from getty images One of the things I'd warned Lee about before his coming to KL was how staring isn't rude here in Malaysia. In fact, we like to stare. We'd look and stare at you if we can't figure out what race you are, cos it still matters. We'd stare cock at you if you offended us on the road. We'd stare at you if you were wearing something different. We'd stare at you if you did something different. We'd stare if we thought we recognized you from somewhere. We'd stare at you if you're a kwai loh with an Asian girl in tow. And we wouldn't even lose our gaze if you stared back.

How's that for being Reader's Digest's 3rd rudest city? Heh. Hey, it's a culture where our momma never taught us that it was rude to stare mah.

Well, the reason I brought this up was obvious. When he was going to be here with me, we were going to be stared at - a lot. Far be it for him to understand why, coming from a multi-cultural city himself, but KL still has a long way from behaving like a global city. This was only going to be my second time going out with a white ghost. The first time really got my goat, when I was out late one night at food stall with my Aussie date (yeah, I've a thing for Aussie guys. heh). This guy just stood beside our table, barely a yard away and stared right at the two of us. I couldn't even break his gaze. It was as though we did something wrong just sitting there having our Indomie.

As much as this staring business irks me, what intrigues me most about the staring is what goes on in their minds right when they blank out from realising their victim is wondering if his pants' zipper is open, or if the she's got a crusty booger. You can't really help but wonder how prejudiced the thoughts could be. I mean, I can admit to being guilty and staring at Asian-Caucasian couples too. But when the stares turn to feeling like you're being accused of something, that just tells you how reflectively narrow-minded people can get.

If I were in Bangkok, Jakarta or Manila and staring at an Asian-Caucasian couple, my first thought would be the language barrier. Erm... No, honestly it's more prejudiced to -- what do they have in common with each other?? I'm disgusted even more when I see a Caucasian man who's evidently 20 years her senior, which tends to be a common sight in Bangkok. The Thais are sadly a sex trade attraction to the Western men, while the Filipinas are horridly labelled gold-diggers or opportunists. Some of these pairings just feels so wrong sometimes. So I guess I can try to understand based on these stereotypes formed by our Asian counterparts' pairings. But what could possibly be on the minds of Malaysians' prejudices against seeing their own women with a white man?

Malaysian men not good enough arr? Sure he couldn't get a local woman, so Asian girls easier hor? Hai, she must think she's going out with a Brad Pitt

Whatever it is, I'm sure you've thought of one Lee'd love to hear. Because the poor thing felt like everyone was staring at him accusingly as though if he touched me, I'd combust or something.