I look Chinese but don't speak the language. Is that so bad?
Published: 9:30am, 22 Feb 2025
Tôi không phải là người Việt Nam, tôi là người Mỹ gốc Malaysia. ('I'm not Vietnamese; I'm an American originally from Malaysia.')
This was the first phrase I asked my Vietnamese language instructor to teach me as I took up the bureau chief position for Reuters in Hanoi. I found it necessary to recite this often to establish my background at the outset, because to many Vietnamese, I looked Vietnamese. It occurred to me as I moved back to Hong Kong in 2019 that I might need to memorise something similar in Cantonese. I am ethnically Chinese , and I think I look Chinese (or at least Asian; I've been mistaken for a Thai in Bangkok, and a Filipina in Manila). I did eventually settle on a phrase, sik teng mm sik gong , which covers a multitude of my linguistic sins – 'I understand, but can't speak.'
My Chinese vocabulary has been frozen in time since primary school, when conversations were simple in our hometown, Petaling Jaya, a satellite city of Kuala Lumpur. My siblings and I spoke Chinese to our live-in amah, our paternal grandmother, taxi drivers, market vendors and in restaurants.
My parents are to blame. While neither had higher education, both became native-level English speakers, reading voraciously and passing down the reading bug to their five children. We devoured all manner of English-language material, written, spoken and on celluloid. Working for an American oil company, my father brought home Time and Newsweek magazines, and the Western influence was further transmitted via music: Frank Sinatra and Perry Como, Mozart and Bach, Fiddler on the Roof and My Fair Lady, and later, Police and Earth, Wind and Fire. (And, OK, don't hate me, but even Abba.) The exception was when our parents took us to every Bruce Lee film screened in Kuala Lumpur, as well as any 'historical' Chinese movie, like one about the Boxer Rebellion . I guess it was their way of giving us a touchstone for being Chinese, or in the case of Lee, letting us connect with a rare global Chinese icon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
an hour ago
- RTHK
UK's Prince William calls for action to protect oceans
UK's Prince William calls for action to protect oceans This week's UN conference aims to get more countries to ratify a treaty on protecting ocean biodiversity. File photo: AFP Britain's Prince William on Sunday called on world leaders and businesses to take urgent action to protect the planet's oceans, saying it was a challenge "like none we have faced before". Speaking ahead of the UN Ocean Conference, which begins in France on Monday, William said rising sea temperatures, plastic pollution and overfishing were putting pressure on fragile ecosystems and the people who depend on them. "What once seemed an abundant resource is diminishing before our eyes," William, heir to the British throne, told the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco. "Put simply: the ocean is under enormous threat, but it can revive itself. But, only if together, we act now," he told the meeting of investors and policymakers. This week's UN conference aims to get more countries to ratify a treaty on protecting ocean biodiversity which currently lacks sufficient signatories to come into force. William addressed Sunday's gathering in his role as founder of the Earthshot Prize, launched by the prince in 2020 with the aim of making huge strides to tackle environmental problems within a decade. On Saturday, William's office released a video of him talking to David Attenborough, one of the world's best-known nature broadcasters, about his latest documentary "Ocean" which examines the plight of the seas. "The thing which I am appalled by, when I first saw the shots that were taken for this film are what we have done to the deep ocean floor," Attenborough told him. "If you did anything remotely like it on land, everybody would be up in arms." (Reuters)
RTHK
4 days ago
- RTHK
Gauff, Boisson win through at French Open
Gauff, Boisson win through at French Open Coco Gauff celebrates after she beats Madison Keys in the French Open quarterfinal. Photo: Reuters Coco Gauff battled back from a set down to beat Australian Open champion Madison Keys in an error-strewn French Open quarterfinal on Wednesday. That set up a semifinal showdown with France's 361st-ranked Lois Boisson. The second seed Gauff battled past her fellow American 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-1 in a tense last-eight clash littered with a whopping 14 double-faults and 101 unforced errors. "It means a lot, especially getting through this tough match today, it wasn't an easy match and I'm very happy to get through it," Gauff said. "I'm so excited to be in the semifinals back here again and have a lot more work to do. Just savour this one today and then next one tomorrow." Keys came through a tense first set in a tie-break after blowing a 4-1 lead with a double-break, but Gauff upped her level enough to fight back. The 21-year-old was the runner-up to Iga Swiatek in a one-sided showpiece match in 2022. Keys had been hoping to challenge for a second consecutive Grand Slam title, but failed to reach the semifinals in Paris for a second time. Boisson, meanwhile, continued her dream run at Roland Garros, defeating world number six Mirra Andreeva to advance to the final four. Boisson won a thrilling battle 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 against Russian Andreeva. (AFP)
RTHK
5 days ago
- RTHK
'Amazing' Alcaraz cruises into French Open last four
'Amazing' Alcaraz cruises into French Open last four Alcaraz's victory sets up a final four showdown with Lorenzo Musetti. Photo: AFP Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz glided into the semi-finals of Roland Garros, blowing away American 12th seed Tommy Paul for the loss of just five games in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Spaniard needed just one hour 34 minutes to dismantle former world number nine Paul 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 and set up a last-four meeting with Italy's Lorenzo Musetti. Musetti, seeded eighth, earlier beat Paul's compatriot and 15th seed Frances Tiafoe in four sets. It will be the third time Alcaraz and Musetti meet this clay-court season. Alcaraz has dominated that series, beating the Italian in the final in Monte Carlo before also stopping him in the last four on his way to the Rome title. And the 22-year-old's blistering performance under the lights on centre court in Paris will have many backing him to make it three from three against Musetti as he seeks to defend his title. "It was, I could close my eyes and everything went in, my feeling today was amazing. Today was one of those matches where everything went in, I'm just pleased with everything," said Alcaraz. Alcaraz fired 40 winners on his way to victory over Paul for just 22 unforced errors as he emphatically put inconsistent displays in the previous rounds behind him. "This kind of match is never easy," he said. "I've played Tommy many times and he's beat me twice." Despite previous success against Alcaraz, it took the 28-year-old American eight games to get on the scoreboard as his opponent raced out of the blocks, mixing powerful groundstrokes with perfectly-weighted drop-shots and lobs. Paul put up determined resistance in the third set but couldn't deny Alcaraz, who broke in the ninth game before holding to love for victory. "I know you wanted to watch more tennis," an apologetic Alcaraz told the crowd on centre court. "I have to say sorry for that. But I had to do my work." Paul has now lost his last four meetings with Alcaraz, including at the same venue last year in the last eight of the Olympic Games. (AFP)
