you speak english so well [Archive]

bluecollarjap

10-15-2002, 11:27 AM

worst job interview ever. secretary of the interviewer told me i spoke english very well. i didn't know how to react to this, i just said thank you. have anyone had this type of experience, people asking about their language skills. i speak fluent german too is what i tell them now when they ask. jeeze

Craig

10-15-2002, 11:43 AM

I only consider it a minor annoyance. It's meant as a compliment and not done with malicious intent. It's only a sign of ignorance on their part.

However, in a job interview situation, I wonder. Might it have a subconcious bearing on the decision makers evaluation of you as a candidate ? That's something that would annoy me much more.

kimpossible

10-15-2002, 12:02 PM

In this case I think you did the gentlemanly thing. It sounds like the secretary isn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

If I work with guys from an older generation and less education, I still get called things like sweetheart or they assume I'm a secretary.

angel nympho

10-15-2002, 12:42 PM

I think comments like that are MEANT to be compliments, but they FEEL derogatory. I try to brush it off when it's not a comment obviously aimed to put me down. And I actually TAKE it as a compliment when people are interested in my background. At least they're asking questions instead of writing me off.

SunWuKong

10-15-2002, 12:55 PM

hey you know, it never occured to me before that an interviewer might actually say that. i guess it's because so many asian americans are in the IT industry. ug... and you can't really vent your annoyance either. but you know, if an interviewer actually say that, maybe i'll impress him/her by saying something in chinese.

ChinaLama

10-15-2002, 12:59 PM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Oct 15 2002, 08:55 PM
but you know, if an interviewer actually say that, maybe i'll impress him/her by saying something in chinese.
yeah, like:

"Gan ni niang, wang ba dan." But say it in a really pleasant tone. He'd never guess you just said "fuck your mother, asshole."

yes, i know wang ba dan = turtle's egg, but non-Chinese speakers would NEVER get that.

angel nympho

10-15-2002, 12:59 PM

This totally reminds me of that Chris Rock joke about Colin Powell. When they say he "speaks so well" because nobody knows how to compliment a black man. LOL, he said something like... "speaks so well" is something you say about retarded kids who can talk. :D

deez nuts

10-15-2002, 01:01 PM

Originally posted by ChinaLama@Oct 15 2002, 03:59 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Oct 15 2002, 08:55 PM
but you know, if an interviewer actually say that, maybe i'll impress him/her by saying something in chinese.
yeah, like:

"Gan ni niang, wang ba dan." But say it in a really pleasant tone. He'd never guess you just said "fuck your mother, asshole."

yes, i know wang ba dan = turtle's egg, but non-Chinese speakers would NEVER get that.
Or du lai!

Edit: woohoo my cantonese is coming along, momma chen be so proud. Lol rrrrrrrrrright

SunWuKong

10-15-2002, 01:02 PM

Originally posted by ChinaLama@Oct 15 2002, 03:59 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Oct 15 2002, 08:55 PM
but you know, if an interviewer actually say that, maybe i'll impress him/her by saying something in chinese.
yeah, like:

"Gan ni niang, wang ba dan." But say it in a really pleasant tone. He'd never guess you just said "fuck your mother, asshole."

yes, i know wang ba dan = turtle's egg, but non-Chinese speakers would NEVER get that.
hahhah yeah that's what i was thinking... but hey correct my poor mandarin, doesn't gan mean "rape"?

deez nuts

10-15-2002, 01:04 PM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Oct 15 2002, 04:02 PM
Originally posted by ChinaLama@Oct 15 2002, 03:59 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Oct 15 2002, 08:55 PM
but you know, if an interviewer actually say that, maybe i'll impress him/her by saying something in chinese.
yeah, like:

"Gan ni niang, wang ba dan." But say it in a really pleasant tone. He'd never guess you just said "fuck your mother, asshole."

yes, i know wang ba dan = turtle's egg, but non-Chinese speakers would NEVER get that.
hahhah yeah that's what i was thinking... but hey correct my poor mandarin, doesn't gan mean "rape"?
Means fuck. Guess it can mean rape in the right context, but rape is another word.

SunWuKong

10-15-2002, 01:07 PM

Originally posted by Chasiubao_Boy@Oct 15 2002, 04:04 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Oct 15 2002, 04:02 PM
Originally posted by ChinaLama@Oct 15 2002, 03:59 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Oct 15 2002, 08:55 PM
but you know, if an interviewer actually say that, maybe i'll impress him/her by saying something in chinese.
yeah, like:

"Gan ni niang, wang ba dan." But say it in a really pleasant tone. He'd never guess you just said "fuck your mother, asshole."

yes, i know wang ba dan = turtle's egg, but non-Chinese speakers would NEVER get that.
hahhah yeah that's what i was thinking... but hey correct my poor mandarin, doesn't gan mean "rape"?
Means fuck. Guess it can mean rape in the right context, but rape is another word.
oh shit, i'm thinking of jian. in cantonese that's pronounced gaan.

kimpossible

10-15-2002, 01:25 PM

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Oct 15 2002, 01:07 PM
Originally posted by Chasiubao_Boy@Oct 15 2002, 04:04 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Oct 15 2002, 04:02 PM
Originally posted by ChinaLama@Oct 15 2002, 03:59 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Oct 15 2002, 08:55 PM
but you know, if an interviewer actually say that, maybe i'll impress him/her by saying something in chinese.
yeah, like:

"Gan ni niang, wang ba dan." But say it in a really pleasant tone. He'd never guess you just said "fuck your mother, asshole."

yes, i know wang ba dan = turtle's egg, but non-Chinese speakers would NEVER get that.
hahhah yeah that's what i was thinking... but hey correct my poor mandarin, doesn't gan mean "rape"?
Means fuck. Guess it can mean rape in the right context, but rape is another word.
oh shit, i'm thinking of jian. in cantonese that's pronounced gaan.
Know what's funny? I was going to start a topic on gan in Whatever. I mean how the hell is a person supposed to know when it's okay to use if it's the same tone?

I punk out and only use nong. As for cussing out, what about tu ma duh?

deez nuts

10-15-2002, 01:29 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 15 2002, 04:25 PM

I punk out and only use nong. As for cussing out, what about tu ma duh?
That's fine just don't use it in front of your mom and your mom in law. My dad says that alot. When I was like 10 years old, I said it in front of my parents. I got prompt beatdown, fast, swift and hard.

SunWuKong

10-15-2002, 01:40 PM

Originally posted by Chasiubao_Boy@Oct 15 2002, 04:29 PM
Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 15 2002, 04:25 PM

I punk out and only use nong. As for cussing out, what about tu ma duh?
That's fine just don't use it in front of your mom and your mom in law. My dad says that alot. When I was like 10 years old, I said it in front of my parents. I got prompt beatdown, fast, swift and hard.
hahha yeah, i remember cussing once when i was a little kid and i got squarely slapped across the face by my father. the worse thing was that i had no idea that it was bad to say those words (i forgot which cuss it was), and then i felt like i got slapped for no freaking reason.

kimpossible

10-15-2002, 01:40 PM

Originally posted by Chasiubao_Boy@Oct 15 2002, 01:29 PM
Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 15 2002, 04:25 PM

I punk out and only use nong. As for cussing out, what about tu ma duh?
That's fine just don't use it in front of your mom and your mom in law. My dad says that alot. When I was like 10 years old, I said it in front of my parents. I got prompt beatdown, fast, swift and hard.
you mean tu ma duh, right? Don't worry, I wouldn't use either that or gan.

The only other one I know is shen jing bing, and that isn't even really a cuss.

ChinaLama

10-15-2002, 01:42 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 15 2002, 09:25 PM

I punk out and only use nong. As for cussing out, what about tu ma duh?
Wow, that almost sounds like Shanghainese? Am I hearing Shanghainese from HH?

uh oh...heart beating...sweaty palms...

ok, more likely than not, this is just Mandarin I don't know. ferget it.

deez nuts

10-15-2002, 01:46 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 15 2002, 04:40 PM
Originally posted by Chasiubao_Boy@Oct 15 2002, 01:29 PM
Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 15 2002, 04:25 PM

I punk out and only use nong. As for cussing out, what about tu ma duh?
That's fine just don't use it in front of your mom and your mom in law. My dad says that alot. When I was like 10 years old, I said it in front of my parents. I got prompt beatdown, fast, swift and hard.
you mean tu ma duh, right? Don't worry, I wouldn't use either that or gan.

The only other one I know is shen jing bing, and that isn't even really a cuss.
Well "tu ma duh" is the english equivalent of "yo momma." Maybe a little harsher in meaning.

Like when you get into an argument with a friend you can say "tu ma duh, wan ba dang." But, you can't use "tu ma duh" to another sibling of the same mom or to your mom.

It's not nearly as bad as gan, ji nui etc etc.

ChinaLama

10-15-2002, 01:50 PM

ta ma de means "His mother's." which is kind of weird. It's a possessive, yet it's sometimes just used alone.

i mean wouldn't it sound weird if someone just went "YO momma's..."

"so my momma's what?"

"nothing, just yo momma's."

deez nuts

10-15-2002, 01:52 PM

kimpossible

10-15-2002, 01:52 PM

well what's the diff between saying wan dan and wan ba dan? I've only heard wan dan. It sounded close to 'idiot' in meaning to me. Or do I have this wrong?

deez nuts

10-15-2002, 01:54 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 15 2002, 04:52 PM
well what's the diff between saying wan dan and wan ba dan? I've only heard wan dan. It sounded close to 'idiot' in meaning to me. Or do I have this wrong?
wan dan is different from wan ba dan.

Wan dan: means you're fucked/shit out of luck/doomed.

wan ba dan: is turtle's egg like Llama said.

Unless you mean "huen dan" <-----not the right pinying

ChinaLama

10-15-2002, 01:57 PM

Anyone ever wonder why Chinese curses involve eggs a lot of times? Some of them don't make much sense either. Like why would you call someone a "Ben Dan," a dumb egg? how can an egg be dumb?

they also involve ghosts and demons a lot. kind of weird how parents sometimes like to call their kids "little ghosts," almost as if they want us to die. :unsure:

SunWuKong

10-15-2002, 02:00 PM

Originally posted by ChinaLama@Oct 15 2002, 04:50 PM
ta ma de means "His mother's." which is kind of weird. It's a possessive, yet it's sometimes just used alone.

i mean wouldn't it sound weird if someone just went "YO momma's..."

"so my momma's what?"

"nothing, just yo momma's."
well actually de is not only used as a possessive. it could be used... um... adjectively? i'm not sure how to describe it, but like, you can say wo shi ai ni de, for "i love you" or "i'm in love with you". or you can use it as the title of a song like faye did. heehee... :D

kimpossible

10-15-2002, 07:39 PM

Originally posted by ChinaLama@Oct 15 2002, 01:42 PM
Wow, that almost sounds like Shanghainese? Am I hearing Shanghainese from HH?

Now I want to learn some Shanghainese. So is it true what I hear about Shanghai men? They do all the cooking and cleaning?

ChinaLama

10-15-2002, 07:44 PM

Unfortunately for y'all ladies, Shanghai men do NOT do all the cooking. Then again, my parents and a lot of "shanghainese" people i know are actually Ningbonese or descended from Ningbonese so i can't say 100%.

In any case, speaking from personal experience, my dad CAN cook but my mom usually takes care of that. And I CAN'T cook...so if a woman were to hitch up w/ me on that faulty assumption, then she'd better hire a good divorce lawyer. :)

Basically, the way you pinyined ta ma de sounded a little like the word-for-word Shanghainese equivalent. We say it as te ma de. But I think most people usually say Tse na de, i'm not sure what's the difference.

Chris

10-15-2002, 07:48 PM

For me because I am multilingual I got use of people telling me. "Oh you speak English this well" or "Oh you speak Cantonese so well" . You just get use to it.

For the record.

I speak Fluent English and Cantonese
Almost Fluetn Mandarin and Japanese
and I write in all 3. :)

blkazngirl

10-16-2002, 07:38 AM

Originally posted by bluecollarjap@Oct 15 2002, 07:27 PM
worst job interview ever. secretary of the interviewer told me i spoke english very well. i didn't know how to react to this, i just said thank you. have anyone had this type of experience, people asking about their language skills. i speak fluent german too is what i tell them now when they ask. jeeze
I would have said something sarcastic like, "So do you." And waited for her to respond. Then when I got to the interviewer, I would have why the secretary thought that way.

For some strange reason, people believe that if your eyes are slanted, you speak with an accent. People like that I always have a smart ass answer for.

blkazngirl

10-16-2002, 07:44 AM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 16 2002, 03:39 AM
Originally posted by ChinaLama@Oct 15 2002, 01:42 PM
Wow, that almost sounds like Shanghainese? Am I hearing Shanghainese from HH?

Now I want to learn some Shanghainese. So is it true what I hear about Shanghai men? They do all the cooking and cleaning?
I hread that the men from Szhechuan like to hang out in the tea house, playing mahjong. While the women work. Is this true.

And by the way, I would like to learn some cantonese, so keep it coming.

DaBestSpooner

10-16-2002, 08:04 AM

I get "wow your toisan is awesome I gotta take you home to talk to my grandma" all the time

deez nuts

10-16-2002, 08:22 AM

Originally posted by blkazngirl@Oct 16 2002, 10:44 AM
Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 16 2002, 03:39 AM
Originally posted by ChinaLama@Oct 15 2002, 01:42 PM
Wow, that almost sounds like Shanghainese? Am I hearing Shanghainese from HH?

Now I want to learn some Shanghainese. So is it true what I hear about Shanghai men? They do all the cooking and cleaning?
I hread that the men from Szhechuan like to hang out in the tea house, playing mahjong. While the women work. Is this true.

And by the way, I would like to learn some cantonese, so keep it coming.
Yeah I heard that about the Szechuan men, too.

And most of it was mandarin blkazngirl. My cantonese sucks too :D

Shuriken

10-16-2002, 10:49 AM

Originally posted by blkazngirl@Oct 16 2002, 03:38 PM
I would have said something sarcastic like, "So do you."
Ditto that!!!

mydnyht

10-16-2002, 12:48 PM

Originally posted by Craig@Oct 15 2002, 07:43 PM
I only consider it a minor annoyance. It's meant as a compliment and not done with malicious intent. It's only a sign of ignorance on their part.

However, in a job interview situation, I wonder. Might it have a subconcious bearing on the decision makers evaluation of you as a candidate ? That's something that would annoy me much more.
I definitely agree with that... I think that's a pretty rude comment myself. It doesn't really matter how well someone speaks English, as long as they can get the job done, as far as I'm concerned. However, there might have been genuine concern there - worrying that someone with a different ethnic background might not have the required 'people skills', so-to-speak - but still..

mydnyht

10-16-2002, 12:52 PM

Originally posted by Shuriken@Oct 16 2002, 06:49 PM
Originally posted by blkazngirl@Oct 16 2002, 03:38 PM
I would have said something sarcastic like, "So do you."
Ditto that!!!
Me three!

blkazngirl

10-16-2002, 12:56 PM

Originally posted by Chasiubao_Boy@Oct 16 2002, 04:22 PM
Originally posted by blkazngirl@Oct 16 2002, 10:44 AM
Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 16 2002, 03:39 AM
Originally posted by ChinaLama@Oct 15 2002, 01:42 PM
Wow, that almost sounds like Shanghainese? Am I hearing Shanghainese from HH?

Now I want to learn some Shanghainese. So is it true what I hear about Shanghai men? They do all the cooking and cleaning?
I hread that the men from Szhechuan like to hang out in the tea house, playing mahjong. While the women work. Is this true.

And by the way, I would like to learn some cantonese, so keep it coming.
Yeah I heard that about the Szechuan men, too.

And most of it was mandarin blkazngirl. My cantonese sucks too :D
When I was a kid, my dad use to go ballistic when I would speak to him in Mandarin. "Tones use the correct tones" I use to wind-up crying and not speak at all just. My Mandarin still sucks, but most people understand the point I'm making. :cry:

jimbo

10-17-2002, 03:00 AM

Originally posted by Chris@Oct 16 2002, 03:48 AM
For me because I am multilingual I got use of people telling me. "Oh you speak English this well" or "Oh you speak Cantonese so well" . You just get use to it.

For the record.

I speak Fluent English and Cantonese
Almost Fluetn Mandarin and Japanese
and I write in all 3. :)
Whoah, nice mix of languages there, My canto's pretty poor and my Chinese Hakka is slightly better.

Anybody else here speak Hakka?

artsfartsyjanet

10-17-2002, 05:14 AM

I think geographic location also has to do with how annoying this is.... My parents own a Chinese fast food place in a not-so-lavishing area, and our clientelle is predominantly lower middle class. When I used to work there, customers would usually say, "You speak English so well!" And as unintentional as they are about being ignorant, as a young girl, I thought it was annoying. I don't really say thank you. I just say, "I was born here. That's why."

AliBabaIncorporated

10-17-2002, 07:14 AM

Originally posted by jimbo@Oct 17 2002, 11:00 AM
Originally posted by Chris@Oct 16 2002, 03:48 AM
For me because I am multilingual I got use of people telling me. "Oh you speak English this well" or "Oh you speak Cantonese so well" .  You just get use to it.

For the record.

I speak Fluent English and Cantonese
Almost Fluetn Mandarin and Japanese
and I write in all 3. :)
Whoah, nice mix of languages there, My canto's pretty poor and my Chinese Hakka is slightly better.

Anybody else here speak Hakka?
yOOOOOOOO!! whatup? finally, other hakka people! but my uncle claims I am developing a strange accent lately. cuz I'm in HK. The Hakka speakers around here use Shataukok dialect. and all the HK kids who are Hakkas claim to speak Hakka, but really they just put on a funny accent to their Cantonese and change some words around.

I never really got any of the asking "wow, you speak English" deal growing up. I just got Latinos arrogantly assuming I'm Latino and bitching me out for having poor, Cuban-accented Spanish, and middle easterners bitching me out for not going to afternoon prayers and wondering why I don't speak Farsi, Arabic, whatever.

kimpossible

10-17-2002, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by AliBabaIncorporated@Oct 17 2002, 07:14 AM
I never really got any of the asking "wow, you speak English" deal growing up. I just got Latinos arrogantly assuming I'm Latino and bitching me out for having poor, Cuban-accented Spanish, and middle easterners bitching me out for not going to afternoon prayers and wondering why I don't speak Farsi, Arabic, whatever.
So when are you going to quit teasing us with the partial picture and show us the whole thing?

AliBabaIncorporated

10-17-2002, 12:09 PM

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 17 2002, 06:17 PM
So when are you going to quit teasing us with the partial picture and show us the whole thing?
hey, you can see my mouth. the eyes may be the window to the soul, but the mouth is the window to the stomach, and the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and only by looking into the heart can you see what someone is really like. or something like that. :ph34r:

Chris

10-17-2002, 12:20 PM

Originally posted by AliBabaIncorporated@Oct 17 2002, 07:14 AM
Originally posted by jimbo@Oct 17 2002, 11:00 AM
Originally posted by Chris@Oct 16 2002, 03:48 AM
For me because I am multilingual I got use of people telling me. "Oh you speak English this well" or "Oh you speak Cantonese so well" . You just get use to it.

For the record.

I speak Fluent English and Cantonese
Almost Fluetn Mandarin and Japanese
and I write in all 3. :)
Whoah, nice mix of languages there, My canto's pretty poor and my Chinese Hakka is slightly better.

Anybody else here speak Hakka?
yOOOOOOOO!! whatup? finally, other hakka people! but my uncle claims I am developing a strange accent lately. cuz I'm in HK. The Hakka speakers around here use Shataukok dialect. and all the HK kids who are Hakkas claim to speak Hakka, but really they just put on a funny accent to their Cantonese and change some words around.

I never really got any of the asking "wow, you speak English" deal growing up. I just got Latinos arrogantly assuming I'm Latino and bitching me out for having poor, Cuban-accented Spanish, and middle easterners bitching me out for not going to afternoon prayers and wondering why I don't speak Farsi, Arabic, whatever.
Ali I am hakka as well. I understand mroe than I speak it.

kimpossible

10-17-2002, 12:27 PM

Originally posted by AliBabaIncorporated@Oct 17 2002, 12:09 PM
Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 17 2002, 06:17 PM
So when are you going to quit teasing us with the partial picture and show us the whole thing?
hey, you can see my mouth. the eyes may be the window to the soul, but the mouth is the window to the stomach, and the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and only by looking into the heart can you see what someone is really like. or something like that. :ph34r:
Uh-huh.

Tease. :D

deez nuts

10-17-2002, 01:02 PM

Originally posted by AliBabaIncorporated@Oct 17 2002, 03:09 PM

hey, you can see my mouth. the eyes may be the window to the soul, but the mouth is the window to the stomach, and the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and only by looking into the heart can you see what someone is really like. or something like that. :ph34r:
Whoa, deep.

igcognito

10-18-2002, 08:35 PM

I get similiar. If it were me, I would have replied with something satirical like "Now I can go tells me 'masa' (master) I be a good English speaking negro". Then they would do something like this . . . :o and I would look like this :D . As they are shocked, and realize their ignorance.