"Aiya"

Provited by Barbara Chen

 
I had a craving for a sweet taste of childhood the other day;  so I went shopping for a can of grass jelly. I was putting said  treat into my cart and looking for my Ranch 99 VIP card when a  woman with three kids in tow ran into my cart. At that moment,   both of us said, "Aiya." The children giggled,she apologized,  and I quickly replied, "M'sai...No apology needed." Although it  was a minor exchange, I later realized that Aiya  is more than just two characters; it is part of the spirit of  being Chinese...in a moment of surprise I could've said just   about anything-my reaction was to say Aiya. I was surprised  that I would instinctively use my mother's tongue because I've  always known that I don't speak Cantonese well. No matter how  far removed I've become as an American, there is something at  my core that is Chinese.

I decided to conduct informal research about Aiya. First, I  went to a national bookstore chain to review its Chinese  language materials. I thumbed through all the Chinese language materials, but couldn't find any vocabulary drill including Aiya.   Seeing that the publishers of tourist books were not going to be  helpful, I decided to observe its use in the community. I clipped  my cell phone to my belt, grabbed a couple of bakery pink boxes  and sat around San Francisco's Portsmouth Square drinking 7-Up  and eating dim sum. Lo and behold, the heard Aiya used in a   variety of ways. Based on my personal experience and this  observation, I've developed a personal understanding of Aiya.

Aiya is 24-carat Chinese gold. Aiya is more than just two  characters; it is part of the spirit of being Chinese and may even  go back to antiquity. It is used wherever the Chinese have been in  the diaspora of the last sesquicentennial.

How you say Aiya can say volumes about your state of mind. For example,when the problem is minor, I can say "Aiya" in a short/  curt manner. However when I am extremely stressed, I can draw  it out to nearly five seconds. (I'm planning an experiment where  I get a room full of people to imeditateusing it as a mantra.   With practice, I might get them to draw out Aiya even longer.)

To explain more deeply how to use Aiya, imagine a worker slaving  on the Great Wall when he accidentally drops a brick (a quickie  Aiya)...on the work foreman (Aiya!!)-which gets him thrown into  the wall to perish an agonizing death (AIYA!!!!)

As you read the following ways Aiya can be used, the mental  image to solicit is to picture any of the mothers from Amy Tan's  The Joy Luck Club. For those who have met anyone in my family,  you can picture one of my relatives instead:

Surprise: "Aiya! A surprise party for me?"

Joy: "Aiya! You got 5 out of 6 in Lotto!"

Distaste: "You expect me to drink that herbal medicine  concoction of yours? Aiya!"

Doubt: "Do I have to wear that lemon yellow/lime green sweater my mother made? I wonder if she would notice if I 'accidentally'  donated it to Goodwill? Aiya."

Awe: "Your son got accepted into Harvard Law School!?! Aiya!"

Irritation: "Clean your room. Aiya! Why you live like a pig?"

Large astonishment: "Aiya! She switch majors from Business to Art History!"

Disapproval: "Report Card-5 A, 1 B? Always a B in Math. Aiya." (Actual quote from my mother when I was a sophomore in high  school.)

Shock: "What? Ketchup on Yang Chow Fried Rice...Aiya!"

Lamentation: "Aiya...why me...ungrateful child... Aiya."  (Probably what my mother is thinking when she reads this.)

Outrage: "Never clean your rice cooker with that steel scouring  pad! Aiya!"

Verge of internal combustion: "I can't deal with the family asking when and if I'm getting married! Ai-yaaa!"Aiya is an all- purpose phrase that comes from deep in the soul. Aiya is both  simple and complex: on one hand it is a couple of Chinese   characters on the other hand it can be a whole speech describing  the state you are in. Aiya says "I'm afraid", "I'm in pain", "I don't believe it." It is an exclamation of exuberance, a shout  of hurt, a cry of fear, and the reflex of being startled, and  the embrace of joy.

It is unfortunate that English has no equivalent to Aiya. It saddens me that American English doesn't afford me a fun phrase  to emote. "Shucks","Darn" and the plethora of swear words cannot convey what Aiya can. So, I'm going to propose that we start an initiative for American English should grab on Aiya or  the Yiddish "Oy" for our use.

So the next time you go to a teahouse for dim sum or decide to go shopping at an Asian market, listen to the lively banter as friends and families meet. It's a wonderfully vibrant, alive community out there. Who knows, you just might get caught up  the lyrical rhythm of the people. Aiya, what fun!