Looking for a housemate or a token? A couple of friends were helping me out with finding a house yesterday afternoon (speaking of which: I found a place yay!). We go through a whole list of accommodation ads, and see one that seems to be a DREAM. →[More:]Big house, concert piano, library, swimming pool, cheap rent with bills included, fully furnished. The house had international folks and in the ad they would like people of different cultures to join in. Great, I'm multicultural, this sounds like my kind of place.

Then this conversation happened:

Me: Hi, is this [name?]
Them: Yes, it's me.
Me: Hi! I'm Tiara. I saw your ad on the UQ Rentals and was wondering if your room was still available?
Them: Oh yes! But where are you from?
Me: Originally, or right now?
Them: Well, where are you from originally?
Me: Malaysia, but I'm in St Lucia now (I'm living with a friend atm, and this is in Brisbane).
Them: Oh, we already have 2 South-East Asians here.
Me: Well, I'm Bangladeshi...(at this moment I'm wondering what this has to do with anything).
Them: Yes, but see, we already have 2 Asians. We're trying to get people from different cultures. We have a South American and we're thinking of getting an European to make it complete.
Me: ...oh.
Them: Thanks anyway! Bye!
Me: Uh, ok, bye.

All our reactions: WTF??? I was still in shock for a while. I didn't think my race would be a bloody issue. Are they looking for housemates or tokens? Collection?

And these are all postgraduates, even.