On Speaking English with Foreigners

I know it's bad making fun of other people's command of language, I bet I get a good laughing from my Serbian teacher's 8 year old daughter when I couldn't pronounce properly "Меня зовут Meddie007" back when I took up Russian language class about 5 years ago.

But somehow rather than not, we were talking about Eastern Asians such as Korean or Japanese, or even Taiwanese who could barely converse well in English because somehow, their education system didn't emphasize a lot on the Queen's language. I wouldn't blame them for sure.

My sis's co-author for her thesis is apparently a PhD holder from Seoul who was attached to our university for the past one year. So when she asked to have a last meal with my sis and my family before she left for her homeland, they headed over to a Korean meal in Mid Valley (which my family said sucked big time). And apparently, she commented that both my parents have good command of English!

I didn't laugh of course! Seeing both my old folks went to Chinese medium school when they were younger, they struggled hard to learn to speak proper English over the years. I guess that was why I was sent to a convent for my kindy and started English tuition since I was 9 years old.
But having said that, it amused me much much more when sis told me about the encounter she and her Korean counterpart had while they were looking for a private school somewhere in KL. So my sis was driving and stopped somewhere by the side of the road to allow her Korean counterpart to go ask 2 tudung-ed young lady where the school is located.

The one who was asked looked at her friend and said, "Eh, you pandai speaking tak?"

I laughed out loud, literally. Not to say I'm looking down on them. But with English being one of the main language in this country, wouldn't it be at least proper to understand some simple questions? Plus, it wasn't that the Korean lady is superb in hers anyways. I just didn't understand how could SOME Malaysians be so ignorant. But then again, I couldn't care less. I solemnly swear I'm not a racist. >.<

But that aside, it felt really great when the Taiwanese acquaintance that sat beside me in the gala dinner admired how the Chinese in Malaysia could converse well in 3 languages and some other dialects! :P Although I'd love to know more languages especially Spanish and French... Now I wonder, anyone out there willing to tutor me simple Spanish? :P