To be from the east 2

To be from the east is

To enjoy burgers and fries,
pasta and pizza,
paella and tapas

And also to own smugly the careless familiarity with
chicken rice and fishball noodles,  
dosai and idly,
kueh lapis and nasi lemak

To be from the east is

To know the uber rich
in palatial bungalows,
the everyday man
in hdb flats and
the slum dirt poor
begging in the streets of India

To be from the east is

To bask in the camaraderie of minorities
To rock jeans and tees and also look chic in cheongsams and sarees
To be hooked onto Hollywood and Bollywood, and Kollywood and Korean drama

To be from the east is

To have words and thoughts bubble in more than one tongue
To smirk as people praise your English (they expect it to be broken)
To know customs and cultures that enrich your very blood

And

To be from the east is

To watch the tides of time turn
Slowly and surely
To raise us
to tower over and
Devour
The west.