treatment? Would I still be a kind person if the Caucasian had seen this episode at Mac Donalds? All I can say is, if u need help, I'll help u. But if u'r causing inconvenience to my life at the wrong timing, I wun be tolerant and understanding of cultural differences.