[jimbo]

Originally Posted by Claire ex-ax

Someone rated this as "So True" and someone rating it as "Offensive".

Thanks for the first one. But who found what offensive? And why didn't they have the gumption to post a response on the thread? This comment comes from over twenty years of observations of FOBs arriving in Hong Kong. How someone would find it offensive is beyond the pale. Mooncake anyone?

Because they fall into that category thats why, And yes I agree with you totally.

I know of ex-pats that haven't even been to the new territories etc, They wouldn't dream of eating at say Cafe de coral and fairwood etc nor shop at wet markets.

Never mind Mooncake, What about such delicacies as Durian and Chickens feet, preferably not together mind.

[jgl]

Dean- in Sydney the term is 'Honkey' rather than FOB. Though that would obviously only apply to people from HK. Never heard FOB from my Melbourne friends, but sure, it could be more common that I'd been led to expect. Or it could be different slang for different age groups (I'm mid-30s).

I'm Australian Chinese myself, but don't define myself in terms of race or bits of culture that I may have inherited from my parents. Sure, I went through the usual angst-ridden identity crisis that most teenagers do, but I got over it. What would I think of your friends' behaviour in Australia? Well, it'd be expected of someone who was of high school or undergrad age, but if they're any older than that then I'd find it a bit insecure.

Actually, I do find these ideas fairly interesting. Well, not the FOB thing but how different cultures fit into different English-speaking societies. I've lived in the bigger English-speaking nations, and each one has a distinctly different feel about how large immigrant groups are treated and how those groups define themselves. I find the term FOB, as it's used by say Chinese people to refer to other Chinese people, a bit sad.

[Skyhook]

Originally Posted by jgl

I'm Australian Chinese myself, but don't define myself in terms of race or bits of culture that I may have inherited from my parents. Sure, I went through the usual angst-ridden identity crisis that most teenagers do, but I got over it. What would I think of your friends' behaviour in Australia? Well, it'd be expected of someone who was of high school or undergrad age, but if they're any older than that then I'd find it a bit insecure.

Actually, I do find these ideas fairly interesting. Well, not the FOB thing but how different cultures fit into different English-speaking societies. I've lived in the bigger English-speaking nations, and each one has a distinctly different feel about how large immigrant groups are treated and how those groups define themselves. I find the term FOB, as it's used by say Chinese people to refer to other Chinese people, a bit sad.

Excellent post JGL, and i totally agree with you. i think a lot of the difference of opinion regarding this topic is based on what generation you slot into, and the societal inferences you have been exposed to.

We have a large percentage of Hong Kong Chinese friends who live in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and they all refer to themselves as Hongkies, which we identify with the term also.

I also agree that it is pathetically sad, that there are Chinese people out there, who term other provincial Chinese as FOBS. But do they really ?

We are only answering Deans perspective, and I wouldn't deem that as a particularly reliable gauge.

Otherwise there wouldn't be much cause for this largely opposed debate.

[sylvesterjay]

FOB would be those American sailors (literally, fresh of the boat) strolling around Wan Chai wearing those stupid hats from Coyote, that only they wear

[emmie]

Originally Posted by Claire ex-ax

Someone rated this as "So True" and someone rating it as "Offensive".

Thanks for the first one. But who found what offensive? And why didn't they have the gumption to post a response on the thread? This comment comes from over twenty years of observations of FOBs arriving in Hong Kong. How someone would find it offensive is beyond the pale. Mooncake anyone?

Mooncakes? Wouldn't mind a bite with my cuppa - thanks!

A minority will choose to read things simply ONE WAY, without ever detecting a hint of humour/irony or a sniff of (cheeky) wit.

Guess it's a lot easier just wandering behind the scenes, browsing through threads here, green- but mostly RED-carding others' "thought" posts, rather than bothering to take a coupla mins typing out one's own views. Yeah... goes with the territory

[Skyhook]

Dont forget crunchy chilled pigs ears, they go well with chickens feet, steamed or wok fried lol.

Its always a lot of fun ordering those when we have new recruits, watching them squirm at the mere sight of a diverse cuisine.

You know your really are immersed into Chinese society when you think nothing of swallowing the still beating heart of an eastern cobra,or its bile, washed down with moi tai ( very strong rice wine ).

[jimbo]

Indeed, stuff like Fish Maw and sea cucumber etc

[Claire ex-ax]

skyhook... !

It amazes me to see people who have lived in HK for several years (or even have a permanent ID cards) but can't even use a pair of chopsticks. What's that about?

[Skyhook]

I know exactly what you mean Claire, and agree with Jimbo, but I've eaten some crazy things during my time abroad. That reminds me of a very funny clip from Gordon Ramsay's F word, regarding the topic of eclectic foods. I'll post that below.

I learnt to use Chop Sticks when we lived in Japan ( Nagoya and Toyota City ) at the age of 9 , which i picked up surprisingly easy. I can use chop sticks as well as anybody local in Hong Kong, but still prefer the finer tipped Japanese hashi, over the Chinese more blunt ended variety.

The worst chop sticks of all are the Korean variety, which are thinly oval in shape, which is a pain to hold comfortably, for any length of time.


This clip is hilarious and bags of respect given to James May, he really has true stiff upper lip grit.

YouTube - F-Word - James May vs Gordon Ramsay

[jgl]

Skyhook- yeah, I think we've gotten a bit entangled in pointless cross-generational semantics. The underlying question is probably more about how Asians view themselves and each other. And I agree about Korean chopsticks. Why make 'em hard to hold and heat-conductive?

Claire- You know people who can't use chopsticks? Wow, the last time I actually came across someone who couldn't use chopsticks was in... 1998!

Hey, way to gross me out, guys! I always though fish maw was the soft bit of meat from the side of a fish jaw. I just looked it up and it's actually an air bladder...