Thais of Chinese descent, my people, the Chinese New Year will soon be upon us and it's time to look at and appreciate our quirks, nuances and legacy. Let's celebrate by finding out how Thai-Chinese are we with this just-for-fun checklist. The more you tick, the more Thai-Chinese you are, obvi. Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!
...No matter what HR says, you will take next Tuesday off.
...Your childhood memory around Chinese New Year, besides coveted red envelopes, includes visits from lion dance troupes who wandered into your soi to perform for households of Chinese descent for tips.
...It irks you sometimes when Thai-Chinese characters in Thai soaps speak with heavy Chinese accents.
...Besides the spirit house in the garden and a room dedicated to images of Buddha and other deities, you also have a red shrine for Chinese deities. Super holy-moly home.
...Your parents fantasise about going back to China to find their lineage even though they were born here.
...You've eaten oranges, Peking duck and dim sum (and possibly seahorses) -- way above an average Thai.
...You've done some research to find out whether you're related to Thanathorn or Aed Carabao out of curiosity and/or political reasons.
...Your Thai five-to-seven-syllable surname is ridiculously long, comprising of Thai words derived from Pali and Sanskrit, but your Chinese clan name is only one-syllable long.
...You've been mistaken for a Chinese, Japanese, or Korean by fellow Thais or foreigners while you're travelling abroad. Well, can you really blame them?
...You've asked your friend or acquaintances whether they have Chinese ancestors only to be surprised to find out that they don't.
...If you're male, friendly taxi drivers may refer to you as ahia (older brother) when they make small talk with you.
...Your parents have tried to teach you some Chinese but somehow all you remember are the bad words.
...You watched Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings on its release date and it was an emotional experience. You know why.
...When a Chinese army captain said, "Four ounces can move 1,000 pounds" in Disney's live-action Mulan, you were like WTF.
...You grow up liking burning joss paper offerings for your dead ancestors but now you're concerned about its effect on the Earth's climate.
...While you have never been discriminated against in Thailand, your heart sinks every time you read about hate crimes against people of Chinese/Asian descent in other countries due to Covid-19.
...You still don't know how to play mahjong even though you've seen your aunties and uncles playing it at family gatherings many times.
...Your parents talk about you to their friends in a Chinese dialect while you're sitting next to them.
