ILMARI

While scanning through my hard disk, I stumbled upon my old stash of Japanese mtv videos. At one point during my life, I was buying Japanese cds even though I was clueless about all things Japanese.

My encounters with things Japanese are solely limited to their technologies. For me, anything that was manufactured in Japan was either kawaii or technologically superior to those that came out of China. Even to this day, if you ask me to choose between something made in China and that of Japan, I would still choose Japan. Not only they look ergonomically pleasing to my eyes, but they exude a class by itself.

I discovered Ilmari through my sister. My sis and I have an affinity for things which look cute. Haha. She came back one day with videos of Japanese hip hop rap groups like Rip Slyme, Steady & Co, Kick the Can Crew, Zeebra and few others. Initially, I listened to them without looking at the music videos. I liked their songs because they are very upbeat and funky sounding. But after looking at their music videos, I got hooked. Their music videos were cute to boot without the need for any scantily clad women. And there was Ilmari!!! Hahaha.

Ilmari – cute as a button. Hybrid. Half Japanese and Caucasian. Tall, lanky, geeky looking and a tad pasty looking, just the kind that I’m fond of. *sigh*. If, ever a point in time I consider adopting a baby, I would find for a boy of a similar combination. At least I know for sure the baby is going to grow up cute. Hahahhaa… ya, ya… shallow me. I’m not narrowing hybrids to just half Japanese and Caucasians but to almost everyone who is of mix parentage. Many might not agree to my taste in hybrids but hey, I can’t help it. I’m one of them. My extended family look like an advert for Benetton or something.

On my maternal side, I’ve cousins that’s half Pakistani, half Chinese. Half German, half Pakistani. Half Malay, half Pakistani. Half Chinese, quarter Siamese, quarter Javanese. Half Siamese, half Pakistani. The list goes on and on. The same goes for my paternal side. I have a cousin who looks totally Chinese and her sister looks like a fair skin Indian because she is a tad hairy. My sister for instance has been mistaken for a dark skinned Japanese, Nepalese and Chinese Indian. My brother and I are mistaken to be Chinese most of the time. When we were younger, people would often ask my dad or grandfather whether we were really theirs.

Just today, when I went to buy Malay newspaper for my aunt, the cashier aunty retorted, “Baba ah?” I just nodded. I have long given up trying to explain my family background because it would only illicit looks of disbelieve. Even now, when I go shopping with my paternal grandmother, people would ask her who I am. Sometimes I’m tempted to just reply that I’m her Hubei maid or something. Upon hearing her reply, they would go “Oh, I see, she looks so different.”

Whatever it may be, each year, during whatever festivities there are, my siblings would celebrate in a mix and mash of ethnic costumes. My brother, who is fond of Hindi movies would sometimes don a kurta with a songkok. My sister has donned a peranakan kebaya with whatever assortment of things that we have at home. While we might look like fashion disasters and not exactly Ricky Martin or Eva Langoria drop dead gorgeous, at least our looks cannot be cloned.

Hehe, though I am tempted to post up a picture of my brother in his ‘lampin’ days, I know it won’t be fair to him. Maybe perhaps one day, when I have the time to scan in all our old photos, I’ll put up his picture with Nestum in hand. We used to have lots of pictures during our growing up years, thanks to my dad who was into photography during his hey days. Now, it’s us kids dabbling with it.

Oh well, enough of reminiscing.