No, Hil. I don't think you should go in.

happy birthday, sj!

happy birthday frank!

So, wow, comment yesterday that really put the seal on the whole 'Well, you have qualities that I enjoy, but, boy, I think it's definitely time you moved on' sensation I have regarding one of my colleagues:

"Oh my God! He's Indian? I thought he was Thai!"

...

...

...because, you know, Indian and Thai look just the same.

flails

Possibly the magnitude of this may be slightly lost in America? Or not - I mean, that sounds kind of patronising, but evidently casting Neveen Andrews as an Arab seemed perfectly reasonable to Joe Q Public, so maybe that whole Indian =/= Thai thing isn't as much of a no-brainer on the other side of the pond as it is, oh, say HERE IN THAILAND but, for fuck's sakes, out IT guy looks as Thai as I do. And my colleague has been working with him for a year, and she's been living in this country for 3 years. And his name is Cheena - whereas Thai names? Are pretty much invariably monosyllabic nicknames. So quite apart from the whole looking-totally-not-Thai thing he's got going on, the name ought to be a clue.

But evidently because he's not white, she figured he was Thai.

...I don't even begin to know what to do with this. And, I mean, I don't know why I was so surprised, because although I've tried glossing over her disparaging and clueless comments towards Thais as examples of classism, or insecurity, rather than racism - yeah, no, I'm done. Done done done.

Shit I have not said:

"Fetishising black men of your acquaintance and talking about how much you want to fuck them, and referencing their skin colour like it's the most salient thing - or only salient thing - about them? Is not the same as not being racist. It really, really isn't. Even a little bit."

"Telling a teenager (who's the only black kid in the school) that she looks just like Naomi Campbell, when she in fact looks nothing at all like Naomi Campbell? Not really as broad-minded and complimentary as you seem to think it is."

"Telling everyone that your class are singing a song 'in African'? ...yeah, no. That isn't actually a language, honey."

"Not being able to distinguish between a dark-skinned and very Indian-looking Indian guy with an Indian accent and an Indian name, and all the Thai guys here in Thailand? Made of so much fail that they needed a bigger failboat to fit all of your fail."

"Saying: 'Wow - I just thought he was the only attractive Thai guy I'd ever seen. But he's Indian! That explains it!'...yeah, still not actually helping present an appearance of anything but racism."

eta Having searched through facebook in order to find a photo of the bloke in question and underline the sheer not-Thai-ness of the guy, with no success, I did just try random googlebombing to find someone of roughly similar appearance...and then got distracted by the shiny, and gave in to my "Oooh, Mohinder, aren't you pretty?" impulse for a minute there. But, really, y'all don't need me to point you to photos of random Indian guys and random Thai guys to know that they do not look the same.

Yeah, not going into the office today. So don't feel like it, and I know I won't get much done. Just started boiling a batch of freezer broth, so at least I'm doing something useful.

Oy, Fay. That sounds incredibly frustrating.

OMG, Fay. She sounds like a total asshole.

Oh my, Fay. I can't even imagine how you can hold your tongue.

Made of so much fail that they needed a bigger failboat to fit all of your fail.

This covers it nicely Fay. I think you've found exhibit A of just how idiot an idiot can be...and one not aware enough, or possessing enough basic common courtesy, to not be so vocally offensive. Ptooey.

No, that is every bit as stupid in America as anywhere else, Fay. Although we have enough home-grown stupid we don't need to import any, but jeez.

Although we have enough home-grown stupid we don't need to import any

True that.

Which makes me wonder. Does any other culture have a designation like "The Ugly American?" I've certainly used that phrase myself...on one or two occasions ON myself...but have never heard such anywhere else in my travels.