Real Live Chinese Person!

What a way to start out a new blog. I'm sure that most people would start out with a brief description of themselves. Well, I'm not most people. I am then going to start with a rant about the complete ignorance of two Giant Eagle customers I came across the other day. After reading a bit, the title of this particular blog will make a lot more sense. If it doesn't, then someone call OSU and tell them to revoke my BA in English.

The setting was a weekday shopping trip to Giant Eagle. The weather was beautiful. Perfect. Okay, so only perfect if the month was July, but I'm not one to disparage October for giving us an 80 degree day that was bright and sunny. (Hell, I've got a slight tan that shouldn't be there either. Thank you Fake Bakes!). I was shopping for god-knows-what. I never go into a grocery store with a list. Whatever I see that looks good and fresh - and not full of High Fructose Corn Syrup.

That day I stopped by the "Suishi" counter at Giant Eagle. Granted it's not the best place to get suishi, but I usually go for the summer roll or blue crab options eliminating the raw fish that I enjoy at higher end restaurants.

Overheard two feet from me:

"Did you know they bring in a real live Chinese person to make that stuff every day?"
"Really?"
"Yeah, but that there raw fish...It's an aquired taste. If you want some raw fish, we'll just go down to that there river and get some. Lot cheaper."

The conversation took place between an unfortunate young man and his two idiotic parents. "Real Live Chinese Person"? Are you kidding me? Who says this anymore? My bad, I forgot that we were back in the days when all Asians were indentified as Chinese and vice versa. Including the Japanese people who actually are famous for the suishi. (Our Giant Eagle suishi person is a highly trained Japanese lady. Being a woman is unusual, being Japanese is the norm).

What I found most sad is that unless this Grove City child escapes "Grovetucky" ways, he'll end up perpetuating ignorance to his kin. Nothing against Grove City, Ohio. I live there, so it must be awesome. And I'm sure there are plenty of great things to come out of Grove City. Like...Um...two members of the semi-famous in Ohio band LoveSickRadio. And there is a lot of exciting activities to do in this Southwest Columbus town. There's the Wal Mart. And BW3's. And a lot of hole in the wall bars that are feigning ignorance to the new anti-smoking laws. And restaurants? Grove City has a gammet of great places to get food heated up at your convenience. Maybe I just don't fit in because I don't drive a muddied pickup with a NASCAR and "W" sticker on the back.

It's a place where you rarely see diversity. One African-American family lives in my apartment complex. Very nice. Like the rest of my neighbors, but they are an exception. And try to find an Asian of any decent? Very unlikely. And unfortunate. Grove City is not alone. So many Ohio communities are isolated in the past. I imagine that if most people living in these areas were given the opportunity to truly learn about others, they would. Until the school system and other influences change and expand the minds of its residents, too many residents will continue to perpetuate the myth of the "Real Live Chinese Person Making Suishi Everyday at the Giant Eagle." It's just plain sad.