Xin Nian Hao! 新年好！Happy Chinese New Year Everybody!
DragonMart, Dubai, UAE
I don’t have much to write. I’m gonna post this blog the China way i.e. with as little words as possible. The Chinese are experts at doing away with unnecessary words. Here, I’m talking about the PRC / Mainland Chinese, not the ‘contaminated’ Chinese like yours truly …ahem, and the overseas Chinese.
First, in China, they’ve simplified the Chinese writing, so that now, there’s a Chinese (Simplified) used in China, and a Chinese (Traditional), which is still used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, etc. The PRC Chinese don’t only simplify Chinese characters, they simplify the whole friggin way people greet people. Heck! They’ve perfected simplification into an art form! Just look at the way they greet people.
In Malaysia, during CNY, we’ll greet one another,
“Goung Hey Faat Choi” (Cantonese) or “Gong Xi Fa Cai” 恭喜发财 (Mandarin) i.e. “Congratulations on Prosperity” in English.
And a whole list of four-worded standard greeting phrases like
“Maan See Yue Yee” 万事如意 (10,000 Things Go According to Wishes),
“Bou Bou Gou Sing” 步步高升 (Every Step Rise Higher),
“Sum Seong See Sing” 心想事成 (Heart Desires Become True), etc…
Depending on how close you are with the people you meet (and how much alcohol you’ve already consumed).
But with my PRC friends & colleagues, all I need to say is
“Xin Nian Hao” (literally New Year Good), or “Chun Jie Hao” 春节好 (Spring Festival Good)!
And that’s it! What sort of greeting is ‘New Year Good’!?
Which brings us to the standard everyday greetings when we meet Chinese people.
In Malaysia, we’ll ask, “Ney Hou Mou?” or “Ney Hou Ma?” (Cantonese) / “Ni Hao Ma?” 你好吗 ？(Mandarin) i.e. “Are you good?” in English.
But for the Chinese from the Mainland, that’s way too long. And since it’s a question, you’ll have to wait for a reply. No, that'll not do. “Ni Hao” is just perfect! “You good”, and walk straight away without needing to wait for an answer!
Good morning for the Chinese in Malaysia is “Zhou Sun” or “Zao An” 早安 i.e. "Morning Peace" in English. Guess what PRC Chinese will say?
“Zao!” 早 i.e. "Morning!”
Yeah, ONE word, ‘Morning!’ No ‘Peace,’ no ‘Good.’ Just plain ol’ 'Morning.' …It’s just a formality, isn't it?
But if they think they’re good, they’re nowhere near as good as I am. I’m a quick learner. Nowadays, I just smile and nod, or grunt (depending on my mood), and that’s it. No words needed, and you get a smile back! Hah!
Anyway, here’s to wishing everyone reading this cranky Chinese New Year Post a brilliant and good-beyond-your-wildest-imagination Year of the Rooster! (In Chinese, it’s actually the Year of the Chicken. The Chinese don’t give a damn between the cock and the hen. It’s only in English that it’s the Year of the Rooster. What can I say? Sexist bloody English! The language I mean :))
And here’re some pictures of DragonMart from last year to ring in the New Year!!!
DragonMart 1
DragonMart 2, the expansion to the original. It was already the largest China-product mall outside China (so boasts the website), but that’ll not do. Not for Dubai. We have to be No.1, ...all the time!
DragonMart, Dubai, UAE
I don’t have much to write. I’m gonna post this blog the China way i.e. with as little words as possible. The Chinese are experts at doing away with unnecessary words. Here, I’m talking about the PRC / Mainland Chinese, not the ‘contaminated’ Chinese like yours truly …ahem, and the overseas Chinese.
First, in China, they’ve simplified the Chinese writing, so that now, there’s a Chinese (Simplified) used in China, and a Chinese (Traditional), which is still used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, etc. The PRC Chinese don’t only simplify Chinese characters, they simplify the whole friggin way people greet people. Heck! They’ve perfected simplification into an art form! Just look at the way they greet people.
In Malaysia, during CNY, we’ll greet one another,
“Goung Hey Faat Choi” (Cantonese) or “Gong Xi Fa Cai” 恭喜发财 (Mandarin) i.e. “Congratulations on Prosperity” in English.
And a whole list of four-worded standard greeting phrases like
“Maan See Yue Yee” 万事如意 (10,000 Things Go According to Wishes),
“Bou Bou Gou Sing” 步步高升 (Every Step Rise Higher),
“Sum Seong See Sing” 心想事成 (Heart Desires Become True), etc…
Depending on how close you are with the people you meet (and how much alcohol you’ve already consumed).
But with my PRC friends & colleagues, all I need to say is
“Xin Nian Hao” (literally New Year Good), or “Chun Jie Hao” 春节好 (Spring Festival Good)!
And that’s it! What sort of greeting is ‘New Year Good’!?
Which brings us to the standard everyday greetings when we meet Chinese people.
In Malaysia, we’ll ask, “Ney Hou Mou?” or “Ney Hou Ma?” (Cantonese) / “Ni Hao Ma?” 你好吗 ？(Mandarin) i.e. “Are you good?” in English.
But for the Chinese from the Mainland, that’s way too long. And since it’s a question, you’ll have to wait for a reply. No, that'll not do. “Ni Hao” is just perfect! “You good”, and walk straight away without needing to wait for an answer!
Good morning for the Chinese in Malaysia is “Zhou Sun” or “Zao An” 早安 i.e. "Morning Peace" in English. Guess what PRC Chinese will say?
“Zao!” 早 i.e. "Morning!”
Yeah, ONE word, ‘Morning!’ No ‘Peace,’ no ‘Good.’ Just plain ol’ 'Morning.' …It’s just a formality, isn't it?
But if they think they’re good, they’re nowhere near as good as I am. I’m a quick learner. Nowadays, I just smile and nod, or grunt (depending on my mood), and that’s it. No words needed, and you get a smile back! Hah!
Anyway, here’s to wishing everyone reading this cranky Chinese New Year Post a brilliant and good-beyond-your-wildest-imagination Year of the Rooster! (In Chinese, it’s actually the Year of the Chicken. The Chinese don’t give a damn between the cock and the hen. It’s only in English that it’s the Year of the Rooster. What can I say? Sexist bloody English! The language I mean :))
And here’re some pictures of DragonMart from last year to ring in the New Year!!!
DragonMart 1
DragonMart 2, the expansion to the original. It was already the largest China-product mall outside China (so boasts the website), but that’ll not do. Not for Dubai. We have to be No.1, ...all the time!
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