moving forward

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.. Front two cha, cha, cha, back two  cha, cha, cha, right two cha, cha, cha, left two cha, cha, cha. One, two half turn, two, two half turn, front two cha, cha, cha, back two cha, cha, cha, full turn, New York...

As turns were made i noticed something which was very weird and uncomfortable.

i was the only Indian and the rest were Chinese. My heart sank when I realised that no one wanted to hold my hands and be my partner.

Steps continued in my mind. Some steps missed. Then back to cha, cha, cha. My line of thoughts were muddled. Annoyed.

 

In December 1955, in Alabama, there was an incident in a Montgomery bus. A seamstress was arrested for refusing to give her seat to another. The reason was she being black and the other privileged passenger was white.

But that was 1955! How can this be happening now? Its 2016.  After 61 years, skin colour is still an issue?

The first thing that came to mind was i shall quit!

For starters ego had left the system perhaps ten years ago. So, strutting out like the proud peacock wasn't the elegant thing to do. 

 

Fees were paid, shoes were bought and enthusiasm built. Why should I back out now because people were filled with silly prejudice? Still something felt bruised.

The dance instructor treated me with some justice and I ended up not quitting. As the classes continued the cha cha progressed to rumba then samba. I made some slow discoveries.

First, I had one new partner. As the first person broke the ice, another partner turned up. Perhaps they realised my dark skin colour does not transfer to their fairer skin just by touching it.

Now as I move to the New Yorks, twists and turns I find myself dancing with almost everyone. some of them have even become quite friendly.

Only one young lady casually commented that she had been in this class since it first opened and I am the first non chinese dancer here. She also said that she finds it very weird to see me here.

Is that good or bad?

Oh! It's not bad. Really! Maybe good too, you do dance very well!

Ah, thank you! That's really very kind of you.

I remember those days while i 'had' to go for state level choir practice. It was a compulsory thing as no Indian representative was there. Reluctantly i attended but when everything concluded I was a descant vocalist and richer by several songs. some fame and a small allowance. Sometimes it does become a perk to be the odd one out.

What I feel disconcerted about is that being here in Malaysia, a multicultural country, there aren't many places where the merging of these cultures happen to be natural and whole. The minority remains lost and undiscovered.

 In many functions the same group performs in the name of representing the ethnicity of each culture. I would not say that my race is dumb and untalented. I discover new talents every day. Only, I haven't found the networking needed to project them.

In the earlier days I have been imagining building hostels and housing neglected humans, especially women and children. Now the pattern has actually changed. I'm nurturing school children and some women without a hostel.

I don't need a building. I don't really need big funds. I just make changes. I change lives. Every change is remarkable. Most importantly, every change, changes me