Where are you from?

[MellowDrama]

I always respond with the place I was born and raised - Florida (or Orlando, FL if I wanna be more exact). Some people give a surprised facial expression, like that wasn't the answer they were expecting. :lol:

[SunWuKong]

i say Hong Kong.

[Faithless]

I say Berkeley, and they say, "That explains everything." :frown:

[Emperor_Mike]

I say Vancouver, but actually born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

[Rogmok]

boston ma.. born in LI, NY

[My Name Is...]

it's usually a simple question. but sometimes, it's not as simple because you know the person who asked it does not want to hear that you're from the States or Canada or whatever. they want to know where you're "really from".

[artsfartsyjanet]

St. Louis born and raised. People get confused when i tell others that my parents are Chinese but born from Vietnam. They'd say, "then wouldn't it make them Vietnamese?" I'd say yes, but they're Vietnamese of Chinese descent.

[pinkskyes]

Originally posted by artsfartsyjanet@May 27 2003, 06:21 AM
St. Louis born and raised. People get confused when i tell others that my parents are Chinese but born from Vietnam. They'd say, "then wouldn't it make them Vietnamese?" I'd say yes, but they're Vietnamese of Chinese descent.
arstyfarsty, my family's the same, not quite viet, not quite chinese, but i don't mind it, just wish i could speak (both) better.

but it's good to be a melbournite...if any of u guys wanna break from the ol US of A, i recommend :) .... apparantly it's the worlds most livable city

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by pinkskyes@May 27 2003, 10:39 AM
arstyfarsty, my family's the same, not quite viet, not quite chinese, but i don't mind it, just wish i could speak (both) better.

but it's good to be a melbournite...if any of u guys wanna break from the ol US of A, i recommend :) .... apparantly it's the worlds most livable city
what's the criteria of "most livable"? i assume that includes, but is not limited to, clean air, good education system, good health care, etc etc?

[angelwiththesword]

toronto, canada

[ChairmanMah]

i was buying paint the other day and some old lady asked me that question.

I just said "here"

She said "you were born here".

Not the answer she was looking for i'm sure.

[sOKaLiBoY]

i usually just say los angeles. but sometimes i'm more exact and say harbor city

[pinkskyes]

SWK: yeah i think it took into account all those criteria, nightlife, resturants, affordability, crime, univeristies...blah blah blah

it is pretty good here though, i know some people who have done A LOT of travelling, and they say melbournereally is the best place to make home..

Chairman, that's almost as good as when people say

"oh, you speak very good english" (like it's a compliment or something!!)

argh i'd really like to tell them "yeah? so do you. that must be quite an achievement.''

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by pinkskyes@May 27 2003, 11:43 AM
"oh, you speak very good english" (like it's a compliment or something!!)
it's been a while since i got that. but the next time i get it, i'm going to start speaking to the person in chinese.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

"I, ah, I come from my house. I took bus." :P

[Faithless]

Originally posted by AliBabaIncorporated@May 27 2003, 08:09 AM
"I, ah, I come from my house. I took bus." :P
Good answer.

"I'm from the some place you were; just different moms". :blink:

[YuheiCarreau]

I think this is a battle you can never win, though. I am as annoyed by the "uh, I'm from here" / feigned ignorance comeback as I am by the original question; I mean, we all know what those people mean when they ask. You could always say something like "Do you mean where am I from, or what is my ethnicity?", but even then, the person asking is usually too ignorant to understand why that question is insulting.

There's also different rules for different situations; when I'm asked that question by people who aren't American, I don't find it insulting, sort of like how I don't mind being called haafu by Japanese people but I don't like being called half in English. Also I say "my father is Japanese and my mother is American" when speaking to people who aren't Americans, because outside of the US 'American' = 'White', and it's just easier to say that than to explain.

[rakovlam]

"Branchburg, NJ. That's near Bridgewater, you know, where the mall is located."

[DragonKnight]

Hercules, California. Most of the times I get a "where the f*ck is that?!"

[myself808]

try telling people you 're from Hawaii, then, (this has actually happened to me), have to remind them that it is indeed part of the US, and then have to tell them that no, we do NOT live in grass shacks

[MellowDrama]

Originally posted by DragonKnight@May 27 2003, 04:26 PM
Hercules, California. Most of the times I get a "where the f*ck is that?!"
That's near Pinole, right? I have a cousin who lives there. Lotsa Filipinos live there. :)

[DragonKnight]

Originally posted by MellowDrama@May 27 2003, 03:04 PM
That's near Pinole, right? I have a cousin who lives there. Lotsa Filipinos live there. :)
Yep, right next to Pinole. Graduated from Pinole Valley High School 10 yrs ago. Ton of Filipinos in Hercules and Pinole. :D

[AngryABCGirl]

If I'm in LA area, I say San Gabriel Valley. Otherwise I say I'm from LA, and people usually accept it and back off.

People not from Los Angeles tend to hate and fear it I've found.

[Emperor_Mike]

"oh, you speak very good english" (like it's a compliment or something!!)

Ah, I get that a lot too. Except it's even worse because my speech is tinged with a slight English accent and nosey people start asking a lot of questions about my birth place, my parents, my schooling, blah, blah blah. It's all very vexing.

[tvbdude]

I was doing sticky hands with this white dude and then he asked me where I'm from. I don't know why he ask that though cuz he does take chinese kung fu.

[YuheiCarreau]

Originally posted by Emperor_Mike@May 27 2003, 10:26 PM

Ah, I get that a lot too. Except it's even worse because my speech is tinged with a slight English accent and nosey people start asking a lot of questions about my birth place, my parents, my schooling, blah, blah blah. It's all very vexing.
Try not to use words like 'vexing', then :P

[moschikat]

Originally posted by ChottoMatte@May 27 2003, 09:03 AM
Good answer.

"I'm from the some place you were; just different moms". :blink:
:lol:

My mother's loving loins.

Actually, I was a c-section baby . . . ergf. :ph34r:

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by moschikat@May 28 2003, 02:18 AM
Originally posted by ChottoMatte@May 27 2003, 09:03 AM
Good answer.

"I'm from the some place you were; just different moms".  :blink:
:lol:

My mother's loving loins.

Actually, I was a c-section baby . . . ergf. :ph34r:
causing trouble since the day you were born, i see.

[Emperor_Mike]

Originally posted by YuheiCarreau@May 27 2003, 10:08 PM
Originally posted by Emperor_Mike@May 27 2003, 10:26 PM

Ah, I get that a lot too. Except it's even worse because my speech is tinged with a slight English accent and nosey people start asking a lot of questions about my birth place, my parents, my schooling, blah, blah blah. It's all very vexing.
Try not to use words like 'vexing', then :P
Eh? There's nothing wrong with "vexing," is there? Okay, fine..."It's all very frustrating" then. :D

[Chris]

I just tell people I was born in Malaysia and raised in San Francisco.

but then they get all confused because I speak chinese most of the time. <_<

[YuheiCarreau]

Originally posted by Emperor_Mike@May 28 2003, 12:23 AM
Originally posted by YuheiCarreau@May 27 2003, 10:08 PM
Originally posted by Emperor_Mike@May 27 2003, 10:26 PM

Ah, I get that a lot too. Except it's even worse because my speech is tinged with a slight English accent and nosey people start asking a lot of questions about my birth place, my parents, my schooling, blah, blah blah. It's all very vexing.
Try not to use words like 'vexing', then :P
Eh? There's nothing wrong with "vexing," is there? Okay, fine..."It's all very frustrating" then. :D
:rolleyes:

Shit, that's more English-y than the first one. Just say it pisses you off, OK?

[Emperor_Mike]

Originally posted by YuheiCarreau@May 27 2003, 11:02 PM
Originally posted by Emperor_Mike@May 28 2003, 12:23 AM
Originally posted by YuheiCarreau@May 27 2003, 10:08 PM
Originally posted by Emperor_Mike@May 27 2003, 10:26 PM

Ah, I get that a lot too. Except it's even worse because my speech is tinged with a slight English accent and nosey people start asking a lot of questions about my birth place, my parents, my schooling, blah, blah blah. It's all very vexing.
Try not to use words like 'vexing', then :P
Eh? There's nothing wrong with "vexing," is there? Okay, fine..."It's all very frustrating" then. :D
:rolleyes:

Shit, that's more English-y than the first one. Just say it pisses you off, OK?
It pisses me off. :lol:

English-y? That's not even a word! But nevermind. :D

[tapestrybabe]

i usually tell them that i was born in korea... and when they tell me... Oh, but you speak very good english... i then tell them.... its cuz i've been living in the united states since i was 3 years old...

[Fireblade]

I was born in the Matrix. I was raised in the Matrix.


replace Matrix with San Francisco, CA, and you got it right.

[Geegeh7]

I was born in the Matrix. I was raised in the Matrix.

(*giggles*) Whatevahz.

[Emperor_Mike]

Sometimes I have to fight the urge to strangle people who use outdated stereotypes on me.