15 June, 2007
Too many xenophobics.
I’m surrounded by xenophobics - people who just can’t seem to accept other people who are slightly different from them.
As mentioned several entries back, I am often sighted in the computer room in my jacket with the hood pulled over my head - for other health reasons (e.g. weak lungs) as well on top of the most obvious reason being the fact that I am cold.
As such, I am often jeered and sneered at by several individuals around the office. I mean, what’s wrong with trying to keep warm?
A particular situation yesterday afternoon had left me fuming, even until today. Basically, to sum it all up - I’ve been sneered at for wearing the damn hood again and on top of that, practically interrogated about my allergies as if I’m some criminal.
This particular individual who happened to be standing near me at the lobby had the cheek to actually snipe at my face about how he sees me in the room all covered up when it was “only 20 degrees”, and began boasting about how he can survive at 15 degrees and below with no protection.
Furthermore, after this individual, thereafter known as Anon, found out about my allergies and how constant exposure to cold air without proper ‘covering’ (i.e. jackets) will aggravate my allergies - golly gee. The look that he gave me - like as if I was some INVALID.
That was when he started interrogating me. I mean, literally interrogating - firing one question after another. And the expression on his face simply said it all - he was demanding some answers about my so-called ‘invalidness’.
Anon: What are you allergic to? (Sneers.)
Me: Quite a few things. Tea, food colouring, peanut …
Anon: Chocolate? (Cuts me off with another sneer.)
Me: No.
Anon: How can it be? Chocolate is a peanut whaaaat.
Me: (Thinking “WTF?!?”) Chocolate is not a peanut. They are two entirely different things altogether. Chocolate comes from cocoa beans.
Anon: What else? (Demanding tone)
I rattled off a couple more before stopping since I felt he doesn’t have the right to know so much.
Anon: Can’t you just stop it?
Dude, if I can just tell my allergies to ’stop it’, I’d probably be the happiest girl on Planet Earth. Plus, I wouldn’t be suffering here, facing the prospect of having to pop God knows how many million pills for the rest of my life, wouldn’t I?
Anon: (Starts to rattle off about how allergies will eventually disappear upon reaching adulthood before looking at me as if I’m an invalid again before continuing) Wouldn’t yours?
Me: Er, mine just started two years ago.
Anon proceeds to look even more shocked and then begins to probe into my medical history, how many times I’ve fallen sick before and other sensitive information he has no business knowing.
By then, I decided that enough was enough - clammed up and gave him the pissiest glare I could muster, and remained in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
And he gave me all this shit just because he had seen me in the computer room in my jacket with the hood pulled over my head.
I’m utterly disgusted by his behaviour.
And I am fully aware that there has been too much antagonism on this weblog recently. In fact, there is too much angst and whiming even for myself to handle and so, like Huisen, I need to head somewhere to chill.
So I’ll be out of the country for the next couple of days, haunting two of my most favourite places in this world. (No prizes for guessing where.)
C O M M E N T S (10)
Wow, that Anon dude seriously has problems. I hate tactless people like that. You should have said, “Oh yeah. I’m allergic to the likes of you. When you are near me, I develop the sudden urge to be homocidal. Gimme that pencil. AND your tongue.” Though I don’t know how that will come by in an internship. =/
I hate people like that. He isn’t superior to you at all. And since he doesn’t know that chocolate isn’t a peanut, he’s pretty uninformed as well.
Is one of the two places Malaysia?
is this guy in college? how the hell do you manage to get to college, thinking chocolate is a peanut. Some allergies do disapear, for instance when I was little I was allergic to tomatos and now I’m not, but for most (dust,pollen,freshly cut grass) I still have and more have appeared, like now I am allergic to cats.
As for the hoodie, I am always cold, so you have every right to wear what you want. what was his problem, I hate people like that, and even more I hate people who think they know what they are talking about but don’t really have a clue.
conclusion: people can be so ignorant and stupid sometimes!
What a bigot. I can’t stand people like that. I got mad just reading your entry. My guess is he’s a relatively well educated individual, english-speaking, probably formerly a science student, having not continued his education in science at a university level, so convinced of his own intelligence as to be irrevocably hindered in his perspective. Probably he’s not living the glamorous life he had in mind, but refuses to recognise his unhappiness. To reinforce his ego he is compelled to educate those around him, spewing half-facts he has conjured out of pure air that he has deluded himself into believing are wholly true.
Maybe i’m just really mad and going a little too far.
That guy was seriously too much. I’d slap these people if I see their kind. I’m allergic to anything that contains preservatives, so people tease me about it, but not as bad as how that guy actually interrogated you.
At least during your holidays you won’t see this person for a while.
Hahaha. XD YES! CHOCLATE ARE PEANUTS!!!
SCOREZ!
.___. Wow… that’s a first…
How could you not know where chocolate comes from…?
I mean, since I volunteer at a camp for autistic kids, I saw many things… And there was a girl that was allergic to GLUTEN.
Gluten… it’s in EVERYTHING. She had to eat different type of pizza… take lots of pills… and even eat some different kind of oreos… .___. It was depressing. ;[
ROFL chocolate is definitely not a peanut. Yes I get really annoyed at people who prods for information about my life that has nothing to do with them.
I’m allergic to cheese XD
He had no right interrogating you - it’s your medical history, not his, and if you want to wear a jacket with a hood, who is he to stop you? I hate people like that so much!
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This constitutes workplace–or SOME place–harassment! They’re disrupting your efficacy in the office.
Actually, I’m not terribly sure, but these folks are incredibly insolent and should be rewarded with a month-long expedition across the mighty ice haven of Antarctica.