Being Filipino, Dailies, Hong Kong, Observations
What the Hey
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Originally uploaded by: jeffk
I was at the Fortress Shop this afternoon to find an adaptor for my not-so-old IBM laptop when this dude, who then figured out I was looking for something, approached me and said, “Hello, how may I help you?” I knew people around here would try to help the best they could but when they do, sometimes it’s easy for you to just walk away feeling frustrated because some of them can’t understand a little English and some just can’t help you at all.
Me: “I was actually looking for an Adaptor for my IBM laptop”.
Dude: “Laptop?”
Me: “No. I mean, yes for a Laptop”.
Dude: “Yes, we have IBM. What model?”
Me: “No, no, not a laptop, an A-DAP-TOR for my LAP-TOP”.
Dude: “Yes, we have laptops. IBM”.
Me: “NOOOOOO. I said, AN ADAPTOR FOR MY LAPTOP. You know, cable, wires, ADAPTOR” while pointing to that stupid wires, “like those”.
Dude: “Sorry, NO”
But how can they achieved the status of being the Truly Asia’s World City if they don’t know or without having to improve their English? Almost everyone I know of has their own versions of feeling lost, misunderstood, and clueless during their first encounters with the locals here. I mean I can’t complain because my Tagalog is better than my Cantonese. Needless to say, the more I speak my almost perfect English, the more I cannot be understood. Usually, I’d try to Stop. Smile. Then try again and before I can think about what to say I’d keep it as simple as possible. If you say, “Please may I have a Chicken” is very polite in English but it can be confusing for a second language speaker. “Chicken, please” may sound a lot better.
So I exited away from the shop while laughing inside my head because I find it hard to accept when they say, NO, Sorry. Sometimes the answer would even be the longer version, “No, sorry, I don’t speak English.” I understand that sometimes they are just naturally shy when it comes to encountering foreigners - it’s not that I am a foreigner with a white-colored skin, it’s just that they actually find it hard to get into that kind of situation in order to avoid further confrontation, or rather, conversation. But the ones that I cannot help but ask is this, “Should they speak in English?” “Shouldn’t I be the ones learning their language because I am in their country?”
As for me, this seems to be the easiest way of adapting. I try to understand and learn a bit of Cantonese, even my English is becoming so elementary whenever I talk to some of my colleagues, so that I can be understood. In other words, I’m becoming Hong Koni-fide. But I’d still think that this city must emphasized the use of English language because it has already become the language of choice anywhere in the World.
Apparently, even us Filipinos knowing that we learned English during our first grade and - or because it is a must when we enter college, then why is it so hard to understand simple English? One time as I was getting my luggage at the very crowded, small pick-up luggage area at the Centennial Airport in the Philippines, I asked this security guy where to smoke but he insisted, it was prohibited within the Airport. But when I looked around, I found this man in his uniform enjoying a puff just right infront of the ‘NO SMOKING SIGN’. I mean, what the hey?
Then another incident today at Jollibee fastfood while enjoying my crunchy Chicken Joy in the corner, my bag is placed in the other side of the table where there are three more seats available, when this group of Pinays stands right infront of me talking to themselves.
The Pinay with icky pimples: “Meron kayang naka-upo dito?” (Do you think someone’s occupying these seats?)
The Me eating chicken thinks: Is she talking to me?
The other Pinay holding a Yes, magazine whispering to another Pinay holding a Gio bag: “Sa kanya ata yung bag at hindi ata sya Pinoy” (I think that’s his bag and he’s probably not a Pinoy).
The Me sipping 7-up: “Opps, sorry walang nakaupo diyan”. Obviously, mga Ate wala.
The Pinay with icky pimples: “Sabi ko na sainyo, Pinoy sya eh”? (I told you, he’s a Pinoy).
I don’t understand why some people would not directly ask and say, “Excuse me, may I take that seat?” To think I can understand tagalog naman. Do I look like some kind of Chinese? I am not another Asian in a Filipino food chain, barehanded in eating those crunchy chicken thighs, if you know what I’m saying.
On the other hand (I’m holding the 7-up with my other hand), Hong Kong may turn out to be quite different in another 10 or 15 years so don’t judge them too hastily now, they may have the last laugh, you never know.
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nung asa thailand din ako, halos mabuyoy na ako mag inglis, kaya natuto ako mag pasa thai. tapos dito naman kapag ayoko makipag usap sa mga tele marketers or yung mga door to door e mag inglis lang ako para matapos agad. pero ang mas nakakatuwa e yung mapagkakamalan kang kababayan nung mga ibang asians dahil sa kulay mo
at ang mas nakakabaliw e yung pag usapan ka nung mga pinoys na akala nila e di ka nakakaintindi, hehe. wala lang…
wala kang nakasalubong na hello kitty?? nyahahahahha
That´s why I didn´t understan a word of your spanish coment. The translator made such a bad translation….for my almost perfect spanish… But I apreciate the effort.
Kitty again? Becoming a cat adict?
ako nasira na english skills ko kaka over simplify with my japanese superiors before. hahaha!
well with china’s effort to learn english, a few more years and hongkong might become a better english speaking city than manila.
dami namang hello kitty dyan.
Hong Kong is such a beautiful place with such a difficult language. To think that they were under British rule for decades dpat sana magaling na sila sa english.
anyhow, hello kitty is everywere in hong kong and im really curious if chinese people were taken by storm of her charm.. (kamot ulo) di ba sa japanese nag originate si hello kitty?
I remember my first visit to HK when I was about 6 or 7. My aunt was taking a stroll at the local shop when I started looking at cookie cutters. Yep, just looking and not touching. Then the sales lady (I would assume she was) came to me and started yelling (that’s how I remember it). I’m very fluent in English from a very young age but at that point I felt helpless. I ran to my Aunt with tears and told her I can’t understand people in HK and I wanna go home.
BTW, I’m getting distressed with all the Hello Kitty pics you’re putting up here. Don’t tell me you like “it” cos that’s plain weird. Hehehe~
EVA air has got a plane or a few planes covered in Hello Kitty.
you know what K, it is best to learn their language. you get better bargain, too, when shopping. just like when i go to mexico, i speak spanish even in broken fashion. i would say, “es muy muy caro, soy solo filipina, que no tengo mucho dinero.” (it is very very expensive, am just a filipina who doesn’t have lots of money.) it works and bargaining becomes a breeze. hehe.
K, I’m quite surprised that the guy in Fortress couldn’t comprehend simple English. I really thought they were good since there are many tourists who go there to buy their gadgets. Baka natiyempuhan ka! lol
But you know, whenever I call HSBC’s phonebanking I always had to ask the person on the other line to repeat what she just said. I couldn’t comprehend here English. Either bingi ako or do ko ma gets and Hk accent nya.
I guess if I’m living in HK, I’d be able to speak some Cantonese, it’s not that hard to learn, two of my sisters can speak Chinese because they work with Chinese people in Chinatown, NY. I do feel that the salespeople should learn to speak English because HK is a tourist city.
dito naman, ganyan ang thinking ng mga amerikano, na nasa bansa ka nila so kailangan mo pag-aralan ang language nila. tapos pag nasa ibang bansa naman sila expect nila marunong mag-english ang lahat ng tayo. weird no?