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]

真希望当年她一岁半的时侯能坚持住只和她讲中文, 现在当外语学起来真的好费劲.悔啊! :)

[asalways]

哈哈，小孩子太厉害了，说出个理由叫人没法反驳啊！
说实话，孩子在这里长大，以后真能一半的时间说中文，做家长就满意了。