小天使(280)-I'm only half Chinese

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by 冰溪

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I'm only half Chinese

I was very excited to meet up with a couple of my primary school and middle school classmates living in Toronto whom I haven't seen for fifteen or twenty years. We set up a
dim sum reunion in Chinatown during my visit there.

Onthe way from Niagara Falls to Toronto, after Olivia learned that wewere going to have lunch with some of mommy's old friends, sheimmediately asked me: "Mom, are they Chinese?"

"Yes." I answered.

"Then do they speak English?" That is her most concern whenever we go to a reunion or a Chinese party.

"Yes, but don't worry, those 叔叔 (my male friends) and 阿姨 (my female friends) can speak English to you."

ThenI encouraged her: "You know what Olivia? You can speak Chinese to themtoo. You still remember some Chinese from your Chinese class, right?"

"But I can't. I am only half Chinese and you need to be all Chinese in order to speak
Chinese to Chinese people." She said.

What a "good" excuse!

[冰溪]

真希望當年她一歲半的時侯能堅持住隻和她講中文, 現在當外語學起來真的好費勁.悔啊! :)

[asalways]

哈哈，小孩子太厲害了，說出個理由叫人沒法反駁啊！
說實話，孩子在這裏長大，以後真能一半的時間說中文，做家長就滿意了。