This can be a little sensitive. But not as intense as you assume it to be. To begin that, there is racism everywhere and it will always be there. It is not only about the discrimination of colour but also race, ethnicity, culture, and so on. It is not only between black and white alone but many others. It is not only outside the hometown but also within. Be it the continent, country or even the nearest state, racism still exists. How can that be dealt with? Depending on how you see.

This blog post isn't how to deal with racism but my personal experience while abroad. Like every person, I also had my worries if there would be racism in the UK and how to handle that. But we were told that they were very polite and cultured so don't worry about it. And they stand corrected. 

But one thing, they also expect us to be polite. Like it is very important to use the words ‘Excuse Me’ ‘Sorry’ ‘Thank you’ ‘Please’ and so on. I use them frequently and then I had to work on being more courteous and it is going well. Now coming to the question? Have I faced racism in campus or elsewhere? Well, maybe in a subtle and harmless way. Didn't understand? I will explain. 

They don't show disregard evidently. They might give a look ‘oh a brown guy' and that's it. Maybe they don't want to share a seat with you on the bus or a table at the cafeteria. Maybe they wait for you to leave so that they can take the seat or the table. All that is fine and I see that as an advantage; I don't have to share a seat. I can be by myself. And I really don't mind sharing a seat or a table. I do want to interact with everyone and at the same time, I don't force it. I try and be courteous as much as truly possible and that isn't part of people pleasing; it's just who I am. 

So that is how it has been going. Until… I was walking by the corridor when three white guys were coming from the opposite side and the one in the middle noticed me when we were crossing paths, the middle guy asked me to ‘Quack Off’ (If you know what I meant.) and the others laughed. I did show a finger but not sure if they noticed. I wasn't upset but it did kind of bother me throughout the day. I even thought of beating him up and breaking his jaw as I did in my thoughts many times. I confronted my uncle regarding the same who was surprised as he said that it doesn't usually happen in the UK as the rules are strict and they can be reported. He also mentioned about racism in India, where the South Indians are ‘Madrasis’ for the North Indians and Malayalees are ‘Malabaris’ for Arabs. Well, I don't deny that at all. I even heard the North Indians mention South Indians as Madrasis while on my trip to Manali. Society hasn't evolved as you think it to be. It is evolving backward. 

Anyways, this one incident shouldn't bother me for long as you are going to react the right way. And when you come across the whites who smile in courtesy or acknowledge your presence, that makes me forget that negativity. It is a blissful feeling to see a smile or a courtesy amidst the possible disregard and ignorance.

Anyways, that's all for now. Thank you for reading. I will see you in the next one.