Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Po Po Encounters


One group of people I just love in Hong Kong are the old PoPos (Grandmas). They all dress the same, smile easily and seem to share the same quality of being a little, well, overbearing. They are quick to squeeze a cheek and scold a thumb sucker or child not wearing shoes (we would know).  Almost always they don’t speak English and they call the kids, even Josiah “bb”- baby in Cantonese.  To Annette right now being a baby is the biggest insult in the WORLD.

So today in the grocery store a PoPo comes up to Annette who is sitting the cart. No surprise, she flashes a toothy smile and say “ay, bb!” Annette who has had enough of this shouts (for the whole store to hear), “I’m not a BABY, I’m a BIG GIRL!!! YOU’RE a baby!!” as she points her finger at the PoPo. It is moments like these where I’m so glad meaning gets somewhat lost in translation. The PoPo just laughed and shuffled along.

Annette definitely knows how to embarrass me, like the other day when she exclaimed in a crowded elevator, “Mommy, whose stinky?!” Of course I didn’t answer her, so she had to ask over and over again until the doors opened!
Here is Annette with our favorite PoPo. We have known here for years and she has sort of adopted Josiah and Annette as her Grandkids. Last week she walked all the way out to our house to come for tea. Doesn't she look good for 84?  

2 comments:

Reneelharvey said...

Great post, Christine...laugh out loud funny...

Bobbie Bailey said...

Your Annette sounds very much like my Tiffany when she was small! Tiffany was always so, so, so, "blunt." Her name means "little truthful one," and oh was she ever (still is)! lol

And, no, this po po doesn't look 84!