Me and my Angmo colleague

Weather: Fair
Temperature: 12 c

I wish to share an irony with you. When I was in UK, I was unable to get close to any Angmos even though I made efforts to get into their circle. I knocked on the door of my housemate (an English) and told him that if he and his gang were going out at night please let me know because I would love to join them. He politely agreed. But 30 minutes later, they just left the apartment without telling me. I once saw a group of Angmos playing football, and asked them whether I could join them. No problem, they said. But they treated me as if I was a retard (but I have to admit that my football skill was unlike Beckham's).

Maybe in their eyes, I will always be “chow mein”, “egg fried rice”, “spring rolls” or “chinky”. A Chinese living on the earth of the Great Britain should never be respected or treated as equal. I accepted that painfully. Ok, If I was not too welcome here, I would just take my degree and leave.

Then few years later I came to China. Of all places, I found a good Angmo in China, Cameron. He is my colleague: an energetic and cheerful chap with good manners and hospitality. What an irony, I didn't have Angmo friends in UK but I have Angmo friend in China.

I don't think he will get offended when I call him an Angmo. I have told him: in China, people call him “老外” or “大鼻子”; But in Malaysia, people will call him “红毛” (Angmo or red hair). He asked me why calling him “red hair” since he has no red hair. My answer was: in Malaysia, we all have black hair; so if your hair is not black, then your hair must be red, we don't care. I am not sure whether he has fully understood the rationale but I am sure he has accepted being labeled as “Angmo”. I wouldn't get upset if the English calls me “black hair”, but I would certainly behave like a pit-bull if they call me “flat nose”, “shorty” or “retard”.

It's fun and exciting to have a colleague like Cameron. He turns on the light of my room every morning when he comes in the office. It has become part of his daily ritual. His presence in the office will not be unnoticed. It is almost like a lion walking in the zoo of rabbits. If you do not acknowledge his presence, you will be bugged until you give a positive response or you are classified as “hopeless”.

In the office, we spent a lot of time talking about many things (of course, during the “vacuum period” where there was no urgent thing pending). Oh, did I tell you that he speaks Mandarin? He has been “Madarinized” for too long, now, he is “half” Chinese and considers himself an egg: white outside, yellow inside. I speak English to him (thus my opportunity to practice my spoken English) and whenever possible, he will reply in Mandarin. It's a win-win.

Having a half-crazy, half-professional, half-Angmo and half-Chinese colleague does make the “war” in office much bearable. I am sure he will appear more frequently in this blog going forward.

p/s:- As a sign of respect, Cameron has read this article and has consented to its contents being published.