I WAS in Singapore the day Aimee Dawis launched the Indonesian translation of her book The Chinese of Indonesia and Their Search for Identity.

My host, a businessman, would not stop talking. I remained politely silent. Finally, after 40 minutes, he asked my opinion, adding: “But you are Javanese, so you surely won’t give a straight answer.”

I gave a sour laugh, and replied: “I don’t know whether I am a Javanese or not.”

He was con