Speaking "Cantonese" in Hong Kong for 40 years

James Koo

Ever since I first came to HK from Shanghai in 1957, I have been trying to learn to speak Cantonese. For the past 40 years, somehow every 10 years or so, I would find myself in Hong Kong. I would try to speak Cantonese every time, and have met with different reactions as time went by.

When I first came to Hong Kong, I spoke no Cantonese. People in Hong Kong, essentially my classmates, were very helpful trying to teach me Cantonese. I was too busy studying to notice any prejudice either for or against Shanghainese-anybody who did not speak Cantonese then. I learned enough Cantonese for me to graduate from Pui Ching, and left Hong Kong in 1959.

I quickly learned that with my Cantonese I could never sweet-talk any Hong Kong girl into marrying me. So, I had to change strategy by focusing on Shanghainese speaking girls. About 10 years later, in 1970, with a brand new Mrs. Koo, a beautiful Shanghainese speaking Maryknoll graduate hanging
from my arm, I returned to Hong Kong to meet with her family. I was amazed to learn that those Maryknoll girls actually spoke Cantonese among themselves and spoke English on the bus only to impress us PuiChing "marlotsai." I was one of the gullible ones and their scheme obviously worked. As a newlywed, Winnie was always at my side; I neither had the need nor had the chance to practice my Cantonese. My Cantonese remained in the status of "sit gone mg sit ting." I can speak Cantonese to you, but if you talk Cantonese back to me, I am lost half of the time.

10 years went by, in 1980, Winnie's grandmother died, and we went back to Hong Kong again. That was shortly after the culture revolution, and riots in Hong Kong. The emigration was in vogue. Everywhere I went with my "pigeon" Cantonese, people would immediately assume I came from U.S., and
would speak English to me and treated me with respect and envy. As people insisted on speak English to me, my Cantonese remained in the same "sit gone mg sit ting," if not getting worse for lack of practice.

Another 10 years later, around 1990 I went with a start up to Taiwan. Since Hong Kong was in my territory, I visited Hong Kong often (3 time in one week was the record). Taiwanese was the "nova riche" then, and Hong Kong people are very smart, pragmatic and fast learning. Everywhere I went with my
"Cantonese," people would immediately respond with their newly learned Mandarin and assumed I brought a bag of money and will buy everything in sight. My business associates would tell me stories about stupid Taiwanese paid full prices for out of fashion items. Money and fool soon part, and naturally people in Hong Kong were eager to help those Taiwanese to part with their money. Since HK people insisted on speaking Mandarin to me, three years and about 50 visits later, my Cantonese frozen at the atatus of "sit gone mg sit ting."

Now at year 2000, I find myself in Hong Kong again with another start up company. With mandates from several Lighters to learn Cantonese, I speak Cantonese everywhere I go. This time, people in Hong Kong immediately assumed I am an "ah tsai," or "bui-so (distant uncle)," stupid country bumpkin from Mainland. Taxi drivers will be glad to give me a tour (or
detour) of the town. After a $48 tour for a normally $15 trip, they would still demand a tip. A policeman walked away from me when he heard my question in "offending" Cantonese asking directions that was obvious to any Hong Kongnese (later told I was lucky he walked away as he might detain me as an illegal immigrant from China). When I called Housekeeping at the
hotel to replace a burn out light bulb, they put in a 40W instead of the standard 100W (hey, they use low wattages bulbs in China). The store clerk would help with a defective DVD player I bought, only after I started shouting in English. Again, my friends would advise me speaking English to make my life easier here. But I find speaking Cantonese is more fun and in
HK you have to pay for anything that is fun. However with people keeping on walking away from me, how am I ever going to learn Cantonese? Noticed a fellow Shanghainese Lighter LeePo excels in Peking Opera (not Cantonese plays), and she is very talent in many ways, and I am not. If she dose not try to excel in Cantonese, is there hope for me?

10 years from now, I am looking forward to be in Hong Kong again. Now with both heads of HK and China are Shanghainese, some forward-looking HK people are learning to speak Shanghainese. Will people in HK greet me with
Shanghainese then? Will I ever learn Cantonese?