Currently, I’m residing in Hong Kong and with a young son, I speak to him in English. This is because I want him to be proficient in English as the language spoken here is mainly Cantonese. However, my husband is always worried that I’m corrupting our son with our brand of Malaysian English.

So, these days, I take extra care not to end my sentences with a ‘lah’. Cannot-lah, you know, otherwise my 3 year old will pick up all these lahs and end up speaking like a Malaysian. Not that there is anything wrong with it but since we are in Hong Kong, he can’t be speaking Manglish in school among Hongkies, isn’t it?

Sometimes, it is times like these when you have to make a conscious effort to try to speak without all the lahs that you realize that you are still very much a Malaysian wherever you may be. It is certainly harder than it seems having to converse in English without saying lah or my one. Although I have been out of the country for about 8 years now, I still have to make an effort not to end my sentences with a lah.

I think all Malaysians face this problem when we are overseas. We all speak one kind of English that only we can understand and are comfortable with it. Somehow, we just don’t sound natural when we speak proper English.

I have a husband who is Hongkie
Tells me Malaysians are funny
When we see a rat at an eatery
Nobody will report to the authority
Everyone will pretend not to see
And just continue to enjoy their nasi
He asks stalls also why so dirty
Near a big longkang clogged and smelly
Can pengsan from the odour already
Yet he sees people eating enjoyably
Even worse are stalls with no tap facility
Just pails of water to wash our cutlery
Somehow, he feels that is really yucky
Then he complains further to me
Why got flies even in KFC
Aiya, don’t know why this husband so fussy
Or is it we are the unhygienic ones really
Anyway, my mom told him seriously
In Malaysia, there is this philosophy
Don’t look, just eat, that’s the way exactly!

Having lived here for a number of years, people back home always like to ask me what Hongkies are like. Well, two characteristics define them as far as I’m concerned. “Oi min” (want face) and “yin sat” (dunno what’s the exact translation for this but kind of like no money no talk kind of philosophy).

Why Hongkies are so oi min? I guess it’s a competitive society so, everybody wants to be better than their peers. For example, in KL, if you can’t find a job, you will probably broadcast to everyone and tell people, “Aiya, no work-lah. How, ah?” But in Hong Kong, if people are out of work, they would rather hibernate at home and not tell anyone until they find something to do. Get my point? Two very different mentality.

So, if you happened to bump into someone who has been retrenched and still jobless, questions like “How long already no job?” or ”Got interview or not?” are better not asked, unless he himself volunteers the info. Sensitive-lah, you know, since people here so oi min.

Also, Hongkies also tend to be very yin sat. Good or bad, depends on how you look at it. Good, because it is practical and if there is no mutual benefit, why want to friend-friend, right? Bad, because it makes everyone more cautious when it comes to friendship. That’s Hongkies for you, in general.

I guess my husband sums it up well. He says everyone is “kam sau” (beast?) here. People take care of themselves first but I suppose everywhere is the same, only the extent of it. Maybe people has less compassion here but it is also what gives Hongkies that kind of survival instinct. A dynamic city Hong Kong is.

A few days ago, I read that a Minister back home suggested women who want to travel abroad need to obtain consent from their families. To prevent us from ending up as drug mules, apparently.

Aiyo, dunno how we can have so stupid ideas coming from our government people. You mean when we buy airline ticket, must show consent letter to the travel agent? Or when at the immigration, we bring along the consent letter and show the officer? Must provide daddy’s phone number or not? So, they can call and check.

Makes me want to laugh. Reminds me of my school days. Whenever we need to go for “lawatan sambil belajar” outside of school, daddy must sign consent form. Now, already adult also still need daddy to sign consent letter, only difference distance is further. Can imagine women telling those immigration officers, “Ya, bapa saya kata saya boleh pergi, encik. Ini bapa saya sain punya.”  If a woman coming to 40 like me still need to say things like this at the airport, don’t know whether I’m being childish or they are childish.

Enuff said!

Aud

Welcome to I No Hongkie, Malaysian-lah. Guess my blog title says it all. A 30 something female born and bred in PJ, currently stuck in Hong Kong but still feeling like a Malaysian. Actually, I have no idea why I started this blog although I do have a few others that I run with more purpose and clarity. Perhaps I need a space to ramble on like a Malaysian since I miss talking like a Malaysian.

OK, what on earth am I going to blog about here? Again, no idea. Anything and everything, I guess. Politics, kids, love, food, Hongkies, Malaysia, whatever. Rojak would be the word for this blog certainly. Anyway, let this be the place for me to write like a Malaysian with all the lahs and silly language unlike my other blogs where I have to maintain certain English standards. A place for me to just write without having to think too much.

How often I will post here is again another question mark. Just hope I will persevere and have much ideas to write about to keep this going. Lets see how it goes over time.