Comments on: Speaking Chinese http://enette.com/2009/12/04/speaking-chinese/ eat, sleep, TRAVEL Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:45:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: enette http://enette.com/2009/12/04/speaking-chinese/#comment-511 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:44:47 +0000 http://enette.com/?p=844#comment-511 Hi Guus! Thanks for your comment. I agree that it’s cool how my parents’ and grandparents’ generation can speak several languages and dialects and communicate across language barriers. I think that the policy of instituting a second-language according to your race has actually hindered this. I think my mother at first took mandarin in school but then was able to switch to Malay later on and this versatility not only kept cultural barriers down but also distinct racial barriers. I regret that most of my generation are not that versatile.

]]> By: Guus http://enette.com/2009/12/04/speaking-chinese/#comment-501 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:23:48 +0000 http://enette.com/?p=844#comment-501 Very interesting and candid post enette. As a Dutch Singapore PR I entered the neighbourhood police station a few weeks ago to update my address. The officer looked Indian.

Shortly after me an older Chinese man came in to likewise update his address. He started to speak Mandarin. Police officer’s reaction was “No Mandarin. Malay?” And on the conversation went in Malay.

Which I think is a great example of how Singaporeans can make themselves understood across language barriers. It’s a pity Singaporeans aren’t more proud of this.

]]> By: enette http://enette.com/2009/12/04/speaking-chinese/#comment-256 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:56:05 +0000 http://enette.com/?p=844#comment-256 Hey there,

Yea, it’s like, apart from maybe taking your shoes off first when you enter someone’s house, i feel like i have just as much in common with asian-americans as i have with my white friends. I’m interested to know what your friends thought that brought it to a heated discussion?

]]> By: elyrie http://enette.com/2009/12/04/speaking-chinese/#comment-255 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:12:01 +0000 http://enette.com/?p=844#comment-255 Hey, I surfed over from LJ. I just had a heated discussion with some friends about the meaning of being “Asian”, “Chinese” and “Singaporean” and so your post struck a chord – I too have been more vehement about identifying myself as Singaporean ever since I arrived in the US, and have strongly resisted being labeled Asian or Chinese. It’s not a matter of condescension – more a marker of identity. I don’t really see myself having anything in common with Japanese/Korean-Americans yet we are put in the same group. Anyhow, I just wanted to reach out and say hey, I understand where you are coming from!

]]> By: enette http://enette.com/2009/12/04/speaking-chinese/#comment-245 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:35:23 +0000 http://enette.com/?p=844#comment-245 hey, glad to educate! did you have to go to chinese school on the weekends like a lot of ABCs?

]]> By: Jon http://enette.com/2009/12/04/speaking-chinese/#comment-244 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:55:17 +0000 http://enette.com/?p=844#comment-244 Educational! I didn’t know any of this stuff!

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