It is safe to say that I have no problem with mixed race marriages. Of course, when I first got married I had to be told that I had a mixed race marriage, but I was a non-thinking 19 year old and that’s beside the point. My next statement is going to sound strange, but here goes.

When I see Asian and Caucasian couples together, I always think they look weird. This is especially strange since my husband is Asian and I am Caucasian. I don’t think we look weird. I also don’t think other mixed race couples look weird. I don’t know why I think this way. Maybe my thinking has been fostered by some of the older generation of Chinese. They are not necessarily happy with ‘outsiders’ marrying into their race. I get it. I was very fortunate to be welcomed into my husband’s family with open arms right from the start. But to other older Chinese, not so much. Case in point…

When Cliff and I were getting ready to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary, he gave me the choice of going to the mountains in Idaho or Hawaii. I admit it, I chose Idaho. My daughters told me I was crazy and we went to Hawaii instead. On the plane ride there, while reading the newspaper, Cliff saw an advertisement for a necklace that he thought I would like. A gold flip flop with diamonds. It was beautiful and I loved it. Since the advert was Hawaiian jewelry, we decided to look for it while we were there. An old college friend of Cliff’s, a native of Oahu, told us the best place to buy any kind of jewelry and souvenirs was at the football stadium, where you could find bargains by bartering with the sellers. What they didn’t tell us, and probably didn’t know, was that the bargains and bartering were not for everyone.

The stadium was huge and packed with all kinds of vendors. We purchased souvenirs for our kids and were on the lookout for the necklace. Cliff was looking on one side of the aisle, I was on the other when I saw it. The vendor was a little old Chinese lady. She saw me and, in broken English, offered me a price. It was similar to the advertised price we’d seen in the newspaper, so I thought maybe I could barter for a lower price. I thought it, but I was wrong. So, I walked away and had another thought. It was a sneaky thought, but I didn’t care, I really wanted that darn necklace.

I waited until Cliff and I were at the end of the aisle and out of her view. I told him where my necklace was, told him the kind of chain I wanted, and sent him in for the kill. Thinking she may not bargain and barter with me, but she probably would with him. I was right. I stood just close enough to be able to hear, my hearing was much better back then, and realized within moments of him arriving at her table she was making him amazing offers and suddenly, “Only for you, my friend,” became her favorite saying. He got my necklace for half the price she was quoting me.

Cliff says this is because I don’t have the “charm” that he has. He’s probably right. Personally, I think it’s something else. Either way I got my necklace, so it’s really not that big a deal.