Saturday, May 06, 2006

Mandarin or Cantonese?


I went to the cleaners this morning to pick up the last set of sweaters I dropped off for dry cleaning. These will be stored away until the next Winter.

The neighborhood cleaners were tuned in to a Chinese radio station. While waiting I struck a conversation and asked if the DJ was speaking Mandarin or Cantonese. For some weird reasons, I knew it is Cantonese but I was just being polite that's why I asked. The older lady said, "It is Cantonese" and then we both smiled.

I handed her my debit card and then I mentioned that I only know one word in Cantonese which I learned during my trip to HK. I said 'um gay'. She laughed loudly and said the same word with the correct accent.

(This picture was taken during the Chinese Lunar Parade and Street Fair in San Francisco's Chinatown district)

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