Saturday, February 24, 2007

the problem with being a banana

today marks the end of my 10 days visit to my in-laws. 10 days that came and went as fast. back to the doldrums tomorrow.

what is there to do in hong kong? what is there to eat in hong kong? where do you shop in hong kong?

don't ask me.

the problem with going to hong kong is it is much akin with going back to your hometown. when you return home after a long tired day, you don't want to be doing anything. you don't want to see anybody, go anywhere or visit anyplace. you just want to stay at home and immerse in that homey feeling. so, even after more than 13 years of making this place my adopted home, i can't answer any of the above questions. of course, it doesn't help that this banana can't read any chinese. heck! even their windows programme is in chinese. i've got strange characters replacing my 'publish' and 'discard'. i just have to make sure i remember the correct button and don't end up chucking this entire post to the deep sea.

i'm trying to concentrate as i type but my stomach is growling something fierce. it needs some sustenance.....but everybody is still sleeping. what can i do? HD was up the whole night, swimming on dry water (yes, go figure that out). i'm going to have to venture down to the streets with the kids by myself to hunt for breakfast. as i said, it doesn't help that everything is in chinese. granted, there are some english translations....but then, how do i translate them into chinese again and place my orders to the cantonese speaking lady behind the counter? she will most likely stare at me with very big blank eyes if i was to start blabbering my order in english.

i can't stand it anymore. the growlings are getting louder and fiercer. *bulb lights up overhead* i'll bring them to mcdonald's for breakfast!

sorry, got a couple of kids to annoy now.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm confused. you still in HK or what?

And I also a big banana like you.

Cocka Doodle said...

You go to Muck-Doe-Noe and order a Hon Pou Pow lor.

There are also some nice dimsum shops in the nooks and crannies if you are adventurous.

may said...

I went for mandarin classes for at least a year, and now I've forgotten almost everything. had the same problem when I went to Beijing last year, I could only point and nod instead of practising my almost-gone mandarin then... lol!

me said...

dear ah pek: was. now i'm back in this place where i can understand what is being said and written - most of the time anyway. :-) let's make a banana split out of u.

dear cocka: yes, try telling me what 'happy meal' and 'hashbrown' is in cantonese. :-p most restaurants which sell dim sum have a form for you to tick and choose what u want to eat...! unable to understand that and you have zilch to eat! :-( of course the posher ones are translated into english but ppl like me don't go to posh restaurants mahhhhhh.

dear may: hahaha. the biggest problem is in the execution hor? we get so self-conscious that we end up not talking or speaking very softly. maybe if u use it more often, it will all come back to you?

Jonzz said...

Hmm, I'm a bit lost. Are u still in HK?

Las montaƱas said...

but you can speak (cantonese) right? no need to read lah (just tell them your special eyes don't allow you to read chinese text) but you can speak cantonese alright!! like a mongering shenzehn native :P

me said...

dear jonzz: i was. the little hints along the way....ppl telling me they will come to malaysia to visit me in the last post.....the little island that is too tight and squeezy to house their old folks....but i'm back now.

dear monty: but when u get self-conscious, you sound like shit. i dunno about the mongering shenchen native bit though....i've never been to china yet...but i like to think i have a little more class.....:-p

zewt said...

why is everyone a type A chinese... sigh...

me said...

dear zewt: hmmmm...is that an insult or a compliment? i definitely don't want to be no angmoh n my only crime was not being able to stuff all those chinese characters into my brain when i was young. i think of myself as malaysian. malaysian chinese. how can u be australian when u r malaysian!?!?!? mind-boggling! i stay in a condo, i definitely know how to shit (excuse the crudeness here, the other readers) whilst squatting, i have a desktop AND laptop, i use internet for googling many things and i don't have an ipod. i've been watching hk tv series since i was a wee little girl and i speak malay with a malaysian accent.

sorry to disappoint u. does that mean i qualify for typical ABC chinese, like our favourite air batu campur delicacy?

people only see what they want to see.

what a lengthy reply to yr comment!

zewt said...

very eloquent indeed...

nothing wrong in being a typa A really... some of them are type A not by choice, they are just born into it... blame the parents perhaps.... parents who are brought up as chinese but raise their kids as angmohs. gonna probably be my next entry...

anyway, i think ppl will only testify that they are a malaysian chinese when they are NOT in malaysia and will proudly speak the malay language when no one else around them can speak the same. i've been there, done that.

appreciate your lengthy reply... will be dropping by often.

me said...

dear zewt: totally escaped my brain to reply to yr reply (pun intended).

Hor!!!!! U R A TYPE AAAAAAA!!!!! *pointing accusing finger* hahahahaha.

there are all types of ppl in this world...u'll meet all sorts who don't fit in2 yr square categories. i for 1 didn't speak malay during my uni years in uk, unless of course i was talking to a fellow malay, hoping only to make them more comfortable when conversing with me. then again, with my atrocious malay, they should be rolling on the floor laughing like dead cockroaches.

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