School Bloggie » Blog Archive » Food like Singaporeans
In her post, Jen argues that food ‘is an intricate part of our everyday life’. ‘Because that’s what we do when greet each other. Much like what most Aussies do by a, ‘How ya doing?’, we do it by, ‘Have you eaten yet?’’
I wonder who ‘we’ refers to. Hainanese? Singaporeans of Chinese origin?
It’ll be really interesting if Hainanese also greet each other by asking ‘Have you eaten yet?’. I thought only people in northern China did so.
When I was a kid, my grandma used to greet her elder neighbours that way. My parents usually ask me if I have had meal regularly, but that’s not greeting at all. (Maybe that is? I’m not sure.)
Nowadays, my peers and I seldom ask ‘Have you eaten yet?’, unless we wanna invite someone to have dinner and give him/her a treat. That’s similar to Western custom.
Recently, the first question I am asked when run into someone–including online encounter– is ‘How’s your thesis going?’, though I look forward to being asked ‘Have you eaten yet’and then given a treat.
Moreover, we get used to talking about weather like sample dialogues in TOEFL or asking ‘How are you going?’.
Unconsciously, we have adopted some Western manners. Some even argue that Chinese people are ‘colonised’ in culture as an English craze sweeps across the country.
No doubt that food is a intricate part of our life. I’m just wondering to how much extent people of Chinese origin still maintain our typical Chinese greeting–’Have you eaten yet?’ The switch in daily greetings makes reflect cultural influence. As Asians, we have been Westernised, aren’t we?
Hi Bo
Thanks for informing me about the ‘accidental’ deletion of the last trackback entry. I tried to trackback again to your post by writing a fresh new entry, but seems like it’s not working. I think you have to refer to my post below if you want to leave a remark:
http://raws.adc.rmit.edu.au/~s3090325/blog2/?p=38
Hwee.
The deletion is a real accident. I swear.
Dun worry, I understand. We are all trying to get used to this mode of communication.
I like traditional Chinese greeting expression. “Have you eaten yet?” this expression contains our precious traditional culture. When people are full up, they would feel comfortable. Moreover, why don’t we accept foreign culture? We cannot reject and omit the development of multi-culture. So, enhancement to the education and popularization of traditional culture is our mission.
haha~i think even my parents won’t say “have u eaten yet” as the greeting today. Let me think about what would they say…Mostly like “How ya doing”…I think it is the old traditional greeting for asking people whether they have had meals yet, especially in Beijing or north part of China in my own opinion.Anyway, it is an interesting topic.Many young people even say “Hello” to each other in China.Well, seems western culture really works!
[...] Unconsciously, we have adopted some Western manners. Some even argue that Chinese people are ‘colonised’ in culture as an English craze sweeps across the country. [...]
Hi Jeri,
Glad to hear that traditions are still greatly valued and respected in your country. The diversity of culture becomes increasingly critical when globalisation and commercialisation lead to homogeneity in the cultural field.
You know, young people have innate curiosity and passion about inported culture and exotic cultural artifacts — especially those originated from developed countries.
The power of cultural capitalism is prevailing. Sometimes people just consider it trendy and funny to accept another culture. But without even taking any notice, they’ve began to prefer it to their traditional culture.
[...] small small world » Blog Archive » From ‘Have you eaten yet?’ to ‘How ya doing?’ [...]
[...] small small world » Blog Archive » From ‘Have you eaten yet?’ to ‘How ya doing?’ [...]
Hey.
A simple question. How do you see yourself? I mean how you define yourself. As a Chinese or as an Australian (westerner). And why.
I guess we have to be human before we can be anything else and that’s why that’s the only things that matters.
Simon.