easter

it's easter sunday and i had to work this morning as a host/wine shop person.  i spotted way more asian people today that i've seen in the past few months collectively, so the hope i got from seeing them makes us for having to work on a holiday (though my husband is working 18+ hours today, so i wasn't exactly busy anyhow).

anyway, one of these 'spotted' asians entered with five caucasians.  the group was told by a fellow host their table was being set so they would have to wait a couple of minutes.  there were four of us working at the host station (i was the only asian)- the asian guy turns to me (not the other host who had initially checked him in), stares me down for a second and asks, 'don't you know who i am?' and then abruptly turns his back to me to share with his friends just loud enough for me to hear, 'i don't make action films for nothing.  don't they know who i am?'.

i had no clue who this guy was.  i didn't really care.  i don't give a shit if you're some hot shot actor, producer, or just crazy rich.  in my perfect world, i would get to treat everyone the same. but in the hospitality industry, VIP's exist...so, the reservation, made via opentable, said nothing about him. the reservation was not even made under his name.  i relayed this incident to the floor managers and one of them commented that it sounded like 'reverse' racism, which she went on to say is the worst and most prevalent kind.  i don't disagree.  i felt like i was being held to a different standard because he was some famous asian person and i was asian, so (obviously) i should know who he is.  

anyway, the manager approached his table and said, 'you look familiar.  have i seen you in something?' - subtle, no?  he responded that he worked on 'the tuxedo'.  after googling a few obvious choices from the films credits, we discovered he does the choreography for all the jackie chan movies. how the heck would i know that???!!?  i'm not an avid action film viewer. sure, if he were jackie chan, i would have recognized him - i do watch enough tv/movies to have seen a jackie chan movie promo.  but the choreographer? whatever...and who the heck toots his own horn in such a rude way - on freaking EASTER SUNDAY no less!  

it gets even better.  the table stayed for almost 3 hours (an eternity really) and on their way out, one of the friends said, 'that's the movie star'.  no wonder the guy's ego is so inflated...

*****

so, there was another asian incident during brunch today.  a stick thin 'fierce' looking asian came in with her older caucasian boyfriend.  she was wearing platform black stilettos, a tight fitting white mini mini mini dress, big dark sunglasses, an asymmetrical bob, and carrying a large louis vuitton bag.  when we greeted her at the host stand, she did not give any sign that she had even seen or heard us.  we were outright ignored.  she 'reacted' the same way when we bid her adieu. later, my husband who works in the kitchen, asked me if i'd seen her.  he said all the waiters and bussers were talking about her and how hot she was.  

...that's just what asian women need - a person like her to perpetuate the stereotype of asian women as 'exotic' arm candy...  

*****  

for the record, there were several asian guests who were all very polite and friendly with normal sized egos.  thank goodness for them.