After arriving in Australia, I began elongating my vowels and speaking in slow, rhythmic tones. I was determined to build a new life, a new identity. I didn’t know it then, but what I was doing is called “code switching”.
On my first day at uni in Perth, it was the middle of winter. I wore a fleece hoodie, a pair of tights and flip-flops. It was common for people to wear flip-flops everywhere in Singapore’s tropical weather. When I moved to Australia, I found myself unable to break the habit, despite the distinct chill in the air. At uni, we were given a tour of the underground film studio where most of my first-year film classes would be held.
Ya. Okay. Bye,” I said. “Was that an Asian accent?” one of my friends asked. “Yeah,” I said sheepishly. “Why don’t you speak that way with us? We’re all Asians, anyway.” Even though they were mostly of Malaysian and Singaporean descent, they weren’t Asian the way I was.
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