2/28/09
LianYunGang
I’ve got another advertisement in the works. And, like my would-be commercial for TsingTao Beer, this ad is specifically geared for audiences in China. Even more specifically, it is designed for audiences here in LYG.
Any foreigner who sets foot in China for more than ten minutes is bound to be harangued by incessant catcalls of “Hello!” everywhere that they go. English speakers tend to reserve this word for greetings or hilarious exclamations (like “Hello Doctor!”). But for a lot of Chinese people this single word encompasses the whole of their English vocabulary, so they like to use it whenever a foreigner is in sight. You’ll hear it a lot over here, often enough that you just tend to ignore it after a while.
I had been thinking that the general population could benefit from a new, exciting catchphrase to holler at any foreigners that they see. Is this an effort to reclaim the traditional and ubiquitous greeting of Western culture? Is this a heroic campaign to save ‘Hello’ from overuse? Maybe yes, maybe no, maybe I just have too much free time on my hands.
Anyway, the efficacy of such a revolutionary new phrase was demonstrated to me in class this past week. Half of my students don’t know my name or can’t pronounce it, so often times I’m referred to as ‘Teacher’ in the classroom. This is okay; I don’t mind it really. But because I don’t readily identify with the title, I sometimes fail to hear students’ beckoning in the classroom. Whether my students think of me as deaf or aloof, I’m not quite sure. But I am sure that a jarring—yet familiar—address won’t fail to get my attention. I was monitoring some in-class activities on Friday and all of a sudden I heard someone say, “Hey man!” I whirled round to see one of my students looking in my direction. She was wearing a slight grin, knowing that her abrupt and casual utterance had definitely caught my ear.
This is a pretty handy example of a catchphrase with potential out here. But I was hoping for something new, something fresh. I’ve been out of the loop back home for 6 months now. What are people saying to each other? Is ‘What’s up’ still in vogue? Feel free to leave any comments that you think might help guide me to that one brilliant phrase. The sooner your suggestions come in the better, because I’m trying to come up with a script for the commercial by next weekend.
NOTE: I would like to dedicate this post to my grandfather, Ken, who turned 79 this week. Best wishes Ken and Happy Birthday!
Rory Keane is an American-born teacher and writer who has logged nearly two years in China, and is working on another year-long stint in the Middle Kingdom. He writes about travel, sociopolitical issues, health, entertainment, and culture, among other topics.
