最近有够無閑,毋 ciah ánne tiām。
今な日中昼佇米囯東爿一間餐庁食,餐庁叫「檳城」,我少少年个時 bat 來。
In the past, the decor was earthier, more tropical. Now the place has gotten posher, much like Penang itself. In the past, if I ain't mistaken, the food was also better. It had more of a Peranakan flair. It all seems to be just another page in the decline of masakan Cina on the Atlantic seaboard of Amerika Syarikat. Everything tastes like "China Buffet" now, brought to U by a tribe of hard-working orang Hokciu with no joie de vivre. And even China Buffet doesn't taste as good as it used to, or am I just remembering Asia?
We took the Cantonese chefs for granted -- now they're long gone, washed up on distant, better-paying shores.
A 50-ish matron came to wait on us. My companions spoke to her in Mandarin. I spoke to her in Hokkien. First she did a double-take, but then she caught on. She had the Penang accent. She also tried talking to my companions in Hokkien, but it didn't catch on. She asked me if I was Malaysian, twice -- I think once in Hokkien and once in English. I said, "Tâi'oân lâng."
Later she spoke to another person at our table in Cantonese, for some reason -- maybe she thought she looked like a Cantophone. Interesting, but that person is often surrounded by Canto-speakers in her daily life, so she can understand it some. Also, a Malay-looking chick brought us our sarang burung and named it in perfect-sounding Malay. Be the food as it may (still decent, actually), much Penangness remains to this rumah makan Pinang.
Hoklo in the Americas: reports from the field
Re: Hoklo in the Americas: reports from the field
Hi Amhoanna,
Thanks a lot. Just to let you know that I really enjoy your reports. They give me a first-hand account of the state of the Sinitic languages in various parts of the world, information which I wouldn't be able to get in any other way. Keep 'm coming .
Thanks a lot. Just to let you know that I really enjoy your reports. They give me a first-hand account of the state of the Sinitic languages in various parts of the world, information which I wouldn't be able to get in any other way. Keep 'm coming .