Language Differences

Some people have been asking if I have acquired the Chinese accent. I don't think I can fake it that well, but there are instances I find myself using 哪儿 effortlessly as compared to 哪里。Occasionally when I'm in the mood, 这是什么？becomes 这是啥？and 不是吧 becomes 不是 beh......

When I exclaimed during a ping pong game, "好 xian...aka sian", my opponent thought I meant, "好险！"

Food wise, 云吞 is known as 馄饨， potato is 土豆 and forget about asking for 牛油. It's 黄油！

Actually, it's because I'm up north then language differences become more obvious. Just like how a Beijing-er cannot understand our Hokkien, Cantonese or Teochew (南方方言)，I found the 北方方言 very amusing too.

Gang2 Gang3 的 = 很棒！Very good!
埋汰 = 很脏，very dirty
科衬 = 很丑，very ugly
闹心 = 心烦，xiannnnnn... ;)

A pretty girl is known as 靓女，and when you wanna say someone is good-looking, it's 这人看起来很精神！Awake?!?!

I remember in Suzhou, how 洗 is pronounced as 死。Can you imagine in a salon, one is asked, “您要坐着洗还是躺着洗？快洗还是慢洗？”

On the other hand, when I try to tell the people here that in Hokkien, eating is Jia Beng, it became 驾崩 (emperor's death)！

Ahhh...

gRacE ;)