Sunday, September 24, 2006

Happy Birthday, Ish!

Last night, I got in touch with my fobby Asian side once again. I know I'm not the most 'Asian' Asian, and just when I thought I could reach full potential of Asian-ness, I was trumped by some of Ish's friends.

We went to Markham, which might as well be the most Asian place in the world, next to actually being in Asia. I don't usually chill there at night with the young people because I usually get pretty fed up with all the fobbyness by early evening whenever I'm there. But since it was Ish's birthday, me and April made the trip. And it was worthwhile (even if I had to drive in the rain, at night >_< ).

Long story short (not really, Mel came home with the car at 8 when I was supposed to be there at 8), April and I made it to this very chic chinese restaurant one hour late. We had the usual chinese celebration fare (the stuff you eat at Chinese weddings) and I was really not surprised we were eating there, considering Ish is Sri Lankan. ALL her friends were Asian. Not only that, they were ALL Chinese! Ish, her sister and April (Filipina) were 'the minorities', although you could say that we were all Asian, if you want to pull out a map and be technical. Although I'm Chinese, I felt like a minority compared to her Chinese friends who all spoke fluent Chinese and basically belonged in Markham. But whatever. They were cool (and might I add, the guys were CUUUUTE) people, and they showed me alot of apparently 'common Chinese things to do' (stuff you don't really learn about until one of your CBC friends learns a new game from one of their FOB acquaintances and teaches the other CBCs).

We were gonna go to this place called KTV, a huge pool hall but it was full (of Asians, no doubt). So we went to this place called Urban Lounge, which isn't really like your typical lounge you would find downtown Toronto. Sure, it had the loud music, alcohol and comfy couches and tables. But it had that 'Asian-ness' to it because they provided games and the atmosphere to play them. See, I find with alot of Asian hangouts, you don't just go there and eat. You go there, you may eat and drink, and the place provides you with things to do like, cards, Chinese chess, and at this place, some game called 'Dice'.

Now, the Dice I'm familiar with involves only two dice and a fistful of cash. But apparently there's this Chinese game called Dice that "everyone knows" ('everyone' as in people who hang out in local Asian digs, so that doesn't include moi). The waitress brought to our table our drinks and 10 plastic cups, each with five dice in it.

"Are we playing Yahtzee?!" I asked joyfully, as I shook the cup and threw the dice. Ish's ex-boyfriend/'just friend', Raymond, gave me a Look.

Apparently Dice is a game where you shake the five dice you have in the cup, turn it over, and you have to guess how many 'numbers' you have between you and the people playing. Supposedly this is a drinking game, but I protested that a drinking game shouldn't involve having to think and do math, like probability.

"There's no math in it, it's all bullshitting." said Raymond (actually he said 'bo-shitting' LOL). That's the Asian way of saying, "Yes, there is math, but it's simple math that comes to us human-calculator-type Chinese naturally, dumbass".

Since I was DD (for once!), I couldn't drink, but I sure had a hoot with my virgin Shirley Temple. All in all, I had a really good time. I met some Chinese FOBs (which I honestly don't run into much in Mississauga, we keep our distance) and I learned something (if I learned, does that mean a productive evening as well?). I wouldn't mind going back to Urban Lounge or that area in general because there was a lot to do but it sure does put Captain's into perspective (Perspective: although alot of Asian people hang out at Captain's, it's not really as Asian of a place until you've been to Urban Lounge or KTV).

NOTE: Pictures to come later. I'm too lazy.

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