Stuff CBCs Like

I've been checking out the intriguing and controversial blog, Stuff White People Like, after reading this Globe and Mail article. My initial reaction was, "Hey, that sounds just like me!" That feeling lasted until I remembered that I'm not actually white. Doh!

So perhaps it's time to start my own list on Stuff Canadian-Born Chinese (CBC) Like.

1. Petite-sized clothing. Yes, I know there are tall Chinese people in Canada, but most CBCs I've met don't have any overlap in their ancestry with Yao Ming's. I had to shorten every pair of pants I bought until I resigned myself to ordering petite-sized clothing from the US. Occasionally, I can find some nice items in Canada too.
   
2. Bilingualism. In Ontario, everyone tells me I speak French very well. In Quebec, they don't think I speak French at all. Nevertheless, my ability to communicate in French makes up for my deficiencies in Chinese. Actually, I can communicate reasonably well in Taishanese, as long as the conversation is limited to low-brow topics like, "What's for supper tonight?" On the other hand, I've also been told that I write my name (about the only characters I know how to write) like a six-year-old. In French, I can write at least as well as a preteen.
   
3. A white spouse. This makes me almost white, or at the very least, it gives me a direct connection to Starbucks, red wine, yoga and the other Stuff White People Like.
4. Amy Tan. Some of my CBC friends don't think much of Amy Tan, but when I read Joy Luck Club, all I could think was, "I've had that conversation with my Mom!"
5. Good Chinese restaurants with English menus. Love to take my friends and co-workers to these places. I get to show off my knowledge of "authentic" Chinese food (let's have that congee with preserved egg and we'll pass on the chicken balls, please) without having to admit that I can't read a word of the Chinese menu.