2005-10-15
11:34 p.m.
Hello from Calgary!!
14 October 2005
1241h Hong Kong
Reference to Minz�s post about Singaporeans, I�m not sure Singaporeans are good at following instructions. Case in point:
Aircraft announcement:
Ladies and gentlemen, we have landed at Hong Kong International Airport� blah blah blah� Please remain seated until the aircraft has come to a complete stop and the seatbelt sign is switched off.
*sounds of passengers Unfastening their seatbelts, followed by massive numbers standing up*
14 October 2005
1044h Vancouver Airport
After checking out, collecting luggage, clearing customs and checking in again for domestic Air Canada flight to Calgary (I�m panting again just thinking of the procedures)
*bunch of people waiting as I walk over to bank of elevators*
*one minute later*
Airport staff: Did anyone press for the lift?!
*press button, which lights up*
Me: *suppresses wide grin*
I don�t know what to make of this, so perhaps you guys can tell me
It�s either my senses have become acutely sharp due to lack of sleep or this really is happening.
The airport staff and airline crew would be speaking perfectly fine in English to the other passengers, but when they got to me or I get to them they automatically switch to Mandarin or Cantonese. Ever heard ang moh trying to speak in Mandarin or Cantonese? This happened not once, not twice, but quite a few times.
I felt tempted to:
1. Answer in my most British Queen�s English (those of you who�ve heard me at it before would know I can do quite a fair imitation, thanks to that small bit of English blood in me).
2. Answer in Hokkien: Har? Le Kong Si Mi?
3. Simply stare and say �huh??�
Of course, me being the polite and nice person that I am (DON�T CHOKE!), I merely smiled and said whatever was appropriate (in ENGLISH, of course). I even said thank you sir / ma�am. Years of being a uniformed personnel have taken their toll. But you�d be pleasantly surprised at the effect. Service personnel who are used to addressing everyone as �sir�or �ma�am� are very appreciative of those who take the pain to address them likewise. It costs me nothing, but it makes another happy, so why not?