Quick question about the language

[closedcasket]

Never would've thought my simple question would turn into a flame war....atleast I got 1 or 2 proper replies...

You must be new here?

[INXS]

1.) You can get by perfectly well here without Cantonese
2.) A lot of doors will open if you can speak Canto

I still see many things said on these boards as facts which I know not to be true because I mix with locals.

When I lived in Sweden I learnt some Swedish, much easier than Canto, really changed life for me there. Suddenly we were able to make friends with Swedish people, (again, you'd be surprised how many can't speak English), it's the only way into the culture.

So without arguing...it's true that you don't need Cantonese to live, prosper in and enjoy Hong Kong. It's also true that you will only scratch the surface of local culture and knowledge if you don't learn Cantonese.

[Ryks]

You must be new here?

Yeh I am lol. Guess I should join in?

[Azuremain]

Truth is most will only make it to some basic Cantonese phrases with a hard accent and it will help only as an ice-breaker. But point is putonghua or commi speak won't bring you any further with the locals and different to Cantonese won't even help as an ice-breaker. Again, English is one of the official languages, so for anything related to the job or with the authorities must be in English anyways (if in doubt the English version of a contract, letter etc. prevails) and everybody can speak some English, except for some retarded Chimomms tourists/immigrants.

[flameproof]

I don't get free spring onions but who gives a stuff, they're only a few dollars if I need them anyway.

I don't think all stalls give them automatically. Sometimes they ask if I need them. When I ask for it I get them always free on top.

I just ask .. Ge do cheen ah ....and use canto numbers...

At which time the wet market girls smile, laugh and we all start talking english

I never got to the "and we all start talking english" part....

[INXS]

I'm not agreeing with Proplus's absolutist stance on learning Cantonese but it's typical that people have latched on to the 'spring onion' thing rather than the actual gist of what he meant and what we all know he meant. Any chance of useful debate is spoiled by this.

[imparanoic]

1.) You can get by perfectly well here without Cantonese
2.) A lot of doors will open if you can speak Canto

I still see many things said on these boards as facts which I know not to be true because I mix with locals.

When I lived in Sweden I learnt some Swedish, much easier than Canto, really changed life for me there. Suddenly we were able to make friends with Swedish people, (again, you'd be surprised how many can't speak English), it's the only way into the culture.

So without arguing...it's true that you don't need Cantonese to live, prosper in and enjoy Hong Kong. It's also true that you will only scratch the surface of local culture and knowledge if you don't learn Cantonese.

opening doors in one sense, opening your nose and mouth in another sense

does that mean that you started to enjoy Surströmming like the swedes, just like enjoying stinky tofu here and durian in Thailand?

[TheBrit]

I'm not agreeing with Proplus's absolutist stance on learning Cantonese but it's typical that people have latched on to the 'spring onion' thing rather than the actual gist of what he meant and what we all know he meant. Any chance of useful debate is spoiled by this.

That is because he erected an obvious strawman and tried to change the argument to that.

I speak fluent Cantonese, and the posters on here thinking that not knowing the language makes no difference at all is absolutely deluded.

Not a single poster here has said learning Cantonese makes no difference. Lots of people have said you can get by without Cantonese, which is patently and demonstrably true.

He doesn't like the fact this is true, so he instead tried to change the terms of the discussion to the first fact, which is also true but nobody is denying it at all. He also threw in some insults and some stupid stuff about spring onions, for which he was rightly mocked.

[thegame181]

I'm not agreeing with Proplus's absolutist stance on learning Cantonese but it's typical that people have latched on to the 'spring onion' thing rather than the actual gist of what he meant and what we all know he meant. Any chance of useful debate is spoiled by this.

'I must agree with what INXS is saying. Everyone has to use the spring onion idea and throw fire onto it. Yes did he change some things he really meant? Sure but we are all adults and hopefully should be able to figure out what he really meant.

[Watercooler]

Watercooler failed to answer this question, so I will ask Proplus.

What exactly is all this local culture that us poor expats are missing out on by not speaking Cantonese?

I spent a few years in a predominantly local work environment and the only "culture" that seemed to be discussed was food, drink, karaoke and whores.

No one had traveled outside of HK and China in their lives, the only literature read was comic books, I am pretty certain temple tours were not on the weekend agenda, theatre and opera? forget it.

So, what is this culture we are missing out on?

Sigh...you seem to have trouble reading. I did answer your question. You choose to ignore it. Understand?

This is the problem with not being able to understand cantonese. You only glimpse the surface culture with it's vulgarity and mundane gossip. But had you put in the effort to know some cantonese, people will open doors for you. Yes, that includes Chinese opera and Chinese literature (If you think local literature is only limited to comics, that only shows the depth of your ignorance). There is, in contrast to your ignorant view, a thriving local arts scene like Cattle Depot Artistic Village and the Fo Tan Artistic village. The local cinema with it's HK films, while long past it's heyday, have a rich collection of movies. Knowing cantonese will help you understand the nuances that you cannot detect just by reading the subtitles.