Is Raptop?

Every now and again, I am startlingly reminded that I am a female minority living in a large metropolis populated mainly by white people.

I was riding the subway and had taken out my new eee pc to work on. A group of teens sorta glanced over and asked among themselves, "What is that? Is that a laptop?"

"No, no way, it's, like, a portable DVD player."
"Naw, naw, it's a translator. She's Asian."

They got off the subway before I could correct them. For some reason, I remained a little perturbed that my very chic little laptop had been mistaken for a glorified translator based on the fact that I was a visible minority.

They didn't say anything outright racist, of course, but it made me think about the assumptions we make based solely on the way people look.

I still encounter the outright racism occasionally, of course. Encountering stupid people can't be avoided in a city of 4 million, statistically speaking. But I figure evolution will kill off the stupids, one day. Or else karma will pay them back tenfold: they'll get hit by a car, lose their legs and have an Asian caretaker to help them pee. HA!

I wonder if I should put a decal on my eee that reads, "Yes, this is a raptop, and I speak Engrish. Now prease stop your stare and have happy spirit day."