Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Hey there other white person - you suck!

The best thing about learning a new language is feeling those new neural networks forming, allowing you to hear new tones, new sounds, allowing you to see the world in a new way, beauty in things you would have overlooked before, seeing the culture HAHAHAHAHHAHA!* Ohmygod, sorry - I can't go on.

*catches breath, wipes tears from eyes*

Actually, everyone knows that the best part of learning a new language is speaking it in front of other white people who don't know it. Today I was at the pharmacy to pick up a medicine, and while the white lady next to me was trying to pantomime "nasal spray" I had this conversation with the pharmacist:

Me: Good morning.
Him: Hello.
Me: Do you have this one? (pointing at empty box I need a refill on.)
Him: Yes. How many do you want?
Me: One box.
(He goes in the back to get it.)
Me: How much does it cost?
Him: $120.
(I give him the money, and he starts to put the medicine in a bag for me.)
Me: I don't need a bag, thanks.
Him: Bye bye!
Me: Bye bye!

Of course, everything I said was in Cantonese and he would only answer me in English, but it was still excellent. When I left the lady next to me was still acting out shoving something up her nose.

*Cantonese is a really cool language, and I love it for many reasons. But showing off is the primary one. Does that make me shallow?


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