Pardon those of you who read my blog on Wisconsin sports, but this story crosses over into the Asian world... the Milwaukee Bucks' first round draft pick last year was a guy named Joe Alexander. He grew up in China and was born in Taiwan, and speaks fluent Mandarin. Click here to see the 30 second interview.
For the non-Chinese speaking people, near the end of the interview the reporter asks him in Chinese (a question that inevitably always comes up when Chinese people talk to Americans) what his favorite Chinese food is. He says, "Kung-pao chicken." Then later adds, "All Americans like Kung-pao chicken." Really funny stuff coming from a white guy!
Showing posts with label language. Show all posts
Showing posts with label language. Show all posts
Monday, January 19, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
An experience
I hadn't had to deal with something like this since I was in grade school, but by handling it with a calm but firm voice and by education, I made the best of the situation and I think everyone came out for the better.
I went to the batting cages on Friday to take some swings. There were two kids there, probably 8-10 years old, and African American. Apparently they had biked there on their own. One of them kept yelling "swing batter batter" as I was trying to hit. After one series of pitches I stepped out, found him, and asked him to not do that (in a game, maybe it was OK, but in a batting cage it didn't seem appropriate). He said OK and stopped.
As I left, he and his friend came back in the door. I stepped out of the way to let them through, and I was walking out I heard them snickering behind my back as kids do. Then I heard one of them say "konichiwa" (the Japanese word for "hello"). I wasn't about to let that go. I went back and confronted both of them. At one point I thought about asking the facility to throw them out, but I figured they were a couple of ignorant kids and this might be a good learning experience.
It turns out it was the second kid who made the comment (the first kid that I had talked to before didn't want anything to do with it). The first thing I told him was "konichiwa" is Japanese for hello, and I'm Chinese (thinking back, I should've taught him how to say it in Chinese). I told him that I don't make fun of him, and he shouldn't make fun of me, and we're here to have a good time. The first kid kept trying to help me out ("yes, you shouldn't talk to him like that").
I know that they were kids and didn't mean much by the comment. But I did want to make sure they understood that Asian people were more than just "konichiwa." He had the typical "I'm intimidated but I'm trying to look cool" look on his face, but hopefully he will be better off after this experience.
I invite anyone else who has an experience like this to calmly but firmly confront it, and take an educational approach to the situation.
I went to the batting cages on Friday to take some swings. There were two kids there, probably 8-10 years old, and African American. Apparently they had biked there on their own. One of them kept yelling "swing batter batter" as I was trying to hit. After one series of pitches I stepped out, found him, and asked him to not do that (in a game, maybe it was OK, but in a batting cage it didn't seem appropriate). He said OK and stopped.
As I left, he and his friend came back in the door. I stepped out of the way to let them through, and I was walking out I heard them snickering behind my back as kids do. Then I heard one of them say "konichiwa" (the Japanese word for "hello"). I wasn't about to let that go. I went back and confronted both of them. At one point I thought about asking the facility to throw them out, but I figured they were a couple of ignorant kids and this might be a good learning experience.
It turns out it was the second kid who made the comment (the first kid that I had talked to before didn't want anything to do with it). The first thing I told him was "konichiwa" is Japanese for hello, and I'm Chinese (thinking back, I should've taught him how to say it in Chinese). I told him that I don't make fun of him, and he shouldn't make fun of me, and we're here to have a good time. The first kid kept trying to help me out ("yes, you shouldn't talk to him like that").
I know that they were kids and didn't mean much by the comment. But I did want to make sure they understood that Asian people were more than just "konichiwa." He had the typical "I'm intimidated but I'm trying to look cool" look on his face, but hopefully he will be better off after this experience.
I invite anyone else who has an experience like this to calmly but firmly confront it, and take an educational approach to the situation.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Chinese Characters- not just pretty pictures
From Independent.co.uk: Chinese 'classical poem' was brothel ad
A respected research institute wanted Chinese classical texts to adorn its journal, something beautiful and elegant, to illustrate a special report on China. Instead, it got a racy flyer extolling the lusty details of stripping housewives in a brothel.There's a lesson here. Chinese Characters-not just pretty pictures.
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