Post A

In this section that I read the main cultural differences were the languages spoken. As Adeline arrived in Hong King she saw that the most spoken languages were either Chinese or English, because Britain at that time controlled China. Adeline, after learning so much English at the different schools she has attended has become accustomed to it and is no longer interested in Chinese. When Adeline tells her Grandpa this he says, “‘I agree that Chinese words are more difficult to learn that English. We do not have an alphabet, and there is no correlation at all between our written and spoken language. In fact, I once met a Frenchmen who could not speak a word of Chinese so he worked as a translator of Chinese law at the French consulate in Shanghai’” (pg.152). Ye Ye, Adeline’s grandpa also talks about how the language has more meaning than English, and that each picture that represents a word or phrase is meaningful and symbolic. Lastly, he talks about how it is important for Adeline to know her own language because of her culture, and so she can be respected by others.

One small cultural difference was how a couple times it was mentioned that people had left unwanted babies on the street, or a child was for sale, and when they were in Hong Kong they saw this, “The child had a large placard hanging around her neck on which was written, my name is Feng San-an. I am for sale” (pg. 160).