If the answer to the title or question above is yes, PLEASE be proud of our own dialect, Hokkien. Speak Hokkien! Kong Hokkien ua!
These days, everyone seems to be speaking Mandarin. *sheesh* Where ever I go, people speak Mandarin to me! Eh hello! Does any part of my face show signs that I could read, write or speak fluently in Mandarin?? I can't deny the beauty of the language BUT please lah, be proud of the Hokkien dialect. Oii, Penang lang toh bey kong Hokkien ua!!
What is wrong with the Chinese communities on this small island??? They've set a lousy mindset that one who speaks Mandarin has a higher status or class. This is so wrong. Just because of that kind of mindset, nobody speaks Hokkien anymore. Not even the sales girls or promoters at shopping malls. They can't understand Hokkien. They can't speak English too. Oh no! It feels like I'm actually in China!!!
It was really frustrating when the sales girl couldn't understand a customer. I was in Prangin Mall yesterday when a foreigner asked the part-time employee's assistance. She couldn't understand simple English at all. Since I was just a few centimetres away, I offered help. I translated what the tourist wanted to the girl in Hokkien as I thought everyone in Penang would comprehend that famous dialect. The young sales girl just grinned sheepishly. I asked her in a lousy intonated Mandarin, "You can't speak Hokkien, can you??" She replied in Mandarin and said no. I told her what the foreginer wanted in Mandarin and she complied to the tourist's orders. (Hmm...I wonder whether she understood what I said or not since that I'm a 85% banana! Erm...not this banana ok!) Isn't it embarrassing that even the Nepalese waiter at the famous coffeeshop at Swatow Lane could speak better Hokkien and English??? *shakes head*
Sad to say, but it's true. Currently, most Penangites are falling into that kind of category, just like that sales girl. They could speak fluently in Mandarin but they can't even understand simple English or Hokkien. Gosh! This category of peeps include professionals like engineers and executives! Don't believe me??? Well, leave your email addresses in the comment section and I'll send you a list of engineers from a well-known company. All those engineers from my contact list in MSN can't even understand simple English or Hokkien. Now, that's a solid reason as to why I prefer to be single until any exceptional ones appear! Hehehe....Oh out of topic! Now, I'm reminding you to speak Hokkien! Preserve the beauty of the dialect! Lai wa lang kong Hokkien ua! Hehe...
These days, everyone seems to be speaking Mandarin. *sheesh* Where ever I go, people speak Mandarin to me! Eh hello! Does any part of my face show signs that I could read, write or speak fluently in Mandarin?? I can't deny the beauty of the language BUT please lah, be proud of the Hokkien dialect. Oii, Penang lang toh bey kong Hokkien ua!!
What is wrong with the Chinese communities on this small island??? They've set a lousy mindset that one who speaks Mandarin has a higher status or class. This is so wrong. Just because of that kind of mindset, nobody speaks Hokkien anymore. Not even the sales girls or promoters at shopping malls. They can't understand Hokkien. They can't speak English too. Oh no! It feels like I'm actually in China!!!
It was really frustrating when the sales girl couldn't understand a customer. I was in Prangin Mall yesterday when a foreigner asked the part-time employee's assistance. She couldn't understand simple English at all. Since I was just a few centimetres away, I offered help. I translated what the tourist wanted to the girl in Hokkien as I thought everyone in Penang would comprehend that famous dialect. The young sales girl just grinned sheepishly. I asked her in a lousy intonated Mandarin, "You can't speak Hokkien, can you??" She replied in Mandarin and said no. I told her what the foreginer wanted in Mandarin and she complied to the tourist's orders. (Hmm...I wonder whether she understood what I said or not since that I'm a 85% banana! Erm...not this banana ok!) Isn't it embarrassing that even the Nepalese waiter at the famous coffeeshop at Swatow Lane could speak better Hokkien and English??? *shakes head*
Sad to say, but it's true. Currently, most Penangites are falling into that kind of category, just like that sales girl. They could speak fluently in Mandarin but they can't even understand simple English or Hokkien. Gosh! This category of peeps include professionals like engineers and executives! Don't believe me??? Well, leave your email addresses in the comment section and I'll send you a list of engineers from a well-known company. All those engineers from my contact list in MSN can't even understand simple English or Hokkien. Now, that's a solid reason as to why I prefer to be single until any exceptional ones appear! Hehehe....Oh out of topic! Now, I'm reminding you to speak Hokkien! Preserve the beauty of the dialect! Lai wa lang kong Hokkien ua! Hehe...
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