Thursday, February 05, 2004
WTF! I got mistaken as a China-rian AGAIN! Why? Why? Why? I've lost count on the number of times where people asked if I'm from China. *slaps forehead* This is very much pissing me off.
Right. Details. Worked overtime today. (Which spoilt my plan of meeting Anita & Edel after work &^%$#@!) Reached home at ard 7:50pm after that friggin' long bus journey. (or better known as IniQx-nap-of-the-day) I was damn shagged & I waited for the lift to come down to lst floor. As I was switching off the radio on my hp. I realised someone is standing behind me & so ok, I moved forward alittle. (Yes. I'm a freak that hates people to get close to me. It's a personal thing. I hate to have my space intruded. Ok never mind. I know you can't be bothered with that piece of information & you want to read on what exactly happened. Well, please pardon me if I do divert from here to there time to time. It's a personal thing. Do I hear swearings already? OKIE!) The lift came & so I stepped in & press for 9th floor. This person behind me turn out to be someone very unfamiliar. She (let's call her Brainless Mad Woman, BMW) was pushing her bicycle in & so being the usual kind & courteous soul, I asked: "Which floor? (In Mandarin)" BMW: "12th (In English)" And so I thought to myself: "People these days really can't speak much of a Mandarin huh? Tsk..." When those thoughts were running in my head,
BMW said: "Just knock off ah?" (This time in Mandarin)
Me: Yah! (faint smile)
BMW: "You look very tired."
Me: (faint smile again) *sigh* "Working is forever tiring."
BMW: "Are you from China?"
Me: (WTF!) "Huh? No I said working is forever tiring." (Somehow the above statement I made in Mandarin sounded like "I'm China-rian"
BMW: "Oh no. Are you from China?"
Me: (WTF!!!!) Huh? NONONONO! (By then I feel like slapping myself. Do I look so much like China-rian?)
BMW: "Oh! You sound like one."
Me: (Ok! Not too bad. At least she didn't say I look like one) *faint smile*
BMW: "Your Mandarin very good."
ME: "Oh thx!"
The lift door opened. I stepped out.
BMW: "bye bye!" (IN MANDARIN! How often to you hear someone say bye bye in Mandarin?????!!! Why is she insisting I'm from China? Why? Why? Why?????)
Me: "bye bye!" (In English)
After stepping out the lift, I thought back. Throughout the whole conversation with her, I'm using my lousiest sounding Mandarin. (aka Singapore style Mandarin) She should have hear me speak when I'm on-air or talking to Mr. Kwek (Yeah! I can speak excellent Mandarin btw. So good that even China people wonders if I'm from China. Ok, if someone from China drops me that doubt, I will be damn flattered. Hahahah! Getting praised by China people on Mandarin doesn't come by so easily like, like, like...errr...pee does.
I don't despise China people or what just that oh c'mon can't Singaporeans speak fluent Mandarin? If I speak fluent Mandarin, it means I'm from China? I didn't even put on that China slang when I spoke to BMW! Bottomline: Is Singaporean's standard of Chinese language deteriorating? Or, I'm so down luck that I met a brainless mad woman? Or, is my Mandarin THAT good? Or, the Chinese language standard in China is dropping. (No. This can't be possible. Strike that out. Yes. Good boy!)
Tell me.
// she's beautifully chaotic at 11:00 PM >> 