Comments on: What the Hey

By: Meeya

Meeya — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:05:37 +0000

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?

By: Ginger

Ginger — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 03:14:36 +0000

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.

By: K

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:30:07 +0000

Duke, totoo, siguro natyempuhan ko lang. Pero knowing Fortress in Central District, I expect more good service and better english speakers, hindi gaya sa MongKok na (which btw not a good place for tourists to bargain on electronics) they will show you the product, try it, check it - kaso when you do that kailangan bilhin mo agad or else sisigawan ka ng “CHIZEEN” on your way out, hahaha.

I think I went to a wrong place, wherein Fortress only sells appliances, mobiles and cameras, not accesories (mmppph, pero kahit na, dapat meron sila nun!). If you know where Computer shop in Wanchai near Southorn Playground, andun marami.

By: duke

duke — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 18:40:35 +0000

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.

By: K

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:26:02 +0000

Belle, you’re right. When Airwind (another blogger) visited HK, I hanged out with him to the “Night Market” and because I have a little knowledge of speaking cantonese, I helps the trick to ask for bargains. Apparently, in some shops, if they think you know how to speak cantonese, they don’t give you some sort of VIP treatment kasi they think, “oh he is a local, he doesn’t need our friendliness”. So that’s why, I always end up whining about it.

By: Belle

Belle — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:21:21 +0000

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.

By: K

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:21:07 +0000

Kofi, oh poor you. That was a long time ago huh? I think HK was way way better during its brief time under Brits rule. It would be better off that HK still remains that way but some people think that it is hard to say whether the British or Chinese were better, but I can say the economy was better under the British.

My intention of putting Hello Kitty images is not my ‘cup-o-tea’. I think I’m just trying to use it to have a little humor on the story.

Range, isn’t that weird? I think it also help the airlines to be identified as the friendliest aircraft. Absolutely hilarious… cute, but still hilarious.

By: range

range — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 11:10:33 +0000

EVA air has got a plane or a few planes covered in Hello Kitty.

By: Kofi

Kofi — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:30:19 +0000

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~

By: K

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:29:02 +0000

Ron, I think now China is going “in there”. With the coming Olympics, street signs in English translation are being changed so there is now a sense of newness or renewal everywhere. Do you know that they are now being taught to SMILE as often as they could? China’s rising, you bet!

Blue, I think I read somewhere in a local newspaper about Hong Kong vs Pinas (the writer is a Filipino), it reads “Sure, the Philippines is not as hi-tech as HK is, it’s a poor country pero people are happy and contented while HK is a beautiful place, it’s rich, pero people here sucks”. I’m not sure tho’ if that’s the correct term.

I believe the picture was taken from an Airplane, belongs to Taiwanese.