Global languages
I was having lunch with Papa Koala today and as usual, our lunch was accompanied by much hand-waving, debate and discussion. As the restaurant owner brought us our coffee (I asked for two ordinary coffees and he brought us two flat whites :), he paused and said:
"I just HAVE to say something!" Then he paused and said: "It's just amazing. The two of you sitting here, talking, LOOKING the way you do and my god - you're speaking in English!"
I looked at him blankly for a moment. "What else would I talk to my dad in?" I asked him. "We've only ever spoken English to one another!"
He looked at Papa Koala: "Well you're of Chinese origin, right?" Papa Koala nodded with a kind of: "I know where this is going" look on his face.
"Well! The fact that the two of you aren't speaking Chinese to one another and are speaking in English is just amazing!"
"But I grew up in Australia, English is my native language," I tried to explain but he wasn't listening.
"Just goes to show that English should be the global language!" he exclaimed and off he ambled. I think I had a WTF Expression on my face. :)
I know that it's impossible not to have a moment's pause when you see an Asian face speaking English with an Australian/American/Canadian/Italian/French/German/New Zealand accent, but these days, you would think that it's so common, that after the first moment's "oh" that you'd just shrug and move on. I find it bemusing that it's still such a novelty :)
"I just HAVE to say something!" Then he paused and said: "It's just amazing. The two of you sitting here, talking, LOOKING the way you do and my god - you're speaking in English!"
I looked at him blankly for a moment. "What else would I talk to my dad in?" I asked him. "We've only ever spoken English to one another!"
He looked at Papa Koala: "Well you're of Chinese origin, right?" Papa Koala nodded with a kind of: "I know where this is going" look on his face.
"Well! The fact that the two of you aren't speaking Chinese to one another and are speaking in English is just amazing!"
"But I grew up in Australia, English is my native language," I tried to explain but he wasn't listening.
"Just goes to show that English should be the global language!" he exclaimed and off he ambled. I think I had a WTF Expression on my face. :)
I know that it's impossible not to have a moment's pause when you see an Asian face speaking English with an Australian/American/Canadian/Italian/French/German/New Zealand accent, but these days, you would think that it's so common, that after the first moment's "oh" that you'd just shrug and move on. I find it bemusing that it's still such a novelty :)