So some western reporters noticed a Pepe the Frog graffito in Hong Kong, and are now flipping out because Pepe is a symbol of rightwing attitudes. Surely this shows that the protesters are recalcitrant fascists or sumpin'?
The authorities cannot have failed to notice? Actually, that was just an opportunistic attempt to get attention.
Anything that will get the world media to pay attention is good. It's self-protection. If raping an effigy of Melania would have that effect, fine, we'll use that too. Mickey Mouse impaled on a stick? Good, good. Unless the world media pay attention, it did not happen. Hong Kong, because of distance, language, strangeness, is mostly invisible. If four months ago the army had rolled in, or the police had actually shot protesters, it would not have been noticed for several days. Without that international attention nothing would have happened. I know, let's show a live crucifixion of Bugs Bunny! Westerners sit up when Christians are offended!
Pepe in the Hong Kong context is absolutely irrelevant. The protestors don't even consider Pepe, nor does the HK government, or the Mainland government.
It's a minor, infinitisimally minute, blip. If you really want to confuse a Chinese person who isn't fluently up-to-date on weird whiteness, ask them who or what 青蛙佩佩 is. A far better way to piss off the mainlanders is to scrawl 廣州人講廣州話，聽唔明就翻鄉下 on walls in expensive shopping areas. Or even 反兩復英。
Pepe equals Hello Kitty equals middle finger equals love.
The Maoist slogan 造反有理 ('chou faan yau lei'; "to revolt is justified"), while impeccably leftist, is almost directly from Mencius, who, two and a half millenia ago, stated that overthrowing an oppressor was the right thing to do. That, much more than silly American cartoon characters (except Mickey Mouse) has relevance to a Chinese mind.
Regarding the death of the ruler of Chau (紂): 孟曰：賊仁者，謂之賊，賊義者，謂之殘。殘賊之人，謂之一夫。聞誅一夫紂矣，未聞弒君也。賊仁者謂之賊，賊義者謂之殘。殘賊之人謂之一夫。聞誅一夫紂矣，未聞弒君也。Mencius said: "Someone who violates his benevolent nature is called a criminal, someone who goes against righteousness a mere fellow; I have heard that a mere fellow was whacked, but not of the killing of a prince." Second volume of King Hui of Liang (梁惠王下), para 15.]
More of the protesters know Lin Piao On Tactics than passé American internet memes. Second Brother Kwan (關二哥) is also more relevant.
Not to ignore globalization, but it's only superficial. Hong Kong young people have spent their entire lives with Hong Kong television, movies, books, newspapers, graphic novels, as well as the regular very Canto-Chinese environment all around them. They've probably read Japanese manga in Hong Kong translation (themes from East Asian culture).
Textbooks? Chinese. Letters from friends? All in Chinese.
Bank statements? Office memos? Chinese.
Bills of lading? Maybe not.
Their internet is in Chinese, hardly ever English. Thinking in English is not natural, and most of the time not important. The United States (Pepe and Seinfeld) are as far away as England (horrid food and weather), Australia (buggery kangaroos!), New Zealand (what are "hobbits" anyhow?) and Canada (ah, Vancouver, where an auntie lives).
Korea, Taiwan, and Japan are mentally much closer. Even Singapore and Malaysia. The most important 'American' thing in their lives is 7-eleven, of which there are a huge number of locations in HK. That is where they purchase their shrimp-flavoured snacks, Pocky Stix, Japanese cheesy poofs, Korean instant noodles, and magazines or newspapers, in Chinese. Globalization? That's Gucci, man, and Prada. Maybe Marlboro ciggies too, but more likely Double Happiness brand smokes. And regarding McDonalds (the most important international representative of the English world), they consider all "edible" food to be fundamentally Cantonese.
So the Americans for once got it right.
And, while we're speaking of frogs, Let's not forget 姜葱田雞 ('geung-tsung tin kai': ginger scallion frog), 宫保田雞 ('gong-po tin kai': kung pao frog), 豆豉田雞 ('dau-si tin kai': black bean sauce frog) ..... nom nom nom.
Also 爆炒田雞 ('baau chaau tin kai'), which is delicious.
Home cooking, there's nothing like it.
==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================
Showing posts with label Faan!. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faan!. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
VISITORS FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE
There's just something about some Mainlanders that gets on one's nerves.
Besides the overwhelming stench of garlic, that is.
No, it is not their penchant for spitting.
It's that belligerent barking.
Mind you, it is not all Mainlanders. Some of them are very decent folks, without a shred of primitive arrogance, nor a rude bone in their body.
And some of them can be absolutely delightful.
But the repulsive types are not thus.
And their language reflects that.
Bark, growl, screech, quack.
無文明。
This blogger does not like being told that Cantonese is not by any means proper Chinese, but a bastard language invented by the British to facilitate colonial exploitation. If you really think that, kindly take your unwashed tourist self back to b*mf*ck, Shantung, and eat your own faeces.
Crap begins in Hunan, and just gets worse with each step further north.
By the time you hit the Russian border, it's a wasteland.
Nothing but rabies and rotten cabbages.
Oh, and garlic breath.
X你嘅 ... ！
==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================
Besides the overwhelming stench of garlic, that is.
No, it is not their penchant for spitting.
It's that belligerent barking.
Mind you, it is not all Mainlanders. Some of them are very decent folks, without a shred of primitive arrogance, nor a rude bone in their body.
And some of them can be absolutely delightful.
But the repulsive types are not thus.
And their language reflects that.
Bark, growl, screech, quack.
無文明。
廣州人講廣州話，聽唔明就翻鄉下。
[SOURCE: 广州人讲广州话，听唔明就翻乡下.]
This blogger does not like being told that Cantonese is not by any means proper Chinese, but a bastard language invented by the British to facilitate colonial exploitation. If you really think that, kindly take your unwashed tourist self back to b*mf*ck, Shantung, and eat your own faeces.
Crap begins in Hunan, and just gets worse with each step further north.
By the time you hit the Russian border, it's a wasteland.
Nothing but rabies and rotten cabbages.
Oh, and garlic breath.
X你嘅 ... ！
==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================
Monday, October 25, 2010
LITTLE SISTERS AND WARM WHITE GLOOP
Question: what is both a euphemism for a mysterious part of the female anatomy, AND a traditional good luck expression?
Hint: No, it isn't a yiddishism!
Further hint: Despite the magnificent vulgarity of his tongue twixt the lips of a Rotterdam dockworker, it isn't a Dutch expression either.
蠔豉 HO SI!
The noble dried oyster, beloved by Cantonese. It sounds the same as 'great success' or 'good affairs' (好事), and consequently has excellent connotations.
To the febrile mind it looks like .........!
And consequently has excellent connotations.
I shall not spell out what it looks like. We need not go there. Cantonese are earthy.
The imagery is quite startling when an angry woman snaps it at 'not-her-friend' on Grant Avenue.
反你嘅蠔豉 FAAN NEI-GE HO-SI!!!
["Return your dried oyster!"]
You need to know that 'fan' (反, 返 to return, return to, restore) is commonly used in Cantonese to express rejection of something, or even disappetizement. In that latter sense, the connotations of the first character (反) are apposite: inside-out, upside-down, topsy-turvy, rebellious, contrary........
What the old lady hollered was the equivalent of 'up yours, bitch!'
I mention all this for two reasons. The first being that I reread the Song of Songs yesterday evening, which is just chock-full of euphemisms. Apples. Heaps of wheat. Winecups. Cedars. Pomegranates. Clusters of grapes, vineyards, gardens, flowerbeds. Bushes, walls, door-holes, fingers dripping with myrh. Pillars. Young deer. Oh boy.
To the febrile mind these seem like ........... We need not go there.
Her brothers were quite clearly oblivious while their sweet little sister matured into one HOT young thing - "we have a little sister, who hath no breasts; what shall we do for our sister on the day that she will be spoken for".
Dudes! Her breast are like towers! You guys blind or what?
The second reason is that I made a large pot of jook (粥 congee) to eat. And it was very good.
For each cup of washed rice take twelve cups liquid, of which some should certainly be good chicken stock. Add a slice or two of fresh ginger. Bring to a boil, turn low, and simmer for a few hours, stirring frequently to prevent sticking or scorching. The goal is to reduce the rice to a gruel, the grains having almost entirely lost their individuation at that point. You need to judge for yourself whether you want it thick or thin - I prefer my jook a little thin, so I added more liquid.
To flavour it, in the last hour I added dried oysters (蠔豉), lahp cheung (臘腸 Chinese sausage), dried mushrooms (香菇 heung gu, 冬菇 dong gu, or in Japanese: 椎茸), and a very mild pinch of this and that.
Plus the merest hint of soy sauce - it should not even colour the soup.
Ho-si and dried mushrooms need to be soaked ere use - warm water speeds up the process but may wash out some flavour. Cold water with a pinch of sugar is best, about an hour. Rinse to remove any grit or crud, then slice. Both of these ingredients are affordable even at higher qualities, both have a pleasant density of texture.
Lahp cheung needs no soaking, but removing the casing becomes much easier if you blanch it with water just under boiling. About a dozen dried oysters and mushrooms, two lahp cheung.
When serving, add a little chopped scallion, some finely minced ginger, and a drizzle of sesame oil (麻油 ma yau).
Some hot buttered toast on the side is a splendid idea.
What makes jook so appealing is that it is comfort food. Smooth on the tongue, gentle on the stomach, unpretentious, satisfying. Warm happy gloop.
Also, it is perfect for a wet day - I started cooking in the morning, while it was steadily coming down. By the time I finished, the rain had stopped entirely.
It must have worked, eh?
AFTERTHOUGHT
Hmmmmmm. Ho si. The Song of Songs. Fertile euphemisms. Lahp cheung. Rain. Simmering.
I guess in one sense, it was all about sex. But also entirely not.
We need not go there.
==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================
Hint: No, it isn't a yiddishism!
Further hint: Despite the magnificent vulgarity of his tongue twixt the lips of a Rotterdam dockworker, it isn't a Dutch expression either.
蠔豉 HO SI!
The noble dried oyster, beloved by Cantonese. It sounds the same as 'great success' or 'good affairs' (好事), and consequently has excellent connotations.
To the febrile mind it looks like .........!
And consequently has excellent connotations.
I shall not spell out what it looks like. We need not go there. Cantonese are earthy.
The imagery is quite startling when an angry woman snaps it at 'not-her-friend' on Grant Avenue.
反你嘅蠔豉 FAAN NEI-GE HO-SI!!!
["Return your dried oyster!"]
You need to know that 'fan' (反, 返 to return, return to, restore) is commonly used in Cantonese to express rejection of something, or even disappetizement. In that latter sense, the connotations of the first character (反) are apposite: inside-out, upside-down, topsy-turvy, rebellious, contrary........
What the old lady hollered was the equivalent of 'up yours, bitch!'
I mention all this for two reasons. The first being that I reread the Song of Songs yesterday evening, which is just chock-full of euphemisms. Apples. Heaps of wheat. Winecups. Cedars. Pomegranates. Clusters of grapes, vineyards, gardens, flowerbeds. Bushes, walls, door-holes, fingers dripping with myrh. Pillars. Young deer. Oh boy.
To the febrile mind these seem like ........... We need not go there.
Her brothers were quite clearly oblivious while their sweet little sister matured into one HOT young thing - "we have a little sister, who hath no breasts; what shall we do for our sister on the day that she will be spoken for".
Dudes! Her breast are like towers! You guys blind or what?
The second reason is that I made a large pot of jook (粥 congee) to eat. And it was very good.
For each cup of washed rice take twelve cups liquid, of which some should certainly be good chicken stock. Add a slice or two of fresh ginger. Bring to a boil, turn low, and simmer for a few hours, stirring frequently to prevent sticking or scorching. The goal is to reduce the rice to a gruel, the grains having almost entirely lost their individuation at that point. You need to judge for yourself whether you want it thick or thin - I prefer my jook a little thin, so I added more liquid.
To flavour it, in the last hour I added dried oysters (蠔豉), lahp cheung (臘腸 Chinese sausage), dried mushrooms (香菇 heung gu, 冬菇 dong gu, or in Japanese: 椎茸), and a very mild pinch of this and that.
Plus the merest hint of soy sauce - it should not even colour the soup.
Ho-si and dried mushrooms need to be soaked ere use - warm water speeds up the process but may wash out some flavour. Cold water with a pinch of sugar is best, about an hour. Rinse to remove any grit or crud, then slice. Both of these ingredients are affordable even at higher qualities, both have a pleasant density of texture.
Lahp cheung needs no soaking, but removing the casing becomes much easier if you blanch it with water just under boiling. About a dozen dried oysters and mushrooms, two lahp cheung.
When serving, add a little chopped scallion, some finely minced ginger, and a drizzle of sesame oil (麻油 ma yau).
Some hot buttered toast on the side is a splendid idea.
What makes jook so appealing is that it is comfort food. Smooth on the tongue, gentle on the stomach, unpretentious, satisfying. Warm happy gloop.
Also, it is perfect for a wet day - I started cooking in the morning, while it was steadily coming down. By the time I finished, the rain had stopped entirely.
It must have worked, eh?
AFTERTHOUGHT
Hmmmmmm. Ho si. The Song of Songs. Fertile euphemisms. Lahp cheung. Rain. Simmering.
I guess in one sense, it was all about sex. But also entirely not.
We need not go there.
==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
KISS ME, YOU REBEL!
Centuries ago, imperial troops sacked a monastery that supported a previous dynasty, killing thousands of ascetics. Five monks escaped, and fled south, finally meeting up again at the Red Flower Pavilion, to swear vengeance for their murdered brethren, and organize rebellion against the tyrant.
This tale is a fundament not only of the narratives of many Southern Chinese secret societies, but also of much of the Cantonese and Fujianese worldview.
There are two key elements:
ONE – Friendships are a bond stronger in many ways than all other relationships; your friends will stand by you.
TWO – The government and the forces of society are impersonal and often destructive to that which is most worth preserving.
It is, if you will, reflective of a rebellious character. Not surprisingly, revolutions and dissent have often originated south of the great river ('Taai Gong': 大江 ; Gong-naam, "South of the Great River": 江南), most notably in Fujian ('Fok-kien': 福建), where the loyalist of the Ming Dynasty fought desperately for nearly a century against the conquerors, withdrawing at last to Taiwan ('Toi-waan': 臺灣) to continue the struggle for another bitter generation, and in Guangdong (Canton, 'Kwong-tung': 廣東) and Guangxi ('Kwong-sai': 廣西) provinces, where activists for generation after generation joined secret societies and fomented unrest.
[Actual meanings of the names: 大江Big river; 江南 River south; 福建 Fortune builds; 臺灣Terrace bay; 廣東Expanse East; 廣西 Expanse West.]
反清復明 - Fan Ching Fuk Ming
["Counter the Manchus, restore the Ming dynasty!"]
Most of the secret societies ended up splitting into three distinct branches: a social and social welfare side, a hunted rebel side, and a criminal side.
All three sides told the tale of the five elders ('Ng-jou': 五祖) fleeing the destruction of Siew-Lam Ji (Shaolin Temple: 少林寺), and stressed the noble aspirations of the outlaws that populate the pages of China’s long fractious history.
For the length of the Ching Dynasty ('Cheng-chiu': 清朝), most Southerners regarded the ruling Manchus ('Mon-juk': 滿族) as vile barbarians opposed in every way to everything that was really Chinese.
It is ironic that the Manchu ruling-class became so thoroughly Chinese in education and outlook that today not even ten percent of them can speak their own native tongue - their flawless Peking pronunciation is envied as the very best Mandarin.
[The Five Elders: Fong Tai-Hong (方大洪), Lee Sik-Hoi (李式開), Wu Tak-Tai (胡德帝), Ma Chiu-Hing (馬超興), and Tsoi Tak-Chong (蔡德忠).]
RIVERS AND LAKES
The mental and mostly metaphoric world of Chinese outlaws and rebels is known as gongwu (江湖) – rivers and lakes, representing the wilds and the unsettled marshlands, where gallants (‘how-hon’: 好漢) and chevaliers (‘kiem-hap’: 劍俠) hid out from a repressive government. The embodiment of Chinese ideals was a hero ('yinghong': 英雄) who would risk his own life for his companions and the just cause. Righteousness ('yi': 義) was the most praiseworthy thing a person could possess; the loyalty that inspired that righteousness ('yi-hey': 義氣) was infinitely precious.
Given that most of Chinese history consists of short periods of honest government followed by very long periods of brutal exploitation, misery, and general bureaucratic misrule, it is quite understandable that the common man should seek comfort in such countercultural ideals. What is perhaps surprising is how much of this worldview still exists.
The Cantonese language, without the idioms and metaphors of rebellion and anarchy, would be much poorer, far less expressive. There is a feistiness and imaginary quality to how the Cantonese express themselves that permeates their emotions, their though-processes, their songs, movies, and popular culture.
友誼之光 (Yau-yi Ji Gwong')
[The Light of Friendship]
I mention these matters in order to present a song from the 1987 movie 'Prison On Fire' ('Gam Yuk Fong Wan': 監獄風雲) starring Chow Yun-fat (周潤發) and Leung Ka-fai (梁家輝) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmcXSrgIkFw
人生於世上有幾个知己
Yan-sang yu sai seung, yau gei ko chi kei
多少友誼能長存
To-sieu yau-yi nang cheung-chyun
今日别離共你雙雙两握手Kam-yat bit-lei gung ney seung-seung leung ak sau
友誼常在你我心里Yau-yi seung tsoi ney ngoh sam leui
['In the span of a life how often can one know someone well? How many friendships will long survive? Do not part today without warmly shaking hands, With a friendship that remains strong in our hearts.']
今天且要暫别
Kam-tien che yiu jaam-biet
他朝也定能聚首
Ta-chiew ya deng nang jeui-sau
縱使不能會面
Jung-si pat nang woei-min
始終也是朋友
Chi-chung ya si pang-yau
['Today we must distinguish the moment, On the morrow we shall meet again; Though we might never again be face-to-face, From beginning to end (for as long as we live) we shall remain companions.']
說有萬里山 隔阻兩地遙
Sut yau man lei san, gak-jo leung tei yiew;
不需見面 心中也知曉
Pat seui kien-min, sam-tsong ya chi-hiew;
友誼改不了
Yau-yi goi pat liew.
['Should it be that there are ten thousand mountains, or obstacles at both extremes; There is no need to actually meet, the heart still deeply knows; this a bond which shall not change.']
MORE THAN THE SONG AND THE MOVIE
One might think that the movie is a standard buddy flick, presenting two guys in the slammer going through hell together and coming out better for their friendship.
But that would be overlooking the Cantonese context, and the attitudes that Cantonese people have about loyalty and obligations towards each other. When you're in the same boat, sworn together ('tung-meng': 同盟), you stand in for each other like outlaws in the forests and marshes, rebels in the mountains and wastelands.
The movie is on one level a perfect expression of the Cantonese Weltanshauung, but on another level an entertaining tale of gallantry and stubbornness; both, as I have endeavored to explain, also perfect Cantonese ideals.
The song above is phrased in great part like an oath. It should therefore be no surprise that it is one of the anthems of the Hong Kong Democracy movement.
What may surprise you is that it was written by a woman.
Specifically, by a woman who is not, strictly speaking, Chinese.
Or even from Hong Kong.
Maria Cordero (肥媽瑪俐亞), from Macau, is an actress and singer of mixed Portuguese and Chinese ancestry.
You can't really get more Hong Kong than that!
And Hong Kong is, as you no doubt know, the most 'Cantonese' of cities.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTERWORD
What prompted all this was a Facebook posting by the cute and vivacious Steffy Chou, who wrote:
"Kisses to whoever can guess which modern Cantonese song has the same tune as this sweet Mandarin oldie: ----------------- "
I was the only person who responded.
Well okay then.
I think I've won this round.
Heh.
This tale is a fundament not only of the narratives of many Southern Chinese secret societies, but also of much of the Cantonese and Fujianese worldview.
There are two key elements:
ONE – Friendships are a bond stronger in many ways than all other relationships; your friends will stand by you.
TWO – The government and the forces of society are impersonal and often destructive to that which is most worth preserving.
It is, if you will, reflective of a rebellious character. Not surprisingly, revolutions and dissent have often originated south of the great river ('Taai Gong': 大江 ; Gong-naam, "South of the Great River": 江南), most notably in Fujian ('Fok-kien': 福建), where the loyalist of the Ming Dynasty fought desperately for nearly a century against the conquerors, withdrawing at last to Taiwan ('Toi-waan': 臺灣) to continue the struggle for another bitter generation, and in Guangdong (Canton, 'Kwong-tung': 廣東) and Guangxi ('Kwong-sai': 廣西) provinces, where activists for generation after generation joined secret societies and fomented unrest.
[Actual meanings of the names: 大江Big river; 江南 River south; 福建 Fortune builds; 臺灣Terrace bay; 廣東Expanse East; 廣西 Expanse West.]
反清復明 - Fan Ching Fuk Ming
["Counter the Manchus, restore the Ming dynasty!"]
Most of the secret societies ended up splitting into three distinct branches: a social and social welfare side, a hunted rebel side, and a criminal side.
All three sides told the tale of the five elders ('Ng-jou': 五祖) fleeing the destruction of Siew-Lam Ji (Shaolin Temple: 少林寺), and stressed the noble aspirations of the outlaws that populate the pages of China’s long fractious history.
For the length of the Ching Dynasty ('Cheng-chiu': 清朝), most Southerners regarded the ruling Manchus ('Mon-juk': 滿族) as vile barbarians opposed in every way to everything that was really Chinese.
It is ironic that the Manchu ruling-class became so thoroughly Chinese in education and outlook that today not even ten percent of them can speak their own native tongue - their flawless Peking pronunciation is envied as the very best Mandarin.
[The Five Elders: Fong Tai-Hong (方大洪), Lee Sik-Hoi (李式開), Wu Tak-Tai (胡德帝), Ma Chiu-Hing (馬超興), and Tsoi Tak-Chong (蔡德忠).]
RIVERS AND LAKES
The mental and mostly metaphoric world of Chinese outlaws and rebels is known as gongwu (江湖) – rivers and lakes, representing the wilds and the unsettled marshlands, where gallants (‘how-hon’: 好漢) and chevaliers (‘kiem-hap’: 劍俠) hid out from a repressive government. The embodiment of Chinese ideals was a hero ('yinghong': 英雄) who would risk his own life for his companions and the just cause. Righteousness ('yi': 義) was the most praiseworthy thing a person could possess; the loyalty that inspired that righteousness ('yi-hey': 義氣) was infinitely precious.
Given that most of Chinese history consists of short periods of honest government followed by very long periods of brutal exploitation, misery, and general bureaucratic misrule, it is quite understandable that the common man should seek comfort in such countercultural ideals. What is perhaps surprising is how much of this worldview still exists.
The Cantonese language, without the idioms and metaphors of rebellion and anarchy, would be much poorer, far less expressive. There is a feistiness and imaginary quality to how the Cantonese express themselves that permeates their emotions, their though-processes, their songs, movies, and popular culture.
友誼之光 (Yau-yi Ji Gwong')
[The Light of Friendship]
I mention these matters in order to present a song from the 1987 movie 'Prison On Fire' ('Gam Yuk Fong Wan': 監獄風雲) starring Chow Yun-fat (周潤發) and Leung Ka-fai (梁家輝) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmcXSrgIkFw
人生於世上有幾个知己
Yan-sang yu sai seung, yau gei ko chi kei
多少友誼能長存
To-sieu yau-yi nang cheung-chyun
今日别離共你雙雙两握手Kam-yat bit-lei gung ney seung-seung leung ak sau
友誼常在你我心里Yau-yi seung tsoi ney ngoh sam leui
['In the span of a life how often can one know someone well? How many friendships will long survive? Do not part today without warmly shaking hands, With a friendship that remains strong in our hearts.']
今天且要暫别
Kam-tien che yiu jaam-biet
他朝也定能聚首
Ta-chiew ya deng nang jeui-sau
縱使不能會面
Jung-si pat nang woei-min
始終也是朋友
Chi-chung ya si pang-yau
['Today we must distinguish the moment, On the morrow we shall meet again; Though we might never again be face-to-face, From beginning to end (for as long as we live) we shall remain companions.']
說有萬里山 隔阻兩地遙
Sut yau man lei san, gak-jo leung tei yiew;
不需見面 心中也知曉
Pat seui kien-min, sam-tsong ya chi-hiew;
友誼改不了
Yau-yi goi pat liew.
['Should it be that there are ten thousand mountains, or obstacles at both extremes; There is no need to actually meet, the heart still deeply knows; this a bond which shall not change.']
MORE THAN THE SONG AND THE MOVIE
One might think that the movie is a standard buddy flick, presenting two guys in the slammer going through hell together and coming out better for their friendship.
But that would be overlooking the Cantonese context, and the attitudes that Cantonese people have about loyalty and obligations towards each other. When you're in the same boat, sworn together ('tung-meng': 同盟), you stand in for each other like outlaws in the forests and marshes, rebels in the mountains and wastelands.
The movie is on one level a perfect expression of the Cantonese Weltanshauung, but on another level an entertaining tale of gallantry and stubbornness; both, as I have endeavored to explain, also perfect Cantonese ideals.
The song above is phrased in great part like an oath. It should therefore be no surprise that it is one of the anthems of the Hong Kong Democracy movement.
What may surprise you is that it was written by a woman.
Specifically, by a woman who is not, strictly speaking, Chinese.
Or even from Hong Kong.
Maria Cordero (肥媽瑪俐亞), from Macau, is an actress and singer of mixed Portuguese and Chinese ancestry.
You can't really get more Hong Kong than that!
And Hong Kong is, as you no doubt know, the most 'Cantonese' of cities.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTERWORD
What prompted all this was a Facebook posting by the cute and vivacious Steffy Chou, who wrote:
"Kisses to whoever can guess which modern Cantonese song has the same tune as this sweet Mandarin oldie: ----------------- "
I was the only person who responded.
Well okay then.
I think I've won this round.
Heh.
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TWO WHOLE MONTHS OF IT
A dream before waking up: train travel through pork country, and sympathizing with the Muslims and Jews on board. Being a pipe smoker, I kee...
