With globalization are associated the questions of Who are you and Where are you from? In the following are two anecdotes (First, A definition of globalization... and Second, how a Canadian-born became a Pakistani?):
Extracts: Courtesy: southbros.blogspot.com
A definition of globalization that I can understand and to which I now can relate:
Question:
What is the truest definition of Globalization?
Answer:
Princess
Diana's
death.
Question:
How come?
Answer :
An
English princess
with an
Egyptian boyfriend
crashes
in a French tunnel,
riding in a
German
car
with a
Dutch engine,
driven
by a Belgian
who was
drunk
on
Scottish whisky,
(check the bottle before you
change the spelling),
followed
closely by
Italian
Paparazzi,
on
Japanese motorcycles,
treated
by an American doctor,
using
Brazilian
medicines.
This is
sent to you by
a
Canadian,
using
American
Bill Gates' technology,
and
you're probably reading
this on your computer,
that
uses Taiwanese chips,
and
a
Korean
monitor,
assembled
by
Bangladeshi
workers
in a
Singapore plant,
transported
by Indian
truck drivers,
hijacked
by Indonesians,
unloaded by
Sicilian longshoremen,
and
trucked to you by Mexican illegals.....
That, my friends,
is Globalization !
Where are you from? Or, how I became a Pakistani?
Extract:
chapatimystery.com
“What is your nationality?”
“Canadian.”
“You are Canadian?”
“My passport says so.”
“But where are you really from?”
“You mean, where do I live?”
“You don’t live in Canada?”
“No.”
“Oh, so where do you live?”
“Dhahran.”
“Tehran? You’re from Iran?”
“No, DHA-HA-RAN.”
“Where is that?”
“In Saudi Arabia.”
“Oh, you are Saudi Arabian?”
“No, I live there.”
“If you are not Saudi, so, where are you really from? I mean, originally.”
“You mean, where was I born?”
“Yes.”
“I was born in Calgary, Canada.”
“No, I mean, where is your family from? Where were they born?”
“They are from Hyderabad.”
“Where is that?”
“India.”
“Oh, you are Indian! So, why do you speak English with no accent?”
“What do you mean?”
“You speak American English.”
“I have gone to American schools.”
“In India?”
“No, in Saudi Arabia.”
“But you are Indian?”
“Yes, my family is from India.”
“India! I love India! The Hindus are such a beautiful religion of peace! But why do you have a Christian name, Sarah? Are you Christian?”
“No. Sarah is also a Muslim name.”
“Oh. You are Muslim? I thought you said you are Indian?”
“There are Muslims in India.”
“But you don’t look like a Muslim!”
“What does a Muslim look like?”
“I don’t know. Like an Arab?”
“Not all Muslims are Arab. Most Muslims aren’t Arab.”
“But you live in Saudi Arabia?”
“Yes.”
“Do you speak Arabic?”
“No.”
“Why not? I thought you said you live in Saudi Arabia.”
“We don’t live with Saudis in Saudi Arabia. It is not permitted by the
Company my father works for. And, the American school in Saudi Arabia I
go to—it doesn’t allow for Arabic to be taught there.”
“What language do you speak at home?”
“Urdu.”
“But Urdu is the language of Pakistan, not India.”
“Urdu is spoken in India.”
“Yes, yes, but if you are Urdu speaking that means you really belong to Pakistan.”
“But, my relatives live in India.”
“Did any of your parents live in Pakistan?”
“Yes. My father did, for a few years.”
“Then, that means you are Pakistani.”
“But I’ve never lived in Pakistan. I’ve only been there once.”
“That doesn’t matter. You are not Indian. You should say you are Pakistani.”
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