During our dating time, the Husband & I had a random conversation about raising kids after marriage.
I said I would speak to our kids in Cantonese and get my family to do the same too.
Both my parents are Cantonese and so are my relatives.
I like my native dialect a lot (actually, I find all Chinese dialects amazing) with all its quirks & all
and want to pass it on to my children.
and want to pass it on to my children.
It is a pity that very few children are able to speak beyond English & Mandarin.
Plus, it is always easy to learn a new language when one is a kid.
Not like they need to take exams anyway. =P
The then-boyfriend-now-Husband wasn't keen in the kids learning dialects.
He felt that English & Mandarin would suffice.
Well, coming from a grown man who doesn't know how to speak his Hock Chew or even Hokkien, kinda expected isn't it?
I told him it was snobbish to think that way.
After all, you never know when it might come in useful. No harm learning, right?
It's free teaching, you know!
It's free teaching, you know!
He snorted at that idea.
Until one day, not long after our wedding, we went to Hong Kong to visit my aunt.
It was the Husband's first time there and he was totally floored by the locals.
At that time, Hong Kongers were not fluent in Mandarin and treated Mandarin-speaking tourists in a not so polite way.
I got better bargaining deals than him, being mistaken as a local because of my accent
(those were the days, sigh).
(those were the days, sigh).
During the one week we were there, it was misery for the Husband because most of the time, he couldn't understand the conversations going on and needed my help in ordering/buying stuff.
I didn't mean to be mean, but it was really hilarious to see how quickly he changed his stance on learning dialects after the trip.
Not speaking & hearing Cantonese nowadays as often as I do in pre-marriage days, when I stumbled onto this video on Youtube, it was like reliving those TVB drama serial days all over again!
Such sweet happiness!
I like Chow Yun Fatt. He's my favourite actor since my secondary school days.
An actor who is in his own league and irreplacable.
Cantonese humour is so quirky & funny!
I hope he will do some great comedy movies!
I hope he will do some great comedy movies!
It will be such a blast!
Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu
