I signed up for a four session Cantonese class with the AWA. I know that I will never actually speak Cantonese. I’ve been told it’s even more difficult to learn than Mandarin. One single word may be spoken with eight different intonations thus creating eight totally separate words. What I am aiming for is being able to communicate with taxi drivers, merchants and hopefully waitresses/waiters. If I can accomplish that I will be pleased.
Our first class was held on a large balcony of an apartment building overlooking Wan Chai. The class was made up of twelve women who all had the same desire to communicate on the most basic of levels. Our teacher, Liza Boltz, is the renown author of Dim Sum a survival guide. She is bright, enthusiastic and ever so patient.
Liza handed us thirteen pages of words and phrases separated into categories like: greetings, numbers, transportation and my personal favorite taxi Cantonese. She explained how the simplest error in intonation can cause the meaning of words to change drastically. One of her students thought he was asking the taxi driver to take him to Stanley Market while he was actually saying he wanted to go to Stanley chicken poo poo! We all laughed heartily while she told us that we shouldn’t be surprised if our Cantonese causes laughter from others. Yes indeed it will happen to us too.
As I listened intently I couldn't help but struggle to hear Liza’s sounds and my own repetitions. In typical Hong Kong fashion we were sitting right next door to a construction site. Everything in Hong Kong is under construction. Buildings are demolished and new ones built before you even realize what’s happening. So here we sat willing ourselves to hear and learn while the drilling rang in our ears and minds.
We repeated words and phrases individually and as a group. We encouraged each other and tried to help with sounds that are so unfamiliar to us. Is choh pronounced as chow, chaw or caw in the phrase “m choch” meaning not too bad? Hearing and speaking Cantonese can be so very difficult to us westerners.
Liza also stressed the only way to learn Cantonese, as with any new language, is to use it. We would make many mistakes and say many incorrect and maybe even inappropriate things, but when the laughter has died down people would appreciate us for trying. Then one of the ladies in the class told the story of how she had tried to speak Cantonese to a taxi driver and he had responded with, “Lady you need to practice more.” Okay, so maybe not everyone will be supportive!
I was determined to try out some phrases with the people I see everyday - the customer service desk attendants, cleaning woman and guards at our apartment. The next morning I greeted everyone with “jo san” or good morning. They smiled and replied "jo san". That was simple, but the true test would come with a real phrase.
Liza had insisted we must learn to say and use the phrase, “Sik joh faan mei a?” The literal meaning is, “Have you eaten?” When the Cantonese were farmers they greeted each other with this phrase since they probably only ate one meal each day and it was important to know if your friends had eaten. Thus it developed into a Cantonese, “What’s happening?” This phrase must be part of our vocabulary she stressed.
As I walked down the drive I was determined I would say, “Sik joh faan mei a?” to the guard. I was hoping my favorite one would be working. He’s always smiling and is so very warm and friendly. I reached the bottom of the drive and blurted it out. My favorite guard replied and then waited for my response. Nothing, I have nothing! I have no clue what he just said. As I got closer he explained that he was trying to tell me that yes he had breakfast, but really that phrase is better used after lunch. Well thank goodness because maybe after lunch I’ll know how to respond. Actually it won’t probably be until after my next class.
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