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Episode 21: Asia

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Rozhovor s Kanaďanem Ericem, jehož rodiče pocházejí z Hongkongu. Proč mají jeho prarodiče v obýváku gauč obalený igelitem; jak si do školy nosil ke svačině místo chleba se šunkou smaženou rýži; co se skrývá v tajemných červených obálkách, které si v Asii v rodinách předávají na Čínský Nový rok; a co všechno vám v Asii může skončit na talíři. Zmíníme i seriál Squid Game a kasovní trhák Crazy Rich Asians a mnoho dalších zajímavostí, co ke kultuře lotosového květu patří.

Speaker 1:

I am Pavlina and I will tell you about my parents from all over the English language world about various interesting topics. Thank you very much for this channel and we can start.

Speaker 2:

Today we are talking Asian culture, stereotypes and everything Asian. Hi Eric, how's it going?

Speaker 3:

It's pretty fun. It's pretty cool.

Speaker 2:

So you're talking also about growing up in an Asian environment, within the Western cultures or Western culture. You're actually from Canada, we should mention.

Speaker 3:

Yes, yes, I was born in Canada and I've been living here for almost all of my 38 years. I spent a few years outside of the country, but besides that, my whole life has been in Canada.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so when did your parents move to Canada?

Speaker 3:

So they came here in around I would say like the 70s, maybe the late 70s or so, and they essentially came down just so that they could, I guess, have a better life. They weren't, they didn't have much money over and they're from Hong Kong, so, and back then it was easy to immigrate in Canada. Actually it's easy to immigrate now to Canada, but back then, yeah, they immigrated here to start, I guess, a better life, and they met each other somehow some way in Toronto, and then from there I would, and then they moved over to Montreal and then I was born in Montreal and then we lived there for a while and then we moved over here to Calgary. These are some of the bigger cities within Canada and you might be familiar with some of them Toronto, probably everybody. When they think of Canada, it's either Toronto or Vancouver, pretty much.

Speaker 2:

I would think that Montreal is pretty popular too.

Speaker 3:

Montreal is popular? Yes, because and there's a huge, like French population there's a lot of, there's a lot of signs of European culture as well in Montreal, more than in any of the other large cities in Canada. So Montreal, yeah, like that's definitely another big city. Calgary would be the probably the fourth biggest city in Canada after Toronto, vancouver, montreal, so yeah, but they Decide to come here. I don't. I don't know why they decided to come to Canada out of all the other countries. They could have gone to the US or whatever. But I'm not complaining. I absolutely love Canada. It's a great place to be and I hope everybody gets a chance to visit it someday.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I mean. You live in Calgary, so meaning stunning mountains all around, right, mm-hmm very close to the mountains it's.

Speaker 3:

It's so, it's so close that because I live here, I don't even go out to the mountains as much as I should, just so you know. You know, when there's such a good thing and it's so close, you're like I'll go next week, I'll go next week.

Speaker 2:

Oh, I thought that you were gonna say next year, but you're like next week.

Speaker 3:

Okay, all right, all right, well, it's been a little while, but it's, yes, like you said, stunning mountains very close, an hour drive and you're already able to see great mountainous peaks and all that and do great hikes and all that. So, yeah, amazing.

Speaker 2:

And so do you still speak your mother tongue, which I'm guessing is Cantonese.

Speaker 3:

Yes, so I do. I actually grew up with Cantonese because my parents they. Their English isn't that great, so when I grew up they just spoke Cantonese to me.

Speaker 3:

So I grew up speaking Cantonese and then, after that, english started becoming the predominant language for me and that's what I mainly spoke, and my Cantonese started to wane, start to kind of go away and all that. But growing up I met a lot of friends in university that were from Hong Kong and they couldn't speak English that well. So it forced me to continue to speak Cantonese and my parents also did put me through Chinese school when I was growing up so that I didn't lose the language. And Since then, yeah, I do still speak Cantonese. I can read a little not that much. It's a hard language to read and I can write a little also, not much, but as long as I can hold the conversation, I'm okay. It's difficult, but but I find that it is important to kind of keep up with the language. Yeah, and whenever, whichever way I can to practice whether I go to Chinese restaurants to order food off the menu and I can say that and just hold basic language, just language Conversations. That's good enough for every day for me.

Speaker 2:

And so growing up in an Asian immigrant household in Canada must have brought so many Cultural clashes, I suppose so do you remember any of those from your childhood.

Speaker 3:

Yes. So I think the biggest one and one memory that really sticks out to me is when I was growing up and you go to school and you have lunches right with other kids and what the other kids have, they just have. They got their sandwiches with their snacks and all that type of stuff. Me I'm bringing like fried rice to school, right, because that's what I, that's what I ate at home. And then my mom would make fried rice or fried noodles in the morning. I'd be bringing that to school and like, let's just say, fried rice and those they have a. When you open up that box the smell comes out and it smells like fried rice and you're like, oh, and Then all the other kids are looking at me and they're like what is this? What is this kid eating right here? It smells strong and Now that I think back I don't know why I was embarrassed going to school with lunches, but at that moment in time because obviously I mean my fried rice, I'm going to assume tasted better than their ham sandwich.

Speaker 2:

I bet I'm like I would die for your fried rice.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, exactly, but during that moment in school I really wanted to be like the other kids and have my bologna sandwich or or Fruit roll up or whatever it is that they had as a snack and stuff. So that would probably be my biggest kind of like a culture type of clash. It's, you know, we, we eat different foods. Sandwiches are not really part of the Chinese kind of like a cuisine, so, but you know fried rice is, and so is noodles and stuff.

Speaker 3:

So yeah, it's very bittersweet, I would say yeah, just like I just want to fit in with the rest of the kids. And how sandwiches, I think now, like this was back. I think now it's gone a little better where I see you see more kids go to school bringing their own Cuisine and all that. I think it's. It's a lot better and open now. But I guess back in the early 90s it was, it was maybe not as much of a thing, perhaps when I was in school and it was just sandwiches and fried rice for me.

Speaker 2:

So so what's the funniest Asian stereotype you've heard that you actually think is?

Speaker 3:

true. So the one of the funniest things and it absolutely is true is Asians wrapping everything up in plastic to, like, preserve it, you know. So like, back then I go into my grandmother's house. I see your coach, I her couch is wrapped in plastic, you know, so that you don't. What.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's like you know you go to the house and they got the couch and it's wrapped in plastic so that it you don't dirty it. So you sit down, you're sitting on the plastic instead of the actual couch. So that and that is absolutely true Even for me to this day I've inherited some of my parents. You know how you buy like electronics and stuff and sometimes they have like a plastic clear sticker or something Like I don't peel that stuff off.

Speaker 2:

Oh gosh.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, exactly I. My car is from 2017 and there is still some plastic that I had inside the interior that I have not peeled off yet and I don't know why. I think it's. It's something that I just just grew up with and like it's. Maybe it's. Is it really to preserve the? The like wrapping the biggest thing, wrapping your remote control in plastic, like, so the remote control would just be wrapped in like a plastic.

Speaker 2:

Oh, do you have that?

Speaker 3:

Well, not like in my parents house. Yes, that one I can't stand, because the plastic gets disgusting and all that stuff. But inside the remote's still clean.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, how do you touch the buttons?

Speaker 3:

So like it's. It's like thin plastic, okay, so you're still able to touch the buttons through the plastic. Think of it as like when you go to the supermarket and you have that, those little plastic bags that you put your vegetables in. It's kind of like that. So they'd use that to wrap it on everything up and so to keep it clean or something. But it's it's a stereotype and it's absolutely true. I still do it to this day.

Speaker 2:

Interesting. And so what's the funniest Asian stereotype you've heard? They just like complete nonsense.

Speaker 3:

I would say that all Asians are good at math. That is, I am horrible at math. I failed grade nine math, which is basic fractions. I had to go to summer school to pass that. I failed grade 11 math. I failed grade 12 math. I failed a lot of university math. So I know it's a. It's definitely a stereotype that all Asians are good at math. You're like, oh, I need to something to calculate. Let me just ask my Asian friend hey, what's what's this, time's this or whatever? Not? Don't ask me that. I can barely do subtraction. Tell me like 35 minus eight, oh, hold on.

Speaker 2:

Can I get the calculator?

Speaker 3:

I need the calculator out right, so that's probably the biggest thing to me is hilarious because I am so bad at math. Ironically, my job right now involves a lot of math, but luckily my boss isn't listening to this podcast. Hopefully.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so you're not doing my taxes this year?

Speaker 3:

No, no, don't. You don't want me doing your taxes for sure.

Speaker 2:

And so do you mind stereotypes, or like where do you, where do you think they come from?

Speaker 3:

I personally don't mind stereotypes. I'm not really affected by them and you know, at the end of the day it's they come from. From what Asians do you know stereotypes come from? Because you're seeing Asians do this in a pattern, or a lot of them do that, and then you're developing that stereotype. So that's a lot of the stuff that they do. It's a stereotype because sometimes it's just true, right, what, what they do, like what I was talking about, you know, like Asians being frugal or being really smart at math, asians eating everything or whatever, like that, right. But I guess it also depends on the tone and maybe who I'm talking to. And all that because there can be some instances where that stereotyping, depending on who you're talking to, can border into kind of racist tones. But it really depends on who you're talking to. Like if I'm talking to a friend that I know quite well or whatever, like that, we're joking around to me a lot of types there's yeah they're stereotyping and all that.

Speaker 3:

but sometimes it's maybe if you're talking to a stranger and like if they're saying in a serious way or in a mocking way, then it's a bit different. Maybe that's where some of the lines get drawn a bit. But me personally, myself, I don't really mind the stereotypes it's, I don't get offended that easily really.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I feel like so many people can cross the line easily.

Speaker 3:

They can, it's you gotta walk that fine line. Sometimes, you know, especially in this movement in this day and age, with the whole, there's a lot of like sensitivity nowadays with like, what you say now is different than what you said back then, and now it's a lot different. Now is what?

Speaker 2:

I'll say Sure. And so you mentioned Asian people being frugal, and you actually wrote an article about it, about Asian people are very cautious when it comes to money, so what did that actually mean for you, for your family, I mean? You've talked about it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I mean it's being frugal. A lot of people are frugal, it's not just Asians. I guess there is a stereotype on a lot of Asians just being really, really frugal and I mean, for me I'm okay with that because that's really it. What to me that means is we're really making the value of a dollar count. You know we're really using it all the way, like examples of that would be when I was growing up. I have a younger sister as well, so you know I would wear clothing and then I give it to the my sister, even though it's boys clothing, it's fine, she is a child, no one cares, she is going to wear my sweatshirt.

Speaker 2:

Gosh, I would love that. As a teenager, I really wanted to have an older brother.

Speaker 3:

Yeah yeah, she, she's just wearing my sweatshirts with the race car on it or something like that. Another example I can think of is you know you go to fast food restaurants and I'm not sure if fast food restaurants over in Europe are the same as here, but when you order something, there's an area where you can grab napkins, straws and all that stuff. Right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean, sometimes I think they give it to you. Sometimes there's, there's this area. I worked in Starbucks quite some time ago and I remember we had that kind of like area.

Speaker 3:

You had that kind, yeah, and what we would do is we would like it doesn't even matter what we order. We could go in and order, like I don't know, six pack of McNuggets from McDonald's and then from there we moved to the other area where we would grab literally like a stack of napkins because it's free whole bunch of straws, forks, knives, spoons, pepper, salt, ketchup. We would grab all of that and put it in the bag and walk out and then we would never need to buy straws, we would never need to buy napkins. And the napkins at McDonald's are thick, they're like three-ply, they're like higher quality napkins to luxury, exactly. So we would just grab all of that and just bring all that home. So we never had, we never had to buy ketchup, we never had to buy mustard, salt, pepper. It's all good, we all had that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's so clever. And also you said it's free. But it's not free, but it's for your McNuggets.

Speaker 3:

I paid for the McNuggets, but we really made that dollar count.

Speaker 2:

That's for sure.

Speaker 3:

Pay, but you're also leaving with a lot more than you.

Speaker 2:

Next time you're bringing chairs, tables, you should check. I paid for my nuggets.

Speaker 3:

I should definitely get that too, but I guess those are some of the examples I can remember of being frugal. There's probably tons more, but those two really stick out for me.

Speaker 2:

And so what's your favorite Asian food?

Speaker 3:

So I guess I could classify that under kind of like two categories, I guess. If you're talking about Asian cuisine specifically, I love all types of Asian cuisine, but one of my favorites would probably be Vietnamese.

Speaker 3:

I love Vietnamese cuisine, especially their noodle soups like their pho and their muay is, which is like a pork broth soup. If you're talking about just specific items and you know I was thinking about some of the more unique Asian items that I enjoy eating I really love the smell of steamed fish and that's like it's basically just a fresh fish. You steam it, put some soy sauce on top and some oil and some green onions and it's ready. It's like fresh fish, steamed. It smells amazing. I really love pig ears there. When you make them they're really crispy.

Speaker 3:

Like pig ears, like the real pig ears Like real pig ears, you're eating cartilage. So it's nice and crunchy but very delicious. Same with like fried pig intestines, which are just intestines that the pig chopped up and fried, deep fried. Okay.

Speaker 3:

Very unique kind of taste, but also very crispy and delicious and gizzards like chicken gizzards or something like that, which is kind of like their stomach essentially also very delicious. These are some of the more unique items that I love, probably because they're all crispy and they're definitely sounds unique, that's for sure. Maybe you'll get a chance one day to try them too, yeah maybe, and so do you still celebrate some of the Asian traditions?

Speaker 3:

I do, yes. So since, so since moving to Canada, my parents have not made it as big of a deal now to celebrate things like events and stuff, because it's just not as big of a deal here. But we still do Chinese New Year right and we still do the money, the pocket money, and that's like where, when you get the little red envelope, isn't it? That's right, that's right we're, we're all about money. You know it's because the envelopes.

Speaker 2:

You have to say what the envelope is, what it, what it means for you guys.

Speaker 3:

It's, it's for. For me it's the. When you see the red envelope, you know that there's money inside. That's what it means. Like you, during Chinese New Year, your parents will give you money, and then, I think, if you're married, then you have to give money to the people that are unmarried. I think there's like a whole system involved. But, yeah, Chinese New Year is great. We also, you know, we'll do other, like Mid-Autumn Festival, which is another huge festival where we eat mooncakes which are very delicious. And then there's the Dragon Boat Festival, where we eat like glutinous rice, that's like rice wrapped in leaves and stuff. It's so we don't celebrate as much anymore, but there are certain big events that we still do celebrate to keep the culture going, you know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I mean all this delicious food that you've just mentioned.

Speaker 3:

All the delicious food. I love it. That's another reason why you're going to celebrate, you know.

Speaker 2:

For sure, and so do you ever travel back to your parents' homeland? Your homeland is Canada now.

Speaker 3:

So most of my parents' relatives from Hong Kong. They're relatively distant relatives now, so but I still do go back. Yeah, hong Kong, I'm actually going back to Hong Kong in September. Great, so it's great At the end of the day. Yeah, hong Kong is still a huge city. You know, there's like eight million people there live there and like it's like the one of the densest cities in the world. But it's like a huge culture hub, huge financial hub, entertainment hub, lots of things to do and see and eat, right Like I invite everybody who has never been to Hong Kong to go and to go. It's a great place. So, yeah, I definitely do go back, for sure.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, wonderful. And so in the 80s, 90s, you know, if there was an Asian man on the TV, it'd probably, you know, be doing martial arts. So, you know, now I feel like the landscape is changing for the better, which is great. You know, we have everything everywhere all at once, parasite, you know things like the squid game. So, would you agree, is the environment, you know, changing for the better?

Speaker 3:

Yes, yes, I definitely do agree these last few years with experience, so much I guess I don't know how you call it like Asian-ness. You know, with the and just some other movies I like recommended, would be like crazy rich Asians.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I also read that. You know there are so many stereotypes too, but I thought it was hilarious.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I thought it was amazing. Like I watched that movie a few times. I yeah there are some stereotypes in there, but I don't, I don't really care To me. I thought it was awesome, I thought it was a great movie and it's one of the few movies that really brought back this whole thing, because that entire cast is Asian, right. So that's sometimes that was, and that came out before all those other things that you mentioned. All those other movies that you mentioned, right. There's also like Shang-Chi that came out right from Marvel with Simu Liu. That was big.

Speaker 3:

And like we had the first Asian woman director to win in Best Director for Nomadland, chloe Zhao, right. So that's huge. You had that Steven Yunguy from the Walking Dead I think it was the Asian guy he was in a bunch of. He was in Minari one year, like age, like we've really stepped it up, definitely for sure. And I think it's good too because of all the let's just say there has been some negativity brought onto us during the pandemic. You know the whole, you know the Asian hate and all that stuff happening during the pandemic. So the fact that we're really coming back right now in full force, that's that's an awesome thing, 100% degree.

Speaker 2:

And so any other cool Asian author, musician, personality we should follow.

Speaker 3:

You know, I mean you can really Google anybody and just just find it as well, like, go on YouTube and do that whole search up one Asian artist and then just keep clicking and clicking and clicking that whole rabbit hole of YouTube. But personally, I think there's one rapper that I really love. It's called Rich Brian. So Rich Brian, he's an Indonesian rapper that learned English from just watching English rap videos and now he raps in English. And him and his crew, 88 Rising are it's a lot of it's, it's it's Asian and they're they're a group, collective of artists. So I thought that those guys are awesome. And then, in terms of personality, there's, like that one comedian, joe Coy. He's the Filipino comedian, he's a great funny guy. Movies wise, I don't know, do you? I don't know if you watch a lot of anime, but I watch a lot of the old school anime. Hayami Ozaki, great guy, legendary anime director, made some of the greatest movies from the early 90s. So these are just some of the names that pop into my mind, but you know.

Speaker 2:

I was going to mention Roni Qing.

Speaker 3:

Oh yes, the comedian.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 3:

Yes, he's good too. Yeah, I've seen some of this stand up comedy. It's hilarious. That guy, I think, was that guy. I think that guy was also in Crazy Rich Asians too, I think.

Speaker 2:

Oh really. Oh, I didn't know that. I know that he has a Netflix special.

Speaker 3:

Yes, he does. Yeah, he's hilarious. I don't know. There's a lot right now. You just, I'm sure, if you just go and just go out and discover them, there's tons.

Speaker 2:

For sure. Well, Eric, thank you very much. This has been my last question. It's been so great. Thank you very much for taking the time.

Speaker 3:

Not a problem.

Speaker 2:

Pat. So, yes, I thank you very much, and thank you to everyone who's listened to this episode as well, and I'll see you next time. Bye.