Monday, May 12, 2008

我的表妹 J & J



上篇說到在香港的表妹,為公平起見,不能不寫寫在加拿大的兩個表妹。

J 和 J 兩姊妹,香港出生,自小便移民到了加拿大居住。二人年齡僅相距一年半,從小到大,都是一起上學,一起玩樂,有如一對兩生兒。不過,姊妹二人性格卻不盡相同;姊姊比較內斂,妹妹比較隨和。

從前,我們住得很近,我可以說是陪着兩姊妹長大的。有時候,也會教她們功課,帶她們逛逛街,看看戲。

十多年前的事,我不知她們還記得多少。但前些時,姊姊竟然對我說:「我愛看書,是因為以前你常常帶我到書店的緣故。」我聽了,卻有點茫然。我真的常常帶她們到書店嗎?怎麼都記不起來?

後來,我搬離居住的城市,離開了她們的生活。轉眼間,兩個小表妹也由小朋友變成大學生。

小時候的姊姊,頭髮稀疏,活像個小男生;現在的她,一頭長髮,是個標緻的美人胚子。妹妹從前則是個小氣醋罈子,常為小事大吵大嚷;現在卻是個善解人意,幽默樂天的開心果。

這星期,大學暑假開始,J 和 J 到了洛杉磯探望表姐。我也趁機到LA和她們玩了數天,還一起駕車到拉斯維加斯逛酒店,吃東西,看表演。(順帶一提,Bellagio 的“O Show”精采絕倫,不可不看。)

途中,一對姊妹花嘰嘰喳喳交談,說着一大堆古靈精怪的笑話和故事。說實話,隔了數代的代溝(三年為一代嘛),和半道中西文化的鴻溝,她們的談話內容,我也不能完全消化。

姊妹之間,基本上是百分百英語對白。和我說話時,會網開一面,滲入約20%的中文。我叫她們試試不說英文,完全以中文表達心中的意思;二人結結巴巴說不到三句,便急急放棄,轉回英文頻道。

二人和「中華文化」的全部連繫,就是港台的連續劇,和 Edison 的新聞。除此之外,無論是性格,喜好,和說話的神態,都和地道的外國人沒有兩樣。

其實,我不奢望她們中文流暢,也不要她們讀書成績優異,更不要她們出人頭地。只要兩姊妹感情和睦,在北美土地上,無愁無慮地繼續做她們的「竹升」,這個表哥便「老」懷大慰了。

───

由於班機不同,在 LAX 機場下車後,即和兩姊妹分道揚鑣,各自登機。

然而,行李寄艙後,不知何故,始終放不下心。於是,老遠跑到另一座登機大堂,想看看她們有沒有遇到甚麼問題。

到了大堂,只見人頭湧湧,那見她們的蹤影?

我總是忘記,昔日哭哭啼啼的小表妹,今天,已是成年人了。

12 comments:

  1. hello ,,,my name is chessa, a girl from HK,,this is my first time reading your blog
    as i have something to ask you so i have sent you an email
    if you have time,,,please check it out,,,many thanks!!!

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  2. 你會老,她們當然都會大。

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  3. "我叫她們試試不說英文,完全以中文表達心中的意思;二人結結巴巴說不到三句,便急急放棄,轉回英文頻道。"

    I think it's probably impossible for HKers themselves to try speaking Cantonese without including any English words at all, and for those who are born and bred overseas, being able to allow 20% Chinese in their conversations is already a feat in itself.

    My little sister was born in Ireland, and with my parents it's a mixture of Chinese and English (say 70:30), and with me it's more like 50:50. However, she does really well when it comes to Chinese writing and comprehension, and consistently gets 100% in her dictation tests in Chinese school. I'm most proud though of the fact that she herself asked to learn traditional Chinese while the rest of her classmates stick to simplified Chinese (so in effect she's learning both at the same time and still getting As).

    I just hope that her interest in Chinese won't wane and that she's not feeling under pressure to perform because of our family expectations... It's nice to enjoy the language for its mind-broadening possibilities rather than because it's another skill to show off on a CV.

    Anyway, it's great to read that you have such great relationships with your nieces. I haven't seen mine for years and I wonder if they'd still recognise me now...

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  4. Oops, shall I say cousins rather than nieces!

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  5. 哈哈果然是個表妹湯圓嘛

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  6. it's after reading your blog that makes want to having a blog my own,a platfrom express and recrod what you seen what you feel,like something refine extract from typical or turbulent life,and that is why something named blog was created and good about.

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  7. in your blog,you speak your words in natural way,it's seldomly a blog like this makes me continue reading

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  8. readandeat:正是歲月催人老。眼看小孩長大成人,才醒覺二十年就這樣過去了。

    snowdrops:it's great that your little sister does so well in Chinese school. My cousins did learn Chinese when they were younger, but now they can't comprehend anything longer than two sentences! I think it really depends on family influence.

    You are absolutely right that bilingualism is more than a mere qualification. It opens up wonderous opportunities otherwise unreachable.

    阿四:係囉,俾佢地搓圓”禁”扁,真係好冇性格。

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  9. hi~
    i'm a HK guy studing uni in australia..my little coulsin (14 in fact) just went to NZ

    "我總是忘記,昔日哭哭啼啼的小表妹,今天,已是成年人了。"

    yr blog made me soooooo touching.
    lovin it.

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  10. stan:AU 和 NZ 接近,你可以去探望他/她呀。

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  11. mad dog:哈哈,溫馨?我唔係好覺喎!

    ReplyDelete