Quick question about the language

[Proplus]

Original Post Deleted

You really can't see out of your bubble, can't you. I never said all wet market stall owners don't speak English. In fact, from my personal experience, a few do, but that's the minority. So that means for you, you're limited to the number of stalls that you can effectively communicate with. Not all stalls have their prices on display, that's the hard fact, you can complain to the local council about it, but that's just the normal local thing.

To the poster that relied on their Singapore friend (on a mobile phone so a bit hard to scroll back and forth), that's the thing, you are reliant on others and you can't really expect to depend on them for the complete duration of your stay here.
The comments about the local culture being all but gossip really highlights the extent of the expat bubble. With the example I gave about visiting a temple, there's so much of the history and beliefs (which is still reflected in how locals behave) that originate from the writings and language use, down to mistranslation/misprounciations from one dialect of Chinese to another. As mentioned before, which the likes of DeletedUser will ignore because he only picks on the bits of the post that he does have a reply for, their are more local news going on than are reported in the English newspapers or the English TV news. One of my favourite hk shows, and there's only a few, it's on with Tuesdays or Sundays, is a documentary on different aspects of hk life, from elderly homes (from why, ifs, how) to making money abroad to pets in HK.

For my self interest I have taken the time in the past to have lunches with a few expats in HK that have taken a keen interest in the history of hk, maybe with the likes of old photos collecting. After a period of time, they themselves will openly admit being an expat in HK, not knowing the language, he only scratched the surface of the local culture.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using GeoClicks mobile app

[usehername]

Personally it has not made the slightest bit of difference whether or not I can have an indepth discussion with a stall holder. I hold out the veg, she eventually stops cooing over the baby long enough to tell me the price, I give her money, she gives me change, we go about our day.

Yes I could try to get references for all the stall holders to check whether they are likely to charge me an extra dollar for my apples.

Or I could just assume they're not all thieves.

[Cwbguy]

Proplus-please refer back to post #65 and reply.
Apart from your riveting history lessons, what are we missing?

P.S. What type of vinegar would you like for that enormous chip on your shoulder?

[MovingIn07]

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

Granted I can't read Chinese, so when I catch the news or gossip, I need to view Cantonese Web videos. English local newspapers and TV news only cover some of what's going on, there's so much more out there.

There was a Cantonese Web video about a week or so ago talking about how drug stores are flogging off fake brands of medicine. How many of the expats know this? Can yo tell the difference in the packaging?

As for wet markets, how many of you expats know that locals don't actually pay for small things like spring onions, garlic and ginger? When you buy up to a certain amount, you ask for them and they get thrown in free. I've seen plenty of expats all proud of themselves after managing to buy a bunch of Choi sum and then pay for spring onions.....

You go into a temple, speak with the locals that work there and you learn so much more about the place and the culture. Try that in English.

These ignorant expats live in their own bubble and are too arrogant to either notice it or adapt.



Sent from my GT-N7100 using GeoClicks mobile app

I got free spring onions in tuen mum wet market last week. Cant speak more than 5 words of canto and that's just good morning, thanks, stop bus and my address!

Sent from my GT-N7000 using GeoClicks mobile app

[Gatts]

Canto will die along with this once great city in about 30 years...

Don't believe me? Go to Shenzhen mostly mandarin

TOTALLY incorrect! Shenzhen was a small fishing village 30 odd years ago that was designated as a new economic zone by Beijing, with hordes of Mandarin speaking elites and workers shipped in from the north. For a long time people from surrounding Guangdong cities were heavily controlled and not allowed to settle in Shenzhen, hence the Mandarin dominance there. Just compare the situation to cities like Guangzhou which after 60+ years of Beijing rule Cantonese still rules the street and local life. This tells you Canto is still here to stay.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using GeoClicks mobile app

[Proplus]

Proplus-please refer back to post #65 and reply.
Apart from your riveting history lessons, what are we missing?

P.S. What type of vinegar would you like for that enormous chip on your shoulder?

Please read and comprehend my last post.

How can anyone say they can understand the any culture without reference to their history and beliefs is beyond me. I'm not saying to believe on the Chinese hocus pocus, but to understand it and how locals (who are relatively speaking quite traditional) interact with their own society.

Me in a bubble? The arrogance shown in this thread is beyond understanding. You (we in fact) are the foreigners here. I actually understand the language, and for me to give you my insight from experience and have it called living in a bubble? That's called having a chip on my shoulder? Do you even know what that means? How retarded is that?

DeletedUser, once again you show that in you mind you are obviously the only person living on this planet. Other people's experience mean nothing to you. You're like a 5 year old with his fingers plugging up his ears.



Sent from my GT-N7100 using GeoClicks mobile app

[Gruntfuttock]

I think Proplus is doing a great job of confirming that, in general, the most pompous group of expats are the Brits, Canadians, Aussies or Americans who happen to have some Chinese genes and therefore think they are god's gift to Hong Kong.

(And of course this is a gross generalisation - I have a couple of BBC friends who are not at all like that, but there are all too many of Proplus's type around)

[jimbo]

My two cents

I'm a bbc too, but I don't speak much canto at all.
At a wet market I get what I need and let them know if it's one catty or two etc. no problem whatsoever.
I don't get stiffed on the price either as it's clearly displayed.

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

[blueagles]

How much will I get away with when using English? Should I make the effort to learn Cantonese or Mandarin? Also not quite sure which one. I heard Cantonese is the main language there, but a Chinese friend of mine told me to learn Mandarin as everyone there speaks it and then I can use it in China too.

If I can get by with English then that would be good. I don't mind learning another language, but am teaching myself Japanese at the moment so it would be hard!

Have been here more than 7+ years now and don't speak canto (except for a very few choice words), so you should be fine. If you are up for it, go ahead and learn Cantonese, this will help you in everyday life. Of course learning the language has its advantages. From what I've heard, Mandarin is used more for business.

I don't go to wet markets so I don't get free spring onions. And I don't live in a bubble as well!

[mrdollars]

Of course it's beneficial to learn the lingo in any country you live in.

I muddle my way through situations with my limited canto at any opportunity. It does make a difference, people warm to you, it breaks the ice and you learn more about your environment. I've found at work my colleagues are far more willing to try talking to me in English if I also try a little canto. I ask them to correct me and teach me new phrases, just yesterday I learned instead of saying 'it's raining cats and dogs' locals say it's raining dog shit. Maybe I'm weird but I found that quite funny.