The Chinoy culture is an inherently social culture, with the abundance of family gatherings, business meetings and association events, and although most Chinoys thrive in social situations, there are introverted ones who would much rather watch from the sidelines. Here are 5 things only Chinoy introverts can relate to.
1. You find family gatherings to be quite draining
Photo from Odditymall
There’s a lot of things to love about family gatherings. You get to eat good food, and you also get the chance to catch up with the relatives that you rarely see. But sometimes, there’s just too much catching up to do, especially when you’re part of a big family. You will likely find yourself repeating the same few answers over and over again to aunts and uncles that you didn’t know existed. You often find yourself feeling tired halfway through the event, but you can’t exactly leave early because the rest of your family is still there.
2. You can’t escape socializing even during Ko Tiam
Ko Tiam might sound like a mundane task that almost everyone dreads, but it’s especially tough when you’re an introvert because it means you have to interact with customers on a daily basis. It would be fine if these interactions were fleeting, but there are times when the customers are also friends of your parents, and they would take the opportunity to make small talk with you. Before you know it, you’re sitting there listening to them tell their life story, and you have no idea how to get yourself out of it.
3. You had to perform at recitals during summer break
Photo from backstage.com
Being an introvert is often mistaken for being shy, so your parents probably enrolled you to music lessons or dance classes during summer break to help you overcome your shyness. You’re usually able to perform at the culminating recital with no problem, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to want to socialize more often afterwards.
4. You’ve used “I have strict parents” as an excuse to not go to certain events
Photo from Introvert, Dear
Another common misconception about introverts is that they don’t like going out, which is only partially true. Introverts value their alone time, but they also enjoy going out with friends once in a while. The problem is, they have a limit to how many times they go out in a week or a month. If you’re a Chinoy introvert and you found yourself feeling too drained to attend another social event, then you’ve probably whipped out the “I’m sorry, I can’t go because my parents are strict” card a few times before.
5. Kai Xiao is the worst thing for you
Screenshot from The Big Bang Theory
Introverts are perfectly capable of finding their own partners, but sometimes parents and relatives would intervene and introduce you to the children of their friends. It usually takes a while for introverts to open up to other people, so the first kai xiao date is probably more awkward than successful as you struggle to get past small talk and try not to say anything too embarrassing.
